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Martin Van Buren
- A Fascinating Biography of the 8th United States President
- Narrated by: Thomas Rode
- Length: 1 hr and 5 mins
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Martin Van Buren
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Publisher's summary
Martin Van Buren: A Fascinating Biography of the 8th United States President showcases the life and political career of a man who championed for the expansion of voting rights and would later overcome an attempt to rig the presidential election by the opposing party to take his place in American history.
In his continuing series on American presidents, Steven Wallace presents the lifelong biography of the patriotic eighth president of the United States. Before the Panic of 1837 - the second worst depression in American history - poisoned his career and term as presidency, Martin Van Buren was a passionate politician who hoped to move America forward.
Born just six years after the founding of the United States, Martin Van Buren seemed destined for politics. Known throughout his career as “Little Van” for his short stature, his impact on America was certainly not minimal. From the age of 14, the democratic Van Buren began a political career as an apprentice. He would later go on to fulfill several positions including senator for New York state, a brief stint as governor, Andrew Jackson’s secretary of state, and eventually president. His incredible life also led him to become directly involved in intriguing events such as the War of 1812 and the Petticoat Affair.
Enjoy this concise and interesting biography about the eighth president of the United States, whose impressive political career was overshadowed by the second worst depression in the nation’s history.
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By: The History Hour
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What It Took to Win
- A History of the Democratic Party
- By: Michael Kazin
- Narrated by: Lee Goettl
- Length: 13 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 37
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 35
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 35
In What It Took to Win, the eminent historian Michael Kazin identifies and assesses the Democratic Party's long-running commitment to creating "moral capitalism" - a system that mixed entrepreneurial freedom with the welfare of workers and consumers. And yet the same party that championed the rights of the white working man also vigorously protected or advanced the causes of slavery, segregation, and Indian removal.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Timely and informative History Book
- By Asha Sceanca on 03-24-22
By: Michael Kazin
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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 134
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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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American Heritage History of the United States
- By: Douglas Brinkley
- Narrated by: Eric Martin
- Length: 23 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 49
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 38
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 38
Douglas Brinkley takes us on the incredible journey of the United States - a nation formed from a vast countryside on whose fringes 13 small British colonies fought for their freedom, then established a democratic nation that spanned the continent and went on to become a world power. This book will be treasured by anyone interested in the story of America.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Highly recommended!
- By M. Hu on 08-04-17
By: Douglas Brinkley
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James Madison
- America's First Politician
- By: Jay Cost
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 14 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 96
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 79
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 79
How do you solve a problem like James Madison? The fourth president is one of the most confounding figures in early American history; his political trajectory seems almost intentionally inconsistent. He was both for and against a strong federal government. He wrote about the dangers of political parties in the Federalist Papers and then helped to found the Republican Party just a few years later. This so-called Madison problem has occupied scholars for ages.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Good listen
- By James Shannon on 06-27-22
By: Jay Cost
-
Franklin Roosevelt
- A Captivating Guide to the Life of FDR
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Duke Holm
- Length: 1 hr and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 22
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 22
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 22
As the 32nd president of the United States of America, Franklin Delano Roosevelt is a common household name in both his home country and the world. Known as the man who led the United States through the Great Depression and World War II, Roosevelt was a leader and a statesman, a scholar, and a politician. Franklin D. Roosevelt is the only president to have served for three consecutive terms and voted in for a fourth, a fact that allows him to stand out among the long list of American presidents.
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5 out of 5 stars
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The top book, I love Franklin.
- By Elizabeth on 11-04-17
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Henry Clay
- The Man Who Would Be President
- By: James C. Klotter
- Narrated by: James Anderson Foster
- Length: 19 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 49
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 45
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Story5 out of 5 stars 44
Charismatic, charming, and one of the best orators of his era, Henry Clay seemed to have it all. He offered a comprehensive plan of change for America, and he directed national affairs as Speaker of the House, as Secretary of State to John Quincy Adams - the man he put in office - and as acknowledged leader of the Whig party. As the broker of the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850, Henry Clay fought to keep a young nation united when westward expansion and slavery threatened to tear it apart. Yet, despite his talent and achievements, Henry Clay never became president.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Wonderful book by a talented writer and historian
- By Timothy on 08-24-18
By: James C. Klotter
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A Patriot’s History of the United States, Updated Edition
- From Columbus's Great Discovery to America's Age of Entitlement
- By: Larry Schweikart, Michael Allen
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 55 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 662
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 566
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 566
Over the past decade, A Patriot's History of the United States has become the definitive conservative history of our country, correcting the biases of historians and other intellectuals who downplay the greatness of America's patriots. Professors Schweikart and Allen have now revised, updated, and expanded their book, which covers America's long history with an appreciation for the values that made this nation uniquely successful.
