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Grover Cleveland (The American Presidents Series)

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If you want great detail on the presidents, this book series, "The American Presidents," will not be for you. If, however, you would like to get better introduced to some of the Presidents with some quick reads, this series could be very attractive. "Grover Cleveland," written by Henry Graff, is one book in the series. At the outset, I will say that this is a nice introduction to Grover Cleveland; if you want lots of detail, though, this book will not be for you.

That said, this is up to the usual dependable quality of works in this series. The book begins by placing the Cleveland family in context (e.g., I had never guessed that one of Cleveland's predecessors was a founder of Cleveland, Ohio, after whom the city was named!). The story of Cleveland's political career began in earnest when he served as Mayor of Buffalo, NY. This served as a launching point for his accession as Governor of New York. In the latter role, he distinguished himself as a "reformer."

After that, as a result of a confluence of events, he was nominated for President as a Democrat. While running for office (not that candidates did much in the way of campaigning), it came out that Cleveland may have fathered a child out of wedlock. Indicative of Cleveland's reputation, when asked what his "handlers" should do, he said, "Tell the truth." Rather refreshing!

Once elected, he served as a competent president, with some accomplishments in his first term. He was defeated when he ran for re-election, with Benjamin Harrison ousting him from office. However, four years later, he was re-elected to serve the White House. There were many challenges in his second term, some beyond his control. There was also the medical problem that was kept from public eye.

The book winds down by talking of his life after the presidency. This 138 page volume gives a nice glimpse of Grover Cleveland, his presidency, his times, and his accomplishments. For what it is, it does well. Recommended for those who want a brief introduction to the presidents generally and Cleveland specifically.

This short book is part of "The American Presidents" series edited by Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. The series devotes a short volume to the life and accomplishments of each American President. The books in the series can be read quickly, and each gives the reader an overview of the life and accomplishments of an important American figure. It is a worthy goal to encourage people to get a working understanding of our presidents and part of an attempt to reeducate Americans about their country and government. The series, Schelsinger states in his introductory note, will "give readers some understanding of the pitfalls and potentialities of the presidency and also of the responsiblities of citizenship".

Professor Graff's short study of the life of Grover Cleveland (1837-1908) fulfills the aim of the series. The book consists of a brief biography of Cleveland and covers his youth, his public (and some of his private) life before he became president, his two presidencies, and his life in retirement. The accomplishments of each of his two terms are summarized, if briefly.

As do most writers who have studied Cleveland, Professor Graff finds his strength in his integrity and common sense. He was able to persuade his fellow Americans, both before and during his presidency of his honesty. Cleveland was a President without charisma and an uninspiring public speaker. He regretted his entire life his lack of a college education, and his career shows something of a discomfort with new ideas or new approaches. Yet, he was able to turn these traits, together with his own strengths into advantages. He proved a capable and inspiring President.

Professor Graff does not engage in hero-worship. If anything, I thought that he somewhat undervalued Cleveland and his accomplishment. He describes some aspects of Cleveland's presidencies which seem to run counter to the picture of Cleveland as a reformer and as given to complete probity and openness.(For examples, Graff discusses the abrupt dismissals of many Republican civil servants at the outset of his terms and the secret operation on Cleveland's jaw which was held on a ship offshore to conceal it from the public at the beginning of Cleveland's second term.) Yet Graff finds much to admire in Cleveland in his hard work, acknolwedgement of his illegitimate child, financial probity, and Civil Service reform. Graff praises Cleveland for his refusal to support the annexation of Hawaii when its queen was overthrown under dubious circumstances. Cleveland restored public faith in government at a time when it was sorely lacking. I think he was the first President who could be desribed as attempting to govern by principles that he believed were both "conservative" and "compassionate." In this he is an inspiration whose goals, if not all his specific decisions, could be followed and expanded upon.

This is not a complete study of Grover Cleveland but it succeeds well in giving the reader a sense of his accomplishment. The reader who wants to learn more might read Allan Nevins', "Grover Cleveland, A Study in Courage" (1944) which remains the standard biography of Cleveland.

