Cover image of Presidential

Presidential

The Washington Post's Presidential podcast explores how each former American president reached office, made decisions, handled crises and redefined the role of commander-in-chief. It was released lead... Read more

Ranked #1

Podcast cover

Barack Obama: The pursuit of identity

Barack Obama: The pursuit of identity

Political strategist David Axelrod and biographer David Maraniss discuss Barack Obama's search for identity -- and how t... Read more

30 Oct 2016

56mins

Ranked #2

Podcast cover

John F. Kennedy: We are all mortal

John F. Kennedy: We are all mortal

Robert Dallek, Michael Beschloss and Fredrik Logevall--three major Kennedy historians and biographers--join us on this w... Read more

28 Aug 2016

47mins

Similar Podcasts

Ranked #3

Podcast cover

James Madison: Burning down the house

James Madison: Burning down the house

Though he's our first wartime president, James Madison is usually better remembered for his work on the Constitution rat... Read more

31 Jan 2016

38mins

Ranked #4

Podcast cover

James Monroe: The Forrest Gump of presidents

James Monroe: The Forrest Gump of presidents

In the latest episode of Presidential, we look at our fifth president's knack for being present at famous moments in his... Read more

7 Feb 2016

40mins

Most Popular Podcasts

Ranked #5

Podcast cover

Herbert Hoover: Dealing with disaster

Herbert Hoover: Dealing with disaster

Herbert Hoover entered the White House with an array of high-profile experiences leading disaster relief. So why was his... Read more

31 Jul 2016

39mins

Ranked #6

Podcast cover

Andrew Jackson: The violence, the fight

Andrew Jackson: The violence, the fight

Barbara Bair, Steve Inskeep and Jon Meacham examine the tragedy of Andrew Jackson's personal life, the brutality of his ... Read more

21 Feb 2016

46mins

Ranked #7

Podcast cover

John Quincy Adams: The trait that broke a presidency

John Quincy Adams: The trait that broke a presidency

We're about to witness how the inability to compromise can tank any hope of being an effective president.

14 Feb 2016

45mins

Ranked #8

Podcast cover

Calvin Coolidge: A tale of two Coolidges

Calvin Coolidge: A tale of two Coolidges

Former politician Michael Dukakis, biographer Amity Shlaes and political scientist Robert Gilbert join Washington Post e... Read more

25 Jul 2016

46mins

Ranked #9

Podcast cover

Theodore Roosevelt: Exuberance

Theodore Roosevelt: Exuberance

Biographer David McCullough and historian Michelle Krowl take us inside the wild, unstoppable dynamism of Teddy Roosevel... Read more

26 Jun 2016

42mins

Ranked #10

Podcast cover

Abraham Lincoln: His hand and his pen

Abraham Lincoln: His hand and his pen

Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of 'Team of Rivals,' and Michelle Krowl of the Library of Congress guide us through Lincoln... Read more

24 Apr 2016

55mins

Ranked #11

Podcast cover

Woodrow Wilson: A complicated legacy

Woodrow Wilson: A complicated legacy

Racism, diplomacy, women's suffrage...historian John Milton Cooper and Woodrow Wilson House executive director Robert En... Read more

11 Jul 2016

45mins

Ranked #12

Podcast cover

Donald Trump: Division and union

Donald Trump: Division and union

In this final episode of the podcast, Library of Congress historians Michelle Krowl and Julie Miller return--along with ... Read more

9 Nov 2016

56mins

Ranked #13

Podcast cover

Warren G. Harding: Love and scandal

Warren G. Harding: Love and scandal

Steamy love letters. Jazz. Scandal. Psychics. Newspapers. The Hope Diamond. Historian Nicole Hemmer helps guide us throu... Read more

18 Jul 2016

42mins

Ranked #14

Podcast cover

Bill Clinton: The good and the bad

Bill Clinton: The good and the bad

David Maraniss, who won the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on Bill Clinton, explores how Clinton's core character trai... Read more

16 Oct 2016

48mins

Ranked #15

Podcast cover

William Howard Taft: This chief, not that chief

William Howard Taft: This chief, not that chief

Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of 'The Bully Pulpit,' along with historian Michelle Krowl and Supreme Court reporter Rober... Read more

3 Jul 2016

37mins

Ranked #16

Podcast cover

George H. W. Bush: Restraint

George H. W. Bush: Restraint

Historians Jon Meacham and Jeffrey Engel discuss President Bush's unique form of presidential leadership--a vintage comb... Read more

9 Oct 2016

51mins

Ranked #17

Podcast cover

Martin Van Buren: The story of our two-party system

Martin Van Buren: The story of our two-party system

Martin Van Buren did much to create the political party establishments we have today. Experts Barbara Bair and Mark Chea... Read more

29 Feb 2016

39mins

Ranked #18

Podcast cover

Ulysses S. Grant: Lover, fighter, writer

Ulysses S. Grant: Lover, fighter, writer

Ulysses S. Grant's memoirs are considered the best ever written by a president. In this episode, Washington Post nonfict... Read more

8 May 2016

43mins

Ranked #19

Podcast cover

James Buchanan: The bachelor and the bloodshed

James Buchanan: The bachelor and the bloodshed

America is on the eve of civil war, and James Buchanan is alone in the White House as our first and only bachelor presid... Read more

18 Apr 2016

39mins

Ranked #20

Podcast cover

Rutherford B. Hayes: The most contested election

Rutherford B. Hayes: The most contested election

How does a vicious, close and disputed election spill over into a presidency? We examine the razor-thin election results... Read more

15 May 2016

43mins

“Podium: AI tools for podcasters. Generate show notes, transcripts, highlight clips, and more with AI. Try it today at https://podium.page”