Cradles of Power

Why have there been so many books about first ladies and so few about the mothers and fathers of our presidents? Many of us, for better or worse, are shaped by our early life. Heads of state are no exception. In this compact and compelling narrative of truly popular history, Gullan offers insights into the early influences that helped shape our presidents, shedding light into a much neglected corner of history.

How many presidential parents were also their son’s best friends? How many were an inspiration, a source of support, a model to emulate? How many were just the opposite?

In Cradles of Power, readers will learn the stories of “first parents” from Augustine and Mary Washington to Barack Obama, Sr. and Ann Dunham, including:

The heroic Elizabeth Jackson, who literally saved her son’s life
The beloved senior Theodore Roosevelt, who seemingly founded and funded every worthwhile charity in New York
The handsome and unpredictable Jack Reagan, whose drunken blackout one winter night became a pivotal moment for the young Ronald
The pious “Mother” McKinley, who wanted her William to become a Methodist bishop
The vibrant Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, whose personal tragedies never stopped her from showing unflagging support for her sons’ campaigns, and the domineering Joseph P. Kennedy who himself aspired to be our first Catholic president

Gullan’s reader-friendly vignettes are sure to fascinate and entertain, but they will also elucidate the formative forces and motivations in the lives of the most powerful men in the nation.

Skyhorse Publishing, along with our Arcade, Good Books, Sports Publishing, and Yucca imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs. Our list includes biographies on well-known historical figures like Benjamin Franklin, Nelson Mandela, and Alexander Graham Bell, as well as villains from history, such as Heinrich Himmler, John Wayne Gacy, and O. J. Simpson. We have also published survivor stories of World War II, memoirs about overcoming adversity, first-hand tales of adventure, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Harold I. Gullan, PhD, has written well-recognized books on everything from American politics to the significance of sports and law enforcement. His area of special interest has been presidential families, particularly parents, a subject too long neglected in our popular history. Gullan lives with his wife, Elizabeth, in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia.