...it's good to see [Henry] Adams try to say something solid, rather than simply hint at this or that conclusion or throw up his hands and sigh over his era.Yes, yes! "Education" was just too easy. "Mont St. Michel and Chartres" is his great work. Doesn't fit this category.
Have you read the Pringle book on TR?
No, but I heard it was highly recommended. Looked into McCulloch's and Morris's books. They were okay, but didn't seem to be much more than that. Hofstadter's essay was funny, but made TR out to be a borderline lunatic (same with Gore Vidal's review of McCulloch's book).
I can recommend Robert Caro's books on LBJ and New York planning czar Robert Moses. Fascinating stuff. So far as politicans go, some of the recent ones have been closer to Caligula than Cincinnatus. But aside from the scandal stuff, it looks like better books right now may be getting written about tycoons and inventors than politicians. Including the scandals, writer's lives often read better than politicians. And some biographies should just be let alone for a while. Is anybody really interested in hearing about JFK's boat or prep school one more time, let alone his assassination?