Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
In honor of President’s Day, it occurred to me that it would be fun for us to learn a bit about our presidents’ reading habits.I learned, as I did a bit of research, that many of our presidents were poorly educated and came from humble beginnings. That meant they were exposed to few books in their early years, but those books often provided them with a roadmap on how to live wisely. What did they read? Take a peek.
Here are a few highlights of a BuzzFeed article I found that lists the author’s researched answer to the question: What was each president’s favorite book?
John Adams was an inveterate reader and frequently made notes in a book’s margins. Apparently he had a love-hate relationship with An Historical and Moral View of the Origin and Progress of the French Revolution by Mary Wollstonecraft, a sympathetic telling of the French Revolution. He wrote more margin notes in that volume than any other–10,000 words, and apparently many of them were “unkind.” A critique is born!
Bibliophile Thomas Jefferson read–and bought–so many books that, when the British burned down the first Library of Congress, Jefferson sold his collection to the government to give the second Library of Congress a vigorous beginning. He loved reading so much that he kept different books in different rooms, lest he have a free moment and could read a few pages.
Our first president was also the first to hold the office as a published author. As a schoolboy, Washington copied by hand a list of 110 ‘Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation.’ Based on a 16th-century set of precepts compiled for young gentlemen by Jesuit instructors, the Rules of Civility were one of the earliest and most powerful forces to shape America’s first president, says historian Richard Brookhiser. The book was re-released in 2003 with the spelling, punctuation and language modernized. You can read more about Rules of Civility here.
John Quincy Adams loved poetry above all other written forms and wished he could be a great poet. He tried his hand at poetry, but it generally met with poor reviews. One poem was eventually included by Ralph Waldo Emerson in a collection of his favorite poems, which must have pleased Adams a great deal. Apparently realizing that writing verse wasn’t his gift, Adams channeled his love of poetry into translating the epic German fairytale poem Oberon, which is still one of the few English versions of Weiland’s masterpiece.
Martin Van Buren spent his later years writing his autobiography, which oddly, never mentioned his wife.
Millard Fillmore was raised in a family that owned one book—a Bible—from which he learned to read. While apprenticing with a clothes-maker as a teenager, Fillmore bought a dictionary and used it to expand his vocabulary, sometimes studying it while carding wool.
Franklin Pierce would probably say his favorite book was the one that got him elected president. A no-name senator from New Hampshire, Pierce’s old college buddy, best-selling and wildly popular Nathaniel Hawthorne, wrote an inspiring biography of Pierce that painted him as a national hero. And it was published just before the election.
Abraham Lincoln often carried Shakespeare’s collected works tucked under his arm.
The gift of a book changed one young man’s life. Hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina, Andrew Johnson’s parents were illiterate and most likely considered poor white trash, and he was apprenticed to a tailor shop, where he was taught the basics of reading and writing. Customers used to come into the shop to read to the tailors and one gave Johnson a copy of The American Speaker, the first book he ever owned. Johnson practiced his reading with the book and kept it with him for the rest of his life. “How many times I have read the book I am unable to say,” he would say years later. “But I am satisfied it caused my life to take a different turn from what it otherwise would.”
Reading popular novels proved to be a distraction from studies for Ulysses S. Grant. In his memoir, written at the end of his life, Grant admits to blowing off his studies at West Point and instead spending his time in the library, reading the likes of James Fennimore Cooper, Washington Irving, and Walter Scott. But Edward Bulwer-Lytton is the one whom Grant recounts reading the most. This fascination with the wrong types of books might help to explain Grant graduating near the bottom of his class.
James Garfield grew up on a farm in Ohio, raised by his widowed mother and older brother. The Garfields didn’t own many books, just a few volumes plus the Bible and some school books, so when Garfield borrowed a copy of Robinson Crusoe he was captivated by it. He spent hours reading and rereading it by the fire and from then on would compare all other books to it. As one biographer put it: “The impression made by that book upon his mind was never effaced. It only sharpened his appetite yet more for reading.”
Another president who loved poetry was William McKinley. After signing up to fight in the Civil War, he purchased a volume of Lord Byron’s poetry to take with him.
Woodrow Wilson was an unadulterated fan of Walter Bagehot, a 19th-century journalist and essayist who wrote about government and economics. Wilson, the academic politician, discovered Bagehot’s writing his junior year of college and was so influenced by his work that Wilson even took a pilgrimage to where Bagehot is buried and picked a leaf off his grave, which he mailed with a letter to his wife asking her to save it for him.
The biggest influence on our 30th president, Calvin Coolidge, was the Roman politician and philosopher Cicero, whom Coolidge discovered while studying classics in high school. According to biographer Robert Sobel, Coolidge read so much Cicero that he became fluent in Latin.
We often associate Lyndon Johnson with the Vietnam war, but he also fought a “war on poverty.” And a book was a strong influence on him to do so. Michael Harrington’s The Other America, as well as a popular New Yorker review of it titled “Our Invisible Poor,” claimed that more than 20% of Americans at the time lived in poverty. The book reportedly struck a chord with Johnson, who was aware of many Americans living in what he called “the outskirts of hope” trapped in “inherited, gateless poverty.” Millions were lifted out of poverty because of Johnson’s efforts.
