Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents
What Your Teachers Never Told you About the Men of The White House
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Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents
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Narrated by:
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Robin Bloodworth
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By:
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Cormac O'Brien
About this listen
Your high school history teachers never gave you a book like this one! Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents features outrageous and uncensored profiles of the men in the White House - complete with hundreds of little-known, politically incorrect, and downright wacko facts. You’ll discover that:
- George Washington spent a whopping 7% of his salary on booze
- John Quincy Adams loved to skinny-dip in the Potomac River
- Gerald Ford once worked as a Cosmopolitan magazine cover model
- Warren G. Harding gambled with White House china when he ran low on cash
- Jimmy Carter reported a UFO sighting in Georgia
- And Richard Nixon . . . sheesh, don’t get us started on Nixon!
With chapters on everyone from George Washington to Barack Obama, Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents tackles all the tough questions that other history books are afraid to ask: How many of these guys were cheating on their wives? Are there really secret tunnels underneath the White House? And what was Nancy Reagan thinking when she appeared on Diff’rent Strokes? American history was never this much fun in school!
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Editorial reviews
Looking for a grand historical drama in which great men undergo great trials in pursuit of great deeds? Well, this is not that book. The great men in Cormac O’Brien’s survey of America’s presidential pantheon are at their laziest, their craziest, and their strangest. Some of the revelations here are old news - Jefferson’s sexual dalliances with his slaves, for example, or Lincoln’s free hand with pardons for soldiers facing executions. Others are truly startling. (Next time some talk-radio pundit accuses a president of gambling away the country’s money, consider that Warren G. Harding actually bet with the presidential china in poker games!) Not Pulitzer material, but Robin Bloodworth’s sure narration makes this a great choice for a long drive.
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-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 56
Award-winning historian David Pietrusza unpacks the most ingloriously iconic headline in the history of presidential elections - DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN - to reveal the 1948 campaign's backstage events and recount the down-to-the-wire brawl fought against the background of an erupting Cold War, the Berlin Airlift, the birth of Israel, and a post-war America facing exploding storms over civil rights and domestic communism.
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2 out of 5 stars
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1948 Presidential election retold by Truman hater
- By The Fabulous GT on 01-21-19
By: David Pietrusza
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One Mighty and Irresistible Tide
- The Epic Struggle over American Immigration, 1924-1965
- By: Jia Lynn Yang
- Narrated by: Laural Merlington
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 44
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 37
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 38
The idea of the United States as a nation of immigrants is at the core of the American narrative. But in 1924, Congress instituted a system of ethnic quotas so stringent that it choked off large-scale immigration for decades, sharply curtailing arrivals from Southern and Eastern Europe and outright banning those from nearly all of Asia. In a riveting narrative filled with a fascinating cast of characters, Jia Lynn Yang recounts how lawmakers, activists, and presidents from Truman through LBJ worked relentlessly to abolish the 1924 law.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Good overview
- By steve thomas on 10-21-20
By: Jia Lynn Yang
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Star-Spangled Men
- America's Ten Worst Presidents
- By: Nathan Miller
- Narrated by: Andy Caploe
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 70
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 58
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Story4 out of 5 stars 59
Picking America's best presidents is easy. George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin D. Roosevelt usually lead the list. But choosing the nation's worst presidents requires more thought. In Star-Spangled Men, respected presidential biographer Nathan Miller puts on display those leaders who were abject failures as chief executive. With pointed humor and a deft hand, he presents a rogues' gallery of the men who dropped the presidential ball, and sometimes their pants as well.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Entertaining and factual
- By Sean on 10-25-14
By: Nathan Miller
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JFK
- Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917-1956
- By: Fredrik Logevall
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 29 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 547
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 482
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Story5 out of 5 stars 480
By the time of his assassination in 1963, John F. Kennedy stood at the helm of the greatest power the world had ever seen, a booming American nation that he had steered through some of the most perilous diplomatic standoffs of the Cold War. Born in 1917 to a striving Irish American family that had become among Boston’s wealthiest, Kennedy knew political ambition from an early age, and his meteoric rise to become the youngest elected president cemented his status as one of the most mythologized figures in American history.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent Portrait of JFK & His Times
- By John David on 12-14-20
By: Fredrik Logevall
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1960
- LBJ vs. JFK vs. Nixon--The Epic Campaign That Forged Three Presidencies
- By: David Pietrusza
- Narrated by: Jeff Cummings
- Length: 18 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 88
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 80
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 81
It was the election that would ultimately give America "Camelot" and its tragic aftermath. 1960 is a stunning recreation of the bare-knuckle politics of the primaries, the party conventions' backroom dealings, the unprecedented television debates, along with hot-button issues of race, religion, and foreign policy. And, at the center of it all, three future presidents - Lyndon Johnson, John F. Kennedy, and Richard Nixon. In this essential work of history, David Pietrusza chronicles 1960's struggle for power by bringing to life its towering events and personalities, unlocking its secrets, and turning expert scholarship into rich, human storytelling.
