Team of Five: The Presidents Club in the Age of Trump
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- Create Date：2021-08-14 06:51:01
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Kate Andersen Brower
- ISBN：0062668986
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Summary
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Residence and First Women—also a New York Times bestseller—comes a poignant， news-making look at the lives of the five former presidents in the wake of their White House years， including the surprising friendships they have formed through shared perspective and empathy—now with a new afterword
After serving the highest office of American government， five men—Jimmy Carter， the late George H。 W。 Bush， Bill Clinton， George W。 Bush， and Barack Obama—became members of the world’s most exclusive fraternity。 In Team of Five， Kate Andersen Brower goes beyond the White House to uncover what， exactly， comes after the presidency， offering a glimpse into the complex relationships of these five former presidents， and how each of these men views his place in a nation that has been upended by the Oval Office’s current， norm-breaking occupant， President Donald Trump。
With an empathetic yet critical eye and firsthand testimony from the Carters， Donald Trump， and the top aides， friends， and family members of the five former presidents， Team of Five takes us inside the exclusive world of these powerful men and their families， including the unlikely friendship between George W。 Bush and Michelle Obama， the last private visits Bill Clinton and Barack Obama shared with George H。W。 Bush， and the Obamas’ flight to Palm Springs after Donald Trump’s inauguration。 Perhaps most timely， this insightful， illuminating book overflows with anecdotes about how the ex-presidents are working to combat President Trump’s attempts to undo the achievements and hard work accomplished during their own terms。
Perhaps most poignantly， Team of Five sheds light on the inherent loneliness and inevitable feelings of powerlessness and frustration that come with no longer being the most important person in the world， but a leader with only symbolic power。 There are ways， though， that these men， and their wives， have become powerful political and cultural forces in American life， even as so-called “formers。”
Team of Five includes 16 pages of color photographs。
After serving the highest office of American government， five men—Jimmy Carter， the late George H。 W。 Bush， Bill Clinton， George W。 Bush， and Barack Obama—became members of the world’s most exclusive fraternity。 In Team of Five， Kate Andersen Brower goes beyond the White House to uncover what， exactly， comes after the presidency， offering a glimpse into the complex relationships of these five former presidents， and how each of these men views his place in a nation that has been upended by the Oval Office’s current， norm-breaking occupant， President Donald Trump。
With an empathetic yet critical eye and firsthand testimony from the Carters， Donald Trump， and the top aides， friends， and family members of the five former presidents， Team of Five takes us inside the exclusive world of these powerful men and their families， including the unlikely friendship between George W。 Bush and Michelle Obama， the last private visits Bill Clinton and Barack Obama shared with George H。W。 Bush， and the Obamas’ flight to Palm Springs after Donald Trump’s inauguration。 Perhaps most timely， this insightful， illuminating book overflows with anecdotes about how the ex-presidents are working to combat President Trump’s attempts to undo the achievements and hard work accomplished during their own terms。
Perhaps most poignantly， Team of Five sheds light on the inherent loneliness and inevitable feelings of powerlessness and frustration that come with no longer being the most important person in the world， but a leader with only symbolic power。 There are ways， though， that these men， and their wives， have become powerful political and cultural forces in American life， even as so-called “formers。”
Team of Five includes 16 pages of color photographs。
Reviews
Tom Barmaryam
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*** A Deceptive Title。 One of those Divisive Books ***1。5/5 When one understands that the author is a contributor for the likes of CNN， Washington Post and NYT， one is swiftly led to assume that the book is going to be mostly consumed with anti-Trump venom and rhetoric。 One's assumptions is proved right。 A lot of emotions， gobbledygook and drama。 I completely lost it seeing the author helplessly trying to whitewash one of the most corrupt presidential tenures of all times。 You guessed it right， *** A Deceptive Title。 One of those Divisive Books ***1。5/5 When one understands that the author is a contributor for the likes of CNN， Washington Post and NYT， one is swiftly led to assume that the book is going to be mostly consumed with anti-Trump venom and rhetoric。 One's assumptions is proved right。 A lot of emotions， gobbledygook and drama。 I completely lost it seeing the author helplessly trying to whitewash one of the most corrupt presidential tenures of all times。 You guessed it right， that of Bill Clinton's。 You just need to read that last paragraph and you realise what this book is all about。 It's not about the team of 5。 This book had the potential to be a worthy addendum to the classic "Team of Rivals"。 However， Ms。 K A Browner seems to have lost her focus halfway through the introduction。So there you go， if you're a Democrat you'll love it。 。。。more
