United States Presidents

John Adams was the second president of the United States, serving from 1797 to 1801. He was an American leader, lawyer, diplomat, author, and Founding Father. He was the first vice president of the US and a leader of the American Revolution, which caused the nation's independence from Great Britain. Adams kept a journal and communicated with certain crucial individuals in early American history, including his marriage partner and consultant Abigail Adams and Thomas Jefferson.

Picking America's best presidents is easy. George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin D. Roosevelt usually lead the list. But choosing the nation's worst presidents requires more thought. In Star-Spangled Men, respected presidential biographer Nathan Miller puts on display those leaders who were abject failures as chief executive. With pointed humor and a deft hand, he presents a rogues' gallery of the men who dropped the presidential ball, and sometimes their pants as well.

George Washington Gayle is not a name known to history. But it soon will be. Forget what you thought you knew about why Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. No, it was not mere sectional hatred, Booth’s desire to become famous, Lincoln’s advocacy of black suffrage, or a plot masterminded by Jefferson Davis to win the war by crippling the Federal government.

Born in a cabin deep in the backwoods of Kentucky and growing up in a family considered the poorest of the poor, Abraham Lincoln rose to become the 16th president of the United States. As president, he guided the United States through the Civil War, helped end slavery in America, and strengthened the federal government. This third installment in the Making of America series continues the story of the first 100 years of America's constitutional history, a story that began with Alexander Hamilton and Andrew Jackson.

Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States. He was one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence. But he was also a lawyer and an ambassador, an inventor and a scientist. He had a wide range of interests and hobbies, but his consuming interest was the survival and success of the United States.

By far the most important figure in the history of the United States, George Washington liberated the 13 colonies from the superior forces of the British Empire against all military odds, and presided over the production and ratification of a constitution that (suitably amended) has lasted for more than 200 years. Yet today, Washington remains a distant figure to many Americans, a failing that acclaimed author Paul Johnson sets out to rectify with this brilliantly vivid, sharply etched portrait.

Worst. President. Ever. flips the great presidential biography on its head, offering an enlightening - and highly entertaining - account of poor James Buchanan's presidency to prove once and for all that, well, few leaders could have done worse. But author Robert Strauss does much more, leading listeners out of Buchanan's terrible term in office to explore with insight and humor his own obsession with presidents, and ultimately the entire notion of ranking our presidents.

Thomas Jefferson lived a dozen lifetimes in one. Patriot, scientist, architect, president, author of the Declaration of Independence - he preferred, above all titles, “father” and “grandfather". Yet, time and again, demand for his unique skills drew him from the quiet home he loved. In this recording, you will thrill to true stories of war and peace, loyalty and betrayal, battles against empires, and struggles against slavery.

As Margaret Truman knows from firsthand experience, living in the White House can be exhilarating and maddening, alarming and exhausting, but it is certainly never dull. Part private residence, part goldfish bowl, and part national shrine, the White House is both the most important address in America and the most intensely scrutinized.

In 1856 Abraham Lincoln was a former congressman who had grown bored with his work as a lawyer, until he was drawn into the murder case that would define his career. This book reveals not only the mystery of the murder case as investigated by Lincoln but also the mystery of Abraham Lincoln as investigated by the author.

What was it like to meet our 16th president? Was he really as kind and honest as we perceive him to be today? This astonishing new book is an inspiring and eye-opening collection of stories, anecdotes, and quotes from people who sought out Lincoln for his wisdom, his help, or just his irresistible wit. He offered a patient ear to almost anyone who came to see him, and his compassion and understanding bettered the lives of hundreds who crossed his threshold.

This collection contains authentic re-enactments of all of George Washington's (1732-1799) major speeches during his two presidential term of office as America's first president after victory in the War for Independence. It includes his farewell address in full, regarded as a fine example of his political beliefs, as well as eight annual messages to Congress and two inaugural addresses.

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham offers a collection of inspiring words about how to be a good citizen, from Thomas Jefferson and others, and reminds us why our country’s founding principles are still so important today.

Roosevelt's presidency was one of the most eventful in U.S. history. He took office in the midst of economic crisis: the stock market had crashed and millions of Americans were unemployed. He demonstrated an optimism and resolve that garnered quick support for his administration and for the programs that he called the New Deal. The first president truly to understand the power of the new mass media, Roosevelt rallied the nation through "fireside chats" on the radio and speeches on movie house newsreels.

Though often overlooked, Grover Cleveland was a significant figure in American presidential history. Having run for President three times and gaining the popular vote majority each time, Cleveland was unique in the line of nineteenth-century Chief Executives. Presidential historian Henry F. Graff revives Cleveland's fame, explaining how he fought to restore stature to the office in the wake of several weak administrations.

This book includes key speeches from President Eisenhower during his Presidency (1953-1961) including key speeches on the post-war peace process and his speech on the so-called 'Eisenhower doctrine'. His inaugural address and farewell speeches are also included as well as his address to the Republican National convention in 1956. This collection provides an informative, first-hand account of the Eisenhower Presidency and the 1950s in America.

On August 8, 1974, millions sat stunned as they watched Richard Nixon on TV when he announced he was stepping down as the President of the United States. How could Nixon, a man who had been reelected in a landslide victory just two years earlier, now be leaving office in disgrace? Author Megan Stine takes listeners through President Nixon's life - from his childhood and military experiences during World War II - to his long political career and the Watergate scandal that tarnished his legacy and deepened American's mistrust of the government.

In 1607, three small ships - the Discovery, Godspeed, and Susan Constant - arrived on the shores of the eastern North American coast and established the first successful British settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. For two centuries, colonists faced the challenges of life in a new world - weather, Native Indian attacks, starvation, and disease - to establish the strongest economy in the American colonies.

Which president had feet bigger than his ego? Which barked like a seal? Which joked about dating mummies? Kathleen Krull uses fun and quirky facts to bring to light the human side of the 42 U.S. presidents in this "deliciously gossipy" biography.

How is it that so little is known about the Renaissance man of America’s early history, with no image on Mount Rushmore, no face on currency, and certainly no Broadway musical to his posthumous credit? Perhaps it’s because he was not a man who sought renown. Throughout his career, others, including George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and John Adams, sought his help when the country was in need of his skills. John Jay’s role in the establishment of the United States, a country that was founded upon ideals of freedom and democracy, has almost been forgotten.