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Presidential Greatness: The Image and the Man from George Washington to the Present

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The entire text of this work is a rebuttal and in-depth examination of Arthur Schlesinger's polls (1948 and 1962) among historians ranking presidents. Any reader must keep in mind that this work is a period piece. The copyright date and publication date is 1966 and Bailey never issued a second edition or addendum. Therefore, this book does not inclde any president or scandal after 1965 and that may be a good thing as this work is not tainted by the Vietnam war or Watergate. Bailey bases his premise on presidential polls ranked by historians but he thoroughly explodes their rankings. In the polls, each president is simply a number. In this book, each president is a cognizant, sentient being. Bailey explains what each president did during his time in office to deserve whatever ranking they were given while further detailing the president in question as a person and the problems faced while serving the nation. Bailey's work is an essential work for any person seeking information on presidents before JFK.