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Summary: Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb?
Review: "Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb?" is a tour of the presidential gravesites with contributions by Richard Norton Smith and Douglas Brinkley, photographs by Brian Lamb.
Forty-one men and a great adventure is a good way to discribe this book as we read on in this book about the final resting places of 41 of the U.S. Presidents, only Geogre W. Bush is not mentioned and with the recent death of Ronald Wilson Reagan the book is a little out dated. Other than that this, this book shows and tells you where to look for the gravesites of the U.S. Presidents both dead or alive.
I found "Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb?" to be a very informative and well planned out book with very good information, if you like to explore old cemeteries, take heart with this book. This book is the companion to the C-SPAN's American Presidents: Life Portraits television series. Forty-one men (42 with G.W. Bush) have held the highest office in the land and each have made a choice as to how and where they wish to be remembered.
The pictures are very well taken and show how the gravesites are today and it's a gateway to American history in the making, helping us to learn more about the men who held the office of President of the Untied States of America. "Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb?" is full of interesting facts like what happened to the presidents post-White House, their deaths and their funerals.
If you're like me and you want to learn more about the people who held the office of president, then this book is a welcome addition to your home library and is an excellent guide to vacations to some interesting cities throughout the United States. "Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb?" is a solid 5 star book. There are forty-eight pages of color photographs and there is a complete guide providing travelers with all the information needed to visit the graves and libraries of the presidents.
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Summary: Best Guide to Presidential Gravesites
Review: After watching the American Presidents' series on C-Span, I bought this book, and now I am visiting the gravesites of the presidents on my vacations. I find the directions and descriptions amazingly accurate. I never go on vacation without this book.
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Summary: Should be in every home library
Review: Before reading Brian Lamb's terrific book about Presidential gravesites, I counted the number of these sites that I had visited....11 to be exact. Now, after finishing the book, I want to visit the remaining ones. Mr. Lamb's ability to teach us about the lives (and in this case, the deaths) of these remarkable public servants goes well beyond C-Span. He has crafted a most enjoyable and educational book...one that should be in every home. This is a book that can be read at almost any pace...each chapter is short and well-laid out. He reminds us that every president has been important in some way because of the fact that they have all held the highest office in America... not just Washington, Lincoln and the Roosevelts, but Fillmore, Arthur and Taft as well. How important is must have been, for instance, for the children of the nation to donate their pennies to build the Harding Memorial in Marion, Ohio. The death of a president is a major event in our country's history and Mr. Lamb (along with chapter postscripts by Richard Norton Smith, who further humanizes our presidents) has succeeded in a winning form with his book. I found nothing maudlin or morose about "Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb"...only a colorful walk through America's past.
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Summary: All about the dead presidents!
Review: Count me in among those who collect presidential gravesites. Though I've only been to eight so far (plus two, Nixon's and Reagan's, before they were, um, occupied), I'm looking forward to visiting others when I get the chance. When I do, this will be the ideal, even essential, guidebook.I thoroughly agree with Douglas Brinkley's argument, in the Afterword to this book, that there's nothing morbid about hunting down presidential resting places. Rather, it's a way to connect with American history as well as contemplate the ends to which we all must come. I'm sure that for some, given our troubling tendency toward sanctifying the office and the men in it, it can mean more than that. But the estimable Brian Lamb doesn't fall into that trap. And for that, he should be commended. Each president listed here receives a brief mention of his term in office, with more focus on the circumstances of his death and burial. Comprehensive directions to the site and several photographs round out each listing. It's an excellent presentation, entertaining and informative all at once. I highly recommend it even to those who haven't (yet) become an official "collector." It's an interesting and fun way to learn more about our country and the men who have led our government.
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Summary: This is a great book
Review: For years I have wanted to tour World War One battlefields, and finally I came upon Before Endeavours Fade: A Guide to Battlefields of the First World War, by Rose E. B. Coombs. I read it cover to cover and felt doing so was the next best thing to touring those sites. When I finished reading this book, cover to cover, I thought this is better than going to each birthplace! It is certainly a lot easier, and I found it extremely satisfying to see each gravesite, all in the course of a couple hours, and to learn so many interesting things, like: What state has the most Presidential graves? Why is there a picture of David Rice Atchison's gravestone in this book? What President lived the shortest time after leaving office? If these sort of questions intrigue you, as they do me, get this book and revel in all the fascinating things you can learn from it.
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Summary: GREAT READ!!!!
Review: I couldn't put this book down once I started reading it. It is full of various info. about our presidents lives. Including their last words before death. This book fills you in on what they did after their presidency. I would recommend this book to anyone!! ENJOY!!
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Summary: Fascinating
Review: The one thing that ties all humans together, rich or poor, famous or unknown, powerful or helpless is death. To many Americans our Presidents are either marble figures (Washington, Jefferson...) or are little known familar names (Tyler, Harding...). This book does a great job of making ALL of our Presidents into human beings. The pictures, the writing, even the index pages are outstanding. What better way to really understand a person than to know their final words. Or better yet to see their final resting places many of which were picked out by the individuals themselves. One can learn a lot about the true character of a person if you see monuments they designed for themselves. I have visited many Presidential homes and several gravesites but after reading this book I have decided to make visiting all of the gravesites one of my goals in life. It is strange that a book about death should bring history so alive. BUY THIS BOOK!
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Summary: Too Late --Already Been Done !!
Review: This is a great book but my wife and I have already done the impossible. From 1980 to 1986 we visited all the graves of the presidents -- it was one of the most rewarding experiences as we were able to see American history up close and personal. However, this book did help us in locating another grave that we didn't originally visit -- that of Dean Rice Acheson -- President of the United States for a Day !!! Who ?? Read the Book !!!
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Summary: A Different Perspective
Review: This unique book is full of surprises, plenty of clear pictures, and short evaluations of each president. From Washington to the present George Bush, the reader visits the final resting places of our American presidents and learns how and when they died and their final words, in many cases.
Altho this book was published before the death of Ronald Reagan, pictures of his library and of the other living presidents are discussed.
In back of the book are names and places of the presidential libraries, the presidential and vice presidential gravesites listed by state, the burial places of president's wives and a host of other relevant material. Websites are even included.
Reading this book is an armchair traveller's delight. The traveller will appreciate the excellent directions. The research is phenomenal. Students of American history may want to add this to their book list.
If you are a fan of the American presidency and appreciate the valuable information that Brian Lamb and C-Span staff give us every day on the cable channels, you will absolutely enjoy this lively and well written book. Chapters are short, to the point, and contribute a wealth of information .
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Summary: The only things inevitable are death and taxes
Review: While the idea of visiting the final resting places of the US Presidents may sound morbid, it really is a celebration of the lives of our leaders. These men could lead the most powerful nation in the world, but could not escape the final hand of death. The book is a concise visit to each president's life, death, funeral and burial. Lamb lets us look into the last requests of some presidents and lets us see how the president himself, as well as friends, relatives and the nation are reflected in their graves, from the ostentatious memorials to the simple marble headstones. This edition is up to date, introducing the lives and presidencies of our most recent office holders - Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and gives us the most likely final resting places for those former presidents still with us - but for how much longer? The book also features numerous photographs taken by the author of the sites visited. A fascinating survey of the topic that makes me want to make some stops on future trips.
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