This engaging and informative guide is now updated to include the results of the 2004 presidential election and new information on security-related issues in the post-9/11 years. Written in a straightforward style that will appeal to readers from high school age on up, this resource includes biographies of every president, vice president, and first lady, plus an illustration or photo of each.
The biographies bring out personal dimensions of these public figures, including information on their early lives as well as important events that happened while each person was in office. Supplemental essays explore how these key public figures live—and stay safe—while in office.
The significant updates to this new edition include:
- Updated information on President George W. Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, and Vice President Richard Cheney;
- The Secret Service Agency’s move from the Department of Treasury to the Department of Homeland Security and other security-related matters;
- Updated information on former officeholders, including Ronald Reagan’s death, Jimmy Carter’s Nobel Prize, and the post-presidential careers of Bill and Hillary Clinton.
A detailed index helps readers easily trace names, places, and events from the early days of the presidency to the present. As a quick look-up reference guide, as a first stop in a research project, or simply as a source to explore the backgrounds and lifestyles of these key U.S. public figures, this is an essential introductory reference work for all school, university, and public library collections.