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Title: Into the Rising Sun

Subtitle: World War II's Pacific Veterans Reveal the Heart of Combat

Author: Patrick K. O'Donnell

Narrator: Jeff Riggenbach

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-14-04

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 85 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

These veterans were often the first in and the last out of every conflict, from Guadalcanal and Burma to the Philippines and the black sands of Iwo Jima. They faced a cruel enemy willing to try anything, including kamikaze flights and human-guided torpedoes. As O'Donnell explains in the introduction, most of the men in this book were at first reticent to talk. Over the course of the war, they had spearheaded D-Day-sized beach assaults, encountered cannibalism, suffered friendly-fire incidents, and endured torture as prisoners of war. Heroes among heroes, they include many recipients of the Navy Cross, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, and other medals of battlefield valor, but none bragged about it. As one soldier put it, "When somebody gets decorated, it's because a lot of other men died."

By telling their stories, these men present an unvarnished look at the war on the ground, a final gift from aging warriors who have already given so much. Only with such accounts can the true horror of the war in the Pacific be fully known.

Critic Reviews:

"Those seeking the uncensored truth and a dose of military history will not be disappointed." (AudioFile)

"A superior addition to World War II oral archives." (Booklist)

"Succinct historical narratives help set the stage for these eyewitness accounts....This important work preserves these veterans' shocking and moving stories for generations to come." (Library Journal)

Members Reviews:

Vet accounts = 5 stars; Narrator = 1 star

Another reviewer was correct; the stories from the vets were amazing, but the somewhat long-winded overviews at the beginnnings of the chapters were often said again later, word for word. Add to that the narrator's monotone, constant mispronunciation of the word "corpsman" (hint: it's CORE-man) and some sloppy editing and you've got something that detracts from otherwise excellent source material: the stories of the vets themselves.

Overall, I found it worth listening to, but not a great audio production. 3 stars.

World War II in the Pacific up close

This books gives a view of World War II in first hand accounts stitched together by a narrative that puts the events in the larger context. It is realistic, wrenching and full of every day as well as extraordinary heroics that rangers, marines, paratroopers and others in the front line brought to the war in the Pacific. It is read in the same matter-of-fact tone that the people telling the events seemed to have. Hearing it makes it even more effective because it's like the you are hearing the men themselves tell their stories. A great audiobook.

Great idea - terribly executed.

Great idea - terribly executed. It is very repetitive covering the same ground two and sometimes three times. Also the intro says it is for Audible kids - the graphic descriptions of events within the stories being told by veterans is NOT something kids should be hearing in this way.

Tedious and repetitive

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but each anecdote started with the narrator describing what the eyewitness was going to say. Then the story from the veteran. You have to listen to the same story, twice.

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Title: The Essential Lewis and Clark

Author: Landon Y. Jones, Editor

Narrator: Peter Friendman, Tom Wopat

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-18-04

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 36 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Landon Jones has selected the most memorable journal entries left behind by Lewis and Clark, and edited them for all readers, those steeped in the lore of the expedition, as well as newcomers to the unforgettable journey.

Editorial Reviews:

The drive of discovery and lust for adventure have long been hallmarks of the American ethos, and perhaps no one has embodied that as well as Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. With the oversight and great organization from respected editor and author Landon Jones, this recording presents some of the most memorable journal entries from two of Americas most famous explorers. And with veteran performers Tom Wopat and Peter Friendman giving life to Lewis and Clarks words, this audiobook is guaranteed to evoke an America that few today have ever experienced.

Critic Reviews:

"Juxtaposing entries by the precise and poetic Lewis with the earthy and enthusiastic Clark, Jones has provided a vivid panorama of an epic undertaking. An essentially digestible slice of history." (Booklist)

"In The Essential Lewis and Clark, Landon Jones presents the highlights of an American classic by letting Lewis and Clark tell their story in their own words." (Dayton R. Duncan, writer and producer of Ken Burns' PBS documentary, Lewis & Clark)

Members Reviews:

Good, but maybe not as an audiobook

This is an excellent selection from the journals, and the readers are great. You get a strong distinction between the gruff, no-nonsense Clark and the sensitive Lewis, and occasionally a third narrator breaks in to provide background information. The extracts are well-chosen and lengthy, so it doesn't feel too choppy.

