No. It is not the current president or a recent past president. I’m sure there are many people who would think this title is one of the many political hatchet jobs that have been published in the last few years. But the full title The President Is a Sick Man: Wherein the Supposedly Virtuous Grover Cleveland Survives a Secret Surgery at Sea and Vilifies the Courageous Newspaperman Who Dared Expose the Truth makes it clear that this is not about a recent president at all and there is certainly more to it than the usual political hatchet job.

The President is Grover Cleveland, the year is 1893, the country faces a financial crisis and there is some secret stuff going on. Cancer is not spoken off in polite society and a president with cancer would be severely weakened politically at a crucial time. President Grover Cleveland has cancer. So the While House just lied.

This is the story of the event and a cover-up lasting for nearly a quarter century. And, of course, the reporter who broke the story in 1893 was believed to be a liar. (Since the President is an honest man.) Matthew Algeo is a reporter and covers this little-known historical event well, putting things in the context of the times and issues and making the story interesting.

The asides are interesting too. President Cleveland had excellent medical care but this seems to be an exception. President today have very good care but that has not been the case for much of our history. I learned in school that President Garfield was shot and died of the resulting infection. The part you don’t learn in school is that the wounds were not fatal but the infection probably resulted from his medical care. Other presidents had doctors picked for political or social reason. Some were good enough but some were really incompetent. The Baby Ruth candy bar is often said to be named for President Cleveland’s daughter Ruth but that does not seem to be the case. I found the background on newpapers of the day fascinating.

The author addresses differences between journalism and newspapers of the 19th century and today’s journalists and media. This a completely enjoyable book. I highly recommend it.