Discover Top 100 Audiobooks in History, American Popular Titles

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Title: Lincoln's Ladder to the Presidency

Subtitle: The Eighth Judicial Circuit

Author: Guy C. Fraker

Narrator: Don Sobczak

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-31-13

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Throughout his 23-year legal career, Abraham Lincoln spent nearly as much time on the road as an attorney for the Eighth Judicial Circuit as he did in his hometown of Springfield, Illinois. Yet, most historians gloss over the time and instead have Lincoln emerge fully formed as a skillful politician in 1858.

In this innovative volume, Guy C. Fraker provides the first ever study of Lincoln's professional and personal home away from home and demonstrates how the Eighth Judicial Circuit and its people propelled Lincoln to the presidency.

Each spring and fall, Lincoln traveled to as many as 14 county seats in the Eighth Judicial Circuit to appear in consecutive court sessions over a 10-to 12-week period. Fraker describes the people and counties that Lincoln encountered, discusses key cases Lincoln handled, and introduces the important friends he made, friends who eventually formed the team that executed Lincoln's nomination strategy at the Chicago Republican Convention in 1860 and won him the presidential nomination.

As Fraker shows, the Eighth Judicial Circuit provided the perfect setting for the growth and ascension of Lincoln. A complete portrait of the sixteenth president depends on a full understanding of his experience on the circuit, and Lincoln's Ladder to the Presidency provides that understanding as well as a fresh perspective on the much studied figure, thus deepening our understanding of the roots of his political influence and acumen.

Critic Reviews:

Guy Fraker's superb book about Abraham Lincoln and the Illinois Eighth Judicial Circuit provides an effective lesson on the importance of political networking Fraker's book is great history, but it is also an excellent primer for aspiring politicians. (Jim Edgar, Illinois governor, 1991 - 1999)

...a refreshing and revisioning portrait of Lincoln the Illinois lawyer..." (Ronald C. White Jr., author of A. Lincoln: A Biography)

...richly detailed account of Abraham Lincoln's life on the Eighth Judicial Circuit... Fraker provides a comprehensive view of Lincoln's life in law and politics on the Illinois prairie. (John Hoffmann, Illinois History and Lincoln Collections, University of Illinois Library at Urbana-Champaign)

Members Reviews:

A great look at an overlooked portion of Lincoln's life a political success

Guy Fraker has spent years studying and promoting Lincoln's life on the legal circuit -- something many people seem overlook. But the men who won him the 1860 nomination all were "fellow travelers" on the 8th Circuit - lawyers who spent several months twice a year moving from county seat to county seat following the court schedule. Lincoln also spent considerable time meeting and greeting and building relationships among the citizens who would come in from the farms for the "entertainment". If you wonder how this unknown lawyer from central Illinois suddenly wins the presidential nomination from far better known individuals, this book demonstrates how he built his base. Read a good one on the convention and you'll see that Lincoln's rise wasn't as sudden and unplanned as it appears on first glance. But it started here - as described in this insightful book, full of names, places and key events. Thank you, Mr.

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Title: The Changing Face of American Society 1945 - 2000

Subtitle: The Drama of American History

Author: Christopher Collier, James Lincoln Collier

Narrator: Jim Manchester

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-24-13

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

History is dramatic - and the renowned, award-winning authors Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier demonstrate this in a compelling audiobook aimed at young listeners.

Covering American history from the founding of Jamestown through present day, this volume explores far beyond the dates and events of a historical chronicle to present a moving illumination of the ideas, opinions, attitudes, and tribulations that led to the birth of this great nation.

The Changing Face of American Society chronicles societal changes in the United States during the second half of the 20th century, including the women's movement, civil rights gains, technological innovations, and advances in medicine. This audiobook summarizes the important themes that took place between the years 1945 and 2000 and what they mean to us now.

Members Reviews:

not what I expected

very very very short book, I failed to read reviewers before buying sadly. I wanted a more robust history, not a quick, partisan, summary.

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Title: Beat Spirit

Subtitle: The Way of the Beat Writers as a Living Experience

Author: Mel Ash

Narrator: Nicholas Tecosky

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-16-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Beat Spirit exposes the truth that life doesn't have to feel standardized, patented, predictable, interminable or robotic for today's new Beats. Listeners will howl with Ginsberg and take off on the road with Kerouac, as they discover new frontiers of thought and spirit with Beat Spirit. It kick-starts the rebellious, non-conformist and fiercely independent streak that lives within everyone.

