PositiveThe New York Times Book ReviewKendall is good at linking a president’s strengths or failures as a parent to his success or failure at governing, though the correlation is sometimes indirect — Grover Cleveland struggled to form deep bonds with people, including his children, but as president this remove helped him to shape an efficient administration that wasn’t undermined by emotional loyalties. Less illuminating in this regard is the chapter on the bereaved and grieving, where the lesson seems to be that grief can distract — hardly unique to presidents. Still, it’s startling to be reminded of just how vulnerable young children were back then, even children of great privilege ... Kendall’s book also provides delightful peeks at life inside the White House, a place where you might think nothing could (or should) go unmonitored ... More than anything, “First Dads” provides a valuable reminder that while an American president may have the clout to launch spaceships and end world wars, that doesn’t mean he can get his children to behave.
