Off Script
An Advance Man's Guide to White House Stagecraft, Campaign Spectacle, and Political Suicide
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
Prime members: New to Audible?Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Off Script
Buy for $18.24
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Josh King
-
By:
-
Josh King
About this listen
From a former White House presidential events production director comes an illuminating journey through the most catastrophic scenes of political stagecraft since the "age of optics" in 1988.
The responsibility of being a public figure is no walk in the park - the world highlights politicians' every mistake. "Image collapse" can befall anyone whose carefully cultivated persona is analyzed by and filtered through intermediaries in the broadcast booths of cable news networks or behind the photo desks of newspapers, magazines, and today's host of digital platforms.
As someone who orchestrates television- and photo-ready moments involving important political figures, Josh King has unique experience working with the reputations of public figures. In Off Script, King leads listeners through an entertaining behind-the-scenes journey through the most catastrophic scenes of political stagecraft since the dawn of the "age of optics" in 1988. Listeners might recall these moments as simple cases of bad luck, but King argues that they were actually symptomatic of something deeper in how we view our leaders.
We tour nearly 30 years of history to set the stage for the age of optics and then turn to the Obama administration and what King calls the "vanilla presidency". King shows how Barack Obama began his term in office as more guarded and more protective of the presidential persona than anyone in history, and as we arrive at the election of 2016 and beyond, we have to wonder: Will our future president follow Obama's example? If so, how will that influence the relationship between our nation's citizens and their leader?
©2016 Josh King (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Cronkite
- By: Douglas Brinkley
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 192
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 167
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 168
For decades, Walter Cronkite was known as "the most trusted man in America". Yet this very public figure was a remarkably private man. Drawing on unprecedented access to Cronkite's private papers as well as interviews with his family and friends, Douglas Brinkley now brings this American icon into focus as never before. Brinkley traces Cronkite's story from his roots in Missouri and Texas through the Great Depression, to World War II, when he gained notice reporting with Allied troops, and on, following his illustrious career.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
One of the Giants
- By Robert I on 07-09-12
By: Douglas Brinkley
-
Unhinged
- An Insider's Account of the Trump White House
- By: Omarosa Manigault Newman
- Narrated by: Omarosa Manigault Newman
- Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 2,432
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 2,129
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 2,124
Few have been a member of Donald Trump’s inner orbit longer than Omarosa Manigault Newman. Their relationship has spanned 15 years - through four television shows, a presidential campaign, and a year by his side in the most chaotic, outrageous White House in history. But that relationship has come to a decisive and definitive end, and Omarosa is finally ready to share her side of the story in this explosive, jaw-dropping account.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Take if for what it's worth...
- By Clay on 08-14-18
-
The World as It Is
- A Memoir of the Obama White House
- By: Ben Rhodes
- Narrated by: Ben Rhodes, Mark Deakins
- Length: 15 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,610
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,321
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,316
For nearly 10 years, Ben Rhodes saw almost everything that happened at the center of the Obama administration - first as a speechwriter, then as deputy national security advisor, and finally as a multipurpose aide and close collaborator. He started every morning in the Oval Office with the President’s Daily Brief, traveled the world with Obama, and was at the center of some of the most consequential and controversial moments of the presidency. Now, he tells the full story of his partnership with a man who also happened to be a historic president of the United States.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An immersive read; a thoughtful book; a tribute to
- By Jonathan Callies on 06-06-18
By: Ben Rhodes
-
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
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,717
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,459
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,469
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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Compelling & frank
- By Michael on 01-15-10
By: John Heilemann, and others
-
Shattered
- Inside Hillary Clinton's Doomed Campaign
- By: Jonathan Allen, Amie Parnes
- Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
- Length: 16 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 2,369
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,130
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 2,125
It was never supposed to be this close. And of course she was supposed to win. How Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election to Donald Trump is the tragic story of a sure thing gone off the rails. For every Comey revelation or hindsight acknowledgment about the electorate, no explanation of defeat can begin with anything other than the core problem of Hillary's campaign - the candidate herself.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Hillary was too smart to win: A book of excuses
- By Kevin Tamari on 04-19-17
By: Jonathan Allen, and others
-
The Fighting Soul
- On the Road with Bernie Sanders
- By: Ari Rabin-Havt
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 25
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 22
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 22
