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Worst. President. Ever.
- James Buchanan, the POTUS Rating Game, and the Legacy of the Least of the Lesser Presidents
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins
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Publisher's summary
Worst. President. Ever. flips the great presidential biography on its head, offering an enlightening - and highly entertaining - account of poor James Buchanan's presidency to prove once and for all that, well, few leaders could have done worse.
But author Robert Strauss does much more, leading listeners out of Buchanan's terrible term in office - meddling in the Dred Scott Supreme Court decision, exacerbating the Panic of 1857, helping foment the John Brown uprisings and "Bloody Kansas", virtually inviting a half-dozen states to secede from the Union as a lame duck, and on and on - to explore with insight and humor his own obsession with presidents, and ultimately the entire notion of ranking our presidents. He guides us through the POTUS rating game of historians and others who have made their own Mount Rushmores - or Marianas Trenches - of presidential achievement, showing why Buchanan easily loses to any of the others, but also offering insights into presidential history buffs like himself, the forgotten "lesser" presidential sites, sex and the presidency, the presidency itself, and how and why it can often take the best measures out of even the most dedicated men.
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- Narrated by: Chris Stirewalt
- Length: 4 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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American populism has always been home to a fascinating assortment of charismatic leaders, characters, kooks, cranks, and sometimes charlatans who have led the charge of ordinary folks who have gotten wise to the ways of the swamp. Every Man a King tells the stories of America's populist leaders, from Andrew Jackson and Teddy Roosevelt to Ross Perot, Pat Buchanan, and Donald Trump. It is a rollicking history of an American attitude that has shaped not only our current moment, but also the long struggle over who gets to define the truths we hold to be self evident.
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Education delivered in a most entertaining way.
- By Snaps And Snippets on 09-17-18
By: Chris Stirewalt
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John Quincy Adams
- Militant Spirit
- By: James Traub
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 25 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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John Quincy Adams was the last of his kind - a Puritan from the age of the Founders who despised party and compromise yet dedicated himself to politics and government. The son of John Adams, he was a brilliant ambassador and secretary of state, a frustrated president at a historic turning point in American politics, and a dedicated congressman who literally died in office - at the age of 80, in the House of Representatives, in the midst of an impassioned political debate.
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Best narrator of all the audio books I've listened
- By grimm79 on 12-12-17
By: James Traub
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The 56
- Liberty Lessons from Those Who Risked All to Sign the Declaration of Independence
- By: Douglas MacKinnon
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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The urgent need to honor the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence came to Douglas MacKinnon, fittingly enough, on the Fourth of July. While doing research for a column meant to remind the American people of that date’s critical importance, he came across example after example of those from the left and the far left—be they in the mainstream media, activists, or anarchists—calling for not only the “canceling” of the Fourth of July, but the continued smearing, censorship, and canceling of our Founding Fathers.
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Must read for every U.S. citizen!
- By DK Holmes on 05-24-22
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Adams vs. Jefferson
- The Tumultuous Election of 1800
- By: John Ferling
- Narrated by: Jack Garrett
- Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Award-winning author John Ferling is a leading authority on the American Revolution. His entertaining and enlightening histories have greatly improved our understanding of early America and the Founding Fathers. Now Ferling opens a window to the past and explores the contentious presidential election of 1800.
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Outstanding work of interpretive history
- By D. Littman on 11-01-04
By: John Ferling
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The Presidents
- Noted Historians Rank America's Best - and Worst - Chief Executives
- By: Brian Lamb, Susan Swain, Douglas Brinkley - introduction, and others
- Narrated by: Gary Tiedemann, Grace Angela Henry
- Length: 19 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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The complete rankings of our best - and worst - presidents, based on C-SPAN's much-cited Historians Surveys of Presidential Leadership. Over a period of decades, C-SPAN has surveyed leading historians on the best and worst of America's presidents across a variety of categories - their ability to persuade the public, their leadership skills, their moral authority, and more. The crucible of the presidency has forged some of the very best and very worst leaders in our national history, along with everyone in between.
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Too Much Praise
- By veronica d on 02-05-21
By: Brian Lamb, and others
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Redemption
- The Last Battle of the Civil War
- By: Nicholas Lemann
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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A century after Appomattox, the civil rights movement won full citizenship for black Americans in the South. It should not have been necessary: by 1870 those rights were set in the Constitution. This is the story of the terrorist campaign that took them away.
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A good accouting of the post Civil War suffering
- By KMB Consumer on 08-10-07
By: Nicholas Lemann
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American Heritage History of the Presidents
- By: Michael R. Beschloss
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 25 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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From George Washington's reluctant oath-taking through George W. Bush's leadership challenges after September 11, 2001, we view ambitious and fallible men through the new lens of the 21st century. Where did they succeed? Where did they fail? And what do we know now that we could not have known at the time?
