The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Presidents, Part 1

From Washington to Taft

De: Larry Schweikart

Narrado por: John McLain

Duración: 10 h y 45 m

Resumen del Editor

Back by popular demand, the best-selling 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.

©2017 Larry Schweikart (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

A to-the-point and enlightening summary

As a person that doesn't typically listen/read historical texts or analysis on past persons of power, I found this politically incorrect guide to the Presidents to be a concise summary of the impact of the first 26 presidents (Washington to Taft). While I wouldn't necessarily say its politically incorrect at all, I will admit that I hold some such views, so you as a different reader may get something else out of this entirely.
Overall, it's informative, clears up common falsehoods that may or may not have infected an individual, and gives not a thorough account, but a great highlight reel of the highs and lows of each president.
I eagerly await part 2!

objective as can be

Very good overview yet as in all broad strokes of historical examinations many details are left out or controversy swept aside anecdotally. However, the author did a great job here covering the first 26 US presidents. bravo!

review of the first 26 Presidents

this book is a great highlight of the first 26 Presidents and how the shaped the office and the country and their adherence to the Constitution

Great listen, well written.

I love the history and coverage of many facets of the first 26 presidents. My only wish is that there was more detail and in-depth analysis. Still 5-stars

Excellent!

A fresh look at the presidents, comparing them to the requirements, imposed by the Constitution and their willingness to abide by them.

Pathetic

For as much as I enjoyed the Wilson to Obama book in the series, this absolutely ruins the pair.

Terrible book.

One of the worst books I’ve ever tried to listen to. Horrific narrator and an awful author.

Founding fathers were racist / Lincoln was a saint

This book is far from politically incorrect. The author seems to understand political correctness in terms of modern presidents, but he repeats the same nonsense taught in schools about how the founding fathers were racists and Abe Lincoln was a saint. He actually gives scores to each president for constitutionality, and they are fair enough for some, but way off the mark on others. Grover Cleveland was known for being the last staunchly constitutional democrat president, but he only got a B+. Lincoln, who single handedly is responsible for the Civil War got an A-. Every single aspect of the Civil War was a violation of the constitution and bill of rights (Congress never declared war; he arrested all newspaper men who criticized the war, and in many cases burnt down their operations; he instituted the first draft in American history, but allowed wealthy people to buy their way out or buy a slave to take their place; Outlawed any and all black people from being in Illinois; he tried to deport all black people to Africa and Haiti; he didn't free one slave after his emancipation proclamation speech; and last but not least, his widow refused to free their slaves after the 13th amendment took effect - the authorities had to go to her house and release them). He also trashes Andrew Jackson throughout the book - AJ had some serious blemishes like the trail of tears, but he also single handedly removed the banking cartel (now known as the federal reserve) from having control of US currency - he makes this monumental achievement sound like a pointless vendetta of Jackson's. Don't waste your time with this, there are plenty of accurate PI history books out there if you look. Donald Jefferies and Thomas DiLorenzo are great autos to consider.

Unnecessarily partisan

Interesting and often little known material with interpretations often at odds with accepted wisdom, but unfortunately tainted by unnecessarily partisan and sometimes snide commentary. The authors’ repeated admonitions about“books you’re not supposed to read” was totally unnecessary.

Not much of a PIG, but I didn't make it far

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Someone who wants to hear some factoids, but not get a lot of higher level story lines that you may not have known or that may be impactful.

What could Larry Schweikart have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

The flow didn't have all of the items that make other PIG's so engaging. Questions. Obvious paragraph headings. The only "books you're not supposed to read" I made it to somehow felt very much like a nothing burger of a book; I doubt it's controversial of not PC at all, and it wasn't conveyed why I'm not supposed to read it.

Would you be willing to try another one of John McLain’s performances?

It isn't an enthused performance, but I didn't see why it would be.

Any additional comments?

Take the above with a grain of salt because I just gave up in the first hour, and found it hard to concentrate on, so I'm sure I missed plenty. I'll blame the reader in part for not being as animated as others, but if the material is good I can overlook that. I love the PIG series, but they usually sink their teeth into you at the start, and I especially like the ones with the paragraph flows that are shorter with clear side-bars and questions leading the chapters. These things keep you going, not wanting to stop, and looking forward to what's coming. The books you're not supposed to read are usually just that. Did this have these things? Maybe. Some. Again, I may have missed a lot, but all I kept picking up were little factoids that seemed like something he found and wanted to let you know that you didn't know this little thing. I didn't catch one sounding very PI. There were a lot of statements that were simply opinions, and PC opinions at that. OK, maybe you hold that opinion, but tell us why Hamilton is perfect when the PI'ers would have the opposite opinion. How is it PI to say what the PC crowd would? Maybe it is. I didn't get why. Maybe he does say why later. I didn't find it interesting enough from 'go' as most other PIGs. I strongly recommend Thomas Woods US History PIG if you want a true PIG. I would have liked opinions that disputed or at least didn't copy those, which you certainly will find here... they just seemed far too PC and not big enough or connected enough (from what I heard of course!).