Includes index

"Blending history and anecdote, Rubenstein chronicles the journeys of the presidents who have defined America as it exists now, what they envision for its future, and their legacy on the world stage. Drawing from his own experience in the Carter administration, he engages in dialogues with our nation's presidents and the historians who study them. Get exclusive access to fresh perspectives, including: original interviews with most of the living US presidents; interviews with noted presidential historians like Annette Gordon-Reed, Ron Chernow, Candice Millard, and more. Through insightful analysis, Rubenstein captures our country's most prominent leaders, the political genius and frays of the presidential role, and the wisdom that emerges from it"--

Preface -- Introduction -- Douglas Bradburn on George Washington -- Gordon Wood on John Adam and Thomas Jefferson -- Annette Gordon-Reed on Thomas Jefferson -- Ted Widmer on Abraham Lincoln -- Ron Chernow on Ulysses S. Grant -- Candice Millard on James Garfield -- A. Scott Berg on Woodrow Wilson -- Amity Schlaes on Calvin Coolidge -- Jonathan Darman on Franklin Delano Roosevelt -- Jeffrey Frank on Harry S. Truman -- Susan Eisenhower on Dwight D. Eisenhower -- Fredrik Logevall on John F. Kennedy -- Evan Thomas on Richard M. Nixon -- Richard Norton Smith on Gerald R. Ford -- Kai Bird on Jimmy Carter -- Timothy J. Naftali on George H.W. Bush -- President William Jefferson (Bill) Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton -- President George W. Bush -- Peter Baker on Barack Obama -- President Donald J. Trump -- Maggie Haberman on Donald J. Trump -- President Joseph R. Biden Jr. -- Franklin Foer on Joseph R. Biden Jr. -- Conclusion -- Postscript -- Ackowledgments -- Index