The Presidents Club

Inside the World's Most Exclusive Fraternity

By: Nancy Gibbs, Michael Duffy

Narrated by: Bob Walter

Length: 22 hrs

Publisher's summary

The Presidents Club was born at Eisenhower’s inauguration when Harry Truman and Herbert Hoover first conceived the idea. Over the years that followed - and to this day - the presidents relied on, misunderstood, sabotaged, and formed alliances with one another that changed history. The world’s most exclusive fraternity is a complicated place: its members are bound forever because they sat in the Oval Office and know its secrets, yet they are immortal rivals for history’s favor.

Some presidents needed their predecessors to keep their secrets; others needed them to disappear. Most just needed help getting the job done. Truman enlisted Hoover to help him save Europe; Kennedy turned to Ike on Cuba; Nixon sought Johnson’s advice on getting reelected, but then tried to blackmail him; Ford and Carter couldn’t stand each other until they saw what they had in common; Reagan and Clinton relied on Nixon as an off-the-books emissary to Russia; Bush put Clinton and his father to work and they became like father and son; and Obama and Clinton became quiet rivals for the same crown.

Journalists and presidential historians Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy unravel the secret compacts, the shared scars, and the private cease-fires from Hoover to Obama. The Presidents Club will change the way we think about the presidency, for the club itself is an instrument of presidential power.

©2012 Nancy Gibbs, Michael Duffy (P)2012 Simon & Schuster Audio

Critic reviews

"This is essential reading for anyone interested in American politics.” (Robert Dallek, best-selling author of An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917–1963)

“Forget Rome’s Curia, Yale’s Skull and Bones and the Bilderbergs - the world’s most exclusive club never numbers more than six. Its rules are inscrutable, and its members box the compass politically and stylistically.... Michael Duffy and Nancy Gibbs have penetrated thick walls of secrecy and decorum to give us the most intimate, revealing, and poignant account of the constitutional fifth wheel that is the ex-presidency. Readers are in for some major surprises, not to mention a history they won’t be able to put down.” (Richard Norton Smith, author of Patriarch: George Washington and the New American Nation)

“ The Presidents Club is magnetically readable, bursting with new information and behind-the-scenes details. It is also an important contribution to history, illuminating the event-making private relationships among our ex-Presidents and why we should do a far better job of drawing on their skills and experience.” (Michael Beschloss, best-selling author of The Conquerers)

excellent listening

Would you consider the audio edition of The Presidents Club to be better than the print version?

no, would rate equally

What did you like best about this story?

an additional insight into the lives of the President's

Have you listened to any of Bob Walter’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

no

Any additional comments?

This is one of the best books i have "read" this year....really insightful and interesting.

Fascinating, Informative

I thoroughly enjoyed this read, cover to cover. Just the concept of the evolution of a 'club' of presidents due to increases in longevity (!), the impact the club can have, the rules that the members (tacitly) abide by (well, except for Carter and Nixon-!). Fascinating back-stories, most notably for me the evolution of the relationship between the Bush family and Bill Clinton ("brother from another mother-!").

I absolutely agree about the narration- truly irritating. I was constantly re-winding in order to separate what the author was actually trying to convey from the intonation and emphasis that the narrator erroneously applied to the passage. I hadn't realized until this book how important a part the intonation and emphasis, etc... play in relaying (or not relaying) the meaning that the author intended. I have actually made a note of the narrator's name to avoid because it was that much of an obstacle to my listening. Not something I am happy to admit, but the impact was that significant.

Distracting narrator

Would you be willing to try another one of Bob Walter’s performances?

Absolutely NOT

Any additional comments?

I saw a review before buying this with someone saying that they really did not like the narrator. I felt I could probably ignore that complaint as I didn't think it would affect me that much. Boy was I wrong! Hard to explain why it is annoying, but he has very little inflection in his voice and all the sentences end almost like in a question. Typically you would have highs and lows in intonation and all of his reading is right down the middle and lacks interest. He mis-pronounces words a lot, and gets very singsongy in his delivery. Almost like a politician ironically, but it was really hard to listen to which is a shame because most of the content is interesting. I would seriously consider reading this one instead of listening until they get a different narrator to re-record it. Sorry Bob.

As expected - no more

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes it was, interesting with the historical facts and the intrigues in the 40 and 50-ies.

Would you ever listen to anything by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy again?

Most certainly, well written but no wow.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Bob Walter?

Yes, he has a clear and energetic voice.

What else would you have wanted to know about Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy ’s life?

Well, I would like to understand how much time the book took to research.

Any additional comments?

The book is good, but no real interesting events or facts, some interviews have obviously been done, but most of it is factual from transcripts and other public information. That per se does not add real value or gives the "wow-factor".

Changed my perspective

This book was simply excellent. For the most part, the narrator did not attempt to imitate the voices of the presidents (maybe a little Nixon) and I appreciated that.

I now have a very different understanding of the similarities of what these men from both parties faced and how they supported the office, even if they did not agree with the decision. Only wish we could have an update for Trump’s tenure. I would use another credit just for that last chapter!

Nice Deeper Diggings

Provides information that I would never have known. I thank the author for helping me understand some basic behind the scenes facts which I did not fully understand, having lived through these times.

Saddens me now, witnessing our divisiveness and lack of respect.

Different way to see history

this was a new look at history over the last 60 years, through the eyes of the Men who created it. The story of Powerful men and how they made the decisions that controlled the developed world.

A great history lesson!

What did you like about this audiobook?

I heard about this book on C-SPAN and am so glad I downloaded it. A very interesting book and an excellent history lesson about a side of the Presidents, past and present, the average person does not know about. I have recommended this book to all my family and friends, no matter what party they voted for. Everyone should read this book about this unique job and the unique individuals who have held the position of President of the United States.

How has the book increased your interest in the subject matter?

I've recently downloaded Robert Caro's books about LBJ and look forward to learning more about Mr. Johnson.

Does the author present information in a way that is interesting and insightful, and if so, how does he achieve this?

Very good presenter.

What did you find wrong about the narrator's performance?

nothing

Very interesting

This book focuses on the interactions between the Presidents. It only used history as a narrative to give depth to the reasons why past Presidents work with current ones. I am in my 30's and found it very interesting to see how much Eisenhower helped Kennedy. How involved Reagan was in national politics before he became President in the 80's. The stories were extremely interesting to history buffs. I actually wish that they had spent more time on the Clinton/Bush II years and less on Nixon, but overall it was a very interesting read.

Great history lesson!

As a european who did not know deep details about the american Presidents, this has been a lovely lesson and journey throughout their presidency years.

I really feel that the book helps you get an inside view of the role, and makes you see the president and his actions differently.