Alvin Felzenberg puts Lincoln and several other presidents in the full contest of their times and ours, shedding much new light on those we thought we knew well, and taking a fresh look at some we need to know better. The sections on Abraham Lincoln, the most elusive of all presidents, adds much to the field of Lincoln studies and should not be missed.

-- Harold Holzer, co-chairman of the U.S. Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.

This book goes beyond the parlor game of rating presidents and digs deeply into
what qualities truly matter. By doing so, Al Felzenberg has produced a smart and fascinating look at the impact our great presidents have had.

-- Walter Isaacson, CEO of the Aspen Institute and the author of Benjamin Franklin: An American Life.

In an enlightening and entertaining fashion, Felzenberg lays bare how and why some presidents have translated vision into transformational and sustainable action while others have not. For political scientists and anyone else who thinks understanding leadership matters, this book is not only must-reading but must-knowledge.

-- John J. DiIulio, Jr., Frederic Fox Leadership Professor, University of Pennsylvania, and author of Godly Republic: A Centrist Blueprint for America's Faith Based Future.

Alvin Felzenberg has written an incisive, readable book in which he offers detailed evaluations of presidents according to several key criteria. His rankings contain some surprises, with which not everyone will agree, but all readers will be stimulated and will come away better informed than before.

-- James M. McPherson, author of Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era and This Mighty Scourge: Perspectives on the Civil War.

See that twenty dollar bill in your wallet? If Al Felzenberg has his way, Andrew Jackson will no longer be decorating it. His book looks at every president, from Washington to "W," and reshuffles their reputations in surprising ways.

-- Richard Brookhiser, author of George Washington on Leadership and What Would the Founders Do?.

Alvin S. Felzenberg teaches at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. Felzenberg was the principal spokesman for the 9/11 Commission, an advisor to the Department of Defense and the Voice of America, and served in several senior staff positions at the U.S. House of Representatives, and as New Jersey's Assistant Secretary of State. His most recent book is Governor Tom Kean. He lives in Washington, D.C.