Richard Nixon was fond of Leo Tolstoy’s books; Gerald Ford liked the affable heroes that Horatio Alger created; and Jimmy Carter was deeply touched by Let Us Now Praise Famous Men by James Agee and Walker Evans, which documented the plight of Depression Era sharecroppers and influenced Carter to do something for the have-not’s in a world of have’s.
The Hunt for Red October was given as a gift to President Reagan, who mentioned the book in a press conference, calling it “”unputdownable.” The praise helped to launch Clancy’s career.
Bill Clinton has created three lists of his favorite books, but only one title appears on all three: Marcus Aureilus’s Meditations.
George W. Bush often is portrayed as the kind of guy you want to have a beer with (picture a bar and a flat screen TV), and his many verbal flubs during speaking engagements doesn’t suggest he’s much of a reader. But Karl Rove in a Wall Street Journal op-ed piece stated that he and Bush had a contest each year as to who could read the most books. One year Bush put away 95 to Rove’s 110. But the book Bush read each year cover-to-cover was the Bible.
Barack Obama is a great promoter of books, going on a very public outing each year to buy books as Christmas gifts. He even wrote a personal note to Yann Martel, the author of Life of Pi, to let the writer know how much Obama and his daughter enjoyed reading the novel. Whenever President Obama is asked about his all-time favorite books, he often lists quite a few titles and usually a different group of titles each time, but two books that have consistently been listed are Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson and Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison.
Which president’s reading surprises you the most? Which touches you the most as an American (if you are)? as a reader? as a writer?
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Wow, Janet…this had be a LOT of work for you, and it’s very appreciated.
* I personally find the most resonance with Lincoln (yay, Shakespeare!) and Coolidge. We need more presidents who are fluent in Latin.
* I’m surprised that Bill Clinton listed Marcus Aurelius; While I certainly didn’t agree with his policies, I’m impressed by the philosophical mentor he chose.
* Likewise, I was very surprised to open the HuffBooks link for President Obama and see a photo of him holding a biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Once again, impressive.
* One thing that surprises me (and perhaps only me) is that little attention has been paid to classical Zen and Samurai literature. Tsusenori’s “Hagakure” should surely be represented, as should Musashi’s work, and of course “The Blue Cliff Record” (a compendium of koan). While certainly not part of any known Western canon, they are all available in accessible translations (reading them in the original is hard going), and would serve as counterpoint and contrast to traditional Western thought…much in the way that iron sharpens iron.
Yup. On the classical Zen and Samurai literature. Probably only you. At least, amongst most people I know.
And maaaaaaaybe amongst people I don’t know.
It’s a pity, really, because a story like that of the 47 Ronin has great relevance to questions of loyalty, even in the face of reduced circumstances, even today. (The 47 were made ronin when their master was killed, and they swore revenge…but in spite of the term ‘ronin’ being something heroic in the West today, to be a masterless samurai was a dreadful fate at the time, since a Samurai was defined – completely – by service.)
* And we would be well-advised to consider, carefully, the ramifications of the Satsuma rebellion, even though it is relatively recent history. Once again…it’s about the discernment of loyalty.
Andrew, while some of the president’s were well educated, they attended U.S. colleges. The only president’s exposed to other cultures in any significant way before holding the office did so by fighting a war against that culture. That doesn’t lead to one’s desire to read about a culture’s honor system. Our presidents have been, by far, limited in their understanding of the world–until they became president. And considering that many started out with exposure only to the Bible, most broadened their horizons considerably. Most grew up in poverty.
Janet, you’ve really made me think…quite an achievement, as it’s an activity I avoid…and if I may be permitted a second comment –
* This is a very important post, especially now, because while we tend to look at political candidates through a lens of perceived venality and naked self-interest, they are actually complex creatures, formed and motivated to enter an arena in which humiliation is far more likely than success by what they’ve read.
* We live in a digital age, yes, but there’s no way that a person could pass the inflicted scrutiny of character by boning up with Wikipedia. Even if we don’t agree with he current crop of candidates, I believe that we do have to recognize that there’s some genuine force driving them…and it’s not a base lust for power.
* The press and pundits would have us believe otherwise, but I think, and hope, that if we look beyond the rhetoric, we’ll see people not unlike ourselves, who genuinely believe that, by their own lights, they can do some good.
* You’ve humanized this for us, Janet, and you have my deepest thanks.
Andrew, that’s the conclusion I came to as I read about each president. Now, some had their biographies as their favorite book, which is not a positive reflection on them. But most were deeply moved by books that they read that set their course for life. We lose sight of those motivations in the baser business of politics, but it was visible as one considers what books they turned to throughout their lives.
I see this as a two-fold question: 1) what books had the greatest influence on their lives? 2) what books did they most enjoy?
