Download Best Sellers Audiobooks in History, American

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Title: In Sunlight, in a Beautiful Garden

Author: Kathleen Cambor

Narrator: James Daniels

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-24-08

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

In Sunlight, In a Beautiful Garden tells of a bittersweet romance set against the backdrop of the greatest industrial disaster in American history: the construction and subsequent collapse in 1889 of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, dam. It was a tragedy that cost 2,200 lives, implicated some of the most illustrious financiers of the day - Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and Andrew Mellon - whose carelessness contributed to the disaster, and irreparably changed the lives of those who survived it.

This is the story of these men and of the families who lived in the shadow of the dam: the daughter of the lawyer who filed the charter for an exclusive club on the shore of the artificially created lake; the Quaker steel mill owner who tried to stop the dam's construction; a librarian, escaping to a bustling mountain city from a loveless life in Boston; a young man determined to expose and undermine the greed and carelessness that shaped the last years of the 19thcentury.

A cautionary tale for our new century, In Sunlight, In a Beautiful Garden is a story of youthful promise and devastating loss, of power and its misuse, and of greed and the philanthropy that is too often a guilty by-product.

Members Reviews:

Money begets tragedy, and gets away with it

On Memorial Day in 1889, above the town of Johnstown, Pa, the South Fork dam burst nearly wiping out the town itself and many smaller towns downriver. Thousands were killed, livestock decimated and the township's buildings, homes and infrastructure were literally wiped off the face of the earth. Those that survived the initial assault were tested furthur as the cold night bore down on them. Shivering, injured, separated from loved ones, thirsty from the lack of potable water, left without food, desperate for medicine, bandages and clothes, they huddled together praying to make it until morning. While waters swirled around them, the structures they managed to seek refuge in threatened to collapse, casting off the survivors into black, raging waters. Even worse were those trapped inside structures and wedged downstream against the low bridge. Fires had ignited from the still burning stoves of homes knocked off their foundations. Massed in a huge jam, people burned to death and their screams could be heard throughout what was remaining of the town. This was a tragedy of immense proportions.

The real tragedy is that the wealthy men who were ultimately responsible for the maintainance of the dam failed to make the dam safe. The luxury of having a recreational and fishing lake were granted only to those rich enough to afford to vacation at the "club", and the area was strictly denied to any trespassers not registered with the fishing and hunting club. Little to no consideration was given to the THOUSANDS of people below the dam, nor their homes, their animals and their livlihoods. It is inconceivable that such callous disregard existed and that these "important" men got away with such transgressions!!

I guess I should not be surprised, as the foundation was set, and the same kind of disregard exists today as the corporate rich rob and plunder their companies at the expense of the working people.

Skillfully revealed, the author makes no mistake as to who is responsible.

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Title: VangoNotes for The American Nation, 13/e

Author: Mark C. Carnes, John A. Garraty

Narrator: Brett Barry, Alyson Silverman, Jessica Tivens

Format: Original Recording

Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-07-07

Publisher: Pearson Education, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Study on the go with VangoNotes. Just download chapter reviews from The American Nation, 13/e and listen to them on your mp3 player. Now wherever you are -- whatever you're doing -- you can study by listening to the following for each chapter of your textbook:

©2008 Pearson Education, Inc.

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Title: A Basic History of the United States, Vol. 2

Subtitle: Beginning of the Republic, 1775-1825

Author: Clarence B. Carson

Narrator: Mary Woods

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-02-07

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 23 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

This second volume discusses the move toward independence, the Declaration of Independence, the Revolutionary War, the battle for Canada, the struggle for the middle states, the battle for the South, the Constitutional Convention, the making of the Constitution, and the fruits of independence.

Don't miss the rest of the titles in the A Basic History of the United States series:

©1984 Clarence B. Carson; (P)1993 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic Reviews:

"The five-volume Basic History has gained a well-deserved reputation for combining insight with simple narrative style." (AudioFile)

"Carson's full-scale treatment of American history combines scholarly exactness with evocative passages that lead the listener to a clearer understanding of the people and events, the triumphs and the shortcomings, which have shaped this nation....For Carson, history is the product of the actions of countless individuals, each under the influence of certain ideas. And Carson explores those ideas, ideologies, and 'isms.'" (The Freeman)

Members Reviews:

Horrible Reading

Is there anything you would change about this book?

If you want to hear scratchy sound then this is the book for you!

What could Clarence B. Carson have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Have someone else read it

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Have a male voice?

Did A Basic History of the United States, Vol. 2 inspire you to do anything?

Stop listening to it!

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Title: Ship of Ghosts

Author: James D. Hornfischer

Narrator: Robertson Dean

Format: Abridged

Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-13-06

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Renowned as FDR's favorite warship, the cruiser USS Houston was a prize target trapped in the far Pacific after Pearl Harbor. Without hope of reinforcement, her crew faced a superior Japanese force ruthlessly committed to total conquest.

