Imperfect Presidents

An illuminating history of twelve great American presidents and their biggest mistakes.

When people make bad decisions, odd remarks, and just plain silly mistakes, the results are sure to haunt them. But when these things happen to the president of the United States, they can change the course of history.

In this clever portrait of the American presidency, Jim Cullen takes twelve presidents down from their pedestals by examining key missteps in their careers—and how they transcended them. Examples include Abraham Lincoln smearing a preacher and rediscovering his religious vision in emancipating slaves; Lyndon Johnson’s electoral fraud in his 1948 Senate race and his role in the signing of the Voting Rights Act; and Ronald Reagan’s subversion of the Constitution in the Iran-Contra affair and affirmation of world peace in helping bring about the end of the Cold War.

Targeting Republicans and Democrats alike, Cullen’s insights are surprisingly timely and hugely entertaining.

“With keen analysis and telling anecdotes culled from presidential biographies, Cullen proves that even the most revered presidents weren’t saints . . . Cullen doesn’t shy away from balanced appraisals of recent leaders and actions still deemed controversial.” —Gary Budzak, The Columbus Dispatch

“Complex portraits of flawed men who performed acts of moral courage at critical moments in the nation’s history. Imperfect Presidents invites us to admire these leaders—and even to find lessons in their stories—without indulging in hero-worship.” —Steven Biel, Executive Director, Humanities Center, Harvard University, and author of American Gothic: A Life of America’s Most Famous Painting