With The Fighting Soul, Ari Rabin-Havt takes us where no profiles or televised interview have been able to go. As a close advisor and deputy campaign manager on Bernie Sanders's most recent—and likely last—presidential campaign, the tireless Rabin-Havt spent more hours between 2017 and 2020 with the Vermont senator than anyone else. Traveling the country for rallies and to support striking workers, the two visited thirty-six states, drove tens of thousands of miles, and ate in countless chain restaurants.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An intimate look of an amazing man
- By amanda baker on 04-05-23
By: Ari Rabin-Havt
-
Cronkite
- By: Douglas Brinkley
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 192
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 167
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 168
For decades, Walter Cronkite was known as "the most trusted man in America". Yet this very public figure was a remarkably private man. Drawing on unprecedented access to Cronkite's private papers as well as interviews with his family and friends, Douglas Brinkley now brings this American icon into focus as never before. Brinkley traces Cronkite's story from his roots in Missouri and Texas through the Great Depression, to World War II, when he gained notice reporting with Allied troops, and on, following his illustrious career.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
One of the Giants
- By Robert I on 07-09-12
By: Douglas Brinkley
-
Unhinged
- An Insider's Account of the Trump White House
- By: Omarosa Manigault Newman
- Narrated by: Omarosa Manigault Newman
- Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 2,432
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 2,129
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 2,124
Few have been a member of Donald Trump’s inner orbit longer than Omarosa Manigault Newman. Their relationship has spanned 15 years - through four television shows, a presidential campaign, and a year by his side in the most chaotic, outrageous White House in history. But that relationship has come to a decisive and definitive end, and Omarosa is finally ready to share her side of the story in this explosive, jaw-dropping account.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Take if for what it's worth...
- By Clay on 08-14-18
-
The World as It Is
- A Memoir of the Obama White House
- By: Ben Rhodes
- Narrated by: Ben Rhodes, Mark Deakins
- Length: 15 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,610
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,321
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,316
For nearly 10 years, Ben Rhodes saw almost everything that happened at the center of the Obama administration - first as a speechwriter, then as deputy national security advisor, and finally as a multipurpose aide and close collaborator. He started every morning in the Oval Office with the President’s Daily Brief, traveled the world with Obama, and was at the center of some of the most consequential and controversial moments of the presidency. Now, he tells the full story of his partnership with a man who also happened to be a historic president of the United States.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An immersive read; a thoughtful book; a tribute to
- By Jonathan Callies on 06-06-18
By: Ben Rhodes
-
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
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,717
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,459
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,469
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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Compelling & frank
- By Michael on 01-15-10
By: John Heilemann, and others
-
Shattered
- Inside Hillary Clinton's Doomed Campaign
- By: Jonathan Allen, Amie Parnes
- Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
- Length: 16 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 2,369
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,130
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 2,125
It was never supposed to be this close. And of course she was supposed to win. How Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 election to Donald Trump is the tragic story of a sure thing gone off the rails. For every Comey revelation or hindsight acknowledgment about the electorate, no explanation of defeat can begin with anything other than the core problem of Hillary's campaign - the candidate herself.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Hillary was too smart to win: A book of excuses
- By Kevin Tamari on 04-19-17
By: Jonathan Allen, and others
-
The Fighting Soul
- On the Road with Bernie Sanders
- By: Ari Rabin-Havt
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 25
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 22
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 22
With The Fighting Soul, Ari Rabin-Havt takes us where no profiles or televised interview have been able to go. As a close advisor and deputy campaign manager on Bernie Sanders's most recent—and likely last—presidential campaign, the tireless Rabin-Havt spent more hours between 2017 and 2020 with the Vermont senator than anyone else. Traveling the country for rallies and to support striking workers, the two visited thirty-six states, drove tens of thousands of miles, and ate in countless chain restaurants.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
An intimate look of an amazing man
- By amanda baker on 04-05-23
By: Ari Rabin-Havt
-
With the Bark Off
- A Journalist’s Memories of LBJ and a Life in the News Media
- By: Neal Spelce, Thomas Zigal
- Narrated by: Neal Spelce
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 18
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 18
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 18
What if you got a call from Lyndon Johnson to be in Washington, DC tomorrow to take a trip around the world? If you are 24-year-old broadcast journalist Neal Spelce, you buckle up. From his live reporting during the University of Texas tower mass school shooting tragedy to his lifelong association with LBJ, Spelce found himself behind the scenes in many of the 20th century’s crucial moments. He tells never-before-revealed stories about six US presidents, including his rare conversation with father/son presidents George Bush...
