Synopses & Reviews
andlt;Bandgt;The author of the acclaimed biography of President James Polk, andlt;Iandgt;A Country of Vast Designs, andlt;/Iandgt;offers a fresh, playful, and challenging way of playing and#8220;Rating the Presidents,and#8221; by pitching historiansand#8217; views and subsequent expertsand#8217; polls against the judgment and votes of the presidentsand#8217; own contemporaries.andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Merry posits that presidents rise and fall based on performance, as judged by the electorate. Thus, he explores the presidency by comparing the judgments of historians with how the voters saw things. Was the president reelected? If so, did his party hold office in the next election? andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Where They Stand andlt;/Iandgt;examines the chief executives Merry calls and#8220;Men of Destiny,and#8217;and#8217; those who set the country toward new directions. There are six of them, including the three nearly always at the top of all academic pollsand#8212;Lincoln, Washington, and FDR. He describes the and#8220;Split-Decision Presidentsand#8217;and#8217; (including Wilson and Nixon)and#8212;successful in their first terms and reelected; less successful in their second terms and succeeded by the opposition party. He describes the and#8220;Near Greatsand#8217;and#8217; (Jefferson, Jackson, Polk, TR, Truman), the and#8220;War Presidentsand#8217;and#8217; (Madison, McKinley, Lyndon Johnson), the flat-out failures (Buchanan, Pierce), and those whose standing has fluctuated (Grant, Cleveland, Eisenhower). andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;This voyage through our history provides a probing and provocative analysis of how presidential politics works and how the country sets its course. andlt;Iandgt;Where They Stand andlt;/Iandgt;invites readers to pitch their opinions against the voters of old, the historians, the pollstersand#8212;and against the author himself. In this year of raucous presidential politics, andlt;Iandgt;Where They Stand andlt;/Iandgt;will provide a context for the unfolding campaign drama.
Review
andlt;divandgt;"There is no better guide for evaluating our current presidential candidates than this remarkable book.
Review
“It's no secret that presidential reputations can bounce around like corn in a popper. Why, and how, this is so has long sustained that favorite academic parlor game, Ranking the Presidents. Bob Merry's Where They Stand sets a new standard in historical (re-)assessment. Is Wilson really as overrated as Merry claims? Are Grant, Eisenhower and Reagan as deserving of their newfound luster? The argument rages on, as provocative as it is entertaining. There may be dull presidents in our past, but there's not a dull page in this Bible of revisionism."—Richard Norton Smith, author of The Colonel: The Life and Legend of Robert R. McCormick and Patriarch: George Washington and the New American Nation
Review
"Madison or Reagan? Ulysses Grant or Jimmy Carter? Readers who accept Robert Merry's challenge to rank the forty-four U.S. presidents will learn a great deal painlessly about America's history but may also confront a few uncomfortable biases and blinders of their own. andlt;iandgt;Where They Stand andlt;/iandgt;is the most enjoyable of election-year party games."and#8212;andlt;bandgt;A.J. Langguth, author of andlt;iandgt;Driven West: Andrew Jackson and the Trail of Tears to the Civil Warandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Review
and#8220;Nobody is a shrewder judge of American politicsand#8212;now or thenand#8212;than Bob Merry. He takes us down a new path to rate the presidents--and has some fun along the way.and#8221;and#8212;andlt;bandgt;Evan Thomas, author of andlt;iandgt;Ike's Bluff: President Eisenhower's Secret Struggle to Save the Worldandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;andlt;iandgt; andlt;/iandgt;
Review
and#8220;It is rare that such a breezy book exhibits both serious intent and skillful analysisand#8230;Such grounded reflections make this an unusually authoritative book. While likely to be catnip for aficionados of presidential studies, this will also quickly rank high among serious works on the presidency.and#8221;andlt;bandgt;and#8212;andlt;iandgt;Publishers Weeklyandlt;/iandgt;, starred reviewandlt;/bandgt;
Review
"A pleasant romp through the annals of American politics." < -="" b="" -=""> - < -="" i="" -=""> - The New York Times Book Review - < -="" -=""> - < -="" -="">
Review
