Confronting the Presidents: No Spin Assessments from Washington to Biden

by Bill O'Reilly, Martin Dugard

The #1 New York Times and USA Today Nonfiction Bestseller!
Authors of the acclaimed Killing books, the #1 bestselling narrative history series in the world, Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard begin a new direction with Confronting the Presidents. From Washington to Jefferson, Lincoln to Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Kennedy to Nixon, Reagan to Clinton, Bush to Obama, Trump, and Biden, the 45 United States presidents have left lasting impacts on our nation. Some of their legacies continue today, some are justly forgotten, and some have changed as America has changed. Whether famous, infamous, or obscure, all the presidents shaped our nation in unexpected ways. The authors' extensive research has uncovered never before seen historical facts based on private correspondence and newly discovered documentation, such as George Washington's troubled relationship with his mother. In Confronting the Presidents, O’Reilly and Dugard present 45 wonderfully entertaining and insightful portraits of each president, with no-spin commentary on their achievements—or lack thereof. Who best served America, and who undermined the founding ideals? Who were the first ladies, and what were their surprising roles in making history? Which presidents were the best, which the worst, and which didn’t have much impact? How do decisions made in one era, under the pressure of particular circumstances, still resonate today? And what do presidents like to eat, drink, and do when they aren’t working—or even sometimes when they are? These and many more questions are answered in each fascinating chapter of Confronting the Presidents. Written with O’Reilly and Dugard’s signature style, authority, and eye for telling detail, Confronting the Presidents will delight all readers of history, politics, and current affairs, especially during the 2024 election season.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, Biography, American History, Presidents, Historical

417 pages, Hardcover

First published September 10, 2024

About the author

Bill O'Reilly's success in broadcasting and publishing is unmatched. The iconic anchor of The O'Reilly Factor led the program to the status of the highest rated cable news broadcast in the nation for sixteen consecutive years. His website BillOReilly.com is followed by millions all over the world.

In addition, he has authored an astonishing 12 number one ranked non-fiction books including the historical "Killing" series. Mr. O'Reilly currently has 17 million books in print.

Bill O'Reilly has been a broadcaster for 42 years. He has been awarded three Emmys and a number of other journalism accolades. He was a national correspondent for CBS News and ABC News as well as a reporter-anchor for WCBS-TV in New York City, among other high-profile jobs.

Mr. O'Reilly received two other Emmy nominations for the movies "Killing Kennedy" and "Killing Jesus."

He holds a history degree from Marist College, a master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from Boston University, and another master’s degree from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Bill O'Reilly lives on Long Island where he was raised. His philanthropic enterprises have raised tens of millions for people in need and wounded American veterans.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/billor...

Reviews

[Marinna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up after stoking an interest in learning more about the history of the United States. I knew Bill O'Reilly had a plethora of history works and trusted that this would be a well-researched and interesting dive into our nation's presidents. I was so pleased with Confronting the Presidents! I savored this book for my early morning runs where I could really focus on the lives our founding fathers and patriots for our country. I was pleased to hear about (most) of the presidents adopting exercise into their daily morning routine, with most of the men being diligent in keeping a schedule.

There were many presidents I didn't know much about and I was grateful to get a little snippet of what kind of impact their time in office had on the United States. The influence of the first ladies was also interesting to hear about. Some of the White House couples really were resilient in losing children and continuing to push through their grief to serve our country. Some of my favorite tidbits to learn about were how much George H.W. Bush hated broccoli, the bizarre situation surrounding Andrew Garfield's assassination at a train station, how Theodore Roosevelt preferred to go by T.R. and attempted to run for a third term, establishing the Bull Moose Party, and the greatest - how President Benjamin Harrison was so afraid of electricity that he employed staff to turn lights on and off for him (and would sleep with the lights on if they were unavailable!). There were so many fun-facts sprinkled about. This would be a great resource for anyone into trivia.

This book was a perfect jumping-off point for picking which presidents and time periods I would like to further read about. I think Confronting the Presidents could be a great resource for students, particularly homeschooled students, when looking into different historic time periods. I appreciated the authors briefly discussing how the current political divide between parties is a much deeper chasm than during previous pointes in history. I would recommend this book to history fanatics for the fun little-known facts, and for the history newbies (like myself)!

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and the authors Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard for an ALC of Confronting the Presidents in exchange for an honest review!

