Books like The general vs. the president by Henry William Brands

A detailed biography of Ulysses S. Grant, former Union general and 18th President of the United States, by historian Ron Chernow, examining his military campaigns and presidency.

David McCullough’s Pulitzer‑winning biography chronicles Harry S. Truman’s life from Missouri frontier to presidency, detailing his pivotal decisions—atomic bombing, Cold War diplomacy, and Korean conflict—while drawing on new archival sources and personal interviews.

Traces the crisis period leading up to America's entry into World War II, describing the nation's polarized interventionist and isolationist factions as represented by the government, in the press, and on the streets.

Michael R. Beschloss chronicles how U.S. presidents—from James Madison to Lyndon B. Johnson—navigated war, mobilized the nation, and balanced power with Congress, the courts, and public protest, revealing the physical and emotional toll of conflict on the executive.

In this culmination of five decades of acclaimed studies in presidential history, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin offers an illuminating exploration into the early development, growth, and exercise of leadership. Are leaders born or made? Where does ambition come from? How does adversity affect the growth of leadership? Does the man make the times or do the times make the man? In Leadership in Turbulent Times, Goodwin draws upon four of the presidents she has studied most closely—Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson (in civil rights)—to show how they first recognized leadership qualities within themselves, and were recognized by others as leaders. No common pattern describes the trajectory of leadership. Although set apart in background, abilities, and temperament, these men shared a fierce ambition and a deep-seated resilience that enabled them to surmount uncommon adversity. At their best, all four were guided by a sense of moral purpose. At moments of great challenge, they were able to summon their talents to enlarge the opportunities and lives of others. This seminal work provides an accessible and essential road map for aspiring and established leaders in every field. In today’s polarized world, these stories of authentic leadership in times of apprehension and fracture take on a singular urgency. ([source][1]) [1]: https://doriskearnsgoodwin.com/books/

Two volumes of Ulysses S. Grant’s firsthand account of his life and the military campaigns that defined his career, offering insight into his rise from a modest upbringing to the presidency of the United States.