Second Acts: Presidential Lives and Legacies After the White House

I really enjoyed this book. It flowed from president to president and provided a lot of detail on aspects of president's lives I had never thought about. Because I'm not a historian, I don't have the issue that some of the other reviewers had concerning whether new ground was covered, so most of the information was new to me and I was happy to read it in a single readable book rather than spread over multiple articles and books.

Second Acts tells the very human stories of the transitions Presidents Truman through Clinton made from president to private citizen--albeit very public ones. The book is highly readable, revealing the character of the men it covers in ways more illuminating than standard historical tomes. The Library Journal proclaimed it "highly recommended." So do I.

This book tells of the post-presidential years of all the Presidents beginning with Truman. It is jam packed with interesting information, and while it may break no new ground it does a superlative job of summing the times and men involved. It is a very easy read, and I found it fun to read.

Second Acts: Presidential Lives and Legacies After the White House chronicles the activities of former presidents who, far from retiring from office, are making important contributions. Now ex-presidents perform valuable services such as international emissaries, taking their own agendas overseas. Interviews with former presidents, first ladies, family member and staff members not only present these activities, but analyze how ex-presidents are continuing to shape the politics and events of the Oval Office. Essential for any collection strong in American history or politics. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

Mark Updegrove has written an entertaining and deftly researched story of the lives and accomplishments of our modern American presidents after their terms in the Oval Office. The author offers a fair-handed, nonpartisan history as he interweaves tales of both personal and political dimensions. SECOND ACTS shows how these men continued to forge their legacies after leaving the most powerful office in the land. It's a rare book that can truly be described as "important," but with the contributions that Updegrove makes to the field of presidential history, I feel that SECOND ACTS merits such a label.