The Bully Pulpit

Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism

By: Doris Kearns Goodwin

Narrated by: Edward Herrmann

Length: 36 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

Winner of the 2015 Audie Award for History/Biography and Finalist for Audiobook of the Year

Audie Award, History/Biography, 2015

After Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln, Doris Kearns Goodwin wields her magic on another larger-than-life president, and another momentous and raucous American time period as she brings Theodore Roosevelt, the muckraking journalists, and the Progressive Era to life.

As she focused on the relationships between Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt in No Ordinary Time, and on Lincoln and his team in Team of Rivals, Goodwin describes the broken friendship between Teddy Roosevelt and his chosen successor, William Howard Taft. With the help of the "muckraking" press - including legendary journalists Ida Tarbell, Lincoln Steffens, William Allen White, and editor Sam McClure - Roosevelt had wielded the Bully Pulpit to challenge and triumph over abusive monopolies, political bosses, and corrupting money brokers. Roosevelt led a revolution that he bequeathed to Taft only to see it compromised as Taft surrendered to money men and big business. The rupture between the two led Roosevelt to run against Taft for president, an ultimately futile race that resulted in the election of Democrat Woodrow Wilson and the diminishment of Theodore Roosevelt's progressive wing of the Republican Party.

Like Goodwin's chronicles of the Civil War and the Great Depression, The Bully Pulpit describes a time in our history that enlightened and changed the country, ushered in the modern age, and produced some unforgettable men and women.

©2013 Doris Kearns Goodwin (P)2013 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

“Few audio productions this year are likely to match, or deserve as much praise as, this history of the Progressive Era and the presidential friendship that shaped, and was destroyed by, its politics... Edward Herrmann is simply her most simpatico reader...his steady, unflagging delivery is perfectly attuned to her narrative voice and, without mimicry, to the broad array of voices, personalities, and events that highlight this rich personal and social drama.” (AudioFile Magazine)

“Swiftly moving account of a friendship that turned sour, broke a political party in two and involved an insistent, omnipresent press corps. . . . It’s no small achievement to have something new to say on Teddy Roosevelt’s presidency, but Goodwin succeeds admirably. A notable, psychologically charged study in leadership.”(Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

The Bully Pulpit

What a wonderful and enlightening history! I thought I knew a lot about TR but found I did not. Learned so much about what a great man WHT was. I thoroughly enjoyed the book; especially the narration by one of my favorite Roosevelt actors - Edward Herman. Thank you again, Doris Kearns Goodwin, for another fine piece on the history of America!

Roosevelt Taft by Doris Kerns Goodwin

I COMPLETELY ENJOYED THIS AUDIO BOOK BY DORIS KERNS GOODWIN AS I HAVE WITH OTHER OF HER BOOKS ESPECIALLY LINCOLN TEAM OF RIVALS AND ROOSEVELT TAFT. SHE WRITES AND COMPLETELY RESEARCHES HER SUBJECTS LIKE NO OTHER. I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND THIS TO ANYONE INTERESTED IN ACCURATE AND INTERESTING HISTORY. I LOOK FORWARD TO READING MORE OF HER WORK.

A Bit Much but Good

Goodwin often gets too granular in her detail, disappearing too deeply into a chimera of rabbit holes of supporting characters’ biographies and the minutiae of power plays and policy disputes, but, on the whole, the emotional and educational payoffs are generally worth the fine grained drudgery. Edward Hermann was excellent and a perfect voice to tell this story.

loved this book

Listen everyday at work. This book flows from Roosevelt and Taft with ease, Ms. Goodwin did her home work, I am a HUGE TR fan and I even learned a thing or two

Inspiring!

Learned so much about the fascinating people at the heart of the progressive era!

superb!

best overall since Devil in the White City which hooked me onto to audible in the first place.

Great overview of the Progressive Era

This is a good overview of the entire Progressive Era and a great look at the relationship and split between the two presidents. I especially enjoyed hearing about WHT as I have always looked at him as a second fiddle to TR. I have now revised my views on him and actually like WHT much more than his predecessor in the presidency. He seems a much more genuine person.

Fantastic Read!!!

Doris Goodwin's account of Roosevelt and Taft was rich in detail and imagery, and interwove facts and poetic descriptions, all of which made this (mind you, it's a 60 hour historical account) delight to listen to and one you don't want to put down.

One of the best books I've ever read

This is one of the best books I've ever read in my life such a great story that happens to be a true story. Being an historian I knew a little bit about this time but I knew nothing about the friendship between Roosevelt and Taft.The author did such a great job of laying out the history from beginning to end of their triumphs and downfalls, it's an excellent read..and very relevant to our current situation in America, corporate takeovers corporations having too much power.. Learning from our past is the only way to fix our present and our future and this book is very good I highly recommend it excellent excellent reading and one of the most beautiful stories I've ever heard who needs fiction when real life is so much more interesting

One of the best stories in history

This was a great book that brought together the story of the investigative journalists who fomented popular support for the legislative accomplishments of Theodore Roosevelt. It wasn't until Iistened to this audiobook that I realized just how adept he was at using the best journalists to help him get his way.