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The Virginia Dynasty: Four Presidents and the Creation of the American Nation Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Lynne Cheney (Author), Nan McNamara (Narrator), Penguin Audio (Publisher)
4.0 on Goodreads
473 ratings
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A vivid account of leadership focusing on the first four Virginia presidents - George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe - from the best-selling historian and author of James Madison.

From a small expanse of land on the North American continent came four of the nation's first five presidents - a geographic dynasty whose members led a revolution, created a nation, and ultimately changed the world. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe were born, grew to manhood, and made their homes within a 60-mile circle east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Friends and rivals, they led in securing independence, hammering out the United States Constitution, and building a working republic. Acting together, they doubled the territory of the United States. From their disputes came American political parties and the weaponizing of newspapers, the media of the day. In this elegantly conceived and insightful new audiobook from best-selling author Lynne Cheney, the four Virginians are not marble icons, but vital figures deeply intent on building a nation where citizens could be free.

Focusing on the intersecting roles these men played as warriors, intellectuals, and statesmen, Cheney takes us back to an exhilarating time when the Enlightenment opened new vistas for humankind. But even as the Virginians advanced liberty, equality, and human possibility, they held people in slavery and were slaveholders when they died. Lives built on slavery were incompatible with a free and just society; their actions contradicted the very ideals they espoused. They managed nonetheless to pass down those ideals, and they became powerful weapons for ending slavery. They inspired Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass and today undergird the freest nation on earth.

Taking full measure of strengths and failures in the personal as well as the political lives of the men at the center of this audiobook, Cheney offers a concise and original exploration of how the United States came to be.

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  1. Listening Length
    10 hours and 40 minutes
  2. Author
    Lynne Cheney
  3. Narrator
    Nan McNamara
  4. Audible release date
    September 22, 2020
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Penguin Audio
  7. ASIN
    B087LCMKXX
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 10 hours and 40 minutes
Author Lynne Cheney
Narrator Nan McNamara
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date September 22, 2020
Publisher Penguin Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B087LCMKXX
Best Sellers Rank #146,080 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#479 in Biographies of Presidents & Heads of State (Audible Books & Originals)
#657 in US State & Local History
#1,010 in Biographies of Politicians

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
634 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the writing style well-written and wonderful. They describe the book as a great, enjoyable read with several insights they weren't aware of. Readers also appreciate the comprehensive research and solid exploration of a key part of U.S. history. Overall, they describe the historical accuracy as good and exceptional.

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Writing styleInsightReadabilityHistorical accuracy
17 customers mention "Writing style"17 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing style well-written, readable, and reliable. They say the author is a wonderful storyteller who reels them in from the very first page. Readers also describe the book as thoughtful, accessible, and interesting.

"...history since high school quite honestly and this book is so well written that it reads a bit like a novel but with a clear historical base...." Read more

"...This book is well-written and easy to read. Four of our first five Presidents hailed from Virginia. (Only John Adams did not.)..." Read more

"An overall well written and informative book, though a bit too effusive of Jefferson, in my opinion...." Read more

"...of James Madison, Cheney offers comprehensive research and excellent writing...." Read more

12 customers mention "Insight"10 positive2 negative

Customers find the book has several insights they were not aware of. They also say it's engaging, interesting, and a solid exploration of a key part of U.S. history. Readers mention the book is rich in historical facts and provides good perspective into four of the five first Presidents of the United States.

"...Super engaging and I learned quite a bit. Would definitely recommend" Read more

"...As with her biography of James Madison, Cheney offers comprehensive research and excellent writing...." Read more

"Good read into American History. Good perspective into four of the five first Presidents of the United States. Highly Recommend." Read more

"I enjoyed the book. It was easy to read and provided some new information for me...." Read more

12 customers mention "Readability"12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a great and enjoyable read. They also appreciate the unknown background story.

"...Super engaging and I learned quite a bit. Would definitely recommend" Read more

"Two things stand out to me upon reading this outstanding book...." Read more

"...Just a personal opinion.Overall, the book was good. Thanks to you Lynne." Read more

"Beautifully written and very readable. A good read for someone such as myself who knows so little of US history." Read more

8 customers mention "Historical accuracy"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a good historical read with exceptional history. They say it has several insights they weren't aware of.