[Stefan Burkhalter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt slightly underwhelming by Confronting the Presidents, which I was looking forward to for months as someone enamored with presidential history. A chapter is devoted per president from Washington to Obama (with two chapters for Cleveland’s nonconsecutive terms). Due to the recency of their administrations, Trump and Biden are covered in the epilogue with O’Reilly and Dugard each giving their own opinions. There’s less analysis throughout the book’s early chapters as it is a narrative history of facts we mostly already knew. It isn’t until the Theodore Roosevelt Progressive era that we start getting the authors’ analysis. Erroneous errors are also made including the false claim that Calvin Coolidge was illegally sworn-in as president because his father wasn’t a “federal” official when he swore his son in by lantern light. Then, they mistakenly refer to Geraldine Ferraro as Michael Dukakis’s running mate when in fact it was Lloyd Bentsen. Underwhelmed, but it was still enjoyable in spots. I would recommend just checking this out in your local library instead of making a purchase.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is unlike his other Killing titled books. It is a much more in depth with biographic detail hard history read.

[Kenny Schwarz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a very mixed bag and falls somewhere is the line of 3-3.5 stars, but no higher as the book is RIFE with errors, shockingly even with some of the more recent presidents. These include : Statement that the press came up with Camelot for the Kennedy presidency during his tenure, (when in fact Jackie pushed that theme after JFKs death) A statement that Carter used the word “malaise” in his speech (In fact Carter did not say that in his Crisis of Confidence speech rather that “malaise” term was one Ted Kennedy used to criticize Carter) a suggestion the George HW Bush was not viable in 1980 because he’d lost to Carter (is factually baseless and historically false, as Bush didn’t lose to Carter), A statement that in the 2000 election the Florida AG called the race for GW Bush (it was the Secretary of State Katherine Harris). Bill O’Reilly’s statement that the FBI set out to destroy Trump (pure garbage personal opinion masquerading as fact and clearly done out of blind personal loyalty). These easily identifiable errors lead the reader to wonder if the authors used a grade school editor, if they bothered to edit or fact check at all.

Outside of those easily identifiable errors, the rest of the book is decent description of the 45 men who have held the highest office in the land and follows largely in line with other books the two authors have worked on together. Subject matter is slightly deeper than the wave tops but stays readable and engaging for the average reader. Typical to their other books, the material doesn’t hesitate to focus on sexual escapes (kind of grossly on brand when you look at what O’Reilly is accused of), and contains several footnotes—some with interesting anecdotes I was unaware of, and then others that simply reference other of the previous books as authoritative sources making the authors seem more huckster than historian.

Still as someone who enjoys presidential bios, I enjoyed the effort to evaluate all our presidents, but just wish the authors employed more rigor to get it right.

[Thomas R. Welsch · Rating 1 out of 5]

Interesting, but O’Reilly’s bias’s come through so blatantly that the book’s credibility is severely compromised.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is nothing in "Confronting the Presidents" by Bill O'Reilly that you couldn't get by simply reading profiles of all the US presidents on Wikipedia. A slim 400 page book with assessments of the presidents should have been a tipoff: It is not possible to write a comprehensive book about all the presidents in such a short span. Given about ten pages for each all O'Reilly could really cover was when and where the president was born, whom he married, when and where she was born, a couple of fun facts, a couple of achievements or setbacks, when and where he died, when and where she died, and where they are buried. Ten pages for Lincoln are no match for the thousands and thousands of books written about Lincoln. Plus, I thought that rather than a chronological book this would rank the presidents from the best to the worst. You know, like number 1, Donald Trump, number 46, Joe Biden. Well, that should lose me about 10 or 20 friends. Anyway, that way you could have discussions (or arguments) about which president was better. And did no one proofread this book? George H. W. Bush's father was Prescott Bush, not Preston Bush.

So many great books about the Presidents have been written. David McCullough wrote two: John Adams and Harry Truman. Ron Chernow wrote a great one about George Washington. Doris Kearns Goodwin and even Carl Sandburg wrote about Abraham Lincoln. There are a ton of books about FDR and with Joseph P.Lash's "Eleanor and Franklin" you get a twofer. And everyone is anxiously awaiting Robert Caro's final installment on the life of LBJ. What a publishing event that will be! Much as I like Bill O'Reilly, "Confronting the Presidents" is pretty lame in comparison to these books. And that's my no spin assessment.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting and fun read. Giving a flyover view of each President of the United States. I learned a lot from it. They generally gave insight to the glorious, the good, the bad, the ugly, personal flaws and tragedies of each president as it fit their lives and administrations. The authors strived to keep personal bias out and mostly did a good job at that.

