To continue our monthly series of book lists, the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library would like to recommend the following titles for adults:
February, 2006 -- The Practical Patriot's Panorama of Presidential Personages
The American President by Philip B. Kunhardt Jr. and others. This companion to a PBS television series groups the chief executives by campaign style, challenges faced, or other circumstances that shaped their public image. Cassette book RC 49738.
First Ladies: An Intimate Group Portrait of White House Wives by Margaret Truman. The daughter of Harry Truman looks at the lives and roles of America 's first ladies, from Martha Washington through Hilary Rodham Clinton. Cassette book RC 44441.
Presidents Under Fire: Commanders in Chief in Victory and Defeat by James R. Arnold. An analysis of the war strategies of American presidents. Examines how legislative, economic, and popular support contribute to the success or failure of a president in a time of war. Cassette book RC 41862.
Nixon's Piano: Presidents and Racial Politics from Washington to Clinton by Kenneth O'Reilly. A provocative discussion of how racial politics have pervaded the presidency from early slaveholders to modern "southern strategies" and the battle over affirmative action. Cassette book RC 44687.
Star-Spangled Men: America's Ten Worst Presidents by Nathan Miller. Biographical profiles of American presidents the author judges to be the ten worst in the nation's history. Candidates were evaluated on the basis of their personal qualities and the extent to which they damaged the nation. Cassette book RC 46576.
Thanks for the Memories, Mr. President: Wit and Wisdom from the Front Row at the White House by Helen Thomas. Longtime White House correspondent relates anecdotes about the nine presidents she's covered, from John F. Kennedy to George W. Bush, as well as the jokes and verbal sparring she enjoyed with them. Cassette book RC 54800. Braille book BR 14249.
Great Presidential Wit: I Wish I Was in this Book by Bob Dole. Former presidential candidate Bob Dole ranks the American presidents in terms of their senses of humor. Gives examples of their wit in the forms of one-liners, wisecracks, witticisms, self-deprecations, and quips. Cassette book RC 53187. Large print book LP 17859.