William McKinley (Encyclopedia of Presidents)

Rating:
Summary: An informative juvenile biography of William McKinley
Review: There are several series devoted to providing juvenile biographies of the American Presidents but the Encyclopedia of Presidents is clearly the most informative. So while this is not the first volume about William McKinley a young student would turn to, it is the one that will actually tell them the most. By now the format used in this series is familiar, where the first chapter begins with a dramatic highpoint from the subject's life. In this case Zachary Kent begins with "Tragedy in Buffalo" and the assassination of McKinley early during his second turn in office. The idea is to set up the end of McKinley's long career of public service, which is the focus on this juvenile biography.

The chapters in the volume are devoted to McKinley's boyhood in Ohio, his military service during the Civil War and early political career, McKinley's first Presidential campaign, the Spanish-American War during his first term in the White House, the emergence of the United States as a world power, and his assassination. The book is illustrated with historic photographs and drawings from McKinley's life, as well as editorial cartoons and campaign posters that capture the tenor of the times. What will surprise young readers the most is the idea of a candidate for President who stays on his front porch and never goes off to give lots of speeches. The only real weakness of this volume is that it talks more about events rather than policies, but then this was a time period where the Presidency was primarily a reaction to events.

Rating:
Summary: An informative juvenile biography of William McKinley
Review: There are several series devoted to providing juvenile biographies of the American Presidents but the Encyclopedia of Presidents is clearly the most informative. So while this is not the first volume about William McKinley a young student would turn to, it is the one that will actually tell them the most. By now the format used in this series is familiar, where the first chapter begins with a dramatic highpoint from the subject's life. In this case Zachary Kent begins with "Tragedy in Buffalo" and the assassination of McKinley early during his second turn in office. The idea is to set up the end of McKinley's long career of public service, which is the focus on this juvenile biography.

The chapters in the volume are devoted to McKinley's boyhood in Ohio, his military service during the Civil War and early political career, McKinley's first Presidential campaign, the Spanish-American War during his first term in the White House, the emergence of the United States as a world power, and his assassination. The book is illustrated with historic photographs and drawings from McKinley's life, as well as editorial cartoons and campaign posters that capture the tenor of the times. What will surprise young readers the most is the idea of a candidate for President who stays on his front porch and never goes off to give lots of speeches. The only real weakness of this volume is that it talks more about events rather than policies, but then this was a time period where the Presidency was primarily a reaction to events.

Rating:
Summary: The Life of William McKinley
Review: Zachary Kent has done a great job recording McKinley's life in this book. The style is simple and easy to read, and there are many black-and-white photographs and drawings to supplement the story. Besides giving many key dates in the text, there is a superb timeline in the back of the book which briefly covers all of America's history and highlights the major events which occurred in McKinley's lifetime. McKinley's presidency is only reviewed at a glance by today's students, but he was an immensely popular President in his day. His regard for the opinion of the public, his persistence and determination in climbing the political ladder of success, and his desire for peace were all hallmarks of his presidency. His sense of duty to his nation and loving care for his wife were character traits of his that this book conveys to the reader. I highly recommend it.