Try free for 30 days
-
Character Matters
- And Other Life Lessons from George H. W. Bush
- Narrated by: Jean Becker, George Dvorsky, Allan Robertson, Cynthia Barrett, James Edward Thomas, Widdi Turner, Jamie Renell, Barbara Benjamin-Creel, James Baker, Dan Quayle, Jon Meacham
- Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from Wish List failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $26.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also picked
-
The Man I Knew
- The Amazing Story of George H. W. Bush's Post-Presidency
- By: Jean Becker
- Narrated by: Kathleen McInerney, George Dvorsky
- Length: 11 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A heartfelt portrait of President George H.W. Bush - and his post-presidential life - by the confidante who knew him best.
-
The Call to Serve
- The Life of an American President, George Herbert Walker Bush
- By: Jon Meacham
- Narrated by: Jon Meacham
- Length: 2 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In honor of the one hundredth anniversary of George H. W. Bush’s birth, this visually stunning chronicle features never-before-published photos and memories celebrating the forty-first president’s vision of leadership as service to country—curated by Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Jon Meacham.
-
Say More
- Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World
- By: Jen Psaki
- Narrated by: Jen Psaki
- Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Not many White House Press Secretaries capture the nation’s interest the way Jen Psaki did. Refreshingly candid and clear, Psaki quickly became known for her ability to break through the noise and successfully deliver her message. In her highly anticipated book, Psaki shares her journey to the Briefing Room and beyond, taking listeners along the campaign trail, to the State Department, and inside the White House under two Presidents.
-
-
Engaging and entertaining
- By Allan M on 22-05-2024
-
Small Acts of Courage
- A Legacy of Endurance and the Fight for Democracy
- By: Ali Velshi
- Narrated by: Ali Velshi
- Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Small acts of courage matter. Sometimes, they change the world. Our history books are filled with the stories of those who fought for democracy and freedom—for idealism itself—against all odds, from Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela to Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. These iconic struggles for social change illustrate the importance of engagement and activism, and offer a template for the battles we are fighting today. But using the right words is often easier than taking action; action can be hard, and costly.
-
Ascent to Power
- How Truman Emerged from Roosevelt's Shadow and Remade the World
- By: David L. Roll
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 20 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Spanning the years of transition, 1944 to 1948, Ascent to Power illuminates Truman’s struggles to emerge as president in his own right. Yet, from a relatively unknown Missouri senator to the most powerful man on Earth, Truman’s legacy transcends. With his come-from-behind campaign in the fall of 1948, his courageous civil rights advocacy, and his role in liberating millions from militarist governments and brutal occupations, Truman’s decisions during these pivotal years changed the course of the world in ways so significant we live with them today.
-
Ghosted
- An American Story
- By: Nancy French
- Narrated by: Nancy French
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A compelling, thought-provoking memoir about Nancy French's journey from her family's mountain roots to success as a ghostwriter, only to be rejected by her party, church, and community. Ghosted by New York Times bestselling author Nancy French is for all who were alienated by those closest to them and left spiritually and politically homeless.
-
The Man I Knew
- The Amazing Story of George H. W. Bush's Post-Presidency
- By: Jean Becker
- Narrated by: Kathleen McInerney, George Dvorsky
- Length: 11 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A heartfelt portrait of President George H.W. Bush - and his post-presidential life - by the confidante who knew him best.
-
The Call to Serve
- The Life of an American President, George Herbert Walker Bush
- By: Jon Meacham
- Narrated by: Jon Meacham
- Length: 2 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In honor of the one hundredth anniversary of George H. W. Bush’s birth, this visually stunning chronicle features never-before-published photos and memories celebrating the forty-first president’s vision of leadership as service to country—curated by Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Jon Meacham.
-
Say More
- Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World
- By: Jen Psaki
- Narrated by: Jen Psaki
- Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Not many White House Press Secretaries capture the nation’s interest the way Jen Psaki did. Refreshingly candid and clear, Psaki quickly became known for her ability to break through the noise and successfully deliver her message. In her highly anticipated book, Psaki shares her journey to the Briefing Room and beyond, taking listeners along the campaign trail, to the State Department, and inside the White House under two Presidents.