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
More important than a book. Real History Heard Here
- By Anonymous User on 01-10-22
By: Neal Spelce, and others
-
Devil's Bargain
- Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, and the Nationalist Uprising
- By: Joshua Green
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,719
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,502
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,489
From the reporter who was there at the very beginning comes the revealing inside story of the partnership between Steve Bannon and Donald Trump - the key to understanding the rise of the alt-right, the fall of Hillary Clinton, and the hidden forces that drove the greatest upset in American political history.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Just When You Thought You Knew It All
- By Wild Screaming Bit on 07-22-17
By: Joshua Green
-
The Road Taken
- A Memoir
- By: Patrick Leahy
- Narrated by: Robert Petkoff, Patrick Leahy - introduction
- Length: 16 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 40
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 38
In his landmark memoir The Road Taken, Patrick Leahy looks back on a life lived on the front lines of American politics. As the senior-most member and de facto dean of the chamber, Senator Leahy has been a key author of the American story. Leahy established himself as a moral leader and liberal pioneer over four decades spanning nine presidential administrations. American history comes alive in this gripping story of a master political leader and consummate legislator. Leahy takes you inside the room as pivotal moments in our nation’s history play out.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A man who has high values and morals
- By Amazon Customer on 10-04-22
By: Patrick Leahy
-
Reagan
- By: Brett Harper
- Narrated by: Stephen Bowlby
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 254
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 233
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 234
He was the unlikeliest of presidential candidates - dismissed by opponents as a movie actor, a right-winger trying to undo the work of liberals stretching back to Franklin Roosevelt. Yet Ronald Reagan made it to the White House, taking office in a time of economic turmoil, waning prestige abroad, and a general dampening of the American spirit. Reagan's patriotism, wit, and optimism lifted the nation and brought it through several crises.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Are political leaders like this extinct?