“First-rate history….Where They Stand is both stimulating and refreshing, particularly in its take on presidents such as Andrew Jackson, Polk and Grant, whose legacies have been obscured by time and controversy…. Where They Stand is filled with almost flip-page observations about presidents that are shrewd and provocative.” < -="" b="" -=""> - < -="" i="" -=""> - The Dallas Morning News - < -="" -=""> - < -="" -="">
Review
“[A] shrewdly conceived and elegantly written short book….This is beach reading for wonks that expertly navigates 44 shades of gray.” < -="" b="" -=""> - < -="" i="" -=""> - History News Network - < -="" -=""> - < -="" -="">
Review
and#8220;Merryand#8217;s intelligent and informed book casts welcome light on this always fascinating debate.and#8221;and#8212;andlt;bandgt;andlt;iandgt;The Washington Timesandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Review
andlt;divandgt;"Buy
Review
and#8220;Entertaining and likely to teach most readers something newand#8212;an especially good read in an election year.and#8221;and#8212;andlt;bandgt;andlt;iandgt;Kirkus Reviewsandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Review
and#8220;There is no better guide for evaluating our current presidential candidates than this remarkable book. Reporters, commentators and citizens alike should read Robert Merryand#8217;s illuminating journey into the past to discover what made our previous presidents succeed or fail. The history is lively; the writing is graceful; the analysis is brilliant.and#8221;and#8212;andlt;bandgt;Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of andlt;iandgt;Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincolnandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Review
and#8220;Buy [this] book, take it to the beach, and bring the subject up with the after-dinner drinks. A long and loud discussion should ensue.and#8221;and#8212;andlt;bandgt;andlt;iandgt;The American Conservativeandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Synopsis
For the 2012 presidential race, the author of the acclaimed and successful biography of President James Polk offers a fresh, playful, and challenging way of playing Rating the Presidents America s favorite game by pitching historians views and subsequent experts polls against the judgment and votes of the presidents own contemporaries.
The author of the acclaimed biography of President James Polk, A Country of Vast Designs, offers a fresh, playful, and challenging way of playing Rating the Presidents, by pitching historians views and subsequent experts polls against the judgment and votes of the presidents own contemporaries.
Merry posits that presidents rise and fall based on performance, as judged by the electorate. Thus, he explores the presidency by comparing the judgments of historians with how the voters saw things. Was the president reelected? If so, did his party hold office in the next election?
Where They Stand examines the chief executives Merry calls Men of Destiny, those who set the country toward new directions. There are six of them, including the three nearly always at the top of all academic polls Lincoln, Washington, and FDR. He describes the Split-Decision Presidents (including Wilson and Nixon) successful in their first terms and reelected; less successful in their second terms and succeeded by the opposition party. He describes the Near Greats (Jefferson, Jackson, Polk, TR, Truman), the War Presidents (Madison, McKinley, Lyndon Johnson), the flat-out failures (Buchanan, Pierce), and those whose standing has fluctuated (Grant, Cleveland, Eisenhower).
This voyage through our history provides a probing and provocative analysis of how presidential politics works and how the country sets its course. Where They Stand invites readers to pitch their opinions against the voters of old, the historians, the pollsters and against the author himself. In this year of raucous presidential politics, Where They Stand will provide a context for the unfolding campaign drama."
About the Author
andlt;Bandgt;Robert Merry andlt;/Bandgt;is the editor of andlt;iandgt;The National Interestandlt;/iandgt;. He has been a Washington correspondent for andlt;i andgt;The Wall Street Journal andlt;/iandgt;and the executive editor of the andlt;iandgt;Congressional Quarterlyandlt;/iandgt;. He has written for andlt;iandgt;The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Weekly Standard, The National Reviewandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;The American Spectator, andlt;/iandgt;and andlt;iandgt;The National Interest. andlt;/iandgt;He has appeared in andlt;iandgt;Meet the Press, Face the Nation, Newsmakersandlt;/iandgt;, and many other programs. He lives in McLean, Virginia.