The Real Romney
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
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $25.19
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Dan Woren
About this listen
Mitt Romney has masterfully positioned himself as the front-runner for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. Even though he's become a household name, the former Massachusetts governor remains an enigma to many in America, his character and core convictions elusive, his record little known. Who is the man behind that sweep of dark hair, distinguished white sideburns, and high-wattage smile? He often seems to be two people at once: a savvy politician, and someone who will simply say anything to win. A business visionary, and a calculating dealmaker. A man comfortable in his faith and with family, and one who can have trouble connecting with average voters.
In this definitive, unflinching biography by Boston Globe investigative reporters Michael Kranish and Scott Helman, listeners will finally discover the real Romney. The book explores Romney's personal life, his bond with his wife and how they handled her diagnosis with multiple sclerosis, and his difficult years as a Mormon missionary in France, where a fatal car crash had a profound effect on his path. It also illuminates Romney's privileged upbringing in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan; his rejection of the 1960s protest culture; and his close but complicated relationship with his father.
Based on more than five years of reporting and hundreds of interviews, The Real Romney includes a probing analysis of Romney's tenure at Bain Capital, one of the world's leading private-investment firms, where staggering profits were won through leveraged buyouts that helped create jobs but also destroyed them.
This penetrating portrait offers important new details, too, on Romney's failed Senate race against Ted Kennedy, his role leading the troubled 2002 Winter Olympics, and his championing of universal health care in Massachusetts. Drawing on previously undisclosed campaign memos, emails, and interviews with key players, Kranish and Helman reveal the infighting and disagreement that sunk Romney's 2008 White House bid and his conscious decision to switch tactics for his 2012 run.
In The Real Romney, Kranish and Helman delve searchingly into the psyche of a complex man now at his most critical juncture - the private Romney whom few people see. They show the remarkable lengths to which Romney has gone in order to succeed in politics and business, shrewdly shifting identities as needed, bringing tough-minded strategy to every decision, and always carefully safeguarding his public image. For the first time, readers will gain a full understanding of the kind of man Romney is - the kind of man who may be running their country.
©2012 The Boston Globe (P)2012 HarperCollinsPublishersListeners also enjoyed...
-
Romney
- A Reckoning
- By: McKay Coppins
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, McKay Coppins
- Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Few figures in American politics have seen more and said less than Mitt Romney. An outspoken dissident in Donald Trump’s GOP, he has made headlines in recent years for standing alone against the forces he believes are poisoning the party he once led. Romney was the first senator in history to vote to remove from office a president of his own party. When that president’s supporters went on to storm the US Capitol, Romney delivered a thundering speech from the Senate floor accusing his fellow Republicans of stoking insurrection.
-
-
Political and intellectual biography at its best!
- By Amazon Customer on 10-25-23
By: McKay Coppins
-
Trump Revealed
- An American Journey of Ambition, Ego, Money, and Power
- By: Michael Kranish, Marc Fisher
- Narrated by: Campbell Scott
- Length: 15 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Trump Revealed offers the most thorough and wide-ranging examination of Donald Trump's public and private lives to date, from his upbringing in Queens and formative years at the New York Military Academy to his turbulent careers in real estate and entertainment to his astonishing rise as the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination. The book is based on the investigative reporting of more than two dozen Washington Post reporters and researchers.
-
-
All You've Seen, Read, Heard--In One Place
- By Gillian on 08-25-16
By: Michael Kranish, and others
-
Team of Rivals
- The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
- By: Doris Kearns Goodwin
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 41 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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 in Chicago. When Lincoln emerged as the victor, his rivals were dismayed and angry. Throughout the turbulent 1850s, each had energetically sought the presidency as the conflict over slavery was leading inexorably to secession and civil war.
-
-
Beautiful, Heartbreaking, and Informative
- By JJ on 09-10-12
-
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt
- By: Edmund Morris
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 26 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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. The publication of The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt on September 14th, 2001 marks the 100th anniversary of Theodore Roosevelt becoming president.
