Wilson

By: A. Scott Berg

Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb

In the tradition of Truman, John Adams, and Team of Rivals, the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning biographer of Charles Lindbergh, Maxwell Perkins, and Samuel Goldwyn sheds new light on a president and his presidency in a way that redefines our understanding of a tide-turning historical moment.

A hundred years after his inauguration, Woodrow Wilson still stands as one of the most influential figures of the 20th century, and one of the most enigmatic. And now, after more than a decade of research and writing, Pulitzer Prize-winning author A. Scott Berg has completed Wilson - the most personal and penetrating biography ever written about the 28th President.

In addition to the hundreds of thousands of documents in the Wilson Archives, Berg was the first biographer to gain access to two recently discovered caches of papers belonging to those close to Wilson. From this material, Berg was able to add countless details - even several unknown events - that fill in missing pieces of Wilson's character and cast new light on his entire life.

From the scholar-President who ushered the country through its first great world war to the man of intense passion and turbulence, from the idealist determined to make the world "safe for democracy" to the stroke-crippled leader whose incapacity and the subterfuges around it were among the century's greatest secrets, the result is an intimate portrait written with a particularly contemporary point of view - a book at once magisterial and deeply emotional about the whole of Wilson's life, accomplishments, and failings. This is not just Wilson the icon - but Wilson the man.

©2013 A. Scott Berg (P)2013 Simon & Schuster

Very Good

This is a great book, written from a very honest and objective perspective, lacking severe politics. The way history should be remembered.

Good not great

Woodrow Wilson is an interesting character in an American history. In many ways he led to many of the socialist agendas being perpetuated on America today. Although that is not emphasized in this book. Neither is his racist upbringing or continued thought into his presidency. Even his Christian faith is not discussed in depth. Overall I found this biography to be filled with inconsequential facts it did not take a deep look into the most interesting parts of Wilson‘s life and legacy.

A remarkable biography about a remarkable man

The splendid prose by the author does justice to the life and accomplishments of Woodrow Wilson. A true visionary.

Well Written

I am working my way through at least one book on each President. Wilson has been the best written and narrated so far. I found myself having a hard time taking a break from the narration. I often felt as though I were in the room as events unfolded. Well written. Very well narrated.

A Dangerous Man

What did you love best about Wilson?

It was interesting to learn more about a man who had an incredible impact upon the 20th century. I loved that Wilson was a man of principles, that he tried to ground his response based upon well thought out objectives.

What about Jeremy Bobb’s performance did you like?

Nice job. Well performed.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

My general reaction was sadness that a man of such high principles was so naïve in so many ways. His treatment of African Americans was tragic and set race relations back decades. His appointment of Reynolds to the Supreme Court was an outrage. His self confidence that he was the smartest person in the room lead to monumental failures. He could have accomplished so much more with better guidance.

Any additional comments?

Thank you. I did not like Wilson before reading the book. I still don't respect him, but it was amazing what he accomplished in his life.

So boring! Hard to pay attention

I love presidential biographies and books on history always getting the unabridged versions.
This book while packed with information was so hard to get through from the information I learned I feel like I should have enjoyed the book but I found it tediously boring.
I’m not sure if the problem was the way the book was written or the narrator.
Would recommend trying a different biography of President Wilson.

A story of heroism

I've always been an admirer of President Wilson, but this book makes me realize that, "admire", is not quite strong enough a word. This was one of the best presidential biographies I've ever read. Truly inspiring.......

a moving and instructive book

I liked every aspect of this book/audiobook. I knew little about Wilson and now i feel i not only know the arc of life in the larger historical arc, but also know what he believed. A most liberal progressive and moral man with flaws on racial issues that together initiated and embodied the contradictions of the Democratic Party in he 20th century up to the Republicanization of southern politicians in the 1970s. Ironically, that's when another southern moral man, Jimmy Carter, briefly held the presidency. I had previously listened to a compelling audiobook about him by Kai Bird.
Listening to Berg's Wilson has got me to buy another highly regarded Wilson bio, by John Milton Cooper, but the book not the audiobook because the narrator is at best mediocre.

A complex man

The last few years I have been reading everything I can get my hands on about World War I. Woodrow Wilson was the President during WWI therefore I have read several biographies on Wilson. In 2012 I read “Woodrow Wilson: A Biography” by John Milton Cooper which I enjoyed. Due to all my reading of Wilson I might have been demanding more from Berg’s biography of Wilson than he could deliver. Berg successfully demonstrates Wilson in all his complexity. The book covered in-depth Wilson’s youth, education process, his early career and his turning toward academe. The book describes his ascent form academia to president. Berg also noted that when he was young Wilson practiced his signature over and over because he felt that someday he would be writing it on important documents. His early goal was to be a statesman and he studied toward that goal. As President Wilson created the Federal Reserve Bank, progressive taxation and the State of the Union address. Berg downplayed Wilson’s faults for example he displayed a southern perspective of racial intolerance and he increased segregation in some government agencies. He also downplayed Wilson inability to forgive anyone he thought crossed him, his womanizing, and his behavior negotiating the Treaty of Versailles. His first Secretary of State was William Jennings Bryant who most people recognize from the Scope Trial and his railing against evolution. I did not care for the bible quotes at the beginning of each chapter. If this is a person’s first book on Wilson remember even thought the book is in-depth coverage in it not unbiased. Jeremy Bobb did a good job narrating the book.

Wonderful story of an amazing president

What did you love best about Wilson?

I learned so much about Wilson as a man and president. It was such a great story and helped frame that period of time in US history. It was well-written and edited (something I notice more when I listen to a book than when I read one).

Have you listened to any of Jeremy Bobb’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is my first book narrated by Bobb.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Wilson--Man and President