The Unexpected President
The Life and Times of Chester A. Arthur
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Narrated by:
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Paul Heitsch
About this listen
Despite his promising start as a young man, by his early 50s Chester A. Arthur was known as the crooked crony of New York machine boss Roscoe Conkling. For years Arthur had been perceived as unfit to govern, not only by critics and the vast majority of his fellow citizens but by his own conscience. As President James A. Garfield struggled for his life, Arthur knew better than his detractors that he failed to meet the high standard a president must uphold.
And yet, from the moment President Arthur took office, he proved to be not just honest but brave, going up against the very forces that had controlled him for decades. He surprised everyone - and gained many enemies - when he swept house and took on corruption, civil rights for Blacks, and issues of land for Native Americans.
A mysterious young woman deserves much of the credit for Arthur's remarkable transformation. Julia Sand, a bedridden New Yorker, wrote Arthur nearly two dozen letters urging him to put country over party, to find "the spark of true nobility" that lay within him. At a time when women were barred from political life, Sand's letters inspired Arthur to transcend his checkered past - and changed the course of American history.
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- By: Doris Kearns Goodwin
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 41 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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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.
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Beautiful, Heartbreaking, and Informative
- By JJ on 09-10-12
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The President and the Assassin
- McKinley, Terror, and Empire at the Dawn of the American Century
- By: Scott Miller
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 13 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1901, as America tallied its gains from a period of unprecedented imperial expansion, an assassin's bullet shattered the nation's confidence. The shocking murder of President William McKinley threw into stark relief the emerging new world order of what would come to be known as the American Century.
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An Ideal History Book for the Audio Format
- By Nelson Alexander on 09-30-11
By: Scott Miller
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1920
- The Year of Six Presidents
- By: David Pietrusza
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 20 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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The presidential election of 1920 was among history's most dramatic. Six once-and-future presidents--Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, and Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt--jockeyed for the White House. With voters choosing between Wilson's League of Nations and Harding's front-porch isolationism, the 1920 election shaped modern America.
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A fascinating view into the US at the end of WWI
- By D. Littman on 12-31-09
By: David Pietrusza
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Capital Dames
- The Civil War and the Women of Washington, 1848-1868
- By: Cokie Roberts
- Narrated by: Cokie Roberts
- Length: 14 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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With the outbreak of the Civil War, the small, social, Southern town of Washington, DC, found itself caught between warring sides in a four-year battle that would determine the future of the United States. After the declaration of secession, many fascinating Southern women left the city, leaving their friends - such as Adele Cutts Douglas and Elizabeth Blair Lee - to grapple with questions of safety and sanitation as the capital was transformed into an immense Union army camp and later a hospital.
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Enlightening
- By Jean on 05-07-15
By: Cokie Roberts
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The Woman's Hour
- The Great Fight to Win the Vote
- By: Elaine Weiss
- Narrated by: Elaine Weiss, Tavia Gilbert
- Length: 16 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Nashville, August 1920. Thirty-five states have ratified the Nineteenth Amendment, 12 have rejected or refused to vote, and one last state is needed. It all comes down to Tennessee, the moment of truth for the suffragists, after a seven-decade crusade. The opposing forces include politicians with careers at stake, liquor companies, railroad magnates, and a lot of racists who don't want black women voting. And then there are the "Antis" - women who oppose their own enfranchisement, fearing suffrage will bring about the moral collapse of the nation.
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Good book, poor choice of reader
- By Amazon Customer on 05-24-18
By: Elaine Weiss
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Grant's Final Victory
- Ulysses S. Grant's Heroic Last Year
- By: Charles Bracelen Flood
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
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Shortly after losing all of his wealth in a terrible 1884 swindle, Ulysses S. Grant learned he had terminal throat and mouth cancer. Destitute and dying, Grant began to write his memoirs to save his family from permanent financial ruin. As Grant continued his work, suffering increasing pain, the American public became aware of this race between Grant's writing and his fatal illness. Twenty years after his respectful and magnanimous demeanor toward Robert E. Lee at Appomattox, people in the North and the South came to know Grant, now using his famous determination in this final effort.
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Great story, average narration
- By Tad Davis on 04-25-12
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Lincoln the Unknown
- By: Dale Carnegie
- Narrated by: Clay Lomakayu
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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One of the best books ever written about Lincoln by Dale Carnegie. Chronicles the inner life and struggles of Abraham Lincoln, how he led a life of poverty, how he went from pauper to become president, how he emerged from obscurity and became the Republican nominee at the 1860 Chicago convention, how he loved to tell humorous stories, and that he was an avid reader of Shakespeare.