-
-
Very, very good, but very, very long.
- By Mike From Mesa on 03-29-13
By: Edmund Morris
-
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
-
Truman
- By: David McCullough
- Narrated by: Nelson Runger
- Length: 54 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hailed by critics as an American masterpiece, David McCullough's sweeping biography of Harry S. Truman captured the heart of the nation. The life and times of the 33rd president of the United States, Truman provides a deeply moving look at an extraordinary, singular American.
-
-
That Mousy Little Man From Missouri Revisited
- By Sara on 07-23-15
By: David McCullough
-
Romney
- A Reckoning
- By: McKay Coppins
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, McKay Coppins
- Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Few figures in American politics have seen more and said less than Mitt Romney. An outspoken dissident in Donald Trump’s GOP, he has made headlines in recent years for standing alone against the forces he believes are poisoning the party he once led. Romney was the first senator in history to vote to remove from office a president of his own party. When that president’s supporters went on to storm the US Capitol, Romney delivered a thundering speech from the Senate floor accusing his fellow Republicans of stoking insurrection.
-
-
Political and intellectual biography at its best!
- By Amazon Customer on 10-25-23
By: McKay Coppins
-
Trump Revealed
- An American Journey of Ambition, Ego, Money, and Power
- By: Michael Kranish, Marc Fisher
- Narrated by: Campbell Scott
- Length: 15 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Trump Revealed offers the most thorough and wide-ranging examination of Donald Trump's public and private lives to date, from his upbringing in Queens and formative years at the New York Military Academy to his turbulent careers in real estate and entertainment to his astonishing rise as the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination. The book is based on the investigative reporting of more than two dozen Washington Post reporters and researchers.
-
-
All You've Seen, Read, Heard--In One Place
- By Gillian on 08-25-16
By: Michael Kranish, and others
-
Team of Rivals
- The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
- By: Doris Kearns Goodwin
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 41 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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 in Chicago. When Lincoln emerged as the victor, his rivals were dismayed and angry. Throughout the turbulent 1850s, each had energetically sought the presidency as the conflict over slavery was leading inexorably to secession and civil war.
-
-
Beautiful, Heartbreaking, and Informative
- By JJ on 09-10-12
-
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt
- By: Edmund Morris
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 26 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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. The publication of The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt on September 14th, 2001 marks the 100th anniversary of Theodore Roosevelt becoming president.
-
-
Very, very good, but very, very long.
- By Mike From Mesa on 03-29-13
By: Edmund Morris
-
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
-
Truman
- By: David McCullough
- Narrated by: Nelson Runger
- Length: 54 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hailed by critics as an American masterpiece, David McCullough's sweeping biography of Harry S. Truman captured the heart of the nation. The life and times of the 33rd president of the United States, Truman provides a deeply moving look at an extraordinary, singular American.
-
-
That Mousy Little Man From Missouri Revisited
- By Sara on 07-23-15
By: David McCullough
-
The Bushes
- Portrait of a Dynasty
- By: Peter Schweizer, Rochelle Schweizer
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean, Rochelle Schweizer
- Length: 23 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
President George W. Bush leads our nation in a time of unprecedented peril. But how well do we really know him or his remarkable family, whose history often mirrors the history of America? Now, in the first full-scale biography of the Bushes, Peter and Rochelle Schweizer trace the extraordinary trajectory of their rise to power. Through a series of exclusive, surprisingly candid interviews with members of the family and close friends, the inner workings of this very private family are revealed.
-
-
Very well researched
- By M on 06-03-04
By: Peter Schweizer, and others
-
Wizard
- The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla: Biography of a Genius
- By: Marc J. Seifer
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 22 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), credited as the inspiration for radio, robots, and even radar, has been called the patron saint of modern electricity. Based on original material and previously unavailable documents, this acclaimed book is the definitive biography of the man considered by many to be the founding father of modern electrical technology.