I deducted one star because how Reagan's presidency was reviewed in this book. They failed to really capture why his presidency was a success and why he was a beloved POTUS. Many voters outside of his party literally crossed the line to vote for him. The authors also note that they cannot give a full review of the legacy of Trump and Biden. However, what was said about Trump and Biden by one of the authors clearly had a bias I felt was out of touch with reality altogether.

All in all, this was a worthwhile read (or listen), I highly recommend it.

[Brent Soderstrum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a political science major and history minor in college so I have always enjoyed books on famous politicians. The most famous politicians are Presidents of the United States. There is no book I am aware of like this- an analysis of each President.

I am a big fan of Bill O'Reilly. I have read his Killing books and listen to his podcasts regularly. His analysis of Trump and Biden at the end, which includes a study by his co-author Dugard, proves I agree more with his thinking than Dugard's. I think he is too generous with Biden though. He rates Biden as the second worst President of all time behind only Buchanon. I think Biden is the worst President of all time.

This book is full of facts I didn't know, which I love. Also, this book shows two things that ease my concerns about our country. The first is that we have had our nation polarized ideologically in the past. We have survived and come out stronger. The difference is the strength and bias of our media. That frightens me.

The second is that we have had plenty of past elections where one candidate won the popular vote and lost the electoral count, thus losing the presidency. When this happened with Trump winning in 2016 despite losing the popular vote our media acted like this had never happened before and should never happen again. I fear for the loss of the electoral college and its role in the election of our nation's leader.

We hear it often but I think it is correct this time. This is the most important election in our history.

[Ruth L · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is written as a brief overview of each president. As most people, I did not know much about a lot of the presidents, and that's why I wanted to read the book. Overall, the book achieves its goal to inform the reader of each president without partiality. The last part is written by the two authors of their opinions of the last two presidents, and you may agree or disagree.

[Corinne Colbert · Rating 1 out of 5]

A lot of pages to learn absolutely nothing. There have been too many presidents to get even a highlight of their contributions, good or bad. I’m really annoyed I trusted a friend’s recommendation to give this book a chance. I should have trusted my gut that I needed to stay far away from anything with Bill O’Reilly’s name on the cover.

[Daniel Byrd · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are several issues with this book.

1) Historical Inaccuracies abound. For starters, I did not find any major historical issues but there were enough to make you cringe as you read it. For example, Stephen Douglas is referred to as the “anti-slavery Northern Democrat.” Considering he was the driving force behind the Compromise of 1850 and the Kansas-Nebraska Act this claim is beyond laughable. Richard Nixon is the only President at the time to have visited China? Well, someone better tell Ulysses S. Grant he did not in fact go to Hong Kong or any other Chinese city. (I wonder if the authors meant “sitting President” but considering they didn’t explicitly write that, I do not know)

2) Analysis was lacking and when it was given it was weak, unthoughtful, and lacking. This book is dubbed in the introduction as a “no spin confronting of the Presidents.” What you get instead is essentially 44 Wikipedia entries with no analysis whatsoever. If any analysis is offered in the middle of the plethora of overused President facts, then it is either weak (LBJ’s chapter hardly mentions the Great Society or the Voting Rights Bill) or lacking (the claim that Theodore Roosevelt did more for Black Americans than any President since Abraham Lincoln).

3) It was poorly written. This is the first time I have ever read a Bill O’Reilly book and I think it will be the last. The short sentence structure, the lack of any coherent flow, and the repetition of word choice and facts were all extremely tough to get through.

4) The footnotes were obnoxious. Nearly all the footnotes are shameless plugs of any book O’Reilly ever wrote. If it is not that, then it is just random, useless facts.

Overall, as someone who loves to read anything about Presidents, I would not at all recommend this book.

[LaShanda Chamberlain · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Confronting the Presidents: No Spin Assessments from Washington to Biden” is an exceptional book that really shines. The audiobook is a joy to listen to, packed with fascinating and surprising details about our presidents. The narration is excellent, bringing these historical figures to life and making each chapter engaging.

While the book does have a slight bias toward conservative presidents, this doesn't take away from its overall quality. It's well-researched and offers a thorough and balanced look at each president's life, career, and time in office. It effectively highlights both their successes and their challenges, giving a well-rounded view of their impact on American history.

