
William Howard Taft
The American Presidents Series: The 27th President, 1909-1913
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Narrated by:
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David Colacci
About this listen
William Howard Taft never wanted to be president and yearned instead to serve as chief justice of the United States. But despite his ambivalence about politics, the former federal judge found success in the executive branch as governor of the Philippines and secretary of war, and he won a resounding victory in the presidential election of 1908 as Theodore Roosevelt's handpicked successor.
In this provocative assessment, Jeffrey Rosen reveals Taft's crucial role in shaping how America balances populism against the rule of law. Taft approached each decision as president by asking whether it comported with the Constitution, seeking to put Roosevelt's activist executive orders on firm legal grounds. But unlike Roosevelt, who thought the president could do anything the Constitution didn't forbid, Taft insisted he could do only what the Constitution explicitly allowed. This led to a dramatic breach with Roosevelt in the historic election of 1912.
Nine years later, Taft achieved his lifelong dream when President Warren Harding appointed him chief justice, and during his years on the Court he promoted consensus among the justices and transformed the judiciary into a modern, fully equal branch. Though he had chafed in the White House as a judicial president, he thrived as a presidential chief justice.
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The definitive biography of Herbert Hoover, one of the most remarkable Americans of the 20th century - a revisionist account that will forever change the way Americans understand the man, his presidency, and his battle against the Great Depression. A poor orphan who built a fortune, a great humanitarian, a president elected in a landslide and then routed in the next election, arguably the father of both New Deal liberalism and modern conservatism - Herbert Hoover is also one of our least understood presidents.
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What a fascinating story!
- By Dan Ryan on 11-18-17
By: Kenneth Whyte
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Worst. President. Ever.
- James Buchanan, the POTUS Rating Game, and the Legacy of the Least of the Lesser Presidents
- By: Robert Strauss
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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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.
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Intriguing
- By Jean on 01-14-17
By: Robert Strauss
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Martin Van Buren
- America's First Politician
- By: James M. Bradley
- Narrated by: Paul Woodson
- Length: 26 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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This new biography of Van Buren—the first full-scale portrait in four decades—charts his ascent from a tavern in the Hudson Valley to the presidency, concluding with his late-career involvement in an antislavery movement. Offering vivid profiles of the day's leading figures (Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, John Quincy Adams, DeWitt Clinton, James K. Polk), James Bradley's book depicts the struggle for power in the tumultuous decades leading up to the Civil War.
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Still don’t know the man
- By Paul D. Stancil on 04-19-25
By: James M. Bradley
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The Jazz Age President
- Defending Warren G. Harding
- By: Ryan S. Walters
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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He's the butt of political jokes, frequently subjected to ridicule, and almost never absent a "Worst Presidents" list where he most often ends up at the bottom. Historians have labeled him the "Worst President Ever," "Dead Last," "Unfit," and "Incompetent," to name but a few. Many contemporaries were equally cruel. H. L. Mencken called him a "nitwit." To Alice Roosevelt Longworth, he was a "slob."
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Excellent clarification
- By Scott J. Jones MD on 08-03-22
By: Ryan S. Walters
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Food: A Cultural Culinary History
- By: Ken Albala, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Ken Albala
- Length: 18 hrs and 22 mins
- Original Recording
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Eating is an indispensable human activity. As a result, whether we realize it or not, the drive to obtain food has been a major catalyst across all of history, from prehistoric times to the present. Epicure Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin said it best: "Gastronomy governs the whole life of man."
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One of my top 3 favorite courses!
- By Jessica on 12-28-13
By: Ken Albala, and others
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Mr. Jefferson's Hammer
- William Henry Harrison and the Origins of American Indian Policy
- By: Robert M. Owens
- Narrated by: Doug McDonald
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Often remembered as the president who died shortly after taking office, William Henry Harrison remains misunderstood by most Americans. Before becoming the ninth president of the United States in 1841, Harrison was instrumental in shaping the early years of westward expansion. Robert M. Owens now explores that era through the lens of Harrison’s career, providing a new synthesis of his role in the political development of Indiana Territory and in shaping Indian policy in the Old Northwest.
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Title = Truth in Advertising
- By William Jenks on 06-18-19
By: Robert M. Owens
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Wilson
- By: A. Scott Berg
- Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb
- Length: 32 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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A hundred years after his inauguration, Woodrow Wilson still stands as one of the most influential figures of the 20th century, and one of the most enigmatic. And now, after more than a decade of research and writing, Pulitzer Prize-winning author A. Scott Berg has completed Wilson - the most personal and penetrating biography ever written about the 28th President. This is not just Wilson the icon - but Wilson the man.
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Well Written & Narrated But Too Much Hero Worship
- By Nostromo on 11-17-13
By: A. Scott Berg
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American Heritage History of the United States
- By: Douglas Brinkley
- Narrated by: Eric Martin
- Length: 23 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Douglas Brinkley takes us on the incredible journey of the United States - a nation formed from a vast countryside on whose fringes 13 small British colonies fought for their freedom, then established a democratic nation that spanned the continent and went on to become a world power. This book will be treasured by anyone interested in the story of America.
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Highly recommended!
- By M. Hu on 08-04-17
By: Douglas Brinkley
What listeners say about William Howard Taft
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Eric
- 09-11-19
A great brief history of Taft
I thought it was a great brief summary of Taft. It was definitely brief and was not as detailed as some of the other biographies I have read, but it covered a wide range of issues. My opinion is, they spent too much time talking about the quarrel between him and Roosevelt.
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- Stephen M. Johnson
- 04-29-19
The Reluctant President
This balanced portrayal of Taft also offers important insights into TR, Wilson, and the danger of demagoguery from both ends of the political spectrum.
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- Owen O'Brien
- 01-28-25
Brisk and compelling
It’s a good quick listen if shallow it’s effective and efficient. I liked it quite a bit.
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- jason leclerc
- 02-15-19
Great short book
well read and a short but sweet book on our only president to go on to become one of our greatest chief justices
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- James
- 06-01-18
Instructive For Our Times
I greatly enjoyed the author’s ability to explore the two Tafts. One is the judicial Chief Executive. The other is the Presidential Chief Justice. Outstanding!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Jean
- 09-06-18
Excellent Concise Biography
I watched the interview on CSPAN of Jeffrey Rosen discussing his new book “William Howard Taft: The 27th President 1909-1913”. It is the newest title in The American President Series. Rosen discussed the challenge he faced in staying within the Series’ guidelines of a concise short book.
I have read a number of the biographies of Taft as well as his wife, Helen (Nellie). Taft is one of the forgotten presidents. In all the books about Taft, it was clear Taft did not want to be president but his wife did. Taft wanted to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. President Harding appointed Taft to the Supreme Court as its Chief. Rosen approached this biography from a different viewpoint than other biographers of Taft. He emphasized the fact that Taft looked and did everything from the viewpoint of constitutional law during his presidency. This viewpoint made for a most interesting discussion of Taft. Rosen is a legal scholar and law professor. If you want to learn about Taft but have little time, this is an excellent book to read.
The book is five and a half hours. David Colacci does an excellent job narrating the book. Colacci is an actor and audiobook narrator. Colacci has won numerous Earphone Awards as well as a nomination for the Audie. Colacci is one of my favorite narrators.
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6 people found this helpful
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- alaina davis
- 07-21-24
Taft was a good judge
Taft was a good judge but a mediocre president. He didnt want to be president, his wife wanted to be the 1st Lady. His biggest accomplishments in my eyes were what he did for the Philippines before he was President.
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