Editorial Reviews:

Zen teacher Mel Ash's immersive, step-by-step instructional guide on how to incorporate the core tenets of the heavily Eastern-influenced Beat philosophy into everyday life is written with the passionate zeal of a Kerouac novel.

Nicholas Tecosky's buoyant, soulful performance enlivens the prose as well as the unique, distinctly Beat exercises Ash encourages the listeners to take part in, including "getting naked" and conducting genealogical research.

Those more interested in practical applications of the Beat philosophy rather than the history of its founders will find this to be an enriching listen.

Members Reviews:

A pleasant surprise

I was a little skeptical, but there I was in my Beat period, snarfing up all the info I could get, and this book seemed like a good bet. Got it, started to read, and more to the point, tried some of the exercises. Within a week I found myself writing more freely, saying more things I'd been wanting to say. I don't necessarily think this book is going to make your life better, or even your writing, but if you take the exercises (some of them; some just seem sort of silly) to heart and really give them a chance, you just might find your mind opening up to what the beat spirit was all about.

Not so much self-help as help yourself to life! - 4 & 1/2 stars

Yes, the workbook format does make this seem like just another self-help book at first glance ... but author Mel Ash lets us know right away that this is nothing of the kind. He makes no claim to being able to change or improve your life, nor does he have a single, rigid path to follow. Instead, he uses the lives & work of the Beats, as well as their influences & their heirs, to offer various exercises in breaking the mindless, robotic grip of habit & conformity. The only goals that matter are the ones that you'll set for yourself; the only exercises that work are the ones that work for you. The book is written with a good deal of humor & enthusiasm, which makes it all the more inviting. While your life probably won't be transformed by a Beat thunderbolt in one shattering moment, you're likely to come away from these pages with greater awareness of your own possibilities & a more questioning attitude toward the everyday world we take for granted as "real" -- and that's definitely a plus for anyone, so dive in & enjoy!

Almost 5 (4-3/4)

Beat Spirit is, as the editors of Amazon described a self-help book with a unique twist. It briefly illustrates the history of the Beat Generation (the generation labelled from about the late 1940s to the late 1960s although many beat writers published into the nineties). The "beatniks" were disenfranchised, disillussioned precursers to the hippies and had their own view of there world.

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Title: Second Best

Subtitle: The Rise of the American Vice Presidency

Author: James E. Hite

Narrator: Mark Whitten

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-02-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

The vice president of the United States is perhaps the most overlooked officer of the American government. The vice presidency, however, has been on the ascent for many years and the form and function of the institution today is of considerably more significance than the office the Framers envisioned at the Federal Convention of 1787. Second Best: The Rise of the American Vice Presidency traces the historical trajectory of the vice-presidential institution, telling the story of the vice presidency, and those who have held the office. It is an infinitely more colorful narrative than most would imagine; and yet, the vice presidency continues to be an enigma to most of the public.

Members Reviews:

I am a proud former student of this author. ...

I am a proud former student of this author. I always found his writing and lectures to be quite informative, exciting, and always to be uncovering little known tidbits in our U.S. political history. His expertise on the Vice Presidential history is quite impressive as well as extensive. I have been lucky enough to have read other work by Prof. Hite as an honors graduate of PSU having taken 5 of his political science classes. I will be purchasing all his future books as well as this one.

The definitive book on the American vice presidency.

Second Best: The Rise of the American Vice Presidency is the definitive book on the vice presidency. The author deftly traces the origins of the vice presidency from its unwanted inception; to a modern institution of access, influence and power. What makes Second Best particularly fascinating is the wealth of information included throughout the book. Hite somehow manages to make every individual who has held the second office in the land interesting and unique, which is no easy task considering some of the mediocrities who have been elected to the position. No doubt this is because the author clearly has done extensive research on the vice presidency, individual vice presidents, the presidency, and American history, in general. But the book is not weighted down by all the information that rests between the pages; indeed Hite's writing style is both nuanced and brisk.

For those interested in learning about a part of American history and politics that is, by and large, ignored, I heartily recommend Second Best: The Rise of the American Vice Presidency.

Second Best: The Rise of the American Vice Presidency

"the book is a great work of scholarship on a topic that has been too long ignored."

Posted by Professor Richard Clucas at the Friends of Political Science at Portland State University page.

