America has had a poet laureate for many years, but I’ve
often said that what America needs is a historian laureate. Imagine if a historian had been there to tell George W.
Bush that no one had successfully invaded Afghanistan since the days of Hannibal? Or if a historian had been present to tell Jimmy Carter the
real intentions of the Soviets? Or if a historian was available to tell Richard Nixon of
Teapot Dome on the eve of the Watergate break-in, and the headaches it brought President Warren G. Harding? The list I have compiled here is by no means complete. The assemblage is subjective, just a few of my favorite
works, discounting my own books. As I look over the list, I see a few friends, many strangers, but all great historians and writers. Some authors are liberals, some are conservatives, some
I truly don’t know. All are excellent chroniclers of American history. I hope you will enjoy each book as much as I have. And I
hope you will enjoy reading my books as much as I enjoyed writing them.
McCullough A thoroughly researched
12 13
volume on an until-then overlooked president. It singlehandedly revived interest in Truman and his presidency. He should be commended for his other works including John Adams and 1776 as well.
American Lion: Andrew
Jackson in the White House
By Jon Meacham A detailed study of the
seventh president in the White House, including many previously unavailable documents. Meacham is a superb historian and the author of many other fine works of history including Thomas Jeff erson: The Art of Power.
14
April 1865: The Month
That Saved America By Jay Winik
Truman By David
An excellent book covering
the last days of the Civil War, including the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
for Lincoln’s Killer By James L. Swanson A personal favorite of mine, detailing the nationwide search for John Wilkes Booth and his accomplices.
15 16
Kennedy, 1917-1963 By Robert Dallek A consummate biography
17 from the birth to the death of JFK.
Washington: A Life
By Ron Chernow The irrefutable biography of
Washington, although one may take issue with how Chernow presents the first president’s mother Mary Ball Washington’s character and temperament.
An Unfi nished Life: John F.
Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase
18 Rise to Power 19
By Lou Cannon The definitive story of
Ronald Reagan’s years as governor by the man in the American press corps who knew him best. Masterful.
20
A Pope and a President:
John Paul II, Ronald Reagan, and the Extraordinary Untold Story of the 20th Century By Paul Kengor
A detailed
story of the strong, personal relationship between Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II and their victory in
the Cold War over the Soviet Union. Essential reading.
The Conservative Counterrevolution, 1980-1989
21
By Steve Hayward This large work is a triumph, taking the reader over two volumes from the early days of Reagan right through the
The Age of Reagan:
The British Are Coming:
The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777
By Rick Atkinson A great, great read about the American Revolution. Splendid.
Governor Reagan: His
monumental two terms as president.
in Letters By Annelise and Martin Anderson and Kiron Skinner It is a review of Reagan’s many,
22
many letters to hundreds of people, both important and quiet, everyday people. As it shows, Reagan, the man of letters, was a true intellectual, refuting the canards of some on the left.
23
The Burning of the White
House: James and Dolley Madison and the War of 1812 By Jane Hampton Cook Cook is a great and noted
historian, writing with verve and knowledge about this seminal event. Much more is expected from this fine writer.
Changed My Life By Peter Robinson An important insider’s book
24
Freedom, and the Making of History By John Patrick Diggins Diggins, a liberal, says Reagan is one of our four greatest presidents alongside George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
25
Craig Shirley is a presidential historian and bestselling author. His most recent book is, Mary Ball Washington, a definitive biography of George Washington’s mother.
OCTOBER 2021 | NEWSMAX 53
by one of Reagan’s treasure trove of prized presidential speechwriters — the greatest collection of White House speechwriters in history.
Ronald Reagan: Fate,
How Ronald Reagan
Reagan, A Life
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