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Lincoln
- By Amazon Customer on 06-11-21
By: Dale Carnegie
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War of Two
- Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and the Duel That Stunned the Nation
- By: John Sedgwick
- Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan
- Length: 17 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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A provocative and penetrating investigation into the rivalry between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, whose infamous duel left the founding father dead and turned a sitting vice president into a fugitive. In the summer of 1804, two of America's most eminent statesmen squared off, pistols raised, on a bluff along the Hudson River. That two such men would risk not only their lives but the stability of the young country they helped forge is almost beyond comprehension. Yet we know that it happened.
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Provocative
- By Jean on 11-25-15
By: John Sedgwick
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1861: The Civil War Awakening
- By: Adam Goodheart
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 18 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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As the United States marks the 150th anniversary of our defining national drama, 1861 presents a gripping and original account of how the Civil War began. 1861 is an epic of courage and heroism beyond the battlefields. Early in that fateful year, a second American revolution unfolded, inspiring a new generation to reject their parents' faith in compromise and appeasement, to do the unthinkable in the name of an ideal.
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Not what I expected
- By Sol on 07-01-11
By: Adam Goodheart
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All the Great Prizes
- The Life of John Hay, from Lincoln to Roosevelt
- By: John Taliaferro
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 22 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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If Henry James or Edith Wharton had written a novel describing the accomplished and glamorous life and times of John Hay, it would have been thought implausible - a novelist’s fancy. Nevertheless, John Taliaferro’s brilliant biography captures the extraordinary life of Hay, one of the most amazing figures in American history, and restores him to his rightful place. John Hay was both witness and author of many of the most significant chapters in American history - from the birth of the Republican Party, the Civil War, and the Spanish-American War, to the prelude to the First World War.
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Almost a Five Star
- By Lulu on 12-22-14
By: John Taliaferro
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Excellent story, the narration ruined it for me
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Hoover
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The definitive biography of Herbert Hoover, one of the most remarkable Americans of the 20th century - a revisionist account that will forever change the way Americans understand the man, his presidency, and his battle against the Great Depression. A poor orphan who built a fortune, a great humanitarian, a president elected in a landslide and then routed in the next election, arguably the father of both New Deal liberalism and modern conservatism - Herbert Hoover is also one of our least understood presidents.
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What a fascinating story!
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What listeners say about The Unexpected President
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- Grotshops
- 02-05-21
An unexpected pleasure
I enthusiastically recommend this well-researched book that tells the story of one of our less celebrated presidents, Chester A. Arthur. Anyone interested in 19th century America, and especially its political history, would enjoy this well-told story. At many points, the parallels between the political climate we now experience and that of the 1870s-1880s are hard to miss. The author’s even-handed treatment of the various political actors adds credibility to the narrative. The narration is also excellent.
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- Ted
- 04-26-23
Surprisingly very good book.
I say this because, I we never studied him in Schools. His story should be told to Americans.
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- Ed
- 11-18-23
Beyond Expectations
Based on my knowledge of that corrupt era and the political machines running our governments, I held a dim view of Chester Arthur. So, I took a flier on this book and came away enjoying this book and forming a newfound respect for Chester Arthur.
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Overall
- Anonymous User
- 04-28-19
good read better if read to you. but thing mor as
history. and. and amdand and washe a good man you guess afer i have an opinion
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- Boll Weevils
- 12-29-22
An enjoyable but limited book.
Would have liked to have seen more about Arthur’s personality and his presidential policies. The vast majority of this book takes place before he was president and takes interesting detours into other personalities of the time, particularly Senator Roscoe Conkling. Arthur was in the middle of the line of undistinguished and forgettable post – Civil War presidents.
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- Chet Caskey
- 03-11-24
Highly recommended.
A good account of not only Chester Arthur, but of multiple important figures of this troubled era - that in many respects foreshadowed the present.
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- Jeffrey
- 10-16-19
Must read!!!oops listen!!!!
I really learned a lot of new information about Chester Arthur. There was a magical feel to it
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2 people found this helpful
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- Wayne J. Street Jr.
- 01-01-19
An Unexpected Treat!!!
This was a wonderful story. My friend said that I am officially a "leading authority on Chester A. Arthur." It was organized, with accurate and complete research.
The author did a nice job of presenting all of the facts and then going deeper than what is most commonly talked about with Arthur, from the Party Boss and "yes man," for Conkling.
It is also a great story of redemption about how Arthur begins to change as the President and considers his legacy and goes above and beyond his own vanity and his own interests.
This is a book that I highly recommend for any person who loves history and loves our presidents.
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- Jared Wilkinson
- 07-26-23
Underrated President
A fantastic and timely story as well as an enlightening piece of US history. The author had me invested in the narrative as well as gripped by the history. Fascinating info not just on Arthur, but on Garfield, Grant, and Hayes as well. Highly recommend for history buffs.
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- George
- 07-26-23
Unexpectedly good!
A president who rose to the occasion with the help of a disabled pen-pal
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