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4 out of 5 stars
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No F words, but the N-word is allowed
- By Porter on 12-04-18
By: David Pietrusza
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The American Story
- Conversations with Master Historians
- By: David M. Rubenstein, Carla Hayden - foreword
- Narrated by: David M. Rubenstein, David McCullough, Walter Isaacson, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Highlights
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 852
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 731
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Story5 out of 5 stars 724
Through his popular program The David Rubenstein Show, David Rubenstein has established himself as one of today’s most thoughtful interviewers. Now, in The American Story, David shares almost a dozen interviews that capture the brilliance of today’s most esteemed historians, as well as the souls of their subjects. The audiobook presents archival recordings of these interviews and features new introductions by Rubenstein as well as a foreword by Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, the first woman and the first African American to lead our national library.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Stories missing
- By Judith Princz on 01-02-20
By: David M. Rubenstein, and others
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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
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 441
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 410
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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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Dewey Defeats Truman
- The 1948 Election and the Battle for America's Soul
- By: A. J. Baime
- Narrated by: Scott Aiello
- Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 185
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 163
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Story5 out of 5 stars 163
From the New York Times best-selling author of The Accidental President comes the thrilling story of the 1948 presidential election, one of the greatest election stories of all time, as Truman mounted a history-making comeback and staked a claim for a new course for America.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent account of the 1948 election
- By A. Crystal on 07-15-20
By: A. J. Baime
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God's Hand on America
- Divine Providence in the Modern Era
- By: Michael Medved
- Narrated by: Michael Medved
- Length: 15 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 99
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 84
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Story5 out of 5 stars 85
Has God withdrawn his special blessing from the United States? Americans ponder that painful question in troubled times, as we did during the devastation of the Civil War and after the assassinations of the '60s, and as we do in our present polarization. Yet, somehow - on battlefields, across western wilderness, and in raucous convention halls - astounding events have reliably advanced America, restoring faith in the Republic’s providential protection. In this provocative historical narrative, Michael Medved brings to life 10 haunting tales that reveal this purposeful pattern.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Every American is so fortunate
- By Anonymous User on 06-23-20
By: Michael Medved
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The Man Who Ran Washington
- The Life and Times of James A. Baker III
- By: Peter Baker, Susan Glasser
- Narrated by: Michael Quinlan
- Length: 26 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 879
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 747
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Story5 out of 5 stars 739
For a quarter-century, from the end of Watergate to the aftermath of the Cold War, no Republican won the presidency without his help or ran the White House without his advice. James Addison Baker III was the indispensable man for four presidents because he understood better than anyone how to make Washington work at a time when America was shaping events around the world. The Man Who Ran Washington is a pause-resisting portrait of a power broker who influenced America's destiny for generations.
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5 out of 5 stars
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We Need Baker Now More Than Ever
- By @Gazi2a on 01-08-21
By: Peter Baker, and others
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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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Three Days at the Brink
- FDR’s Daring Gamble to Win World War II
- By: Bret Baier, Catherine Whitney
- Narrated by: Bret Baier
- Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 613
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 532
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 528
From the number-one best-selling author of Three Days in Moscow and anchor of Fox News Channel’s Special Report with Bret Baier, a gripping history of the secret meeting that set the stage for victory in World War II - the now-forgotten 1943 Tehran Conference, where Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin plotted the war's endgame, including the D-Day invasion.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A history lesson and SO much more
- By ScottG on 11-18-19
By: Bret Baier, and others
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Every Man a King
- A Short, Colorful History of American Populists
- By: Chris Stirewalt
- Narrated by: Chris Stirewalt
- Length: 4 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 126
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 115
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 114
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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5 out of 5 stars
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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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Reaganland
- America's Right Turn 1976-1980
- By: Rick Perlstein
- Narrated by: Samantha Desz, Jonathan Todd Ross, Jacques Roy, and others
- Length: 45 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 441
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 370
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 368
Over two decades, Rick Perlstein has published three definitive works about the emerging dominance of conservatism in modern American politics. With the saga's final installment, he has delivered yet another stunning literary and historical achievement. In late 1976, Ronald Reagan was dismissed as a man without a political future: defeated in his nomination bid against a sitting president of his own party, blamed for President Gerald Ford's defeat, too old to make another run.