Donna
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Interesting to read about post presidential relationships。
Carl
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I received this via Goodreads Giveaways。 Wonderful book on the most elite club in the world with only 46 members。 Fascinating behind-the-scenes insights into the thoughts of Presidents， as well as an interesting perspective on the history of the Club。 Highly recommend for those interested in Presidents and the history of their interactions。
Andrew
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I think The Presidents Club by Michael Duffy and Nancy Gibbs is a much better and more thorough examination of the club’s history。 There are tidbits that were interesting， particularly Obama’s involvement in the club since he left office and there is a chapter about the First Ladies’ Club as well。Quick read though， so probably worthwhile if you have a few hours time。
A Home Library
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Book Review — “Team of Five: The Presidents Club in the Age of Trump” by Kate Andersen Brower （2020， @harperbooks） Swipe on IG to see a few infographics I put together which sum up some the major themes I saw in the book， as well as the main points of contention （the “rules” of the “Presidents Club”）My summary ➡️ This book is about the way the Presidency impacts the people in office， both during and after their term（s）。 While the focus is chiefly on the “Team of Five” former POTUS alive when Tru Book Review — “Team of Five: The Presidents Club in the Age of Trump” by Kate Andersen Brower （2020， @harperbooks） Swipe on IG to see a few infographics I put together which sum up some the major themes I saw in the book， as well as the main points of contention （the “rules” of the “Presidents Club”）My summary ➡️ This book is about the way the Presidency impacts the people in office， both during and after their term（s）。 While the focus is chiefly on the “Team of Five” former POTUS alive when Trump took office， the author also makes comparisons to presidents further in the past。 Thus， several overarching themes emerge from the main “rules” outlined by the author。 I identified them on the slides。 Essentially， this book explores each area briefly and gives examples， some of which come from interviews， observations， and historical data。 Review ➡️ This book is consumable。 It’s written in sections dedicated to each of the 5 underneath a broader category， for example， how the POTUS dealt with leaving office。 One major takeaway I gained from reading this book was the friendships made between POTUS and their staff， POTUS and other POTUS， and First Ladies。 It was interesting to read about the Bushes + Clinton’s， and how the Carter’s didn’t really fit in the mold， as well as how the Obama’s felt about stepping into the role。 An additional recurring theme is how these presidents interact “in the age of Trump”。 You’ll notice that Trump isn’t on the cover here。 He wasn’t a former President at the time of the picture， but the question in the background of this book is， “How will Trump fit into this historic club of interrelated people？ And will he even bother？” I believe this book did not have much political bias。 It presents a mostly romantic version of the friendships between Presidents， but it definitely does mention the frustration and animosity when relevant。 It isn’t really about politics or mind numbing protocol; rather， it’s about the personal experiences。 I took a quote from the beginning （next slide） which sums up really the point of this whole book: it’s about shared experiences and personal impacts of the Presidency。 Highly recommended。 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars。 。。。more
Barb
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I developed a new sense of respect for these past presidents and their families！！ I loved how Barbara Bush would not watch or listen to any news， etc。， during the elections so she didn't have to listen to all the horrible insults thrown back and forth！！ I developed a new sense of respect for these past presidents and their families！！ I loved how Barbara Bush would not watch or listen to any news， etc。， during the elections so she didn't have to listen to all the horrible insults thrown back and forth！！ 。。。more
Dede Bartow
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I enjoyed this audiobook。 There were many redundant parts to the story。 I believe it could have been edited to not feel like I was listening to the same incidental account in different chapters of the book。 I definitely felt the Bush family was the favorite！ During her research perhaps that is what came across to the author， but it was an obvious observation！
Ryan