The audiobook’s smooth and engaging narration makes it a pleasure to listen to. This book is a must-listen for anyone interested in American history and wanting a deeper understanding of the country’s leadership.

A big thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the authors for the chance to enjoy this advanced copy of the audiobook. I highly recommend it!

[Elizabeth Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed thoughts on this book. It was nice to have all the information in one volume, but it didn't go much beyond what you could find in a Wikipedia entry. It gave general biographical information about each president - regarding their upbringing, career background, election for President, First Ladies, diet and exercise and decorum at the White House, and a slightly deeper dive into one key event during their terms (generally what introduced each chapter). Kind of felt like a collection of school book reports, to be honest. It was that type of information, without key takeaways or even key headings that would have greatly served the reader (such as the President's name, number of terms, and dates of service); as it was, I had to keep checking an external source for that information while trying to read the book.

If you are brand new to learning about the Presidents or basic US history, this provides a decent overview to start with and seems to remain fairly balanced (helped by the authors' opposite political leanings). For anyone already familiar with them, you're probably better served by reading about individual Presidents rather than skimming through this compendium.

[Dianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes I stray from my pile of TBR and randomly select, what I hope to be, an interesting read. Unfortunately, this book was a surprisingly major disappointment. I consider myself just mediocre in history knowledge and if I spotted three errors, then how many did I read unknowingly? To me, this was unacceptable and completely avoidable. I also did not like how each President's story is told, moving backwards and forwards in time. That made for a confusing timeline of events. So, while this book was a great idea, the end result was not at all ideal. I am surprised and baffled by this book being published without fact checking.

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a good book to help you get acquainted with all the Presidents and learn about their personalities, upbringing, families, routine and even what they preferred to eat at the White House, all written in an engaging style akin to the “Killing” books.

My only complaint is that an overview and evaluation of their policies were very brief and certainly not enough to warrant “No Spin Assessments” that the book touts on its cover. Although I agree there was “No Spin”, you could hardly call them assessments. Nevertheless I did enjoy it and it was hard to put down. Otherwise my rating would have been significantly lower.

[Haley Annabelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super fascinating and great book, until I got to the end. He has a super biased positive outlook on Bush and Obama, and a completely blind negative view of Trump. Once I read that, I started doubting a lot of the things he said throughout the book.
However, other than that, I would say this was a very useful book in giving me some context on each president. My one other caution is that O’Reilly has a penchant for looking for adultery in every friendship. A bit slanderous if you ask me.

[Forrest · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exceptional and highly interesting but O'Reilly should've left out the Afterward (epilogue).
I was glued to this book from cover to cover.. no surprise there given Bill O'reilly could write a book about the history of "dirt" and make it fascinating. 
This includes a mini biography on each and every president from Washington to Obama with a summary of their personal lives,  childhood,  campaigns,  interests,  families,  tenure as president,  controversies,  and a quick assessment of the impact their presidency had on the country and legacy that followed. I learned a lot of new information about obscure past presidents that have been forgotten. 
The book was great until the end. 

I was caught off guard.... I was shocked and revolted with Martin Dugard's whiney and pathetic "my father did not risk his life in Vietnam for this" rant about Trump, ranking him as America's worst president solely based upon his misguided perception of the events that took place on January 6. Trump had no control over the actions of the protesters of Jan 6 (many of whom were pushed on by instigators) and is even on record telling people to protest peacefully.  Furthermore,  all of that followed real questions of voter fraud, corporate election interference by Facebook,  YouTube,  and other media outlets,  poll rigging, and other concerns regarding a tainted outcome of the 2020 presidential election that continue to this day! Whether or not the election was actually "stolen", every concerned citizen including Trump had EVERY RIGHT to question the legitimacy of the 2020 election.

Martin Dugard, your Vietnam veteran father would slap you in the face because you are a fool.  We as Americans hold sacred the right to protest, particularly when it comes to the integrity of our elections.... even to the footsteps of the Capitol. Of all people,  you as a historian and "God fearing man" should understand and recognize that. 

[Ali Hassan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Confronting the Presidents: No Spin Assessments from Washington to Biden by Bill O'Reilly offers a direct and incisive look into the presidencies of America's leaders, from George Washington to Joe Biden.

Known for his straightforward style, O'Reilly breaks down each president's tenure, evaluating their accomplishments, shortcomings, and the personal traits that influenced their time in office.

