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A Rare Occupant of the Presidential Office

Revisado: 04-15-24

This book is an outstanding account of a man who grasped the Constitutional limitations on the exercise of presidential power. That the current occupant of the presidency canceled an effort to memorialize Grover Cleveland, among other less well-known president's, provides a fitting commentary on the way in which the current generation has abandoned the idea that the president is to be the guardian of the people's interests instead of an agent for partisan advantage. Before listening to the reading of this book, I knew Cleveland's distinction of being the only American to serve non-consecutive terms as president. I knew of his distinction as the only president to be married in the White House and whose first child was born there. Cleveland won his first presidential election when my wife's grandmother was a year old. But he served in the period between the end of Reconstruction and the early part of the 20th century. This book dispels the haziness of that period and enables a clearer understanding of the policy challenges in the latter years of the 19th century. The author's care in his use of sources and the narrator's pleasant skill in managing the phrasing of the book made listening to it illuminating and enjoyable. I recommend it highly.

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Insightful story of Garfield's life

Revisado: 02-20-24

17 years before I finished this book, I visited Garfield's home in Mentor, Ohio. It was not open on that day, and my knowledge of the one who built the house was not much greater after my visit. I knew that he commanded troops during the Civil War and that he served in Congress and that he was the second president to fall in an assassination. I listened to a book several years ago that underscored the poor care President Garfield received after the shooting and that led, however ignorantly, to his death. Aside from those bare outlines, I knew little about Garfield himself. C. W. Goodyear's compelling biography filled in those bare outlines. Garfield, for all his faults, emerges as that rare political figure who sought to be honorable and decent to all with whom he served, even those political bosses like Roscoe Conkling and Thomas Platt who despised him. His contributions in the major political dramas of his time, like the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson and the administration of President Grant, come into sharp focus in this book. The irony that Secretary of War Robert Todd Lincoln was an eyewitness to President Garfield's shooting ties that event to the only previous presidential assassination, that of Abraham Lincoln. The narration is clear and evenhanded, providing a comfortable listening experience. As with all audio books, I miss the photos and other illustrations from the print edition. Highly informative and educational.

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Vivid Revelation of An American Life

Revisado: 12-04-23

Calvin Coolidge became the 30th President of the United States when my mother was three days old. Thus, for less than a few months of the first six years of her life, she and her family lived under the Administration of President Coolidge. They benefited from the rugged perseverance of President Coolidge to reassert the foundational traits of American patriotism. Yet, until I listened to this remarkable book, I knew little about Coolidge except that he succeeded the late President Harding and retired from office before the Great Depression began to afflict the country. Having listened to a biography of Herbert Hoover, I wanted to know more about Coolidge and his times. A member of my extended family circle recommended this book, and I am glad he did. Amity Shlaes brings a wealth of diligent research to this work, and she is especially good in promoting the understanding of Coolidge's economic philosophy and how it sought to return the country to the goal of living within its means. The very idea of achieving the goal of balanced Federal budgets in a low tax environment was fundamental to Coolidge's understanding of how the Founders intended the country to prosper. It's a book that the crop of spendthrift politicians who lead the country a century after Coolidge became president would do well to ponder. The narration by Terence Aselford is easy on the ears. His precise phrasing and comfortable tempo provide a pleasing rhythm that had me longing to get back to the book. Those who favor the reckless use of tax dollars in the 21st century will find in President Coolidge an implacable opponent of such schemes as undermining the foundation of American liberty. If you want to meet a humble American who was a genuine lover of freedom and responsibility, listen to Amity Shlaes's "Coolidge."

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Prescient and Prophetic

Revisado: 08-20-23

The failure to heed Machen's warnings produced the theological wreckage that is the legacy of New Evangelicalism. While listening to Ray Porter's capable narration, I felt the keen insights and dogmatic resolve of one of the Protestant church's stalwarts. The suggestion by some compromisers of today that Machen's approach and language is too stringent for today's tastes is the evidence that what Machen wrote a century ago was necessary then and even more crucial now. This book's message must find an audience in the souls of those whom God has called to proclaim the truth.

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Historical Restoration

Revisado: 07-31-23

This book filled in most of the gaps in my knowledge of President Hoover who died when I was 12 in the same year as the death of the only grandparent I knew. The author sets out to provide a comprehensive life of Herbert Hoover and succeeded in large measure. All of the book is fascinating but the section concerning Hoover's presidential term and its aftermath was of particular interest. The substantial efforts that Hoover and his Administration made to mitigate the effects of the Depression come to light in this biography along with the efforts of Franklin Roosevelt and his Administration to denigrate Hoover at every turn. FDR comes across as a particularly vicious and manipulative character. It was only after his death that the genuine compassion of Herbert Hoover began to reemerge. Even a few years before Hoover's death, members of both parties began to recognize the extent of his contributions to his country and the world. The writing is clear and evenhanded, and the narration is outstanding in every respect. It was a joy to listen to the unfolding of the story of this remarkable life.

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Amazing performance

Revisado: 01-27-22

This production is brilliant! Elijah Wood is the master of a whole range of dialects and uses them consistently to maintain Twain's stable of characters. Kudos for not tampering with the writing. There was no commentary of a revisionist nature, and the story shone with Twain's brilliance. Highly recommended!

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Gripping Expose

Revisado: 04-21-20

Absolutely riveting story of a major turning point in 20th century American history! It is poignant to consider the sacrifices the author made to tell the truth about this incident. The destruction of his livelihood and life by the orchestrated power of the Kennedy family and those who protected the members of that family sets a sickening frame to this tale. It was refreshing to learn of a time when journalists were more honest than they are now. The narration is outstanding! Highly recommended!

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Filling in history's gaps

Revisado: 03-25-20

A fascinating account of the age of piracy from the early decades of the 18th century, this book accomplishes several things. It provides the distinction between piracy and privateering and shows how those engaged in the latter tended to become practioners of the former. The book also furnishes the definitions of the various types of sailing vessels and the problems that crews encountered in maintaining them. The term careening finds its historic roots in some of that maintenance. The book presents vivid portrayals of piracy's most notorious commanders, including the infamous Blackbeard. What I found most fascinating was the background of the geopolitical atmosphere of the period and the efforts, with which many of the pirates sympathized, to restore the House of Stuart to the English throne in the person of the one whom many of the pirates hoped would be King James III. Some of the accounts of battles are gruesome, though probably not as much as the actual events. Well researched, well written, with excellent narration, this book is well worth the time.

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Compelling account

Revisado: 01-20-20

For baseball fans and students of baseball history, this book is a moving account of one of the greatest tragedies that afflicted the game. Because Lou Gehrig lacked the flash of Babe Ruth, many regarded him as a secondary figure. This book underscores the astonishing accomplishments of Gehrig's baseball career but provides to an even greater extent insights into Gehrig's battle with ALS, the disease that, as Jonathan Eig observes, is as much a mystery now as it was 80 years ago.

The narration by Ed Herrmann is first rate. He is excellent in his performance, as always. Highly recommended.

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Intriguing Historical Context

Revisado: 12-04-19

The writing of this book is excellent. Using more recent research, the author presents a clear picture of one of baseball's most painful events, and especially its aftermath. The treatment of Joe Jackson in the final chapter was illuminating, especially since I spent some years in the Greenville area. The performance was adequate, featuring adept phrasing, but the tone was on the strident side. Overall, though, very compelling in providing context and assessments of The Natural, Eight Men Out, and Field of Dreams.

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