Jon Meacham

Jon Meacham is a Pulitzer-Prize-winning historian and author. His riveting books take readers on a journey through the past, lending new insight into moments both momentous and forgotten. Meacham is able to combine his signature finesse as a historian and writer to provide illuminating stories that bridge the past to the present.

Meacham's book-writing career began in 2006 with his best-selling biography of President Andrew Jackson. Entitled American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House, the book explored the life of the 19th century leader and depicted him as a complex and ambitious man. In 2008, Meacham released Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship, which chronicled the relationship between Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Franklin Roosevelt.

Meacham's books often serve to broaden our outlook of historical figures and events. One book, Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, for example, tackled the life of a figure often seen as a one-dimensional Founding Father. This work demonstrated Jefferson's role as a hard-nosed politician and challenged traditional views of a man whom Meacham described as an enigmatic and complicated yet brilliant leader.

The Shadow of Sirius focused on how loss can affect those around it. This work examined the story of a family and their struggle to come to terms with their father's death, in particular their grief-stricken mother. Moonrise, by contrast, presented an optimistic tale of two children who went on an African safari that brought to life stories of the past.

Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush is renowned for telling the story of the 41st president in a way that established a deeper understanding of the man and his values. Most recently, The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels examines historical figures, events, and movements in an effort to help us navigate the consuming divide between left and right.

For Meacham, the work of the historian is an important effort, one that he hopes provides insight into issues that have plagued the nation for centuries. Through his work, Meacham highlights the value of using the past to understand the present and the future.

Meacham has been praised for his ability to write with clarity, insight and an impressive grasp of historical detail. His books showcase his ability to tell stories that offer as much about our present as our past. Meacham's insight into the power of storytelling, the value of understanding our past, and the importance of learning from it, is what keeps readers enthralled and coming back for more.