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Kate Andersen Brower returns to the White House to cover how ex-presidents have formed a fraternal club that has benefitted successors and their families alike。 This is similar ground covered by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy in their outstanding book， “The Presidents Club” （2012）， which covered Presidents Truman through Obama。 Brower’s book — half the length and more gossipy — takes us through the years where these unique relationships have been strained by Donald Trump and weathered the loss of Kate Andersen Brower returns to the White House to cover how ex-presidents have formed a fraternal club that has benefitted successors and their families alike。 This is similar ground covered by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy in their outstanding book， “The Presidents Club” （2012）， which covered Presidents Truman through Obama。 Brower’s book — half the length and more gossipy — takes us through the years where these unique relationships have been strained by Donald Trump and weathered the loss of a revered member， George H。 W。 Bush， who passed away in 2018。The added value of Brower’s book — this， her fourth book on the power dynamics of the U。S。 presidency and the office’s more recent occupants — is that she， perhaps more than any other contemporary writer， has captured what it’s like to *be* leader of the free world， a position of ever-increasing impact held by only a handful of people。 Having had access to the presidents and first ladies herself， in addition to an impressive number of aides， cabinet members， family members， and White House staff， she has fashioned a nonpartisan chronicle of momentous scale — and she writes accessible and compulsively readable books。The latter chapters on how Trump disrupted the club are incredibly insightful， and the numerous anecdotes on how one-time rivals have forged lifelong friendships — particularly those of Bush 41 and Clinton， and the Bush 43s and the Obamas — are absolute joys to read。 。。。more
Debbie Hurley
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Surprising ReadI chose this rating due to fact that I thought there wasn't much about previous presidents club before FDR。 I liked the fact about the surprising way they banded together after the 2016 election。 Perfect for people who like history and presidents。 Surprising ReadI chose this rating due to fact that I thought there wasn't much about previous presidents club before FDR。 I liked the fact about the surprising way they banded together after the 2016 election。 Perfect for people who like history and presidents。 。。。more
Sara Goldenberg
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Definitely the best book I read this weekend！ I like that it didn't favor any president or talk smack about any one either。 Definitely the best book I read this weekend！ I like that it didn't favor any president or talk smack about any one either。 。。。more
Michael
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I have spent significant time arguing political philosophies， ideologies and policies with all kinds of people。 I consider myself as a liberal first and a democrat second。 Team of Five did nothing to change my way of thinking about the US' two political parties。。。but it did make me change the way I have viewed the men who have held the highest office in the land。 Unless I am remembering this statistic wrong， since Barack Obama left office in 2017， the US has had the largest group of living ex-pr I have spent significant time arguing political philosophies， ideologies and policies with all kinds of people。 I consider myself as a liberal first and a democrat second。 Team of Five did nothing to change my way of thinking about the US' two political parties。。。but it did make me change the way I have viewed the men who have held the highest office in the land。 Unless I am remembering this statistic wrong， since Barack Obama left office in 2017， the US has had the largest group of living ex-presidents at any time in its history。 The death of George H。W。 Bush dropped the number to four， but with the defeat of number 45， the number has risen again to five。 I will never know personally the experience of being an ex-president， but Kate Andersen Brower does an extraordinary job of attaching human faces and souls to the men whose ultimate fate is to leave office， either by serving two terms or by being voted out after one。 The way it stands， on Inauguration Day， the White House staff works feverishly to move the ex-president and his effects out one door and the incoming president in another door。 The outgoing president heads to Andrews Air Force base， and boards a flight to whichever state they plan to call home。 They are dropped off at their front door， with a greatly reduced Secret Service detail to accompany them， and then。。。well， not much of anything。 After at least four years of the press crowding around them to record their every word and movement， and an enormous household staff to attend to their every need， and leaders worldwide expecting a minute of their time。。。the silence descends。 How each man handles the end of their presidency is as varied as the men themselves。 Some crave the spotlight and pine for it once it dims。 Some are only too happy to fade into private citizenship。 Oddly enough， since membership in the club is so limited。。。the men and their wives become good and close friends。 Their club has rules that most of them adhere to strictly。 