Rating: 
Summary: Fair & Balanced
Review: I was delighted to see the results of the Wall Street Journal/Federalist Society survey on presidential leadership, originally announced in October 2000, published in book form. The survey is a fair and balanced (to borrow a phrase) appraisal of U.S. presidents, representing the opinions of 78 scholars, including 30 historians, 25 political scientists and 23 law professors. The survey sponsors were scrupulous about achieving ideological balance to avoid the "liberal" or "conservative" orientation that has marked previous surveys.It is interesting to see how viewpoints varied among the three groups of respondents. For example, while Washington ranked #1 overall, Lincoln edged him for top honors among both historians and political scientists. Meanwhile, Wilson (#11 overall) attained top 10 status among political scientists and historians, but managed to rank just 15th among law professors. Not surprising, modern presidents were the most controversial: Reagan (#8 overall) ranked as high as fifth among legal scholars but did not reach the top 10 among historians. Clinton (#24 overall) ranked as high as 20th among historians, but only 27th among political scientists and 28th among law professors. Besides the survey results, the book contains informative profiles of all 43 U.S. presidents. The write-ups are generally sympathetic, but not overly obsequious. I found the profiles of Grant and Hoover more positive than expected. Curiously, the Truman profile fails to mention the Korean War, even when making reference to several elements of Truman's Cold War containment strategy. All in all, "Presidential Leadership" is a worthy addition to any home library, certainly a valuable reference tool for anyone with school-age children and grandchildren.
Rating: 
Summary: Not what it pretends to be
Review: If you are looking for a studied, objective, serious analysis of presidential leadership, do not buy this book. If you want to see how some scholars will prostitute their intellects, read it with careful interest. Although it disguises itself as one thing -- a work of history and high-minded criticism -- it is quite another. You will find factual inaccuracies, pre-conceived conclusions, falacious and sometimes comical reasoning, and in the end a snapshot of 43 political leaders taken through a purely right-wing filter. Perhaps one illustration will suffice. In the section on George W. Bush, the author recounts his subject grabbing Laura Bush from behind to feign placing her hands in wet cement during a dedication ceremony. To Bush, this was reportedly hilarious, to the author evidence of an admirable measure of self-confidence. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece on the Presidents
Review: Leonard Leo and James Taranto beautifully orchestrated this amazing leaugue of respected authors to compile a book much in need today. Most books on Presidents have either an overwhelmingly in-depth look at one president or are simply a collection of interesting facts and data about all of them. This book attempts to give to its readers insight into the actual presidency and how America, as a people, see are leaders. Each President has not a biography, but an analysis. This idea is new and makes the presidents that we all know much more accessible to an older crowd with a wide-array of information without drowning the reader with obscurities.
Rating:
Summary: An Academic Prose that gives you the Nuts and Bolts
Review: This book has been extremely interesting reading. As I expected, a "more" fair and balanced academic attempt in accessing our past Presidents. Although no work could ever be completely unbiased, this attempt makes every effort in addressing the real effects that these men had on our American and World History. The analysis of their data was even cross-checked against those that gave it, i.e potential of liberal or conservative bias. So in my humble opinion, this book is an excellent resourse in learning about our Presidents without the mind numbing propaganda one expects from today's intelectual elites.
Rating:
Summary: A Superb Book
Review: This book opens with a question "What Makes A President Great?" It proceeds to answer this by ranking every President with a range from "Failure" to "Great". The rank was awarded by a mixed group of 78 liberal and conservative scholars.A numerical score determined the rank. I believe the book arrived at a fair ranking system. This is in contrast to previous rankings by mostly liberal university professors who would rank Reagan average, and Clinton above average. A series of essays about each presidency is written by eminent and distinguished contributors. Every chapter is readable, exciting, and fascinating. Christopher Buckley's essay on James Buchanan was amusing and memorable. Ater reading, you will never forget the ill-suited, fecklesss, hand-wringing bachelor Buchanan. Paul Johnson, a British historian, has written a chapter on Clinton that was right on the money. Jay Winik's essay on Lincoln was good, but his book, April 1865, was superior to the too-brief chapter. Overall this book is a good reference and makes excellent reading. I think it is superior to comparable books of because of its brevity and evenhandedness.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Resource
Review: This history of our Presidents and their reactions to the challenges of their times teaches us not only about them, but about the history and development of our nation.
I found it to be a very valuable book.
The fact that each President is profiled by a different author makes it interesting in one way, but leaves one to wonder how the profiles might have read if the subjects and authors had been shuffled differently.
I particularly enjoyed James Taranto's piece on Presidential leadership in situations where a President assumes office without winning a popular vote.
(Possible Bias Disclaimer: I used to debate Mr. Taranto on a local BBS 'before the Internet' and bought the book because I saw him speak about the subject on TV.)
Dean Hathaway
Phoenix, Arizona
Rating:
Summary: Rich Perspectives on Presidential History
Review: This is a great read, rich in depth and detail. The editors have pulled together a series of essays by notables on each of our Presidents, building on an October 2000 survey of 78 scholars in the fields of history, law, and political science. For instance, Solicitor General Theodore Olson writes of William Howard Taft, 27th President March 4, 1909 - March 4, 1913. Olson provides much in describing the temperament of Taft, as well as characteristics Taft lacked, but in Olson's view, essential to functioning as an effective Executive in a charged political environment. It's well written and a compelling portrait of a simple man doing his best for the Nation. Paul Johnson's treatment of Mr. Clinton is tough, focusing a good deal on his womanizing and his administration's scandals. Johnson does find the silver lining of Clinton's Presidency - that he was so consumed defending himself against accusations, he had little time to spend on policy initiatives or other Executive activities. This meant a long period of economic growth, which might not have been possible had Clinton had the time to 'manage' the economy. There are also topical treatments spanning multiple Presidencies. The best of the four (Presidential Leadership in Economic Policy; During Wartime; and The Judiciary; and After Disputed Elections) is the late Robert Bartley's exceptional piece on economic policy. He argues persuasively based on the evidence that markets work and Presidents who take a minimalist approach to market interventions enjoy the significant benefits from healthy, productive economies. Individually, these essays provide interesting details and insights into the men leading our Nation. Collectively, it is a powerful historical educational piece - it surveys the entire range of our Presidents, providing the context of the Presidency over time. In this form, the book is a very good jumping off place for further study into the individual President, the Legislative and Judicial branches, or the time period. History and government teachers can make good use of this as a primary text or background resource for any number of US History subjects. Leaders of any organization can make use of this book. It provides insight into the decision-making process and techniques, successful and unsuccessful of our Chief Executives.
Rating:
Summary: A Book with an Agenda
Review: This poll was partly conducted as a correction to the famous surveys published over the years by presidential historian Arthur
Schlesinger and his father. Those poll tended to have a liberal bias, so now we have a poll with a conservative bias except that its being sold as "the more accurate poll." If so, how in the world is Ronald Reagan rated so highly? I would also rate Eisenhower lower and LBJ higher, but not by much. The short essays on each president are a very mixed bag. All objectivity is gone when conservative hero Peggy Noonan writes on JFK (do agree that Kennedy is the most overrated predident). Taranto's biases show when he barely mentions Johnson's Great Society programs. If Reagan had created Head Start, Medicare etc., Taranto would be calling these programs great achievements.
It is very scary to see all the people who gave this book five stars. One wonders!
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