- By Don Rood, Jr. on 03-25-21
By: Brett Harper
-
Profiles in Ignorance
- How America's Politicians Got Dumb and Dumber
- By: Andy Borowitz
- Narrated by: Andy Borowitz
- Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 817
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 720
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 715
The winner of the first-ever National Press Club award for humor, Andy Borowitz has been called a “Swiftian satirist” (The Wall Street Journal) and “one of the country’s finest satirists” (The New York Times). Millions of fans and New Yorker readers enjoy his satirical news column “The Borowitz Report”. Now, in Profiles in Ignorance, he offers a witty, spot-on diagnosis of our country’s political troubles by showing how ignorant leaders are degrading, embarrassing, and endangering our nation.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinating, Familiar and Frightening Tales
- By Shoppy McShopperson on 09-28-22
By: Andy Borowitz
-
Yes We (Still) Can
- Politics in the Age of Obama, Twitter, and Trump
- By: Dan Pfeiffer
- Narrated by: Dan Pfeiffer
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,564
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,439
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,428
The Decade of Obama (2007-2017) was one of massive change that rewrote the rules of politics in ways we are only now beginning to understand (which is why we all got 2016 wrong). Yes We (Still) Can looks at how Obama navigated the forces that allowed Trump to win the White House to become one of the most consequential presidents in American history, why Trump surprised everyone, and how Democrats can come out on top in the long run.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Glad Dan read this himself
- By Debbie Mitchell on 06-20-18
By: Dan Pfeiffer
-
The Invisible Bridge
- The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan
- By: Rick Perlstein
- Narrated by: David de Vries
- Length: 39 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 754
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 661
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 655
In January of 1973 Richard Nixon announced the end of the Vietnam War and prepared for a triumphant second term - until televised Watergate hearings revealed his White House as little better than a mafia den. The next president declared upon Nixon’s resignation “our long national nightmare is over” - but then congressional investigators exposed the CIA for assassinating foreign leaders. The collapse of the South Vietnamese government rendered moot the sacrifice of some 58,000 American lives.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Brilliant
- By Tad Davis on 10-03-14
By: Rick Perlstein
-
This Town
- Two Parties and a Funeral - Plus, Plenty of Valet Parking! - in America’s Gilded Capital
- By: Mark Leibovich
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 11 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 913
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 777
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 774
The great thing about Washington is no matter how many elections you lose, how many times you're indicted, how many scandals you've been tainted by, well, the great thing is you can always eat lunch in that town again. What keeps the permanent government spinning on its carousel is the freedom of shamelessness, and that mother's milk of politics, cash. What Julia Phillips did for Hollywood, Timothy Crouse did for journalists, and Michael Lewis did for Wall Street, Mark Leibovich does for our nation's capital.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
They're out of touch ... and how!
- By John S. on 08-07-13
By: Mark Leibovich
-
Double Down
- Game Change 2012
- By: Mark Halperin, John Heilemann
- Narrated by: Robert Fass
- Length: 19 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,002
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 864
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 873
In their runaway best seller Game Change, Mark Halperin and John Heilemann captured the full drama of Barack Obama’s improbable, dazzling victory over the Clintons, John McCain, and Sarah Palin. With the same masterly reporting, unparalleled access, and narrative skill, Double Down picks up the story in the Oval Office, where the president is beset by crises both inherited and unforeseen - facing defiance from his political foes, disenchantment from the voters, disdain from the nation’s powerful money machers, and dysfunction within the West Wing.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
About HALF as good as Game Change
- By Jackie on 11-10-13
By: Mark Halperin, and others
-
Before the Storm
- Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus
- By: Rick Perlstein
- Narrated by: Kiff VandenHeuvel
- Length: 28 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 540
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 474
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 467
Acclaimed historian Rick Perlstein chronicles the rise of the conservative movement in the liberal 1960s. At the heart of the story is Barry Goldwater, the renegade Republican from Arizona who loathed federal government, despised liberals, and mocked "peaceful coexistence" with the USSR. Perlstein's narrative shines a light on a whole world of conservatives and their antagonists, including William F. Buckley, Nelson Rockefeller, and Bill Moyers. Vividly written, Before the Storm is an essential book about the 1960s.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Ok for Conservatives
- By Chris Corsini on 07-15-19
By: Rick Perlstein
-
Roger Ailes
- Off Camera
- By: Zev Chafets
- Narrated by: Erik Synnestvedt
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 25
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 24
