Download Best Sellers Audiobooks in History, American

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Title: The Shakespeare Riots: Revenge, Drama, and Death in Nineteenth-Century America

Author: Nigel Cliff

Narrator: Nick Sullivan

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-12-11

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

One of the bloodiest incidents in New York's history, the so-called Astor Place Riot of May 10, 1849, was ignited by a long-simmering grudge match between the two leading Shakespearean actors of the age. Despite its unlikely origins, though, there was nothing remotely quaint about this pivotal moment in history - the unprecedented shooting by American soldiers of dozens of their fellow citizens, leading directly to the arming of American police forces.

The Shakespeare Riots recounts the story of this momentous night, its two larger-than-life protagonists, and the myriad political and cultural currents that fueled the violence. In an engrossing narrative that moves at a breakneck pace from the American frontier to the Mississippi River, to the posh theaters of London, to the hangouts of the most notorious street gangs of the day, Nigel Cliff weaves a spellbinding saga of soaring passions, huge egos, and venal corruption.

Cliff charts the course of this tragedy from its beginnings as a somewhat comical contretemps between Englishman William Charles Macready, the haughty lion of the London stage, and Edwin Forrest, the first great American star and a popular hero to millions. Equally celebrated, and equally self-centered, the two were once friends, then adversaries. Exploiting this rivalry, nativist agitators organized mobs of bullyboys to flex their muscle by striking a blow against the foppish Macready and the Old World's cultural hegemony that he represented.

The moment Macready took the stage in New York, his adversaries sprang into action, first by throwing insults, then rotten eggs, then chairs. When he dared show his face again, an estimated twenty thousand packed the streets around the theater. As cobblestones from outside rained down on the audience, National Guard troops were called in to quell the riot. Finding themselves outmatched, the Guardsmen discharged their weapons at the crowd, with horrific results. When the smoke cleared, as many as thirty people lay dead, with scores more wounded.

The Shakespeare Riots is social and cultural history of the highest order. In this wondrous saga Nigel Cliff immerses readers in the bustle of mid-nineteenth-century New York, re-creating the celebrity demimonde of the day and capturing all the high drama of a violent night that robbed a nation of its innocence.

Members Reviews:

History I Can Get Behind

Really digs into the history of theater in the US and Britain without being dry. I'm seriously impressed.

Less About the Theater, More About Society

Any additional comments?

Ostensibly about the 1849 riots in New York between fans of two star actors, one American and one British, the book is actually much broader in scope. In addition to discussing the nature of the theater at that time in both countries and the popularity of Shakespeare with the masses (especially in America, and particularly in the pioneer west), the author goes into great detail about social conditions in both countries, politics, and anti-American travel literature by British writers. Cliff has a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the U.S. than most British writers and can see his own country in perspective as well.

The book felt padded to me.

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Title: The Darkest Days of the War

Subtitle: The Battles of luka and Corinth

Author: Peter Cozzens

Narrator: Don Hagen

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-03-10

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 18 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

During the late summer of 1862, Confederate forces attempted a three-pronged strategic advance into the North. The outcome of this offensive, the only coordinated Confederate attempt to carry the conflict to the enemy, was disastrous. The results at Antietam and in Kentucky are well known; the third offensive, the northern Mississippi campaign, led to the devastating and little-studied defeats at Iuka and Corinth, defeats that would open the way for Grant's attack on Vicksburg.

Peter Cozzens presents here the first book-length study of these two complex and vicious battles. Drawing on extensive primary research, he details the tactical stories of Iuka, where nearly one-third of those engaged fell, and Corinth, which was fought under brutally oppressive conditions, analyzing troop movements down to the regimental level.

He also provides compelling portraits of Generals Grant, Rosecrans, Van Dorn, and Price, exposing the ways in which their clashing ambitions and antipathies affected the outcome of the campaign. Finally, he draws out the larger, strategic implications of the battles of Iuka and Corinth, exploring their impact on the fate of the northern Mississippi campaign, and by extension, the fate of the Confederacy.