-
-
Tesla was a hundred years ahead of his time
- By Jean on 01-28-12
By: Marc J. Seifer
-
The Snowball
- Warren Buffett and the Business of Life
- By: Alice Schroeder
- Narrated by: Kirsten Potter
- Length: 36 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here is THE book recounting the life and times of one of the most respected men in the world, Warren Buffett. The legendary Omaha investor has never written a memoir, but now he has allowed one writer, Alice Schroeder, unprecedented access to explore directly with him and with those closest to him his work, opinions, struggles, triumphs, follies, and wisdom. The result is the personally revealing and complete biography of the man known everywhere as "The Oracle of Omaha."
-
-
2,220 well-invested minutes!
- By BogKid on 01-07-09
By: Alice Schroeder
-
American Prometheus
- The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
- By: Kai Bird, Martin J. Sherwin
- Narrated by: Jeff Cummings
- Length: 26 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
J. Robert Oppenheimer was one of the iconic figures of the 20th century, a brilliant physicist who led the effort to build the atomic bomb but later confronted the moral consequences of scientific progress. When he proposed international controls over atomic materials, opposed the development of the hydrogen bomb, and criticized plans for a nuclear war, his ideas were anathema to powerful advocates of a massive nuclear buildup during the anti-Communist hysteria of the early 1950s.
-
-
An American Tragedy
- By Edith on 12-13-07
By: Kai Bird, and others
-
Walt Disney
- The Triumph of the American Imagination
- By: Neal Gabler
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 33 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Walt Disney was a true visionary whose desire for escape, iron determination, and obsessive perfectionism transformed animation from a novelty to an art form, first with Mickey Mouse and then with his feature films–most notably Snow White, Fantasia, and Bambi.
-
-
Diane Disney
- By Amanda on 02-15-13
By: Neal Gabler
-
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
-
Imperium
- A Novel of Ancient Rome
- By: Robert Harris
- Narrated by: Simon Jones
- Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Tiro, the confidential secretary (and slave) of a Roman senator, opens the door to a terrified stranger on a cold November morning, he sets in motion a chain of events that will eventually propel his master into one of the most suspenseful courtroom dramas in history.
-
-
Engrossing read
- By Everett Leiter on 08-16-07
By: Robert Harris
-
The Overton Window
- By: Glenn Beck
- Narrated by: James Daniels
- Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A plan to destroy America, a hundred years in the making, is about to be unleashed. There is a powerful technique called the Overton Window that can shape our lives, our laws, and our future. It works by manipulating public perception so that ideas previously thought of as radical begin to seem acceptable over time. Move the Window and you change the debate. Change the debate and you change the country.
-
-
AMAZING!!
- By DayDreamer on 06-17-10
By: Glenn Beck
-
Game Change
- Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime
- By: John Heilemann, Mark Halperin
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 14 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Based on hundreds of interviews with the people who lived the story, Game Change is a reportorial tour de force that reads like a fast-paced novel. Character driven and dialogue rich, replete with extravagantly detailed scenes, this is the occasion-ally shocking, often hilarious, ultimately definitive account of the campaign of a lifetime.
-
-
Compelling & frank
- By Michael on 01-15-10
By: John Heilemann, and others
-
Lincoln
- By: David Herbert Donald
- Narrated by: Dick Estell
- Length: 30 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the best-selling tradition of Truman, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer David Herbert Donald offers a new classic in American history and biography - a masterly account of how one man's extraordinary political acumen steered the Union to victory in the Civil War, and of how his soaring rhetoric gave meaning to that agonizing struggle for nationhood and equality.
-
-
Lincoln not honest when it comes to his faith?
