Get a free audiobook
-
Coolidge
- Narrated by: Terence Aselford
- Length: 21 hrs and 4 mins
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, Historical
People who bought this also bought...
-
1960
- LBJ vs. JFK vs. Nixon--The Epic Campaign That Forged Three Presidencies
- Written by: David Pietrusza
- Narrated by: Jeff Cummings
- Length: 18 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It was the election that would ultimately give America "Camelot" and its tragic aftermath. 1960 is a stunning recreation of the bare-knuckle politics of the primaries, the party conventions' backroom dealings, the unprecedented television debates, along with hot-button issues of race, religion, and foreign policy. And, at the center of it all, three future presidents - Lyndon Johnson, John F. Kennedy, and Richard Nixon. In this essential work of history, David Pietrusza chronicles 1960's struggle for power by bringing to life its towering events and personalities, unlocking its secrets, and turning expert scholarship into rich, human storytelling.
-
The Reagan Diaries
- Extended Selections
- Written by: Ronald Reagan
- Narrated by: Eric Conger
- Length: 13 hrs and 16 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
During his two terms as the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan kept a daily diary in which he recorded, by hand, his innermost thoughts and observations on the extraordinary, the historic, and the routine day-to-day occurrences of his presidency. Now, nearly two decades after he left office, this remarkable record, the only daily Presidential diary in American history, is available for the first time.
-
Hitler's Hangman
- The Life of Heydrich
- Written by: Robert Gerwarth
- Narrated by: Napoleon Ryan
- Length: 16 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Reinhard Heydrich is widely recognized as one of the great iconic villains of the 20th century, an appalling figure even within the context of the Nazi leadership. Chief of the Nazi Criminal Police, the SS Security Service, and the Gestapo, ruthless overlord of Nazi-occupied Bohemia and Moravia, and leading planner of the "Final Solution," Heydrich played a central role in Hitler's Germany.
-
-
Brilliant
- By Pavel on 2019-05-06
-
With Malice Toward None
- A Biography of Abraham Lincoln
- Written by: Stephen B. Oates
- Length: 12 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The definitive life of Abraham Lincoln, With Malice Toward None is historian Stephen B. Oates' acclaimed and enthralling portrait of America's greatest leader. In this award-winning biography, Lincoln steps forward out of the shadow of myth as a recognizable, fully drawn American whose remarkable life continues to inspire and inform us today.
-
Devil in the Grove
- Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America
- Written by: Gilbert King
- Narrated by: Peter Francis James
- Length: 17 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Arguably the most important American lawyer of the 20th century, Thurgood Marshall was on the verge of bringing the landmark suit Brown v. Board of Education before the US Supreme Court when he became embroiled in a case that threatened to change the course of the civil rights movement and to cost him his life. In 1949, Florida's orange industry was booming, and citrus barons got rich on the backs of cheap Jim Crow labor with the help of Sheriff Willis V. McCall, who ruled Lake County with murderous resolve....
-
Truman
- Written by: David McCullough
- Narrated by: Nelson Runger
- Length: 54 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hailed by critics as an American masterpiece, David McCullough's sweeping biography of Harry S. Truman captured the heart of the nation. The life and times of the 33rd president of the United States, Truman provides a deeply moving look at an extraordinary, singular American.
-
-
Learned a lot about this great president
- By Mikespoon on 2017-11-22
-
1960
- LBJ vs. JFK vs. Nixon--The Epic Campaign That Forged Three Presidencies
- Written by: David Pietrusza
- Narrated by: Jeff Cummings
- Length: 18 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It was the election that would ultimately give America "Camelot" and its tragic aftermath. 1960 is a stunning recreation of the bare-knuckle politics of the primaries, the party conventions' backroom dealings, the unprecedented television debates, along with hot-button issues of race, religion, and foreign policy. And, at the center of it all, three future presidents - Lyndon Johnson, John F. Kennedy, and Richard Nixon. In this essential work of history, David Pietrusza chronicles 1960's struggle for power by bringing to life its towering events and personalities, unlocking its secrets, and turning expert scholarship into rich, human storytelling.
-
The Reagan Diaries
- Extended Selections
- Written by: Ronald Reagan
- Narrated by: Eric Conger
- Length: 13 hrs and 16 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
During his two terms as the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan kept a daily diary in which he recorded, by hand, his innermost thoughts and observations on the extraordinary, the historic, and the routine day-to-day occurrences of his presidency. Now, nearly two decades after he left office, this remarkable record, the only daily Presidential diary in American history, is available for the first time.
