Campaigning for President (Hardcover)

by Jordan M. Wright (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Based on the author's extraordinary personal collection of presidential election memorabilia, Campaigning for President tells the colorful story of how presidents (and their losing rivals) have wooed voters since America was founded. These objects—from posters and paper dresses to ice-cream bars, sunglasses, and (of course) buttons—form a fascinating, moving, sometimes funny, sometimes outrageous physical record of the past. Campaigning for President makes it clear that money didn't become important just in recent elections and that candidates—and their minions—have sometimes been willing to gloss over the fine points or get very creative in their self-representation in attempts to win the presidency. Full of entertaining stories about the elections and the memorabilia, this book provides wonderful insight into America's most important achievement—our democratic system.

About the Author

Jordan M. Wright, a lawyer and magazine publisher, began collecting American memorabilia at the age of ten. Since then, he has amassed a collection of more than a million objects. He is now working to create a permanent Museum of Democracy to house the collection in New York City. Before the publication of this book, Wright has never shown his collection publicly.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Smithsonian (January 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061233951
• ISBN-13: 978-0061233951
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 9.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #551,571 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A colorful look at two centuries of presidential campaigns, January 28, 2008

By	Jon Hunt "musician, teacher" (Old Greenwich, Ct. USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I first read about "Campaigning for President" in a newspaper article a few weeks ago and knew I had to get my hands on this book. Wow... all 291 pages devoted to one man's collection begun almost four decades ago, which now exceeds over one million items! Jordan Wright has set out to enlighten us about the presidential past and he has succeeded in a big way. Not surprisingly, (as the dust jacket mentions) he is in the process of creating a permanent Museum of Democracy to house these unique and valuable treasures.

"Campaigning for President" opens literally at the beginning...1789... when George Washington became president. He really never ran for office as much as he attained it, but his successors had a field day in creatively boosting their own chances while downgrading their opponents. Along the way author Wright offers hundreds of items for our viewing...Andrew Jackson's razor sharpener, William Henry Harrison's log cabin brooch, U.S. Grant's cardboard shirt collar, a Teddy Roosevelt glasses stickpin and countless buttons, paper lanterns, umbrellas and just about anything else that one could have thought of to promote their candidate. My favorite is the James A. Garfield metal nose-thumber...as the author states: "depressing a lever in the candidate's heel sprang the rude toy into action". If one thinks today's politics are at an all-time low, this book will remind you that for two hundred years, Americans have taken a less-than-high road when it comes to campaigns and their associated memorabilia.

"Campaigning for President" is well laid out and the photos are nicely reproduced. Wright's brief comments about the issues that were discussed in each election are an integral part in giving readers a perspective on that particular year. I did come across a couple of mislabeled items (in 1880 and 1884) but that in no way takes anything away from this tremendous book by Jordan Wright. I highly recommend it, especially in this highly-charged presidential election year.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fantastic View of American Presidential Campaigns and a Fun, Informative Read, February 14, 2008

By	Thomas Zschach - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Jordan Wright has become one of the most entertaining presidential historians in America, in part through his passion for politics and willingness to share his own collection of over a million items. None of this would matter if he didn't have anything of interest to say. He has written a richly illustrated book, which includes photographs of some of the most important items in the collection. The political memorabilia includes posters, flags, dolls, parade gadgets, food products and of course buttons that he has assembled since 1968.

This book provides a wonderful insight into American history and I strongly recommend this book for older children as well as adults.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, unique window into our country's political history, February 22, 2008

By	mj33nyc (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

In this book Jordan Wright, through his eloquent and entertaining prose, does a terrific job of bringing to life otherwise forgotten artifacts of past presidential elections and inaugurations. The book is also an extraordinary window into the fierceness with which prior presidential candidates attacked each other and puts the occasional rancor of the current election into perspective. CAMPAIGNING FOR PRESIDENT is entertaining reading for children and political historians alike.