- By Carpe Diem on 07-19-19
-
FDR
- By: Jean Edward Smith
- Narrated by: Marc Cashman
- Length: 32 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of today's premier biographers, Jean Edward Smith, has written a modern, comprehensive, indeed ultimate book on the epic life of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. This is a portrait painted in broad strokes and fine details. We see how Roosevelt's restless energy, fierce intellect, personal magnetism, and ability to project effortless grace permitted him to master countless challenges throughout his life. Smith recounts FDR's personal battles and also tackles head-on and in depth the numerous failures and miscues of Roosevelt's political career.
-
-
Interesting but flawed
- By Mike From Mesa on 09-15-13
-
The New New Thing
- A Silicon Valley Story
- By: Michael Lewis
- Narrated by: Bruce Reizen
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the weird glow of the dying millennium, Michael Lewis sets out on a safari through Silicon Valley to find the world's most important technology entrepreneur, the man who embodies the spirit of the coming age. He finds him in Jim Clark, who is about to create his third, separate, billion-dollar company: first Silicon Graphics, then Netscape - which launched the Information Age - and now Healtheon, a startup that may turn the $1 trillion healthcare industry on its head.
-
-
A fun book about Jim Clark
- By Horace on 07-07-10
By: Michael Lewis
Critic reviews
Related to this topic
-
Mike Bloomberg
- Money, Power, Politics
- By: Joyce Purnick
- Narrated by: Mark Moseley
- Length: 6 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Michael Bloomberg is not only New York City's 108th mayor; he is a business genius and self-made billionaire. He has run the toughest city in America with an independence and show of ego that first brought him great success and eventually threatened it. Yet while Bloomberg is internationally known and admired, few people know the man behind the carefully crafted public persona.
-
-
Not the most captivating, but a decent summary
- By liz w on 03-06-17
By: Joyce Purnick
-
A Woman in Charge
- The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton
- By: Carl Bernstein
- Narrated by: Dick Rodstein
- Length: 24 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Carl Bernstein's stunning portrait of Hillary Rodham Clinton shows us, as nothing else has, the true trajectory of her life and career, with its zigzag bursts of risks taken and safety sought. Marshaling all the skills and energy that propelled his history-making Pulitzer Prize reporting on Watergate, Bernstein gives us the most detailed, sophisticated, comprehensive, and revealing account of Hilary Rodham Clinton yet.
-
-
in depth and well-written
- By Katherine on 07-20-07
By: Carl Bernstein
-
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
-
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
-
All Things Possible
- Setbacks and Success in Politics and Life
- By: Andrew M. Cuomo
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 14 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this full and frank memoir - a personal story of duty, family, justice, politics and resilience - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo reflects on his rise, fall, and rise in politics, and recounts his defining personal and political moments and tough but necessary lessons he has learned along the way.
-
-
I Love This Book AND the Guvnor (Governor, I Know)
- By Igi M. on 09-02-20
By: Andrew M. Cuomo
-
The Crusades of Cesar Chavez
- A Biography
- By: Miriam Pawel
- Narrated by: Jackson Gutierrez
- Length: 21 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the first comprehensive biography of Chavez, Miriam Pawel offers a searching yet empathetic portrayal. Chavez emerges here as a visionary figure with tragic flaws; a brilliant strategist who sometimes stumbled; and a canny, streetwise organizer whose pragmatism was often at odds with his elusive, soaring dreams.
-
-
Cesar Chávez
- By Ed on 09-10-18
By: Miriam Pawel
-
Mike Bloomberg
- Money, Power, Politics
- By: Joyce Purnick
- Narrated by: Mark Moseley
- Length: 6 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Michael Bloomberg is not only New York City's 108th mayor; he is a business genius and self-made billionaire. He has run the toughest city in America with an independence and show of ego that first brought him great success and eventually threatened it. Yet while Bloomberg is internationally known and admired, few people know the man behind the carefully crafted public persona.