-
Hitler's Hangman
- The Life of Heydrich
- Written by: Robert Gerwarth
- Narrated by: Napoleon Ryan
- Length: 16 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Reinhard Heydrich is widely recognized as one of the great iconic villains of the 20th century, an appalling figure even within the context of the Nazi leadership. Chief of the Nazi Criminal Police, the SS Security Service, and the Gestapo, ruthless overlord of Nazi-occupied Bohemia and Moravia, and leading planner of the "Final Solution," Heydrich played a central role in Hitler's Germany.
-
-
Brilliant
- By Pavel on 2019-05-06
-
With Malice Toward None
- A Biography of Abraham Lincoln
- Written by: Stephen B. Oates
- Length: 12 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The definitive life of Abraham Lincoln, With Malice Toward None is historian Stephen B. Oates' acclaimed and enthralling portrait of America's greatest leader. In this award-winning biography, Lincoln steps forward out of the shadow of myth as a recognizable, fully drawn American whose remarkable life continues to inspire and inform us today.
-
Devil in the Grove
- Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America
- Written by: Gilbert King
- Narrated by: Peter Francis James
- Length: 17 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Arguably the most important American lawyer of the 20th century, Thurgood Marshall was on the verge of bringing the landmark suit Brown v. Board of Education before the US Supreme Court when he became embroiled in a case that threatened to change the course of the civil rights movement and to cost him his life. In 1949, Florida's orange industry was booming, and citrus barons got rich on the backs of cheap Jim Crow labor with the help of Sheriff Willis V. McCall, who ruled Lake County with murderous resolve....
-
Truman
- Written by: David McCullough
- Narrated by: Nelson Runger
- Length: 54 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hailed by critics as an American masterpiece, David McCullough's sweeping biography of Harry S. Truman captured the heart of the nation. The life and times of the 33rd president of the United States, Truman provides a deeply moving look at an extraordinary, singular American.
-
-
Learned a lot about this great president
- By Mikespoon on 2017-11-22
-
The Forgotten Man
- Written by: Amity Shlaes
- Narrated by: Terence Aselford
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's difficult today to imagine how America survived the Great Depression. Only through the stories of the common people who struggled during that era can we really understand how the nation endured. In The Forgotten Man, Amity Shlaes offers a striking reinterpretation of the Great Depression. Rejecting the old emphasis on the New Deal, she turns to the neglected and moving stories of individual Americans, and shows how they helped establish the steadfast character we developed as a nation.
-
The Admirals
- Nimitz, Halsey, Leahy, and King - The Five-Star Admirals Who Won the War at Sea
- Written by: Walter Borneman
- Narrated by: Brian Troxell
- Length: 17 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Only four men in American history have been promoted to the five-star rank of Admiral of the Fleet: William Leahy, Ernest King, Chester Nimitz, and William Halsey. These four men were the best and the brightest the navy produced, and together they led the U.S. Navy to victory in World War II, establishing the United States as the world's greatest fleet. In The Admirals, award-winning historian Walter R. Borneman tells their story in full detail for the first time.
-
Stalin
- New Biography of a Dictator
- Written by: Oleg V. Khlevniuk, Nora Seligman Favorov - translator
- Narrated by: Peter Ganim
- Length: 18 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This essential biography, by the author most deeply familiar with the vast archives of the Soviet era, offers an unprecedented, fine-grained portrait of Stalin, the man and dictator. Without mythologizing Stalin as either benevolent or an evil genius, Khlevniuk resolves numerous controversies about specific events in the dictator's life while assembling many hundreds of previously unknown letters, memos, reports, and diaries into a comprehensive, compelling narrative of a life that altered the course of world history.
-
-
New material..
- By Kindle RBW on 2018-11-24
-
The Rise of Germany, 1939-1941
- The War in The West, Volume 1
- Written by: James Holland
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 27 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For seven decades, our understanding of World War II has been shaped by a standard narrative built on conventional wisdom, propaganda, the dramatic but narrow experiences of soldiers on the ground, and an early generation of historians. For his new history, James Holland has spent over 12 years unearthing new research, recording original testimony, and visiting battlefields and archives that have never before been so accessible.
