Hats in the Ring: An Illustrated History of American Presidential Campaigns

336 pp. Once every four years, Americans enter into a months-long national spectacle, one with bitter battles, high drama, often hilarious blunders, and, ultimately, a victor to whom we entrust the leadership of our country. It is a process integral to the American ideals of freedom and democracy, and each election reveals a tremendous amount about where and who we are as a nation. In Hats in the Ring, Evan Cornog and Richard Whelan have created a hugely entertaining, splendidly illustrated history of every election from Washington's to Clinton's. For the first time, all the vibrancy, fanfare, and zaniness of American presidential campaigns come to life in one dazzling volume.