Accidental Presidents
By Jared Cohen
Eight Men Who Changed America. Simon & Schuster, 2019.
Summary of Accidental Presidents book by Jared Cohen
Eight men have become president of the United States without being elected to that position when the incumbent died in office; their experiences define the power, influence, and limits of the position of US head of state.
Chapters in Accidental Presidents book summary
What do you get from this book? Find out what happens when a vice president suddenly, unexpectedly becomes president
If an American president dies, their vice president chosen as a matter of expediency becomes the new president
John Tyler became president when William Harrison died after only thirty days in office
President Millard Fillmore struggled to heal the growing divisions between north and south
Abraham Lincoln’s vice president and successor was Andrew Johnson, a racist slave-owner
Chester Arthur, one of the least trusted vice presidents, became one of the most respected presidents
Accidental president Theodore Roosevelt became one of the most successful and popular leaders in us history
Calvin Coolidge took over from warren Harding, a president who was reviled after his death
Harry Truman replaced a popular president who had been in power for over twelve years
Vice president Lyndon Johnson had a surprising change of heart when he became president
It is only due to luck that there have not been more accidental presidents
Summary of the key insights
Selected critiques in brief
Final word
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Accidental Presidents — Book Summary Snapshot
Who should read Accidental Presidents book
- History students
- politicians
- people interested in the American political system
- anyone interested in the effects of chance on the highest level of politics.
About the author of Accidental Presidents
Jared Cohen
Jared Cohen is currently CEO of Jigsaw, formerly Google Ideas. He previously served as an advisor to the US Secretary of State's Policy Planning Staff under both Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton. He has written several well-received non-fiction books and contributes material on international politics to a number of publications including the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal.
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