This audiobook makes the case that U.S. presidents benefit from having close confidants. Harry Truman had Eddie Jacobson, his former business partner; FDR had Daisy Suckley, a distant cousin; JFK had David Ormsby-Gore, an English diplomat; and Franklin Pierce had Nathaniel Hawthorne, his college classmate and, later, campaign biographer, who, curiously, maintained his loyalty to the much maligned president. Though listeners may not be as drawn to all the presidents' stories, there are enough anecdotes and insights to stick with these chronologically arranged portraits through the last, most complex, one, that of Vernon Jordan--Bill Clinton's dear friend and apologist. The audiobook demonstrates that, as with regular folk, presidents do best when those around them care more about their friendship than the agenda at hand.
Pub Date: July 6, 2021
Duration: 15 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781549184611
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A personal performance of a spiritual journey.
Vance narrates a spirited discussion of his departure from Christianity and religion generally, as well as his subsequent return. His commanding performance is moving, solid, authentic, and sincere. Vance’s deep voice is enhanced by his precise enunciation and is measured and appropriate to the material. In what could be considered a sequel to his 2016 autobiography, Hillbilly Elegy, listeners hear his evolution as a human being, family man, and leader. The consistently absorbing and entertaining narration pays tribute to his mentors, friends inside and outside the military, and most emphatically his wife, Usha, who practices Hinduism.
A personal performance of a spiritual journey.Pub Date: June 16, 2026
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780063575080
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Aug. 18, 2026
A doyenne of American literature, Godwin, now 89, adds to her distinguished body of work.
Rosemary Benson has narrated Godwin’s work before, and she conveys the contemplative and appalled tone of this brief memoir. Her performance reveals the author’s disappointment in the country’s state of political affairs during the 2024 election. Godwin sees then-candidate Trump as an emblem of corruption, and she painstakingly analyzes his debate with Kamala Harris and the idea of citizenship, quoting liberally from Brian Tangury’s blog Working-Class Scribbler. Other sections show the arc of Godwin’s long career, recalling her life in the 1960s working for the U.S. Travel Service and her ill-considered marriage.
A doyenne of American literature, Godwin, now 89, adds to her distinguished body of work.Pub Date: June 9, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs, 16 mins
DD ISBN: 9781639739004
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: July 7, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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