He pulls from historical records, speeches, and actions to provide a balanced yet unfiltered critique of how each leader has shaped the United States. O'Reilly's trademark "no spin" approach ensures that readers receive clear, unbiased assessments without the influence of modern political narratives.

O'Reilly's ability to critique leaders from both political parties reflects a commitment to objective analysis, examining not just the politics of each presidency but also the character and decisions that defined their time in power. Whether the reader is a political enthusiast or a casual observer of American history, Confronting the Presidents offers an enlightening and thought-provoking review of the nation's highest officeholders.

[Marty Doskins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read all of the authors' "Killing" series of books. They were very well-researched and written. The authors brought those periods of history to life, rather then just restating a bunch of dates and facts. This new book was more of the same.

Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard have done a marvelous job giving brief, but fully developed, summaries of each president's career, as well as throwing in some historical perspective. I liked how they made each president a real person than just an historical figure.

They did include their personal opinions on our two most recent presidents, Trump and Biden, since history hasn't had a chance to develop and analyze their legacies. I wish that the authors had given a personal analysis of each president, not just the most recent ones. I respect their opinions and would've loved to have heard their opinions.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy.

Wow. I am blown away by the amount of facts I have learned reading this book. I wasn’t sure if there would be any biased opinions on the Presidents, but there were not. The facts were just that, facts, and there were positives and negatives towards both parties.

If you appreciate our nation’s history and want to learn more about our leaders, I highly recommend this book.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I throughly enjoyed this book. It delves into the interesting aspects of each of the USA Presidents, with the exception of Trump and Biden. The later two were more personal opinions. The narrator did a wonderful job too. I plan on purchasing multiple copies of the book to give as gifts and one to keep for me.

Thank you #NetGalley, #MacmillanAudio, #BillO’Reilly, #MartinDugard #RobertPetkoff and

[Bill Powers · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found Confronting the Presidents to be an entertaining read, but unfortunately, the weakest of the O'Reilly books to date. It was a bit too light for my taste.

[Jung · Rating 5 out of 5]

In "Confronting the Presidents: No-Spin Assessments from Washington to Biden", Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard deliver a sharp, critical, and revealing look at seven U.S. presidents whose terms captured key moments of American history. The book sheds light on how these leaders, despite differing ideologies and temperaments, navigated pivotal periods that continue to shape American identity. Moving from the nation’s founding through the turbulence of civil strife, economic despair, scandal, and finally, the recent strain on democratic traditions, O’Reilly and Dugard reveal how each president’s unique personal traits influenced the course of the country.

Starting with George Washington, they explore his reluctant embrace of power. Washington’s humility and his determination to relinquish authority after two terms established a crucial trust with the American people, setting a template for future presidents. Although known as a great public figure, the book delves into his more private struggles, such as his challenging relationship with his mother, which added nuance to his reserved character. Washington’s administration laid the groundwork for the peaceful transition of power—a tradition unbroken for over two centuries, until Donald Trump’s tenure.

The authors then examine James Buchanan, who they argue may be America’s worst president. Buchanan’s passive stance and unwillingness to address the growing division over slavery left the nation unprepared for the eruption of civil conflict. In stark contrast, his successor, Abraham Lincoln, is depicted as a determined leader whose empathy and conviction steered the nation through its darkest period. From his humble origins and teetotaling lifestyle to his relentless drive for victory, Lincoln exemplified the leadership qualities the country desperately needed during the Civil War. His Emancipation Proclamation and decisive military strategies under commanders like Ulysses S. Grant brought an end to both the conflict and the institution of slavery. Yet, Lincoln’s untimely assassination underscored the national divisions that would haunt the U.S. long after his death.

The book pivots to Warren G. Harding, a starkly different figure known for his love of leisure and scandalous behavior. Unlike the statesmen before him, Harding’s administration was marked by personal indulgences, including a secret life that flaunted Prohibition laws and a network of corrupt advisors dubbed the “Ohio Gang.” Through Harding’s life and the infamous Teapot Dome scandal, O'Reilly and Dugard capture an era of moral compromise and government corruption that tainted the White House and undermined public trust.

