President McKinley

Architect of the American Century

By: Robert W. Merry

Narrated by: Tom Perkins

Republican President William McKinley transformed America during his two terms as president. Although he does not register large in either public memory or in historians' rankings, in this revealing account, Robert W. Merry offers "a fresh twist on the old tale . . . a valuable education on where America has been and, possibly, where it is going" (The National Review).

McKinley settled decades of monetary controversy by taking the country to a strict gold standard; in the Spanish-American war he kicked Spain out of the Caribbean and liberated Cuba from Spain; in the Pacific he acquired Hawaii and the Philippines; he developed the doctrine of "fair trade"; forced the "Open Door" to China; forged our "special relationship" with Great Britain. He expanded executive power and managed public opinion through his quiet manipulation of the press. McKinley paved the way for the bold and flamboyant leadership of his famous successor, Teddy Roosevelt, who built on his accomplishments (and got credit for them). Merry writes movingly about McKinley's admirable personal life, from his simple Midwestern upbringing to his Civil War heroism to his brave comportment just moments before his death by assassination. Lively, definitive, and eye-opening, President McKinley resurrects this overlooked president and places him squarely on the list of one of the most important.

©2017 Robert W. Merry (P)2025 Tantor Media

Learned a lot about a president who is forgotten other than his being assassinated.

Liked it all. He was a more important president than is generally known. While the Spanish American war is pretty much known some if the other important events were not eg Hawaii and china.

An amazingly underestimated President

I was especially taken aback by how little I knew about him, Ida, his style , his ethics and his accomplishments.

The assassin was a product of what we now see in the USA and around the world.
Look up Emma Goldman a world class scoundrel.
The USA was blessed to have Wm. McKinley.

Title is Spot-On

Admittedly I didn't know much about President McKinley, but I enjoy learning and understanding American history one President at a time and after listening to this book I would agree with the author he was the architect of the American century. The author does a great job explaining the steady handed leadership of McKinley as America moved into the twentieth century. Between his steady hand at the helm of the nation and his love for his ailing wife, this man was truly an amazing leader that didn't find it necessary to claim all the credit of his administrations success. The performance by Mr. Perkins is very good and maintains your attention as you navigate through the nearly 20 hours of narration. I highly recommend this book.

Awesome Details

Loved the details provided by the author on the president and the time in American history that he served. I was embarrassed by my lack of knowledge on both. Highly recommend this book.

Under Appreciated POTUS

At a time where many leaders are brash, arrogant, and full of themselves, here is the story of a President that was understated, thoughtful, and didn’t care who got the credit. A tremendous biography!