Close Calls: How eleven US Presidents escaped from the brink of death by Michael P. Spradlin

Spradlin writes exciting, action-packed history that appeals to reluctant readers and this is no exception.

At just over 100 pages, including back matter, Spradlin details assassination attempts, war-time escapades, and more narrow escapes for 11 US Presidents. I would say that some of these are well-known and others more obscure, but after somewhat depressing interactions with kids and adults I don't assume anybody knows anything anymore.

Starting with a plot to assassinate George Washington, when he was a general, Spradlin moves on to the first assassination attempt, on Andrew Jackson (hard to think of a more worthy candidate for assassination...) and an early attempt on Abraham Lincoln's life, before he was even inaugurated, which was foiled by the Pinkerton Detective Agency and the first female detective in America.

The scene then jumps to the modern era, with Theodore Roosevelt being shot while campaigning and going on to give his speech, and an assassination attempt on Harry S Truman by Puerto Rico nationalists. During the World Wars, several future presidents including Eisenhower, Ford, and Kennedy had narrow escapes in battle.

Finally, Carter as a young man in the military entered a nuclear reactor to repair damage, Ronald Reagan was shot by an attention-seeking stalker, and, in a return to WWII, George H. W. Bush was saved from capture by the Japanese when his plane was shot down.

Each chapter is only a few pages long, with additional blocks of information on current politics, the intended assassin, or other relevant world events. There are no photos, but a grainy image of a U.S. flag precedes each chapter. Back matter includes sources and an index.

Verdict: Kids who enjoy history that moves quickly and with plenty of action will devour this book.

ISBN: 9781547600236; Published January 2020 by Bloomsbury; Purchased for the library