Only TR, Truman, Coolidge, and LBJ were re-elected. Only Theodore Roosevelt would have been elected in his own right. In one way or another they vastly changed our history.

Eight men have succeeded to the presidency when the incumbent died in office. The strength and prestige of the American presidency has waxed and waned since George Washington. The two Johnsons, Andrew and Lyndon, both who were totally unprepared for the job, left scars upon this country from which the nation has yet to heal.Īs the author states: the framers of our constitution, for all their wisdom “paid little attention to succession and despite eight deaths in office, the matter of succession has been trivialized by voters, candidates, and lawmakers.” As we head into a presidential election year, Accidental Presidents by Jared Cohen is a great read for politicos and history buffs.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. At least one, Calvin Coolidge, was left to clean up a scandal that rivals anything 21st century Washington can offer. Others such as John Tyler and Millard Fillmore have been forgotten except for the occasional trivia question. Two of the eight men, Truman, who never wanted to be vice president much less president and Theodore Roosevelt, will turn out to be two of the best presidents this nation has ever had. The book Accidental Presidents: Eight Men Who Changed America by Jared Cohen weaves personal information with the context of history to bring the challenge faced by these eight men to life. Betty Martin, with 'Martin’s Must Reads' with an incredible story of men who never expected to be President of the United States.

This is the story of how these eight men, neither the voter’s nor their party’s choice, dealt with that power and changed history.” “John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, Chester Arthur, Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson: eight times a vice president has become the president upon the death of his predecessor-history altered by a heartbeat.

Accidental presidents by jared cohen