Louis L. Picone – författare

*Updated Edition* A fun, anecdote-filled, encyclopedic look at the circumstances surrounding the deaths of every president and a few “almost presidents,” such as Jefferson Davis. Packed with fun facts and presidential trivia, The President Is Dead! tells you everything you could possibly want to know about how our presidents, from George Washington to George H. W. Bush (who was the most recent president to die), met their ends, the circumstances of their deaths, the pomp of their funerals, and their public afterlives, including stories of attempted grave robbings, reinterments, vandalism, conspiracy theories surrounding their deaths, and much more.The President Is Dead! is filled with never-before-told stories, including a suggestion by one prominent physician to resurrect George Washington from death by transfusing his body with lamb’s blood. You may have heard of a plot to rob Abraham Lincoln’s body from its grave site, but did you know that there was also attempts to steal Benjamin Harrison's and Andrew Jackson’s remains? The book also includes “Critical Death Information,” which prefaces each chapter, and a complete visitor’s guide to each grave site and death-related historical landmark. An “Almost Presidents” section includes chapters on John Hanson (first president under the Articles of Confederation), Sam Houston (former president of the Republic of Texas), David Rice Atchison (president for a day), and Jefferson Davis. Exhaustively researched, The President Is Dead! is richly layered with colorful facts and entertaining stories about how the presidents have passed. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Ulysses’s Odyssey is a triumph of research, drawing upon the extensive Papers of Ulysses S. Grant, accounts of fellow travelers, letters, diaries, historic newspapers, and many more sources. Picone reveals Grant’s personality, core decency, and sense of humor, and also explores the trip’s significance at the time and how it subsequently faded from public memory. Whether interested in American presidents, the Gilded Age, foreign policy, or an epic travel adventure, you’ll want to read Ulysses’s Odyssey.In May 1877, Ulysses S. Grant, newly departed from two terms in the White House, embarked on an extraordinary three-year journey that defined a pivotal moment in the Gilded Age. Driven by a lifelong passion for travel and unburdened by a fixed itinerary, Grant set out to explore the world, his wanderlust sustained by modest means. Louis L. Picone’s Ulysses’s Odyssey: Ulysses S. Grant’s World Tour at the Dawn of American Empire masterfully chronicles this unprecedented adventure, illuminating its historical significance and Grant’s enduring legacy.Grant’s odyssey spanned continents, from Europe’s capitals to uncharted destinations for an American president, including Egypt, the Holy Land, the Ottoman Empire, Russia, India, Siam, Saigon, China, and Japan. Welcomed by throngs and honored by monarchs—kings, queens, emperors, and heads of state—Grant immersed himself in local cultures. He scaled Mount Vesuvius, sailed the Nile, rode elephants in India, and strolled the streets of Sicily, where he was cautioned about the mafia. Throughout, his curiosity and humility shone, revealing the man behind the myth.In September 1879, thousands greeted Grant’s return at San Francisco’s wharf, heralding him as a national hero. His journey continued across the United States via the Transcontinental Railroad, culminating in Philadelphia’s grandest reception, where his global voyage was celebrated with unparalleled fervor. His travels were not yet over. Weeks later he ventured south to Cuba, Mexico, and the Southern states, where former Confederate soldiers and the formerly enslaved alike cheered his presence. Returning to Illinois just before the 1880 Republican convention, Grant entered the presidential race for a third time, his global perspective newly sharpened. Contemporaries marveled, declaring, “Nothing like this has ever been seen before in history!”Louis Picone unearths Ulysses S. Grant’s forgotten world tour, a journey that shaped America’s rise as a global power. Drawing on Grant’s personal papers, letters, diaries, and period newspapers, this meticulously researched narrative weaves adventure and diplomacy into a vibrant portrait of the Gilded Age. With sweeping prose, Ulysses’s Odyssey captivates history buffs and adventure enthusiasts alike, offering fresh insights into Grant’s legacy and the dawn of American empire. Essential reading, this grand tale restores a pivotal chapter to its rightful place in history.