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2 out of 5 stars
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A Fox News Version of American History
- By Stephen on 05-16-21
By: Larry Schweikart, and others
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To Make Men Free
- A History of the Republican Party
- By: Heather Cox Richardson
- Narrated by: Heather Cox Richardson
- Length: 15 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 167
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 147
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 145
Acclaimed historian Heather Cox Richardson traces the shifting ideology of the Republican Party from the antebellum era to the Great Recession. While progressive Republicans like Teddy Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower revived Lincoln’s vision and expanded the government, their opponents appealed to Americans’ latent racism and xenophobia to regain political power, linking taxation and regulation to redistribution and socialism. In the modern era, the schism within the Republican Party has grown wider, pulling the GOP ever further from its founding principles.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fascinating read!
- By Marsha on 12-27-21
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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
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 68
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 57
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 58
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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The Presidents and the Constitution
- A Living History
- By: Ken Gormley - editor
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 21 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 32
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 30
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 31
In this sweepingly ambitious volume, the nation's foremost experts on the American presidency and the US Constitution join together to tell the intertwined stories of how each American president has confronted and shaped the Constitution. Each occupant of the office - the first president to the 44th - has contributed to the story of the Constitution through the decisions he made and the actions he took as the nation's chief executive.
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4 out of 5 stars
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great book about the presidency & Constitution
- By Rob on 12-27-16
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A Short History of the United States
- By: Robert V. Remini
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 89
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 65
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 66
In addition, Remini explains the reasons for the nation's unique and enduring strengths, its artistic and cultural accomplishments, its genius in developing new products to sell to the world, and its abiding commitment to individual freedoms.
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4 out of 5 stars
-
Very thorough, easy listen, heavy on US Presidents
- By Craig on 01-02-09
By: Robert V. Remini
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Rule and Ruin
- The Downfall of Moderation and the Destruction of the Republican Party, from Eisenhower to the Tea Party
- By: Geoffrey Kabaservice
- Narrated by: Michael Bulter Murray
- Length: 21 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 62
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 56
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 54
The chaotic events leading up to Mitt Romney's defeat in the 2012 election indicated how far the Republican Party had rocketed rightward away from the center of public opinion. Republicans in Congress threatened to shut down the government and force a U.S. debt default. Tea Party activists mounted primary challenges against Republican officeholders who appeared to exhibit too much pragmatism or independence. Moderation and compromise were dirty words in the Republican presidential debates. The GOP, it seemed, had suddenly become a party of ideological purity. Except this development is not new at all.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Kabaservice doesn't make the case
- By MJE on 01-22-16
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Don't Know Much About the Civil War
- Everything You Need to Know About America's Greatest Conflict but Never Learned
- By: Kenneth C. Davis
- Narrated by: Dick Estell
- Length: 16 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 82
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 67
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 67
Millions of Americans, bored by dull textbooks, are in the dark about the most significant event in our history. Now New York Times bestselling author Kenneth C. Davis comes to the rescue, deftly sorting out the players, the politics, and the key events—Emancipation and Reconstruction, Shiloh and Gettysburg, Generals Grant and Lee, Harriet Beecher Stowe—and much more.
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4 out of 5 stars
-
Good Civil War book
- By Steven on 08-04-12
By: Kenneth C. Davis
-
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 36
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 31
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 32
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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Unlikable Old Hickory
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Perhaps no U.S. president was less suited for the practice of politics than John Adams. A gifted philosopher who helped lead the movement for American independence from its inception, Adams was unprepared for the realities of party politics that had already begun to dominate the new country before Washington left office. But, as John Patrick Diggins shows, Adams's contributions still resonate today.
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A Worthy Addition
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Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power
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In this magnificent biography, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of American Lion and Franklin and Winston brings vividly to life an extraordinary man and his remarkable times. Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power gives us Jefferson the politician and president, a great and complex human being forever engaged in the wars of his era.
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4 out of 5 stars
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A Man and Biography Relevant to Our Day
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John Quincy Adams was the last of his kind - a Puritan from the age of the Founders who despised party and compromise yet dedicated himself to politics and government. The son of John Adams, he was a brilliant ambassador and secretary of state, a frustrated president at a historic turning point in American politics, and a dedicated congressman who literally died in office - at the age of 80, in the House of Representatives, in the midst of an impassioned political debate.
