(You can view the rest of our presidential Best Book lists by going to our Best US President Books page, or for a more in-depth look at how we found and ranked the books you can visit our Best Book About Every United States President article.)

The Best Book About Chester A. Arthur
(Appears on 8 Lists)

Gentleman Boss: The Life of Chester Alan Arthur by Thomas C. Reeves

Lists It Appears On:

• At Times Dull
• Best Presidential Bios
• Library of Congress
• Mandi Lindner
• Mashable
• Presidents USA
• The Tailored Man
• The Washington Post

Full-scale political biography of the 21st President, based on newly discovered documents. Shows Arthur to be a master political organizer and patronage boss.

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#2
(Appears on 5 Lists)

Chester Alan Arthur by Zachary Karabell

Lists It Appears On:

• All The Presidents Books
• Best Presidential Bios
• Library of Congress
• Presidents USA
• The Washington Post

Elected alongside James A. Garfield, Arthur found his life transformed just four months into his term, when an assassin shot and killed Garfield, catapulting Arthur into the presidency. The assassin was a deranged man who thought he deserved a federal job through the increasingly corrupt “spoils system.” To the surprise of many, Arthur, a longtime beneficiary of that system, saw that the time had come for reform. His opportunity came in the winter of 1882-83, when he pushed through the Pendleton Act, which created a professional civil service and set America on a course toward greater reforms in the decades to come.

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#3
(Appears on 2 Lists)

The Presidencies of James A Garfield & Chester A by Justus D. Doenecke

Lists It Appears On:

• Library of Congress
• Presidents USA

This is the first single volume to focus on the presidencies of both James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur. Drawing from a host of studies on the foreign and domestic policies of the nation during the Gilded Age, as well as from his own primary research, the author presents a somewhat revisionist look at Garfield and Arthur—revisionist in that he gives the reader a renewed appreciation of both men. Far from being cynical spoilsmen or naive incompetents, individuals whose presidencies provide studies in ineptitude, Garfield and Arthur emerge as men of considerable ability. While making no claims of greatness, Doenecke maintains that each was a significant transitional figure, playing a crucial role as the institution of the presidency moved from the weak leadership of Andrew Johnson to the forceful direction of Theodore Roosevelt.

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#4-7
(Appear on 1 List)

A President in Yellowstone: The F. Jay Haynes Photographic Album of Chester Arthur’s 1883 Expedition by Frank H. Goodyear III

Lists It Appears On:

• Presidents USA

On the morning of July 30, 1883, President Chester A. Arthur embarked on a trip of historic proportions. His destination was Yellowstone National Park, established by an act of Congress only eleven years earlier. No sitting president had ever traveled this far west. Arthur’s host and primary guide would be Philip H. Sheridan, the famed Union general. Also slated to join the expedition was a young photographer, Frank Jay Haynes. This elegant—and fascinating—book showcases Haynes’s remarkable photographic album from their six-week journey.

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Chester A Arthur: A Quarter-Century of Machine Politics by George F. Howe

Lists It Appears On:

• Library of Congress

Chester A. Arthur, A Quarter-Century of Machine Politics — Dust jacket removed. Former library book in “House Library Jesuit Novitiate.” Check-out card reflects that book was never checked out.

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Chester A. Arthur: Man and President by Emma Rogers

Lists It Appears On:

• Presidents USA

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts – the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. This text refers to the Bibliobazaar edition.

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Chester A. Arthur: Twenty-First President of the United States by Charnan Simon

Lists It Appears On:

• Presidents USA

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The Best Chester A. Arthur Book Lists Consulted