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 leading up to up to Election Day 2016, starting with George Washington in week one and ending on week 44 with the president-elect. New special episodes in the countdown to the 2020 presidential election highlight other stories from U.S. presidential history that can help illuminate our current moment. Hosted by Lillian Cunningham, the series features Pulitzer Prize-winning biographers like David McCullough and Washington Post journalists like Bob Woodward. [When you're done, listen to Lillian's other historical podcasts: Constitutional and Moonrise]
Gesamtlänge aller Episoden: 1 day 13 hours 59 minutes
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.
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 history.
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 rather than his time as commander-in-chief while the White House went up in flames. But maybe that's the wrong way to look at it.
Thomas Jefferson: On food and freedom
Jon Meacham and Annette Gordon-Reed are among the experts who take us through the best and worst of our third president's complex and controversial legacy.
John Adams: The case of the missing monument
In the second episode of Presidential, biographer David McCullough as well as noted art and architecture experts explore why there's no monument to John Adams in Washington, DC -- and how that omission shapes our sense of his legacy.
George Washington: The man, the myth, the legend
Who exactly was our first president? Bob Woodward, Joel Achenbach and Julie Miller kick off our first episode of Presidential.
Introduction: Welcome to Presidential
Preview the Washington Post podcast, with clips from upcoming episodes and an overview of the series by host Lillian Cunningham.