A very interesting book about an obscure president

I am a history buff. Among my current areas of interest, i enjoy learning about the gilded age.

Going into this book, I knew next to nothing about the 21st president of the US, apart from the fact that he was elevated to the position due to the death of Garfield.

It is a full history of his life, not just his presidency. It starts with Arthur’s father and Arthur only ascends to the presidency about 2/3 of the way into the book.

This book is very through and well written. While it is a historical biography, it reads like a novel. The author does a nice job of moving the book along, while still catching the highlights.

I would recommend this book if you are a political history junkie, like myself.