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 24
As the creator and leader of Fox News, the most influential news network in the country, Roger Ailes is the quintessential man behind the curtain. To liberals, Ailes is an evil genius who helped polarize the country by breaking the mainstream media’s long monopoly on what constitutes news. To conservatives, he’s a champion of free speech and fair reporting whose values and view of America reflect their own. But no one doubts that Ailes has transformed journalism. Yet for all that fame and infamy, very few people know the real person behind the headlines.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fair, Balanced Look at a Fascinating Man
- By Dean on 05-29-13
By: Zev Chafets
-
The Loudest Voice in the Room
- How the Brilliant, Bombastic Roger Ailes Built Fox News - and Divided a Country
- By: Gabriel Sherman
- Narrated by: Erik Singer
- Length: 17 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 425
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 375
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 374
When Rupert Murdoch enlisted Roger Ailes to launch a cable news network in 1996, American politics and media changed forever. With a remarkable level of detail and insight, Vanity Fair magazine reporter Gabriel Sherman puts Ailes’s unique genius on display, along with the outsize personalities - Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Megyn Kelly, Sarah Palin, Karl Rove, Glenn Beck, Mike Huckabee, Gretchen Carlson, Bill Shine, and others - who have helped Fox News play a defining role in the great social and political controversies of the past two decades.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Monumental Achievement
- By L. Kerr on 01-28-14
By: Gabriel Sherman
Related to this topic
-
The Place to Be
- Washington, CBS, and the Glory Days of Television News
- By: Roger Mudd
- Narrated by: Roger Mudd
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 37
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 26
Roger Mudd joined CBS in 1961 and rose to fame as the congressional correspondent, covering the historic Senate filibuster debate over the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Mudd was there to see Dan Rather going toe-to-toe with the Nixon White House, Marvin Kalb deciphering the State Department, Daniel Schorr bird-dogging Watergate, Lesley Stahl and Connie Chung staking out all the president's men, George Herman presiding over Face the Nation, Bob Schieffer covering the Pentagon like a police reporter.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
No Doubt About It
- By Deborah Jacob on 02-24-17
By: Roger Mudd
-
The Briefing
- Politics, the Press, and the President
- By: Sean Spicer
- Narrated by: Sean Spicer
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 255
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 228
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 225
For more than two decades, Sean Spicer had been a respected political insider, working as a campaign and communications strategist. But in December 2016, he got the call of a lifetime. President-elect Donald J. Trump had chosen him to be the White House press secretary. And life hasn’t been the same since. When he accepted the job, Spicer was far from a household name. But then he walked into the bright lights of the briefing room, and the cameras started rolling. His every word was scrutinized. Every movement was parodied. Every detail became a meme. And that’s just the public side.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I did not expect to like this non-fiction book!
- By Wayne on 07-30-18
By: Sean Spicer
-
The Year That Broke America
- An Immigration Crisis, a Terrorist Conspiracy, the Summer of Survivor, a Ridiculous Fake Billionaire, a Fight for Florida, and the 537 Votes That Changed Everything
- By: Andrew Rice
- Narrated by: Keith Sellon-Wright
- Length: 15 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 27
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 26
Before there was Coronavirus, before there was the contentious 2020 election or the entire Trump presidency, there was a turning-point year that proved momentous and transformative for American politics and the fate of the nation.
By: Andrew Rice
-
The Front Runner (All the Truth Is Out Movie Tie-In)
- The Week Politics Went Tabloid
- By: Matt Bai
- Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
- Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 146
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 135
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 136
In May 1987, Colorado Senator Gary Hart seemed a lock for the party’s presidential nomination and led George H. W. Bush by double digits in the polls. Then, in one tumultuous week, rumors of marital infidelity and a newspaper’s stakeout of Hart’s home resulted in a media frenzy the likes of which had never been seen. Through the spellbindingly reported story of the senator’s fall from grace, Matt Bai, Yahoo News columnist and former chief political correspondent for The New York Times Magazine, reveals the Hart affair to be far more than one man’s tragedy.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent writing and performance
- By S. on 12-06-14
By: Matt Bai
-
The Greatest Story Ever Sold
- The Decline and Fall of Truth from 9/11 to Katrina
- By: Frank Rich
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 207
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 49
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 52
When America was attacked on 9/11, its citizens almost unanimously rallied behind its new, untested president as he went to war. What they didn't know at the time was that the Bush administration's highest priority was not to vanquish Al Qaeda, but to consolidate its own power at any cost. It was a mission that could be accomplished only by a propaganda presidency in which reality was steadily replaced by a scenario of the White House's own invention.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Listen to the facts, forgive the edge
