The Hidden History of the White House
Power Struggles, Scandals, and Defining Moments
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 first 3 months
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $24.29
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Lindsay Graham
-
Jeremy Arthur
-
By:
-
Corey Mead
About this listen
Presented by the hit podcast American History Tellers, The Hidden History of the White House reveals the behind-the-scenes stories of some of the most dramatic events in American history—set right inside the house where it happened
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 the signature style of the popular American History Tellers podcast, The Hidden History of the White House places listeners in the shoes of historical figures—from power brokers to everyday Americans alike—who lived through pivotal events that shaped America.
As a fly on the wall of history, you’ll find yourself immersed in:
- Andrew Jackson’s disastrous 1829 inauguration, when a mob overran and trashed the White House.
- Woodrow Wilson’s stroke, which led to his wife Edith serving as shadow president during the final months of his administration.
- President-elect Abraham Lincoln’s clandestine journey to Washington to dodge an assassination plot on the eve of the Civil War.
- Winston Churchill’s wartime sojourn at the White House, during which he and FDR developed plans to defeat Germany.
- Barack Obama’s decision to green-light the Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
Equal parts social, political, and cultural history—written and presented in the accessible and engaging style for which American History Tellers is famous—The Hidden History of the White House offers listeners a rare opportunity to live within the halls of the Executive Mansion, and explore some of the extraordinary people and events that made America what it is today.
Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2024 Corey Mead (P)2024 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...
-
The First Family Detail
- Secret Service Agents Reveal the Hidden Lives of the Presidents
- By: Ronald Kessler
- Narrated by: Michael Bybee
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From New York Times best-selling author and award-winning reporter Ronald Kessler, The First Family Detail tells eye-opening, behind-the-scenes stories from Secret Service agents about presidents and their families.
-
-
This was very, very interesting!
- By E.R. on 08-19-14
By: Ronald Kessler
-
Thirty-Six Years in the White House
- By: Thomas F. Pendel
- Narrated by: Brian V. Hunt
- Length: 2 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For 36 years, from Lincoln to Teddy Roosevelt, Tom Pendel saw the daily comings and goings at the center of American political life in the White House. As doorkeeper, he saw senators, congressmen, royalty, citizens, and scoundrels appear on the White House steps.
-
-
Very interesting
- By Crystal Stapleton on 06-28-22
By: Thomas F. Pendel
-
First Women
- The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies
- By: Kate Andersen Brower
- Narrated by: Karen White
- Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In one of the most underestimated - and challenging - positions in the world, the first lady of the United States must be many things: an inspiring leader with a forward-thinking agenda of her own; a savvy politician, skilled at navigating the treacherous rapids of Washington; a wife and mother operating under constant scrutiny; and an able CEO responsible for the smooth operation of countless services and special events at the White House.
-
-
Who is missing?
- By Southern belle on 05-07-16
-
The Residence
- Inside the Private World of the White House
- By: Kate Andersen Brower
- Narrated by: Karen White
- Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
America's first families are unknowable in many ways. No one has insight into their true character like the people who serve their meals and make their beds every day. Full of stories and details by turns dramatic, humorous, and heartwarming, The Residence reveals daily life in the White House as it is really lived through the voices of the maids, butlers, cooks, florists, doormen, engineers, and others who tend to the needs of the president and first family.
-
-
The White House Explored & Exposed
- By Sara on 04-15-15
-
White House Usher
- Stories from the Inside
- By: Christopher B. Emery
- Narrated by: Jonathan Salkoff
- Length: 6 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For more than 200 years, a small office has operated on the state floor of the White House executive residence. Known as the Usher's Office, whose mission is to accommodate the personal needs of the first family, and to make the White House feel like a home. The Usher's Office is the managing office of the executive residence and its staff of 90-plus. The staff consists of butlers, carpenters, grounds personnel, electricians, painters, plumbers, florists, maids, housemen, cooks, chefs, storekeepers, curators, calligraphers, doormen, and administrative support.
-
-
Interesting. Maybe a little unfinished?
- By Crystal Stapleton on 06-25-22
-
The Presidents Club
- Inside the World's Most Exclusive Fraternity
- By: Nancy Gibbs, Michael Duffy
- Narrated by: Bob Walter
- Length: 22 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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. The world’s most exclusive fraternity is a complicated place: its members are bound forever because they sat in the Oval Office and know its secrets, yet they are immortal rivals for history’s favor.
-
-
Engaging subject, but fact-checking needed
- By loix on 04-25-12
By: Nancy Gibbs, and others
-
The First Family Detail
- Secret Service Agents Reveal the Hidden Lives of the Presidents
- By: Ronald Kessler
- Narrated by: Michael Bybee
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From New York Times best-selling author and award-winning reporter Ronald Kessler, The First Family Detail tells eye-opening, behind-the-scenes stories from Secret Service agents about presidents and their families.