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Richard Nixon opens with young navy lieutenant "Nick" Nixon returning from the Pacific and setting his cap at Congress, an idealistic dreamer seeking to build a better world. Yet amid the turns of that now legendary 1946 campaign, Nixon's finer attributes quickly gave way to unapologetic ruthlessness. It is a stunning overture to John A. Farrell's magisterial portrait of a man who embodied postwar American cynicism.
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Well balanced and proportioned
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The Jazz Age President
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He's the butt of political jokes, frequently subjected to ridicule, and almost never absent a "Worst Presidents" list where he most often ends up at the bottom. Historians have labeled him the "Worst President Ever," "Dead Last," "Unfit," and "Incompetent," to name but a few. Many contemporaries were equally cruel. H. L. Mencken called him a "nitwit." To Alice Roosevelt Longworth, he was a "slob."
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Excellent clarification
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Hoover
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The definitive biography of Herbert Hoover, one of the most remarkable Americans of the 20th century - a revisionist account that will forever change the way Americans understand the man, his presidency, and his battle against the Great Depression. A poor orphan who built a fortune, a great humanitarian, a president elected in a landslide and then routed in the next election, arguably the father of both New Deal liberalism and modern conservatism - Herbert Hoover is also one of our least understood presidents.
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5 out of 5 stars
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What a fascinating story!
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Polk
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This is a major political biography of a great American president - who won a war, transformed the government, and doubled the size of the United States...in four years. When Polk was sworn in as the 11th president, what followed was one of the most consequential presidencies in history.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Polk: One of our most important Preidents
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James Madison
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- By: Jay Cost
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How do you solve a problem like James Madison? The fourth president is one of the most confounding figures in early American history; his political trajectory seems almost intentionally inconsistent. He was both for and against a strong federal government. He wrote about the dangers of political parties in the Federalist Papers and then helped to found the Republican Party just a few years later. This so-called Madison problem has occupied scholars for ages.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Good listen
- By James Shannon on 06-27-22
By: Jay Cost
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The Bully Pulpit
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- By: Doris Kearns Goodwin
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Goodwin describes the broken friendship between Teddy Roosevelt and his chosen successor, William Howard Taft. With the help of the "muckraking" press, 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 led Roosevelt to run against Taft for president, an ultimately futile race that gave power away to the Democrats.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Makes You Forget You Live in the 21st Century Good
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Accidental Presidents
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- By: Jared Cohen
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 16 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 630
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 541
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 538
The strength and prestige of the American presidency has waxed and waned since George Washington. Accidental Presidents looks at eight men who came to the office without being elected to it. It demonstrates how the character of the man in that powerful seat affects the nation and world.
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5 out of 5 stars
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LOVE LOVE LOVE this book
- By Samuel Stephen Ross on 05-03-19
By: Jared Cohen
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President Garfield
- From Radical to Unifier
- By: CW Goodyear
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 17 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 65
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 61
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Story5 out of 5 stars 61
In “the most comprehensive Garfield biography in almost fifty years” (The Wall Street Journal), C.W. Goodyear charts the life and times of one of the most remarkable Americans ever to win the Presidency. Progressive firebrand and conservative compromiser; Union war hero and founder of the first Department of Education; Supreme Court attorney and abolitionist preacher; mathematician and canalman; crooked election-fixed and clean-government champion; Congressional chieftain and gentleman-farmer; the last president to be born in a log cabin; the second to be assassinated.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A wonderful servant to the world
- By James T. Hackett on 08-15-23
By: CW Goodyear
What listeners say about Martin Van Buren
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- thereesfam
- 09-16-23
Van Buren biography
This biography was less detailed than I would have liked. I should have paid more attention to the book’s length than its title.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Matthew Kane
- 01-06-23
Not Enough
Too fast. Too short. A quick run down if you want the highlight reel version.
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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
- Ellen Oceanside
- 06-26-22
Excellent
Excellent narration, along with an interesting glimpse back to the issues in that era of time. Along with giving us a look at these founders who became leaders. Well done and enjoyed.Given audio for my voluntary review
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
- Gretchen Mellor
- 09-08-22
not impressed
It felt too simple. kind of a glorified Wikipedia article. The other presidential biographies I've listened to were a lot more in depth & engaging. more of a short story than a biography
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