In addition, Berg delivers the most comprehensible (if not comprehensive) description of the tension between the United States and Mexico in Wilson’s early presidency and probably provides the best description of World War I to be found in any Wilson biography. Figures such as William Jennings Bryan, Edith Galt, Charles Hughes and Georges Clemenceau are among those best introduced to the reader. Unlike many biographers who almost ignore ancillary cast members, Berg provides a compelling, detailed background for nearly everyone who will prove important in his narrative. Nothing earth-shattering is revealed, but Berg is able to add vibrancy and vitality to Wilson’s life and surroundings.īerg is also particularly adept at introducing new characters. By adding hundreds of new details and nuances to Wilson’s world, Berg adds texture and context not found in other Wilson biographies. He is a gifted, engaging writer and an excellent storyteller. This biography’s key strength may well be the quality of Berg’s prose.

Instead, Berg tells a mostly familiar story in a unique and colorful way. There is no dramatic re-appraisal of Wilson or his legacy. But while the book’s publisher promises to “fill in missing pieces” and “cast new light on his entire life” the end result is far less sensational. With unique access to the personal papers of Wilson’s physician – as well as those of Wilson’s second daughter – Berg is able to explore terrain inaccessible to previous biographers. Wilson, of course, was not just a graduate of Berg’s alma mater – he also taught at Princeton for more than a decade before serving as its 13th president.

Taking more than a decade to research and write, “Wilson” was sparked by the author’s lifelong affinity for Wilson and by Berg’s service on Princeton’s Board of Trustees. He is best-known for his 1998 Pulitzer Prize-winning biography “ Lindbergh” but has also written about Samuel Goldwyn and Katharine Hepburn. Like Wilson, Berg was a graduate of Princeton University. Scott Berg’s full-scale biography of the 28th president which was published in 2013.

Lindbergh by A. Scott Berg