Portraits of the Presidents, the National Portrait Gallery Book

Item Title: Presidents: A Biographical Dictionary (Political Biographies)

Item Call Number: E176.1 .H215 2010 ISBN: 978-0816077083
Reviewed in: LME 508

Hamilton, N.A. (2010). Presidents: a biographical dictionary. Friedman, I. (Rev. ed.). New York, NY: Facts on File.

Relevance and Relationship—
As students prepare essays and reports on our country’s leaders, they need comprehensive accurate sources to obtain information from. This book is from a series of quality material concerning our past presidents and would make a perfect resource for students. It is also a wonderful read for those who are curious about the lives and times of our country’s commanders in chief. The cost is on the high end but in line with other authoritative political biography titles. $ 78.95

Purpose:—
This biographical account is a fundamental compendium giving an extensive look at the activities in the Oval Office and those who have sat there. A concise account of the foundation of our democracy to present day interworking of our government is essential to the education process as well as being an insightful read for all ages.


Validity—
Neil A. Hamilton holds a B.A. and an M.A. in history from the University of Miami and a Ph.D. in American history from the University of Tennessee. He is currently a professor of history at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama. Hamilton also serves as adjunct professor of American history at the University of South Alabama. A member of the Authors Guild and the Organization of American Historians, Hamilton is the author or coauthor of nine nonfiction books, including The ABC-Clio Companion to the 1960s Counterculture in America and Militias in America: A Reference Handbook. Ian C. Friedman holds a B.A. in history from the University of Michigan and an Ed.M. in teaching and curriculum in the field of history from Harvard University. He is the author of Education Reform in Facts On File's Library in a Book series. Hamilton (2010)

Presidents: A Biographical Dictionary (Political Biographies) is the latest addition to a series published by Facts on File. Other titles include: Vice Presidents: A Biographical Dictionary Updated Edition
First Ladies: A Biographical Dictionary (Facts on File Library of American History)

There will be subsequent titles of this series when a new president is elected. Suggested further reading notes about each president can be found at the end of each presidential entry.

Format–
The text is written in two column style with the presidential picture centered at the top, along with an excerpt from each of their inaugural addresses. The headings of the presidential pages list their name and birth – death dates. Directly beneath is their numerical listing along with dates in office.

Arrangement and Presentation-
The table of contents is two columns and lists preface & acknowledgments, introduction, and presidents in chronological order from Washington to Obama. Black and white images and color portraits of presidents past and present, along with an in depth timeline of their lives makes this book a treasure for all libraries and classrooms. Text is the main focus with few illustrations. The index is three columns in alphabetical order.

Diversity
Featuring the January 2009 inauguration of Barack Obama, the first African-American president of the United States, this book addresses the advances our nation has made in settling racial tensions. This Biographical account is best suited for upper elementary and older.

Resources cited
Hamilton, N. (2010) Presidents: a biographical dictionary (political biographies). Retrieved from