James Buchanan: A Life from Beginning to End
Biographies of US Presidents
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James Buchanan: A Life from Beginning to End
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Narrated by:
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Matthew J. Chandler-Smith
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By:
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Hourly History
About this listen
James Buchanan began life as a country boy in rural Pennsylvania. He would later leave the farm for law school and, after that, politics. Buchanan’s ascent to the presidency was a careful and steady rise; he checked all of the requisite boxes and took all of the necessary steps he believed the office required, but nevertheless, when Buchanan was inaugurated president in March of 1857, he had inherited a powder keg that was just waiting to explode into the turmoil that was the American Civil War.
James Buchanan has since been vilified as being the great appeaser who placated the South enough to embolden them to secede from the Union. He is frequently listed as one of the worst presidents in the history of the United States. Buchanan himself, however, always held out the hope that history would vindicate him and the role he played. In this book, we explore James Buchanan’s life - before, during, and after the American Civil War - in full.
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- A Captivating Guide to Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, John Jay, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and James Monroe
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Desmond Manny, Jason R. Gray, David Patton, and others
- Length: 26 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 29
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 23
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Story4 out of 5 stars 22
Explore the captivating lives of the Founding Fathers. Eight captivating manuscripts in one audiobook. So if you want to learn more about the life of Founding Fathers, get this audiobook now!
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2 out of 5 stars
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filled with inaccuracies
- By Eben on 04-13-22
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Don't Know Much About the American Presidents
- By: Kenneth C. Davis
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey, Kirby Heyborne, Mark Bramhall, and others
- Length: 23 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 248
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 219
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 218
For more than 20 years since his New York Times best seller Don't Know Much About History first appeared, Davis has shown that Americans don't hate history, just the dull version dished out in school. Now Davis turns his attention to what is arguably the most important and most fascinating subject in American history: our presidents. From the heated debates over executive powers through the curious election of George Washington in 1789 and, for more than 200 years, up through the meteoric rise of Barack Obama, the presidency has been at the heart of American history.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Too Biased
- By Justin Swihart on 05-29-13
By: Kenneth C. Davis
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James Madison
- By: Richard Brookhiser
- Narrated by: Norman Dietz
- Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 267
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 228
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Story4 out of 5 stars 227
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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4 out of 5 stars
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OK book but not a biography
- By Joel Mayer on 08-05-12
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Worst. President. Ever.
- James Buchanan, the POTUS Rating Game, and the Legacy of the Least of the Lesser Presidents
- By: Robert Strauss
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 441
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 410
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 410
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 to explore with insight and humor his own obsession with presidents, and ultimately the entire notion of ranking our presidents.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Intriguing
- By Jean on 01-14-17
By: Robert Strauss
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James Monroe
- A Life
- By: Tim McGrath
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 28 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 332
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 291
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 288
The extraordinary life of James Monroe: Soldier, senator, diplomat, and the last Founding Father to hold the presidency, a man who helped transform 13 colonies into a vibrant and mighty republic.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Large and inconsistent, much like Monroe himself.
- By Kindle Customer on 01-31-21
By: Tim McGrath
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Abraham Lincoln and Civil War America
- A Biography
- By: William E. Gienapp
- Narrated by: L.J. Ganser
- Length: 8 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 50
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 42
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 42
In Abraham Lincoln and Civil War America, historian William Gienapp provides a remarkably concise, up-to-date, and vibrant biography of the most revered figure in United States history. While the heart of the book focuses on the Civil War, Gienapp begins with a finely etched portrait of Lincoln's early life, from pioneer farm boy to politician and lawyer in Springfield, to his stunning election as 16th president of the United States. Students will see how Lincoln grew during his years in office and much more.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A great man we could use in the current political climate.