-
-
This was very, very interesting!
- By E.R. on 08-19-14
By: Ronald Kessler
-
Thirty-Six Years in the White House
- By: Thomas F. Pendel
- Narrated by: Brian V. Hunt
- Length: 2 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For 36 years, from Lincoln to Teddy Roosevelt, Tom Pendel saw the daily comings and goings at the center of American political life in the White House. As doorkeeper, he saw senators, congressmen, royalty, citizens, and scoundrels appear on the White House steps.
-
-
Very interesting
- By Crystal Stapleton on 06-28-22
By: Thomas F. Pendel
-
First Women
- The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies
- By: Kate Andersen Brower
- Narrated by: Karen White
- Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In one of the most underestimated - and challenging - positions in the world, the first lady of the United States must be many things: an inspiring leader with a forward-thinking agenda of her own; a savvy politician, skilled at navigating the treacherous rapids of Washington; a wife and mother operating under constant scrutiny; and an able CEO responsible for the smooth operation of countless services and special events at the White House.
-
-
Who is missing?
- By Southern belle on 05-07-16
-
The Residence
- Inside the Private World of the White House
- By: Kate Andersen Brower
- Narrated by: Karen White
- Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
America's first families are unknowable in many ways. No one has insight into their true character like the people who serve their meals and make their beds every day. Full of stories and details by turns dramatic, humorous, and heartwarming, The Residence reveals daily life in the White House as it is really lived through the voices of the maids, butlers, cooks, florists, doormen, engineers, and others who tend to the needs of the president and first family.
-
-
The White House Explored & Exposed
- By Sara on 04-15-15
-
White House Usher
- Stories from the Inside
- By: Christopher B. Emery
- Narrated by: Jonathan Salkoff
- Length: 6 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For more than 200 years, a small office has operated on the state floor of the White House executive residence. Known as the Usher's Office, whose mission is to accommodate the personal needs of the first family, and to make the White House feel like a home. The Usher's Office is the managing office of the executive residence and its staff of 90-plus. The staff consists of butlers, carpenters, grounds personnel, electricians, painters, plumbers, florists, maids, housemen, cooks, chefs, storekeepers, curators, calligraphers, doormen, and administrative support.
-
-
Interesting. Maybe a little unfinished?
- By Crystal Stapleton on 06-25-22
-
The Presidents Club
- Inside the World's Most Exclusive Fraternity
- By: Nancy Gibbs, Michael Duffy
- Narrated by: Bob Walter
- Length: 22 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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. The world’s most exclusive fraternity is a complicated place: its members are bound forever because they sat in the Oval Office and know its secrets, yet they are immortal rivals for history’s favor.
-
-
Engaging subject, but fact-checking needed
- By loix on 04-25-12
By: Nancy Gibbs, and others
-
Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents
- What Your Teachers Never Told you About the Men of The White House
- By: Cormac O'Brien
- Narrated by: Robin Bloodworth
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents features outrageous and uncensored profiles of the men in the White House - complete with hundreds of little-known, politically incorrect, and downright wacko facts.
-
-
Sloppy, dull, partisan
- By Scott D. Gray on 06-25-15
By: Cormac O'Brien
-
Confronting the Presidents
- No Spin Assessments from Washington to Biden
- By: Bill O'Reilly, Martin Dugard
- Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
- Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Confronting the Presidents, O’Reilly and Dugard present 45 wonderfully entertaining and insightful portraits of each president, with no-spin commentary on their achievements—or lack thereof. These and many more questions are answered in each fascinating chapter of Confronting the Presidents. Written with O’Reilly and Dugard’s signature style, authority, and eye for telling detail, Confronting the Presidents will delight all listeners of history, politics, and current affairs, especially during the 2024 election season.
-
-
Great until the end
- By Terry Hansen on 09-27-24
By: Bill O'Reilly, and others
-
American History Tellers: "The Cold War" and "Prohibition"
- By: Audra J. Wolfe, Christine Sismondo
- Narrated by: Lindsay Graham
- Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Every part of your life - the words you speak, the ideas you share - can be traced to our history, but how well do you really know the stories that made America? We'll take you to the events, the times, and the people that shaped our nation. First, we travel back to the story that loomed over 20th-century America more than any other: the Cold War. How do you fight a war with just ideas?
Then, we'll go back a little further, to the only time a constitutional amendment has been repealed: Prohibition.
By: Audra J. Wolfe, and others
-
The Situation Room
- The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis
- By: George Stephanopoulos, Lisa Dickey - contributor
- Narrated by: George Stephanopoulos, Peter Ganim, Elisabeth Rodgers
- Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
George Stephanopoulos, the legendary political news host and former advisor to President Clinton, recounts the history-making crises from the place where twelve presidents made their highest-pressure decisions: the White House Situation Room.
