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101 Presidential Insults

From the founding fathers to the age of Trump, our presidents have dished out pointed and acerbic insults about other presidents. The presidents have labeled one another as dangerous, ignorant, liars, obstinate, selfish, unfit, vain, and weak.

We may laugh or wince as we read 101 Presidential Insults. Meticulously researched by presidential historian Mike Purdy, the book is a quick and fun read, but also thought-provoking and shocking at times – and a significant contribution to our understanding of the presidents.

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Book Reviews and Radio Interviews

My new book 101 Presidential Insults: What They Really Thought About Each Other - and What It Means to Us was released by the publisher on June 7, 2019. It is available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes & Noble (although it may be temporarily out-of-stock there), or...

A Civility Lesson from John Adams and Thomas Jefferson

I wrote an article that was published on History News Network on June 9, 2019 entitled "What the Feud and Reconciliation between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson Teaches Us About Civility." Click here to read the article My New Book: The article draws from some of my...

Ohio Radio Interview About My New Book

Listen to this 22 minute radio interview between host Adam Lepp of WWGH 107.1 FM (Marion, Ohio - home of President Warren G. Harding) and presidential historian Dr. Ronald Feinman (author of Assassinations,Threats, and the American Presidency: From Andrew Jackson to...

Podcast: Civility, Presidential Relationships, and My New Book

I was recently privileged to join Annie Mesaros on her podcast "God Help Us," which she founded and hosts. We discussed civility (or the lack thereof) in our public discourse, historical presidential relationships, the current president, and the 2020 election, and my...

The Politics of Impeachment

I recently wrote an Op-Ed for TheHill.com entitled "Impeachment without conviction plays right into Trump's hands." There are three broad options regarding impeachment: Impeach Now: The House of Representatives should impeach the president now because this is a moment...

My New Book: 101 Presidential Insults

I’m excited to announce the publication of my new book about our presidents – how they’ve historically insulted one another – and what this lack of civility means to us in our current political environment. 101 Presidential Insults: What They Really Thought About Each...

Carter Will Break the Longevity Record

On Thursday, March 21, 2019, former president Jimmy Carter will go down in history as the longest-living former president. Coolidge was President in 1924: Carter was born on October 1, 1924 in Plains, Georgia. He still lives in Plains today (population: 727) where he...

An Uneasy Peace

What happens when bitter political adversaries are thrust together in a moment of national mourning? That is the unfolding drama at the funeral of former president George H.W. Bush, who passed away on November 30, 2018 at age 94. With his passing, the ranks of former...

About Mike

Mike Purdy is a presidential historian and author of 101 Presidential Insults: What They Really Thought About Each Other – and What It Means to Us. As an expert in presidential history and frequent media commentator on presidential history and politics, Mike runs PresidentialHistory.com as a public resource. He lives in Seattle, Washington.