-
Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream
- The Most Revealing Portrait of a President and Presidential Power Ever Written
- Written by: Doris Kearns Goodwin
- Narrated by: Gabra Zackman, Jim Frangione
- Length: 17 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Doris Kearns Goodwin's classic life of Lyndon Johnson, who presided over the Great Society, the Vietnam War, and other defining moments in the tumultuous 1960s, is a monument in political biography. From the moment the author, then a young woman from Harvard, first encountered President Johnson at a White House dance in the spring of 1967, she became fascinated by the man - his character, his enormous energy and drive, and his manner of wielding these gifts in an endless pursuit of power.
-
-
A fascinating portrait of a complicated man
- By Stix on 2020-12-23
-
The House of Morgan
- An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance
- Written by: Ron Chernow
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 34 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A gripping history of banking and the booms and busts that shaped the world on both sides of the Atlantic, The House of Morgan traces the trajectory of the J. P.Morgan empire from its obscure beginnings in Victorian London to the crash of 1987. Ron Chernow paints a fascinating portrait of the private saga of the Morgans and the rarefied world of the American and British elite in which they moved. Based on extensive interviews and access to the family and business archives, The House of Morgan is an investigative masterpiece.
-
-
legendary book does not disappoint
- By Amazon Customer on 2018-03-28
-
The United States of Socialism
- Who's Behind It. Why It's Evil. How to Stop It.
- Written by: Dinesh D'Souza
- Narrated by: Dinesh D'Souza
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For those who witnessed the global collapse of socialism, its resurrection in the 21st century comes as a surprise, even a shock. How can socialism work now when it has never worked before? In this pathbreaking audiobook, best-selling author Dinesh D’Souza argues that the socialism advanced today by the likes of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bernie Sanders, Ilhan Omar, and Elizabeth Warren is very different from the socialism of Lenin, Mao, and Castro.
-
-
Dinesh does it again!
- By Victoria on 2020-07-17
-
Baseball Maverick
- How Sandy Alderson Revolutionized Baseball and Revived the Mets
- Written by: Steve Kettmann
- Narrated by: L. J. Ganser
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2010 the New York Mets were in trouble. One of baseball's most valuable franchises, they had recently suffered an embarrassing September collapse and two bitter losing seasons. Their GM had made costly mistakes. And their principle owners were embroiled in the largest financial scam in American history. To whom did they turn? Sandy Alderson, a former marine who served in Vietnam and graduated from Harvard Law.
-
Human Diversity
- The Biology of Gender, Race, and Class
- Written by: Charles Murray
- Narrated by: David Baker
- Length: 14 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The thesis of Human Diversity is that advances in genetics and neuroscience are overthrowing an intellectual orthodoxy that has ruled the social sciences for decades. The core of the orthodoxy consists of three dogmas: Gender is a social construct. Race is a social construct. Class is a function of privilege. The problem is that all three dogmas are half-truths. They have stifled progress in understanding the rich texture that biology adds to our understanding of the social, political, and economic worlds we live in. It is not a story to be feared. But it is a story that needs telling.
-
-
Great Information on Human Diversity
- By Geoff on 2020-12-06
-
Marine!
- The Life of Chesty Puller
- Written by: Burke Davis
- Narrated by: Bill Thatcher
- Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the glorious chronicles of the US Marine Corps, no name is more revered than that of Lt. Gen. Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller. The only fighting man to receive the Navy Cross five separate times - a military honor second only to the Congressional Medal of Honor - he was the epitome of a professional warrior.
-
The Accidental President
- Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World
- Written by: A. J. Baime
- Narrated by: Tony Messano
- Length: 14 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The dramatic, pulse-pounding story of Harry Truman's first four months in office, when this unlikely president had to take on Germany, Japan, Stalin, and the atomic bomb, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance.
-
Dominion
- How the Christian Revolution Remade the World
- Written by: Tom Holland
- Narrated by: Tom Holland, Mark Meadows
- Length: 22 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Crucifixion, the Romans believed, was the worst fate imaginable, a punishment reserved for slaves. How astonishing it was, then, that people should have come to believe that one particular victim of crucifixion - an obscure provincial by the name of Jesus - was to be worshipped as a god. Dominion explores the implications of this shocking conviction as they have reverberated throughout history.
