U.S. presidents and their favorite books

In 1771, George Washington wrote, “I conceive a knowledge of books is the basis upon which other knowledge is to be built.” He was the first of many United States presidents who appreciated books and valued the power of reading. Throughout American history, presidents have found solace, inspiration, and intellectual stimulation in the pages of books both classic and contemporary, from famed historical works to novels that reveal the nature of the human experience. 

Not all presidents, of course, have been voracious readers, but in large part the leaders of the United States have furthered their knowledge with books. Here are some of the U.S. presidents’ favorite reads.

George Washington

Washington collected more than 1,200 publications over the course of his lifetime, and it’s hard to say for sure which book he valued the most. We know he read classics of fiction such as Don Quixote and The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, as well as books about politics, warfare, and other practical matters. 

One subject particularly close to the first president’s heart was agriculture. When asked to make an educated guess about Washington’s favorite book, historian Kevin Butterfield, executive director of the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington, named the English translation of Henri Louis Duhamel du Monceau’s Éléments d’agriculture(variously translated as The Elements of Agriculture or A Practical Treatise of Husbandry). 

Thomas Jefferson

“I cannot live without books,” Thomas Jefferson wrote in a letter to John Adams in 1815. Jefferson was a voracious reader; James Madison once referred to him as a “walking library.” Jefferson was instrumental in rebuilding the Library of Congress after British forces burned it down — along with the Capitol Building — during the War of 1812. He offered his personal library to Congress, agreeing to accept whatever payment was offered. Historians don’t know whether the nation’s third president had one single favorite book, but he was especially fond of Laurence Sterne’s 1768 novel A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy. 

Other writers that were close to Jefferson’s heartinclude the classical historians Tacitus and Thucydides; the ancient Greek poet Homer; classic Greek tragedians such as Sophocles and Euripides; the Roman poets Virgil and Horace; and the English poets and playwrights William Shakespeare and John Milton. 

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was an avid reader throughout his life, reading widely in subjects ranging from classical literature to world history. “A capacity, and taste, for reading,” he once said, “gives access to whatever has already been discovered by others.” The book Lincoln read most frequently was likely the King James Bible, which he could quote from freely. He was also a fan of Shakespeare and the Scottish poet Robert Burns. 

Harry S. Truman

Harry S. Truman was another great reader. Once, when asked by an editor of his memoirs if he liked to read himself to sleep at night, Truman answered, “No, young man, I like to read myself awake.” He was a dedicated student of history, and some of his most-read volumes included Plutarch’s Lives, Julius Caesar’s Commentaries, and Edward Gibbons’ The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. The 33rd president also enjoyed the works of Robert Burns, English poet Lord Byron, and William Shakespeare (especially Hamlet, King Lear, and Othello).  

Dwight D. Eisenhower

In 1966, Dwight D. Eisenhower wrote a letter in which he clearly highlighted the two most influential books in his life, other than the Bible. These were On War by Carl von Clausewitz (an influential treatise on military strategy published in 1832) and The History of the United States by George Bancroft. Ike was also a big fan of Mark Twain, and particularly liked Twain’s novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. To relax, Eisenhower enjoyed reading Western novels full of cowboys and cattle drives on the American frontier.  

John F. Kennedy

Thanks to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, quite a bit is known about Kennedy’s favorite books. He read a lot as a child, with novels such as Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, and Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie ranking among his favorites. As an adult, he read most, if not all, of the books written by Winston Churchill and was also greatly influenced by Pilgrim's Way(also known as Memory Hold-the-Door), an autobiographical memoir by the Scottish writer John Buchan. Beyond nonfiction, Kennedy was a big fan of Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, and From Russia With Love was one of his top reads. JFK and Fleming even met at a party in Washington, D.C., for the newly elected president. 

Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter wrote 32 books in total, many of which were bestsellers, covering topics such as foreign policy, religious theory, art, historical fiction, and poetry. Unsurprisingly, Carter was also very well read — but one particular book stood out. When he was running for president in 1976, Carter was asked to name his favorite book. His answer was 1941’s Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, a nonfiction work on the daily lives of Depression-era tenant farmers, with text by author James Agee and black-and-white portraits by photographer Walker Evans. Carter explainedhow the book spoke to him personally, saying, “That was the way I grew up.” 

Ronald Reagan

In various interviews, Ronald Reagan mentioned a couple of books — other than the Bible — as being his favorites. When he was 11, he read That Printer of Udell's, a 1902 work of fiction by Harold Bell Wright that tells the story of a homeless wanderer called Dick Falkner. Reagan later stated, “I found a role model in that traveling printer whom Wright had brought to life. He set me on a course I’ve tried to follow unto this day. I shall always be grateful.” Later, Reagan became a big fan of the novels of Tom Clancy. While president, his endorsement of The Hunt for Red October, which he called “the perfect yarn,” helped launch Clancy onto the bestseller lists.