The President Is a Sick Man

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The President Is a Sick Man: Wherein the Supposedly Virtuous Grover Cleveland Survives a Secret Surgery at Sea and Vilifies the Courageous Newspaperman Who Dared Expose the Truth – September 1, 2012
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Review

"[A] breezy, enjoyable book." —Washington Post

"One of the best non-fiction books of 2011." —PopMatters.com

"Algeo writes entertainingly, but the themes he develops are serious ones, well worth the attention of serious readers." —History Book Club

"A lively, cautionary tale—and one with a lesson for leaders that recalls Cleveland's own words of wisdom: Tell the truth." —Wall Street Journal

"Author Matthew Algeo takes a little known part of presidential history and creates a page-turning ride." —Associated Press

"Algeo paints a colorful portrait of political intrigue and journalism during the Gilded Age." —Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Matthew Algeo is an award-winning journalist who has reported from three continents for public radio’s All Things Considered, Marketplace, and Morning Edition. He is the author of Harry Truman’s Excellent Adventure and Last Team Standing. He lives in Washington, DC.

Books with free ebook downloads available The President Is a Sick Man: Wherein the Supposedly Virtuous Grover Cleveland Survives a Secret Surgery at Sea and Vilifies the Courageous Newspaperman Who Dared Expose the Truth – September 1, 2012

Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Chicago Review Press; Reprint edition (September 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1613744560
ISBN-13: 978-1613744567
Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #722,711 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

The author, Matthew Algeo, a reporter for public radio, and probably not well known in historian/academic circles, and not a Medical Doctor, has yet, brought us a thoroughly researched and noteworthy book about Grover Cleveland's secret oral surgery. I especially liked this book because the author, a reporter, has written about another reporter (E.J. Edwards) who broke the story about Grover Cleveland's surgery, but was castigated by other reporters and publishers, until the lead Doctor, W.W. Keen, decided to write the definitive medical story himself, and contacted that reporter, who had had his reputation previously ruined. Algeo also gives excellent background of the historical period, including the desperate economic times, the labor and union movement, and the Silver vs. Gold standard controversy. This provides an excellent contextual background for the author's discussion of the oral surgery, and why Cleveland wanted it kept secret.

As an academic, I wished the author had included footnotes for the voluminous quotes made throughout the book. But the Acknowledgements section shows that Mr. Algeo has done his homework on this well-researched book. The only other drawback was the advertisement pages following the Index, somewhat reminiscent of the old Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew books of the 20th century, which included like-advertisements about forth-coming books in the series. In this case, Algeo has included 5 1/2 pages of advertisement for his other noteworthy book, "Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure." He has even included an excerpt from the Truman book. While I commend the author for the Truman book, it is a distraction from the Cleveland work.

I have been a (public school) history teacher for the past twenty-three years. I am not a writer and rarely take the time to sit down and compose a review. Having just finished reading "The President Is A Sick Man" I find myself motivated to do just that. The book is outstanding. I've taught The Gilded Age and Progressive Era periods for many years. President Cleveland's 1893 operation was not unknown to those interested in Presidential history. What Matthew Algeo has done (as he did in "Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure") is to conduct extensive research into the personalities involved, the connected issues of the day and the political and cultural context in which the event occurred....and to then write about it all in a way that enlightens and entertains. One does not have to be a history nerd to enjoy this book.

Steve Cleveland (yes, that's right, Grover's first name was Steve....unusual for that period) apparently possessed a dual personality that both served him well and got him in trouble....and made possible one of the great presidential deceptions. On the one hand Grover Cleveland was serious, disciplined and dedicated and on the other he was a gregarious "hail fellow well met" who enjoyed nothing more than sitting in a bar serving as raconteur whilst eating and drinking too much.

Algeo goes into some detail about the severe economic downturn (depression) that occurred in the early 1890's, it's causes and effects and especially the influence it had on Cleveland's insistence that his major health crisis be kept absolutely secret. Who knew that the impending vote to repeal the Silver Purchase Act could have motivated one of the greatest presidential conspiracies?