Still, I'm not sure that an audiobook is the best way to read Lewis and Clark. To enjoy the story fully I really wanted to follow their route on a map, but even the third narrator gives little information about exactly where they are at any time, so it's not possible to do that. There are times when you really want footnotes, too - L&C will describe strange animals, for instance, and you'll be trying to figure out what on earth they're talking about but can't.

This is as good an audiobook of L&C as you could wish for - but I still recommend reading them on paper in an edition with lots of helpful notes.

great book

was a great book loved the detail on the experiences Lewis and Clark had from there journal entries

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Title: Lone Star Nation

Author: H.W. Brands

Narrator: Don Leslie

Format: Unabridged

Length: 17 hrs and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-12-04

Publisher: Books on Tape

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 159 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

H. W. Brands tells the turbulent story of Texas through the eyes of a colorful cast of characters who have become a permanent fixture in the American landscape: Stephen Austin, the state's reluctant founder; Sam Houston, the alcoholic former governor who came to lead the Texas army in its hour of crisis and glory; William Travis, James Bowie, and David Crockett, the unforgettable heroic defenders of the doomed Alamo; Santa Anna, the Mexican generalissimo and dictator whose ruthless tactics galvanized the colonists against him; and the white-haired President Andrew Jackson, whose expansionist aspirations loomed large in the background. Beyond these luminaries, Brands unearths the untold stories of the forgotten Texans, the slaves, women, unknown settlers, and children left out of traditional histories, who played crucial roles in Texas's birth.

By turns bloody and heroic, tragic and triumphant, this riveting history of one of our greatest states reads like the most compelling fiction, and further secures H. W. Brands' position as one of the premier American historians.

Critic Reviews:

"It's hard to think that the story could be better told." (Publishers Weekly)

"Brands' impressive integrative account of the fabled Texas revolution of the 1830s relates key incidents and displays trenchant psychological insights, engraving both with the fundamental forces involved....[An] excellent, fair-minded chronicle." (Booklist)

"The author is so conversant with the intricacies of his subject that he assumes a degree of familiarity in the reader....Of the legendary characters who died there, Mr. Brands is notably clear-eyed." (The New York Times)

Members Reviews:

Texas: From Spanish colony to statehood

As a native Texan and student of Texas history I have to give H.W. Brands credit for producing such a comprehensive narrative of the people and events that led to Texas's fight for independence from Mexico and annexation into the United States. I have never seen a better explanation of the role Andrew Jackson and the U. S. government played in these events. I would recommend this book as a 'must read' for anyone with an interest in Texas History.

My only complaint is with the reader. Texas place names are famous for their excentricities of pronunciation. Hearing the reader repeatedly mispronounce the names of places like Bastrop, Brazoria, and San Jacinto, as well as his frequent mistakes with Spanish words and names,is like fingernails on a chalkboard to anyone familiar with the common pronunciations.

A Pleasure for a History Buff

As a relatively new resident of Texas, I learned immediately that the people here take their state's history seriously. I consider myself a history buff and have dabbled in Texas History, but I must say that the most comprehensive book I have seen to date is this one. It is not simply filled with arcane facts, but the narrator brings the period to life. An enjoyable read.

More depth than expected, less breadth.

I had expected a more wide ranging history of the state. Instead, I recieved an EXTREMELY detailed history of its devlopment around the Alamo fight time period. Good details on the players, and lots of material from the time period.

But I was expecting it to cover a greater period of time. When I got to halfway through the second part of the download and was still hearing about the same people, I gave up.

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Title: Crossroads to Freedom

Subtitle: Antietam

Author: James M. McPherson

Narrator: Nelson Runger

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-12-03

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 121 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Through historical newspaper accounts and the personal letters of soldiers, the events leading up to the battle and the battle itself are stunningly recreated. You will enter the mind of Robert E. Lee as he makes the fateful decision to cross the Potomac River and take the offensive. You will feel the frustration of Abraham Lincoln as he struggles to convince George McClellan to fight. And you will stand side-by-side with foot soldiers as the peaceful Maryland countryside explodes into terrifying, unforgettable carnage. In vivid detail and with remarkable insight, McPherson makes a convincing case that Antietam was the "battle that changed the course of the Civil War."