-
-
A must read for all no matter your politics
- By Lynne on 05-21-24
By: George Stephanopoulos, and others
-
Countdown 1960
- The Behind-the-Scenes Story of the 312 Days That Changed America's Politics Forever
- By: Chris Wallace, Mitch Weiss - contributor
- Narrated by: Dylan Baker, Chris Wallace
- Length: 14 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s January 2, 1960: the day that Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy declared his candidacy; and with this opening scene, Chris Wallace offers listeners a front-row seat to history. From the challenge of primary battles in a nation that had never elected a Catholic president, to the intense machinations of the national conventions—where JFK chose Lyndon B. Johnson as his running mate over the impassioned objections of his brother Bobby—this is a nonfiction political thriller filled with intrigue, cinematic action, and fresh reporting.
-
-
History
- By Kurt Carlson on 01-19-25
By: Chris Wallace, and others
-
Secrets of the Secret Service
- The History and Uncertain Future of the U.S. Secret Service
- By: Gary J. Byrne, Grant M. Schmidt
- Narrated by: Pete Larkin
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The American public knows the stories of Secret Service heroism, but they don't know about the hidden legacy of problems that have plagued the agency ever since its creation. Gary Byrne says that decades of catastrophic public failures, near misses, and bureaucratic and cultural rot threaten to erode this critical organization from the inside out. Today, as it works to protect President Trump, the Secret Service stands at a crossroads, and the time needed to choose the right course is running out.
-
-
THE ONLY TRUE ACCOUNT OF THE SECRET SERVICE
- By Steve on 01-05-18
By: Gary J. Byrne, and others
-
Roctogenarians
- Late in Life Debuts, Comebacks, and Triumphs
- By: Mo Rocca, Jonathan Greenberg
- Narrated by: Mo Rocca
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eighty has been the new sixty for about twenty years now. In fact, there have always been late-in-life achievers, those who declined to go into decline just because they were eligible for social security. Journalist, humorist, and history buff Mo Rocca and coauthor Jonathan Greenberg introduce us to the people past and present who peaked when they could have been puttering—breaking out as writers, selling out concert halls, attempting to set land-speed records—and in the case of one ninety-year tortoise, becoming a first-time father. (Take that, Al Pacino!)
-
-
Rambling
- By wendy rosloff on 11-14-24
By: Mo Rocca, and others
-
Secret Lives of the First Ladies
- What Your Teachers Never Told you About the Women of The White House
- By: Cormac O'Brien
- Narrated by: Teresa DeBerry
- Length: 12 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With chapters on every woman who’s ever made it to the White House, Secret Lives of the First Ladies tackles all of the tough questions that other history books are afraid to ask: How many of these women owned slaves? Which ones were cheating on their husbands? And why was Eleanor Roosevelt serving hot dogs to the King and Queen of England? American history was never this much fun in school
-
-
Trivia delight
- By Jean on 01-11-15
By: Cormac O'Brien
-
Challenger
- A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space
- By: Adam Higginbotham
- Narrated by: Jacques Roy
- Length: 17 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the New York Times bestselling author of Midnight in Chernobyl comes the definitive, dramatic, minute-by-minute story of the Challenger disaster, based on fascinating in-depth reporting and new archival research—a riveting history that flows like a thriller.
-
-
Best book about Challenger so far
- By Bruce Baumbush on 06-05-24
-
Trump in Exile
- By: Meridith McGraw
- Narrated by: Beth Hicks
- Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Capitol riots on January 6, 2021, put a horrific closing note on a norm-shattering presidency, as the twice-impeached Donald Trump rode a wave of denial and resentment out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and crashed back at Mar-a-Lago—seemingly wounded, seemingly done. But he wasn’t. And what, exactly, was he building in there? Meridith McGraw vividly chronicles the incredible period of Trump’s exile in South Florida and brings us inside the gilded walls of his private club, where an alternate reality in which the 2020 election was stolen became Republican Party orthodoxy.
-
-
Wish I’d Have Returned Sooner…
- By Deanne Hanson on 09-30-24
By: Meridith McGraw
-
War
- By: Bob Woodward
- Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
- Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Bob Woodward tells the revelatory, behind-the-scenes story of three wars—Ukraine, the Middle East and the struggle for the American Presidency. War provides an unvarnished examination of the vice president as she tries to embrace the Biden legacy and policies while beginning to chart a path of her own as a presidential candidate.
-
-
Draws Connections
- By Kyle on 10-18-24
By: Bob Woodward
-
20 Years in the Secret Service: New Edition
- My Life with Five Presidents
- By: Rufus W. Youngblood
- Narrated by: Tony Messano
- Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
While highlighting his 20-year career in the Secret Service during which he protected Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, US Secret Service Agent Rufus W. Youngblood describes the complexities, risks, and constant tensions involved in protecting America's chief executive. Along with several humorous anecdotes, archival audio inserts enhance this personalized journey through a critical period in American history.