For example， they conscientiously refrain from criticizing the sitting president。 One would think that， with the law ensuring that they will never again serve in the highest office in the land， they might feel more free to speak their minds。 But it is in their code of honor to restrain themselves。 The book was published so recently that there was no time to see in Donald Trump would be welcomed into the club。 I tend to agree with the author's conclusion that he would not， seeing as how he broke so many protocols while in office and continues to break them the further into obscurity he fades。 It matters little to him， which might make his exclusion easier。 But the other four surviving ex=presidents have led vary and interesting lives， and author Brower makes it easy to set aside one's political leanings and see these men as the human beings that they are。 。。。more
Allie
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All of Brower’s books have special nuggets - recommend all of them for lovers of the presidency or American history。
Marylee Lannan
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It was interesting if somewhat repetitive。 I’m glad I got it from the library。
Ray
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In the final year of Donald Trump's Presidency， author Kate Andersen Brower looked into the lives and legacy of the members of what she termed the world's most exclusive fraternity， i。e。， the ex-President's Club。 Members of this exclusive club at the time she was writing the book were Jimmy Carter， George H。 W。 Bush， Bill Clinton， George W。 Bush， and Barack Obama， with Donald Trump soon to join the group。 In TEAM OF FIVE， Kate Andersen Brower describes what comes after the presidency， offering a In the final year of Donald Trump's Presidency， author Kate Andersen Brower looked into the lives and legacy of the members of what she termed the world's most exclusive fraternity， i。e。， the ex-President's Club。 Members of this exclusive club at the time she was writing the book were Jimmy Carter， George H。 W。 Bush， Bill Clinton， George W。 Bush， and Barack Obama， with Donald Trump soon to join the group。 In TEAM OF FIVE， Kate Andersen Brower describes what comes after the presidency， offering a glimpse into the complex relationships of these five former presidents， and how each of these men views his place in a nation that has been upended by the Oval Office’s then current， norm-breaking occupant， President Donald Trump。Brower researched and interviewed these ex-Presidents， and spoke to the spouces， children， and White House staff among others。 Surprises described include the unlikely friendship between George W。 Bush and Michelle Obama， as well as the description of the last private visits Bill Clinton and Barack Obama shared with George H。W。 Bush。Brower noted the everybody seemed to love George H。W。 Bush， and the living ex-presidents spoke very highly of him。 They also developed a friendship for the second Bush President （George W。 Bush）。 She talks about Clinton and his foibles， and describes how Carter was a little harder to get along with than the others。 She also notes that Obama's legacy is still to be defined， and expects that Trump， the least Presidential of all， is likely to leave a legacy quite different from the others in the Team of Five。 All in all， her insights into the Presidents and First Families maked for some very interesting reading。 。。。more
Deborah Lyman
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Again， some very good inside information of the former Presidents。 However， having read all of the others， more time could have been spent on giving the reader information on the men， rather than rehashing the lives of the first ladies and children。 Much was repeated from her previous books。I also felt it was written with bias。 Much was spent on how great a job Obama did in 8 years。 Many of the middle class would beg to differ。 This was also published before President Trump's second election。 Th Again， some very good inside information of the former Presidents。 However， having read all of the others， more time could have been spent on giving the reader information on the men， rather than rehashing the lives of the first ladies and children。 Much was repeated from her previous books。I also felt it was written with bias。 Much was spent on how great a job Obama did in 8 years。 Many of the middle class would beg to differ。 This was also published before President Trump's second election。 The information on #45 could have been written more objectively rather than with what was clearly biased opinions。 Some information has now been made public that is was false。I haven't been impressed with the two last books。One of 72 million who voted the right way。 。。。more
Elise Noorda
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Interesting to consider the lives and interactions of those that have left the White House - unlikely friendships， unwritten rules， and what it's like to go from going from the presidency to "life after"。 Insightful and interesting。 Interesting to consider the lives and interactions of those that have left the White House - unlikely friendships， unwritten rules， and what it's like to go from going from the presidency to "life after"。 Insightful and interesting。 。。。more
