Download Popular Titles Audiobooks in History, 20th Century

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Title: Yellow Dirt

Subtitle: An American Story of a Poisoned Land and a People Betrayed

Author: Judy Pasternak

Narrator: Laural Merlington

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-21-10

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 40 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

From the 1930s to the 1960s, the United States knowingly used and discarded an entire tribe of people. The Navajo worked unprotected in the uranium mines that fueled the Manhattan Project and the Cold War. Long after these mines were abandoned, Navajos in all four corners of the Reservation (which borders Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona) continued grazing their animals on sagebrush flats riddled with uranium that had been blasted from the ground. They drank contaminated water from old pits, which had filled with rain. They built their houses out of chunks of yellowcake, they inhaled radioactive dust borne aloft from the waste piles the mining companies had left behind, and their children played in the unsealed mines themselves.

Ten years after the mines closed, the cancer rate on the reservation shot up and the babies began to be born with crooked fingers that fused together into claws as they grew. Scientists filed complaints about the situation with the government but were told it was a mess "too expensive" to clean up. Few had heard this story until Judy Pasternak exposed it in a prizewinning Los Angeles Times series. Her work not only inspired this book, which is already a winner of the J. Anthony Lukas Work-In-Progress Award, it also galvanized both a congressman and a famous prosecutor to clean the sites and get reparations for the tribe. Yellow Dirt powerfully chronicles both the scandal of neglect and the Navajos fight for justice.

Editorial Reviews:

Yellow Dirt: An American Story of a Poisoned Land and a People Betrayed chronicles the 1940s discovery of uranium mines in Navajo territories and how the resulting radiation had long-lasting implications for generations to come.

A part of American history too few are aware of, the discovery of the mines was full of conflict from the start. Whereas many Navajo elders argued in favor of leaving the earth as they found it, younger members of the tribe were eager to use it as a way of making profit. Many worked in the mines for years, with their families living in their shadows, unknowingly exposing themselves to deadly levels of radiation. It wasnt until many years had passed, with the death rates from various cancers and the number of children born with birth defects on the rise, that the tribes begin to question just what they had been living and working with.

Laural Merlington is the perfect choice for this storys narration. Her voice is warm and deep, with a slight undefineable accent that lends credibility and makes the listener feel as if theyre getting the story direct from a member of the tribe. Her reading is spot-on, with incredible attention paid to the foreign and difficult Navajo language. Each word is spoken carefully, with well-thought out phrasing, making the words sound melodious and almost lyrical. Although the book is a work of nonfiction, Merlington still makes a concerted effort to give each player a unique voice; as the book features a cast of dozens, it helps to distinguish each player, and weave a story amid the many facts.

Whereas it would have been simpler to exclude the vernacular and terms in favor of their English counterparts, author Judy Pasternacks use of the Navajo language helps bolster the story and round it out with a richness that English wouldnt be able to provide.

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Title: Baseball

Subtitle: A History of America's Game

Author: Benjamin G. Rader

Narrator: Joe Barrett

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-05-10

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 25 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

A succinct history of baseball, newly revised and updated. In this third edition of his lively history of America's game, widely recognized as the best of its kind, Benjamin G. Rader expands his scope, covering record crowds and record income, construction of new ballparks, a change in the strike zone, a surge in recruiting Japanese players, and an emerging cadre of explosive long-ball hitters.

The book is published by The University of Illinois Press.

Critic Reviews:

"The best single-volume history of the sport... Tackles the business and organizational evolution of the professional game, while not losing sight of how it was played on the field." (Washington Post Book World)

"The search for a good compact history of baseball is over. This work, thoughtfully constructed to locate the national pastime within a rich social and economic context, is a model of historical synthesis.... This reviewer does not know of a better history of baseball." (Choice)

"Baseball reflects Rader's firm grasp of the best and latest scholarship and his insightful understanding of American sport history." (Sporting News)

Members Reviews:

... to a baseball fan and collector and he was happy with it

This was a gift to a baseball fan and collector and he was happy with it.

