Star-Spangled Men - by Nathan Miller (Paperback)

About the Book

Just in time for President's Day, an irreverent and provocative look at the "other guys"--the fallible, sometimes farcical presidents whose misdeeds constitute an enlightening lesson in American politics and history.

Book Synopsis

Picking America's best presidents is easy. George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin D. Roosevelt usually lead the list, But choosing the nation's worst presidents requires more thought. In Star-Spangled Men, respected presidential biographer Nathan Miller puts on display those leaders who were abject failures as chief executive. With pointed humor and a deft hand, he presents a rogues' gallery of the men who dropped the presidential ball, and sometimes their pants as well.
Miller includes Richard M. Nixon, who was forced to resign to escape impeachment; Jimmy Carter, who proved that the White House is not the place for on-the-job training; and Warren G. Harding, who gave "being in the closet" new meaning as he carried on extramarital interludes in one near the Oval Office. This current edition also includes a new assessment of Bill Clinton -- who has admitted lying to his family, his aides, his cabinet, and the American people.

From the Back Cover

Picking America's best president is easy. George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin D. Roosevelt usually lead the list. But choosing the nation's worst presidents requires more thought. In Star-Spangled Men, respected presidential biographer Nathan Miller puts on display those leaders who were abject failures as chief executive. With pointed humor and a deft hand, he presents a rogues' gallery of the men who dropped the presidential ball, and sometimes their pants as well.

Miller includes Richard M. Nixon, who was forced to resign to escape impeachment; Jimmy Carter, who proved that the White House is not the place for on-the-job training; and Warren G. Harding, who gave "being in the closet" new meaning as he carried on extramarital interludes in one near the Oval Office. This current edition also includes a new assessment of Bill Clinton -- who has admitted lying to his family, his aides, his cabinet, and the American people.

Review Quotes

The Tampa Tribune A disturbing view of a system where presidential candidates are often chosen on the basis of their inability to upset anyone, thus making mediocrity one of the aspects of job description.

Anne Stephenson The Arizona Republic The interesting, often funny stories [Miller] tells are comforting proof that we've had bad presidents before, and survived them all.

John Dorfman The Washington Post Book World An amusing and instructive book...what stands out are his anecdotes, most of them humorous or just plain bizarre.

Lowell Branham The Knoxville News-Sentinel Anyone who's studied history might wonder how Miller was able to boil his list down to only ten.

About the Author

Nathan Miller (1927-2004) was an award-winning journalist and the Pulitzer Prize-nominated author of twelve works of history and biography, including FDR: An Intimate History, Theodore Roosevelt: A Life, and War at Sea.