Presidential Historian & Pulitzer Prize Winning Author

Jon Meacham Biography

Presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham is one of America’s most prominent public intellectuals. A contributing editor at TIME and the writer behind “The Long View” column for The New York Times Book Review—where he looks back at books that speak to our current historical and cultural moment—Meacham is a highly sought-after commentator who regularly appears on MSNBC, CNN, and other major news outlets. He previously served as Newsweek‘s managing editor from 1998 to 2006 and as editor from 2006 to 2010.

A skilled orator with a depth of knowledge about politics, religion, and current affairs, Meacham has the unique ability to bring history to life. He regularly offers crucial historical context to current events and issues impacting our daily lives to audiences of all backgrounds and levels of understanding.

 Acclaimed Authorship & Bestsellers
Meacham is the author of multiple New York Times bestsellers spanning definitive presidential biographies and cultural histories:

• American Struggle: Democracy, Dissent, and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union (2026):His latest New York Times bestseller examines the enduring challenges and resilience of American democracy.
• The Call to Serve (2024): An illuminating portrait honoring the 100th anniversary of George H.W. Bush’s birth, focusing on a life lived beyond politics.
• And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle (2022): Winner of the prestigious Lincoln Prize, this acclaimed work spent 16 weeks on the Times bestseller list.
• His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope (2020): An intimate, bestselling portrait of the civil rights icon and longtime U.S. congressman.
• Songs of America: Co-written with musician Tim McGraw, this celebration of the music that shaped the nation was praised by Quincy Jones as “a glorious celebration of our diversity” and by Ken Burns as an “unusually well-written and moving story.”
• The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels: A #1 New York Times bestseller that examines the modern political landscape by looking back at critical inflection points in U.S. history when hope overcame division and fear.
• Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush: This biography debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and was praised by the Times as “judicious, balanced, deliberative, with a deep appreciation of history and the personalities who shape it.”
• Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power: A #1 New York Times bestseller hailed as “masterful and intimate” by Fortune magazine.
• American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House: Meacham’s landmark biographical work which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2009.
• Other Notable Books: His other national bestsellers include Franklin and Winston and American Gospel. He is also the co-author of Impeachment: An American History, which reveals the complicated motives behind the first three impeachments in U.S. history.

Podcasts & Media Appearances

In 2020, Meacham partnered with the History Channel to release two critically acclaimed podcasts: Hope Through History and It Was Said. Written and narrated by Meacham, Hope Through Historyexplores some of the most trying times in American history and how the nation emerged more unified. It Was Said focuses on the crucial real-time rhetoric and historic speeches that shaped America from the McCarthy era to the present day, capturing the nation we’ve been while pointing toward the nation we hope to become.

Meacham is a frequent guest on Morning Joe, Real Time with Bill Maher, and The 11th Hour. He was featured in Ken Burns’ documentary series The Roosevelts: An Intimate History, and Fox News produced an hour-long special centered on his biography Destiny and Power.

Academic & Professional Honors

In 2024, Meacham was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Biden and was honored as a Library Lion of the New York Public Library. Named a “Global Leader for Tomorrow” by the World Economic Forum, he is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a fellow of the Society of American Historians.

Meacham is a distinguished visiting professor at Vanderbilt University, where he holds the Rogers Chair in the American Presidency.