We the Presidents - by Ronald Gruner (Hardcover)

About the Book

We the Presidents is more than an absorbing read; it is a compelling education on the issues which have shaped the American century up to the present day.

Book Synopsis

"Essential reading for every conscientious citizen." - U.S. Review of Books

"So you think you know your presidential history? Think again." - Jack Falvey, Wall Street Journal opinion writer

The anniversary edition of We the Presidents, published on July 4, 2026, commemorates the 250th Anniversary of American Independence. The new edition has been extensively updated from the acclaimed first edition to reflect recent events including a new chapter on the Biden presidency and an epilogue covering the first year of Donald Trump's second term.

Rather than a traditional presidential history, We the Presidents focuses on how a century of presidents, from Warren G. Harding to Donald J. Trump, have shaped today's America. Many of today's critical issues ─ immigration, inflation, income disparity, civil discord, and wars ─ had their roots in earlier presidencies. Tracing the path from the nineteen-twenties and Warren G. Harding to the controversial presidencies of Joe Biden and Donald Trump, We the Presidents explores the growth of presidential power and the changing role of the executive. With over 140 images and charts, many in color, We the Presidents brings their lessons alive.

As one Amazon reviewer commented, "We the Presidents is more than an absorbing read; it is a compelling education on the issues which have shaped the American century up to the present day."

Review Quotes

Acclaim for the First Edition

Gruner's book gives readers a balanced history of the American presidents ranging from Warren Harding to Donald Trump.... Readers receive a refreshing view of the ways presidents help Americans explore their own consciences.... Gruner's book should be seen as essential reading for every conscientious citizen... -- U.S. Review of Books

Gruner examines American presidents from 1920 through 2020 through the lens of his own experience as the CEO of three technology companies. Unlike many presidential biographies, his narrative downplays politics and ideology and instead focuses mainly on quantitative economics.... This book, written in response to "zero-sum" partisanship and ideological polarization...aims to provide a balanced historical perspective. -- Kirkus Reviews

A number of historical books cover American Presidents, but none is as singularly focused as Ronald Gruner's new book, We The Presidents. Mr. Gruner's experience as an accomplished executive and founder of several technology companies has resulted in a much different perspective of presidential history. His focus on one hundred years of U.S. presidential history is shown primarily through an economic lens. Beginning with Warren Harding in 1921 and ending with Donald Trump in 2021, Mr. Gruner's book, rather than examining a single presidential administration in isolation, establishes the many connections linking presidential administrations. -- The Connector

Gruner's approach, undertaken in a confident, understated tone, consistently throws light on both the personalities and policies of the men in the Oval Office, and the men and women in their orbits. The shifting from historical specifics to wider-angle insights - and challenges - for the reader is expertly done throughout.... It's no mean feat to craft a U.S. Presidents book that feels so refreshingly different from all the others, and somehow Ronald Gruner has done it. -- Open Letters

We the Presidents is a non-traditional presidential history. Imagine a presidential history spanning Warren G. Harding to Donald Trump that never mentions Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative. Instead Gruner discusses how the issues which affect Americans today from income inequality, to failed wars, to resurgent nativism and many other current issues have their roots in the actions taken by presidential administrations over the past century. -- Booklife

In We The Presidents author Ronald Gruner has comprehensively written about more than a dozen American presidents, covering every significant aspect of their presidency and the impact they had in the United States and the world at large.... Ronald Gruner is objective. The author is rational and non-biased. His reasoning is clear.... Without focusing on political parties the author gives readers a non-biased but intriguing overview of American history. -- Literary Titan