The Merit of Biography
Six months ago, I embarked on a project to read an authoritative biography of every president in chronological order. A few weeks into my work, a friend -- amused by the steadily rising piles of books in my apartment -- asked me why I enjoyed biography. I couldn’t answer. Now that I’m going to blog about my reading for Ricochet, however, let me take another crack at the merit of biography.
In his bibliography for Washington: The Indispensable Man, James Thomas Flexner divides the numerous biographies of the first president into three categories: “the historically sound, the goody-goody, and the debunking.” The latter two indicate the genre’s potential. The goody-goody “sought to edify the young,” Flexner writes, and, consequently, provoked a backlash among “hack writers” whose “effusions” denigrating Washington “seemingly rise in the best-seller lists in exact relation to their inaccuracy.”
A good biography, on the other hand, achieves both ends: It provides a flesh-and-blood model for moral inspection. In George Washington, for instance, you see a man who learned to control his temper -- and a man, who, despite his self-control, lost it several times. “Aristotle speaks of the importance of example in morality,” Prof. Harvey Mansfield writes in The New Criterion, “and perhaps, if he had been more interested in morality, he would have written a version of Plutarch’s Lives to extend the generalities in the Ethics.” Consider this project an American makeshift for Plutarch’s Lives.
True, you don’t have to read presidential biographies per se to get this edifying effect. But the men who pursued the presidency were ambitious, and ambitious men exhibit humanity’s virtues and vices writ large. In John Adams, you see a ferocious jealousy, but also a hungering for nobility. In Martin van Buren, you see an exceptional shrewdness, but also an intense cowardice of public opinion. Like Socrates’ interlocutors in Plato’s Republic, you can spot justice in one man more easily if you look for justice among many men first.
Before I started blogging, I was on our fourteenth president, Franklin Pierce. But I’ll get our readers up to speed by beginning with Washington. I hope you’ll join us for the ride.
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Comments:
Nov '10
Re: The Merit of Biography
Interesting project. I started the same thing about 2 years ago. I started with "His Excellency" by Joseph J. Ellis. It was very enlightening. That is as far as I got. My problem of course is time. Between work and family it makes reading difficult. Would love to have a look at your list.
May '10
Re: The Merit of Biography
I look forward to it.
Nov '10
Re: The Merit of Biography
Biographies are my favorite category of nonfiction writing. Yours is an awesome idea to utilize on the Kindle I just received for Mother's Day! A couple of years ago I went on a tear and read every biography I could get my hands on about the wives on Henry VIII. That was some of the most satisfying reading I've ever done.
I also enjoy reading well written historical fiction. I find it often leads me running to the nonfiction section of the library to find out what parts of the fascinating story I just read were true. Phillipa Gregory is directly responsible for my interest in Henry VIII's wives.
Dec '10
Re: The Merit of Biography
Hmm. Apart from the Jefferson-Adams correspondence, the only biography I have read of President Adams was McCullough's. I didn't come away with ferocious jealousy or hungering for nobility from either.
I'll be interested to see what you came up with!
Re: The Merit of Biography
"A good biography...provides a flesh-and-blood example for moral inspection."
That is just beautifully put--just beautifully put.
Re: The Merit of Biography
Ken, I’ll include some suggested readings with each post. Thanks for the interest!
CJRun, Adams was ferociously jealous of Washington; he thought him “too illiterate, unlearned, unread for his station and reputation.”
Throughout his life, Adams hungered for nobility -- that is, he hungered for distinction. In John Adams, David McCullough quotes from Adams’s diary to illustrate this hunger. In 1756, when he was a schoolteacher, Adams resolved one day to “rouse up my mind and fix my attention.” He pledged, “I will strive with all my soul to be something more than persons who have had less advantages than myself.”
Humorously, McCullough then quotes the next day’s entry, which reads, “A very rainy day. Dreamed away the time.”
And thanks, Peter!