-
-
Not the most captivating, but a decent summary
- By liz w on 03-06-17
By: Joyce Purnick
-
A Woman in Charge
- The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton
- By: Carl Bernstein
- Narrated by: Dick Rodstein
- Length: 24 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Carl Bernstein's stunning portrait of Hillary Rodham Clinton shows us, as nothing else has, the true trajectory of her life and career, with its zigzag bursts of risks taken and safety sought. Marshaling all the skills and energy that propelled his history-making Pulitzer Prize reporting on Watergate, Bernstein gives us the most detailed, sophisticated, comprehensive, and revealing account of Hilary Rodham Clinton yet.
-
-
in depth and well-written
- By Katherine on 07-20-07
By: Carl Bernstein
-
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
-
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
-
All Things Possible
- Setbacks and Success in Politics and Life
- By: Andrew M. Cuomo
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 14 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this full and frank memoir - a personal story of duty, family, justice, politics and resilience - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo reflects on his rise, fall, and rise in politics, and recounts his defining personal and political moments and tough but necessary lessons he has learned along the way.
-
-
I Love This Book AND the Guvnor (Governor, I Know)
- By Igi M. on 09-02-20
By: Andrew M. Cuomo
-
The Crusades of Cesar Chavez
- A Biography
- By: Miriam Pawel
- Narrated by: Jackson Gutierrez
- Length: 21 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the first comprehensive biography of Chavez, Miriam Pawel offers a searching yet empathetic portrayal. Chavez emerges here as a visionary figure with tragic flaws; a brilliant strategist who sometimes stumbled; and a canny, streetwise organizer whose pragmatism was often at odds with his elusive, soaring dreams.
-
-
Cesar Chávez
- By Ed on 09-10-18
By: Miriam Pawel
-
The Last Republicans
- Inside the Extraordinary Relationship Between George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush
- By: Mark K. Updegrove
- Narrated by: Milton Jeffers
- Length: 14 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this balanced, illuminating audiobook, Updegrove tells the story of the Bushes' relationship from the birth of George W. through their postpresidential years and Jeb Bush's failed candidacy. Drawing on exclusive access and interviews with both presidents and the key people in their lives, Updegrove reveals the Bushes' views on the current state of the nation and the GOP and how the party they both led and helped build is undergoing a radical transformation.
-
-
Father and Son Presidents
- By Jean on 02-14-18
-
The Rockefellers
- By: Peter Collier, David Horowitz
- Narrated by: Michael Anthony
- Length: 30 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Against a richly detailed backdrop of history, the story of this unique American family unfolds. It begins with John D. Rockefeller Sr., who amassed a fortune amid the muck and disorder of the Pennsylvania oil fields and left his son to deal with the public outcry.
-
-
Too Long
- By Rohit on 05-25-07
By: Peter Collier, and others
-
The Woman Behind the New Deal
- The Life of Frances Perkins, FDR'S Secretary of Labor and His Moral Conscience
- By: Kirstin Downey
- Narrated by: Susan Ericksen
- Length: 19 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Frances Perkins is no longer a household name, yet she was one of the most influential women of the 20th century. Based on extensive archival materials, new documents, and exclusive access to Perkins' family members and friends, this biography is the first complete portrait of a devoted public servant with a passionate personal life, a mother who changed the landscape of American business and society.
-
-
An Absorbing Biography
- By Jean on 08-16-17
By: Kirstin Downey
-
The Promise
- President Obama, Year One
- By: Jonathan Alter
- Narrated by: Jonathan Alter
- Length: 20 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Barack Obama’s inauguration as president on January 20, 2009, inspired the world. But the great promise of “Change We Can Believe In” was immediately tested by the threat of another Great Depression, a worsening war in Afghanistan, and an entrenched and deeply partisan system of business as usual in Washington. Despite all the coverage, the backstory of Obama’s historic first year in office has until now remained a mystery.