-
-
Engaging and entertaining
- By Allan M on 22-05-2024
-
Small Acts of Courage
- A Legacy of Endurance and the Fight for Democracy
- By: Ali Velshi
- Narrated by: Ali Velshi
- Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Small acts of courage matter. Sometimes, they change the world. Our history books are filled with the stories of those who fought for democracy and freedom—for idealism itself—against all odds, from Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela to Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. These iconic struggles for social change illustrate the importance of engagement and activism, and offer a template for the battles we are fighting today. But using the right words is often easier than taking action; action can be hard, and costly.
-
Ascent to Power
- How Truman Emerged from Roosevelt's Shadow and Remade the World
- By: David L. Roll
- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 20 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Spanning the years of transition, 1944 to 1948, Ascent to Power illuminates Truman’s struggles to emerge as president in his own right. Yet, from a relatively unknown Missouri senator to the most powerful man on Earth, Truman’s legacy transcends. With his come-from-behind campaign in the fall of 1948, his courageous civil rights advocacy, and his role in liberating millions from militarist governments and brutal occupations, Truman’s decisions during these pivotal years changed the course of the world in ways so significant we live with them today.
-
Ghosted
- An American Story
- By: Nancy French
- Narrated by: Nancy French
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A compelling, thought-provoking memoir about Nancy French's journey from her family's mountain roots to success as a ghostwriter, only to be rejected by her party, church, and community. Ghosted by New York Times bestselling author Nancy French is for all who were alienated by those closest to them and left spiritually and politically homeless.
-
Long Haul
- Hunting the Highway Serial Killers
- By: Frank Figliuzzi
- Narrated by: Frank Figliuzzi
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the FBI’s former assistant director, a shocking journey to the dark side of America’s highways, revealing the FBI Highway Serial Killings Initiative’s hunt for the long-haul truckers behind an astonishing 850 murders–and counting.
-
Just the Good Stuff
- No-BS Secrets to Success (No Matter What Life Throws at You)
- By: Jim VandeHei
- Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross
- Length: 5 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jim VandeHei’s high school guidance counselor laid it out clearly: VandeHei wasn’t cut out for college. In 1990, you could find him proving the counselor’s case emphatically, preferring beer to books and delivering pizzas to mapping out career plans. He attended a two-year school before smuggling himself into the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, where after a year he had racked up a 1.4 GPA and was on the verge of getting the boot.
-
Barbara Bush
- A Memoir
- By: Barbara Bush
- Narrated by: Barbara Bush
- Length: 4 hrs and 31 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In her memoir, Mrs. Bush for the first time gives listeners a very private look at a life lived in the public eye for more than 25 years. She begins with a compelling portrait of her early years, including: growing up in Rye, New York, and meeting George Bush; life as a young bride and mother, moving far away from home to West Texas; and the almost unbearable pain of losing a child.
-
The Klansman's Son
- My Journey from White Nationalism to Antiracism
- By: R. Derek Black
- Narrated by: R. Derek Black
- Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Derek Black was raised to take over the White nationalist movement in the United States. Derek’s father, Don Black, was a former Grand Wizard in the Ku Klux Klan and started Stormfront, the internet’s first White supremacist website—Derek built the kids’ page—and David Duke was a mentor. Racist hatred, though often wrapped up in respectability and American history, was all Derek knew. It was their inheritance, their community, their identity. Then, while in college in 2013, Derek publicly renounced White nationalism and apologized for their actions and the suffering that they had caused.
-
Closer Together
- Knowing Ourselves, Loving Each Other
- By: Sophie Grégoire Trudeau
- Narrated by: Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, Jonathan Watton, Richard Clarkin, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a passionate advocate for mental health, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau believes that in order to know and accept ourselves fully, we need to understand why we think and feel the way we do, and recognize the experiences, attitudes, and patterns that may be holding us back. And yet, all of us are capable of growth and positive change, if we're willing to stay open and curious throughout our lives.
-
The King of Diamonds
- The Search for the Elusive Texas Jewel Thief
- By: Rena Pederson
- Narrated by: Erin Dion
- Length: 13 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a string of high-profile jewel thefts went unsolved during the Swinging Sixties, the press dubbed the elusive thief the King of Diamonds. Like Cary Grant in To Catch a Thief, the King was so bold that he tip-toed into the homes of millionaires while they were home, hiding in their closets and daring to smoke while they were sleeping. Rena Pederson, then a young reporter with UPI, started following the elusive thief while she managed the night desk. With gymnastic skill, he climbed trees and crawled across rooftops to take jewels from heiresses, oil kings, corporate CEOs.