- By Steven on 11-23-06
By: Frank Rich
-
Believer
- My Forty Years in Politics
- By: David Axelrod
- Narrated by: David Axelrod
- Length: 19 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 637
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 552
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 553
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.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Love letter to Obama
- By DaWoolf on 03-15-15
By: David Axelrod
-
The Place to Be
- Washington, CBS, and the Glory Days of Television News
- By: Roger Mudd
- Narrated by: Roger Mudd
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 37
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 26
Roger Mudd joined CBS in 1961 and rose to fame as the congressional correspondent, covering the historic Senate filibuster debate over the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Mudd was there to see Dan Rather going toe-to-toe with the Nixon White House, Marvin Kalb deciphering the State Department, Daniel Schorr bird-dogging Watergate, Lesley Stahl and Connie Chung staking out all the president's men, George Herman presiding over Face the Nation, Bob Schieffer covering the Pentagon like a police reporter.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
No Doubt About It
- By Deborah Jacob on 02-24-17
By: Roger Mudd
-
The Briefing
- Politics, the Press, and the President
- By: Sean Spicer
- Narrated by: Sean Spicer
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 255
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 228
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 225
For more than two decades, Sean Spicer had been a respected political insider, working as a campaign and communications strategist. But in December 2016, he got the call of a lifetime. President-elect Donald J. Trump had chosen him to be the White House press secretary. And life hasn’t been the same since. When he accepted the job, Spicer was far from a household name. But then he walked into the bright lights of the briefing room, and the cameras started rolling. His every word was scrutinized. Every movement was parodied. Every detail became a meme. And that’s just the public side.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I did not expect to like this non-fiction book!
- By Wayne on 07-30-18
By: Sean Spicer
-
The Year That Broke America
- An Immigration Crisis, a Terrorist Conspiracy, the Summer of Survivor, a Ridiculous Fake Billionaire, a Fight for Florida, and the 537 Votes That Changed Everything
- By: Andrew Rice
- Narrated by: Keith Sellon-Wright
- Length: 15 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 27
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 26
Before there was Coronavirus, before there was the contentious 2020 election or the entire Trump presidency, there was a turning-point year that proved momentous and transformative for American politics and the fate of the nation.
By: Andrew Rice
-
The Front Runner (All the Truth Is Out Movie Tie-In)
- The Week Politics Went Tabloid
- By: Matt Bai
- Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
- Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 146
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 135
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 136
In May 1987, Colorado Senator Gary Hart seemed a lock for the party’s presidential nomination and led George H. W. Bush by double digits in the polls. Then, in one tumultuous week, rumors of marital infidelity and a newspaper’s stakeout of Hart’s home resulted in a media frenzy the likes of which had never been seen. Through the spellbindingly reported story of the senator’s fall from grace, Matt Bai, Yahoo News columnist and former chief political correspondent for The New York Times Magazine, reveals the Hart affair to be far more than one man’s tragedy.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Excellent writing and performance
- By S. on 12-06-14
By: Matt Bai
-
The Greatest Story Ever Sold
- The Decline and Fall of Truth from 9/11 to Katrina
- By: Frank Rich
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 207
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 49
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 52
When America was attacked on 9/11, its citizens almost unanimously rallied behind its new, untested president as he went to war. What they didn't know at the time was that the Bush administration's highest priority was not to vanquish Al Qaeda, but to consolidate its own power at any cost. It was a mission that could be accomplished only by a propaganda presidency in which reality was steadily replaced by a scenario of the White House's own invention.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Listen to the facts, forgive the edge
- By Steven on 11-23-06
By: Frank Rich
-
Believer
- My Forty Years in Politics
- By: David Axelrod
- Narrated by: David Axelrod
- Length: 19 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 637
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 552
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 553
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.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Love letter to Obama
- By DaWoolf on 03-15-15
By: David Axelrod
-
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
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 205
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 188
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 189
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.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Does character count in political office?