-
-
Great first hand look into the USSS
- By Anonymous User on 06-05-18
Related to this topic
-
The Art of War
- By: Sun Tzu
- Narrated by: Aidan Gillen
- Length: 1 hr and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 13 chapters of The Art of War, each devoted to one aspect of warfare, were compiled by the high-ranking Chinese military general, strategist, and philosopher Sun-Tzu. In spite of its battlefield specificity, The Art of War has found new life in the modern age, with leaders in fields as wide and far-reaching as world politics, human psychology, and corporate strategy finding valuable insight in its timeworn words.
-
-
The actual book The Art of War, not a commentary
- By Nemo71 on 12-31-19
By: Sun Tzu
-
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
- By: Jack Weatherford
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, Jack Weatherford
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Mongol army led by Genghis Khan subjugated more lands and people in 25 years than the Romans did in 400. In nearly every country the Mongols conquered, they brought an unprecedented rise in cultural communication, expanded trade, and a blossoming of civilization.
-
-
Golden Horde/Platinum Listen
- By Cynthia on 12-11-13
By: Jack Weatherford
-
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
- As Told to Alex Haley
- By: Malcolm X, Alex Haley
- Narrated by: Laurence Fishburne
- Length: 16 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Experience a bold take on this classic autobiography as it’s performed by Oscar-nominated Laurence Fishburne. In this searing classic autobiography, originally published in 1965, Malcolm X, the Muslim leader, firebrand, and Black empowerment activist, tells the extraordinary story of his life and the growth of the Human Rights movement. His fascinating perspective on the lies and limitations of the American dream and the inherent racism in a society that denies its non-White citizens the opportunity to dream, gives extraordinary insight into the most urgent issues of our own time.
-
-
it's Nearly perfect
- By Kerry on 09-16-20
By: Malcolm X, and others
-
Mythology: Mega Collection
- Classic Stories from the Greek, Celtic, Norse, Japanese, Hindu, Chinese, Mesopotamian and Egyptian Mythology
- By: Scott Lewis
- Narrated by: Madison Niederhauser, Oliver Hunt
- Length: 31 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Do you know how many wives Zeus had? Or how the famous Trojan War was caused by one beautiful lady? Or how Thor got his hammer? Give your imagination a real treat. This Mega Mythology Collection of eight audiobooks is for you....
-
-
An interesting set of introductions.
- By Kevin Potter on 05-30-19
By: Scott Lewis
-
The Real Life of a Roman Gladiator
- By: Alexander Mariotti, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Alexander Mariotti
- Length: 2 hrs and 30 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Roman gladiator has long been a figure of fascination. Portrayed frequently in fine art and popular culture alike, the gladiator is both a real part of history and a legend of a romanticized past. We know that these men entertained Roman audiences by fighting in dangerous and often deadly games. But who were the gladiators? What were their lives like? And why do they continue to have such a strong hold on our imagination, centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire?
-
-
A great overview of the gladiators
- By The Quilted Wayfarers on 11-26-24
By: Alexander Mariotti, and others
-
Napoleon's Hemorrhoids…And Other Small Events That Changed History
- By: Phil Mason
- Narrated by: LJ Ganser
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hilarious, fascinating, and a roller coaster of dizzying, historical what-ifs, Napoleon's Hemorrhoids is a potpourri for serious historians and casual history buffs. In one of Phil Mason's many revelations, you'll learn that Communist jets were two minutes away from opening fire on American planes during the Cuban missile crisis, when they had to turn back as they were running out of fuel. You'll discover that before the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon's painful hemorrhoids prevented him from mounting his horse to survey the battlefield.
-
-
They just throw the facts too fast
- By Concerned_llama on 12-11-20
By: Phil Mason
-
The Art of War
- By: Sun Tzu
- Narrated by: Aidan Gillen
- Length: 1 hr and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 13 chapters of The Art of War, each devoted to one aspect of warfare, were compiled by the high-ranking Chinese military general, strategist, and philosopher Sun-Tzu. In spite of its battlefield specificity, The Art of War has found new life in the modern age, with leaders in fields as wide and far-reaching as world politics, human psychology, and corporate strategy finding valuable insight in its timeworn words.
-
-
The actual book The Art of War, not a commentary
- By Nemo71 on 12-31-19
By: Sun Tzu
-
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
- By: Jack Weatherford
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, Jack Weatherford
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Mongol army led by Genghis Khan subjugated more lands and people in 25 years than the Romans did in 400. In nearly every country the Mongols conquered, they brought an unprecedented rise in cultural communication, expanded trade, and a blossoming of civilization.