-
-
Tiresome
- By Matthew on 05-21-10
By: Jonathan Alter
-
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
-
41
- A Portrait of My Father
- By: George W. Bush
- Narrated by: George W. Bush
- Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States, has authored a personal biography of his father, George H. W. Bush, the 41st president. Forty-three men have served as president of the United States. Countless books have been written about them. But never before has a president told the story of his father, another president, through his own eyes and in his own words. A unique and intimate biography, the book covers the entire scope of the elder President Bush’s life and career.
-
-
Heartwarming and Honoring
- By Marie on 12-24-14
By: George W. Bush
-
The Center Holds
- Obama and His Enemies
- By: Jonathan Alter
- Narrated by: Jonathan Alter
- Length: 18 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies, Jonathan Alter uses his unmatched access and deep knowledge of politics and history to produce the first full account of America at the crossroads. He pierces the bubble of the White House and of the presidential campaigns with exclusive reporting and rare historical insight. More than a campaign book, this is the epic story of an embattled president facing a historic moment he considered more pivotal than 2008.
-
-
The Best Telling of the 2012 Campaign So Far
- By Mike on 06-11-13
By: Jonathan Alter
-
Collision 2012
- Obama vs. Romney and the Future of Elections in America
- By: Dan Balz
- Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
- Length: 15 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Four years ago, a bright young presidential candidate named Barack Obama campaigned on a theme of hope and change, and made history. Today, he finds himself in another bitter, divisive presidential race but without the buzzwords. Instead, an embattled president struggles with a dysfunctionally divided Congress, a controversial healthcare bill, a decade-long war, and a stagnant economy.
-
-
Fascinating. Couldn't stop listening.
- By Gregory E Benoit on 07-24-16
By: Dan Balz
-
Boom!
- Voices of the Sixties: Personal Reflections on the '60s and Today
- By: Tom Brokaw
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 18 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Boom! One minute it was Ike and the man in the grey flannel suit, and the next minute it was time to "turn on, tune in, drop out". While Americans were walking on the moon, Americans were dying in Vietnam. Nothing was beyond question, and there were far fewer answers than before.
-
-
boring survey of a generation
- By Andy on 01-01-08
By: Tom Brokaw
-
Game of Thorns
- The Inside Story of Hillary Clinton's Failed Campaign and Donald Trump's Winning Strategy
- By: Doug Wead
- Narrated by: Doug Wead
- Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here is the first insider account of the precipitous fall of Hillary Clinton. How the scandals of a lifetime finally reached critical mass. How, in the last few days of the campaign, some on her staff saw the ghostly shroud of defeat creeping over them but were helpless to act, frozen by the self-denial of the group.
-
-
President Donald Trump stopped that Clinton Machine
- By Paulette on 03-05-17
By: Doug Wead
-
Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero
- By: Chris Matthews
- Narrated by: Holter Graham
- Length: 13 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Chris Matthews’ extraordinary biography, we see this most beloved president in the company of friends. We see and feel him close-up, having fun and giving off that restlessness of his. We watch him navigate his life from privileged, rebellious youth to gutsy American president. We witness his bravery in war and selfless rescue of his PT boat crew. We watch JFK as a young politician learning to play hardball and watch him grow into the leader who averts a nuclear war.
-
-
What Might Have Been?
- By Mel on 12-06-11
By: Chris Matthews
-
Bobby Kennedy
- The Making of a Liberal Icon
- By: Larry Tye
- Narrated by: Marc Cashman
- Length: 19 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
History remembers Robert F. Kennedy as a racial healer, a tribune for the poor, and the last progressive knight of a bygone era of American politics. But Kennedy's enshrinement in the liberal pantheon was actually the final stage of a journey that had its beginnings in the conservative 1950s. In Bobby Kennedy, Larry Tye peels away layers of myth and misconception to paint a complete portrait of this singularly fascinating figure.
