The Raising of a President: The Mothers and Fathers of Our Nation's Leaders (Hardcover)

by Doug Wead (Author) "This is the first book written about the presidents' parents..." (more)
Key Phrases: presidential mothers, chronological list, John Adams, Doug Wead, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Perhaps because our presidents fill the roles of both chief executive and ceremonial head of state, we have long demonstrated a strong, sometimes obsessive, interest in their family lives and histories. Wead is a former special assistant to President Bush Sr., a friend of the current president, and the author of 26 books. Assuming that we can gain greater understanding of presidential attitudes and actions by examining the lives of their parents, Wead peruses the lives of an interesting variety of presidential parents. Some, such as Lincoln's father, were, according to Wead, illiterate brutes; others, including Jimmy Carter's mother, Lillian, were people of great grit and character. This isn't a work of serious scholarship; ead tends to engage in unwarranted speculation, and there is the inevitable use of psychobabble. till, this is a fun book with plenty of surprising, sometimes juicy tidbits about parents and sons. t is a breezy, enjoyable work aimed at the general reader. Jay Freeman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"Epic! A remarkable perspective....One sees the American presidents through a more intimate lens."

-- Peter Schweizer, coauthor of The Bushes: Portrait of a Dynasty

"Superb.... A long-awaited study of a difficult subject often hidden by presidents and their families. It is a piece of American history that solves many mysteries."

-- Steven Lee Carson, chairman, White House Conference on Presidential Children --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 528 pages
• Publisher: Atria (January 4, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743497260
• ISBN-13: 978-0743497268
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #560,986 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Piece of History, February 25, 2005

By	Dianna (North Lauderdale, Florida) - See all my reviews

I enjoyed reading All The President's Children. I'm not much of a history buff, but my husband brought it to me while I was in the hospital after giving birth to our third child. I found it thrilling, so I was eager to read Mr. Wead's new book. He masterfully shows a side of the Presidents that is rarely seen. As a teacher I feel that his insights into history are worthy of great praise. As a parent I feel there are many lessons to learn from these powerful families. This may be the finest book ever written about Presidential parents. THIS WAS WRITTEN BY SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY READ THE BOOK.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A New Aspect of History, March 2, 2005

By	John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Sub-Title: The Mothers and Fathers of Our Nation's Leaders

We've had lots of presidents, and with the exception of the related ones there's been little about their origins. It seems that the history books mostly assume that the presidents have burst forth as adults ready to assume the mangle of leadership.

As I read about the various presidents I was struck by the differences in the families. Three like Clinton had fathers who died before they were born. Some (Kennedy/Bush) had very successful fathers (at least in terms of money). Some (Nixon/Lincoln) were quite poor. Some (Kennedy again) would push their children very hard. Some (Bush) merely strived to set the best possible examples for their children.

Out of all of these backgrounds came basically honorable men who had the drive and ambition to lead the country.

With the release of the private tapes made by the author of conversations with George W. Bush, it is unfortunately likely that the message of the book will become confused with the incident. This is a good book presenting an aspect of the presidency that breaks new ground.

22 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read - New Material!, January 7, 2005

By	Dr. William Bristol - See all my reviews

The strength of this book is its new material on the Bushes and Kennedys. Apparently the author got up to the Kennedy Library and tapped into the deluge of newly released documents. This is the best complete update on the Kennedys around. And those pages sizzle. But the account of the Bushes is truly mesmerizing. They are not as boring as I thought. There is much here, written dispassionately. Truly fascinating. Six hundred pages went very quickly.