The U.S. Presidents’ Favorite Books

  • Old books on a shelf
Old books on a shelf
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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. 

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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). 

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