-
-
Golden Horde/Platinum Listen
- By Cynthia on 12-11-13
By: Jack Weatherford
-
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
- As Told to Alex Haley
- By: Malcolm X, Alex Haley
- Narrated by: Laurence Fishburne
- Length: 16 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Experience a bold take on this classic autobiography as it’s performed by Oscar-nominated Laurence Fishburne. In this searing classic autobiography, originally published in 1965, Malcolm X, the Muslim leader, firebrand, and Black empowerment activist, tells the extraordinary story of his life and the growth of the Human Rights movement. His fascinating perspective on the lies and limitations of the American dream and the inherent racism in a society that denies its non-White citizens the opportunity to dream, gives extraordinary insight into the most urgent issues of our own time.
-
-
it's Nearly perfect
- By Kerry on 09-16-20
By: Malcolm X, and others
-
Mythology: Mega Collection
- Classic Stories from the Greek, Celtic, Norse, Japanese, Hindu, Chinese, Mesopotamian and Egyptian Mythology
- By: Scott Lewis
- Narrated by: Madison Niederhauser, Oliver Hunt
- Length: 31 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Do you know how many wives Zeus had? Or how the famous Trojan War was caused by one beautiful lady? Or how Thor got his hammer? Give your imagination a real treat. This Mega Mythology Collection of eight audiobooks is for you....
-
-
An interesting set of introductions.
- By Kevin Potter on 05-30-19
By: Scott Lewis
-
The Real Life of a Roman Gladiator
- By: Alexander Mariotti, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Alexander Mariotti
- Length: 2 hrs and 30 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Roman gladiator has long been a figure of fascination. Portrayed frequently in fine art and popular culture alike, the gladiator is both a real part of history and a legend of a romanticized past. We know that these men entertained Roman audiences by fighting in dangerous and often deadly games. But who were the gladiators? What were their lives like? And why do they continue to have such a strong hold on our imagination, centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire?
-
-
A great overview of the gladiators
- By The Quilted Wayfarers on 11-26-24
By: Alexander Mariotti, and others
-
Napoleon's Hemorrhoids…And Other Small Events That Changed History
- By: Phil Mason
- Narrated by: LJ Ganser
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hilarious, fascinating, and a roller coaster of dizzying, historical what-ifs, Napoleon's Hemorrhoids is a potpourri for serious historians and casual history buffs. In one of Phil Mason's many revelations, you'll learn that Communist jets were two minutes away from opening fire on American planes during the Cuban missile crisis, when they had to turn back as they were running out of fuel. You'll discover that before the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon's painful hemorrhoids prevented him from mounting his horse to survey the battlefield.
-
-
They just throw the facts too fast
- By Concerned_llama on 12-11-20
By: Phil Mason
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
The Residence
- Inside the Private World of the White House
- By: Kate Andersen Brower
- Narrated by: Karen White
- Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
America's first families are unknowable in many ways. No one has insight into their true character like the people who serve their meals and make their beds every day. Full of stories and details by turns dramatic, humorous, and heartwarming, The Residence reveals daily life in the White House as it is really lived through the voices of the maids, butlers, cooks, florists, doormen, engineers, and others who tend to the needs of the president and first family.
-
-
The White House Explored & Exposed
- By Sara on 04-15-15
-
White House Usher
- Stories from the Inside
- By: Christopher B. Emery
- Narrated by: Jonathan Salkoff
- Length: 6 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For more than 200 years, a small office has operated on the state floor of the White House executive residence. Known as the Usher's Office, whose mission is to accommodate the personal needs of the first family, and to make the White House feel like a home. The Usher's Office is the managing office of the executive residence and its staff of 90-plus. The staff consists of butlers, carpenters, grounds personnel, electricians, painters, plumbers, florists, maids, housemen, cooks, chefs, storekeepers, curators, calligraphers, doormen, and administrative support.
-
-
Interesting. Maybe a little unfinished?
- By Crystal Stapleton on 06-25-22
-
Upstairs at the White House
- My Life with the First Ladies
- By: J. B. West
- Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
J. B. West, chief usher of the White House, directed the operations and maintenance of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue - and coordinated its daily life - at the request of the president and his family. He directed state functions; planned parties, weddings, funerals, gardens, playgrounds, and extensive renovations; and with a large staff, supervised every activity in the presidential home.
-
-
A tasteful taste of history
- By Mark on 04-27-15
By: J. B. West
-
First Women
- The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies
- By: Kate Andersen Brower
- Narrated by: Karen White
- Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In one of the most underestimated - and challenging - positions in the world, the first lady of the United States must be many things: an inspiring leader with a forward-thinking agenda of her own; a savvy politician, skilled at navigating the treacherous rapids of Washington; a wife and mother operating under constant scrutiny; and an able CEO responsible for the smooth operation of countless services and special events at the White House.
-
-
Who is missing?