The Pivotal Moments in American History series seeks to unite the old and the new history, combining the insights and techniques of recent historiography with the power of traditional narrative. Each title has a strong narrative arc with drama, irony, suspense, and most importantly great characters who embody the human dimension of historical events. The general editors of Pivotal Moments are not just historians; they are popular writers themselves, and, in two cases, Pulitzer Prize winners: David Hackett Fischer, James M. McPherson, and David Greenberg. We hope you like your American History served up with verve, wit, and an eye for the telling detail!

Critic Reviews:

"McPherson convincingly establishes the Battle of Antietam as the [Civil War]'s pivotal moment militarily, politically, and morally." (Publishers Weekly) "A fine study." (Library Journal)

Members Reviews:

Far beyond the scope of the battle

This excellent book is not a standard battle history of Antietam (called Sharpsburg by the South) -- it is an excellent summary of the war to that point, and why the battle was so important in shaping issues beyond the battlefield. It examines examining the changing moods of both North and South up to that point, their changing expectations, what they were willing to put up with in terms of sacrifice and casualties. There is no sense of inevitability to the North's eventual victory here; the war was at midpoint and at the time a strategic draw. And although Antietam was the single bloodiest day in American history, while not to be ignored, this is hardly its significance. As a Union victory, it gave Lincoln the political capital to finally issue the Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves in the Southern states. This changed the war decisively, rendering it a battle for and against slavery that it hadn't explicitly been to that point. For this reason it also foreclosed the possibility of any European recognition of the South, which was quite eminent and perhaps the South's closest means of drawing the war to a close in its favor.

In addition to these strategic issues, McPherson is also quite good at drawing out several personalities involved in the battle. Lincoln's difficult balance in withholding his Emancipation Proclamation without some tangible Union success is explained thoroughly, some generals are described, various European reactions are explored -- but the character one remembers most is the ambivalent general of the Army of the Potomac, McClellan. It is an excellent study of failings and success in command, and failings and success in character.

A nice civil war read

If you are looking for a long and detailed analysis of the battle of Antietam then this is not the book.

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Title: Hallowed Ground

Subtitle: A Walk at Gettysburg

Author: James McPherson

Narrator: Grover Gardner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-25-03

Publisher: Books on Tape

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 86 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Pulitzer Prize-winning Civil War historian James McPherson provides a historic tour through Gettysburg, one of our nation's most visited cities, and the site of the bloodiest and perhaps most consequential battle ever fought by Americans. Listeners will be transported by McPherson's meaningful reflection, historical description, and his intimate stories from his own experiences at Gettysburg.

©2003 James McPherson; (P)2003 Books On Tape, Inc.

Critic Reviews:

"This book is a very good thing in a remarkably small package." (Publishers Weekly)

"The book is concise, sprightly, and full of personality...When readers have finished this book, the only way they can know Gettysburg better is by going there." (School Library Journal)

"McPherson so articulately injects reminders of what the Civil War was about as to display the crystalline style that has made him one of our finest Civil War historians." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Nice for what it is.

Had I never been to Gettysburg I don't think this book would have kept my interest. You need a visual image to relate to as the author takes you around the battlefield so I would recommend this to those who have at least a general knowledge of the battle or have visited the battlefield. The author does a nice job disposing of some myths and discussing some of the controversies in a consice manner so that in a relatively short listen he is able to be fairly comprehensive.

Good Intro to Gettysburg

If you are looking for a book to introduce you to Gettysberg, this is a good one. It balances anecdotes, 'myths', and background data with a solid day by day recitation of critical events. It doesn't get bogged down in unit designations, commander's names, and other 'enthusiast' minutiae.

There are plenty of other books that go into the rich detail which many of us love. But before you dive in to that level, you have to know the basic geography and chronology of what happened. So again, this book or Jeff Shaara's Civil War Battlefields' (either the Gettysburg excerpt or the entire book) are a find place to start.

A must listen!

Even if you have never been to Gettysburg, and do not plan to visit there anytime soon, this is an audiobook that is definitely worth the listening time. You can almost picture what it must've looked like and been like back then. This book is full of both history and practical comments, like what is different about the area now and what existed back then. Excellent naration as well.

Perfect for a Battlefield Tour

If you are planning to visit the Gettysburg Battlefield, this is the book that you need to have with you! Listen to it before your visit and then have it ready as you make your way through the tour.

