
Madam Speaker
Nancy Pelosi's Life, Times, and Rise to Power
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
C. James Moore
-
By:
-
Marc Sandalow
About this listen
Unthinkable just a generation ago, Hillary Clinton's run for the presidency and Nancy Pelosi's ascension to Speaker of the House have cast the spotlight on American political women as never before. In the 230 years of this country's history, never has a woman—let alone a mother and a grandmother—risen to such a position of power as Nancy Pelosi did when she assumed her role as the first female Speaker of the House, third in line for the presidency.
In Madam Speaker, Marc Sandalow, an esteemed journalist and political analyst who covered Pelosi for decades, offers a richly nuanced portrait of the woman who made history. He charts Pelosi's political roots, honing in on her father, who spent five terms in Congress and stored hundreds of copies of the Congressional Record under her bed, and goes on to examine how Pelosi, who didn't run for political office until she was 47 years old, juggled her family life and fought hard to forge a place for herself in Washington, ultimately becoming one of the most influential voices in our nation.
Based on hundreds of interviews with Pelosi's colleagues, family, and friends—and the Speaker herself—Sandalow culls together insightful anecdotes and political analysis to chronicle Pelosi's meteoric rise and controversial tenure. Madam Speaker illuminates the inspiring life of a woman who has already made history.
©2008 Marc Sandalow (P)2014 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Path to Power
- The Years of Lyndon Johnson
- By: Robert A. Caro
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 40 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the story of the rise to national power of a desperately poor young man from the Texas Hill Country. The Path to Power reveals in extraordinary detail the genesis of the almost superhuman drive, energy, and ambition that set LBJ apart. It follows him from the Hill Country to New Deal Washington, from his boyhood through the years of the Depression to his debut as Congressman, his heartbreaking defeat in his first race for the Senate, and his attainment, nonetheless, at age 31, of the national power for which he hungered.
-
-
The Best of all Biographies
- By David C. Daggett on 12-14-13
By: Robert A. Caro
-
What Happened
- By: Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Narrated by: Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Length: 18 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For the first time, Hillary Rodham Clinton reveals what she was thinking and feeling during one of the most controversial and unpredictable presidential elections in history. Now free from the constraints of running, Hillary takes you inside the intense personal experience of becoming the first woman nominated for president by a major party in an election marked by rage, sexism, exhilarating highs and infuriating lows, stranger-than-fiction twists, Russian interference, and an opponent who broke all the rules. This is her most personal memoir yet.
-
-
Typical Hillary
- By Randall Shields on 09-18-17
-
My Life
- By: Bill Clinton
- Narrated by: Bill Clinton
- Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
President Bill Clinton's My Life is the strikingly candid portrait of a global leader who decided early in life to devote his intellectual and political gifts, and his extraordinary capacity for hard work, to serving the public. It is the fullest, most concretely detailed, most nuanced account of a presidency ever written, and a testament to the positive impact on America and on the world of his work and his ideals.
-
-
Absorbing -- don't believe the haters' reviews
- By D.J. Grothe on 06-22-04
By: Bill Clinton
-
Destiny and Power
- The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush
- By: Jon Meacham
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 25 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drawing on President Bush’s personal diaries, on the diaries of his wife, Barbara, and on extraordinary access to the 41st president and his family, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham paints an intimate and surprising portrait of an intensely private man who led the nation through tumultuous times.
-
-
Fair and insightful
- By Jean on 12-02-15
By: Jon Meacham
-
The Fighting Soul
- On the Road with Bernie Sanders
- By: Ari Rabin-Havt
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With The Fighting Soul, Ari Rabin-Havt takes us where no profiles or televised interview have been able to go. As a close advisor and deputy campaign manager on Bernie Sanders's most recent—and likely last—presidential campaign, the tireless Rabin-Havt spent more hours between 2017 and 2020 with the Vermont senator than anyone else. Traveling the country for rallies and to support striking workers, the two visited thirty-six states, drove tens of thousands of miles, and ate in countless chain restaurants.
-
-
An intimate look of an amazing man
- By amanda baker on 04-05-23
By: Ari Rabin-Havt
-
The Red and the Blue
- The 1990s and the Birth of Political Tribalism
- By: Steve Kornacki
- Narrated by: Steve Kornacki, Ron Butler
- Length: 17 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Red and the Blue, cable news star and acclaimed journalist Steve Kornacki follows the twin paths of Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich, two larger-than-life politicians who exploited the weakened structure of their respective parties to attain the highest offices. For Clinton, that meant contorting himself around the various factions of the Democratic party to win the presidency. Gingrich employed a scorched-earth strategy to upend the permanent Republican minority in the House, making him speaker.
-
-
Simply marvelous
- By Hector Gonzalez on 10-04-18
By: Steve Kornacki
-
The Path to Power
- The Years of Lyndon Johnson
- By: Robert A. Caro
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 40 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the story of the rise to national power of a desperately poor young man from the Texas Hill Country. The Path to Power reveals in extraordinary detail the genesis of the almost superhuman drive, energy, and ambition that set LBJ apart. It follows him from the Hill Country to New Deal Washington, from his boyhood through the years of the Depression to his debut as Congressman, his heartbreaking defeat in his first race for the Senate, and his attainment, nonetheless, at age 31, of the national power for which he hungered.