Edited on May 8, 2011 at 8:28pmJun '10
Re: The Merit of Biography
I also love Rick Brookhiser's Founding Father: Rediscovering George Washington. David Hackett Fischer's Washington's Crossing (a great book about the crucial battles at the end of 1776 and early 1777) contains the single best sketch of Washington's bravery. This happened in the second battle of Trenton (January 1777) during a tactical retreat across a small bridge (while under fire):
“George Washington rode up and sat his horse quietly beside the bridge. Every man who crossed the bridge passed by him. Private Howland wrote, “The noble horse of Gen. Washington stood with his breast pressed close against the end of the west rail of the bridge, and the firm, composed, and majestic countenance of the General inspired confidence and assurance in a moment so important and critical. In this passage across the bridge it was my fortune to be next to the west rail, and arriving at the end of the bridge rail, I was pressed against the shoulder of the general’s horse and in contact with the general’s boot. The horse stood as firm as the rider, and seemed to understand that he was not to quit the post and station.”
May '10
Re: The Merit of Biography
It seems to me that our mainstream culture has abandoned any interest in the subject of character, having entirely replaced it by a fascination with personality. These two are not the same thing. I would define character (in the positive sense) as that strength of self which is employed to overcome one's natural disabilities, either of circumstances or of natural inclination. For example, George Washington and his life-long struggle against that temper.
Personality, on the other hand, is simply the set of behaviors, attitudes, and expressions that a person manifests, often without any self-awareness. (In fact the less self aware the individual, the more fascinating our debased culture seems to find them.) There is no drama to personality, no struggle, no uncertainty about how it will all come out. The narration of personality is tedious and unedifying, ultimately no better than a freak show, into which our "reality" entertainment vehicles so often devolve.
So congratulations, Brian, on pursuing a noble project, and one so uncharacteristic of our times.
(Dear Editors, on the basis of this comment, may I be considered for mention as "Curmudgeon Of The Week'?)
Apr '11
Re: The Merit of Biography
While I would agree with the others that this is a commendable undertaking, I would like to add a note of warning. Biographers (even very good ones) are quite likely to inject a lot of themselves into their work. Often, a biographer will write a biography because he has a great admiration for the subject; sometimes it can be scorn instead. This may be unlike history in that history must focus on more points of view. Hopefully, you will find biographers of consecutive presidents who have very different points of view, to cancel out some of this effect.
Re: The Merit of Biography
Tabula rasa, you’re very right that Rick’s book on Washington is a glaring omission from my reading list. I hope to correct it soon.
Daniel, I enjoyed your distinction between “personality” and “character”; I agree.
StevenK85, your warning is duly noted. Actually, reading about the presidents in chronological order does “cancel out some of this effect.” In fact, it lets you see things from different perspectives. Most biographers, I’ve found, are sympathetic to their subjects, so they adopt their points of view in their books.
For instance, reading about Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison -- in that order -- first gives you two Federalist justifications of the Bank of the United States and then two Republican arguments against it.
Edited on May 8, 2011 at 10:12pmJun '10
Re: The Merit of Biography
In whatever book you recommend for William Henry Harrision, I assume the chapter on the 32 days of his presidency will be quite short. Something like: "Gave inaugural address, caught cold, died."
Jun '10
Re: The Merit of Biography
One more good book on Washington: Edward Lengel's General George Washington: A Military Life, which focuses on Washington the soldier. Very good.
Jul '10
Re: The Merit of Biography
I'll go for the ride as long as You drop Me off after Taft, then I'll walk until You get to Harding.
Re: The Merit of Biography
Oh, Daniel, you're way beyond that.
Jan '11
Re: The Merit of Biography
Looking forward to the posts - and please do mention the authors/titles of the biographies you read; I'd like to follow along, even if I can't quite catch up.
Apr '11
Re: The Merit of Biography
What an interesting project, Brian. Please be sure to let us know why you chose a particular biography and/or author for each life, as so many books have been written about most of our presidents. Good luck, and I am very much looking forward to reading your series.
Aug '10
Re: The Merit of Biography
What an excellent reading project, Brian.
I'll be looking forward to your posts; there are so many presidential bios out there -- it'll be good to have a guided tour.
One work of presidential biography you'd better not miss, and which I've just read, of course comes from Peter Robinson himself. Since you're on this thread, Peter, I hope the other participants will allow me to thread-jack just a bit in order to thank and congratulate you for How Ronald Reagan Changed My Life. My full review is here, if anyone's interested.
Edited on May 9, 2011 at 4:52amRe: The Merit of Biography
Brian, this is great. Now you won't have to come over to my desk and bug me with your ruminations on your biographies every day.
;-)