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5 out of 5 stars
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This Book is Censored by Audible
- By Nathan D. Backlund on 09-07-20
By: Rick Perlstein
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Lyndon
- An Oral Biography
- By: Merle Miller
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 32 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 41
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 38
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 38
Best-selling presidential biographer Merle Miller has crafted a candid portrait of one of the most complex, fascinating, difficult, and colorful figures in American history. From his birth in 1908 to his death in 1973, the story of Lyndon B. Johnson is told with no sparing his personal excesses and contentious public image - while also highlighting the strength of his greatest accomplishments in Washington.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Flawless
- By Jeffrey on 01-04-21
By: Merle Miller
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Team of Five
- The Presidents Club in the Age of Trump
- By: Kate Andersen Brower
- Narrated by: Erin Bennett
- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 309
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 259
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 256
From the number one New York Times best-selling author of The Residence and First Women - also a New York Times best seller - comes a poignant, news-making look at the lives of the five former presidents in the wake of their White House years, including the surprising friendships they have formed through shared perspective and empathy.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fascinating
- By Jean on 06-18-20
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The Last Republicans
- Inside the Extraordinary Relationship Between George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush
- By: Mark K. Updegrove
- Narrated by: Milton Jeffers
- Length: 14 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 183
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 164
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Story5 out of 5 stars 163
In this balanced, illuminating audiobook, Updegrove tells the story of the Bushes' relationship from the birth of George W. through their postpresidential years and Jeb Bush's failed candidacy. Drawing on exclusive access and interviews with both presidents and the key people in their lives, Updegrove reveals the Bushes' views on the current state of the nation and the GOP and how the party they both led and helped build is undergoing a radical transformation.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Father and Son Presidents
- By Jean on 02-14-18
What listeners say about Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Swede
- 02-20-17
Very interesting
An interesting book, although I found it a little more interesting from FDR on because they're presidents who I am familiar with ---
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Denise
- 01-14-19
lots of little know info about our Presidents
I really enjoyed this book. it was slow at first but got better in time
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Cassie
- 04-06-16
Great before Ford... Heavily liberal bias towards more recent presidents.
Overall... It was enjoyable! He does give Obama, Clinton, and Carter more praise than deserved. He Raped the Bushes... And was even overly negative regarding the Reagan success saying he was abhorred by many?!?!
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- holly ellinger
- 11-18-23
Wow! our presidents are human!
Enjoyed the read ,found to be humorous. Would like to read more on President Harding and his scandals in Ohio , with Harding 's cabin.aa
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Z_cochran
- 11-12-17
Incredible
This is an incredible book. The content is very funny and engaging. Also, Robin Bloodworth has the perfect voice for narrating this book. If you have any interest in the U.S. Presidents and are not a prude, then you need to buy this book!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- GradyCarter
- 09-06-16
One of my new favorite books
I love hearing about the good and the bad of significant characters in history. This book was right up my alley! I'd say more, but just do yourself a favor and read it...
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Meadow Soprano
- 09-07-23
Mostly satire
Definitely amusing. Hopefully folks will catch on that several “stories” are embellished and pure fiction.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Mark T Owens
- 03-07-16
A real bore nothing new in here
This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?
Save your time and go to Wikipedia
Has Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents turned you off from other books in this genre?
No I love history
Would you listen to another book narrated by Robin Bloodworth?
Never again
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents?
All this is common knowledge
Any additional comments?
No
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- 52Girls
- 10-30-15
So biased.
Very little of the book was information I haven't read before. Google was definitely this author's friend. I'd have given it one more star for effort, but the tone was so over the top snarky for every Republican President. Not an objective study at all.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Scott D. Gray
- 06-25-15
Sloppy, dull, partisan
The author, O'Brien, did not make himself master of his material. Every piece of trivia recounted could be found in a quick web search, and many even more interesting things were left out.
O'Brien made the novice historian's error of presuming to speak for what his subjects wanted or thought without showing evidence that this was the motive behind the policy in question (and obviously ignoring direct evidence from the Presidents' own speeches writings and diaries that contradicts his psychoanalysis. This is compounded by an easy partisanship; partisanship is easier to forgive in a historian who recognizes her/his own biases, but O'Brien has no such sense of self, writing over and over things like "everybody agrees that . . ." or "we can all be thankful that . . ." about issues faced in the past over which reasonable people still differ today.
A good prose style can make up for sloppy history, as in Chesterton's thoroughly enjoyable if unreliable history of England. Sadly O'Brien's prose is lackluster; neither engaging, enraging, or melodious, but in the form of simple un-lyrical statements and lists.
I wanted to like the book, but I simply could not find a purchase from which I could hang any praise for it.
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12 people found this helpful