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Good but Far from Great
- By Michael on 07-11-20
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A Wicked War
- Polk, Clay, Lincoln and the 1846 U.S. Invasion of Mexico
- By: Amy S. Greenberg
- Narrated by: Caroline Shaffer
- Length: 12 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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A Wicked War presents the definitive history of the 1846 war between the United States and Mexico - a conflict that turned America into a continental power. Amy Greenberg describes the battles between American and Mexican armies, but also delineates the political battles between Democrats and Whigs - the former led by the ruthless Polk, the latter by the charismatic Henry Clay and a young representative from Illinois named Abraham Lincoln. Greenberg brilliantly recounts this key chapter in the creation of the United States authority and narrative flair.
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Rubbish Historical Work, Lots of Fake Stuff
- By Jose on 04-28-17
By: Amy S. Greenberg
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Henry Clay
- The Essential American
- By: David S. Heidler, Jeanne T. Heidler
- Narrated by: Jonathan Yen
- Length: 30 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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He was the Great Compromiser, a canny and colorful legislator whose life mirrors the story of America from its founding until the eve of the Civil War. Speaker of the House, senator, secretary of state, five-time presidential candidate, and idol to the young Abraham Lincoln, Henry Clay is captured in full at last in this rich and sweeping biography.
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"probably" "possibly" "maybe" "could have"
- By Thor Finn on 08-10-18
By: David S. Heidler, and others
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Terrible book :( Incredibly TEDIOUS.
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grover deserves better
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A Decent Overview of Polk's Presidency
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Terrible book :( Incredibly TEDIOUS.
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Polk
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This is a major political biography of a great American president - who won a war, transformed the government, and doubled the size of the United States...in four years. When Polk was sworn in as the 11th president, what followed was one of the most consequential presidencies in history.
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Polk: One of our most important Preidents
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grover deserves better
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John Milton Cooper, Jr., is widely acknowledged as one of the world’s preeminent Woodrow Wilson biographers. This thoroughly researched profile of America’s 28th president is universally hailed for its scholarship and insight into the life and career ofone of the nation’s most polarizing leaders.
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On the outside looking in
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A Decent Overview of Polk's Presidency
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Highly recommended
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Nuanced in outlook but supported by detailed references to the available primary sources.
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Narrator Too Robotic
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Millard Fillmore, who fell into the presidency when Zachary Taylor died unexpectedly, is often regarded as a weak leader and a failed chief executive. Eager to show that he could heal the rift between North and South, Fillmore reversed some of Taylor’s cautious policies. He zealously supported the controversial Compromise of 1850, which some historians believe worsened the sectional divide.
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Audible should be ashamed
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George Washington: A Life from Beginning to End
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George Washington, the first president of the United States, is much more than a monument on Mount Rushmore. Who was Washington, the general, president, and husband? He was first and foremost a man of impeccable honor which, despite military adversity and political wrangling, never abandoned him. The Founding Fathers who squabbled and competed among themselves did agree on one thing: Only Washington could lead the country, first in the country’s military fight for freedom and then as the man charged with transforming 13 individual states into a united country.
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I wanted a more in-depth analysis.
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By: Hourly History
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James Madison
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Eminent historian Richard Brookhiser presents a vivid portrait of James Madison, the “Father of the Constitution” and one of America's greatest statesmen.
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OK book but not a biography
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The Definitive FDR
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Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the longest serving president in US history, reshaping the country during the crises of the Great Depression and World War II. James MacGregor Burns's magisterial two-volume biography tells the complete life story of the fascinating political figure who instituted the New Deal. The Lion and the Fox details Roosevelt's youth, education, and his rise to national prominence, through his first two terms as president. The Soldier of Freedom is a moving profile of a leader gifted with rare political talent in an era of extraordinary challenges.
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Dedicated Author
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Zachary Taylor
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Zachary Taylor, a professional soldier and sugar planter with no previous political experience, held the office of president for barely sixteen months before dying of acute gastroenteritis. A war hero before moving into the White House, he immediately confronted a rogue effort to seize Cuba and had to address issues involving slavery in the new territories acquired from Mexico.
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wish there were other audio books about him
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By: Paul Finkelman
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John Adams: A Life
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In John Adams: A Life, Ferling offers a compelling portrait of one of the giants of the Revolutionary era. Drawing on extensive research, Ferling depicts a reluctant revolutionary, a leader who was deeply troubled by the warfare that he helped to make, and a fiercely independent statesman. Bringing to life an exciting time, an age in which Adams played an important political and intellectual role. this book is a singular biography of the man who succeeded George Washington in the presidency and shepherded the fragile new nation through the most dangerous of times.
