The Presidents Club was born at Eisenhower’s inauguration when Harry Truman and Herbert Hoover first conceived the idea. Over the years that followed-and to this day-the presidents relied on, misunderstood, sabotaged, and formed alliances with one another that changed history. Its members are bound forever because of their stints in the Oval Office, yet are immortal rivals for history’s favor.

Some presidents needed their predecessors to keep their secrets; others needed them to disappear. Most just needed help getting the job done. Truman enlisted Hoover to help him save Europe; Kennedy turned to Ike with Cuba; Nixon sought Johnson’s advice on getting reelected, but then tried to blackmail him; Bush put his father and Clinton to work and they became like father and son; and Obama and Clinton became quiet rivals for the same crown.

Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy unravel the secret confidences, the shared scars, and the private cease-fires from Hoover to Obama. A fascinating, inside look at a hidden world, The Presidents Club will change the way we think about the presidency.