Although there are many collections of eulogies to a particular president who has died, this is the only book that analyzes eulogies to all of them.

John R. Vile describes the roles of eulogies and then examines key eulogies on behalf of all US presidents who have died while in office or afterwards. The eulogies provide a view of presidential personalities, policies, and popularity. The book devotes particular attention to the announcement of presidential deaths by sitting presidents, and to eulogies that were delivered by other presidents, major political leaders both domestic and foreign, and, in some cases, close family members. Readers will gain insights into each of these presidents, the major issues they confronted, and how their contemporaries viewed them.