William McKinley
The American Presidents Series: The 25th President, 1897-1901

Name: William McKinley
Brand: Macmillan Audio
Availability: InStock
Author: Kevin Phillips
ISBN: 9781593973391

Author: Kevin Phillips, Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.

Series: American Presidents

Narrator: Richard Rohan

Unabridged: 5 hr 49 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Published: 03/01/2003

Categories: Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Political Biography, History, Us History

Synopsis

A bestselling historian and political commentator reconsiders McKinley's overshadowed legacy

By any serious measurement, bestselling historian Kevin Phillips argues, William McKinley was a major American president. It was during his administration that the United States made its diplomatic and military debut as a world power. McKinley was one of eight presidents who, either in the White House or on the battlefield, stood as principals in successful wars, and he was among the six or seven to take office in what became recognized as a major realignment of the U.S. party system.

Phillips argues that McKinley's lackluster ratings have been sustained not by unjust biographers but by years of criticism about his personality, indirect methodologies, middle-class demeanor, and tactical inability to inspire the American public. In this powerful and persuasive biography, Phillips musters convincing evidence that McKinley's desire to heal, renew prosperity, and reunite the country qualify him for promotion into the ranks of the best chief executives.

About Kevin Phillips

Kevin Phillips, author of Wealth and Democracy, The Cousins' War, and Arrogant Capital , is a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times Magazine, and The Washington Post and is a commentator for CBS and National Public Radio. He also edits his own newsletter, American Political Report. He lives in Connecticut.

About Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.

Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., (1917-2007) was the preeminent political historian of our time. For more than half a century, he was a cornerstone figure in the intellectual life of the nation and a fixture on the political scene. He won two Pulitzer prizes for The Age of Jackson (1946) and A Thousand Days (1966), and in 1988 received the National Humanities Medal. He published the first volume of his autobiography, A Life in the Twentieth Century, in 2000.

About Richard Rohan

Richard Rohan has been a stage, film, and voiceover actor for the past twenty years. He has narrated hundreds of audiobooks, in every genre, and was awarded the 2003 Audie Award winner for Nonfiction and the 2008 Best Voice in Science Fiction & Fantasy by AudioFile magazine. He directed and performed on the acclaimed Space Fantasy audio drama series Deathstalker. Rohan can also be heard on Macmillan Audio's historical series, The American Presidents.

Reviews

Goodreads review by robin

William McKinley In The American Presidents Series In his short biography, "William McKinley" (2003), political commentator Kevin Phillips brings his own background and perspective to bear in his assessment of the 25th president. McKinley (1843 -- 1901) was the first 20th Century president (1897 -- 1......more

Goodreads review by Bill

Kevin Phillips, author of William McKinley (2003), became known for his work as one of Nixon’s political strategists. His subsequent book, The Emerging Republican Majority (1969), predicted that Nixon’s election was the signal of a political realignment that would grant Republicans a majority for th......more

Goodreads review by April

I disliked this book for so many different reasons that it's hard to know where to start. As others have said, this is a dull read. If other authors in the American Presidents series have been able to make biographies of Chester Arthur and Benjamin Harrison interesting, there's no excuse for creatin......more

Goodreads review by Korry

This biography, while interesting really annoyed me. It is not so much a biography as it is a detailing of McKinley political life and an argument that he deserves more stature amongst the list of US presidents. If this were truly a biography, one would expect for instance to learn how and by whom M......more

Quotes

“An instructive, graceful look at a neglected presidency.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

William McKinley The American Presidents Series: The 25th President, 1897-1901