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Waiting for Allen Guelzo's new biography of Robert E. Lee, purportedly promising to be the definitive Lee biography for our time, has got me thinking about historical biographies for "our time." There have some good ones in recent years that I would call definitive.
Bruce Levine's biography of Thaddeus Stevens published earlier this year supplants all others.
I have yet to read Ron Chernow's biography of Grant, but it seems to have reached canonical status. His biography of Washington is magisterial.
I have read all of the William Tecumseh Sherman bios, Sherman being the most fascinating 19th person even above Lincoln, but for me retired Auburn professor James Lee Donough's recent treatment is superior to all others.
Jonathan Alter's biography of Jimmy Carter is certainly definitive for our time.
Fredrik Logevall's first volume of a projected two volume treatment of JFK I consider definitive.
There is David McCullough on John Adams, David Donald on Lincoln, and Ralph Ketcham on James Madison although we are due for another look at Madison especially give today's political situation There have been many, many, biographies of Jefferson, but none that I would consider definitive for our time reflecting the modern ambivalence toward the man.
Yes, a great time for "definitive" political biographies for our time.
P.S. Add Robert Caro's magnificent so far 4 volumes on LBJ with a fifth in the works, the epitome of definitive biography.
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