Chester Alan Arthur

"Remarkably detailed [and displaying a] breezy writing style."—Allan Walton, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Though popular precisely because he represented a moderate balance between two competing wings within the GOP, Arthur ran afoul of powerful rivals, including Rutherford B. Hayes, U.S. Grant, and James Blaine, the last of whom essentially forced Arthur out of the White House after he served out Garfield's term. Arthur's tenure was not without its accomplishments, Karabell dutifully writes, including a thoroughgoing reform of the civil-service system to professionalize the government and reduce favoritism."—Kirkus Reviews

"Presidents come no more obscure than Arthur; in this American Presidents series volume, Karabell shows why. Arthur's papers were destroyed shortly after his death, which makes guesswork out of ascertaining his thoughts about his administration. More important to his least-known status is the fact that he didn't want or expect to be president. A consummate Republican Party hack, he obtained the then-enormously important position of U.S. customs collector in New York via the then-legal political spoils system. Asked to be Garfield's 1880 running mate, he dutifully obliged. Inaugurated in March 1881, Garfield was shot in July and died in September: Arthur was president. He rose to the occasion, angering Republican bosses, but didn't sacrifice the short working day to which he was accustomed. His light management style was okay for an era in which presidential politics mattered far less, his reform of the still-new civil service was a crucial early step toward 'big government' in the twentieth century, and most important, Karabell suggests, he was a gentleman among knaves."—Ray Olson, Booklist

"Chester Alan Arthur is one of the forgotten presidents. His reputation is neither bad nor good; instead, it is almost nonexistent. But though he was an accidental president at an inopportune time, he is part of the tapestry of who we are—more than most ever have been or most of us ever will be. It is rare to have the chance to write about an influential historical figure about whom so little is known, and that makes Arthur an appealing subject. It turns out that he was also an appealing person, a man of grace and dignity who surpassed expectations, calmed a restless country, and helped end the corrupt system of political patronage that brought him to power."—Zachary Karabell on Chester Alan Arthur