Rating: 
Summary: A Scholarly Presentation of a Historically Tough Subject
Review: John Dean, no stranger to White House scandals, author's this book of our 29th President for whom the White House's own internet site degrades. What is most impressive about this book is that Dean uses verifiable facts about what was accomplished during Harding's tenure (fourth shortest of all presidents), and what more he intended to do. This in sharp contrast to another short biography in this American President's series, William Mckinley, by Kevin Phillips who used more conjecture of "what might have happened if Mckinley had lived" to give greater importance to Mckinley. The story of Harding is particularly of interest since it is a story of basically a self made man (his family neither impoverished, nor rich). He was a decent and hard working man who seemed to see his role as president as one to allow America to prosper, ease international worries, and bring normalcy after the controversial policies of the Wilson administration. Harding spoke in the deep south about racial equality, he allowed Blacks into the federal government (reversing the Wilsonian racism that his apologists so often downplay), organized a major peace conference among world powers, sought U.S. participation in a world court, established what is now the government accounting office and established economic policies that directly led to the "roaring twenties." Additionally, he defied public opinion by releasing Eugene Debs, and others (so long as they were not involved with violence) jailed by Wilson under the now discredited anti-sedition act, and he looked for a resolution to the labor-business problems. He also won the presidency by a then record majority. Harding provided a cabinet that included a future president and one of the more esteemed chief justices in the Supreme Court history. Furthermore, his worse appointment, Albert Falls for the Interior, was widely supported for the post by the public, press, and Congress and he was easily confirmed. Dean takes to task the more sensational accounts of Harding (e.g., having sex in a W.H. closet, fathering a (...) child [he was sterile], that he was a drunkard, a gambler, a pawn of congress, that he was killed by his wife, etc.). What basically happened was that Harding died before the nature of the Tea Pot Dome scandals became known to anyone but the criminals (Falls had already resigned), so he could not work to correct negative impressions of his administration, and other authors were not aware that the Harding papers survived to refute many of the negative claims. Also, I believe that Harding was a target for pompous, class-minded writers and socialites who disliked his not coming from a more proper stock and education. I didn't mean to be so extensive, but I believe that this is a valuable book and perhaps more needed to correct history than most of the other books in this series.
Rating: 
Summary: An Attempt at Rehabilitation
Review: John W. Dean sets himself up a formidable task in his mini-biography of Warren G. Harding, the latest in the "American Presidents" series. Harding is generally considered by historians to be one of the worst presidents in history, if not at the absolute bottom of the barrel. His administration was marred by the nastiest White House scandal until Watergate half a century later. How can such a tarnished figure be rehabilitated? Yet that's exactly what Dean has tried to do, with mixed results. Dean says in his Introduction that Harding has been the victim of a grave injustice by historians who have ignored "much of the relevant information about Harding and his presidency." This is a personal matter with Dean, who has long been fascinated with Harding and who grew up in Harding's hometown of Marion, Ohio. So Dean definitely has an agenda to portray Harding in as positive a light as he possibly can, given the facts. And what are those facts? Dean claims that Nan Britton, who wrote a best-selling book after the president's death claiming that she and Harding had had an affair in the White House and that he fathered her illegitimate daughter, was nothing but an infatuated stalker (keep in mind that Clinton's people once posited the same thing about Monica Lewinsky). He claims that Harding dealt harshly and, in the words of one historian, "quite appropriately" with those people in his administration who were acting improperly, even though he was unaware of the full extent of their criminality, which would stain his administration after his untimely death. Dean devotes an entire chapter (in a book that only has nine of them) to the composition of Harding's cabinet and claims that "no president before or after Harding has done any better at cabinet making." This is a remarkable statement, and a bit of an exaggeration. I would suggest that he take a look at George Washington's cabinet, which included at various times John Jay, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton (and, if you feel like including the Vice President, John Adams) and did not, as Harding's cabinet did, include a future convicted felon. So Dean has not altogether convinced me that Harding was a great president maligned by ignorant historians. He has convinced me, though, that there might be somewhat more to Harding than the memorable (if nasty) "just a slob" label put on him by the amusingly viperish Alice Roosevelt Longworth (daughter of Teddy). And while Harding's prose style (labeled "Gamalielese" after his Biblical middle name by H.L. Mencken) is enough to set anyone's teeth on edge ("it is so bad," Mencken memorably said of it, "that a sort of grandeur creeps into it"), and his administration, which was one of the shortest in history, didn't have time to accomplish anything memorable, Dean makes the case, without quite intending to, that Harding was a decent enough man who was in over his head and who died of overwork trying to live up to the job of being president. That might be as much of a reevaluation as Harding is ever going to get.
