Rating: 
Summary: A Great Resource
Review: "The Complete Book of the U.S. Presidents" is an excellent resource to keep available for whenever one of those questions about the U.S. Presidents pops up. Each entry includes the basic information including a picture and a series of categories of details. Examples of the categories include a physical description, birth, relatives, romances, education and pre-presidential and post presidential careers. The sections on the presidency of each individual includes information on the elections including opponents, popular votes and electoral votes by each candidate by state. Some details of vice-presidents and cabinets are included as well as the major events of the administration. The entries usually conclude with quotations of the president, as well as quotations by others praising and criticizing the president.I kept this book in my car for months during which I read it cover to cover. It can very easily be read over an extended period, because each section stands independently. I have since kept it on the bookshelf from which I have removed it on many occasions for reference. I strongly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in the U.S. Presidents.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Resource
Review: "The Complete Book of the U.S. Presidents" is an excellent resource to keep available for whenever one of those questions about the U.S. Presidents pops up. Each entry includes the basic information including a picture and a series of categories of details. Examples of the categories include a physical description, birth, relatives, romances, education and pre-presidential and post presidential careers. The sections on the presidency of each individual includes information on the elections including opponents, popular votes and electoral votes by each candidate by state. Some details of vice-presidents and cabinets are included as well as the major events of the administration. The entries usually conclude with quotations of the president, as well as quotations by others praising and criticizing the president. I kept this book in my car for months during which I read it cover to cover. It can very easily be read over an extended period, because each section stands independently. I have since kept it on the bookshelf from which I have removed it on many occasions for reference. I strongly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in the U.S. Presidents.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Resource
Review: "The Complete Book of the U.S. Presidents" is an excellent resource to keep available for whenever one of those questions about the U.S. Presidents pops up. Each entry includes the basic information including a picture and a series of categories of details. Examples of the categories include a physical description, birth, relatives, romances, education and pre-presidential and post presidential careers. The sections on the presidency of each individual includes information on the elections including opponents, popular votes and electoral votes by each candidate by state. Some details of vice-presidents and cabinets are included as well as the major events of the administration. The entries usually conclude with quotations of the president, as well as quotations by others praising and criticizing the president. I kept this book in my car for months during which I read it cover to cover. It can very easily be read over an extended period, because each section stands independently. I have since kept it on the bookshelf from which I have removed it on many occasions for reference. I strongly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in the U.S. Presidents.
Rating: 
Summary: Ignore the personal info, read about the personality traits
Review: 'The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents' is what it claims to be: an in-depth look at each of the American Commanders-in-Chief. It does a good job of explaining their personality traits. But it leaves out some very important personal info about some of the Presidents (Nixon's death, Kennedy's occupation as an author).
Rating:
Summary: The good and bad of U.S. Presidents
Review: A well detailed book of all the U.S. Presidents that includes pertinent information of each's cabinet. The physical descriptions and habits of dress and speech are all prtetty interesting.
The Curious section at the end is a bit lacking.
Rating:
Summary: A DEFINITIVE REFERENCE BOOK FOR THE NON INITIATED
Review: For people around the world interested in history and the workings of the U.S. Presidential sistem, this is the ultimate reference guide about U.S. Presidents. It provides a wealth of information about Presidents that are not well known, as well as little known facts about more famous Presidents. It is organized in 43 chapters, one for each President (with the exeption of Grover Cleveland which is treated in two chapters) and every President is covered according to headings such as: Physical description, personality, siblings, childhood, education, religion, marriage (in some cases extramarital or postmarital affairs),carrier before the Presidency, campaign and issues, inaugural address, Administration Cabinet, Supreme Court appointments, books written, etc.
A MUST HAVE !
Rating:
Summary: A DEFINITIVE REFERENCE BOOK FOR THE NON INITIATED
Review: For people around the world interested in history and the workings of the U.S. Presidential sistem, this is the ultimate reference guide about U.S. Presidents. It provides a wealth of information about Presidents that are not well known, as well as little known facts about more famous Presidents. It is organized in 43 chapters, one for each President (with the exeption of Grover Cleveland which is treated in two chapters) and every President is covered according to headings such as: Physical description, personality, siblings, childhood, education, religion, marriage (in some cases extramarital or postmarital affairs),carrier before the Presidency, campaign and issues, inaugural address, Administration Cabinet, Supreme Court appointments, books written, etc.
A MUST HAVE !
Rating:
Summary: The most user-friendly and complete synopsis of presidents!
Review: Having completed a doctoral dissertation relating to presidential history, I researched many of the more populist references on the subject. Degregorio's book is a masterpiece of simple, straight-forward synopsis. He does a wonderful job at following a tight organizational structure to provide tons of interesting and useful factoids addressing the politician's life, leadership, and personality. This book is a fine contribution to the bookshelf of any historian (or presidential hack).
Rating:
Summary: From Washington to Clinton, all you can imagine
Review: I am a college student and a history/political science major. The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents is an excellent reference guide and will give you all the ins and outs you could ever possibly want to know about the Presidents. Not only extremely in depth and informative, but very entertaining as well. A great read.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding book, disappointing revision
Review: I am writing based on the 2001 hardcover edition. This is an fascinating, very readable book. The research is excellent. The biographical facts about each president are fleshed out with narratives about their early lives, marriages, children, religious beliefs, careers, retirements, and more. The political matters likewise get excellent treatment, with narratives about each president's nomination, campaign, election, and achivements. Each Cabinet member and most Supreme Court nominees get at least a short paragraph. There are also quotes by and about each president, including both praise and criticism. Far more than a dry series of lists and facts, the human touch makes this book very worthwhile for anyone fascinated by American history in general and the presidents in particular. The book, originally published in 1983, is revised at least every four years. This edition covers events up to early 2001, so it includes the 2000 election, the Clinton pardons, and Bush Jr's initial appointments, but not September 11. The Clinton chapter from the previous edition has been completely rewritten and discusses that turbulent presidency at length. Unfortunately, DeGregorio did not revise the pre-Clinton chapters, leaving them embarrassingly dated. The Bush Sr. chapter mentions nothing about his son becoming President, not even referring us to the Bush Jr. chapter especially added for this edition. Jackie Kennedy and Richard Nixon both died in 1994. Neither relevant chapter mentions these most basic facts, even though the book was revised in both 1997 and 2001. This book is so detailed - where else can you find descriptions of John Tyler's (14!) children, James Garfield's extramarital affair, Andrew Johnson's religious views, and Calvin Coolidge's academic record - that I am amazed at this neglect. The 1993 edition (which I recently replaced) gets five stars. The 2001 edition retains and adds to the excellent work from the previous editions - but the major omissions limit it to four stars.
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