Warren G. Harding by John W. DeanMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Edit: Revising my rating down to a 2, just based on what I've been reading about Harding after having finished this book. As just one example, his parentage of a child during his extramarital affair has apparently been proven conclusively with DNA tests, (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-can...), and yet this was dismissed in the book pretty vehemently by discounting Nan Britton's accounts: "All that her papers show is a lifetime fixation with Harding and her undending effort to have him as the father of her child" (wouldn't this be her attitude if he were the real father as well?), and also stating his smoking gun: "Harding lamented to his friends and relatives that he was sterile and sadly could not have children". Well, the DNA evidence begs to differ.
This entire book has the goal of "setting the record straight" for this president, who has been much maligned.
However, without having read anything else about Harding, I couldn't help having the feeling that this book doth protest too much. Every single moment in which Harding had been criticized is torn apart in its details to try to deflect the blame, while other points seem to be totally glossed over.
For instance, in Woodrow Wilson's biography it mentions how Harding acted with great disrespect toward the ex-president, but none of that was mentioned here. And whenever members of his staff accomplished great things, he was given credit for having hired them, but whenever they were corrupt, involved in scandals and/or received payoffs, it merely says he wasn't involved personally. Not to mention an affair he had is just alluded to at the very end, when trying to discredit another person who claimed to have had an affair with him.
Despite all that, however, it is still interesting to read about his story.
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However, without having read anything else about Harding, I couldn't help having the feeling that this book doth protest too much. Every single moment in which Harding had been criticized is torn apart in its details to try to deflect the blame, while other points seem to be totally glossed over.
For instance, in Woodrow Wilson's biography it mentions how Harding acted with great disrespect toward the ex-president, but none of that was mentioned here. And whenever members of his staff accomplished great things, he was given credit for having hired them, but whenever they were corrupt, involved in scandals and/or received payoffs, it merely says he wasn't involved personally. Not to mention an affair he had is just alluded to at the very end, when trying to discredit another person who claimed to have had an affair with him.
Despite all that, however, it is still interesting to read about his story.
View all my reviews
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