-
-
Absorbing
- By Jean on 01-18-17
By: Larry Tye
What listeners say about The Real Romney
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- David
- 06-11-12
Three dimensional biography entertainly told
What made the experience of listening to The Real Romney the most enjoyable?
The stubject of the story is the Republican nominee for this year's election so that fact butteressed my curitosity about him. The book was filled with stubstantial information.It included personal,polilitical,business, and religious aspects of his life and how these factors contributed to the development of who he is and how he approaches his role in today's world.
What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?
His ambition. The piece I found lacking was the dirth of information about Romney and his siblings.
What about Dan Woren’s performance did you like?
The sound of his voice is one that the listener will find attractive - he sounds strong and commanding- the diction is good and the pace of his words is consistently tempered, not too fast or too slow. It is not a voice that grates nor one that would put you to sleep. It is a voice that suggests you are going to be listening to accurate information, that the story being told is a sober one that is factual.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No - I like to pace myself, especially with long books - I like to take time to absorb information that several chapters can bring and then after thinking about them, proceed to several more.
Any additional comments?
I would like to read a sequal to this; a story about the 2012 campaign and how he changed or didn't change, what he learned as he campaigned. I thnk this was an informative and fair depicition of Governor Romney. I am a Democrat who is voting for Obama, but I think a Republican voting for Romney would like this book too.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- C.S.Kelly
- 09-17-12
In depth review of Romney
I read "The Amateur:Barrack Obama" and "The Real Romney" both books,I feel, gave a fair assesment of both men,their beliefs,their achievements and their lives. It sealed the deal for me-four years ago we drank the Kool-Aid and elected someone who had no idea what to do. Romney is far better equipped to lead us out of this mess we are in while restoring our international reputation. Both books are well written and well performed...I wish everyone could read both books before voting.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Brooke Raymond Brown
- 02-23-12
As "real" as it gets on Romney...
What made the experience of listening to The Real Romney the most enjoyable?
As a Mormon, I was very interested to learn more about Romney's background, his politics, and how he got to where he is today. The book does a very good job of covering this, where he came from, his Mormon heritage, the trials and successes in his business and family life are all detailed out well enough. There is some spin going on and a few leaps where you can tell the author is filling in the blanks, but I think that is the exception rather than the rule. Of course, any coverage of Romney's politics you expect this. Overall, I felt like I got what I was looking for here. Romney is clearly a class act and a patriot. His story can teach us about ourselves and inspire us to be better citizens.
What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?
Romney's obvious central role in the Republican primary and potentially the upcoming presidential election.
Would you be willing to try another one of Dan Woren???s performances?
Gotta admit the narrator was not great, but does a good enough job that it did not distract me. There were times when I wished that he just did not even try to attempt the Kennedy voice or the female voice...
If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
Like father, like son...
Any additional comments?
Got a good laugh at the narrator mis-pronouncing Mormon terms like Moroni and Nauvoo!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jane
- 02-14-12
Adequate introduction
Of course, the world is very interested in who is voted as the next President since United States has a profound effect on all 7 billion of us. As an Australian I decided to listen to The Real Romney to get an idea of this man.
The reader is introduced to Mormonism ??? a very American religion. There are glimpses of Romney the super wealthy family man, Romney the son, Romney giving more thought to acquiring and working through data than opening his instincts and perception to real people.
The writers seemed to be carefully covering themselves in case Romney does win ??? only cautiously did they include negative views of Romney, probably to tick the boxes requiring journalists to cover both sides of a subject. The narrator was flat and uninspired.
For all this, I didn???t feel I wasted my time. This was an adequate introduction. Even if Romney withdraws or is defeated, it was still worth it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- E.Sisto
- 10-23-12
Excellent book..a realistic view of Romney
What made the experience of listening to The Real Romney the most enjoyable?
The reporting in the book is excellent and it is written quite well. In the days when someone seems to need to be an actor as well as a viable candidate it gives a picture of Romney that seems much more fair than the tv does.
What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?
