Author in chief: the untold story of our presidents and the books they wrote

Part I: George Washington to James Monroe. In and out of control: Thomas Jefferson and the first campaign book ; Autobiography's founding father: John Adams and the first legacy book ; Primed and cocked: American history finds its readers

Part II: John Quincy Adams to Ulysses S. Grant. The poet, the president who couldn't spell, and the campaign biography ; "Abram" Lincoln writes a book ; "Genera Grant, the people are moving en masse upon your memoirs"

Part III: Rutherford B. Hayes to Franklin D. Roosevelt. Head of the class: Roosevelt, Wilson, and the expansion of executive power ; Campaign books hit the trail (thanks to, of all presidents, Calvin Coolidge) ; Legacy books get personal (thanks to, of all presidents, Calvin Coolidge)

Part IV: Harry S. Truman to Donald Trump. Harry Truman's histories ; The writer who wouldn't write ; Reagan and the rise of the blockbuster ; The literary candidate

Epilogue

Appendix I: a presidential reading list

Appendix II: an essay on sources and methods.