Concise, Readable and Interesting

Concise history of the game. Probably a real enthusiast would know most of what's in here, but both my husband and I (TV watchers, who attend 3-4 games a year in the stadium) enjoyed it very much.

Great book!

Brilliant book, very quirky, insightful, very informative, and a heck of a lot of fun to read! The author did a lot of research to find some of the things entailed in this book!

great

Great! This will work well with our school. It will meet the needs of our students and faculty as required.

A Christmas Gift.

Have not read it yet; just browsed. Hope my son-in-law shares with me after his read. It looks great with other good reviews.

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Title: Hitler's Holy Relics

Author: Sidney Kirkpatrick

Narrator: Charles Stransky

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-11-10

Publisher: HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 93 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

A True Story of Nazi Plunder and the Race to Recover the Crown Jewels of the Holy Roman Empire

Had Hitler succeeded in conquering Europe, he would have crowned himself Holy Roman Emperor. The Nazis had in their possession priceless artifacts that would give Hitler legitimacy in his subjects' eyes: the Crown Jewels of the Holy Roman Empire, including the Spear of Destiny, alleged to have pierced Christ's side at the Crucifixion. Looted from the royal treasury in Vienna, Austria, the Crown Jewels were hidden in a secret bunker deep beneath Nrnberg castle, known to few but Heinrich Himmler, his staff, and a captured German soldier whose family lived above it.

As luck would have it, the officer in charge of interrogating the soldier was First Lieutenant Walter Horn, art history professor. Following his report to General Patton, Horn would be assigned to recover this ancient treasure. Would he find it before covert Nazi agents could use it to revive the defeated regime?

>Based on recently discovered and previously unpublished documents and interviews with all remaining living participants, this is a tale that surpasses fiction: part thriller, part detective story, all true.

Contact me for any questions: [email protected]

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Title: Supreme Power

Subtitle: Franklin Roosevelt vs. the Supreme Court

Author: Jeff Shesol

Narrator: Mel Foster

Format: Unabridged

Length: 23 hrs and 52 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-26-10

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 116 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

Beginning in 1935, in a series of devastating decisions, the Supreme Court's conservative majority left much of Franklin Roosevelt's agenda in ruins. The pillars of the New Deal fell in short succession. It was not just the New Deal but democracy itself that stood on trial. In February 1937, Roosevelt struck back with an audacious plan to expand the Court to fifteen justices - and to "pack" the new seats with liberals who shared his belief in a "living" Constitution. The ensuing fight was a firestorm that engulfed the White House, the Court, Congress, and the nation.

The final verdict was a shock. It dealt FDR the biggest setback of his political life, split the Democratic party, and set the stage for a future era of Republican dominance. Yet the battle also transformed America's political and constitutional landscape, hastening the nation's march into the modern world.

This brilliant work of history unfolds like a thriller, with vivid characters and unexpected twists. Providing new evidence and fresh insight, Jeff Shesol shows why understanding the Court fight is essential to understanding the presidency, personality, and legacy of FDR - and to understanding America at a crossroads in its history.

Critic Reviews:

Supreme Power is an extraordinary book that rings with relevance for our time. (Bill Clinton)

"Characterizing defining traits of the main combatantsFDR, Chief Justice Charles Hughes, and Senator Burt WheelerShesol skillfully illustrates the nexus of personality and principle, with the New Deal and the Constitution being perceived as at stake. A book sure to recruit history readers, especially those eyeing present political currents." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Excellent Book and Naration

This book was extremely well written and well narrated- it is probably one of the best books I've listened to this year. Jeff Shesol did a great job of painting a picture of all of the key players in Roosevelt's attempt to pack the Supreme Court- from Roosevelt himself to Senators Bert Wheeler and Joe Robinson, to each of the US Supreme Court Justices that made up that court. What made this book so great was that the author did an incredible job of framing each of the key player's personal agendas and priorities as either a proponent or opponent of the court packing scheme as well as providing a brief biography of each of them. Most interesting were the discussions of Chief Justice Hughes (a former US Presidetial candidate) as well as Justices Stone and Roberts (who eventually became the key swing vote in the court). I strongly recommend the book as a great listen