- By Southern belle on 05-07-16
-
Thirty-Six Years in the White House
- By: Thomas F. Pendel
- Narrated by: Brian V. Hunt
- Length: 2 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For 36 years, from Lincoln to Teddy Roosevelt, Tom Pendel saw the daily comings and goings at the center of American political life in the White House. As doorkeeper, he saw senators, congressmen, royalty, citizens, and scoundrels appear on the White House steps.
-
-
Very interesting
- By Crystal Stapleton on 06-28-22
By: Thomas F. Pendel
-
The First Family Detail
- Secret Service Agents Reveal the Hidden Lives of the Presidents
- By: Ronald Kessler
- Narrated by: Michael Bybee
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From New York Times best-selling author and award-winning reporter Ronald Kessler, The First Family Detail tells eye-opening, behind-the-scenes stories from Secret Service agents about presidents and their families.
-
-
This was very, very interesting!
- By E.R. on 08-19-14
By: Ronald Kessler
-
The Residence
- Inside the Private World of the White House
- By: Kate Andersen Brower
- Narrated by: Karen White
- Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
America's first families are unknowable in many ways. No one has insight into their true character like the people who serve their meals and make their beds every day. Full of stories and details by turns dramatic, humorous, and heartwarming, The Residence reveals daily life in the White House as it is really lived through the voices of the maids, butlers, cooks, florists, doormen, engineers, and others who tend to the needs of the president and first family.
-
-
The White House Explored & Exposed
- By Sara on 04-15-15
-
White House Usher
- Stories from the Inside
- By: Christopher B. Emery
- Narrated by: Jonathan Salkoff
- Length: 6 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For more than 200 years, a small office has operated on the state floor of the White House executive residence. Known as the Usher's Office, whose mission is to accommodate the personal needs of the first family, and to make the White House feel like a home. The Usher's Office is the managing office of the executive residence and its staff of 90-plus. The staff consists of butlers, carpenters, grounds personnel, electricians, painters, plumbers, florists, maids, housemen, cooks, chefs, storekeepers, curators, calligraphers, doormen, and administrative support.
-
-
Interesting. Maybe a little unfinished?
- By Crystal Stapleton on 06-25-22
-
Upstairs at the White House
- My Life with the First Ladies
- By: J. B. West
- Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
J. B. West, chief usher of the White House, directed the operations and maintenance of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue - and coordinated its daily life - at the request of the president and his family. He directed state functions; planned parties, weddings, funerals, gardens, playgrounds, and extensive renovations; and with a large staff, supervised every activity in the presidential home.
-
-
A tasteful taste of history
- By Mark on 04-27-15
By: J. B. West
-
First Women
- The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies
- By: Kate Andersen Brower
- Narrated by: Karen White
- Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In one of the most underestimated - and challenging - positions in the world, the first lady of the United States must be many things: an inspiring leader with a forward-thinking agenda of her own; a savvy politician, skilled at navigating the treacherous rapids of Washington; a wife and mother operating under constant scrutiny; and an able CEO responsible for the smooth operation of countless services and special events at the White House.
-
-
Who is missing?
- By Southern belle on 05-07-16
-
Thirty-Six Years in the White House
- By: Thomas F. Pendel
- Narrated by: Brian V. Hunt
- Length: 2 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For 36 years, from Lincoln to Teddy Roosevelt, Tom Pendel saw the daily comings and goings at the center of American political life in the White House. As doorkeeper, he saw senators, congressmen, royalty, citizens, and scoundrels appear on the White House steps.
-
-
Very interesting
- By Crystal Stapleton on 06-28-22
By: Thomas F. Pendel
-
The First Family Detail
- Secret Service Agents Reveal the Hidden Lives of the Presidents
- By: Ronald Kessler
- Narrated by: Michael Bybee
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From New York Times best-selling author and award-winning reporter Ronald Kessler, The First Family Detail tells eye-opening, behind-the-scenes stories from Secret Service agents about presidents and their families.
-
-
This was very, very interesting!
- By E.R. on 08-19-14
By: Ronald Kessler
-
Secret Lives of the First Ladies
- What Your Teachers Never Told you About the Women of The White House
- By: Cormac O'Brien
- Narrated by: Teresa DeBerry
- Length: 12 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With chapters on every woman who’s ever made it to the White House, Secret Lives of the First Ladies tackles all of the tough questions that other history books are afraid to ask: How many of these women owned slaves? Which ones were cheating on their husbands? And why was Eleanor Roosevelt serving hot dogs to the King and Queen of England? American history was never this much fun in school
-
-
Trivia delight
- By Jean on 01-11-15
By: Cormac O'Brien
-
Inside the White House
- By: Ronald Kessler
- Narrated by: Jeff Riggenbach
- Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"If the general public knew what was going on inside the White House, they would scream." So states one Secret Service agent, just a small link in the chain of security that has guarded the public image of the presidency and the men who define it - until now. With unprecedented access to Secret Service agents, domestic servants, Air Force One stewards, and military aides, journalist Ronald Kessler has gone behind the scenes to uncover the inside story of the White House.