-
-
What a Story
- By Phil J on 2021-01-01
Publisher's Summary
Calvin Coolidge, president from 1923 to 1929, never rated highly in polls, and history has remembered the decade in which he served as an extravagant period predating the Great Depression. Now Amity Shlaes provides a fresh look at the 1920s and its elusive president, showing that the mid-1920s was in fact a triumphant period that established our modern way of life: The nation electrified, Americans drove their first cars, and the federal deficit was replaced with a surplus.
Coolidge is an eye-opening biography of the little-known president behind that era of remarkable growth and national optimism. Coolidge's trademark discipline and composure, Shlaes reveals, represented not weakness but strength, and he proved unafraid to take on the divisive issues of this crucial period: reining in public-sector unions, unrelentingly curtailing spending, and rejecting funding for new interest groups. He reduced the federal budget even as the economy grew, wages rose, taxes fell, and unemployment dropped.
In this magisterial biography, Amity Shlaes captures the remarkable story of Calvin Coolidge and the decade of extraordinary prosperity that grew from his leadership.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
More from the same
What listeners say about Coolidge
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- J. Alias
- 2013-02-28
Memorable Biography of a Forgotten President
What did you love best about Coolidge?
This book skillfully captures Coolidge as an individual as well as providing a good account of the history of the time and Coolidge's political and philosophical thought. It is not hero worship, and the author takes care to present those in opposition to Coolidge in a fair minded way that avoids demonizing.
I finished the book having a better understanding of the man, the nation, and the history of the time than when I began.
What did you like best about this story?
I have a new favorite President. If only the politicians of our age were of a similar mind to Coolidge.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I found myself listening to 2-3 hour intervals, but the narration style demands attention. If I was even a little distracted, the narration was unable to demand by attention and draw me back in.
13 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jean
- 2013-02-19
Silent Cal
Amity Shlaes has produced a scholarly look at Calvin Coolidge. It is well documented but not a dry boring story that some scholars write. The book came along at a perfect time for me as I had Coolidge on my list of people to read about in 2013. The book covers Coolidge from birth to death. He was born on July 4 1972 in Plymouth Notch Vermont and died there on January 5 1933. The Coolidge family was one of the founding families of Vermont and had the frugal hard working values of New England. He went to Amherst College and met a group of men that he maintain a lifetime friendship and appointed some to government positions. For example I was surprise to learn that Dwight Morrow was an Amherst buddy of Coolidge and he appointed him to the study the role of aviation and then appointed him Ambassador to Mexico. Morrow was the father of Anne Morrow who married Charles Lindbergh. I have a book in my wish list on Anne Morrow so I was pleased with the connection. I love it when one book provides information to another I am to read. Coolidge chose to "Read the Law" rather than go to law school. Then opened up his own practice. He was active in politics and was elected to local, then state positions. He married Grace Anna Goodhue in 1905 and she was outgoing and he was shy so she was a great first lady. She was a teacher at a school for the deaf and a good friend of Elizabeth Reeve Cutter who married Dwight Morrow. When He was governor of Massachusetts he had to deal with the Boston police strike in 1919. When president he not only balanced the budget he had a surplus which he used to pay down the national debt. He had to battle Congress as they wanted to spend the money. But his basic philosophy was to leave business alone and unregulated and all would be fine. He thought aviation was the future but thought that commercial aviation should lead the way not the military. The press noted he was key to healing the country after the scandal of Harding's presidency. I will not give away any of the story you are going to enjoy reading how and why he handled all the above plus more. Terrence Aselford did an adequate job narrating the book.
30 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Douglas
- 2013-10-19
Still Waters Run Deep
What made the experience of listening to Coolidge the most enjoyable?
I like the insight this book gave into this rather unknown President. His personality was soft spoken and a man of few words. The book shows these traits worked for Coolidge because it was who he was and they were a reflection of his true personality. In an age of politics were rhetoric is perceived as the key to success, this president was comfortable in his own frugal, quite personality. He also had many successes including balancing the budget and he was a pure economist so he cut, cut, cut national spending. He was certainly also a pure Republican whether that is good bad or otherwise. It was interesting how he was so cost conscious that he even cut the costs of running the actual White House in terms of expenses for food, staff and entertainment. Interestingly he chose not to run for a second term which seems to be because of the stress of the job. He loved good Cuban cigars but I am sure he would probably never have spent the money on them unless they were given to him. He was a devoted husband and father and was without political controversy. Quietly refreshing.