* A multitude of influences (including books) come together to make someone think s/he has what it takes to be President. And if I were President, I would use my few recreational reading hours on something light and humorous–something that did NOT sound anything like the security briefings, financial reports and legislative updates that make up presidential business as usual. If I were President, I would read the likes of Calvin and Hobbes (thankfully for the world, I am not President).
Very good point, Shirlee. What influences a person then influences perspective, which then might influence policy or affect the big picture. For those who lead, especially something as important as a country, the need for clarity of mind is helped through what one reads and who one holds up as heroes to emulate and aspire to as great role models (another related subject). Pleasure reading, well that’s a different animal.
Shirlee, some of them did turn to the pleasure reading of their day (e.g. Ulysses Grant), but for the most part, these are thoughtful men who were impressed by the world view they found in certain books they read. Now, we need to keep in mind, these were their picks as favorites over their lifetimes, not just when they were president.
I know, if someone asked me about my lifetime favorite read, I wouldn’t want to mention Calvin and Hobbes because that would present me to the world as frivolous; I’d select something more erudite. Even though Peanuts does come to mind as teaching one much about life…
What a fun post! I love that Thomas Jefferson loved to read so much, he kept different books in different rooms. I can’t wait to tell my husband. He can’t understand how I juggle so many different books. I keep one in the car in case of getting stuck in traffic. I also have a couple in my bedroom, one in the kitchen, and many in my office.
Thanks for sharing!
That detail about Jefferson endeared him to me. I can see him living in fear of being “stuck” in a room without a dear book to turn to…He would have loved having a smart phone, which he could take from room to room with him and have his entire library available to him. Well, considering how massive his library was, maybe the entire library couldn’t be contained on a phone…
What a clever post for today, Janet. I’ve been to Monticello as well as the Library of Congress to see all of Thomas Jefferson’s books. They are both astounding collections and so varied in genre! While in Colonial Williamsburg, I picked up one of those re-releases of George Washington’s Rules of Civility. It is easy-to-read and chock full of wisdom. We could use more reading like that today.
Jefferson’s desire to collect books is astounding. I read that part of the reason he went bankrupt (as we would describe that condition today) was that he invested so heavily in books. Let that be a cautionary tale to each of us!
What a fascinating post! I didn’t realize so many of our presidents came from places of poverty.
*One fact you shared that tickled me was that Abraham Lincoln, who in my mind, seemed to be a somber man, carried Shakespeare with him. I love that. 🙂
Well, Lincoln did love language, which explains part of the reason he was such a great orator. I’d hate to debate the man, who had a quick wit, a great presentation, and facility with the language.
How apropos. This is a good, informative read. The research paid off. You gave us something to think about in a new vein. From this list, we have something that informs and encourages. I enjoyed learning about the reading practices of past and present presidents.
I’ve always had a secret wish to meet and then have a conversation with one of our presidents (I don’t care which one). We could talk about many subjects, but discourse about their reading material and why they like what they like could be quite fascinating.
I believe I would pass up a conversation with Calvin Coolidge who was known as a taciturn man. He wanted only INTELLIGENT conversation. Oh, dear me.
Thank you, Janet. I love George W Bush … his election had me sitting on pins and needles with two babies in my lap. I love that the man reads thru the Bible each year. And I promise my devotion has nothing to do with Texas. 😉
Nooo, nothing at all.
He’s a very smart man. And I do think he allowed certain people to assume he was a bumpkin, and then showed them that he was, indeed, smarter than everyone took him for.
You have no idea how right you are about Bush. Like my dad always told me, the wealthiest man at the local Baptist church is the one driving a car with a manual transmission and without A/C.
I so agree, y’all. Talking Texan has nothing to do with your smarts. 🙂 It’s just the way we grew up. 🙂
Eats another chip. Hoists it in honoUr of your Presidents Day.
Our leaders, known as Prime Ministers, were busy fighting the French (allies of the Colonial Rebels) and faking defeat and letting them have Quebec. We English got British Columbia and PEI.
I love that Reagan (A great President, BTW) liked The Hunt for Red October.
We Americans have a complex relationship with the French. (Doesn’t that seem obvious when I mention the French?) They enabled us to win our revolution. They gave us the Statue of Liberty as a gift. We, in turn, saved their country in WWI and WWII, yet they are known for snubbing Americans when we visit their country and are gobsmacked by it. “You silly, plebians,” the French seem to say. We respond, “We love you.”
This is so wonderful, Janet. It really shows how the written word inspires and gives hope. It changes our minds and our worlds and gives us strength to do different than those who came before. I love it!
That’s what I saw too, Kristen. Books enlivened the minds of these men and assured them they could do more than they ever dreamed before they read a book. I love that.
(I vote as an Independent.) My life in Dallas intersected George and Laura Bush’s. He cites La Carre (can’t do the accent) and Natan Saransky (particularly Case For Democracy) as favorite authors. He also reads Shakespeare, and his favorite children’s book is The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Laura is a voracious reader, as are most librarians.
Great article, Janet. I read several of the links.
Thank you for your efforts.