This book is published by University of North Carolina Press.

Critic Reviews:

"The Darkest Days of the War: The Battles of Iuka and Corinth brings to startling life the vivious fights at these two important north Mississippi towns in September and October of 1862.... Cozzens' treatment is fast-paced and exciting as he tells with precision and flair of the personalities of the commanders and their subordinates, the small unit movements and the deadly nature of the fighting." (The Orlando Sentinel)

"An illuminating account of an 1862 Confederate campaign in northern Mississippi, whose importance may only be matched by the obscurity into which it has fallen and the grand mistakes made by its planners... An excellent case study of how army politics, miscommunication, and missed chances could decisively influence a campaign." (Kirkus Reviews)

Members Reviews:

Not for the casual Civil War buff

This was as fascinating book for me to listen to. It certainly isn't for someone who has just a casual interest in the Civil War though. In my opinion, it is geared towards someone who is at least somewhat familiar with the generals of both sides in the Civil War, especially in the Western Theater of operation.

Battles of Iuka and Corinth

Cozzens continues to be the reliable good ole story teller for those interested in the particulars of tactics and fighting during the American Civil War battles. Iuka and Corinth have long been overdue for a retelling and I feel confident that they have now been properly honored. The narrator does detract from this version. He is not awful by any stretch, but tends be slow and very deliberate in speech. The best description is to imagine Agent Smith from the Matrix movies narrating this book. If you can slow your brain down enough to march in step with the narration, then you will be quite satisfied with the content.

Historical Excellence

Thank you Peter Cozzens for bringing childhood memories and stories to life. As a young boy, I walked behind my grandfather while he plowed the fields on his farm in Corinth Mississippi where civil war soldiers camped and fought.

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Title: The Hatfield McCoy Feud

Subtitle: The Code of The Mountains

Author: Jimmy Gray

Narrator: Bennie Shipley, Joe Loesch, Rick Schulman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-06-10

Publisher: Readio Theatre, LLC

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 17 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

For years, rifle shots echoed through the mountains of Kentucky and West Virginia. Dark secrets were hidden far back in the hollows, and no stranger dared go there. The law stayed away, and justice was found in the barrrel of a gun....

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Title: Douglass and Lincoln

Subtitle: How a Revolutionary Black Leader and a Reluctant Liberator Struggled to End Slavery and Save the Union

Author: Paul Kendrick, Stephen Kendrick

Narrator: Lee Shepherd

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-16-10

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 18 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

How a Revolutionary Black Leader and a Reluctant Liberator Struggled to End Slavery and Save the Union

Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln had only three meetings, but their exchanges profoundly influenced the course of slavery and the outcome of the Civil War. Although Abraham Lincoln deeply opposed the institution of slavery, he saw the Civil War at its onset as being primarily about preserving the Union. Frederick Douglass, himself a former slave, by contrast saw the war's mission to be the total and permanent abolition of slavery. And yet, these giants of the 19th century, despite their different outlooks, found common ground, in large part through their three historic meetings.

Lincoln first invited Douglass to the White House in August 1862. Well-known for his speeches and his internationally read abolitionist newspaper, Douglass laid out for the president his concerns about how the Union army was discriminating against black soldiers. Douglass, often critical of the president in his speeches and articles, was impressed by Lincoln's response. The following summer, when the war was going poorly, the president summoned Douglass to the White House. Fearing that he might not be reelected, Lincoln showed Douglass a letter he had prepared stating his openness to negotiating a settlement to end the Civil War and leave slavery intact in the South. Douglass strongly advised Lincoln against making the letter public. Lincoln never did; Atlanta fell and he was reelected.

Their final meeting was at the White House reception following Lincoln's second inaugural address, where Lincoln told Douglass there was no man in the country whose opinion he valued more, and Douglass called the presidents inaugural address sacred.

