I've got a serious bone to pick with Sean Wilentz, the editor of the American Presidents Series. According to the list on their site, they have now published biographies of thirty-three presidents. Additional volumes scheduled to be released through the beginning of next year have apparently been announced. Amazon, for example, lists a volume on Andrew Johnson that is not scheduled to be released until January 18, 2011.
Amid this welter of releases the obscure as well the iconic have been celebrated. For God's sake, they've published a volume on James Garfield, who effectively served as president for all of four months, from the beginning of March 1881 until he was shot on July 2 of that year. (True, it took a couple of months for the doctors to finish him off after that, but I don't think he was doing much governing during the period.)
Who's missing? You guessed it: Millard Fillmore. No volume on our thirteen president has been released or, so far as I can determine, even been scheduled for release at this point. Shameful.
If that's the only bone you have to pick with Sean, he's doing pretty well!
ReplyDeleteCW,
ReplyDeleteAu contraire, I think he's a moron. Try Sean Wilentz Has Lost His Mind . . . Again.