Audiobooks by Michael Kranish

The World's Fastest Man: The Extraordinary Life of Cyclist Major Taylor, America's First Black Sports Hero

"In this "sharp-eyed account of a nearly forgotten African-American sports legend" (Publishers Weekly)—the remarkable Major Taylor who became the world's fastest bicyclist at the height of the Jim Crow era—"Kranish has done historians and fans a service by reminding us that such immortals as Joe Louis, Jesse Owens, Serena Williams and Tiger Woods all followed in Major Taylor's wake" (The Washington Post). In the 1890s, the nation's promise of equality had failed spectacularly. While slavery had ended with the Civil War, the Jim Crow laws still separated blacks from whites, and the excesses of the Gilded Age created an elite upper class. When Major Taylor, a young black man, announced he wanted to compete in the nation's most popular and mostly white man's sport, cycling, Birdie Munger, a white cyclist who once was the world's fastest man, declared that he could help turn the young black athlete into a champion. Twelve years before boxer Jack Johnson and fifty years before baseball player Jackie Robinson, Taylor faced racism at nearly every turn—especially by whites who feared he would disprove their stereotypes of blacks. In The World's Fastest Man, years in the writing, investigative journalist Michael Kranish reveals new information about Major Taylor based on a rare interview with his daughter and other never-before-uncovered details from Taylor's life. Kranish shows how Taylor indeed became a world champion, traveled the world, was the toast of Paris, and was one of the most chronicled black men of his day. From a moment in time just before the arrival of the automobile when bicycles were king, the populace was booming with immigrants, and enormous societal changes were about to take place, "both inspiring and heartbreaking, this is an essential contribution to sports history" (Booklist, starred review). The World's Fastest Man "restores the memory of one of the first black athletes to overcome the drag of racism and achieve national renown" (The New York Times Book Review)."

Michael Kranish (Author), David Sadzin (Narrator)

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Trump Revealed: The Definitive Biography of the 45th President

"A New York Times Bestseller A Philadelphia Inquirer Best Book of the Year A Los Angeles Times Most Important Book of the Year Hailed as "authoritative" and "essential," and based on the work of two dozen reporters and twenty hours of interviews with Trump, Trump Revealed is the indispensable and now updated biography of the 45th president of the United States. Who is Donald J. Trump? To discover Trump in full, the Washington Post assembled a team of award-winning reporters and researchers to investigate every aspect of his life, from his privileged upbringing in Queens to his hundreds of lawsuits, his infamous womanizing, his shifting position on abortion rights, his dizzying seven changes in party affiliation, and his astonishing, disruptive election as president in November 2016. Coauthored by Washington Post investigative political reporter Michael Kranish and senior editor Marc Fisher, Trump Revealed details the 1970s Justice Department suit against Trump and his father for racial discrimination, his business and political machinations and alleged organized crime connections, his disastrous Atlantic City casino projects, and his relentless pursuit of the attentions of the media. What emerges is a portrait of "a man certain of his views, hugely confident in his abilities, not terribly well informed, quick to take offense," a man with a penchant for big bets—on real estate, branded businesses, and, ultimately, on himself. In the wake of the most controversial and polarizing election in modern American history, Trump Revealed provides essential insight into this billionaire businessman, celebrity, and global brand who is now the president of the United States."

Marc Fisher, Michael Kranish (Author), Campbell Scott (Narrator)

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The Real Romney

"“Absorbing and fair-minded.” —New York Times “Romney’s story in full and clear detail…fascinating in-depth stuff.” —Los Angeles Times “A fascinating story [that] sheds next light on an elusive subject.” —Boston Globe Despite his political prominence, Mitt Romney remains an enigma to many in America. Who is the man behind that sweep of dark hair and the high-wattage smile? A savvy politician or someone who will simply say anything to win? A business visionary or a ruthless dealmaker? In this definitive, unflinching, and widely-acclaimed biography by Boston Globe investigative reporters Michael Kranish and Scott Helman, readers will finally discover the real Mitt Romney. Based on hundreds of interviews and more than five years of reporting, The Real Romney offers for the very first time a full understanding of this complex political figure."

Michael Kranish, Scott Helman (Author), Dan Woren (Narrator)

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