Herbert Hoover’s story reveals another form of failure. Though a self-made man with an iron will, Hoover failed to grasp the catastrophic nature of the Great Depression. His belief that the market would self-correct reflected his own bootstraps mentality, but it proved insufficient as millions of Americans faced starvation and homelessness. As shantytowns known as "Hoovervilles" sprang up, Hoover’s failure to take decisive action turned him into a symbol of government inaction. In response, his successor, Franklin D. Roosevelt, launched the New Deal and used the power of government to restore jobs, protect farmers, and provide hope to a shattered nation. Unlike Hoover, Roosevelt understood the scale of the crisis and is shown as a leader willing to break convention to uplift the American people.

The book moves to Donald Trump, a divisive figure who captured both strong admiration and opposition. While Trump achieved notable policy successes, such as increasing real wages, curbing inflation, and striking decisive foreign policy measures, O'Reilly and Dugard argue that his divisive rhetoric and refusal to concede the 2020 election made him an outlier in American history. By inciting unrest and questioning the legitimacy of the democratic process, Trump defied the tradition of peaceful power transfer that had underscored American democracy since its inception. This refusal not only eroded trust in democratic institutions but also cast a shadow over the accomplishments of his administration.

"Confronting the Presidents" is both a historical analysis and a character study. O'Reilly and Dugard underscore that the legacy of each president is as much about their personal strengths and flaws as it is about their achievements or failures in office. The book argues that no president is solely good or bad; rather, each has unique qualities that shaped their actions, often in surprising and contradictory ways. Washington’s humility, Buchanan’s passivity, Lincoln’s resolve, Harding’s hedonism, Hoover’s rigidity, FDR’s vision, and Trump’s divisiveness all contributed to the American story.

By examining these complex, sometimes contradictory figures, O'Reilly and Dugard invite readers to look past traditional hero worship or vilification. They challenge us to see presidents as individuals deeply affected by their backgrounds, ambitions, and values, each leaving a unique imprint on American history. Through a "no-spin" approach, the book asks readers to weigh the legacies of these leaders and confront the enduring impact of their time in the Oval Office.

[Todd Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent. As far as providing brief biographical accounts of each president of the United States, adding major policy or historical event highlights, while also describing typical meals served to each president, their typical daily schedules, and medical histories(often related to death), this work by O’Reilly and Dugard is top notch. Presidential biographies can be a slog. I enjoy them on occasion. However, for the casual reader with a small interest in learning more about the leaders of their country, this is an easily digestible way to do that. The brief character sketches add some life and personality to those stale, musty portraits and paintings we see in school history textbooks. The authors also do not shy away from controversial aspects. However, that focus on controversy is held to a minimum. They do generally present judgment calls on the respective legacies of each president. But they largely present historical facts, which is highly helpful.

My children bought this for me as a Christmas present. My daughter Elizabeth remembered me seeing the book in the store shortly before Christmas and saying it interested me, so they bought it for me. This is my second O’Reilly/Dugard collaborative historical book. The first was from their “Killing” series. The one I read was “Killing Lincoln”, and it was excellent as well.

While they end with each contributing an “essay” on both Donald Trump and Joe Biden, I didn’t care for them not including full on chapters. Trump’s first term had been over for 4 years when this book was published. Plenty of time to reflect on a full presidential term in office. Biden has been a creature of Washington for decades, so his legacy was established even before becoming president. Not to mention, the 2024 year of Biden’s presidency saw only his mental decline and dropout from the presidential race. Outside of that, any major policy contributions by Biden are readily available for historical analysis.

Now, this is me really going out on a limb. Because, I did truly enjoy the book. But, the authors are either gullible or simply afraid of “too much” controversy. Again, openly calling out Jefferson for the genetic link to Sally Hemings’ children, JFK’s drug abuse and extramarital affairs, Grover Cleveland’s bastard child, Warren Harding’s flaunting of Prohibition, etc., and so on. Yet, some things seem beyond either their will or ability to challenge. Folks, John Fitzgerald Kennedy has been dead these 60 plus years. No matter that there are still redacted pages of the Warren Commission report, we know the CIA killed Kennedy, and LBJ was a wolf on the inside of the sheep pen that helped it happen. His relationship with J. Edgar Hoover is beyond “circumstantial” proof. The Gennifer Flowers and Paula Jones sex scandals with Bill Clinton are mentioned, as is his lack of inhaling cannabis smoke, and Vince Foster’s “suicide”(give me a break). Double tap, back of skull…dude was straight up murdered. 9/11…Bush, World Trade tower 7, Saudi ties to the Bush family? Yes, they hint that vendetta against Saddam caused them to falsely claim WMD’s in Iraq, but $3 TRILLION spent? Where did that money all go? Not to mention the $2.3 TRILLION announced by Donald Rumsfeld as “unaccounted for” on September 10, 2001. Obama’s birth certificate. Yes, I am in full agreement that he was indeed born in Hawaii, not Kenya. Yet, the evidence of his parentage by Frank Marshall Davis didn’t even deserve a mention as an “alleged” conspiracy theory, by the reputed king of “no spin”, Mr. O’Reilly? Dugard’s assertion that Trump deserves title of “worst president” because of January 6th, a KNOWN Federal intelligence inside operation, STILL under congressional investigation. Trump’s multiple prosecutions and convictions over the past year(regardless of what I or anyone else think of the rationale behind them, they happened). C’mon man!

