The Presidents, in Order of Office
Truman to Trump in twelve books. Read them in sequence and watch the modern presidency take shape.
October 2026 · 12 books · The editors
Our Presidents Reconsidered shelf covers nine men who have held the office since 1945. Each book questions the version of its president that most Americans learned.
Read in order of office, they also tell one continuous story: the Cold War, the Great Society and Vietnam, Watergate, the 1990s, the War on Terror and the media age.
Truman Rehabilitated
Miguel Thornton
The 33rd president and the decisions that shaped the postwar world.
JFK Exposed
Miguel Thornton
The 35th, claimed by left and right: tax cuts, the Cold War and civil rights.
LBJ: The Myths and the Legacy
Miguel Thornton
The 36th, and fifteen myths about the Great Society and the War on Poverty.
The 20 Biggest Lies About Nixon
Miguel Thornton
The 37th, and the twenty claims that came to define his legacy.
Reagan Vindicated
Miguel Thornton
The 40th, and fifteen charges about AIDS, the middle class and race, answered from the record.
Obama Myths
Miguel Thornton
The 44th, and twenty stories from his first term, checked against the record.
Obama Unmasked
Miguel Thornton
The 44th again: twenty myths about his whole presidency, set against the evidence.
Obama’s Second Term
Miguel Thornton
The 44th's second term: the scandals, failures and controversies behind the legacy.
The Media's 20 Biggest Lies About Trump
Miguel Thornton
The 45th and 47th, and the stories the press told about him.
Trump Unmasked
Miguel Thornton
The 45th again: fifteen claims about the 2017–2021 administration, checked against the primary record.