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Title: Gettysburg: Voices from the Front

Author: Robert Child

Narrator: Joe Pike

Format: Unabridged

Length: 39 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-18-13

Publisher: Rob Child & Assoc, LLC

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

A stirring collection of first-hand accounts from Privates on up to the commanding Generals at the Battle of Gettysburg woven into a dramatic and compelling narrative. The reader is transported back to the chaos and uncertainty of the sweltering first three days of July 1863 when Lee's Army of Northern Virginia invaded the North threatening Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington itself. Soldiers on both sides gave everything they had believing that Gettysburg would be the final epic battle in an already long and terrible war.

Members Reviews:

Read and visit

While collections of first person narratives can sometimes be dry, when collected and edited carefully they offer insights into history that are more likely to connect with readers as personal experiences. This book would be an excellent research tool for amateur historians, civil war or military buffs and as an introduction to the realities of war for classroom use on suggested reading lists.

Anyone considering visiting the battlefield of Gettysburg can prepare themselves, even if only slightly, for the unsettling experience of feelings that emanate from that death shrouded ground. I highly recommend both the book and a visit.

There are similar volumes, some with more editorial narrative (see Max Hastings on WWII for example), regarding many political, social, historical, military and even economic studies that can aid the reader to connect with global and American history, they all deserve serious attention.

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Title: A Concise History of the United States of America, Vol. IV: History of American Hispanics & Latinos

Author: Henry Harrison Epps Jr.

Narrator: Ellery Truesdell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-09-13

Publisher: Henry Harrison Epps Jr

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

The history of Latinos and Hispanics in the United States is wide-ranging, spanning more than four hundred years and varying from region to region within the United States. The Latino and/or Hispanic presence in the United States is the second longest, after the Native American.

Contemporaneously with their explorations and conquests elsewhere in America, most famously those of Hernan Cortes in Mexico and Francisco Pizarro in Peru, Spaniards pioneered the present-day United States, too. Hispanics (whether criollo or mestizo) became the first American citizens in the newly acquired Southwest territory after the Mexican-American War, and remained a majority in several states until the 20th century.

As late as 1783, at the end of the American Revolutionary War, Spain held claim to roughly half of today's continental United States. In the Treaty of Paris, France ceded Louisiana (New France) to Spain from 1763 until it was returned in 1800 by the Treaty of San Ildefonso. In 1775, Spanish ships reached Alaska. From 1819 to 1848, the United States and its army increased the nation's area by roughly a third at Spanish and Mexican expense, gaining among others three of today's four most populous states: California, Texas, and Florida.

Members Reviews:

History of Hispanic and and Latino Americans

What did you love best about A Concise History of the United States of America, Vol. IV: History of American Hispanics & Latinos?

The great contributions of the Spanish Culture and History!

What about Ellery Truesdells performance did you like?

Mr Truesdell always does a great job in his narrations!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No I listen to a chapter at a time!

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Title: Elusive Victories

Subtitle: The American Presidency at War

Author: Andrew J. Polsky

Narrator: Robert Page

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-06-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

On April 4, 1864, Abraham Lincoln made a shocking admission about his presidency during the Civil War. "I claim not to have controlled events," he wrote in a letter, "but confess plainly that events have controlled me." Lincoln's words carry an invaluable lesson for wartime presidents, writes Andrew J. Polsky in this seminal book. As Polsky shows, when commanders-in-chief do try to control wartime events, more often than not they fail utterly.

In Elusive Victories, Polsky provides a fascinating study of six wartime presidents, drawing larger lessons about the limits of the power of the White House during armed conflict. He examines, in turn, Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, showing how each gravely overestimated his power as commander-in-chief. In each case, these presidents' resources did not match the key challenges that recur from war to war. Both Lincoln and Johnson intervened in military operations, giving orders to specific units; yet both struggled with the rising unpopularity of their conflicts. Both Wilson and Bush entered hostilities with idealistic agendas for the aftermath, yet found themselves helpless to enact them. With insight and clarity, Polsky identifies overarching issues that will inform current and future policymakers. The single most important dynamic, he writes, is the erosion of a president's freedom of action. Each decision propels him down a path from which he cannot turn back. When George W. Bush rejected the idea of invading Iraq with 400,000 troops, he could not send such a force two years later as the insurgency spread. In the final chapter, Polsky examines Barack Obama's options in light of these conclusions, and considers how the experiences of the past might inform the world we face now.

Elusive Victories is the first book to provide a comprehensive account of presidential leadership during wartime, highlighting the key dangers that presidents have ignored at their peril.

Members Reviews:

reading could have been better

The book was good, but the narrator's flow was sometimes not smooth. I enjoyed the content all the same.

