Vice Presidents: Biographies of the 45 Men Who Have Held the Second Highest Office in the United States [Paperback]

Carole Chandler Waldrup (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 27, 2006

John Nance Garner once colorfully described the office of vice president of the United States as not worth “a pitcher of warm piss,” and no doubt many of the 45 men elected to it would agree. Though it is the second highest elective office in the United States, there is but one constitutional duty: to preside over the Senate. Historically, vice presidents have often been relegated to attending state funerals and heading mostly ceremonial committees. Unless, of course, the president dies or resigns; they are then thrust into the presidency, often with little or no preparation. From John Adams to Albert Gore, Jr., this reference work provides biographies of the 45 vice presidents of the United States. Despite the fact that many think of the office as a stepping stone to the White House, only 14 have actually served as president. Outside the public spotlight, many vice presidents led fascinating lives and served their country with distinction, though little has been written about them. The biographies herein focus on their work as vice president, their relationship with the president under whom they served, and their role in the White house. Their lives after the end of their terms are also examined fully. A bibliography follows each biography.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This biographical directory profiles the 45 individuals who have held the office of vice president, including Al Gore. In the preface, the author acknowledges that these elected officials have often been the targets of scorn and ridicule but also points out that almost one-third have gone on to become president. The purpose of this book is to acknowledge individual achievements and accomplishments that may have been eclipsed by their "number two" designations.

Arranged in chronological order, entries range from one to several pages and are accompanied by black-and-white portraits. Personal anecdotes, quotes, and folksy biographical bits accompany political and historical developments, incorporating sufficient background information to help students place people and events in historical context. Major events, such as the behind-the-scenes power struggle between Edith Wilson and Vice President Thomas Marshall over control of the country after Woodrow Wilson had a debilitating stroke, are described, as are items of more trivial interest: Harry Truman's vice president, Alben Barkley, was the first to be known as "the Veep." Entries are readable and written in an accessible style. However, small print and densely packed paragraphs will put off younger readers and ESL/bilingual students. Older students and serious researchers will be hampered by the lack of chapter notes and footnotes. A short bibliography, usually consisting of two or three academic titles, follows each entry, but not even sources for direct quotes are identified.

Basic encyclopedia articles will meet the needs of most student researchers, and those who require in-depth information will do better to rely on sources such as World Book of America's Presidents (World Book, 1993) for younger readers, or adult-level works such as the Biographical Directory of the United States Executive Branch, 1774^-1989 (Greenwood, 1990), or the Dictionary of American Biography (Scribner). Although this book may fill a void in some circulating collections, it will have limited use as a research tool. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“A strong and basic fact-filled history...essential” --Midwest Book Review

“A wide range of material...engaging” --Booklist/RBB

“Excellent...a good ready reference work” --Reference & User Services Quarterly

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Product Details

• Paperback: 279 pages
• Publisher: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers (January 27, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078642611X
• ISBN-13: 978-0786426119
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,805,352 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars handy, but dangerous, July 13, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Vice Presidents: Biographies of the 45 Men Who Have Held the Second Highest Office in the United States (Hardcover)

It's hard to find good, thorough and easy-to-use reference works on VPs, and this book fills a needed gap--however...Any reference work is valuable only to the extent that it is accurate, and some big blunders make me nervous here. Andrew Johnson is inexplicably given the middle name Jackson. Has anyone ever heard of Andrew Jackson Johnson? I've done some published work on the Presidency myself, and I can find absolutely no corroboration for this moniker. The author certainly doesn't bother to source it, or much else unfortunately. There was a story, evidently contemporary with Johnson's career, that he was named Andrew after Jackson, but scholarly consensus is that this tale is wholly apocryphal, easily invented for a 19th century Tennessee politician. Since Johnson was born in 1808, in North Carolina, and before Jackson had risen to any particualr prominence, the likelihood that a he was named after the General is slight. Unless she had new info that would be quite w! ! orth sourcing, Waldrup just seems overly willing to repeat a good story as if it were fact. Of course this is unacceptable for a reference work. Then there is the matter of the near-full page portrait of William Henry Harrison (who was only briefly a president, and never a vice)which the book tells the reader is in fact John Tyler. Again, very bad for any work, let alone a reference. Who's on a $20 dollar bill, Martin Van Buren? Don't they have editors in these houses?