Eight U.S. presidencies have ended in death. This work covers the deaths and attendant mourning and funeral rituals for each of the presidents who died in office. For each president, there is a biographical overview, health history, and discussion of the final illness or murder. Each president’s state funeral is covered in detail, including the aftermath, the response of the family, the nation, and the world. The work also includes an appendix of laws concerning assaults on the president and office regulations for funerals, and photographs from the Library of Congress, presidential libraries, historical societies and the author’s own collection.

Martin S. Nowak is a U.S. Army veteran who is retired from the federal civil service. He is a life-long enthusiast of the history of the U.S. Presidency, and this is his first book on the subject. He is a columnist for The Polish American Journal and lives in Western New York State.

Martin S. Nowak
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 258
Bibliographic Info: 49 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2010
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4775-6
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vii

Preface      1

Introduction      3

1. Keeping the President Safe      15

2. William Henry Harrison      29

3. Zachary Taylor      46

4. Abraham Lincoln      58

5. James Abram Garfield      95

6. William McKinley      122

7. Warren Gamaliel Harding      149

8. Franklin Delano Roosevelt      169

9. John Fitzgerald Kennedy      189

Appendix—Laws and Regulations      213

Notes      229

Bibliography      237

Index      243

“compelling, well documented history on the lives and deaths of our Presidents”—Polish American Journal; “a must-read…features fascinating facts, vivid descriptions, and historic photographs”—tumblr.com.