Biography is a powerful medium. It captures the beauty and tragedy of the human story. A good biography draws the reader into the human story to see how the subject navigates through the tragedy to enjoy the beauty of the human experience. A person’s story may encompass that arch, but it takes a good storyteller to convey that story in a compelling way. Biographers and historians who have stood the test of time are those who tell the story of history and the human experience and not merely the facts and important dates. I am reminded of what the late David McCullough said about history. He said that it should never be boring, because history happens “in the course of human events” quoting from the Declaration of Independence. There are many great biographers and historians writing today. One such writer is Jon Meacham.
Although Jon Meacham is known among readers of history and politics, he is certainly an author that should be more well known among the American population at large. Jon grew up in Chattanooga, TN in a family that taught him the value of hard work and the importance of community. He was raised not far from Civil War battlefields such as Missionary Ridge and Chickamauga, but did not take on the prejudice legacy of his Southern heritage. In speeches Jon oft tells the story of how he grew to love history and politics from his grandfather who served as a judge in Chattanooga. Educated a the University of the South in Sewanee, Meacham went on to work as a journalist for the Chattanooga Times and eventually Newsweek.
He tried his hand at writing books with works such as Franklin and Winston, a history of the friendship between FDR and Churchill, and American Gospel, a history of the religious leanings of the American founding fathers. Yet Meacham hit his stride when he stepped into writing biographies starting his biography about Andrew Jackson titled American Lion. His best book to date is, hands down, his biography of George H. W. Bush titled Destiny and Power. This excellent work chronicles the life of Papa Bush, a man who has shaped current American culture in ways that many Americans are unaware. Although, he only served in the presidency one term, coupled with his tenure as Reagan’s Vice President, George H. W. Bush is one of the most important political figures of the twentieth century.
Meacham’s most consequential book is The Soul of America: The Battle For Our Better Angels. He wrote it in response to the Trump presidency and the incident that occurred in Charlottesville, VA in August of 2017. The event, a protest and counter protest that turned violent, led to the tragic death of Heather Heyer. Meacham’s book chronicles how the country navigated through similar events in history and challenges us to seek what Abraham Lincoln called our “better angels.” In the book, Meacham speaks to the nation, as a historian, but one with a vested interest in the future. He doesn’t take a “pie in the sky” approach and assume that everything will work out in the end. No, he challenges the nation to work hard to perfect the Union that has been handed down to us, because it is worth preserving. Not just for us, but also for our posterity.
Two seminal books that follow in the vein of The Soul of America are his biography of John Lewis titled His Truth is Marching On and his biography of Lincoln titled And There Was Light. Both of these works, while telling the story of two great American hero’s, also challenge the reader to continue the legacy that Lincoln and Lewis have charted. Abraham Lincoln, the Great Emancipator, led the nation through the Civil War and set the nation on a trajectory toward becoming a more perfect union. John Lewis dedicated his life to the civil rights movement. He led the protesters across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on Bloody Sunday in March 1965. Lewis would go on to serve in Congress for thirty-three years.
Jon Meacham is also man of deep faith. He is a devout Christian, and a member of the Episcopal Church. This comes through in his book The Hope of Glory, a devotional study of Jesus’ last words from the cross. While insightful, and helpful in many ways, The Hope of Glory is not a deep biblical study. Meacham is a, self professed, non-evangelical which means that he does not approach the Christian faith in the same way as most Protestants. For this reason, Meacham’s treatment of Jesus’ last words take on a more philosophical tone.
Forthcoming in June, Meacham will be publishing a new edition of Destiny and Power titled The Call to Serve to celebrate George H. W. Bush’s 100th birthday. According to his website, the book will be a visual portrait of Bush’s life packed with over 450 photos. In recent years, Meacham has hinted at a book he has in the works about George W. Bush, however that book will not be released until at least 2035. Additionally for years, he has made mention of a book about James and Dolly Madison that he has been writing. No date for its release has been set.
As followers of Jesus, two areas of reflection present themselves as we discuss the writings of John Meacham. One is providence, and the other is calling. First, when we read history or biography one cannot help but see the hand of God in hindsight. It has been said that providence is God’s hand in the glove of history. Not one event in history happens without God’s foreknowledge, and each event in history is intricately linked together. We may not always see God working in the moment, but hindsight is always 20/20. This is seen most prominently in the lives of major historical figures like Abraham Lincoln, George H. W. Bush, and John Lewis.
Second, when we think of calling we often envision pastoral ministry or missions work. Yet whatever we do unto the Lord can be a calling. The Lord uses his people in a variety of ways for his glory and the good of others. When thinking of the subjects of Meacham’s books we see our calling as citizens. Each of them had a sense of duty and calling to serve their country and the common good. We too can serve our communities in a variety of ways. The calling to citizenship extends far beyond the right to vote. As citizens we are called to not merely seek our own interests, but also the interests of others (Phil 2:4).
Jon Meacham is a true American patriot. Although he has never put on uniform and taken up the sword to defend America, he defends her valiantly with a more powerful weapon, his pen. For this reason, he is an author you should know. For lovers of history and biography, Jon Meacham is an excellent edition to your library. For lovers of liberty and democracy, he is a refreshing voice of exhortation. His book, The Soul of America should be required reading for all American colleges. Even if you disagree with his conclusions, his desire to see America thrive should be respected and emulated.
Photo credit: Washington National Cathedral
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