Jess
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Great read！ I enjoyed it and learned a lot。
Ruth Anne
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Informative， enjoyable and nonjudgemental book about the relationships between the former living Presidents and （at the time of writing the book） the sitting President。 I've read many political books in the past five or six years and find this one near the top of the stack when it comes to 'useable knowledge'。 Rather an easy read but one with lots of 'food for thought'。 This is a good companion book to "The President's Club" which I've read several times。 Informative， enjoyable and nonjudgemental book about the relationships between the former living Presidents and （at the time of writing the book） the sitting President。 I've read many political books in the past five or six years and find this one near the top of the stack when it comes to 'useable knowledge'。 Rather an easy read but one with lots of 'food for thought'。 This is a good companion book to "The President's Club" which I've read several times。 。。。more
Jon
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This was an extremely interesting way to look at the presidents。 Enjoyed reading about the interaction post presidency。
Virginia
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Wendy's book Wendy's book 。。。more
Linda
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A great read about all the still-living former US presidents and their “club。” The book includes both George Bushes， Jimmy Carter， Bill Clinton and Obama and their wives。 During the course of the book， George H。W。 Bush dies and Trump becomes an ex-president。 Trump is interviewed， but it is unclear if he will participate in the group。 Good history， personal portraits and touching and funny stories。 Excepting Trump， a group of honorable men who all tried to do their best for the country。
Sasha
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I’ve read MANY presidential biographies and autobiographies and memoirs， but they all end at the end of each man’s presidency。 This was a fascinating look at how these men became allies after holding office when before they’d been political enemies。 The detail given to each man is really good and unbiased when it comes to the political affiliation of each。
Janet
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Interesting perspective An interesting overview of the unique relationship between former US presidents。 I was especially impressed by the relationship between President Ford and President Carter。 I had no idea how close they came to be。 I have over the past 30 years been impressed by the friendships that seem to exist among these men。 I wonder how the newest member of the group will fit in。 My speculation is that he won't。 Interesting perspective An interesting overview of the unique relationship between former US presidents。 I was especially impressed by the relationship between President Ford and President Carter。 I had no idea how close they came to be。 I have over the past 30 years been impressed by the friendships that seem to exist among these men。 I wonder how the newest member of the group will fit in。 My speculation is that he won't。 。。。more
Emily Mckevitt
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Interesting read， became pretty slow by the last half。
Lynn
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What A Great Book！I don’t know what took me me so long to read this book。 It’s wonderful。 The kindness and love is so touching。 The story on how presidents and First Ladies care for each other and the country is very important
Whistlinvaderr
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Not as good as the original President's Club book。 Repetitive and delivered in a way that is somewhat opinionated。 Delivery is not great on audible version。 Reading might come across more enjoyable。 A whole lot of interesting information， just jumps around too much。 Not as good as the original President's Club book。 Repetitive and delivered in a way that is somewhat opinionated。 Delivery is not great on audible version。 Reading might come across more enjoyable。 A whole lot of interesting information， just jumps around too much。 。。。more
Paula
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Great insight into a special club。 Am now anxious for the team to have its women and see how the dynamics advance。
Cathy
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Really interesting。 I liked it enough that I immediately ordered The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House and loved it as well。 Really interesting。 I liked it enough that I immediately ordered The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House and loved it as well。 。。。more
Anne
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By the author of “First Women”。 This has more detail about the relationships among the former presidents than among the first ladies in “First Women”。 One “disappointment” was finding entire passages from “First Women” included here verbatim。 But the insight and behind-the-scenes feel of this book makes for interesting reading。
Brad
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