Paul Kahan has 3 audiobooks on Listento.it, narrated by 2 narrators. The most-rated is The Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant.
Amiable Scoundrel: Simon Cameron, Lincoln's Scandalous Secretary of War
Summary
From abject poverty to undisputed political boss of Pennsylvania, Lincoln’s secretary of war, senator, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and a founder of the Republican Party, Simon Cameron (1799–1889) was one of the 19th century’s most prominent political figures. In his wake, however, he left a series of questionable political and business dealings and, at the age of 80, even a sex scandal. Far more than a biography of Cameron, Amiable Scoundrel is also a portrait of an era that allowed - indeed, encouraged - a man such as Cameron to seize political control. A key figure in designing and implementing the Union’s military strategy during the Civil War’s crucial first year, Cameron played an essential role in pushing Abraham Lincoln to permit the enlistment of African Americans into the US Army, a stance that eventually led to his forced resignation. Yet, his legacy has languished, nearly forgotten save for the fact that his name has become shorthand for corruption, even though no evidence has ever been presented to prove that Cameron was corrupt. Amiable Scoundrel puts Cameron’s actions into a larger historical context by demonstrating that many politicians of the time, including Abraham Lincoln, used similar tactics to win elections and advance their careers. This study is the fascinating story of Cameron’s life and an illuminating portrait of his times. Published by University of Nebraska Press. "This book is essential for any civil war historian's library." - San Francisco Book Review "A political biography that every Civil War student should read." - Civil War Books and Authors "A thought-provoking biography." - BlueGray Magazine
©2016 Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska (P)2018 Redwood Audiobooks
The Bank War
Summary
In The Bank War: Andrew Jackson, Nicholas Biddle, and the Fight for American Finance, historian Paul Kahan explores one of the most important and dramatic events in American political and economic history, from the idea of centralized banking and the First Bank of the United States to Jackson's triumph, the era of "free banking", and the creation of the Federal Reserve System. Relying on a range of primary and secondary source material, the book also shows how the Bank War was a manifestation of the debates that were sparked at the Constitutional Convention - the role of the executive branch and the role of the federal government in American society - debates that endure to this day as philosophical differences that often divide the United States. The book is published by Westholme Publishing. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.
©2016 Paul Kahan (P)2019 Redwood Audiobooks
The Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant
Summary
Until recently, scholars have portrayed Grant as among the country’s worst chief executives. Though the scholarly consensus about Grant’s presidency is changing, the general public knows little, if anything, about his two terms, other than their outsized reputation for corruption. While scandals are undoubtedly part of the story, there is more to Grant’s presidency: Grant faced the Panic of 1873, the severest economic depression in US history, defeated the powerful Senator Charles Sumner on the annexation of Cuba, and deftly avoided war with Spain while laying the groundwork for the “special relationship” between Great Britain and the United States. Grant’s efforts to ensure justice for African Americans and American Indians, however, were undercut by his own decisions and by the contradictory demands of the various constituencies that made up the Republican Party. In The Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant: Preserving the Civil War’s Legacy, historian Paul Kahan focuses on the unique political, economic, and cultural forces unleashed by the Civil War and how Grant addressed these issues during his tumultuous two terms as chief executive. A timely reassessment, The Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant sheds new light on the business of politics in the decade after the Civil War and portrays an energetic and even progressive executive whose legacy has been overshadowed by both his wartime service and his administration’s many scandals. The book is published by Westholme Publishing. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks. "Paul Kahan paints a revealing portrait…should change your thinking.” (Stephen Puleo, author of The Caning)
©2018 Paul Kahan (P)2021 Redwood Audiobooks