Knowing only the few facts that were taught in junior high, I can’t say that I have anything to compare this book to. While I can imagine a better, more tightly organized bbok than this, I found that Greenberger filled in many of the blanks in my knowledge of both Chester Arthur and the times that he lived in. Greenberger points out that most of Arthur’s paper legacy has disappeared, so I can understand why some of the book is geared more to the times than to Arthur. Some of Greenberger’s diversions from Arthur’s story struck me me as not knitted well into the fabric of the book, but incidents like the death of Arthur’s father-in-law did give a sense that safety took a backseat to ‘progress.’ And Grenberger’s description of New York politics makes it clear that the Gilded Age was as tawdry as any other period of history. Perhaps another author could do better, but I was pleased with the informastion that Greenberger delivered.