This could have been far juicier and more entertaining, had the authors stretched themselves just a bit beyond comfort here. It’s easy to take shots at long dead men few Americans even knew were president, over a century after their deaths, but “confronting” Grover Cleveland and Warren G. Harding is not nearly as hardball as going after Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden.

[Maxene Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. If you like history, this book gives a great little snapshot of each of the previous presidents from Washington up to Obama. The authors stop there, but each offers an opinionated essay on Trump and Biden. I also love how they gave considerable attention and detail to the First Ladies.

One thing that shocked me was how many former presidents had extramarital affairs; it makes you think that being adulterous is a prerequisite to running for president! I’d have to go back, but I think the Harding administration used tax payer funds to offer a lifelong stipend (re: bribe) to one mistress into keeping quiet about her affair with the president.

This book is filled with cool facts, like Jimmy Carter being the first president to be born in a hospital. I’m amazed how many of our presidents came from very humble beginnings, which shows that literally anyone, from actors and real estate tycoons to just a kid on a farm, can become president.

Lastly, I just have to comment here about one of the best burns I’ve ever heard. Truman said of Nixon, “Richard Nixon is a no good, lying bastard. He can lie out of both sides of his mouth at the same time, and if he ever caught himself telling the truth, he'd lie just to keep his hand in.” Solid burn! This book shows just how human the presidents of the United States were/are.

[Keith Landry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a great read. Although I do not, in every case, share the authors assessments of specific presidents, I believe the writers strived to be unbiased. Unfortunately, that is a difficult characteristic to emulate and, more times than not, you probably only fool yourself.
The authors followed a clear path with each president. They began with a little background of what their early lives were like. They then briefly covered what their day-to-day operations in the White House were like (what they had for breakfast, did they imbibe alcohol, who were their friends). Lastly they covered some of the major issues that they had to contend with. In some cases and in order to maintain a reasonable length they had to ignore major events for some (for example, Lincoln, Roosevelt , Truman, etc) while telling us more than we needed to know about others.

[McKenzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is littered with inaccuracies and rather irrelevant factoids, like what every single president ate for breakfast. Because each president only gets 10 or so pages and because so much space was dedicated to nonsense (5 of 10 of George Washington's was about how his mother asked him for money), there's almost zero analysis or any attempt to actually catalogue the successes and failures of each presidency. Some of it was word for word with Wikipedia articles. And, like others have mentioned, the coverage of the two most recent presidents is blatantly partisan (especially O'Reilly on Biden), which really calls into question the accuracy of the coverage of the presidents I haven't personally lived through.

[Jerry Kolwinska · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book on several levels. I liked the authors’ approach in looking at the presidents’ success and short comings. This insight was especially helpful for the more “obscure” presidents. Some of the revelations were surprising, especially those related to personal habits and private lives. In each portrayal, there is the common theme that these men were human beings who in many ways reflect what is good and bad in all of us.

While not a spell-binding expose, the book was captivating enough to keep me engaged.

For the casual historian, the book would be a way to get a capsulation of all of the men who have served in our nation’s highest office.

[Robby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, with a few pages on each president. I think the authors were as impartial as possible when writing about politics. I like the fact that they have O’Reilly’s conservative voice balanced with Dugard’s liberal voice. Keeps the book pretty even-keeled. Makes me want to read some of their other books.

[JR · Rating 4 out of 5]

the book is fairly apolitical - co-written by a conservative and a liberal. if you want to know what the various presidents ate for breakfast, did for exercise, or whether they shared a bed with the first lady, this is the book for you. a little personal insight and light coverage of some significant events in their life...where they were born, how they died are included, just no deep dive, which was fine by me. I did not care for the essays at the end on Trump and Biden, but otherwise, I really enjoyed the book.