- By marwalk on 07-29-19
By: Jon Ward
-
Tip and the Gipper
- When Politics Worked
- By: Chris Matthews
- Narrated by: Chris Matthews
- Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 178
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 158
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 160
They were the political odd couple - the two most powerful men in the country, a pair who "couldn't be more different or more the same." For six years, Matthews was on the inside, watching the evolving relationship between President Reagan and Speaker of the House O’Neill. Drawing not only on his own remarkable knowledge but on extensive interviews with those closest to his subjects, Matthews brings this unlikely friendship to life in his unique voice.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I didn't want it to end
- By Jim on 10-06-13
By: Chris Matthews
-
Clowns to the Left of Me, Jokers to the Right
- Opinionated Columns on American Life
- By: Michael Smerconish
- Narrated by: Michael Smerconish
- Length: 13 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 207
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 181
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 181
Opinionated talk show host and columnist Michael Smerconish has been chronicling local, state, and national events for the Philadelphia Daily News and the Philadelphia Inquirer for more than 15 years. He has sounded off on topics as diverse as the hunt for Osama bin Laden and what the color of your Christmas lights says about you. In this collection of 100 of his most memorable columns, Smerconish reflects on American political life with his characteristic feistiness.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
All about Smerc and who cares about the victims
- By Mark J. Rosen on 12-10-20
-
Whistlestop
- My Favorite Stories from Presidential Campaign History
- By: John Dickerson
- Narrated by: John Dickerson
- Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 201
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 182
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 181
Whistlestop tells the human story of nervous gambits hatched in first-floor hotel rooms, failures of will before the microphone, and the cross-country crack-ups of long-planned stratagems. At the bar at the end of a campaign day, these are the stories reporters rehash for themselves and embellish for newcomers. In addition to the familiar tales, Whistlestop also remembers the forgotten stories about the bruising and reckless campaigns of the 19th century.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Lovers of the podcast this is ultimate fix!
- By killerqueen on 09-06-16
By: John Dickerson
-
The Path to Power
- The Years of Lyndon Johnson
- By: Robert A. Caro
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 40 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3,636
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3,229
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 3,219
This is the story of the rise to national power of a desperately poor young man from the Texas Hill Country. The Path to Power reveals in extraordinary detail the genesis of the almost superhuman drive, energy, and ambition that set LBJ apart. It follows him from the Hill Country to New Deal Washington, from his boyhood through the years of the Depression to his debut as Congressman, his heartbreaking defeat in his first race for the Senate, and his attainment, nonetheless, at age 31, of the national power for which he hungered.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The Best of all Biographies
- By David C. Daggett on 12-14-13
By: Robert A. Caro
-
Reagan at Reykjavik
- Forty-Eight Hours That Ended the Cold War
- By: Ken Adelman
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 46
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 42
A dramatic account of the historic 1986 Reagan-Gorbachev summit in Iceland - the turning point in the Cold War - by Ken Adelman, Reagan's arms control director and a key player in that weekend's world-changing events. In October 1986, Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev met for a forty-eight-hour summit in Reykjavik, Iceland. Planned as a short gathering to outline future talks, the meeting quickly turned to major international issues, including SDI ("Star Wars") and the possibility of eliminating all nuclear weapons.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Outstanding Tribute
- By MOV on 11-17-23
By: Ken Adelman
-
Unhinged
- An Insider's Account of the Trump White House
- By: Omarosa Manigault Newman
- Narrated by: Omarosa Manigault Newman
- Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 2,432
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 2,129
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 2,124
Few have been a member of Donald Trump’s inner orbit longer than Omarosa Manigault Newman. Their relationship has spanned 15 years - through four television shows, a presidential campaign, and a year by his side in the most chaotic, outrageous White House in history. But that relationship has come to a decisive and definitive end, and Omarosa is finally ready to share her side of the story in this explosive, jaw-dropping account.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Take if for what it's worth...