In elegant prose and with unusual insights, Paul and Stephen Kendrick chronicle the parallel lives of Douglass and Lincoln as a means of presenting a fresh, unique picture of two men who, in their differences, eventually challenged each other to greatness and altered the course of the nation.

Critic Reviews:

"The Kendricks beautifully assess the political and moral, and often conflicting, agendas of each man, but they excel, particularly in their treatment of Douglass, at personalizing one of the history's most unlikely and effective political allies...A wise and sensitive appreciation of the intersecting careers of two giants of American history." (Kirkus Reviews)

Members Reviews:

Moving Biography

Very moving account and biographical portrait of Frederick Douglass and his relationship with Abraham Lincoln. The focus on the winding path of the civil war toward emancipation, and the hardships and difficulties of the emancipated slaves, coupled with the drama of the prospective soldiers caught between bloody war and a hostile society, made this a gripping book to listen to. The narration made it easy to concentrate on the text. This book has much to recommend it.

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Title: The Last Three Miles

Subtitle: Politics, Murder and the Construction of America's First Superhighway

Author: Steven Hart

Narrator: Dion Graham

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-06-10

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 24 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

At the dawn of America's love affair with the automobile, cars and trucks leaving the nation's largest city were unceremoniously dumped out of the western end of the Holland Tunnel onto local roads wending their way through the New Jersey Meadowlands. Jersey City mayor Frank Hague dictator of the Hudson County political machine and a national political player was a prime mover behind the building of the country's first "superhighway," designed to connect the hub of New York City to the United States of America.

Hague's nemesis in this undertaking was union boss Teddy Brandle, and construction of the last three miles of Route 25, later dubbed the Pulaski Skyway, marked an epic battle between big labor and big politics, culminating in a murder and the creation of a motorway so flawed it soon became known as "Death Avenue" now appropriately featured in the opening sequence of the hit HBO series The Sopranos. A book in the tradition of Robert Caro's The Power Broker and Henry Petroski's Engineers of Dreams, The Last Three Miles brings to vivid life the riveting and bloodstained back story of a fascinating chapter in the heroic age of public works.

Members Reviews:

Terrific !

Don't know what it was, maybe because I live in NYC near Jersey City, but I found this book fascinating. One, it goes into detail about the geography of the area, two, it talks about the history of 1930's - 1950's which was a while before I was born, but not so long ago that it seems "ancient", three, lots of insight into local politics 'back in the day. I listened to it twice in a few day ! I really do recommend it.

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Title: The Secret History of the War on Cancer

Author: Devra Davis

Narrator: Pam Ward

Format: Unabridged

Length: 19 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-25-09

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 27 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

The war on cancer set out to find, treat, and cure a disease. Left untouched were many of the things known to cause cancer, including tobacco, the workplace, radiation, or the global environment. Proof of how the world in which we live and work affects whether we get cancer was either overlooked or suppressed.

This has been no accident.

The War on Cancer was run by leaders of industries that made cancer-causing products and sometimes also profited from drugs and technologies for finding and treating the disease. Filled with compelling personalities and never-before-revealed information, The Secret History of the War on Cancer shows how we began fighting the wrong war, with the wrong weapons, against the wrong enemies, a legacy that persists to this day.

This is the gripping story of a major public health effort diverted and distorted for private gain.

Critic Reviews:

This is the gripping story of how a major public health effort to cure cancer has been diverted and distorted by private interests whose products have been linked to cancer or who stand to profit from the treatment of the disease.

"Davis writes with passion, driven by the conviction that premature deaths among her family members resulted from exposure to industrial toxins." (Library Journal)

"Kudos to Davis for stepping up to the plate." (Booklist, starred review)

Members Reviews:

Silly Book

This book wasnt for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

There's an important story to be told about science and cancer. This book doesn't tell it. Lots of distortions and misinformation intended to scare you. By all means, avoid science and eat blueberries, Ms Davis.

What could Devra Davis have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Renew her mind. Get real

What three words best describe Pam Wards performance?

