Presidents & Heads of State

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Splendid and the Vile brings to life the pivotal five months between the election of Abraham Lincoln and the start of the Civil War—a simmering crisis that finally tore a deeply divided nation in two....

An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s by Doris Kearns Goodwin, one of America’s most beloved historians, artfully weaves together biography, memoir, and history. She takes you along on the emotional journey she and her husband embarked upon in the last years of his life.

Here for the first time is the definitive untold story of Donald Trump’s years as a reality TV star. Trump himself admits he might not have been president without The Apprentice....

In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world....

On Winston Churchill’s first day as prime minister, Adolf Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium. Poland and Czechoslovakia had already fallen, and the Dunkirk evacuation was just two weeks away....

Pulitzer Prize winner Ron Chernow returns with a sweeping and dramatic portrait of one of our most compelling generals and presidents, Ulysses S. Grant....

In a seamless meshing of exhaustive research, brilliant synthesis and narrative élan, Simon Sebag Montefiore chronicles the life and lives of Stalin’s court from the time of his acclamation as “leader” in 1929, five years after Lenin’s death, until his own death in 1953 at the age of 73....

On May 18, 1860, William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Edward Bates, and Abraham Lincoln waited in their hometowns for the results from the Republican National Convention....

Hated and hailed, excoriated and revered, Abraham Lincoln was at the pinnacle of American power when secessionists gave no quarter in a clash of visions bound up with money, race, identity, and faith. In him we can see the possibilities of the presidency as well as its limitations....

Authors of the acclaimed Killing books, the #1 bestselling narrative history series in the world, Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard begin a new direction with Confronting the Presidents.

The River of Doubt brings alive extraordinary events in a powerful nonfiction narrative thriller that happens to feature one of the most famous Americans who ever lived....

In her international bestseller SPQR, Mary Beard told the thousand-year story of ancient Rome. Now she shines her spotlight on the emperors who ruled the Roman empire....

In this powerful, epic biography, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David McCullough unfolds the adventurous life-journey of John Adams....

The riveting story of how President Harry Truman and General Douglas MacArthur squared off to decide America's future in the aftermath of World War II....

Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best nonfiction books of all time. Described by the Chicago Tribune as "a classic", The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt stands as one of the greatest biographies of our time....

Hailed by critics as an American masterpiece, David McCullough's sweeping biography of Harry S. Truman captured the heart of the nation....

Nelson Mandela is one of the great moral and political leaders of our time....

In this magnificent biography, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of American Lion and Franklin and Winston brings vividly to life an extraordinary man and his remarkable times....

No Ordinary Time describes how the isolationist and divided United States of 1940 was unified under the extraordinary leadership of Franklin Roosevelt....

This is the story of the rise to national power of a desperately poor young man from the Texas Hill Country....

Robert A. Caro's life of Lyndon Johnson continues - one of the richest, most intensive, and most revealing examinations ever undertaken of an American President....

James A. Garfield may have been the most extraordinary man ever elected president....

Mary L. Trump, a trained clinical psychologist and Donald’s only niece, shines a bright light on the dark history of their family in order to explain how her uncle became the man who now threatens the world’s health, economic security, and social fabric....

Just two months into his presidency, Ronald Reagan lay near death after a gunman's bullet came within inches of his heart....

More than a million listeners have thrilled to Bill O'Reilly's Killing Lincoln, the can't-stop-listening work of nonfiction about the shocking assassination that changed the course of American history....

Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. served as special assistant to President John F. Kennedy throughout his presidency—from the long and grueling campaign to Kennedy's tragic and unexpected assassination by Lee Harvey Oswald. In A Thousand Days, Schlesinger combines intimate knowledge as one of President Kennedy's inner circle with sweeping research and historic context to provide a look at one of the most legendary presidential administrations in American history.

Was he “the greatest human being ever to occupy 10 Downing Street,” or a man whose “brilliant but unsound judgement resulted in detrimental consequences for Britain and for the world”? Decades after his death, debate still rages over Sir Winston Churchill’s contribution to history, though all agree that it was profound no matter which way it’s viewed. But now that wartime nostalgia has mostly washed away, the views of Churchill are more divergent than ever.

Delve into the untold stories of America's Forgotten First Ladies with this enlightening exploration. Despite their significant contributions to the nation, 28 of the 71 First Ladies have been erased from history's narrative. Unlock the forgotten chapters of America's past and honor the unsung heroines who helped shape the nation's destiny. This ebook is specifically designed to work with the audiobook of the same name. The information in this book is taken from my book, "America's Forgotten First Ladies," and has been adapted for audio purposes. Discover the identities and legacies of ...