Powerful and relevent

There are many similarities between our great depression and or current great recession. Understanding the former goes a long way to understanding the latter. This book brings up Roosevelts New Deal agenda, the conservative Supreme Court's opposition and the resulting battle that was waged. Of paramount significance is the realization that today's conservative movement got its start with Roosevelt's defeat to pack the Supreme Court.

The book's presentation is first rate. Mel Foster was an inspired choice to be narrator. His imitation of Roosevelt is right on the mark. A must listen!

terrific book brings 1930s politics to life

A well-written and well-narrative audiobook that effectively brings the politics of the 1930s to life.

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Title: Whirlwind

Subtitle: The Air War Against Japan, 1942-1945

Author: Barrett Tillman

Narrator: Mel Foster

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-02-10

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 91 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

Whirlwind is the only book to examine in depth the human drama behind the most important bombing campaign in history. While the air war against Nazi Germany has been covered in-depth by many books, Barrett Tillman, a renowned authority on military aircraft and the air war in the Pacific, is the first to tackle the air war against Japan.

For decades, historians and politicians have debated whether or not Japan was on the verge of surrender in August 1945 - before the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Tillman argues that for all the widespread death and suffering, the bombing of Japan remains a great example of air power's ability to end a long, bitter, and bloody war without invasion.

Writing from the perspective of the aircrews and the generals and admirals who commanded them, Tillman examines all aspects of the human drama of the war, combining historical analyses with the words of survivors from both sides of the bomb.

Critic Reviews:

A blow-by-blow history of the Allied air offensive against Japan during World War II.... Tightly focused, sure-footed military history. (Kirkus Reviews)

Members Reviews:

Good, but ultimately disappointing

I misunderstood this book to be one about the entire air effort of the allies against Japan in the Pacific theatre. It is, however, limited to a study of the effort to bomb Japan itself. There is an interesting section about the attempt to bomb Japan with B-29's from China and discussions of the need to fire bomb and then to drop the atom and hydrogen bombs. Unfortunately there is way too much data and not nearly enough personal interest. The book suffers eventually from the constant narration of the numbers of planes in particular raids, how much tonnage was dropped, how many planes returned, etc. There is very little about or from the fliers themselves - though the introduction notes the veterans are dieing away and their stories with them. And there is too much about the generals and admirals. This book would have benefited greatly if it included much more about those whose rank was less than Major. It fits in my library of WW2 books and resources, but it is more of a reference book than an engaging and personal history that warrants a reread.

A workmanlike effort

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

For someone unfamiliar with the air war against Japan, this book provides a good summary of the history and some worth while glimpses into what it meant to fly in that struggle. For this sort of reader, it is well worth the read.

Any additional comments?

This is a good basic book. For readers with a more sophisticated grasp of World War II history, this book doesn't add anything new or startling. As I said, a workmanlike effort.

A great study of the Pacific Air Campaign

This was well researched, logically presented, full of great factoids & examples. I loved it.

Great book

This was a wonderful book to listen to- really brought the period alive. The narrator did an excellent job!

Excellent Book

While I was expecting a more detailed assessment of the use of air power against Japan in the Pacific, such as in the notable carrier battles, this book is specifically focussed on operations against the home islands. Nevertheless, it is a brief and insightful read.

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Title: From the Palmer Raids to the Patriot Act

Subtitle: A History of the Fight for Free Speech in America

Author: Chris Finan

Narrator: Chris Finan

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 20 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-23-10

Publisher: Caravan

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 15 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

The first comprehensive history of the evolution of Free Speech in America for a general readership, from a respected historian and free speech activist.