-
-
Politically slanted, but interesting.
- By S. Horvath on 06-20-18
By: Ronald Kessler
-
Team of Five
- The Presidents Club in the Age of Trump
- By: Kate Andersen Brower
- Narrated by: Erin Bennett
- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the number one New York Times best-selling author of The Residence and First Women - also a New York Times best seller - comes a poignant, news-making look at the lives of the five former presidents in the wake of their White House years, including the surprising friendships they have formed through shared perspective and empathy.
-
-
Fascinating
- By Jean on 06-18-20
-
Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents
- What Your Teachers Never Told you About the Men of The White House
- By: Cormac O'Brien
- Narrated by: Robin Bloodworth
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents features outrageous and uncensored profiles of the men in the White House - complete with hundreds of little-known, politically incorrect, and downright wacko facts.
-
-
Sloppy, dull, partisan
- By Scott D. Gray on 06-25-15
By: Cormac O'Brien
-
Under This Roof
- The White House and the Presidency - 21 Presidents, 21 Rooms, 21 Inside Stories
- By: Paul Brandus
- Narrated by: Tom Zingarelli
- Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Under This Roof, award-winning White House journalist Paul Brandus weaves together stories of the presidents, their families, the events of their time, and an oft-ignored major character, the White House itself. From George Washington to the current occupant, Barack Obama - the story of the White House is the story of America itself, Brandus writes.
-
-
Interesting but Glaring Omission
- By Syd Young on 07-03-20
By: Paul Brandus
-
The President's Book of Secrets
- The Untold Story of Intelligence Briefings to America's Presidents from Kennedy to Obama
- By: David Priess
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Every president has had a unique and complicated relationship with the intelligence community. While some have been coolly distant, even adversarial, others have found their intelligence agencies to be among the most valuable instruments of policy and power. Since John F. Kennedy's presidency, this relationship has been distilled into a personalized daily report: a short summary of what the intelligence apparatus considers the most crucial information for the president to know that day about global threats and opportunities.
-
-
about the report and nothing but the report
- By Michael on 09-07-16
By: David Priess
-
Five Presidents
- My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford
- By: Clint Hill, Lisa McCubbin Hill
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 14 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Secret Service agent Clint Hill brings history intimately and vividly to life as he reflects on his 17 years protecting the most powerful office in the nation. Hill walked alongside Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, and Gerald R. Ford, seeing them through a long, tumultuous era - the Cold War; the Cuban Missile Crisis; the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert F. Kennedy; the Vietnam War; Watergate; and the resignations of Spiro Agnew and Richard M. Nixon.
-
-
Interesting, but....
- By Papa Charlie on 07-09-17
By: Clint Hill, and others
-
American History Tellers: "The Cold War" and "Prohibition"
- By: Audra J. Wolfe, Christine Sismondo
- Narrated by: Lindsay Graham
- Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Every part of your life - the words you speak, the ideas you share - can be traced to our history, but how well do you really know the stories that made America? We'll take you to the events, the times, and the people that shaped our nation. First, we travel back to the story that loomed over 20th-century America more than any other: the Cold War. How do you fight a war with just ideas?
Then, we'll go back a little further, to the only time a constitutional amendment has been repealed: Prohibition.
By: Audra J. Wolfe, and others
-
In the President's Secret Service
- Behind the Scenes with Agents in the Line of Fire and the Presidents They Protect
- By: Ronald Kessler
- Narrated by: Alan Sklar
- Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Secret Service agents, acting as human surveillance cameras, observe everything that goes on behind the scenes in the president's inner circle. Ronald Kessler reveals what they have seen, providing startling, previously untold stories about the presidents, from John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson to George W. Bush and Barack Obama, as well as about their families, Cabinet officers, and White House aides.
-
-
President's are just human.
- By 9S on 04-26-12
By: Ronald Kessler
-
Roctogenarians
- Late in Life Debuts, Comebacks, and Triumphs
- By: Mo Rocca, Jonathan Greenberg
- Narrated by: Mo Rocca
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eighty has been the new sixty for about twenty years now. In fact, there have always been late-in-life achievers, those who declined to go into decline just because they were eligible for social security. Journalist, humorist, and history buff Mo Rocca and coauthor Jonathan Greenberg introduce us to the people past and present who peaked when they could have been puttering—breaking out as writers, selling out concert halls, attempting to set land-speed records—and in the case of one ninety-year tortoise, becoming a first-time father. (Take that, Al Pacino!)