Rating:
Summary: An Attempt at Rehabilitation
Review: John W. Dean sets himself up a formidable task in his mini-biography of Warren G. Harding, the latest in the "American Presidents" series. Harding is generally considered by historians to be one of the worst presidents in history, if not at the absolute bottom of the barrel. His administration was marred by the nastiest White House scandal until Watergate half a century later. How can such a tarnished figure be rehabilitated? Yet that's exactly what Dean has tried to do, with mixed results. Dean says in his Introduction that Harding has been the victim of a grave injustice by historians who have ignored "much of the relevant information about Harding and his presidency." This is a personal matter with Dean, who has long been fascinated with Harding and who grew up in Harding's hometown of Marion, Ohio. So Dean definitely has an agenda to portray Harding in as positive a light as he possibly can, given the facts. And what are those facts? Dean claims that Nan Britton, who wrote a best-selling book after the president's death claiming that she and Harding had had an affair in the White House and that he fathered her illegitimate daughter, was nothing but an infatuated stalker (keep in mind that Clinton's people once posited the same thing about Monica Lewinsky). He claims that Harding dealt harshly and, in the words of one historian, "quite appropriately" with those people in his administration who were acting improperly, even though he was unaware of the full extent of their criminality, which would stain his administration after his untimely death. Dean devotes an entire chapter (in a book that only has nine of them) to the composition of Harding's cabinet and claims that "no president before or after Harding has done any better at cabinet making." This is a remarkable statement, and a bit of an exaggeration. I would suggest that he take a look at George Washington's cabinet, which included at various times John Jay, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton (and, if you feel like including the Vice President, John Adams) and did not, as Harding's cabinet did, include a future convicted felon. So Dean has not altogether convinced me that Harding was a great president maligned by ignorant historians. He has convinced me, though, that there might be somewhat more to Harding than the memorable (if nasty) "just a slob" label put on him by the amusingly viperish Alice Roosevelt Longworth (daughter of Teddy). And while Harding's prose style (labeled "Gamalielese" after his Biblical middle name by H.L. Mencken) is enough to set anyone's teeth on edge ("it is so bad," Mencken memorably said of it, "that a sort of grandeur creeps into it"), and his administration, which was one of the shortest in history, didn't have time to accomplish anything memorable, Dean makes the case, without quite intending to, that Harding was a decent enough man who was in over his head and who died of overwork trying to live up to the job of being president. That might be as much of a reevaluation as Harding is ever going to get.
