Chances are probably good that you know little to nothing about Chester Arthur, but upon reading this book, you’ll definitely learn and understand why he’s such an important figure in US history. One, he took on the presidency after the tragic assassination of James Garfield and did an excellent job. Two, he’s one of the few presidents who went against the grain, both of the people and party that put him there, and did so in spite of being a total machine politician and, at certain times, arguably even corrupt in his career prior to becoming president. And three, the personal and professional change he undertook is rather remarkable.
Though I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to put him anywhere near the presidency prior to his selection, he proved to be more than capable of steering the most powerful position in all of the land, and did so with honors in many respects if you were to grade his performance. I was thoroughly impressed with what I learned about President Chester Arthur.
If you want to get an up close look at what a successful transition of power looks like at one of the most trying and crucial points in US history, this book is a must-read. There’s also a very interesting side element of Arthur’s story that looks at some correspondence that took place between Arthur and the mysterious Julia Sand, who seems to have had a profound impact on him in the process. I’d absolutely recommend this book.