Hornfischer brings to life the awesome terror of nighttime naval battles that turned decks into strobe-lit slaughterhouses, until the Houston was finally sunk and its survivors taken prisoner.

For more than three years, the war continued for the crew in the brutal privation of jungle POW camps. But the men of the Houston fought back against their dehumanization with dignity, ingenuity, sabotage, willpower, and the undying faith that their country would prevail.

Using journals and letters, rare historical documents, and the eyewitness accounts of the Houston's survivors, James Hornfischer has crafted an account of human valor so riveting and awe-inspiring, it's easy to forget that every single word of it is true.

Critic Reviews:

"A gripping, well-told memorial to Greatest Generation martyrdom." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

It's Hornfischer at his best

I have read all his books this is my second Audible book by him. Amazing detail in this novel that's hard to turn off at night.

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Title: Just Americans

Subtitle: How Japanese Americans Won a War at Home and Abroad

Author: Robert Asahina

Narrator: Patrick Lawlor

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-01-06

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 24 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Within months after Pearl Harbor, 110,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly "evacuated" from the West Coast, losing their jobs, their property, and their homes. In less than a year, they were "relocated" and incarcerated in desolate camps throughout the West, Southwest, and South. Yet, incredibly, thousands of young men from the camps joined the Army, to defend the country that had denied them their rights. This is the dramatic story of the segregated Japanese American 100th Battalion/442d Regimental Combat Team, and what they did to affirm their full citizenship. As Gen. Jacob L. Devers put it, in World War II the soldiers of the 100th/442d had "more than earned the right to be called just Americans, not Japanese Americans."

From breathless battle scenes, masterfully handled in all their detail, to the unbreakable bonds of friendship in the field and to heart-wrenching stories of loss and discrimination on the mainland and in Hawaii, Just Americans tells the story of what Gen. George C. Marshall called the "most decorated unit in American military history for its size and length of service". It is also the story of soldiers in combat who were fighting a greater battle at home, a struggle that continues for minority groups today, over what it means to be an American.

Critic Reviews:

"Excellent." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

This is an exceptional book!

This is an exceptional book, the material is well researched and presented. For anyone interested in American history, this book will be a sobering and very disturbing experience.

More than a soldiers story

This is more than a book about 442nd regiment. It tells the story of the Japanese-Americans during the second world war. The discrimination they faced before, during and after the war. How Japanese were relocated from the west coast yet left free in Hawaii. It was particularly harsh on Franklin Roosevelt who signed the relocation order.

The book does tell the story of the 442nd, but it is so much more than that.

An important piece on US history.

A very interesting story that tells a portion of US history from a seemingly rarely visited perspective. I highly suggest it for it's historical learning value, and would rank it with the book "The Marines of Montford Point".

Let the facts speak, not the author

The author is angry for us. I think he could have let the facts speak for themselves more. If you don't get that these acts were despicable then telling you won't likely help.

Ok book

Where does Just Americans rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

it is is the middle rang of the books I have read. there is nothing new in it. there are better books in the subject.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Just Americans?

The story about the Japanese american officer coming to visit his friend in the camp and the guards can not decide what to do. he is an officer and they should do as he say, but he is also kike the people they are guarding...

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Title: The Korean War-Vietnam, Part 1

Author: Wendy McElroy

Narrator: George C. Scott

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-24-06

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 19 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

In 1954, the country of Vietnam was also divided in half at the 17th parallel. To the north was the Communist regime of Ho Chi Minh; to the south was the America-backed regime of Ngo Dinh Diem. Elections to unify the country were scheduled for 1956, but they were never held. Instead, each side used military means to accomplish political goals.

To America, Vietnam symbolized her ability to contain communism in Asia. To the Communists, Vietnam symbolized their ability to defeat America in warfare. It became a struggle to the death between East and West, not only between military forces but also between opposing ideologies. Meanwhile, the fabric of Vietnamese society had been torn apart.

By 1961, the Cold War was escalating, with John F. Kennedy in the White House and Nikita Khrushchev in the Kremlin. Both Sides held nuclear weapons, and they tested each other for weakness. But by 1964, Kennedy had been assassinated and the Soviets were at odds with communist China. The new American president, Lyndon B. Johnson, found himself trapped in a war without end. His solution was to escalate America's military commitment in Vietnam. Between November 1963 and July 1965, Johnson transformed America's limited engagement in Vietnam into an open-ended commitment.

Members Reviews:

Very interesting and informative

I found this book to be very interesting and informative. If you have any interest in the current political situation in North Korea and are to young to have experienced the events of the war in 1950 first hand, I highly recomend this book. To understand the presant you have to fully understand the past. The second part of this book On the Vietnam War, was just as interesting

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Title: How Come They Always had the Battles in the National Parks?