A great guide if you know the area

I started to listen to this before my most recent (2nd) visit, but b/c I didn't have a map and couldn't remember the layout, I quit in frustration. Having spent three days out there, hiking, biking and driving, I'm now greatly enjoying this download. The BOOK would be useful regardless, since you could refer to the map, but unless you have a good sense of the area, the DOWNLOAD could be very frustrating. The reader/author was perfect.

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Title: Global Jihad

Subtitle: Understanding September 11

Author: Quintan Wiktorowicz

Narrator: Grover Gardner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 46 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-21-03

Publisher: Findaway World

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 31 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

A Middle East scholar writes in a clear straightforward manner, carefully explaining who the terrorists are, where they come from, how they justify killing civilians in the name of God, and why the United States has become the latest target.

©2002 Sound Room Publishers Inc; (P)2002 Sound Room Publishers

Members Reviews:

Very good summary

A very useful overview of the varied aspects of islamic terrorist thoughts & views. Many useful facts that are not well described in western press.

GJ

Jihadies vs. Reformist ...

A good short history ...

Better than watching TV

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Title: An Unfinished Life

Subtitle: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963

Author: Robert Dallek

Narrator: Richard McGonagle

Format: Abridged

Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-30-03

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 231 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Here is the gripping story of Jack's transformation from an awkward speaker into a brilliant politician with irresistible charm. The audiobook carries us from Jack's work as a senator from Massachusetts, through the fiercely contested 1960 campaign against Nixon, and takes us on to the White House itself.

An Unfinished Life also discloses for the very first time that Kennedy was far sicker than we ever knew. While laboring to present an image of robust good health, Kennedy was secretly in and out of hospitals through-out his life, so ill that he was administered last rites on several different occasions. Here is a vivid portrait of a man who, because he knew how close he was to death, lived as much as he could - sometimes hurting others in the process.

Never shying away from Kennedy's weaknesses, Dallek also brilliantly explores his strengths. The result is a portrait of a bold, brave, human Kennedy, once again a hero.

Critic Reviews:

"Sets the historical record straight...pitch-perfect prose...hands-down the best biography of JFK...a truly remarkable achievement." (Douglas Brinkley, author of The Unfinished Presidency)

"In this riveting tour de force...Dallek delivers what will most assuredly become the benchmark JFK biography for this generation...[He] is to be thanked for providing this thoroughly researched, well-sourced, responsible and readable biography that has for so long been wanting in Kennedy scholarship." (Publishers Weekly)

"...riveting and well-documented biography." (New Yorker)

"Richard McGonagle brings the president to life, mimicking the famous accents so well that his renditions of Kennedy speeches compare favorably to Kennedy's own renderings." (AudioFile)

Members Reviews:

A Great Biography - Neccessarily Disappointing

Any biography of JFK is bound to be unsatisfying for the reason that is the title of this great biography, An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963. The abrupt nature of JFK's assassination in 1963 makes the hope and promise of his administration so much more frustrating for its loss.

Dallek provides an exhaustive, if fleeting in the abridgement, review of Kennedy's life, from the family dynamics that preceded his birth to the day he died. He reaffirms all of Kennedy's failings and celebrates is triumphs.

Narration provided by Richard McGonagle is very good, who when speaking lines by Kennedy, does so with the distinctive Massachusetts accent. This was actually annoying to me at first but I must say, grew on me to where I came to expect it as the book went on.

I would very much like the opportunity to hear the unabridged version of this book but doubt if it would provide any more answers to the unanswered questions of why?

Dallek deliberately avoids, to his credit but to my disappointment, any speculation about conspiracy theories with regard to Kennedy's death.

Most amazing to me about this book were the revelations about Kennedy's unbelieveable medical problems and the lengths he and those around him went to conceal them and treat them.

I highly recommend this book. Kennedy, whether you believe he was a great president or not, was a peacemaker and filled the world with hope for better days.

Dry as a bone

Dallek's overview of the Kennedy legacy is a political, not personal one.

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Title: American

Subtitle: Beyond our Grandest Notions

Author: Chris Matthews

Narrator: Chris Matthews

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-08-02

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 24 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Fiercely independent, in love with freedom, convinced we can make it, we are like no other people on earth. We are a people reluctant to fight who become ferocious warriors when threatened or attacked. We are suspicious of governmental power, yet quick to embrace our flag in times of danger. A deeply practical nation, we loom as the world's great optimists.