Understanding Romney's actions in the context of his entire life.
Did the narration match the pace of the story?
yes.
Any additional comments?
I found the reader to be exceedingly annoying when he was speaking the lines of women in the book. He was good with the men, but he seems to thinks that sounding like a woman is the same thing as sounding clueless and directionless, even the most powerful of the female characters. He should definitely take heed of this. It was very disturbing to listen to.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- David T.
- 12-04-12
Okay
Any additional comments?
I don't see any long term interest in this book and with Romney's loss it likely will be forgotten. Anyways, I listened to this before the November 12 election to get a better idea of Romney. You can sort of tell its written by two authors, the first is smitten with Romney and thinks he's the greatest guy in the world. It almost seems disingenuous and written to show how great Romeny is, the other author seems more honest, but at the same time wants to show Romney's greed and questionable leadership at Bain. Overall it was okay, but a very generic non interesting biography of someone who perhaps might be more interesting than this book lead on.
The reader though did a superb job, too bad it was for such a lackluster book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lynn
- 09-05-12
Insight into a Private Person
The Republicans now have their torch bearer in Mitt Romney. Michael Kranish and Scott Helman set out in The Real Romney to reveal who this man might be. I will leave the book summaries to others and just say this volume is very informative. The first chapters cover his grandparents in Mexico and his father’s marriage to a movie star. Mitt’s childhood relationship with his father and his life in the Mormon Church provide many insights. His family life and church life are largely private, but necessary to understanding who this man might be and how he might govern. The book then devotes space to how Romney leveraged a BYU education and Harvard JD/MBA into a professional career. He was a valuable person in the consulting world and had a successful run with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) before being enticed to Bain Capital. This section of the book is particularly instructive because Romney talks about starting Bain Capital which is true, but he did not bank roll it. Bill Bain provided the capital and provided cover for Romney in case the venture failed. Kranish and Helman contend that Romney never ran any of the companies that Bain invested in or managed. Romney appears on these pages not as an entrepreneur, per se, but an analytical type. Readers will have to decide for themselves what they think about this episode in his life and its preparation value for the Presidency at this juncture. My personal view is that Romney does understand what it takes to revitalize businesses and bring them to profitability. Did all of Bain’s projects under the guidance of Romney make money, no. He doesn’t make that claim. Finally, the book considers Romney’s run for office. This last section is important to anyone seeking to understand who Romney is. In sum, Romney has a family life, a church life, and a professional life. All are shrouded and hidden from public view to a certain extend. This book shed some light and certainly will become the focus of coffee break conversation for days to come. The reading of Dan Woren is a plus.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- geoff
- 10-02-12
Informative.
It seems to me that there is very little information about Mitt Romney that is easily accessible. This book, after the first read, left me with the impression that I know Mitt Romney better and understand a little more of who he is. I believe it was written from a mostly unbiased perspective and mentions both good and not so good impressions. This book feels like a documentary.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Eric
- 02-10-12
Don't buy this audio book.
What disappointed you about The Real Romney?
This audio book is pure Romney propaganda!
What could Michael Kranish and Scott Helman have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
They could have written the book with less of a bias.
What didn’t you like about Dan Woren’s performance?
The accents were a distraction.
You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?
None!
Any additional comments?
I want 13hrs of my life back.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- I F Leger
- 02-10-12
Hard to conceal resentment and feign objectvity...
This book wasn???t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?
Well, there is lots of useful info as to Romney's life story, BUT every unique and praiseworthy quality is downplayed by implying he is either
What do you think your next listen will be?
Lord of The Flies or Kill Shot
How could the performance have been better?
The voice of Romney was caricature-like.
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Real Romney?
All of the spun headlines as an explanation for anything negative. Do some real research. This was liberal-biased and LAZY.
Any additional comments?
Lame attmept to influence the elections by further alienating people from Romney. It was not as subtle as the author believed.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
8 people found this helpful