Adequate

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Title: What Is America

Subtitle: A Short History of the New World Order

Author: Ronald Wright

Narrator: Stefan Rudnicki

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-16-09

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 29 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Ranging with dazzling expertise through anthropology, history, and literature, Wright reconfigures our self-perception, arguing that the "essence" of America can be traced to the foundations of our history - literally to the collision of worlds that began in 1492, as one civilization subsumed another--and exploring how these currents continue to shape our world.

Critic Reviews:

"[Few] will have likely heard so charming an analysis of American depredations...An entertaining, highly tendentious account of where we've been and where we're headed." (Kirkus Reviews)

Members Reviews:

insightful overview

What other book might you compare What Is America to and why?

Diamond's "Guns, Germs, and Steel" is the obvious comparison. However the aims and the focus of the two books are quite different.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes. The impact comes from looking at the "big picture" and then contrasting it to the standard American mythology. Go watch Milton Friedman's "What is America?" lecture on Youtube after finishing Wright's book to gain some insight into the importance of the titular question. True American history is subversive! America, as presently constituted, needs selective amnesia in order to function. Its a rather heavy feeling once that realization sinks in.

I'm a newly converted Libertarian.

Where does What Is America rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

Ranks pretty low. The one reason I know our Government is dishonest is it's BS version of history that smears Capitalism. If there is one thing that's good in this world, it is Free-market Capitalism. Both the Dem and GOP party are guilty of not defending it.

What other book might you compare What Is America to and why?

This book can be bad and still useful. It can let you know what the Gov wants to promote.I bought this book and continued shopping and this Authors name appears in a review for : "The Mighty Wurlitzer: How the CIA Played America" From The Washington PostReviewed by Michael KazinWhat do Richard Wright, Gloria Steinem, Henry Kissinger, George Meany, Nina Simone and Arthur Schlesinger Jr. have in common?Answer: Directly or indirectly, they all took money from the Central Intelligence Agency during the early years of the Cold War.

Which scene was your favorite?

Thank you, Mises Institute for existing! The truth can set you free! Now I can listen to anything without fear. I can pick out useful info from a pile of garbage.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I had a bow movement when he preached about the horrors of Global Warming!

Any additional comments?

This Author said one thing that's very true. He said it in Reference to Alexis De Tocqueville and he basically said he is not a historian, which means he can be trusted to tell the truth about history. Very true, Mr Wright! That explains the rest of your book! ( I found the truth about history from Austrian economists)

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Title: Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death

Author: Patrick Henry

Narrator: Peter Jahns

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-29-09

Publisher: CoolBeat Audiobook Publishing

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

This speech was delivered at the Second Virginia Convention, which was being held at Richmond, Virginia. Other convention members had just given speeches urging caution and patience until the British crown replied to the Continental Congress' latest petition for reconciliation. Patrick Henry wanted to raise a militia, and put Virginia in a posture of defense (the Battle of Lexington and Concord was still a month away). This speech was his rebuttal. The "president" he was addressing was the Convention's president, Peyton Randolph, of Williamsburg, Virginia.

Members Reviews:

And free is generally always a good deal for Kindle reading

No doubt we all remember the closing words, "give me liberty or...", But it's well worth a couple minutes to read the speech in its entirety. And free is generally always a good deal for Kindle reading.

Henry the traditionalist

Henry stirring and famous appeal to the house of burgesses is notable not only for it's magnificent rhetoric but also for Henry's conception of American liberty. Henry and the Virginians seem uninterested in creating a new order. They display a willingness to fight for the rights they inherited from the English constitution. In this way American revolution was a fight for tradition, and in many ways was barely a revolution at all.

Must read for American students

A quick insight into the mindset of revolutionary leaders as one tries to rally his colleagues to stop hoping for peace with Britain and start believing that they can and must start fighting for freedom.