-
-
The Best of all Biographies
- By David C. Daggett on 12-14-13
By: Robert A. Caro
-
What Happened
- By: Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Narrated by: Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Length: 18 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For the first time, Hillary Rodham Clinton reveals what she was thinking and feeling during one of the most controversial and unpredictable presidential elections in history. Now free from the constraints of running, Hillary takes you inside the intense personal experience of becoming the first woman nominated for president by a major party in an election marked by rage, sexism, exhilarating highs and infuriating lows, stranger-than-fiction twists, Russian interference, and an opponent who broke all the rules. This is her most personal memoir yet.
-
-
Typical Hillary
- By Randall Shields on 09-18-17
-
My Life
- By: Bill Clinton
- Narrated by: Bill Clinton
- Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
President Bill Clinton's My Life is the strikingly candid portrait of a global leader who decided early in life to devote his intellectual and political gifts, and his extraordinary capacity for hard work, to serving the public. It is the fullest, most concretely detailed, most nuanced account of a presidency ever written, and a testament to the positive impact on America and on the world of his work and his ideals.
-
-
Absorbing -- don't believe the haters' reviews
- By D.J. Grothe on 06-22-04
By: Bill Clinton
-
Destiny and Power
- The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush
- By: Jon Meacham
- Narrated by: Paul Michael
- Length: 25 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drawing on President Bush’s personal diaries, on the diaries of his wife, Barbara, and on extraordinary access to the 41st president and his family, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham paints an intimate and surprising portrait of an intensely private man who led the nation through tumultuous times.
-
-
Fair and insightful
- By Jean on 12-02-15
By: Jon Meacham
-
The Fighting Soul
- On the Road with Bernie Sanders
- By: Ari Rabin-Havt
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With The Fighting Soul, Ari Rabin-Havt takes us where no profiles or televised interview have been able to go. As a close advisor and deputy campaign manager on Bernie Sanders's most recent—and likely last—presidential campaign, the tireless Rabin-Havt spent more hours between 2017 and 2020 with the Vermont senator than anyone else. Traveling the country for rallies and to support striking workers, the two visited thirty-six states, drove tens of thousands of miles, and ate in countless chain restaurants.
-
-
An intimate look of an amazing man
- By amanda baker on 04-05-23
By: Ari Rabin-Havt
-
The Red and the Blue
- The 1990s and the Birth of Political Tribalism
- By: Steve Kornacki
- Narrated by: Steve Kornacki, Ron Butler
- Length: 17 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Red and the Blue, cable news star and acclaimed journalist Steve Kornacki follows the twin paths of Bill Clinton and Newt Gingrich, two larger-than-life politicians who exploited the weakened structure of their respective parties to attain the highest offices. For Clinton, that meant contorting himself around the various factions of the Democratic party to win the presidency. Gingrich employed a scorched-earth strategy to upend the permanent Republican minority in the House, making him speaker.
-
-
Simply marvelous
- By Hector Gonzalez on 10-04-18
By: Steve Kornacki
-
The Road Taken
- A Memoir
- By: Patrick Leahy
- Narrated by: Robert Petkoff, Patrick Leahy - introduction
- Length: 16 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In his landmark memoir The Road Taken, Patrick Leahy looks back on a life lived on the front lines of American politics. As the senior-most member and de facto dean of the chamber, Senator Leahy has been a key author of the American story. Leahy established himself as a moral leader and liberal pioneer over four decades spanning nine presidential administrations. American history comes alive in this gripping story of a master political leader and consummate legislator. Leahy takes you inside the room as pivotal moments in our nation’s history play out.
-
-
A man who has high values and morals
- By Amazon Customer on 10-04-22
By: Patrick Leahy
-
Here's the Deal
- A Memoir
- By: Kellyanne Conway
- Narrated by: Kellyanne Conway
- Length: 19 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a highly respected pollster for corporate and Republican clients and a frequent television talk show guest, Kellyanne Conway had already established herself as one of the brightest lights on the national political scene when Donald Trump asked her to run his presidential campaign. She agreed, delivering him to the White House, becoming the first woman in American history to manage a winning presidential campaign. Who she is, how she did it, and who tried to stop her is a fascinating story of personal triumph and political intrigue that has never been told…until now.
-
-
Beautify written and narrated memoir
- By Wayne on 06-18-22
By: Kellyanne Conway
-
Playing with Fire
- The 1968 Election and the Transformation of American Politics
- By: Lawrence O'Donnell
- Narrated by: Lawrence O'Donnell
- Length: 17 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 1968 US presidential election was the young Lawrence O'Donnell's political awakening, and in the decades since it has remained one of his abiding fascinations. For years he has deployed one of America's shrewdest political minds to understanding its dynamics, not just because it is fascinating in itself but because in it is contained the essence of what makes America different and how we got to where we are now.
