United States Presidents

George Washington had fought bravely during the Revolutionary War. The people saw him as a hero. They wanted to make him king. But Washington didn’t want that kind of power. Instead, he became the first president of the United States. Follow this war hero as he leads his troops into battle and shares their losses and success.

Everybody has secrets, and former US presidents are no exception. Discover which stories about America’s past leaders are true and which ones are just tall tales.

Prize-winning historian Glen Jeansonne delves into the life of our most misunderstood president, offering up a surprising new portrait of Herbert Hoover - dismissing previous assumptions and revealing a political Progressive in the mold of Theodore Roosevelt and the most resourceful American since Benjamin Franklin.

Here's what we now know: John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas by Mafia contract killers hired by Louisiana mob boss Carlos Marcello. Kennedy was killed in that city because it was the only place in the country where a crime of that magnitude could be committed without fear of punishment. Long-time local district attorney Henry Wade, an LBJ crony who would have sole jurisdiction over the prosecution of those responsible, had been corrupted by the local Civello crime family. Lyndon B. Johnson, while a U.S. senator during the 1950s, had accepted bribes from the same mobsters so that they could avoid deportation.

Spanning the years of transition, 1944 to 1948, Ascent to Power illuminates Truman’s struggles to emerge as president in his own right. Yet, from a relatively unknown Missouri senator to the most powerful man on Earth, Truman’s legacy transcends. With his come-from-behind campaign in the fall of 1948, his courageous civil rights advocacy, and his role in liberating millions from militarist governments and brutal occupations, Truman’s decisions during these pivotal years changed the course of the world in ways so significant we live with them today.

Generations have been told that Aaron Burr was a betrayer: of Alexander Hamilton, of his country, of those who had nobler ideas. But that version has been shaped by historians and writers from the 18th century on who were blinded by tabloid reports and propaganda created by Burr's political enemies during his lifetime. It is time to discover the real Aaron Burr.

Born in London to an American father and a British mother on the eve of the Revolutionary War, Louisa Catherine Johnson was raised in circumstances very different from the New England upbringing of future president John Quincy Adams, whose life had been dedicated to public service from the earliest age. And yet John Quincy fell in love with her almost despite himself. Their often tempestuous but deeply close marriage lasted half a century.

A penetrating look at the necessity of constitutional limits upon government and exceptional men to lead those governments, uniquely taken by overlaying the life and writings of Winston Churchill with the American experiment.

A biography of the responsible and dutiful 10th president of the United States, who was the first to take over the office after an elected president died in office. John Tyler: A Fascinating Biography of the 10th United States President is the true story of a man who was thrust into leadership when his predecessor’s term ended after just 31 days. Despite stepping up to save the country from chaos, John Tyler would soon lose favor with his own party, the Whigs. John Tyler would never relent in his obligation to the office or his duty to the people.

This is an audio recording of The Articles of Impeachment Against Donald J. Trump, President of the United States issued by Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and the Majority Staff of the House Committee on the Judiciary on December 9, 2019. This document charges President Donald J. Trump with committing high crimes and misdemeanors, specifically abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

A vivid account of leadership focusing on the first four Virginia presidents - George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe - from the best-selling historian and author of James Madison.

Of the presidents who died of natural causes during their term in office, arguably the most preventable was that of William Henry Harrison, the ninth president of the United States. Despite holding the record for the shortest presidential term of merely a month, William Henry Harrison could never be deemed a failure, though he certainly saw his fair share of them.

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.

Nineteenth-century African Americans felt deep affection for their "liberator" as a "homely" man who did not hold himself apart; Southerners felt a nostalgia for Abraham Lincoln as a humble "conciliator". Later, educators glorified Lincoln as a symbol of nationhood to help assimilate poor immigrants. Monument makers focused not only on a gigantic body but also on a nationalist "union", downplaying "emancipation". Among both Black and White liberals in the 1960s and 1970s, Lincoln was derided or fell out of fashion.

This collection includes the key speeches made by President William J. Clinton during his presidency. This includes his inaugural speeches, State of the Union addresses, and addresses on NAFTA, gays in the military, the Lewinsky allegations, health-care reform, the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and foreign policy statements on the Middle East, Bosnia, Rwanda, and Ghana. These speeches form a powerful firsthand account of the Clinton presidency.

The Jefferson Lies tackles seven myths about Thomas Jefferson head-on and answers pressing questions about this incredible statesman.

In Speaking of America, the meaning and historical impact of quotes from the first forty-five American presidents are illuminated with wit and warmth. Full of fascinating facts that take listeners behind the scenes of American history, this captivating nonfiction book shows how US presidents have used their words to encourage, explain, assert, and defend—while equipping future leaders with the knowledge that they too have the power to change the world.

After a dramatic election amid a raging pandemic, racial violence, economic collapse, and historic national divisions that have threatened our democracy, Joe Biden succeeds Donald Trump as the 46th president of the United States. For Catholics, this is a momentous occasion in US public life, as he is the second Catholic to be elected to the nation’s highest office, joining John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

Of the 44 presidents who have led the United States, nine made mistakes that permanently scarred the nation. Which nine? Brion McClanahan, author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Founding Fathers and The Founding Fathers' Guide to the Constitution, will surprise listeners with his list, which he supports with exhaustive and entertaining evidence.

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.