-
What This Comedian Said Will Shock You
- By: Bill Maher
- Narrated by: Bill Maher
- Length: 12 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Some of the smartest commentary about what’s happening in America is coming from a comedian—this comedian being Bill Maher. If you want to understand what’s wrong with this country, it turns out that one of the best informed and most thought-provoking analysts is this very funny pothead.
-
The Art of Power
- My Story as America's First Woman Speaker of the House
- By: Nancy Pelosi
- Narrated by: Nancy Pelosi
- Length: 12 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The most powerful woman in American political history tells the story of her transformation from housewife to House Speaker—how she became a master legislator, a key partner to presidents, and the most visible leader of the Trump resistance.
-
Walk Ride Paddle
- A Life Outside
- By: Tim Kaine
- Narrated by: Tim Kaine
- Length: 12 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2019, Tim Kaine—Virginia Senator and former Democratic vice presidential candidate—commemorated both his sixtieth birthday and his twenty-fifth year in public office by undertaking a three-part journey across the Virginia landscape as he hiked, cycled, and canoed across the state. His chronicle of the journey became an organic reflection of the extraordinary events occurring across America during that time, including impeachment trials, a global pandemic, growing racial protests, the January 6th attack on the Capitol, and more.
-
Who Could Ever Love You
- A Family Memoir
- By: Mary L. Trump PhD
- Narrated by: Mary L. Trump PhD
- Length: 7 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mary Trump grew up in a family divided by its patriarch’s relentless drive for money and power. The daughter of Freddy Trump, the highly accomplished, dashing eldest son of wealthy real estate developer Fred Trump, and Linda Clapp, a flight attendant from a working-class family, Mary lived in the shadow of Freddy’s humiliation at the hands of his father.
-
The War on Warriors
- Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free
- By: Pete Hegseth
- Narrated by: Pete Hegseth
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Pete Hegseth joined the Army to fight extremists. Then that same Army called him one. The military Pete joined was focused on lethality, competency, and color blindness. Today our brass are following the rest of our country off the cliff of cultural chaos and weakness. Americans with common sense are fighting this on many fronts, but if we can’t save the meritocracy of our military, we’re definitely going to lose everywhere else. The War on Warriors uncovers the deep roots of our dysfunction—a society that has forgotten the men who take risks, cut through red tape, and get their hands dirty.
-
Chasing Hope
- A Reporter's Life
- By: Nicholas D. Kristof
- Narrated by: Nicholas D. Kristof
- Length: 17 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since 1984, Nicholas Kristof has worked almost continuously for The New York Times as a reporter, foreign correspondent, bureau chief, and now columnist, becoming one of the foremost reporters of his generation. Here, he recounts his event-filled path from a small-town farm in Oregon to every corner of the world. This is a candid memoir of vulnerability and courage, humility and purpose, mistakes and learning—a singular tale of the trials, tribulations, and hope to be found in a life dedicated to the pursuit of truth.
Publisher's Summary
Former Chief of Staff to President George H.W. Bush and New York Times bestselling author of The Man I Knew, Jean Becker shares touching and pivotal life lessons from a leader that left a mark on people's hearts and souls.
As America heads into what promises to be a tumultuous 2024 presidential election year, Character Matters will be a good reminder of the importance of character when defining true leadership. Colleagues, friends, and family will share their often very personal stories of what they learned from watching and listening to President Bush, including former United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; Secretary of State James A. Baker; stand-up comedian Dana Carvey; "Queen of Country" star Reba McEntire; American columnist for The New York Times Maureen Dowd; American novelist Brad Meltzer; presidential biographer Jon Meacham; former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom John Major; former Prime Minister of Canada Brian Mulroney; Secretary of Defense Robert Gates; the Oak Ridge Boys and best-selling author Christopher Buckley; and of course his grandchildren. Character Matters will illustrate how George Bush never stopped showing us the way to lead by example.
Audiobook is read by Jean Becker, George Dvorsky, Allan Robertson, Cynthia Barrett, James Edward Thomas, Widdi Turner, Jamie Renell, and Barbara Benjamin-Creel with selections read by Secretary of State James Baker, Vice President Dan Quayle, and Presidential Historian Jon Meacham.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
Critic Reviews
“A collection of lessons from a widely admired politician… A timely portrait of dedication.”—Kirkus Reviews