"...is so well written that it reads a bit like a novel but with a clear historical base. Super engaging and I learned quite a bit...." Read more

"Good reading on history" Read more

"This is another fine book from Lynne Cheney. As with her biography of James Madison, Cheney offers comprehensive research and excellent writing...." Read more

"Good read into American History. Good perspective into four of the five first Presidents of the United States. Highly Recommend." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Peggy
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2024
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Haven't read American history since high school quite honestly and this book is so well written that it reads a bit like a novel but with a clear historical base. Super engaging and I learned quite a bit. Would definitely recommend
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USMCStrategyGuy
5.0 out of 5 stars Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe - All from The Old Dominion
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2023
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This book's author, Lynne Cheney, is, of course, the former Second Lady of the United States (2001-2009). Born in Wyoming in 1941, she got her Ph.D. in British literature from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. The title of her dissertation was "Matthew Arnold's Possible Perfection: A Study of the Kantian Strain in Arnold's Poetry." (Whew!) She chaired the National Endowment for the Humanities from 1986 to 1993.

This book is well-written and easy to read. Four of our first five Presidents hailed from Virginia. (Only John Adams did not.) Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe lived within 30 miles of one another outside Charlottesville. Washington was barely 100 miles away right across the Potomac from our nation's capitol.

As the author of two professional books myself, I have a first-hand appreciation of the commitment that writing a book requires. The better the book, the greater the commitment required. Lynne Cheney's book is first-rate in every respect. You won't regret buying and reading it.
5 people found this helpful
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Cody Aubin
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read, but with a glaring oversight
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2021
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An overall well written and informative book, though a bit too effusive of Jefferson, in my opinion. However, there was one glaring oversight that would lead an unaware reader to draw an incorrect conclusion of very important historic events.

In Chapter Seven, when Jefferson becomes President, the book speaks of the events surrounding the “Midnight Appointments,” The Judiciary Acts of 1801 & 1802, and the events that culminate in Marbury v. Madison.

This section of the chapter does broadly reference Marbury v. Madison, the concept of Judicial Review, and its impact on the Supreme Courts role in the Constitutional order, but it leaves out naming the law that the ruling was based on - the Judiciary Act of 1789. This is important because it was the Judiciary Act of 1789 which granted the Supreme Court the power to issue ‘Writs of Mandamus,’ which was a power outside of the Supreme Court’s Constitutional charge of the Court. Not only is this the provision of the law Marbury was using to pursue his case, but it is also ultimately what Chief Justice Marshall used to argue the premise of judicial review and the part of the law that was ruled unconstitutional. More specifically, the way the chapter is written would lead a reader to think that the law being struck down in Marbury v. Madison would have been either the Judiciary Act of 1801 or 1802, which is incorrect.

I understand that this may be more a point of trivia rather than an earth shattering revelation, but when outlining a foundational concept of Constitutional interpretation, the facts should be clear and correct.
9 people found this helpful
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Sandy
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2023
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Good reading on history
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Philip Seib
5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful, accessible history.
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2020
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This is another fine book from Lynne Cheney. As with her biography of James Madison, Cheney offers comprehensive research and excellent writing. This time, she presents a group biography of four of the first five American presidents, all of whom were born in Virginia within a 60-mile radius. The monumental task of building a nation is well described, as is the lasting scar of slavery. Perhaps most striking is the fundamental selflessness of these men. Country came first. Contrast that with today's politicians.
4 people found this helpful
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66Chip
5.0 out of 5 stars Readable and Reliable
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2021
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Two things stand out to me upon reading this outstanding book. First, it is not written by an author simply reporting on what happened, but by a storyteller who brings the reader along with the story. Second, the writer endeavors to ensure that the story is supported by primary sources rather than relying exclusively on what other scholars have written. For example, one of my tests for accounts of Thomas Jefferson is how his relationship with Sally Hemmings is handled. Virtually all authors assume that he was the father of one or more of her children, yet serious scholarship shows that to be possible but not probable. The account of that subject in this book is among the fairest I have read.
3 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Historical Read
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2023
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Good read into American History. Good perspective into four of the five first Presidents of the United States. Highly Recommend.
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GentleCoast
4.0 out of 5 stars A solid exploration of a key part of U.S. history
Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2024
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This well-crafted analysis of the four presidents from Virginia helps to explain how the U.S. began its revolutionary and constitutional development. It’s not comprehensive to the era: you won’t learn much about Indigenous or Black life in any depth. But it’s a crisp journey with four men who lived in the same state and worked together for decades, with many accomplishments to show for it.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Charles Roy
5.0 out of 5 stars Très bon livre
Reviewed in Canada on January 30, 2021
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Bonne collection, anglais facile.
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John Brennan
5.0 out of 5 stars The making of the United States.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 26, 2021
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A very well written book that is an easy read. It examines the relationship between the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th Presidents, their friendships, although they did not always agree. It was enlightening to read of their thoughts behind their actions. Hamilton's involvement with all four is also covered and while not a friend of any of them not all of his ideas were ignored. It also highlights that politicking is not a modern phenomena.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Factual and balanced
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 27, 2021
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Factual and balanced.
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