Books about Andrew Johnson

Grand Inquests: The Historic Impeachments of Justice Samuel Chase and President Andrew Johnson by William H. Rehnquist, Clyde Adams Phillips	Paperback - 304 pages (February 1999) Quill; ISBN: 0688171710 With Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist playing a front-and-center role as the presiding officer in President Bill Clinton's impeachment trial, it's no wonder that his 1992 study of the two most important previous impeachments in United States history was brought back into print. But anyone looking for political commentary will probably be disappointed--Grand Inquests is a straightforward, and surprisingly readable, narrative account, top-heavy with historical details. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase was impeached in 1805 both for his political views and as a result of his demeanor as a judge. Rehnquist acknowledges that Chase was "impatient, overbearing, and arrogant," but asserts that his behavior falls far short of the grounds for impeachment: high crimes and misdemeanors. He further argues that the acquittal of Chase helped safeguard the independence of the Supreme Court, preventing future Congresses from removing judges "whose views they considered to be unwise or out of keeping with the times." The acquittal of President Andrew Johnson in his 1868 trial was a similar victory for the executive branch, permitting future chief executives to govern as they see fit ... even if that runs counter to the desires of Congress. Rehnquist makes it clear that he believes the impeachments of both Chase and Johnson were politically motivated, and that it was a good thing for the United States that neither was convicted. He says a relaxed standard of impeachment would have been like "a sword of Damocles, designed not to fall but to hang" over the head of future presidents who would fear removal from office if they did not go along with Congress. --Linda Killian

Andrew Johnson (United States Presidents) by Mary Malone	Library Binding - 128 pages (June 1999) Enslow Publishers, Inc.; ISBN: 0766010341

Impeachment of a President: Andrew Johnson, the Blacks, and Reconstruction (Reconstructing America) by Hans Louis Trefousse, Hans L. Trefousee	Hardcover - 252 pages 0 edition (March 1, 1999) Fordham Univ Pr; ISBN: 0823219224

Andrew Johnson (United States Presidents) by Anne Welsbacher	School & Library Binding (September 2000) Abdo & Daughters; ISBN: 1577652401

The Impeachment and Trial of Andrew Johnson by Michael Les Benedict	Paperback - 224 pages (September 1, 1999) W.W. Norton & Company; ISBN: 0393319822

Andrew Johnson : The President Impeached by Alan L. Paley	Hardcover (June 1972) Story House Corp; ISBN: 0871575310

Andrew Johnson : A Biography by Hans Louis Trefousse, Han Treffousse	Paperback - 463 pages Reissue edition (December 1997) W.W. Norton & Company; ISBN: 0393317420 ; Dimensions (in inches): 1.11 x 8.15 x 5.45

Andrew Johnson : A Bibliography (Bibliographies of Presidents of the United States, No. 17) by Richard B. McCaslin (Designer)	Hardcover - 314 pages (March 1993) Greenwood Publishing Group; ISBN: 0313281750 ; Dimensions (in inches): 1.16 x 9.55 x 6.46 A paradox to those who study the era of the Civil War and Reconstruction, Andrew Johnson has been the subject of a mass of contradictory scholarly writings. This volume provides the first systematic bibliography of that literature. It includes a short chronology of Johnson's life, chapters covering manuscript and archival resources and the writings of Andrew Johnson, a chapter on biographical publications, seven chapters on the periods of his life from childhood to his post-presidential career, and chapters devoted to Johnson's associates, his personal life, historiographical materials, and iconography. The work also covers periodicals and concludes with author and subject indexes. From the Publisher "A rich resource, recommended for advanced study of the US presidency or investigation of Johnson himself." Choice

Andrew Johnson : Rebuilding the Union (History of the Civil War Series) by Thomas A. Durwood, Cathy East Dubowski, Henry S. Commajer (Designer), Richard Gallin (Editor)	Reading level: Young Adult Paperback - 125 pages (April 1991) Surveys the political career and private life of the only president ever to be impeached.