A Man of Iron: The Turbulent Life and Improbable Presidency of Grover Cleveland

This is an excellent book about an excellent president that you should know about. It's a clear and well written book about an interesting subject: one of the men who presided during the Gilded Age. This book is of perfect length (not too short, not too long), with great diction (while at the same time, it will not lose you). It contains the perfect amount of biographical, presidential, and historical detail. And while this is not a "new" or revisionist history, it is a fresh take with occasional (and relevant) comparisons to context as modern as the Trump and Biden administrations. I decided that I was going to read a biography of every US president. For Cleveland, I chose this (as the publication timing was perfect). This book will not only give you a clear understanding of who President Cleveland is and what he is most known for, it also provides you with the historical background of time time (if you're wondering what the key issues were in the late 19th century), as well as relevant mentions of other adjacent presidents (Lincoln, Johnson-17, Grant, Arthur, Harrison-23, McKinley, Teddy, Taft, Harding, and Wilson). By the end of reading, you will understand what Cleveland deserves recognition, as well as why he has not received the amount he should. You will gain more of an appreciation for him. You will also see, not only how the Democratic and Republican Parties have evolved from then until now, but you will see an almost complete role-reversal. Add this book to your collection and buy it as a gift for your patriotic friends. -Gregory P. Bullock, author of "History in Fewer Words, Vol. 1: The History of the World" (2022)

Troy Senik has written an important and interesting book, filled with facts and anecdotes, in economical, dynamic prose. He is unquestionably a talented writer. His subject is an important one: Grover Cleveland, a great man and POTUS, unfortunately lost to the dustbins of History, if not reviled in some quarters. Mr. Senik is a Jeopardy! winner and it shows - the quantity of information and details packed into this fairly short book is astounding, particularly in the footnotes, which give important context and historical background to Cleveland's story. I'd give this book five stars but for two reasons: - Mr. Senik seems to have gone through a list of unusual words which he wanted to use in this book, IMO not always to good effect. - Mr. Senik's grasp of economics seems excellent (I am not an economist) , but his interpretation of Cleveland's legalist and minimalist understanding of the office of POTUS seems slanted, to the point that he criticizes Cleveland for being legalistic and constitutional at the expense of being 'humanitarian', and attributes this to Cleveland's 'inflexibility', missing the point which he himself makes, quite adroitly: Cleveland had a deep seated belief in the principles of limited national government outlined in the US Constitution, and great faith in the ability of the American people to govern themselves, without governmental intrusion. If Cleveland appeared stubborn and inflexible, it was because of his deep seated personal convictions. IMO that is no knock on Grover Cleveland, but a positive attribute. Granted, the American presidency has changed over last century, and today we look for a more active, dynamic POTUS than in Cleveland's time. Arguably that change began with Theodore Roosevelt and his 'bully pulpit', and was greatly expanded by FDR and LBJ, among the most noteworthy. Mr. Senik appears to use the modern presidency as his metric when evaluating Grover Cleveland - a great mistake IMO: Any historical figure must be discussed and evaluated in the context of their own times. Moreover, there are many today who doubt the benefit, and even the constitutionality of the modern presidency. Had Grover Cleveland lived today, he would be among the most vocal of such doubters, IMO. Regardless, read this book - "You just might learn something", or more than just 'something', but a great deal.

“A Man of Iron: The Turbulent Life and Improbable Presidency of Grover Cleveland” by Troy Senik is a compelling, well-researched, fun-to-read and well-argued book-length fan letter to Grover Cleveland’s integrity. Over the last few years, we’ve read nearly all of the other Cleveland biographies, from the informative to the dull to the boring to the downright salacious (by a television click-baiting muckraker). This book is better than the others, especially if you want to better understand WHY someone might want to admire a long-dead American politician on who built a career on honesty and steadfastness. “A Man of Iron” is one of our favorites Cleveland bios, and not simply because it casts Grover in a warm light. It’s well-researched, well-written, very readable and makes a compelling argument that Grover Cleveland should be better remembered. The book is stuffed with great biographical tidbits and Gilded Age trivia, comes with a handy “Key Figures” section, and finishes with a compelling Afterward essay in which Senik explains exactly why Grover should not be forgotten by 21st century Americans. Spoiler: It’s his integrity. You’ll want to read it to understand why. Devoting chapters to all the important moments in Grover’s life, ‘A Man of Iron’ deftly connects Grover’s actions as sheriff, mayor, governor, candidate and two non- consecutive terms as president to the author’s overarching themes. I’m a huge fan of all the chapters through the 1884 presidential campaign. While I’m a Cleveland fan, I’m not a policy geek. Troy Senik makes very readable and clearly explains the issues and Grover’s roles in the presidential wonky policy stuff (tariffs; monetary policy; civil service reform, which are less interesting to us personally than Grover’s personality and charming gruffness, which are well covered as well). These policy chapters are quite readable and go by quickly likely thanks to Troy’s time as a White House speechwriter in the Bush II administration, presumably making wonky policy issues understandable to listeners. Historians may balk at this biography explaining why some of the events that feel weird or wrong or contradictory to modern eyes and ears make sense as Cleveland was a man of his times. If you’re looking for an insight into Grover Cleveland, we highly recommend this book.

I really enjoyed getting to know this Grover Cleveland, I had never heard of him before (my excuse: being German). - But I really prefer having books of quality paper, not on recycled paper.

I had know very little about Cleveland as President and this book has filled that gap in my knowledge. He was an honest man and his only failing in my opinion is that he did not concern himself with the troubles of black Americans. This of course was a fault with all Presidents up until Kennedy and Johnson. It’s book that is well worth reading and America would be better off if more Presidents had behaved like him.

Interesting life of a forgotten president.