This book describes the life and character of Grover Cleveland - and addresses the latter more clearly than the former. Cleveland comes across as uninspiring, but absolutely honest. He was such a workaholic that he refused to attend baseball games during the Presidency, thinking it a waste of the people's time. While Cleveland was President, there was no White House staff to speak of; he spent much of his time meeting with job seekers, and held regular office hours for the citizenry. He lost the 1888 election in part because he did not consider campaigning for the office to be part of his job description. In short, there was nothing modern about Grover Cleveland.

Graff also adequately explains Cleveland's sex scandal (in which he was accused of fathering a child out of wedlock; he supported the child, but paternity was unclear) and his three elections.

However, Graff fails to explain the 1893 depression which has tainted Cleveland's reputation. What did Cleveland fail to do, and how serious were these mistakes? Did the depression cure itself, and if so how? All these questions glide past Graff.

Grover Cleveland is best known as the only the president to serve two nonconsecutive terms. While this feat is remarkable, it leaves an unfortunate omission in the life of a remarkable man. In this concise biography, we are allowed a greater insight into this often forgotten president.

In the original era of corrupt politics which included Tammany Hall, Cleveland's integrity and honesty were a welcome relief and made him a shining example as president. Cleveland experienced a meteoric rise to the White House, going from Buffalo's mayor to New York's governor to the Oval office in less than ten years. Decendent of a Presbyterian minister, Cleveland was never able to attend college. However, he was still able to initiate a successful law career.

Cleveland's physical appearance would not have lend him to success in today's political landscape. A noted drinker and lover of food, Cleveland's frame is rumored to have hovered near 300 pounds at its peak. Cleveland was also known to avoid speaking engagements, knowing his time could be better spent at work. It reality, he was a quiet man. Yet his honesty spoke loudly for him in all situations.

Having enjoyed other books in this presidential series, I would advise readers that this series is far from thorough. The authors do have the ability to make even the most dry presidencies seem readable. With only labor strife and silver coinage as the primary controversies of his presidency, this biography of Grover Cleveland is a very good read.

Widely remembered as the only president to serve two non- consecutive terms, Cleveland hasn't gotten the attention and praise he merits. Although a Democrat, it would be no surprise that most of his views would clash with those taken by Democrats today as well as Republicans.

Following the Panic of '83, the public lost confidence in the efficacy of paper money. Cleveland believed the only solution to the restoration of prosperity was to place the country on a gold standard.

Cleveland's anti-imperialist stance would dismay many who promote the U.S. as the Hall Monitor of the World, clinging to the imperishable ideal of the Declaration that all men have the right to self-government. He was outraged to hear how the rulers of Hawaii were overthrown and replaced with a rump democracy. He attempted to undo the wrong wrought by forcible intervention. For Cleveland it was "the only honourable course for our government to pursue."

His words should be carved above some door to the Pentagon, or the Department of Defense:

"The United States," he wrote, "can not allow itself to refuse to redress an injury inflicted through an abuse of power by officers clothed with its authority and wearing its uniform; and on the same ground, if a feeble but friendly state is in danger of being robbed of its independence and its sovereignty by a misuse of the name and power of the United States, the United States can not fail to vindicate its honor and its sense of justice by an earnest effort to make all possible reparation."

Why did Hawaii hope for the restoration of self-sovereignty? Because "she could place implicit reliance upon the justice of the United States." Someone in those scattered islands must have read the same texts the beleaguered pro-democracy students in China read when they erected a crude facsimile of the Statue of Liberty in Tianmanen Square. Too bad they were kicked in the teeth.

He opposed and vetoed bills that would have provided federal handouts for numerous groups and individuals, some deserving, most bogus. But he was not blind to a "widening gulf between employers and employed. His concern was not a squishy "kinder, gentler" budget-increasing type.

Anticipating the Encyclical Rerum Novarum of Pope Leo XI, and Laborem Exercens of Pope John Paul II, he wrote that "Communism is a hateful thing . . . but the communism of combined wealth and capital, the outgrowth of overweening cupidity and selfishness, is not less dangerous."

He was an honorable man when honor in a public office was scorned. Democrats and Republicans take heed.