Rating: 
Summary: Short book that makes some good points
Review: John W. Dean's new short biography of Warren G. Harding, the twenty-ninth president of the United States, is a welcome addition to the scant amount of good literature on the president who enjoyed a great reputation while in office, but sank to the bottom of the list when scandals and corruption in his administration were exposed after his death. For us Harding enthusiasts Dean's book makes the explicit point that Harding wasn't really all that bad...that after all, he had some successes in the abbreviated term he served from 1921-1923. To this end, I believe Dean has made a strong case. Warren Harding was a man whose entire life seemed to be clouded in intrigue and mystery. It's always been a wonder to me why historians haven't written more about him. From the gossipy "The Shadow of Blooming Grove" (1968) through Dean's book, one senses a definite uptick in Harding's reputation. Dean recites Harding's accomplishments....the Washington disarmament conference (1921-22), the creation of the Bureau of the Budget and his naming of former president William Howard Taft to be the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The author gives Harding praise for his efforts to help settle the coal and railroad strikes and his ability to stand up to Congress when he thought he was right. In Dean's book President Harding comes across more forcefully than in other books I've read about this president. Dean suggests that one of Harding's biggest political achievements was his ability not to make enemies. Of course, this was his biggest problem, too. Dean is careful not to elevate Harding too high and the overall success of this book is to keep Harding out of the cellar of the ranking of presidents. Perhaps that space can now be occupied by James Buchanan. John Dean conquers no new real historic ground. The book is very short and more, I think, aimed at readers who don't know too much about Warren Harding. Dean's prose is sometimes a bit wooden and I wish he had included a few more photographs. I particularly enjoyed the section on Harding's selection of the cabinet and the comments about Harding's speaking style and substance by William McAdoo and H.L. Mencken (page 73) are very funny. Was Warren G. Harding fit for the presidency? Even Harding wondered about that, himself. John Dean has essentially said "yes" and I agree with him. The author has presented a well-researched book and one that deserves to be read.
Rating:
Summary: nice balance
Review: Warren Harding has been called Ameridca's worst president but was he really? Yes, there were scandals in his administration but compared to what's been going on in Washington for the last 40 years they look like small potatoes. Yes, he had an affair but he's hardly the only president do so.
This short but information packed book gives a good balance to the real life of Harding. This was a man who dared to call for racial fairness in a speech in the Deep South. Harding had been dogged by rumors that he had black ancestry so bringing up the subject at all took a certain amount of courage.
History is different from legend and this book does a lot to clear up some old myths. Check it out.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Look and new Appraisial of Harding
Review: What I really like about this book is that it pointed out Harding's genuine accomplishments without feeling the need to be some nutty right-wing defensive rant about this man who was also a serial adulterer, lazy-minded, and drank heavily during Prohibition. He was a human being with all the good and bad traits. Too often Harding is either demonized as all bad with no accomplishments or a saint as is propogated by Treacle Roman (?), the old lady historian of Ohio and even worse, the terribly researched and embarrassingly flawed Strange Deaths of President Harding by Robert Ferrell. In absolute contrast, Dean gives us the fully balanced Harding who succeeded publicly despite his failures privately. Most especially, Harding should be considered a civil rights Republican President - the most important since Lincoln.
Rating:
Summary: Sympathetic look at America's 29th President
Review: When was the last time you read anything about our 29th President? Most folks would have to admit that they have not encountered the subject since high school. In most textbooks and indeed by most historical accounts Warren Harding was an incompetent President who was dogged by scandal. Not so says John Dean!!!! Dean has written a very engaging little book that takes yet another look at Warren Harding's brief Presidency. According to Dean, history has been quite unfair to the man. Using recently unearthed documents previously thought to have been destroyed, Dean portrays Harding as a personally engaging fellow and a predominately centrist President. Alas, he was betrayed by several of his appointees, most notably Interior Secretary Albert Fall and an old chum from Ohio, the Attorney General William Dougherty. But Harding died just as the Teapot Dome scandal began to erupt. He
was not around to defend himself but there appears to be precious little evidence that Harding was directly involved in the scandals in any way. Is this just revisionist history? Hard to say. But John Dean is quite convincing in his presentation. I am compelled to read more about Harding before reaching any final conclusions. If you are a history buff who has not yet partaken of any of the books in Arthur Schlesinger's American Presidents Series you a doing yourself a serious disservice. I have read a few of them now and they are top notch!!!
