✨ Featured Offer
Used, Very Good
$5.94
List Price: $19.99
🚚
See all 5 offers from $5.94 FREE standard delivery by: 03 Apr 2026
Overview
This New York Times bestselling "deep dive into the terms of eight former presidents is chock-full of political hijinks--and déjà vu" (Vanity Fair) and provides a fascinating look at the men who came to the office without being elected to it, showing how each affected the nation and world.
The strength and prestige of the American presidency has waxed and waned since George Washington. Eight men have succeeded to the presidency when the incumbent died in office. In one way or another they vastly changed our history. Only Theodore Roosevelt would have been elected in his own right. Only TR, Truman, Coolidge, and LBJ were re-elected.
John Tyler succeeded William Henry Harrison who died 30 days into his term. He was kicked out of his party and became the first president threatened with impeachment. Millard Fillmore succeeded esteemed General Zachary Taylor. He immediately sacked the entire cabinet and delayed an inevitable Civil War by standing with Henry Clay's compromise of 1850. Andrew Johnson, who succeeded our greatest president, sided with remnants of the Confederacy in Reconstruction. Chester Arthur, the embodiment of the spoils system, was so reviled as James Garfield's successor that he had to defend himself against plotting Garfield's assassination; but he reformed the civil service. Theodore Roosevelt broke up the trusts. Calvin Coolidge silently cooled down the Harding scandals and preserved the White House for the Republican Herbert Hoover and the Great Depression. Harry Truman surprised everybody when he succeeded the great FDR and proved an able and accomplished president. Lyndon B. Johnson was named to deliver Texas electorally. He led the nation forward on Civil Rights but failed on Vietnam.
Accidental Presidents shows that "history unfolds in death as well as in life" (The Wall Street Journal) and adds immeasurably to our understanding of the power and limits of the American presidency in critical times.
The strength and prestige of the American presidency has waxed and waned since George Washington. Eight men have succeeded to the presidency when the incumbent died in office. In one way or another they vastly changed our history. Only Theodore Roosevelt would have been elected in his own right. Only TR, Truman, Coolidge, and LBJ were re-elected.
John Tyler succeeded William Henry Harrison who died 30 days into his term. He was kicked out of his party and became the first president threatened with impeachment. Millard Fillmore succeeded esteemed General Zachary Taylor. He immediately sacked the entire cabinet and delayed an inevitable Civil War by standing with Henry Clay's compromise of 1850. Andrew Johnson, who succeeded our greatest president, sided with remnants of the Confederacy in Reconstruction. Chester Arthur, the embodiment of the spoils system, was so reviled as James Garfield's successor that he had to defend himself against plotting Garfield's assassination; but he reformed the civil service. Theodore Roosevelt broke up the trusts. Calvin Coolidge silently cooled down the Harding scandals and preserved the White House for the Republican Herbert Hoover and the Great Depression. Harry Truman surprised everybody when he succeeded the great FDR and proved an able and accomplished president. Lyndon B. Johnson was named to deliver Texas electorally. He led the nation forward on Civil Rights but failed on Vietnam.
Accidental Presidents shows that "history unfolds in death as well as in life" (The Wall Street Journal) and adds immeasurably to our understanding of the power and limits of the American presidency in critical times.
| ISBN-13 | 9781501109836 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10 | 1501109839 |
| Weight | 0.89 Pounds |
| Dimensions | 5.50 x 1.20 x 8.38 In |
| List Price | $19.99 |
| Format | Paperback |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Pages | 528 pages |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Published On | 2020-01-28 |
View All Offers
Sort by:
Price
Condition
Seller
Seller Comments
Price
✨ Used, Very Good
Seller details
Greenworld Books
Arlington, TX, USA
Fast-Very Good condition book with a firm cover and clean pages. Shows normal use and some light wea...
Free delivery by: 03 Apr 2026
Used, Good
Seller details
Blue Vase Books
Interlochen, MI, USA
The item shows wear from consistent use but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All ...
Free delivery by: 03 Apr 2026
Used, Very Good
Seller details
The Happy Book Stack
Bell Buckle, TN, USA
Book is in very good condition and has little to no writing underlining and or highlighting. Cover m...
Free delivery by: 03 Apr 2026
Used, Very Good
Seller details
Dream Books Co.
Denver, CO, USA
Pages are clean with no markings. May show minor signs of wear or cosmetic defects marks cuts bends ...
Free delivery by: 03 Apr 2026
Used, Very Good
Seller details
HPB-Movies
Dallas, TX, USA
Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and ...
Free delivery by: 03 Apr 2026