The President Makers: From Mark Hanna to Joseph P. Kennedy

I don't have time to write this review really well. But if you love history - don't skip this book. It is simply great at illuminating the details of how 5 or 6 men actually became president of the US. It really goes into the background and backroom dealings of the "men behind the men" that made it possible for these guys to become president. For instance, Warren Harding never really wanted to be President, he actually disliked the idea of becoming President; and his real ambition was to be a mid-level judge. He was way, way, behind in the popularity polls even for his own party's nomination. There were two other guys (one of them, a famous WWI General "Leonard Wood") who each had about 40% in the polls. This is a really great book