The Trump Tapes, which contains more than eight hours of Woodward/Trump chats, is as momentous as the Frost/Nixon interviews. Listeners will hear Trump as Woodward did in this up-close, uncensored depiction of Trump and his presidency: profane, incautious, divisive, and deceitful, but also engaging and amusing, ever the host and the salesman, trying to pitch his presidency to win Woodward over.

Trump utilizes his voice as a concussive instrument, banging in the listener’s ear, relying on conventional methods such as airing grievances, creating divisions, and repeating himself to a startling degree, as if saying something frequently and loudly enough will make it true.

Woodward occasionally breaks frame from the interviews to provide vital context or clarity in additional commentary prepared specifically for The Trump Tapes. But, for the most part, the conversations are uninterrupted, achieving Woodward’s purpose of providing Trump’s voice and words for the historical record while also giving listeners the opportunity to hear, judge, and form their own opinions.

The Trump Tapes, as pertinent as ever to the endeavor of comprehending Donald Trump, portray Trump in his own words—a man distracted by the past and clinging to his grievances, unable to appreciate his obligations as president or solve the country’s crises.