State-by-State Bibliography of Books By and About Governors

This section lists books by and about governors of particular states, listed by state. A bibliography of books about the office of the governor organized by topic is also available.

This page includes a general historic overview and states from Alabama through Massachusetts. For Michigan through Wyoming, click here. Unlisted states do not have entries, but we are always updating the list. Please do not hesitate to contact us with citations that should be added.

 

Historical Overview

  • Black, Earl. (1976). Southern Governors and Civil Rights: Racial Segregation As a Campaign Issue.  Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
  • Hesseltine, William B. (1948). Lincoln and the War Governors.  New York, NY: Knopf.
  • Mullaney, Marie Marmo. (1994). Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States 1988-1994. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group.
  • Mullaney, Marie Marmo. (1989). Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1983-1988. Westport, CT: Meckler Books.
  • Sobel, Robert and John Raimo, eds. (1978).  Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978. Westport, CT: Meckler Books.

Alabama

  • Carter, Dan T. (2000). The Politics of Rage: George Wallace, the Origins of the New Conservatism, and the Transformation of American Politics. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press.
  • Cotter, Patrick R. and James Glen Stovall. (2009).  After Wallace: the 1986 Contest for Governor and Political Change in Alabama.  Tuscaloosa, AL: University of Alabama Press.
  • Dorman, Michael. (1976). The George Wallace Myth. New York, NY:: Bantam Books.
  • Frady, Marshall. (1996). Wallace: The Classic Portrait of Alabama Governor George Wallace.  New York, NY: Random House.
  • Frederick, Jeff. (2007).  Stand up for Alabama: Governor George Wallace.  Tuscaloosa, AL: University of Alabama Press.
  • Howard, Gene. (2008).  Patterson for Alabama: the Life and Career of John Patterson. Tuscaloosa, AL: University of Alabama Press.
  • Jones, W. Raymond. (2000). Alabama Governors Then and Now.  Montgomery, AL: W.R. Jones.
  • Rohler, Lloyd. (2004). George Wallace: Conservative Populist. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.
  • Trest, Warren. (2008).  Nobody but the People: the Life and Times of Alabama’s Youngest Governor.  Montgomery, AL: NewSouth Books.
  • Wallace, George C.  (1976).  Stand up for America.  Garden City, NY: Doubleday.
  • Webb, Samuel L. and Margaret E. Armbrester, eds. (2001).  Alabama Governors: A Political History of the State.  Tuscaloosa, AL: University of Alabama Press.

Alaska

  • Hammond, Jay. (1996).  Tales of Alaska’s Bush Rat Governor: The Extraordinary Autobiography of Jay. S. Hammond.  Kenmore, WA: Epicenter Press.
  • Hilley, Joe, (2008).  Sarah Palin: A New Kind of Leader.  Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan Publishing.
  • James, G. Robert. (2008). Sarah Palin: The Real Deal.  Lakeland, FL: White Stone Books.
  • Johnson, Kaylene. (2008). Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned the Political Establishment Upside Down.  Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
  • Palin, Sarah. (2009). Going Rogue: An American Life.  New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Arkansas

  • Clinton, Bill. (2004). My Life. New York, NY: Knopf.
  • Donovan, Timothy Paul and Willard B. Gatewood. (1981). The Governors of Arkansas: Essays in Political Biography.  Fayetteville, AR: University of Arkansas Press.
  • Hamilton, Nigel. (2003).  Bill Clinton: An American Journey.  New York, NY: Random House.
  • Huckabee, Mike. (1997). Character is the Issue: How People With Integrity Can Revolutionize America.  Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group.
  • Ward, John L. (1978). The Arkansas Rockefeller.  Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press.
  • Urwin, Cathy Kunzinger. (1991). Agenda for Reform: Winthrop Rockefeller as Governor of Arkansas, 1967-71.  Fayetteville, AR: University of Arkansas Press.

Arizona

  • McMillan, James Elton. (2004). Ernest W. McFarland: Majority Leader of the United States Senate, Governor and Chief Justice of the State of Arizona.  Prescott AZ: Hall, Sharlot Museum Press.
  • Myers, John L. (1989). The Arizona Governors 1912-1990.  Phoenix: Heritage Publications.

