This Will Not Pass

Trump, Biden and the Battle for American Democracy

By: Jonathan Martin, Alexander Burns

Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris

Length: 17 hrs

Publisher's summary

The “blockbuster” (The Guardian) New York Times bestseller, a shocking, definitive account of the 2020 election and the first year of the Biden presidency by two New York Times reporters, exposes the deep fissures within both parties as the country approaches a political breaking point.

This is the authoritative, “deeply reported” (The Wall Street Journal) account of an eighteen-month crisis in American democracy that will be seared into the country’s political memory for decades to come. With stunning, in-the-room detail, New York Times reporters Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns show how both our political parties confronted a series of national traumas, including the coronavirus pandemic, the January 6 attack on the Capitol, and the political brinksmanship of President Biden’s first year in the White House.

From Donald Trump’s assault on the 2020 election and his ongoing campaign of vengeance against his fellow Republicans to the behind-the-scenes story of Biden’s selection of Kamala Harris as his running mate and his bitter struggles to unite the Democratic Party, this book exposes the degree to which the two-party system has been strained to the point of disintegration. More than at any time in recent history, the long-established traditions and institutions of American politics are under siege as a set of aging political leaders struggle to hold together the changing country.

Martin and Burns break news on most every page, drawing on hundreds of interviews and never-before-seen documents and recordings from the highest levels of government. This “masterful” (George Stephanopoulos) book asks the vitally important (and disturbing) question: can American democracy, as we know it, ever work again?

©2022 Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns. All rights reserved. (P)2022 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Excellent and to the point on a seminal time

Loved it...authors got inside the political turmoil of this most difficult political transformation period...to the point...and quite revealing especially in the fractionation of the Democratic party.

The audio version Is awful

Pronunciations are so bad it confuses the story as you have to think about what the narrator is trying to say.
Most of the pronunciations are not complex but the narrator seems intent on making them incorrect.

A thorough account of the Trump-Biden years

As a fan of political journalism, I expected this rather thick book to be compelling in its depth. Though I would have enjoyed more “scoops,” it did a fine job providing an insider’s view of politics in the era of Trump and the aftermath. A low point for me was the narration. Dennis Boutsikaris, in spite of having a pleasant voice and striking the right tone, seemed to misinterpret passages in the text so frequently that I found myself wincing at times for how little he seemed to either understand or prepare for the recording of this audiobook. With some frequency his delivery was the opposite of the authors’ intent, adding commas where there weren’t any, or overlooking them when he shouldn’t have, emphasizing words he shouldn’t have and delivering with no emphasis at all words that were critical to the understanding of the listener. He routinely forgot what he’d read in the previous sentence, reading the next as though he were delivering surprising new information, when it was merely a recap or alternative take on something the listener already knew. I could’ve written pages of notes about where he misread what was in the text. It seemed Boutsikaris’ only standard for quality was whether his diction was clear, which it unfailingly was. Perhaps I’ve grown too comfortable with narrators who take the time to understand what they’re reading before beginning a recording, but I’ve never listened to an audiobook so rife with errors of inflection. I should hope I won’t encounter another otherwise desirable audiobook with Boutsikaris’ name associated, because it will mean I miss out on hearing it.

Well researched and easily digestible

Great research into key players and some tough topics surrounding the Jan 6th events

Excellent presentation with great references released to the media!

Excellent, though the audio released to news outlets would have been great in this audio presentation.

A warning of things that may kill democracy.

The authors detail what transpired pre & post election & what could happen to fulfill the former president's desire to become an authoritarian dictator if the Repugnants continue to undermine democracy.

A very depressing political book for a progressive

I was determined to finish this book hoping the outlook would give me hope that the nightmare we are living through with a dysfunctional government would end! But the authors were very even-handed in detailing the worst behavior in both parties! I'm a progressive democrat and fear we will be losing our democracy if we don't keep the Democrats in charge! But after reading this book, my fears have become even greater. The Trump Republicans have become authoritarian fascists and the Democrats are fighting with each other!

Book was great

The book and content was great. The person reading should be able to pronounce names correctly though. It was distracting how many names he mispronounced.

Eye opening

Very well narrated. the story flowed effortlessly and very well written. Loved it! I was very please to learn the intricate details of our failing government.

Great detail work.

I loved the details. Great fill in the blanks and review of a very dark presidency.