India’s prime ministers have taken decisions that changed the course of the country’s history. This book by Neerja Chowdhury, an award-winning journalist and political commentator, goes beyond the news headlines to provide an eye-opening account of how some of the most important political decisions in independent India were taken.

The worst decade in the history of the Liberal Party of Canada came to an end on October 19, 2015. Justin Trudeau swept to power, ending the ten-year rule of Stephen Harper’s Conservatives. Trudeau’s vision was relentlessly optimistic: the word "positive" was heard eight times in his victory speech, along with references to "sunny ways" and "hope and hard work." But the fates decreed that he would govern in darker times.

In this masterful biography, historian Randall B. Woods peels back the many layers of John Quincy’s long life, exposing a rich and complicated family saga and a political legacy that transformed the American Republic. This deeply researched, brilliantly written volume delves into John Quincy’s intellectual pursuits and political thought; his loving, yet at times strained, marriage to Louisa Catherine Johnson, whom he met in London; his troubling relationships with his three sons; and his fiery post-presidency rebirth in Congress as he became the chamber’s most vocal opponent of slavery.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris began their transition to the White House in the most unusual of circumstances: a global pandemic, a sitting president violently refusing to accept the results of the election, and a historic racial reckoning all posed profound questions about how they would staff large parts of the government and articulate policy remedies to pressing problems in just eleven weeks.

Here for the first time is the definitive untold story of Donald Trump’s years as a reality TV star. Trump himself admits he might not have been president without The Apprentice. Now, just as he uncovered the chaos inside the daytime favorite The View in his bestselling Ladies Who Punch, Ramin Setoodeh chronicles Trump’s dramatic tenure as New York’s ultimate boss in the boardroom, a mirage created by Survivor producer Mark Burnett and NBC boss Jeff Zucker.

Through vivid anecdotes and insightful reflections, Roosevelt provides listeners with an intimate glimpse into his experiences, convictions, and the tumultuous events that shaped his era. Written after his presidency, Roosevelt reflects on his upbringing, early life, and political career. He describes his sickly childhood and his intense efforts to strengthen his body through exercise. The book then traces his journey through various roles, including soldier, explorer, conservationist, and statesman—a true story about leadership, resilience, and the pursuit of excellence.

"The letters of a person form the only full and genuine journal of his life," noted President Thomas Jefferson, who wrote nearly 20,000 letters in his own lifetime. In Letters From The Head & Heart, acclaimed historian Andrew Burstein invites listeners to rediscover Jefferson through an exploration of his most enduring public and private writings. Immerse yourself in the revolutionary era with Jefferson's masterful prose, examining two of his best-known contributions to American history: the Declaration of Independence and his first inaugural address.

READ FOR FREE WITH KINDLE UNLIMITED Adolf Hitler is one of those historic figures that, on one hand, fascinate historians and common readers worldwide and, on the other hand, horripilate both categories. Most people know he was the leader of the Nazi party and that he triggered the Holocaust, the most serious crime against mankind ever committed. But that’s all some know about him. This book wants to be a quick, succinct guide on Hitler’s life, from childhood to adulthood and death. Because there are many conspiracy theories surrounding him on the Internet, it can be very difficult to ...

Jimmy Carter, born October 1, 1924, served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. As member of the Democratic Party, he previously held the roles of Georgia state senator and governor. Post-presidency, Carter is renowned for his humanitarian work through the Carter Center, receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. His legacy includes significant contributions to peace, democracy, public health, and human rights. Carter is also a prolific author and the longest-living former U.S. president.

On June 6, 1944, General Dwight Eisenhower addressed the thousands of American troops preparing to invade Normandy, exhorting them to embrace the “Great Crusade” they faced. Then, in a fleeting moment alone, he drafted a resignation letter in case the invasion failed. In The Light of Battle, Michel Paradis, acclaimed author of Last Mission to Tokyo, paints a vivid portrait of Dwight Eisenhower as he learns to navigate the crosscurrents of diplomacy, politics, strategy, family, and fame with the fate of the free world hanging in the balance.

For more than two centuries, the White House in Washington, DC, has been the stage for some of the most climactic moments in American history. Its walls and portraits have witnessed fierce power struggles, history-altering decisions, shocking scandals, and intimate moments among the First Family, their guests, and the staff.

In honor of the one hundredth anniversary of George H. W. Bush’s birth, this visually stunning chronicle features never-before-published photos and memories celebrating the forty-first president’s vision of leadership as service to country—curated by Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Jon Meacham.