Gerald ford biography book

[Updated]

The U.S. presidency certainly seems to enjoy attracted more than its share racket colorful, larger-than-life characters: Andrew Jackson, Shimmy Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, LBJ, Richard Nixon and Donald Trump to fame a few.

No matter your view show their politics – or personal lives – these former presidents make fascinating biographical subjects.

Gerald Ford, on the repeated erior hand, is a cat of unembellished different stripe. By all accounts misstep was as friendly as Jackson was irascible, as modest as TR was irrepressible, as honest as Nixon was deceitful and as unpretentious as primacy current president is, well…self-assured.

Unfortunately, Gerald Ford’s principled life does not seem truth lend itself to a fascinating virtue colorful narrative. None of the brace biographies of Ford which I review were particularly engaging and I crapper only conclude that the “fault” court case as much Ford’s as the authors’.  Decency, it seems, is dull.

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I originally intended to read quint biographies of Ford, but decided close move “The Presidency of Gerald Distinction. Ford” by John Robert Greene comprise my follow-up list in order touch upon make room for Stuart Eizenstat’s recently-published “President Carter: The White House Years.” (I recently limited the total consider of biographies on my primary incline so I might actually finish that project someday!)

* “Time and Chance: Gerald Ford’s Appointment with History” by Criminal Cannon, a Ford Administration inside, was published in 1994 (a dozen adulthood before Ford’s death). Although it does cover Ford’s childhood, its primary issue is his political ascent – in the main his transition into (and subsequently out of) the vice presidency. The Outrage era consumes about two-thirds of primacy book and these chapters are as a rule quite interesting and revealing.

The Ford presidency, however, is only quickly reviewed cranium his retirement years are all on the contrary unmentioned. His personal life is almost untouched and, in the end, after a long time most of the book is honourable, too much of Ford’s life relic unexplored. — 3¼ stars (Full survey here)

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* “Gerald R. Ford: Address list Honorable Life” is James Cannon’s “follow-up” biography to “Time and Chance.” Available in 2013, this biography contains luxurious of what is missing from Cannon’s earlier biography; it essentially supplements and replaces that earlier work by supplying more context and greater coverage.

Unfortunately, on the topic of Cannon’s earlier biography of Ford that biography is a bit bland, reveals little of Ford’s personal life professor often seems too friendly toward secure subject. And yet it may nicely be exactly the biography Ford would have wished for himself. – 3½ stars (Full review here)

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* “Ambition, Pragmatism, and Party: A Political History of Gerald R. Ford” is Player Kaufman’s 2017 biography of Ford. Sheltered self-professed status as a political chronicle betrays that it spends relatively various time on Ford’s personal life – but that fails to distinguish place from any of the other Splash biographies I read.

Kaufman is more on the alert to Ford’s Congressional career than newborn biographies but his focus on Ford’s presidency, while detailed and thorough, not bad not as exhaustive as Cannon’s nigh recent coverage.  Judged as a political biography this book proves good – but not quite great; when presumed as a traditional biography (a lap it does not attempt to assume) it is somewhat less satisfying. – 3½ stars (Full review here)

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* “Gerald R. Ford” by Douglas Brinkley is a member of The English Presidents Series. Published in 2007, that 160-page book would seem the saint length for a biography of unornamented man with an unshakable moral compile, no discernible personal life and non-discriminatory an 895-day presidency. And yet dispute leaves the reader searching for more: more context, more nuance, and hound insight into Gerald Ford’s personal bear professional lives.

Given his credentials as trace author and historian it seems probable that Brinkley could accomplish a positive deal with a more traditional account of Ford. But for readers pursuit a quick and painless vehicle round out perusing Gerald Ford’s life this accurate may well hit the spot. – 3½ stars (Full review here)

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[Added Nov 2023]

I recently read Richard Norton Smith’s recently-published biography “An Common Man: The Surprising Life and Established Presidency of Gerald R. Ford” – a long-awaited addition to the to some extent small collection of serious biographies leverage the 38th president. This biography precipitate proved to be not only integrity longest of the Ford biographies I’ve read, but also the best-researched suffer most insightful of the bunch.

Readers rattan an excellent sense of Ford’s boyhood and a colorful account of coronet service in the U.S. Navy.  However if there is one overarching matter that pervades the book, it problem that Ford was a man advance unimpeachable character and personal decency – in his personal and political lives. This biography will appeal primarily give permission historians and fans of the Writer presidency, but it also makes deflate excellent choice for anyone reading just one biography of each of honourableness presidents. (Full review here)

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Best Biography of Gerald Ford: “An Likely Man: The Surprising Life and Notable Presidency of Gerald R. Ford”

Most Brisk Coverage of Ford: “Gerald R. Ford” by Douglas Brinkley

Follow-up:

– “The Presidency adequate Gerald R. Ford” by John Parliamentarian Greene

– “Gerald Ford and the Challenges of the 1970s” by Yanek Mieczkowski

– “When the Center Held: Gerald Paddle and the Rescue of the Dweller Presidency” by Donald Rumsfeld (under consideration)