Positively presidential

The other day I was walking past the circulation desk, where all the books on "hold" for patrons were waiting, and a big thick book on Richard Nixon caught my eye. 

Now, I know the job of president is a big one, and presidents deserve to have big books written about them.  But 1152 pages on Richard Nixon?  That's a whole lotta Nixon.

But, to each his own.  And, with 2008 being an election year, maybe now would be a good time to read some big bios of former politicos (particularly if you're not entranced with any of the current presidential contenders):

Robert Caro explored Lyndon B. Johnson's political career in three volumes--The Path to Power, Means of Ascent, and Master of the Senate.  Total page count?  A whomping 2784 pages (and a fourth volume is still in the works).

The Caro series makes David Herbert Donald's Lincoln, at a mere 714 pages, look like a real lightweight.

Biographer Jean Edward Smith's no stranger to big books: his title Grant was 781 pages long; his 2007 title, FDR, 858 pages.

Michael Korda's Ike: An American Hero, is an heroic 800 pages, and was published in 2007.  Edmund Morris offers Theodore Rex, at 772 pages, while David McCullough gave us 751 pages about John Adams and 1117 pages on Truman.

Well, you get the idea.  Also, there's always that adage about those not knowing history being doomed to repeat it...so maybe now is the perfect time to consider presidential candidates (and winners) from years past.