What other book might you compare Coolidge to and why?
I suppose the closest comparison would be "Wilson" but I did like Wilson better. It is not near as good as John McCullough's Adams but that is not a reflection on the author or narrator as much as it is on the subject since Adams was such a powerful and monumental person in time.
Have you listened to any of Terence Aselford’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No first time that I can recall.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
No extreme reaction but it was insightful, interesting and I was glad I purchased the book.
Any additional comments?
If you enjoy biographies, especially political biographies this is a good book. For example, there are multiple books on Lincoln, FDR, Kennedy etc. but this is sort of refreshing because it is about a president who only ran for one term and is not all that well known in terms of his personality and accomplishments. I will listen to the book again sometime down the road.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Scott
- 2014-05-14
A bio as spare as its subject
Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
How to write a biography about one of America's least loquacious and bland Presidents? That was the task facing Shlaes who does an admirable job on one of the 20th centuries' more overlooked leaders. Silent Cal spoke little, spent less, and nevertheless ably lead during one of America's more prosperous decades. Should make for compelling reading but this bio is mostly a recapitulation of what is already largely known about the man with few insider details about CC and what made him tick. Nevertheless I found it interesting, more because of how such a man - talented though he may have been - was clearly a product of his time and could never be elected today. Though Shlaes doesn't draw these comparisons, this book really does speak volumes about what type of man America once made President and what type of person it now takes to endure seemingly endless campaigns, 24 hour news cycles, a cynical electorate and bland but electable policy positions by candidates. CC may be the last if his kind. Too bad Shlaes didn't focus more attention and details on this.
Have you listened to any of Terence Aselford’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Good narration.
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Fred
- 2013-03-18
informative and enjoyable
Would you listen to Coolidge again? Why?
Perhaps a year from now, lot of detail that could be missed the first time.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Coolidge?
his life long belief that it is crucial to live within your means
What does Terence Aselford bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
the detail is more easily absorbed
If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
common sense
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lee Ann Wood
- 2013-03-18
We need another Coolidage
Where does Coolidge rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
This is a great biography. One point that was week was how bad the recession was that he inherited from Wilson, it was far worse than what Obama inherited. Yet Harding and Coolidge turned things around to a point that we had the roaring 20's. Then he looked at what Hoover was doing and said - stock market is going to crash, and it did. He was a man of few words, but his actions meant far more.
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Joseph
- 2013-03-11
We could use a man like Calvin Coolidge again
What did you love best about Coolidge?
I loved the way Shlaes documented the influences and experiences that made Coolidge the honorable man he was. The book, a product of extraordinary research, meticulously depicts both subtle and substantial events throughout the life of our 30th president while also painting a picture of life in America during that era.
Coolidge's experience as a legislator and Commonwealth Senate President enabled him, as POTUS, to lead and work with congress to enact legislation which respected Federalism and led to extreme prosperity.
What did you like best about this story?
Learning that Coolidge was so focused on reducing federal spending that he and Budget Bureau Director General Lord met frequently and regularly to actually shrink the federal budget.
Any additional comments?
Another great book from Shlaes!
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Don Roper
- 2019-04-29
Great portrayal!
You learn to appreciate this POTUS more and more as you learn the details of his presidency! A man who really cared more for the nation than himself.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Wayne
- 2015-11-24
The best researched biography I have read!
My thanks to Amity Shlaes for this wonderful biography of the most underappreciated US president. We could use Silent Cal at this point in our history.
At 21 hours Coolidge is a long audiobook. It is well worth every minute and more. It is so thoroughly researched and so well written that it is certain to become the definitive biography of one of our greatest presidents.
Very, very highly recommended!
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jeffy
- 2016-09-26
Just OK
This may be one of those books where the author did her best, but no matter, the subject person was just plain dull. The introduction, which was very well done, may be the best part of this book. Perhaps the author should have stopped there.
There may be more to Coolidge than meets the eye. After all, he did have a very successful career and he did become President. He was also disciplined, smart, a family man, and savvy.
But Coolidge was so introspective--so much so--that he apparently did not leave much of a paper trail that would allow a researcher to get and give many details explaining what made this guy tick. It is hard to blame the author who apparently had to scour all available resources. The result is a plain vanilla biography, with little color.
3 people found this helpful