Customer Reviews

William Howard Taft, an Intimate History

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am reading all the presidential biographies in order.

This was a very good book, even though it is nearly 30 years old. It is also the only bio that seemed to foot the bill. And boy did it!

The author based this book on her dissertation that she worked on through much of the 1970s, I believe. I was a bit leary at first after hearing that, thinking, "oh great, it's going to be very dull." But I was very pleasantly surprised! It was VERY well written, read very well, and was a joy to discover.

We are given a VERY complete picture of Taft -- from his overbearing mother to his overbearing wife, to his overbearing partner TR. The author really gets us inside Taft's head -- literally. I think the author was a psychology major because she gives a "diagnosis" of Taft's mental state and thinking along the way. For instance, she blames his being overweight to his overbearing parents, in particular, his mother.

This was one of the better biographies I have read. I really felt bad for Taft. He seems to have been bullied by just about everyone in his life, but on the flip side it seems to have been his motivation. Only later in his life -- a lot later -- did he "grow up."

Fascinating read!

As implied by the subtitle, "an intimate history," this book attempts to meld history with psychology, a dangerous field made futile with its exploration of Taft's relationship to his mother, his wife, and to Theodore Roosevelt. As a straight biography, the research is unoriginal, with all themes and details better covered in other works, before and since.

When first published this seemed an original approach, but it doesn't hold. This book's primary interest to the modern reader stands as an example of 1970s historiography more than a study of Taft and the Progressive Era.

This is an excellent biography of William Howard Taft. It not only looks at what he did but why he did it.

Taft is not known for being a good president, but that was his one area of weakness. His life was one success after another, except for the presidency. In fact, he never wanted to be president, but was more interested in being on the Supreme Court, where he eventually served.

This book consults letters by Taft and those around him. It includes great quotes, like Taft's saying "I would rather entertain people I don't like than not entertain at all."

If you want to know more about Taft, I would highly recommend this book.

Willaim Howard Taft is a unique man in the annals of our Presidential history. Maybe the only man who did not want to be President, and openly acknowledged he was unfit for office. In many ways, he cuts a fascinating historical figure. He was an open, infectiously likable and friendly man, without guile. Hardly the fabric of a successful politician or President.

He was propped into office by the two people most important to him, his wife, and his predecessor in office, Theodore Roosevelt. Each wanted him there for their own reasons, and Taft became an unwitting tool in this power vacuum. Much to both their astonishment, Taft found his own voice, and became his own man.

But, this did not make him an effective President. Almost any poll of Presidential historians rank him at or toward the very bottom. He was indecisive, unambitious and without a significant agenda. Personally, he was depressed, and looked toward only the end of his term.

Taft found redemption by being appointed to the Supreme Court as Chief Justice, fulfilling a lifelong dream.
Here he put his work ethic and sense of order in a day to day purpose he revered and loved. He found the respect and admiration of his colleagues, and buried himself in interpreting and and creating the law of the land.

Taft was a decent, loyal and kind hearted man. He was a model for what many would like to see in a President, and yet, a real model for the traits that would doom a man to failure in that very position.

A worthwhile and interesting biography.

William Howard Taft was one of the more interesting Presidents to read about based upon his life experience despite his lackluster presidency. From being the man in charge of the occupied Philippines to his final days as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (and by all accounts a very good Chief Justice) he spent his life in public service. He went from being TR's best friend to enemy in the campaign splitting republican dominance and brining about the presidency of Woodrow Wilson. Overall this book does a poor job of shedding much light on the details of Taft's life. It glosses over many of the important things he did providing brief summaries. It spends an inordinate amount of time focused on Taft's eating disorders and tries to use modern obesity research to analyze his feelings at the time. The redeeming part of this book is the analysis of Taft's wife who is shown as a calculating woman that tried to further her husband's career at every moment. She is shown to be a creature of ambition and does not seem motivated out of love for her husband but a cold driving ambition for her own status. Overall I would agree with the other two star review and say this is a great example of some 1970's historiography but overall a weak biography of President Taft.

This book is the WORST biography written about Taft. Based only on an authors opinion. In reality William's father Alphonso lost four children and his first wife before William is born, William's mother lost her very first child, who would not be careful and keep an eye on children???? Parents who do not keep a watchful eye over their children do not deserve to be parents. William was large at birth, he was a fully grown man by the time he is in college, not because of his over bearing parents, was the presidency a reason for his weight gain absolutely but it WAS NOT the only reason. William had one of the greatest pre presidential career's out of all of the 44 people who have held the nations highest office. William's parents expected their children to work hard in school.....who's parents would not want their children to work hard in school??? William expected alot from himself. I wish people will take this book with a grain of salt of the psycho biographies of the late 70s early 80s because this book does not stand up in today's study of Taft. This book is not the book to read about President Taft. I have been associated with the life and times of President Taft for the six years, learning about the man everyday and I am not a writer but I could write a better biography because the author failed in every aspect in my opinion. Does it belong in the Historiography of President Taft, yes but it is not an accurate study and the author's bias should be looked at before reading this book. Taft deserved better and she caused a great American to be looked at like from birth he was a fat, unhappy person. That is not true, and this book is a horrible book on a GREAT AMERICAN, A GREAT BUCKEYE and a truly GREAT CINCINNATIAN.

This book does a great job of discussing Taft's life and how he got to be President. It also provides a good deal of insight into the time in which he lived and how politics worked at that time. Overall, a great read.