OUR COUNTRY'S PRESIDENTS

From George Washington to Joe Biden, the stories of all the presidents of the United States, in words and pictures.

This newest edition of a regularly revised title is all one could hope for in a family reference book, offering many avenues into learning and thinking about those who have served as U.S. president. As might be expected in works from National Geographic, the illustrations are plentiful and well displayed, and the information solid. Each entry includes a full-page official portrait, a sidebar of fast facts, and a smoothly written essay introducing the man and some of his important history, enlivened with art, photographs, and political cartoons in colorful borders. The organization is chronological. Thematic spreads interrupt the march of biographies with essays on larger topics, from the White House and its traditions to presidential security and the most recent elections. Other subjects include vice presidents, the two-party system, voting rights, impeachments (to be updated with the next printing), the Electoral College, White House children, and more. The short biographies are notable for pointing out how many early presidents and their families enslaved people or directly benefited from slavery, from Washington to Ulysses S. Grant. The treatment of Native Americans and various civil rights struggles are addressed, helping readers understand both societal changes and commonalities across different movements.

An attractive and informative resource.