'Crisp and witty' Charles Moore, Spectator

'A brilliant survey of the occupants of the Oval Office' Daniel Johnson, Article

'Witty and succinct with splendid caricatures' Tibor Fischer, Critic


A spirited and entertaining aide-memoire offering 44 short, fascinating accounts of each president, from George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to Barack Obama and Donald Trump, bringing the United States' political history to life as never before.

Who can name the eight presidents before Lincoln, or the eight presidents after him? Historians tend to shed light on just a handful of leaders: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and perhaps half a dozen others within living memory, leaving at least 30 holders of office if not in total darkness, then at least in deep shadow.

Helping to bring these forgotten figures into the light, Andrew Gimson's illuminating accounts are accompanied by sketches from Guardian sartirical cartoonist, Martin Rowson, making this the perfect gift for all lovers of history and politics - the experienced and the novice, the serious and the silly.


The Sunday Times bestselling Gimson's Prime Ministers and Gimson's Kings & Queens are also available.