Romney: A Reckoning
Written by McKay Coppins
Narrated by McKay Coppins and Jonathan Davis
4.5/5
()
About this audiobook
Few figures in American politics have seen more and said less than Mitt Romney. An outspoken dissident in Donald Trump’s GOP, he has made headlines in recent years for standing alone against the forces he believes are poisoning the party he once led. Romney was the first senator in history to vote to remove from office a president of his own party. When that president’s supporters went on to storm the US Capitol, Romney delivered a thundering speech from the Senate floor accusing his fellow Republicans of stoking insurrection. Despite these moments of public courage, Romney has shared very little about what he’s witnessed behind the scenes over his three decades in politics—in GOP cloakrooms and caucus lunches, in his private meetings with Donald Trump and his family, in his dealings with John McCain, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Mitch McConnell, Joe Manchin, and Kyrsten Sinema. Now, Romney provides a window to his most private thoughts.
Based on dozens of interviews with Romney, his family, and his inner circle as well as hundreds of pages of his personal journals and private emails, this in-depth portrait by award-winning journalist McKay Coppins shows a public servant authentically wrestling with the choices he has made over his career. In lively, revelatory detail, the book traces Romney’s early life and rise through the ranks of a fast-transforming Republican Party and exposes how a trail of seemingly small compromises by political leaders has led to a crisis in democracy. “A rare feat in modern-day political reporting” (The New Yorker), Romney: A Reckoning is a redemptive story about a complex politician who summoned his moral courage just as fear and divisiveness were overtaking American life.
McKay Coppins
McKay Coppins is a staff writer at The Atlantic where he covers politics, religion, and national affairs. He is the author of The Wilderness, a book about the battle for the future of the Republican Party, and he has been a visiting fellow at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics. He won the Aldo Beckman Award from the White House Correspondents Association for his coverage of the Trump presidency, and the Wilbur Award for religion journalism. He lives near Washington, DC, with his wife and children.
Related to Romney
Related audiobooks
Blowback: A Warning to Save Democracy from the Next Trump Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Attack from Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Revenge: How Donald Trump Weaponized the US Department of Justice Against His Critics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Trump Tapes: Bob Woodward's Twenty Interviews with President Donald Trump Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Fabulist: The Lying, Hustling, Grifting, Stealing, and Very American Legend of George Santos Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Why We Did It: A Travelogue from the Republican Road to Hell Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hold the Line: The Insurrection and One Cop's Battle for America's Soul Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Big Lie: Election Chaos, Political Opportunism, and the State of American Politics After 2020 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Breach: The Untold Story of the Investigation into January 6th Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Longest Con: How Grifters, Swindlers, and Frauds Hijacked American Conservatism Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOn the House: A Washington Memoir Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Age of Grievance Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Unchecked: The Untold Story Behind Congress’s Botched Impeachments of Donald Trump Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Any Given Tuesday: A Political Love Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Joy of Politics: Surviving Cancer, a Campaign, a Pandemic, an Insurrection, and Life's Other Unexpected Curveballs Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsF*ck Silence: Calling Trump Out for the Cultish, Moronic, Authoritarian Con Man He Is Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5They Want to Kill Americans: The Militias, Terrorists, and Deranged Ideology of the Trump Insurgency Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News, and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Grift: The Downward Spiral of Black Republicans from the Party of Lincoln to the Cult of Trump Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Why We're Polarized Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Price of Politics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Trumpocalypse: Restoring American Democracy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Landslide: The Final Days of the Trump Presidency Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Bitter End: The 2020 Presidential Campaign and the Challenge to American Democracy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGrounded: A Senator’s Lessons on Winning Back Rural America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It's Even Worse Than You Think: What the Trump Administration Is Doing to America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Under Fire: Reporting from the Front Lines of the Trump White House Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Siege: Trump Under Fire Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Briefing: Politics, The Press, and The President Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Luckiest Man: Life with John McCain Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Political Biographies For You
Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5John Adams Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The White House Plumbers: The Seven Weeks That Led to Watergate and Doomed Nixon's Presidency Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Enough Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Benjamin Franklin: An American Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Team of Rivals Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5American Ulysses: A Life of Ulysses S. Grant Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fear: Trump in the White House Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lincoln Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Truman Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Rage Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Five Presidents: My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Benjamin Franklin Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Infidel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Peril Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Assassination Vacation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dressed for a Dance in the Snow: Women's Voices from the Gulag Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Showman: Inside the Invasion That Shook the World and Made a Leader of Volodymyr Zelensky Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mornings on Horseback Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tower of Lies: What My Eighteen Years of Working With Donald Trump Reveals About Him Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Fire Is upon Us: James Baldwin, William F. Buckley Jr., and the Debate over Race in America Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for Romney
52 ratings9 reviews
What our readers think
Readers find this title to be a captivating exploration of Mitt Romney's political journey. The book skillfully navigates the complexities of his rise to power and moral dilemmas within the turbulent political landscape. It engages readers with informative and enjoyable storytelling, making it relevant and prescient in today's political scene. The nuanced portrayal of Romney reveals a character torn between conflicting forces, presenting an honest reflection on his use of questionable means to attain power. Overall, the book serves as a cautionary tale and a timely warning for society, prompting readers to reflect on the current political landscape and the implications of complacency.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I enjoyed his story and his ideas were great to hear. Just as good as John McCain
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A very good book, a warning to Americans about the republican party and a treatise on what integrity could look like if anyone else had it in the GOP.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Excellent book, reviewing the political (and some personal) life of a fascinating man, culminating in his dealings with the contemporary republican party. You may or may not agree with Romney's politics but he emerges as a truly respectable American who loves his country and its constitution, and wants to do the right thing--regardless of its political cost to him. I highly recommend this very interesting and well written book.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5If you follow politics there will be some new info, but mostly this will confirm the ideas you have about the system being broken and how hard it is to be honorable in the winner-takes-all game elections have become. Oh, and Mitch clearly idolizes his dad.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5"Romney" by McKay Coppins is a captivating exploration of Mitt Romney's political journey, skillfully navigating the complexities of his rise to power and moral dilemmas within the turbulent political landscape. Coppins engages readers with informative and enjoyable storytelling, making the book relevant and prescient in today's political scene. The nuanced portrayal of Romney reveals a character torn between conflicting forces, presenting an honest reflection on his use of questionable means to attain power. This portrayal encourages readers to grapple with the intricacies of political maneuvering and reflects the challenges politicians face in maintaining integrity.
The book serves as a cautionary tale, articulating potential consequences of political choices and acting as a timely warning for society. It prompts readers to reflect on the current political landscape, emphasizing the implications of complacency. In conclusion, "Romney" is a well-crafted narrative that not only provides an insightful glimpse into Mitt Romney's life but also serves as a mirror reflecting the complexities of contemporary politics. Coppins encourages readers to ponder the ethical dilemmas faced by political leaders, offering a timely reminder of the need for vigilance in the face of political challenges. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fantastic inside account of a man who kept too much inside for too long. A good family man with big flaws.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Enlightening. A fair description of a good man and our difficult time. A little discouraging about the Senate, but we knew that.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5While not the most entertaining biography of a politician, it does its job of explaining Romney’s time in the senate. After reading this book there is no doubt in my mind that Romney will be remembered by history as a very boring man. Whether or not that’s a good thing is up to the reader.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Romney is a RINO hack. This book is a bunch of lies, just like how he has conducted himself in congress.