-
-
Rambling
- By wendy rosloff on 11-14-24
By: Mo Rocca, and others
-
Exploring the White House
- Inside America's Most Famous Home
- By: Kate Andersen Brower
- Narrated by: Patricia Santomasso
- Length: 4 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Have you ever wondered what exactly goes on inside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue? Sure, the president of the United States works and resides there, but do you know who helps keep this historic house running? It’s no simple task, especially when there are important state events and foreign dignitaries - in addition to presidential pups, mischievous children, and even a couple of ghosts. And its Residence workers and first ladies make sure everything is in check and running smoothly.
-
-
Not bad, not bad at all.
- By brian on 12-09-20
-
LBJ's 1968
- Power, Politics, and the Presidency in America's Year of Upheaval
- By: Kyle Longley
- Narrated by: Paul Brion
- Length: 11 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1968 was an unprecedented year in terms of upheaval on numerous scales: political, military, economic, social, cultural. In the United States, perhaps no one was more undone by the events of 1968 than President Lyndon Baines Johnson. Kyle Longley leads his listeners on a behind-the-scenes tour of what Johnson characterized as the 'year of a continuous nightmare'. Longley explores how LBJ perceived the most significant events of 1968, including the Vietnam War, the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy, and the violent Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
-
-
Worst year in my lifetime - LBJ tragedy of his own making - but not according to this Author.
- By charles wartelle on 05-17-19
By: Kyle Longley
What listeners say about The Hidden History of the White House
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- LJK
- 06-23-24
Full of Surprises!
I’ve been to the White House both as a visitor and a member of the press. And I've read countless books about American politics. Yet in this volume I repeatedly found fascinating anecdotes that I'd never before heard. On the light side, there was when Truman’s bathtub almost collapsed through a rotted floor and the president narrowly avoided greeting the Daughters of the Revolution in his birthday suit. More ominously, I was struck by an echo of history when the author shared how CIA Director Richard Bissell peddled a false story to U.N. Ambassador Adlai Stevenson after the botched Bay of Pigs operation, which reminded me all too much of Secretary of State Colin Powell's 2003 presentation at the U.N. And then this book’s insider account of how Nixon conspired to install an always-on taping system is also thorough and riveting—and so too is the behind-the-scenes tale of how this crucial piece of Watergate evidence finally was revealed to a flabbergasted public. But perhaps the most unexpected turn of all was that the book's writer, Corey Mead, was able to tell the story of the Bin Laden raid – which I have read elsewhere dozens of times – and make it feel completely fresh and absolutely exhilarating. I recommend!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Renae Briggs
- 06-09-24
So many interesting stories!
I really enjoyed listening to all of the interesting events through history! The author and the reader both provided an engaging experience! I highly recommend this book!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Emily J Gesner
- 11-24-24
Excellent book
I've always loved American Historytellers so this book was right up my alley. I really enjoyed the view of history from the perspective of presidents and their staff, particularly about the mission from Seal Team Six, and during the war or 1812. This book is really not from the perspective of the White House Staff that run the mansion, more so it's from the most important people at that point in history and who helped them. But it's fascinating all the same!! Highly recommend this book!!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Judy Moeller
- 12-10-24
Interesting and easy to listen
Loved each and every story, kept my interest. Liked that it was not in date order.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- DAVID
- 06-25-24
I think what stood out to me was the upgrades.
I wish that there was pictures. That would great to see the different time periods.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kindle Customer
- 07-09-24
Love History
I enjoyed learning about things I did not know, very interesting. I would definitely recommend
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mathias farnsworth
- 06-18-24
Very interesting book about the whitehouse
Good mix of stories about the Whitehouse and the people who lived and worked thier
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Linda The CPA
- 07-12-24
Excellent storytelling and narration. Not surprising, considering it was done in conjunction with American History Tellers.
I loved this book! The stories are both informative and easily rememberable. Every chapter was enjoyable. I listen to many audiobooks, and this is one of my new favorites. Excellent!!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kim Dawe
- 10-04-24
They pieced a bunch of Wondery episodes together and it’s awful
I have a Wondery+ membership, and if you do as well, you’ll notice they pieced together a bunch of their episodes and called it a book. There is no order; the book consistently jumps timelines. I’m beyond disappointed. I was hoping to hear about the details of the White House (grounds, gardens, security improvements, visitors, ect) but they didn’t want to put in the work to tell that story. Anyone who’s a history buff has already read or heard all the details of this “book”. Save your money, I wish I had.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Dave
- 07-31-24
Average
An interesting look at the history of the White House as a building, including its designers, builders, staff and occupants. Points off, however, for a really odd side trip to Cuba for a very detailed recounting of the Bay Of Pigs invasion, with little tie-in with the White House other than it happened during the Kennedy administration. I found that section of the book grossly out of place with the rest. This is an interesting book but not a standout.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!