I usually enjoy the books in this series as concise but informative introductions to the presidents. This particular volume, in my mind, isn't quite as good as some of the others. It certainly presents a number of very interesting vignettes of the historical and social context in which President Cleveland lived, but the book at times seems to be more about everything but President Cleveland. There are long sections that detail other players and groups from some of the nomination and electoral proceedings and the sections on his two administrations seem kind of sparse when it comes to his relationship to some of the issues and events of the day. I found the book fascinating in the sense that it breaks through the general view of the "good old days" many Americans have of this time period to describe some of the turmoil and human actors of the time. However, I'm not sure I came away knowing as much about President Cleveland as I would have liked. The author concludes that this president deserves historical respect because he was a symbol of integrity and honesty in a time of questionable politics, but it's hard to get a grasp on where President Cleveland would fall in terms of today's political views. I would recommend this book, if for no other reason than the fact that most people probably haven't read a lot about this time period or this president. President Cleveland's administration fell between the end of the Civil War and the coming of interesting inventions like electricity and telephones on the one hand and famous events such as the annexation of Hawaii, the Spanish American War and the Panama Canal on the other hand. Like all of the volumes in this series, this one is short so it is probably not a bad place to start.

I think there is another book out there on Grover Cleveland called an honest president. Here Graff just confirms why Grover was a straight shooting honest politician. He made the comment when faced with controversy with "Lets tell the truth". What a novel way for a politician. This is why Cleveland appeared on three presidential ballots, and was elected twice. People believed in him and his standards.
Graff does a excellent job of detailing the 22th and 24th President. The book flowed easily, and I found myself interested throughout the book. Maybe it was because of the character of Cleveland. The nation needs leaders like him now.

A very good short biography of an overlooked president. Graff sticks to the details but makes them interesting.

Grover Cleveland's reputation among the presidents has risen over the past few years and Henry Graff's contribution to the American Presidents' series is welcome, though it is not a not terribly revealing study. Cleveland was known for his integrity but hardly remembered as a risk taker of any length as he served twice in the presidency. His years in Washington were solid, if not overly productive.

This series about the U.S. presidents is designed to give a brief overview of the subects covered. This is not the best book in that series, but it is informative in many ways. The author tends to have more of a bent for covering the election process and the style of life exhibited by President Cleveland. Indeed the three elections in which Cleveland ran for president were all fairly close and worth a look, but I would like to have seen more on Cleveland's legacy and how it affected future presidencies. Graff's "Grover Cleveland" is a pleasant read, however.

This is a really great addition to the American Presidents Series. The man that historian Henry Graff dusts off for us is deserving of a good deal of respect, and certainly deserves to be remembered for more than simply having served two non-consecutive terms. In these pages we are introduced to a chief magistrate who didn't concern himself with rocking the boat or actively engaging in creating policy. Rather, Grover Cleveland saw his role as one in which he would keep government honest.

Cleveland's greatest responsibility, he felt, was "the public trust" (that is, keeping government's promise of responsible representation of "The People"). That said, he also believed that, while the public should support the government, government was not in charge of supporting the people. This hurt him politically during his second term when the country fell into difficult financial times. He was thus unwilling to have the Federal government step in to enact legislation that might well have made a difference. Here, Cleveland stands in stark contrast to future Presidents (most notably FDR and the New Deal) and reveals himself to be typical of men who governed during America's "Gilded Age." In our retrospective points-of-view, however, we consider this -Cleveland's laid-back response-to be his one remarkable failing.

Cleveland had no great crisis with which to contend, no nation-changing events that might have challenged him into action that would have lifted him into the category of great or near-great presidents. He was no Lincoln. Then again, he didn't need to be.

Mr. Graff's book is easy to read and is a good, brief introduction to a man whose best legacy to the Oval Office was his service as a good and decent man who restored credibility and respect to the Office of President after a series of rather luke-warm, forgettable presidencies.

I enjoyed this short, factual account of Cleveland's life and presidency, but found it a little lacking in details. While it is an easy read and covers all of the key points, it fails to really describe Cleveland as a person or to articulate his political philosophy. Interesting personal tidbits such as his close relationship with his Quaker mom, his Christian faith, marriage to the much younger Frances, and an out-of-wedlock child are mentioned in passing with little explanation or speculation. Similarly, Graff mentions Cleveland's strong support of the gold standard, his anti-imperialism, his opposition to the tariff, and belief in limited government, but he fails to connect the dots and explain how these views connect. Given that the modern libertarian movement has adopted Cleveland as a model president, it would have been interesting to know whether Graff shares their view of Cleveland as a classical laissez faire liberal.