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Title: Exploring Postcolonial Biblical Criticism

Subtitle: History, Method, Practice

Author: R. S. Sugirtharajah

Narrator: Kevin Young

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 14 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-15-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Exploring Postcolonial Biblical Criticism: History, Method, Practice offers a concise and multifaceted overview of the origins, development, and application of postcolonial criticism to biblical studies.

Offers a concise and accessible introduction to postcolonial biblical studies.

Provides a comprehensive overview of postcolonial studies by one of the field's most prominent figures.

Explains one of the most innovative and important developments in modern biblical studies.

Accessible enough to appeal to general readers interested in religion.

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Title: Luther Standing Bear: Assimilation

Author: Randall Morris

Narrator: Ronald Clarkson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-04-13

Publisher: Randall Morris

Ratings: 2 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

This article explores one of the great Indians of our time who successfully used the skills he learned at Carlisle to fight for the Indian way of life. His actions and arguments were ultimately responsible for the Indian New Deal and had a very heavy influence on the United States in the early 1900s.

Members Reviews:

Great review of Luther Standing Bear

I enjoyed this twenty minute read that gave me a general overview of the life and work of a Native American leader. It piqued my interest in the culture and beliefs of native Americans, and in just a few pages educated me too.

This was a waste of

I thought this was an actual book not a 20 page pamphlet about his other books. This was a waste of money

He liked it.

This was a gift to a student. He liked it.

Five Stars

Very good.

A disappointment

I had hoped to gain new insights about Luther Standing Bear. I found,however, the article to be in essence a book report on two books written by LSB. Since I had already read the books, reading the article provided no new information. I was very disappointed by it.

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Title: Season of '42

Subtitle: Joe D, Teddy Ballgame, and Baseball's Fight to Survive a Turbulent First Year of War

Author: Jack Cavanaugh

Narrator: Robert C. Brewster

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-23-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 1 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Before hundreds of major leaguers went off to war, they enjoyed one final season in the sun.

Big league baseball would seem to have been a hard sell in 1942. World War II was not going well for the United States in the Pacific and not much better in Europe. Moreover, the country was in drastically short supply of ships, planes, submarines, torpedoes, and other war materials, and Uncle Sam needed men, millions of them, including those from 21 through 35 years of age who had been ordered to register for the draft, the age range of most big league baseball players.

But after a green light from President Roosevelt, major league baseball played on in 1942 as it would throughout the war. It turned out to be an extraordinary season, too, spiced by a brash, young, and swift St. Louis Cardinal team that stunned the baseball world by winning the World Series. The 1942 season would be overshadowed by war, though, with many people wondering whether it was really all right for 400 seemingly healthy and athletic men to play a childs game and earn far more money than the thousands of young Americans whose lives were at risk as they fought the Germans and Japanese abroad.

In Season of 42, veteran sportswriter Jack Cavanaugh takes a look at this historic baseball season, how it was shaped and affected by the war and what, ultimately, it meant to America.

Editorial Reviews:

At the height of WWII in 1942, the prospects looked grim for American troops overseas, so many viewed sports as a trivial and unnecessary distraction. Veteran sportswriter Jack Cavanaugh's Season of '42 views this trying time in American history through the prism of baseball, and illustrates the effect President Roosevelt's bold decision to play on in 1942 had on the players, the fans, and the country as a whole.

Robert C. Brewster's dignified, engaging performance imbues Cavanaugh's text with the weight and gravity it deserves, and makes this a must-listen for baseball fans and history buffs alike.

Members Reviews:

awful

I stopped reading this book, it kept getting worse and worse. Not only were there lots of errors, but about 1/3 of the way through the editor gave up reading the book and after the author was free to write whatever irrelevant thought that came into their head. The author would preview a point and then forget later down the page that he previewed something.

season of '42

Mr Cavanaugh is a good writer but missed the boat by not reporting that the Cleveland Indians' season of '48 was surpassed by '54 when they won 110 games

A Solid Three Stars

It has become popular in recent years to write books on various years in American history or even those devoted to sports, mainly baseball. We have had books written about baseball by various authors for the years of 1923, 1941, 1961, 1964, 1968, and 1975 to name a few. I found this effort by Jack Cavanaugh entitled the "Season of '42" to be okay, but nothing special. 1942 was the first baseball season during World War II and the author rotates back and forth between the baseball season and what is happening in the war. At times the two stories are intertwined.

I found the writing to be pretty matter-of-fact with no particular information that cannot be found in several other books. The anecdotes found in this book are also to be found elsewhere as well.