What unites us Americans is not so much language or ethnicity, but a set of distinct notions about ourselves that comprise our American-ness. The self-made country. The constant rebel. The reluctant warrior. The lone hero. The pioneer. The optimist. You see them in the movies we make, the books we write, the history we have lived. What stirred the souls of our ancestors two centuries ago - and all the generations in between - still does.

In American, Matthews presents a portrait of a country that enters the world arena armed with an extremely potent weapon: the collective notions we carry of America at its best. It's a picture of more than just a nation challenged but a people ready and eager to prevail.

Members Reviews:

Not a fan of Matthews, but.......

I surprised myself by purchasing the audio version of this book even though I find Matthews annoying and counter to my ideology. I should mention I paid very little for a used copy on this very site so the risk was minimal.

The audio was enjoyable and devoid of obvious spin. As a history junkie the material presented held my attention. However,I did take issue with the organization of the material presented as the author jumped back and forth several times in the book. He would cover a topic, depart from it, only to return later with another point or a repeat of the same material presented earlier. I found myself checking the CD player in my car to make sure I had not hit the reverse button in error.

Skip the book, get the audio

I enjoyed hearing Matthews on the G. Gordon Liddy show discuss this book so much that I bought it. Well, I read Stephen Ambrose's final book just before this one and found Matthews' somewhat lacking. The two books are essentially the same in their goals, short essays on important highlights in American History. Some of the same topics are covered in both books. Ambrose just did a MUCH BETTER job. Ambrose was a skilled writer and Historian by trade, Matthews is a gifted gabber. So my suggestion is to listen to Matthews on Audio, but buy Ambrose's "To America: Personal Reflections of An Historian".

sunnycarcinoid

I recommend this book, it is only 200+ pages and very well documented. It could be very good resource material for a civic class, American history class, and should be required reading for American's. This book is NOT negative, but delves into why we are like we are and not like anyone else in the world. Chris comes up with ten, uniquely American notions and they are very interesting. IMHO (in my humble opinion) this is very worthwhile reading! Senator John McCain is one of his contemporary examples, but Chris goes back to before the Revolutionary War for other examples.

Five Stars

Great book.

History for ...

Matthews' book is for people who know absolutely NOTHING about American history. ...

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Title: FBI Under Fire

Subtitle: Janet Reno on the Waco Investigation

Author: Janet Reno

Narrator: Janet Reno

Format: Original Recording

Length: 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-17-99

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 2.5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Hear Attorney General Janet Reno talk about the new investigation into the FBI's role in the Branch Davidian standoff and fire. The FBI is investigating reports that agents used pyrotechnic tear gas canisters hours before the cult's followers were found dead in the smoking remains of the Waco compound. The revelations come after 6 years of denials by the FBI that its agents did anything during the confrontation that would have sparked the explosions and the fire that reduced the Branch Davidian compound to ashes and debris. This program was recorded live. It was Reno's first opportunity to address the new developments in the case.

(P) and ©1999 Audible Inc.

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Title: Benjamin Franklin

Subtitle: Diplomat

Author: Benjamin Franklin

Narrator: Adrian Cronauer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 37 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-16-99

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

A publisher, printer, author, scientist, and inventor - and a success in every field - Benjamin Franklin made his greatest accomplishments as America's first diplomat. When he sailed for England in 1764, he intended to petition Parliament in London for a redress of grievances of the state of Pennsylvania, but his energies were soon enlisted by the whole of the Thirteen Colonies. This recording - compiled from Franklin's own letters, papers, and original documents - recounts the diplomat's brilliant campaign to have Grenville's infamous Stamp Act repealed.

Editorial Reviews:

This audiobook details Benjamin Franklin's struggle to repeal the Stamp Act in his own words, compiled from documents written by the founding father himself. Audio performer Adrian Cronaeur, best known as the inspiration for Robin William's role in the film Good Morning, Vietnam, gives a pitch perfect performance. His deep and intelligent voice brings Benjamin Franklin's words back to life, sounding very much as they might have. With his extensive radio background, Cronaeur knows how to modulate his voice and pace to keep us interested in this historical piece.

Members Reviews:

Partial accounts

it doesn't give a full account of the negotiations he conducted while in England or France.

Poor sound quality

The sound quality was so poor that I could not listen to more than the first two minutes. I scanned through the recording and I could not find a clear sounding portion.