- By Clay on 08-14-18
-
The People Are Going to Rise Like the Waters Upon Your Shore
- A Story of American Rage
- By: Jared Yates Sexton
- Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan
- Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 103
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 91
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 90
The People Are Going to Rise Like the Waters Upon Your Shore is a firsthand account of the events that shaped the 2016 presidential election and the cultural forces that powered Donald Trump into the White House. Featuring in-the-field reports as well as deep analysis, Sexton's book is not just the story of the most unexpected and divisive election in modern political history. It is also a sobering chronicle of our democracy's political polarization - a result of our self-constructed, technologically assisted echo chambers.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Undercover in Trump's America
- By David Larson on 09-06-17
-
Dutch
- A Memoir of Ronald Reagan
- By: Edmund Morris
- Narrated by: Edmund Morris
- Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 99
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 93
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 91
This book, the only biography ever authorized by a sitting President - yet written with complete interpretive freedom - is as revolutionary in method as it is formidable in scholarship. When Ronald Reagan moved into the White House in 1981, one of his first literary guests was Edmund Morris, the Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer of Theodore Roosevelt. Morris developed a fascination for the genial yet inscrutable President and, after Reagan's landslide reelection in 1984, put aside the second volume of his life of Roosevelt to become an observing eye and ear at the White House.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Painful
- By john on 02-06-13
By: Edmund Morris
-
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
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 46
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 39
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 39
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.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Fascinating. Couldn't stop listening.
- By Gregory E Benoit on 07-24-16
By: Dan Balz
-
Killing Jesus
- A History
- By: Bill O'Reilly, Martin Dugard
- Narrated by: Bill O'Reilly
- Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 9,674
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 8,534
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 8,546
Millions of people have thrilled to best-selling authors Bill O'Reilly and historian Martin Dugard's Killing Kennedy and Killing Lincoln, works of nonfiction that have changed the way we view history. Now the anchor of The O'Reilly Factor details the events leading up to the murder of the most influential man in history: Jesus of Nazareth. Nearly 2,000 years after this beloved and controversial young revolutionary was brutally killed by Roman soldiers, more than 2.2 billion human beings attempt to follow his teachings and believe he is God.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The Jesus story in context
- By Kimberly on 10-01-13
By: Bill O'Reilly, and others
-
The Kennedy Half Century
- The Presidency, Assassination, and Lasting Legacy of John F. Kennedy
- By: Larry J. Sabato
- Narrated by: Chris Kayser
- Length: 24 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 117
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 99
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 104
John F. Kennedy died half a century ago - yet because of his extraordinary promise and untimely death, his star still resonates strongly. On the anniversary of his assassination, celebrated political scientist and analyst Larry J. Sabato - himself a teenager in the early 1960s and inspired by JFK and his presidency - explores the fascinating and powerful influence he has had over five decades on the media, the general public, and especially on each of his nine presidential successors.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Job Well Done
- By Kathy on 08-12-14
By: Larry J. Sabato
What listeners say about Off Script
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Andrew Graham
- 08-25-16
I learned a lot.
This book is a great way to learn about the art of politioptics through historical stories.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Charger
- 08-16-16
Great content, but authors shouldn't narrate
Very interesting content, but as an audiobook, this book fails big time. Not always, but typically authors should not read their own work. This is a perfect example why. Could have been very cool to insert the actual audio "clip" segments. At the very least, it needs a professional voice actor. Sad, because it's fascinating content.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 05-24-23
AMAZING
Great read. The author, a Democrat, gives a very fair and balanced rendition of various political failings and successes of both parties. Very well done and insightful.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall2 out of 5 stars
-
Performance1 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- Ellen Burke
- 05-28-16
Somewhat boring
The writer / reader gave a completely dispassionate performance. Very repetitive. Not as much insight as I had hoped.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
5 people found this helpful