California

  • Cannon, Lou. (2003). Governor Reagan: His Rise to Power.  New York, NY: Public Affairs.
  • Douzet, Frederick, Thad Kousser, and Ken Miller, eds. (2008). The New Political Geography of California.  Berkeley CA: Institute of Governmental Studies Press.
  • Leamer, Eric. (2006).  Fantastic: The Life of Arnold Schwarzenegger.  New York, NY: Public Affairs.
  • Mathews, Joe. (2006). The People’s Machine: Arnold Schwarzenegger And the Rise of Blockbuster Democracy.  New York, NY: Public Affairs.
  • Melendy, H. Brett and Benjamin F. Gilbert. (1965). The Governors of California: Peter H. Burnett to Edmund G. Brown. Georgetown, CA: Talisman Press.
  • Morris, Edmund. (1999). Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan.  New York, NY: Random House.
  • Quinn, Mildred. (1970).  California Governors: Past and Present.   Chicago: Franklin Publications.
  • Schaechtele, Molly Shoemaker. (1995). The Governors of California and their Portraits.  Sacramento: California State Capitol Museum Volunteer Association.
  • Worthen, James.  (2006). Governor James Rolph and the Great Depression in California.  San Francisco: McFarland & Co.

Colorado

  • Lamm, Richard. (1984).  Pioneers & Politicians: 10 Colorado Governors in Profile.  Boulder, CO: Pruett Publishing Co.
  • Preston, R.L.  (2006). Stetson, Pipe, and Boots–Colorado’s Cattleman Governor: A Biography About Dan Thornton.  Victoria, B.C., Canada: Trafford Publishing.

Connecticut

  • Norton, Frederick Calvin. (1905). The Governors of Connecticut.  Hartford, CT: Connecticut Magazine Co.

Florida

Georgia

  • Cook, James F. (2005). Governors of Georgia, 1754-1995.  Macon, GA: Mercer University Press.
  • Henderson, Harold Paulk. (2000).  Ernest Vandiver: Governor of Georgia.  Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press.
  • Henderson, Harold Paulk. (1991).  The Politics of Change in Georgia: A Political Biography of Ellis Arnall.  Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press.
  • Hyatt, Richard. (1997).  Zell: The Governor who Gave Georgia Hope.  Macon, GA: Mercer University Press.

Illinois

  • Ress, David. (2006). Governor Edward Coles and the Vote to Forbid Slavery in Illinois, 1823-1824.  Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co.

Indiana

  • Gugin, Linda C. and James E. St. Clair.  (2006). The Governors of Indiana.  Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society Press in cooperation with the Indiana Historical Bureau.
  • Mills, Randy Keith, Ray E. Boomhower, Kathleen M. Breen, and Paula J. Corpuz.  (2005).  Jonathan Jennings: Indiana’s First Governor (Indiana Biography Series.

Iowa

  • Bowermaster, Jon. (1987). Governor: An Oral Biography of Robert D. Ray. Ames, IA: Iowa State University Press.
  • Walsh, Matthew R. (2017). The Good Governor: Robert Ray and the Indochinese Refugees of Iowa. McFarland & Company, Inc.

Kentucky

  • Department for Libraries and Archives, Commonwealth of Kentucky, Kentucky’s Governors (brief online biographical outline of governors)
  • Harrison, Lowell Hayes. (2004). Kentucky’s Governors (Lexington, KY: The University Press of Kentucky.
  • Powell, Robert A. (1976).  Kentucky Governors (Danville, KY: Bluegrass Printing Company.

Louisiana

  • Bridges, Tyler. (2001). Bad Bet on the Bayou: The Rise of Gambling in Louisiana and the Fall of Governor Edwin Edwards.  New York, NY: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.
  • Cowan, Walter Greaves and Jack B. McGuire. (2008).  Louisiana Governors: Rulers, Rascals, and Reformers.  Jackson, MS: University Press of Mississippi.
  • Dawson, Joseph G. (1990).  The Louisiana Governors: From Iberville to Edwards.  Baton Rouge: LSU Press.
  • Long, Huey P. (1933). Every Man a King: the Autobiography of Huey P. Long.  New Orleans: National Book Co.
  • Reeves, Miriam G. (1998). The Governors of Louisiana.  Gretna, LA: Pelican Publishing Co.
  • White, Jr., Richard D. (2006). Kingfish: the Reign of Huey P. Long.  New York, NY: Random House.
  • Williams, Harry T. (1969). Huey Long.  New York, NY: Knopf.

Maryland

  • Smith, C. Fraser. (1999). William Donald Schaefer: A Political Biography.  Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
  • White, Jr., Frank F. (1970). The Governors of Maryland, 1777-1970.  Annapolis, MD: Hall of Records Commission.

Massachusetts

  • Beatty, Jack. (1992). The Rascal King: the Life and Times of James Michael Curley, 1874-1958.  Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
  • Nyhan, David. (1988). Duke: The Inside Story of a Political Phenomenon.  Clayton, Victoria, Canada: Warner Books.
  • Rivers, George R.R. (1896). The Governor’s Garden: A Relation of Some Passages in the Life of His Excellency Thomas Hutchinson, Sometime Captain-General and Governor-in-chief of His Majesty’s Province of Massachusetts Bay.  Boston: Joseph Knight Co.
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