Truly Masterful

Patrick Henry gave this speech at a time when oratory skills set you apart as royalty and Henry was King. Through words he brings forth the feelings of those opposed to British rule and calls the nation to rise up and cast off its oppressors. The one sad element is when you read his words you cannot hear his resounding delivery. And the one tragic element is when you realize we have gone, as a nation, from "Give me liberty or give me death!" to "Where's the beef".

Five Stars

Inspirational

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Title: Route 66

Subtitle: People & Places

Author: iMinds

Narrator: Luca James Lee

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-19-09

Publisher: iMinds

Ratings: 2.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Learn about Route 66 with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. Route 66 is arguably the most famous road in the United States of America. Stretching 2,448 miles across much of the country, from Chicago in the East to Los Angeles in the West, it was also America's longest road. As it wound its way across the remarkable scenery of America, Route 66 originally passed through the states of Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.

In the early 1920s, entrepreneurs Cyrus Avery and John Woodruff conceived the idea of building a massive highway that linked Chicago to Los Angeles. Their inspiration sprung from the changing needs of the American people. The nation needed to be more accessible to its inhabitants. While there were already highways in America at the time, none were as big, and most excluded rural communities. Also known as "Highway 66", building of the road began in 1926.

Perfect to listen to while commuting, exercising, shopping or cleaning the house.. iMinds brings knowledge to your MP3 with 8 minute information segments to whet your mental appetite and broaden your mind.

iMinds offers 12 main categories; become a Generalist by increasing your knowledge of Business, Politics, People, History, Pop Culture, Mystery, Crime, Culture, Religion, Concepts, Science and Sport. Clean and concise, crisp and engaging, discover what you never knew you were missing.

iMinds is the knowledge solution for the information age cutting through the white noise to give you quick, accurate knowledge .. Perfect your dinner party conversation, impress your boss - an excellent way to discover topics of interest for the future.

Editorial Reviews:

Few roads hold the cultural cache that Route 66 does. Spanning from Chicago to Los Angeles, it was the longest road in America. With this program from iMinds, listeners will learn all about the origins and evolution of Route 66, and its impact on Americas development. Performed with a casual and friendly delivery by Luca James Lee, this audiobook is an easy-to-follow and concise look at one of the most famous roads in the United States. Whether youre looking to boost your wealth of trivia or you have insatiable thirst for knowledge, this brief exposé is great addition to any collection.

Critic Reviews:

"I'm learning all sorts of stuff about stuff I didn't even know I didn't know. And it sticks. In a nutshell: wonderful." (Jonathon Margolis, Financial Times)

Members Reviews:

Buyer Beware

This is an eight-page rip-off promoted as "iMinds brings targeted knowledge to your eReading device with short information segments to whet your mental appetite and broaden your mind."

The only thing this useless overview will target is the 99 cents in your purse!

I can't believe Amazon has this online as a "book". And if there's more "iMind" stuff out there, I Don't Mind if I won't buy another product from these folks.

Short but Sweet

Very short text...reflecting pricing. Quite useful for a taste of info on the route. Have been researching a trip on Route 66 for a while and still found some useful info here.

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Title: Barron's EZ-101 Study Keys

Subtitle: American History, 1877 to the Present; Second Edition

Author: Mary Jane Capozzoli Ingui

Narrator: Jeff Riggenbach

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-14-09

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

In American History, 1877 to the Present, all main events are covered, including Reconstruction, industrialization, U.S. emergence as a world power, World Wars I and II, the Great Depression, Cold War politics, racial and sexual equality issues, Vietnam, Watergate, and threats to America at the start of the 21st century. Also covered are major personages, from George Armstrong Custer to Osama bin Laden, and much more.

Critic Reviews:

"An excellent introduction for students at the high-school or college levels."(Midwest Book Review)

Members Reviews:

Good Info. Bad Voice.

What did you love best about Barron's EZ-101 Study Keys?

Good Key points.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The reader voice dragged and dragged. I could not finish the audio book and ordered the physical book.