“It’s not the voting that’s democracy; it’s the counting.”
The US Presidential election is arguably the most significant democratic process in the world, having huge social, economic and political ramifications on the entire world. It also has a distinct character that makes it one of the most fascinating spectacles for those inside and outside of the country. From the long campaign trails to the blockbuster television debates, the US Presidential election is very much about style and substance, with entire states sometimes swinging on the smallest of moments, which is why we here at What We Reading thought we would take a look back at some of the best President and election books. From the compromise of 1877 to the January 6 Capitol attack, fuel your election fever in 2024 with these great books on presidential elections!
Adams vs. Jefferson: The Tumultuous Election Of 1800 – John Ferling
Kicking off our list of books on US elections is John Ferling’s work, Adams vs. Jefferson. Two of the most iconic names from the United States’ early history, Ferling lifts the lid on how two revolutionary friends became bitter enemies during an election contest that would profoundly shape the future of the USA.
The 1800 election saw a deadlock in the Electoral College that threatened to rip the country apart at its seams. Adams’ Federalists and Jefferson’s Republicans had polarising views on where the country should be going, and the explosion of in-fighting, backstabbing and intrigue that would dominate the two sides had never been seen before in a Presidential election to that point. Ferling masterfully takes readers through the aims and ideologies of these factions, the political stakes in play for the United States at the time, and the two enigmatic personalities in the eye of the storm in Adams vs. Jefferson.
Fraud Of The Century: Rutherford B. Hayes, Samuel Tilden And The Stolen Election Of 1876 – Roy Morris Jr
In Fraud of the Century, acclaimed historian Roy Morris Jr. vividly tells the extraordinary story of the theft of a presidential election, the near resurgence of the Civil War, and the consignment of Black Americans to nearly another century of legalised segregation. The 1876 election was the most legally dubious American election history, with Hayes eventually being declared the winner, despite winning over 260,000 votes fewer than his Democrat opponent.
Morris brings to life the colourful characters, their intense personalities and the controversies in play of this highly infamous, yet largely overlooked, moment in American history. Taking readers on a tour across the country still bitterly divided and on the brink, Fraud of the Century culminates on election night and how several Republicans conjured a nefarious plan to steal the election, and profoundly alter the country’s path.
1912: Wilson, Roosevelt, Taft And Debs – The Election That Changed The Country – James Chace
These days, everyone knows the US Presidential election to be a two-horse race between the Republicans and Democrats. Which makes the 1912 election one of the most infamous and fascinating in the country’s history. And few US presidential books capture the significance of the election and its characters than James Chace’s 1912.
The book takes readers through Theodore Roosevelt’s defeat at the Republican convention, Woodrow Wilson’s Democrat nomination and the surprising popularity of Eugene Debs, a charismatic socialist. Chace explores how Wilson’s ‘accidental’ election led to the Democrats adopting the progressive ideals that would drive the likes of FDR and Truman; whilst the broken friendship between Roosevelt and Taft would push the Republicans to the sorts of conservative direction that reached a peak under Ronald Reagan.
1948: Harry Truman’s Improbable Victory And The Year That Transformed America – David Pietrusza
The photo of Harry Truman brimming holding aloft a newspaper reading ‘Dewey defeats Truman’ has gone down as one of the most iconic images in US presidential history, capturing the unpredictability of election night. In his 2011 American presidential book, 1948, David Pietrusza goes behind the scenes on this infamous moment to explain how it happened and places it in the context of an erupting Cold War and the growing domestic storms of civil rights, Red Scares and permissive ideals.
Undoubtedly one of the most pivotal moments in modern American history, Pietrusza’s book brings the characters and controversies to life, demonstrating how one of the biggest upsets in US politics played out, and the ramifications it had on the nation.
1960 – LBJ vs. JFK vs. Nixon: The Epic Campaign That Forged Three Presidencies – David Pietrusza
Another one of the best US presidential books from one of the most acclaimed historians, few elections have become as iconic as the 1960 contest. One of the most tightly-contested and pivotal moments in American history, 1960 saw three future Presidents take to the campaign trail in an era where huge social strides were changing the nation, and major political decisions in and out of the country would profoundly shape the new world.
The first election to feature television debates, 1960 is still viewed as the first major moment of modern campaigning, David Pietrusza’s thoroughly researched and engaging read captures all of the dramatic storylines and behind-the-scenes secrets that help make this account of the election of John F. Kennedy one of the must-read books on US presidential elections.
Playing With Fire: The 1968 Election And The Transformation Of American Politics – Lawrence O’Donnell
Richard Nixon‘s loss in the 1960 election may have been significant, but his comeback in 1968 is hailed as one of the greatest in US presidential history, marking one of the most defining moments in broader American politics. In Playing with Fire, Lawrence O’Donnell blends his own coming-of-age in US politics with a stunning account of the 1968 election, exposing the players and storylines that many overlook today.
O’Donnell exposes the downfall of Lyndon B. Johnson, the emergence of Robert F. Kennedy as a serious frontrunner, and how Hubert Humphrey stood alone in the wreckage the Democratic party would become. He breaks down how Nixon expertly united the left and right of his party until one dirty trick sealed his fate and changed politics forever. A story of two assassinations, bloody riots, scheming and intrigue, Playing with Fire is accessible, authoritative and brilliantly delivered.
Too Close To Call: The Thirty-Six-Day Battle To Decide The 2000 Election – Jeffrey Toobin
Acclaimed journalist Jeffrey Toobin condenses the thirty-six anxiety-fuelled days that marked the culmination of the Gore-Bush presidential duel and led to one of the most stunning Supreme Court decisions in American history in his renowned work, Too Close to Call.
Taking readers on a tour through James Baker’s private jet, Al Gore’s mansion and into the secret conference rooms of the the United States Supreme Court, Toobin’s book upends everything readers thought they knew about one of the most controversial elections. Too Close to Call comprehensively chronicles the key masterminds behind the strategies of both camps, positioning it as one of the most significant books for understanding US politics and how presidents are chosen when voting becomes extremely tight.
Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton’s Doomed Campaign – Jonathan Allen And Amie Parnes
No one intended for the 2016 US presidential election to be close. Yet, as we all know, Donald Trump secured one of the most unexpected victories in American history, Hillary Clinton to a devastating defeat. In Shattered, Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes utilise insider experts and reconstruct key decisions, unseized opportunities and major missteps to expose how a sure-fire election spiralled off the rails.
Moving blow-by-blow from the campaign’s rocky beginnings through to the looming loss on election night, Shattered offers a remarkable insight into what US presidential elections look like from the loser’s side, as well as compelling new angles and lessons on Donald Trump’s enduring popularity even today.
A Return To Normalcy?: The 2020 Election That (Almost) Broke America – Larry J. Sabato
Edited by Larry Sabato, Kyle Kondik and J. Miles Coleman, A Return to Normalcy brings together respected commentators, journalists, analysts and scholars to break down the 2020 US presidential election, its aftermath and what its legacy might affect American politics in the future.
The 2020 election differed from any other in modern history and potentially forever changed how power transitions in the United States. A Return to Normalcy looks past the headlines and partisan claims and offers accessible prose and information on the forces in play and strategies at work that drove the election from the first days on the campaign trail to its chaotic climax. It offers a compelling read that can easily draw you into the excitement of election season.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