After Upton Sinclair, famed author of The Jungle, was arrested for reading the First Amendment on Liberty Hill in 1923, The Nation commented: "When we contemplate the antics of the chief of police of Los Angeles, we are deterred from characterizing him as an ass only through fear that such a comparison would lay us open to damages from every self-respecting donkey."

In this lively history of our most fundamental and perhaps most vulnerable right, Chris Finan traces the lifeline of free speech from the War on Terror back to the turn of the last century.

Members Reviews:

Gripping novel

If you're eyes weren't open before this book will set you straight about the need to fight for your democratic right at every turn. We take for granted the liberties we enjoy currently. This book is an account of what it took people of this century to ensure those rights.

Thanks Chris.

Never has the Need for this Book been Greater in the United States

If our Democracy is to be preserved, we must protect those persons, particularly Judges and lawyers, who speak out against Federal and state governments' failures to protect our people from harm. As witnessed by Federal and state governments' acceptance of the Federal 9/11 Commission's preposterous claim that the World Trade Center buildings came down at near free fall speed into their footprints without the use of explosives, the right to speak freely in the United States is a low point in history. For other past examples, read this book. Use the knowledge gained from Mr. Finan's work and Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth website to speak out against present day government tyranny.

A reminder that free speech is not guaranteed in the Constitution

As a writer I've long assumed that First Amendment rights were enshrined in the Constitution. However, after readying Christopher M. Finan's history I realized for the first time just how tenuous those rights are in U.S. history. It is truly amazing to read a book that attempts to compile in one place all of the efforts to restrain free speech and the free press. I was familiar with many if not most of the individual incidents but to have them covered at one time certainly leaves an impression that there has been a segment of U.S. society willing to muzzle this freedom based on real or imagined threats.

My only reservation about the book is the quasi political bent it takes toward the more recent censorship efforts. I had the impression the author was attempting to make a political point that certain parties are more prone to abandon the First Amendment of the Constitution. Perhaps this is true although the treatment in this book compromises the unbiased quality of the historical research.

Books such as this one are a reminder the Constitution is under constant threat and requires constant vigilance by all citizens.

Lively and engaging account

Considering that most treatments of the subject are dry tomes, this is an account of the long efforts by many Americans to secure our Constitutional rights to free speech and free published accounts of ideas in the press.

A real advantage of this book is its use of stories behind the legal cases that make it lively and engaging to read.

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Title: The Year That Changed the World

Subtitle: The Untold Story Behind the Fall of the Berlin Wall

Author: Michael Meyer

Narrator: Ed Sala

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-17-09

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 130 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" President Ronald Reagan's famous exhortation when visiting Berlin in 1987 has long been widely cited as the clarion call that brought the Cold War to an end. The United States won, so this version of history goes, because Ronald Reagan stood firm against the USSR; American resoluteness brought the evil empire to its knees. Michael Meyer, who was there at the time as a Newsweek bureau chief, begs to differ.

In this extraordinarily compelling account of the revolutions that roiled Eastern Europe in 1989, Meyer shows that American intransigence was only one of many factors that provoked world-shaking change. He draws together breathtakingly vivid, on-the-ground accounts of the rise of the Solidarity movement in Poland, the stealth opening of the Hungarian border, the Velvet Revolution in Prague, and the collapse of the infamous wall in Berlin. But the most important events, Meyer contends, occurred secretly, in the heroic stands taken by individuals in the thick of the struggle - leaders such as poet and playwright Vaclav Havel in Prague; the Baltic shipwright Lech Walesa; the quietly determined reform prime minister in Budapest, Miklos Nemeth; and the man who privately realized that his empire was already lost and decided, with courage and intelligence, to let it go in peace, Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet general secretary of the Communist party. Reporting for Newsweek from the frontlines in Eastern Europe, Meyer spoke to these players and countless others. Alongside their deliberate interventions were also the happenstance and human error of history that are always present when events accelerate to breakneck speed.