- By dts67 on 01-30-24
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The Birth of Modern Politics
- Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, and the Election of 1828
- By: Lynn Hudson Parson
- Narrated by: Milton Bagby
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 85
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 65
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Story4 out of 5 stars 66
The 1828 presidential election, which pitted Major General Andrew Jackson against incumbent John Quincy Adams, has long been hailed as a watershed moment in American political history. It was the contest in which an unlettered, hot-tempered southwestern frontiersman, trumpeted by his supporters as a genuine man of the people, soundly defeated a New England "aristocrat" whose education and political resume were as impressive as any ever seen in American public life.
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4 out of 5 stars
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a very good popular history book
- By D. Littman on 01-29-10
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Lincoln's Mentors
- The Education of a Leader
- By: Michael J. Gerhardt
- Narrated by: James Lurie
- Length: 17 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 37
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 32
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Story5 out of 5 stars 33
A novel and brilliant look at how Abraham Lincoln mastered the art of leadership: acclaimed historian Michael J. Gerhardt, who appeared during the impeachment proceedings of President Trump, reveals how a group of five men mentored an obscure lawyer with no executive experience to become American’s greatest leader
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5 out of 5 stars
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Interesting book
- By Brian on 03-07-21
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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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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 118
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 102
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 100
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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3 out of 5 stars
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Good but Far from Great
- By Michael on 07-11-20
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Abraham Lincoln
- A Presidential Life
- By: James McPherson
- Narrated by: John McDonough
- Length: 1 hr and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 91
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 66
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 67
In this compelling biography, McPherson follows Abraham Lincoln from his early frontier days to his turbulent years in the White House. This concise yet comprehensive account reveals why Lincoln still remains a quintessential American icon.
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3 out of 5 stars
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In depth
- By Pat on 04-23-12
By: James McPherson
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The Lost Founding Father
- John Quincy Adams and the Transformation of American Politics
- By: William J. Cooper
- Narrated by: Richard Poe
- Length: 16 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 48
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 45
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 44
Why has John Quincy Adams been largely written out of American history when he is, in fact, our lost Founding Father? Overshadowed by both his brilliant father and the brash and bold Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams has long been dismissed as hyper-intellectual. Viciously assailed by Jackson and his populist mobs for being both slippery and effete, Adams nevertheless recovered from the malodorous 1828 presidential election to lead the nation as a lonely Massachusetts congressman in the fight against slavery.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Edifying
- By Jean on 01-15-18
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The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Presidents, Part 1
- From Washington to Taft
- By: Larry Schweikart
- Narrated by: John McLain
- Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 135
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 120
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 119
Back by popular demand, the bestselling Politically Incorrect Guides provide an unvarnished, unapologetic overview of the topics every American needs to know. The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Presidents, Part 1 profiles America’s early presidents, from George Washington to William Howard Taft.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Ruining History to Own the Libs
- By Dee on 11-11-20
By: Larry Schweikart
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James Madison
- A Life Reconsidered
- By: Lynne Cheney
- Narrated by: Eliza Foss
- Length: 18 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 722
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 651
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 646
A major new biography of the fourth US president, from New York Times best-selling author Lynne Cheney. James Madison was a true genius of the early republic, the leader who did more than any other to create the nation we know today. This majestic new biography tells his story. Outwardly reserved, Madison was the intellectual driving force behind the Constitution. His visionary political philosophy was a crucial factor behind the Constitution’s ratification, and his political savvy was of major importance in getting the new government underway.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Great man, great ideas, muddling book
- By NDFletch on 06-13-15
By: Lynne Cheney
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Abraham Lincoln: A Concise History of the Man Who Transformed the World
- One Hour History US Presidents, Book 1
- By: Hourly History
- Narrated by: Jimmy Kieffer
- Length: 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 33
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 29
Abraham Lincoln's determination to hold the North and South together would ultimately lead to the bloodiest war in American history, the abolition of slavery, and his own untimely death from an assassin’s bullet. But to see Lincoln solely as a tragic figure consumed with the strife of mid-19th century America is to miss meeting him as a man who never allowed himself to be defeated by adversity, grief, or turmoil.
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5 out of 5 stars
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great book
- By Michael fields on 05-11-19
By: Hourly History
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