Presidential Places: A Guide to the Historic Sites of U.S. Presidents [Paperback]

Gary Ferris (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This highly useful book is a guide to historic places of interest relating to all the American presidents. Included are, among other things, presidential birthplaces, where they lived, where they went to school, the churches they attended, where they are buried, and the monuments, museums, and libraries dedicated to their lives and administrations. Ferris, a director at the Pennsylvania Red Cross, lives near the Valley Forge National Historic Park, just one of the scores of presidential sites mentioned. This book is a rich source for all things relating to the lives and legacies of the presidents, from Jimmy Carter's Smiling Peanut statue to Grant's Tomb and the youthful haunts of Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Lincoln, and both Roosevelts. It should be useful for both scholars and lay readers.AMichael A. Genovese, Loyola Marymount Univ., Los Angeles
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Back Cover

Here is a book that park rangers and curators around the country say their patrons consistently request: one that is both a guide to sites related to the American presidents and a journal in which families can record their travel experiences. Author Gary Ferris does more than take readers to where John F. Kennedy was shot and where Ulysses S. Grant was buried. Included here-for the first time-are the places where all 42 presidents were born, lived, went to school, worshipped, were married, were inaugurated, died, were buried, and are honored. You'll visit the site of Harry S. Truman's haberdashery, the former cafe where Lyndon Baines Johnson developed his fondness for chili, and Jimmy Carter's famous Smiling Peanut Statue. You'll discover the California hotel where the Nixons married and the Reagans honeymooned. And the Vermont home where Calvin Coolidge was inaugurated by his own father at 2:47 a.m. one day. And the Ohio dormitory where curious students broke down the wall of Rutherford B. Hayes's former room. And the churchyard in Virginia where George Washington first told friends he would fight for independence. The book's geographic index will help families locate presidential sites wherever they travel, and its listings of schedules and fees will aid them in planning visits_visits that are sure to be both entertaining and educational.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: John F. Blair Publisher (February 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0895871769
• ISBN-13: 978-0895871763
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 7.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #757,205 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Appears to be a handy book for Presidential history buffs, September 8, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Portage, Wisconsin (Where the North Begins!)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Presidential Places: A Guide to the Historic Sites of U.S. Presidents (Paperback)

I have taken to working historical sites into my vacations, mostly Civil War and, since last year, Presidential sites. My interest in Presidential sites has increased with C-Span's 25th anniversary series on U.S. Presidents. A friend told me about the book and I bought it. I like the format (organized by President) and it has been very useful in helping me plan an upcoming trip into Virginia, with various Presidential related stops. Not that I'd carry it in the car all the time (since there are no Presidential sites here in Wisconsin) but when I'm on one of my road trips, this goes next to the atlas.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for the Presidential Buff, August 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Presidential Places: A Guide to the Historic Sites of U.S. Presidents (Paperback)

If you're a presidential buff like me, you'll love this book. Whenever I travel, I love to look up and visit sites relating to the presidents. Before this book, I had to rely on general maps, which have lots of limitations for this kind of thing. Now, I just need to carry this book.

It's very well organized. The two basic organization schemes are by president and by state. The first scheme constitutes the main part of the book. It's very well laid out, with sections for different life events (birth, death, inauguration, etc.). Each of these sections includes clearly-delineated addresses and hours. There's just enough "story" to know what you're visiting, but without being bogged down in the details. There are also URLs for those sites that have web pages!

On the down side, I wish there were more pictures. They could have well fit in the grey boxes that say "travelogue" (I haven't a clue what those are for!). I also wish sites that aren't open to the public at least had addresses (it can't hurt just to look from the street).

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book out there, May 16, 2005

By 

M. Foust - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Presidential Places: A Guide to the Historic Sites of U.S. Presidents (Paperback)

I've read all of the presidential sites books, and this is the most informative one out there.

It's not flashy -- there aren't a ton of pictures -- but it has all the info you want, including where every president was born, lived and is buried. It also includes president libraries.

In the back it has a listing of sites by state, which comes in handy when traveling.

Of course, this is a reference book -- it's not for light reading. (I've read reviews by some Amazon readers who bought reference books and say they're "boring.")

If you travel and want to visit the presidential sites, this is the book you need.