Author: Peter Bales

Narrator: Peter Bales

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-26-06

Publisher: Peter Bales

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 100 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Ideal for young people who want to learn and older folks who like to remember, this audiobook offers a perfect blend of information and humor, proving conclusively that the subject of History can be both interesting and fun.

Members Reviews:

Awful

After downloading dozens of books from audible.com I've finally come across one that is really awful. I listened to about 30 minutes of this book and found it humorless, tasteless and offensive. After discussing the awful reality of race relations in the US, Bales wraps up his comments with something about Michael Jackson bleaching his face. audible.com ought to remove this from their catalogue, refund any of us who purchased it and let Bales know just how bad his stuff is.

Poor show

I found this book to be myopic and politically correct to the point of warping the facts. It also omits a great deal, leaving an even more warped and "tv" version of history. It has a funny moment or two, but overall there are better sources for history.

It's a pity that it was this author overheard the comment that led to the title. In the hands of a better historian with a sense of humour it might have resulted in a great book.

light entertainment

The history's decent, although it does remind me of 8th grade history more than college history - everything is neat, has obvious causes and effects, and can be summarized rather briefly. Certainly not a bad review for those of us who haven't thought of the Revolution for a while, but no replacement for *real* history study. The author reads his own work and perceives himself as very clever, which may not be warranted. He uses "obviously" a bit too much. The end felt a little abrupt, he's "obviously" planning a sequel.

I'd place the cutoff for this one somewhere in the 8-10 yr old range; the "adult" stuff is rare and relatively tame, but it was surprising given the "family friendliness" touted in the official summary. I wouldn't play it around my five year old.

PG13 BUT FUN

This volume is well done but it should be recognized that the author uses both corse language and adult humor, most of which would go over the heads of younger children. Also, although he largely sticks to history and the facts, he does not miss an occaisional opportunity to interject opinion and let us know that he sees the world from what would only be described as a left wing liberal perspective. In spite of these observations, I would say that it is an enjoyable listen and reccommened it. Forewarned is forearmed.

Cute title, but...

This is a catchy title, but the book is a disappointment. It was written for those who don't know any history, and have little attention span.

The coverage is minimal, and the bias is definitely way to the left. I don't mind if the historians have a viewpoint, but I don't want it rammed down my throat.

Nonetheless, there is at least coverage of American history. I learned one or two bits I didn't know. If you love history, don't waste your credit on a book which will talk down to you.

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Title: Prayer in America (One Nation Under God)

Subtitle: A Spiritual History of Our Nation: A Spiritual History of Our Nation

Author: James P. Moore Jr.

Narrator: James P. Moore Jr., a Full Cast

Format: Abridged

Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-14-05

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

A stirring chronicle of the spiritual life of a nation, One Nation Under God shows how the faith of Americans, from the founding fathers to corporate tycoons, from composers to social reformers, from generals to slaves, was an essential ingredient in the formation of American culture, character, commerce, and creed.

One Nation Under God brings together the country's hymns, patriotic anthems, arts, and literature as a framework for telling the story of the innermost thoughts of the people who have shaped the United States we know today. Beginning with Native Americans, One Nation Under God traces the prayer lives of Quakers and Shakers, Sikhs and Muslims, Catholics and Jews, from their earliest days in the United States through the advent of cyberspace, the aftermath of 9/11, and the 2004 presidential election.

It probes the approach to prayer by such diverse individuals as Benjamin Franklin, Elvis Presley, Frank Lloyd Wright, Martha Graham, J. C. Penney, Mary Pickford, Cesar Chavez, P. T. Barnum, Jackie Robinson, and Christopher Columbus. It includes every president of the United States as well as America's farmers, clergy, immigrants, industrialists, miners, sports heroes, and scientists.

Critic Reviews:

"I am enormously impressed with the scholarship and research that has gone into this book. I am convinced that it will have a resonance like few other works for many years to come." (Stephen Ambrose)

"In this day and age we need to be reminded of what unites us as Americans rather than divides us. Jim Moore's One Nation Under God speaks uniquely and eloquently to the resounding spiritual life and common heritage that we share as a people." (John McCain)

Members Reviews:

One Nation Under God

This Country was founded by people that were Christians, or otherwise, believed in God-----this is well documented in this book by the role that prayer has had in America. As people that believed in God we have prospered as no other country has-------and now, for the past several decades, the aetheists and other non-God believing "citizens" and others, are trying to force us to their corrupt standards, views and non-God beliefs....

There is hope!