Editorial Reviews:

Viewed from a distance, random chaos can take on the semblance of logical patterns, and events that spring from accidents can be portrayed as inevitable. In his book, Michael Meyer reveals "the logic of human messiness" at the center of that history-making year, 1989, when the haphazard unravelling of the communist states was encapsulated by the misunderstanding that prompted the fall of the Berlin Wall: a confused spokesman at a press conference stated that people were free to travel to the West ab sofort immediately.

The great gift of this book is the first-hand familiarity that comes from the authors stint as Newsweeks correspondent in Germany, central Europe, and the Balkans during the years immediately prior to the collapse of the Berlin Wall. We follow him from Budapest to Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, and Moscow as he chases stories and attends off-the-record meetings where he interviews and captures with the economical pen of a portraitist such key crucial players as Vaclav Havel and unlikeable Lech Walesa. There is an unforgettable portrayal of Ceausescu, each detail illuminating the psychology of a dictator. After an hours wait, Ceausescu shuffles in, wearing woven plastic shoes and a baggy grey suit, and offered a moist weak palm. His people feared this man as Satan. They referred to him simply as He.

The titles boast of untold story is partially justified by the unprecedented attention given to the quiet contributions of Hungarian Prime Minister Miklos Nemeth and his secret cooperation with the West German authorities in opening the Austrian/Hungarian border in the summer of 1989, allowing hundreds of East Germans to take the long route out.

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Title: Elders of Zion

Subtitle: Mystery & Conspiracy

Author: iMinds

Narrator: Ellouise Rothwell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-17-09

Publisher: iMinds

Ratings: 2.5 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

Learn the story of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is the one of the world's most famous conspiracy theories. It is a statement of prejudice and paranoia, a fake historical record and a grand hoax all rolled into one.

The Protocols claim to prove that there is a Jewish plot to take over the world and purport to show that Socialism, Liberalism, and every other reformist idea or activity are just tools of a Jewish secret cabal. The Protocols have been discredited many times over their 110-year-old history and would be laughable, except for the tragic role they played in the Twentieth Century.

The actual Protocols text is written as if it is a secret document from a shadowy Jewish organization and details a conspiratorial plot to undermine the existing World Order. Each of the 24 sections read as a strategic instruction on how to undermine elements of the existing order.

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.

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:

Not the book!

It's not the book, only a brief explanation of the book and its history with no in-depth info.

Just a blurb

Very short, very little information. Just a blurb. Interesting to listen to but not what I was looking for.

Don't.

This would not have been as bad as it was if it wasn't for the loud background music that is as loud as the person speaking.

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Title: The Greatest Day in History

Subtitle: How the First World War Finally Came to an End

Author: Nicholas Best

Narrator: John Haag

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-03-09

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 19 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

Nicholas Best tells the story in sweeping, cinematic style, following a set of key participants through the twists and turns of these climactic events, and sharing the impressions of eyewitnesses, including Adolf Hitler, Charles de Gaulle, Harry S. Truman, Anthony Eden, and future famous generals MacArthur, Patton, and Montgomery.

Critic Reviews:

"What might have been merely a kaleidoscopic series of vignettes is given shape and focus by Best's skill at paraphrasing the narratives and synergizing the experiences of those who lived through the greatest day in history, knowing they had survived the deadliest war up to then - and suddenly asking, What happens now?" (Publishers Weekly)

"The sense that the last four years could not be repeated is very strong among these witnesses, except for a certain Adolf Hitler, who feels that Germany has to try again. All expanding WWI collections need this book." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Powerful (Sometimes Disturbing) Dose of Reality

Sometimes, when I read a really powerful book, once in a while I am so deeply affected by it that I can't get some particular scene out of my head because it horrifies me like I was really there. This book did that for me, and in that sense it was extremely successful at capturing the reality of the First World War.

The wide variety of stories being told in this book gave me a new perspective on the First World War. Hearing from ordinary people - telegraph operators, nurses, prisoners of war, and conscripts - along with the people with large looming destinies and the most important people at that time really helps you see the war through the eyes of the people who experienced it. And it is not pretty. Certainly you learn in history class about the misery of trench warfare and shellshocked veterans, but this book contained details about how both sides treated prisoners of war, civilians, and each other that might make you ill. Some of them certainly made me feel sick. There were some heartwarming stories too, about illicit kindness to prisoners of war by "enemy" civilians, post-armistice fraternizing of opposing troops, and bravery and sacrifice. But the tone of the book overall is not uplifting - just the opposite. It is morose and gloomy. The people who know the most about what is going on - Lloyd George, Wilson, Clemenceau, etc. - are not out celebrating in the streets with the average person and are often concerned that this is not the last they will see of a war with Germany. I suspect some of that is historical bias, to see the Second World War everywhere on November 11, 1918, but it is true that the point of view of civilians was very different from the people in charge on Armistice Day.

I really appreciated the fact that this book, unlike a lot of books about the world wars, was not pretty much exclusively about Americans or possibly the Americans and the British. Nothing annoys me more as a Canadian to try to learn about these conflicts and hear nothing except the American point of view. This book talks about Serbians and Italians, Canadians and Indians, Australians and New Zealanders.

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Title: Nothing to Fear

Subtitle: FDR's Inner Circle and the Hundred Days That Created Modern America

Author: Adam Cohen

Narrator: Norman Dietz

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-29-09

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 93 votes

Genres: History, 20th Century

Publisher's Summary:

When FDR took his oath of office in March 1933, more than 10,000 banks had gone under following the Crash of 1929, a quarter of American workers were unemployed, and riots were breaking out at garbage dumps as people fought over scraps of food. Before the 100 days, the federal government was limited in scope and ambition; by the end, it had assumed an active responsibility for the welfare of all of its citizens.

Adam Cohen provides an illuminating group portrait of the five members of FDR's inner circle who, more than any others, drove this unprecedented transformation. These five men and women frequently pushed FDR to embrace more radical programs than he would have otherwise. FDR came to the White House with few firm commitments about how to resolve this national crisis - as a politician he was more pragmatic than ideological and, perhaps surprising given his New Deal legacy, a fiscal conservative by nature. Instead, he relied heavily on his advisers and preferred when they had conflicting views so that he could choose the best option among them. For this reason, he kept in close confidence both Frances Perkins - a feminist before her time and the strongest advocate for social welfare programs - and Lewis Douglas, an entrenched budget cutter who frequently clashed with the other members of FDR's progressive inner circle.

Rather than commit to a single solution or ideology, FDR favored a policy of "bold, persistent experimentation". As a result, he presided over the most feverish period of government activity in American history, one that gave birth to modern America.The political fault lines of this era - welfare, government regulation, agriculture policy - remain with us today.

Editorial Reviews:

The dramatic first 100 days of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's presidency are the subject of Nothing to Fear, named for the oft-quoted line in FDR's inaugural speech: "The only thing we have to fear is...fear itself." Audiobook performer Norman Dietz brings a gritty realism to his narration as he describes this time of crisis and massive upheaval for the United States, detailing the multiple reforms FDR ushered in to bring relief to a nation devastated by the Depression. This audiobook also provides an in-depth portrait of FDR's inner circle of five advisers, who played a pivotal role in the groundbreaking policies he introduced to establish the modern welfare state. Packed with historical detail, Nothing to Fear captures one of the most important transitions in American political history.

Critic Reviews:

"A crucial human story which goes beyond that found in most FDR biographies." (Library Journal)

"An elucidating, pertinent and timely work on the makings of government." (Kirkus)

Members Reviews:

Important contribution

I have been reading about Roosevelt and his presidency for the last few months. There are many books about Roosevelt and his leadership, but where some of them are weak, it is that they focus too much on the man, and too little on those with whom he worked, and sometimes too little on policy.

Nothing to Fear is an account of the fabled first 100 days of Roosevelt's first term, and the characters who came together to make it.

Nothing to Fear exemplifies good story telling, with policy and human interest finely balanced.