Fit For the Presidency – Book

Fit For the Presidency? Winners, Losers, What-Ifs and Also-Rans by Seymour Morris Jr. (2017)  An examination of a variety of men who have run for the highest office in the land and some who only considered it.  Beginning with George Washington, and ending with Ronald Reagan, historian Seymour Morris takes a look at the qualifications they brought to the contest.  The result is a fascinating new way of looking at our candidates.

Morris takes a fascinating tack with each of these stories.  He presents them all in the present tense.  It’s as if we are looking at them in their time and place as voters sizing up the candidates.  It brings and interesting sense of immediacy to their stories.

There were plenty of people I thought I knew pretty well here (Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Herbert Hoover, Robert Kennedy Ronald Reagan) but Morris manages to find some interesting new details.  There are a couple that I have NEVER heard of (William Gibbs McAdoo, Henry Wallace).  The rest were at least vaguely familiar ( DeWitt Clinton, William Henry Harrison,Samuel J. Tilden, William Randolph Hearst,Wendell Wilkie, George Marshall, Barry Goldwater).  By the end of the book, you will know them all in passing and be surprised at least a couple times.

At the end, Morris looks at the grades given and ranks all the candidates.  My bet is that that final ranking will start a conversation all of its own.  Seven of the fifteen make the “qualified” list, four are “less qualified” and four are “unqualified”.

If I have a quibble with the book, it is that Morris dips into modern political commentary twice.  The first came in the very first chapter (Washington) and came close to turning me off right at the beginning.  He managed to avoid that urge through the rest of the book, only to dip his toe into it again in the final chapter (Reagan).  Beyond the fact that they serve as the bookends for the book itself, they are also the only two chapters that approach hagiographies (the life story of saints).  Morris can be a fan of whoever he likes, but he detracts from the excellence of the rest of his work with the unneeded contemporary politics.  The historical perspective alone makes the book a wonderful read.

Morris has created a book that will intrigue both the historical beginner and devotee.

There is an interesting connection between history and today, that Morris allows the reader to find on their own.  There has been a lot of talk about two candidates being “unprecedented” in American politics.  Take note of the stories of William Randolph Hearst and Henry A. Wallace, and see if they don’t remind you of two candidates in this current election cycle.

Speaking of which I have no idea why this book isn’t coming out PRIOR to the election.  It would be the perfect conversation starter on the vital question posed in the title.

“Fit For the Presidency” will hit bookshelves January 1, 2017.  It is being published by University of Nebraska Press, Potomac Books.

Why I Liked It – An unusual and informative approach to an important part of our political history.

Why You Will Like It – Fascinating looks at historical figures you think you know, and several you have never heard of.

Rating – **** Recommended

I received an advance reader copy (ARC) of this book in return for an objective review.  You can see my review policy under the “Review Policy” tab at the top of the home page.