I have been an Audible listener for a long time, yet I rarely rate books unless I feel very moved. This is one such book. It is truly sad and scary that we have drifted so far from the roots of what this country was founded upon. It is more obvious than ever that we have drifted from our humble forefathers' desires of having a country that offered freedom "of" religion, to one that is advocating freedom "from" religion. This book truly appeals to the spirit inside all men, whatever their affiliation might be, to renew their contact with the One who made us all. Fabulous book! Don't let it pass by!

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Title: Bound for Canaan

Subtitle: The Underground Railroad and the War for the Soul of America

Author: Fergus M. Bordewich

Narrator: Fergus M. Bordewich

Format: Abridged

Length: 5 hrs and 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-02-05

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 23 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

The civil war brought to a climax the country's bitter division. But the beginnings of slavery's denouement can be traced to a courageous band of ordinary Americans, black and white, slave and free, who joined forces to create what would come to be known as the Underground Railroad, a movement that occupies as romantic a place in the nation's imagination as the Lewis and Clark expedition. The true story of the Underground Railroad is much more morally complex and politically divisive than even the myths suggest. Against a backdrop of the country's westward expansion arose a fierce clash of values that was nothing less than a war for the country's soul. Not since the American Revolution had the country engaged in an act of such vast and profound civil disobedience that not only challenged prevailing mores but also subverted federal law.

Bound for Canaan tells the stories of men and women like David Ruggles, who invented the black underground in New York City; bold Quakers like Isaac Hopper and Levi Coffin, who risked their lives to build the Underground Railroad; and the inimitable Harriet Tubman. Interweaving thrilling personal stories with the politics of slavery and abolition, Bound for Canaan shows how the Underground Railroad gave birth to this country's first racially integrated, religiously inspired movement for social change.

Critic Reviews:

"An excellent book...as close to a definitive history as we're likely to see." (The Wall Street Journal)

"The...stories...inspire, horrify, and humble." (Washington Post)

Members Reviews:

Should have used a professional reader

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Generally I like to hear the author read, but Mr. Bordewich has a habit of starting a sentence loudly and trailing off to a half-whisper at the end. It makes it difficult to find a comfortable volume, and very annoying to listen to. Despite an otherwise engaging narrative, I couldn't make it past the first chapter. Maybe I'll try the Kindle version.

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Title: Meet You in Hell

Subtitle: Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and the Bitter Partnership That Transformed America

Author: Les Standiford

Narrator: John Dossett

Format: Abridged

Length: 4 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-27-05

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 25 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

It is a fitting epitaph. Meet You in Hell is a classic tale of two men who embodied the best and worst of American capitalism. Standiford conjures up the majesty and danger of steel manufacturing, the rough-and-tumble of late-19th-century big business, and the fraught relationship of "the world's richest man" and the ruthless coke magnate to whom he entrusted his companies. Carnegie and Frick would introduce revolutionary new efficiencies and meticulous cost control to their enterprises, and would quickly come to dominate the world steel market. But their partnership had a dark side, revealed most starkly by their brutal handling of the Homestead Steel Strike of 1892. When Frick, acting on Carnegie's orders to do whatever was necessary, unleashed three hundred Pinkerton detectives, the result was the deadliest clash between management and labor in U.S. history.

Resplendent with tales of backroom chicanery, bankruptcy, philanthropy, and personal idiosyncrasy, Meet You in Hell artfully weaves the relationship of these titans through the larger story of a young nation's economic rise.

Critic Reviews:

"Standiford, the author of 14 previous books, brings his writerly experience to bear on this intriguing account of these two men's lives and of the industrial growth of the U.S." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

A story filled with errors

Les Standiford is the author of numerous books of fiction. For some reason, he decided to try to tell the story of Frick and Carnegie. While this book is interesting at points, it fails as a history book for a number of reasons. First, the research the author did (the hardcory has a bibliography) is very limited, and this shows throughout the book. The author knows almost nothing of the age of which he is writing, and thus provides little context for the events and personalities he's describing. What little context he does provide is often wrong. He knows nothing about how a corporation's stock works, so is unable to describe accurately the way Carnegie took control of Frick's company.

The second problem is the number of historical errors. Saugus is in MA, not MI; anthracite was discovered in Eastern PA, not Western, etc etc. He wrongly attributes a bunch of financial speculators from Chicago with "pioneering the invention of vertical integration". Well, if you've only read 5 books on the period and only 2 of them were economic histories, you might make these kind of errors.

Finally, the author fails to explain how America was changed by the relationship of these two men. At the end, he makes a ridiculous attempt to draw lessons for today from his history. He takes a swipe at Wal-Mart for being non-union, as if the role of unions has not changed from Carnegie's time to the present.

There are wonderful books on this fascinating period of American history by qualified writers (John Steele Gordon and David McCullough). This is unforunately not one of them, and Standiford is out of his league here.