-
-
Brilliant synthesis of history past and present
- By Dwight on 11-12-17
-
Believer
- My Forty Years in Politics
- By: David Axelrod
- Narrated by: David Axelrod
- Length: 19 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The man behind some of the greatest political changes of the last decade, David Axelrod has devoted a lifetime to questioning political certainties and daring to bring fresh thinking into the political landscape. Whether as a child hearing John F. Kennedy stump in New York or as a strategist guiding the first African American to the White House, Axelrod shows in Believer how his own life stands at the center of the tumultuous American century.
-
-
Love letter to Obama
- By DaWoolf on 03-15-15
By: David Axelrod
-
The Amateur
- Barack Obama in the White House
- By: Edward Klein
- Narrated by: John McLain
- Length: 6 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s amateur hour at the White House. So says New York Times best-selling author Edward Klein in his political exposé The Amateur. Tapping into the public’s growing sentiment that President Obama is in over his head, The Amateur argues that Obama’s toxic combination of incompetence and arrogance has run our nation and his presidency off the rails.
-
-
Interesting, revealing and a little - scary...
- By rlovegreen on 05-17-12
By: Edward Klein
-
Living History
- By: Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Narrated by: Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
You've probably heard clips from Senator Clinton's interview with Barbara Walters. But now you can listen to her full account of her years in the White House. Hillary Clinton vividly describes her pain over her husband's betrayal with Monica Lewinky saying that former President Bill Clinton lied to her about the relationship until the weekend before he admitted the nature of it to a grand jury.
-
-
Dare To Read - She Will Dare To Compete in 2008
- By Michael on 06-17-03
-
Courage and Consequence
- My Life as a Conservative in the Fight
- By: Karl Rove
- Narrated by: Karl Rove
- Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the moment he set foot on it, Karl Rove has rocked Americas political stage. He ran the national College Republicans at 22, and turned a Texas dominated by Democrats into a bastion for Republicans. He launched George W. Bush to national renown by unseating a popular Democratic governor, and then orchestrated a GOP White House win at a time when voters had little reason to throw out the incumbent party.
-
-
Thank you Mr Rove!
- By J. Collette on 03-15-10
By: Karl Rove
-
Camelot's End
- Kennedy vs. Carter and the Fight That Broke the Democratic Party
- By: Jon Ward
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Carter presidency was on life support. The Democrats, desperate to keep power and yearning to resurrect former glory, turned to Ted Kennedy. Camelot's End details the incredible drama of Kennedy's challenge - what led to it, how it unfolded, and its lasting effects - with cinematic sweep. It is a story about what happened to the Democratic Party when the country's long string of successes, luck, and global dominance following World War II ran its course, and how, on a quest to recapture the magic of JFK, Democrats plunged themselves into an intra-party civil war.
-
-
Does character count in political office?
- By marwalk on 07-29-19
By: Jon Ward
-
The Long Game
- A Memoir
- By: Mitch McConnell
- Narrated by: Mitch McConnell
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Long Game is the candid, behind-the-scenes memoir of a man famous for his discretion. He tells how his mother helped him beat polio by leading him through long, aching exercises every day for two years. He explains how his father taught him the importance of standing up to bullies, even if it meant taking the occasional punch. And he reveals what he really thinks about the rivalry between the Senate and the House.
-
-
Painfully Hypocritical
- By Nicholas on 12-30-20
By: Mitch McConnell
-
Joe Biden
- A Life of Trial and Redemption
- By: Jules Witcover
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 20 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Raised in the working-class towns of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Wilmington, Delaware, and with lackluster grades in school and no particular goals, Joe Biden shocked the nation in 1972 when he became one of the youngest elected senators in US history. Over the course of four decades, he carved a legacy for himself as one of the most respected legislators in the country, and was a close friend and partner to President Barack Obama, who valued his vice president’s vast experience in domestic and foreign affairs.
-
-
Great Book!
- By Kindle Customer on 02-07-24
By: Jules Witcover
-
Renegade
- The Making of a President
- By: Richard Wolffe
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 15 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Before the White House and Air Force One, before the TV ads and the enormous rallies, there was the real Barack Obama: A man wrestling with the momentous decision to run for the presidency, feeling torn about leaving behind a young family, and figuring out how to win the biggest prize in politics. This book is the previously untold and epic story of how a political newcomer with no money and an alien name grew into the world’s most powerful leader. But it is also a uniquely intimate portrait of the person behind the iconic posters and the Secret Service code name Renegade.
-
-
Insights into the greatest Presidential Campaign
- By Carl Laing on 06-21-09
By: Richard Wolffe
-
Last Lion
- The Fall and Rise of Ted Kennedy
- By: Peter S. Canellos
- Narrated by: Skipp Sudduth
- Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
No figure in American public life has had such great expectations thrust upon him, or has responded so poorly. But Ted Kennedy -the youngest of the Kennedy children and the son who felt the least pressure to satisfy his father's enormous ambitions - would go on to live a life that no one could have predicted: dismissed as a spent force in politics by the time he reached middle age, Ted became the most powerful senator of the last half century and the nation's keeper of traditional liberalism.
-
-
Depressing and dry.
- By anne anderson on 09-08-17
What listeners say about Madam Speaker
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anne
- 01-06-19
Superb
Story so captivating that I could not put it down. I highly recommend this book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful