A Man of Iron: The Turbulent Life and Improbable Presidency of Grover Cleveland
Book by Troy Senik
DETAILS
Publisher : Threshold Editions (September 20, 2022) Language : English Hardcover : 384 pages ISBN-10 : 1982140747 ISBN-13 : 978-1982140748 Item Weight : 1.41 pounds Dimensions : 6 x 1.1 x 9 inches Best Sellers Rank: #3,432 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #11 in US Presidents #17 in Political Leader Biographies #38 in United States History (Books) , A long-overdue biography of Grover Cleveland—the honest, principled, and plain-spoken president whose country has largely overlooked him. Featuring a wealth of in-depth research and newly uncovered details, A Man of Iron explores the remarkable life and extraordinary career of Grover Cleveland—one of America’s most unusual presidents and the only one to serve two non-consecutive terms. Grover Cleveland’s political career—a dizzying journey that saw him rise from obscure lawyer to president of the United States in just three years—was marked by contradictions. A politician of uncharacteristic honesty and principle, he was nevertheless dogged by secrets from his personal life. A believer in limited government, he pushed presidential power to its limits to combat a crippling depression, suppress labor unrest, and resist the forces of American imperialism. A headstrong executive who alienated Congress, political bosses, and even his own party, his stubbornness nevertheless became the key to his political appeal. The most successful Democratic politician of his era, he came to be remembered most fondly by Republicans. A fascinating look at a unique man presiding over a transformational era, A Man of Iron is a compelling and vivid biography joining the ranks of presidential classics such as David McCullough’s John Adams , Ron Chernow’s Grant , and Amity Shlaes’s Coolidge . Read more
REVIEW
I've been reading American biographies, including of all the presidents, in rough chronological order, so I was excited when Senik's new biography of Grover Cleveland appeared right as I was reaching the late 1880s. As Senik himself observes, the presidents between Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt run together in our memories. The biographies that are available tend to be very cursory or very judgmental (one way or the other), which doesn't help matters. This one is exactly what I want in a biography of an unjustly obscure leader: a sense of who he was as a man (not just an unhelpful hagiography or condemnation), of what he did that mattered, of his position in a historical context. I now have a clear picture of what it might be like to meet Grover Cleveland, a picture that is a fair bit more nuanced than the vague libertarian caricature I had in my head. Certainly as mayor of Buffalo he was a more engaged civic leader than one might expect, and as president his famously huge number of vetoes of pension bills (if he's famous for anything, he's famous for that) reflected not the lack of compassion for veterans that his enemies tarred him with, but a profound sense of responsibility for the federal government's budget and the federal government's properly limited constitutional role. He was also a surprising wit, with some lines that I thought were reminiscent of how a Coolidge or a Reagan would later talk. I also have a clearer sense of the stakes in four presidential elections that have receded far out of historical memory now, but that each had compelling dramas and characters at play. Cleveland's eloquent resistance to the acquisition of Hawaii was a particularly absorbing historical moment. Overall, out of 23 presidential biographies I've read in chronological sequence now, I rank this in the top 6, right alongside some biographies of well-known presidents by celebrated writers. A brisk, informative, well-paced read.
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