Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.
Henry Clay  By  cover art

Henry Clay

By: Harlow Giles Unger
Narrated by: John Lescault
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $15.56

Buy for $15.56

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

A compelling new biography of America's most powerful speaker of the House, who held the divided nation together for three decades and who was Lincoln's guiding light.

In a little-known chapter of early American history, a fearless Kentucky lawyer rids Congress of corruption and violence in an era when congressmen debated with bullets as well as ballots. Harlow Giles Unger reveals how Henry Clay, the youngest congressman ever elected speaker of the House, rewrote congressional rules and established the speaker as the most powerful elected official after the president.

During five decades of public service - as congressman, senator, secretary of state, and four-time presidential candidate - Clay produced historic compromises that postponed civil war for 50 years. Lincoln called Clay "the man for whom I fought all my life".

An action-packed narrative history, Henry Clay is the story of one of the most courageous congressmen in American history.

©2015 Harlow Giles Unger (P)2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

What listeners say about Henry Clay

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    296
  • 4 Stars
    145
  • 3 Stars
    35
  • 2 Stars
    10
  • 1 Stars
    3
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    288
  • 4 Stars
    112
  • 3 Stars
    31
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    265
  • 4 Stars
    124
  • 3 Stars
    35
  • 2 Stars
    10
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Henry Clay - Better to Right than President

Book: This is interesting review of person who was integral to the development of the US between the American Revolution and the American Civil War. He was very much a person of the times with the usual vices and prejudices as well as force of mind, principles, intellectual, and courage. The reading provides context to the period and re-enforces the tragic flaw of the US since its founding: the division in the union finding its pinnacle in the institution of slavery.
Performance: Very good. No issues.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting and worth a listen

It always amazes me that people all willing to give all their energy and passion champion their vision of what they believe America should be. My only complaint was the feeling that the author seemed to think that the fact that Clay owned slaves they were better off with him then on their own. I think it is these sentiments that still persist today that keeps our nation from once and for all meeting this abhorrent system head on. We must call it the evil that it is. Anyway that is the author’s prerogative but it made me uncomfortable.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

“Loyal” slaves?

The author refers to clays “loyal“ slaves who labored heavily in Ashland, yet showed low intelligence and poor initiative and seemed unable to function when Clay wasn’t around to give orders. The Author notes that clay would sometimes sell or trade away slaves who weren’t intelligent enough Dash no doubt these slaves two were “loyal” and cheerfully excepted being sold to another farm.

The author also refers to clays alcohol consumption, gambling and promiscuity, along with the wife who seemed content to spend a great deal of time separate from him.

I found the book interesting given that I didn’t know much about clay, but about as deep and substantive as a middle school book report. The shame of it is that Clay actually appears to have wrestled with slavery personally as well as a national policy. But this author does not give us any of this, and prefers instead a white wash.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Book is full of factual errors...

and a lot of other BS about Clay being ‘anti slavery’ and the loyalty of his slaves. Don’t waste your time. There are several good bios of Clay available; this isn’t one of them.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Hagiographic

At least a dozen times the author refer to clay being abandoned as a store clerk. One he metioned that his step father placed in a possition as a clerk with a lawyer who trained him law for four years before turning him over to snoth er attourny who could provide him with more advanced training which enabled him to follow his familly to Kentuky and open a prosperous law practice.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Thank you Audible and Mr.Unger.

This was worthwhile in my perspective, even potentially during the eschaton, the end of all things 🌀🌍🌎🌏🌐💔😥🙏🏻🇺🇲🙏🏻💠.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Another great early American freedom fighter

This book was phenomenal. There's no other words to describe it. Henry Clay is without a doubt accurately described, as indeed the greatest statesman there ever was in history.

Henry clay, in my opinion is another early American freedom fighter for the 13 colonies that founded the United States of America. He understood what it was to be American and he was proud of it.

Anybody who is interested in American history I highly recommend you read this book. It is a must read and I am so glad that I did. You will thoroughly enjoy it if you are history buff or a historian. Also, a history professor of college.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Henry Clay Lives up to His Subtitle

Harlow Giles Unger subtitled his biography of Henry Clay “America’s Greatest Statesmen”, and he proves it in this well written and fully researched book. As usual Unger’s style is smooth and spirited with a knack for telling a good story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Actually a great book

It looks dry from the outside, but once it starts up, you will be impressed by the Henry Clay story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

An incredibly informative read that made me realiz

just how tenuous and fragile our grip was on the early days of our Union.. Thank GOD for Henry Clay, Daniel Webster and John Calhoun!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!