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Excellent story, the narration ruined it for me
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By: John Ferling
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John Quincy Adams
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He fought for Washington, served with Lincoln, witnessed Bunker Hill, and sounded the clarion against slavery on the eve of the Civil War. He negotiated an end to the War of 1812, engineered the annexation of Florida, and won the Supreme Court decision that freed the African captives of La Amistad. He served his nation as minister to six countries, secretary of state, senator, congressman, and president. John Quincy Adams was all of these things and more. In this masterful biography, award-winning author Harlow Giles Unger reveals Adams as a towering figure in the nation’s formative years.
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Informative and well written.
- By Gotta Tellya on 08-20-14
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A Godly Hero
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Politician, evangelist, and reformer William Jennings Bryan was the most popular public speaker of his time. In this acclaimed biography - the first major reconsideration of Bryan's life in 40 years - award-winning historian Michael Kazin illuminates his astonishing career and the richly diverse and volatile landscape of religion and politics in which he rose to fame.
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The Greatest Man to Never Win President
- By Anonymous User on 01-03-23
By: Michael Kazin
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The President and the Assassin
- McKinley, Terror, and Empire at the Dawn of the American Century
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- 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
What listeners say about Worst. President. Ever.
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- GopherGuy75
- 07-28-18
Best Bio On the Worst President Ever
This was well done and I enjoyed the humor of the author. The narrator did a great job bringing it to life.
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- Bruce Nichols
- 04-11-18
We have survived bad Presidents before
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes. This book is full of interesting history that most people never learn.
How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?
I assume the author started this project long before the election of Donald Trump, but the title suggests the publisher, at least, recognized the commercial opportunity afforded by our controversial new Commander in Chief. Still, we don't need the constant drumbeat of "Worst. President. Ever." Also, perhaps it was a necessary writing device to underrate James K. Polk, who is less familiar to the average reader than the author's preferred bookends -- Jackson and Lincoln. But that is a significant weakness in the narrative because Polk was very successful in achieving his aims as President, and he recognized Buchanan as a shallow, climbing placeholder.
What about Tom Perkins’s performance did you like?
His delivery was listenable and did not interfere with enjoying the book. Too often, Audible's readers over-dramatize or "over-gravitize" (an invented term, perhaps, but there are Audible readers so proud of their voices that they forget the reason we're listening is NOT them.)
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
No.
Any additional comments?
I enjoyed the author's discussion of the Presidential rating game, that marketing trick used by historians to win public recognition of their craft. But his analysis is a little too binary -- some good, others bad. Most have been a well-intentioned mix of success and failure.
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- Kip P.
- 09-26-18
weak on details
Overall it was okay, but I would have liked to have heard more history and less personal observations and stories.
#President #History #tagsgiving #sweepstakes
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- alaina davis
- 08-11-24
Good despite the rambling
the book tended to ramble abouth other more interesting people in the same time frame as Buchanan.
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- Amazon Customer
- 09-19-22
One of the most entertaining biographies I’ve read.
This biography truly surprised me on how well it’s written. I’ve been going through all the presidents biographies in a row, yet I found this book to be possibly my favorite so far. The writer put a lot of heart into this book, with personal stories that where very relevant to Buchanan. Definitely recommend reading. I will be purchasing this book.
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- Richard
- 05-10-23
A Most Interesting Story
This is not just a hit piece on James Buchanan, it is far more. This is a biography combined with shrewd analysis and comparisons of many presidents, and a wealth of fascinating vignettes of 19th century America.
The tone of the book is that of a teacher who reluctantly, but necessarily has to fail a student at the end of a school year: 'He's a good kid, but he just kept screwing up until there was no saving his grade.'
The insights into what makes a president successful make this book one which read and studied.
I learned much and was challenged in my own life about leadership, and decision-making, and judging others.
Highly recommended!
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- Carmel Suttor
- 12-08-19
Very engaging and informative
I picked this book wondering whether there was anything good to say about the 15th president. Strauss has written an entertaining book that explains Buchannan without apologizing for him. His personal asides enhanced the story.
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- Jerry Geleff
- 07-09-18
Happy to have purchased.....
..... this audio book. The subject is a distant relative of whom I knew very little, despite his success in life. Really all you can know from anything other than a biography is that he's the worst president (though Obama, Bush and Trump are giving him a run for his money) and that he may have been gay. How sad that truth is not told more widely.
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- Clifford Tompson Jr
- 05-11-21
Thought provoking & Brisk
I'd become interested in President Buchanon after twice listening to A Country of Vast Designs, by Robert Merry, about the Polk presidency. Mr. Buchanon came off very badly as Secretary of State, and Worst. President. Ever offered many examples of Buchanon's self-serving shifty style.
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- Joyce
- 09-14-20
Discovery
I knew very little concerning our 15th President so this is an eye opening experience. I learned how indecisive he was.
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