Rating:
Summary: Sympathetic look at America's 29th President
Review: When was the last time you read anything about our 29th President? Most folks would have to admit that they have not encountered the subject since high school. In most textbooks and indeed by most historical accounts Warren Harding was an incompetent President who was dogged by scandal. Not so says John Dean!!!! Dean has written a very engaging little book that takes yet another look at Warren Harding's brief Presidency. According to Dean, history has been quite unfair to the man. Using recently unearthed documents previously thought to have been destroyed, Dean portrays Harding as a personally engaging fellow and a predominately centrist President. Alas, he was betrayed by several of his appointees, most notably Interior Secretary Albert Fall and an old chum from Ohio, the Attorney General William Dougherty. But Harding died just as the Teapot Dome scandal began to erupt. He
was not around to defend himself but there appears to be precious little evidence that Harding was directly involved in the scandals in any way. Is this just revisionist history? Hard to say. But John Dean is quite convincing in his presentation. I am compelled to read more about Harding before reaching any final conclusions. If you are a history buff who has not yet partaken of any of the books in Arthur Schlesinger's American Presidents Series you a doing yourself a serious disservice. I have read a few of them now and they are top notch!!!
Rating: 
Summary: John Dean should not write history
Review: While the major networks and NPR are going crazy over Mr. Dean's latest "revelation," I think it is important to remember who and what John Dean is. Even before his brief time with the Nixon administration, Dean had been fired by his former law firm for engaging in suspicious and illegal activities and that was only the begining. After becoming special counsel to the President, Mr. Dean stole Whitehouse money to pay for his honeymoon and most likely stole funds for other purposes. Furthermore, his wife, Maureen Biner, had ran a Washington prostitute ring to help pay for the couples life in the fast lane. Most recently, Dean had to admit that he didn't write the book "Blind Ambition" while under oath. While Dean would like to make you think he was involved with major decisions during the Nixon Administration, nothing could be further from the truth. Since Dean had shaggy hair and refused to wear an American lapel pin, Nixon would use him for press photo opportunities to appease the anti-Nixon media. On the other hand, Dean was heavily involved with the Committee to Re-elect the President (CRP)and there is new evidence that suggests that Dean may have even ordered the Watergate break-in. After Dean became "aware" of his criminal conduct, he jumped ship and told the Ervin Committee that he would reveal all that he knew if they would give him immunity. So, Dean cut his hair and bought a pair of horned rimmed glasses to look more credible, and gave a very self-serving testimony. Unfortunately for Dean, the committee decided not to give him immunity and he went to prison anyway. "Worse Than Watergate" is a ridiculous comparison of Nixon and George W. Bush's "secrecy." First of all, Dean wasn't even close enough to Nixon to observe his behavior so there is no way that he could even compare the two Presidents. Furthermore, let us not forget the positives of Nixon's secret diplomacy, such as the China iniative that forever changed the stucture of the world or the Moscow trip, in which President Nixon became the first U.S. President to set foot in the Kremlin and signed the first Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty. None of these magnificent feats would been accomplished if they were not done in secret because anyone who knows anything about the Chinese or the Russians know that they care about 'face' and they are not going to negotiate in public where they could possibly lose 'face.' Despite popular misperceptions, the Cambodia bombing was not secret and that is why the Democratic Congress could not impeach Nixon for this fabled offense (although they did try but realized that it would be hypocritical to impeach someone for something that was not secret). Furthermore, there was no 'enemies list.' What came to called the enemies list was a list of people that Chuck Colson made of political opponents of the Nixon Administration. They were legally investigated by the IRS and the press members were denied various White House privileges. These ideas and practices were nothing new, JFK and LBJ had both used this practice against their opponents, including Nixon, his mother, and his good friend the Reverend Billy Graham. In conclusion, the point is that historically John Wesley Dean III has only ever cared about one thing and no, it is not justice, it is not governmental reform, but it is infact the welfare and reputation of John Wesley Dean III. It is most likely that a publisher encouraged Dean to release the book at this time and Dean has never been one to miss out on a self-serving opportunity. Furthermore, John Dean has no qualifications to write any sort of history. If academia has gotten on Stephen Ambrose's case for plaugerizing, it should be reccommended that Dean's books never be taken seriously. It does not help that Schlisinger, famous for his fictitious and dishonesty glorifications of the Kennedys, is also on the book.
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