Download the Popular Authors Audiobooks in History, American

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Civil War Collection

Author: Readio Theatre

Narrator: Joe Loesch

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-25-03

Publisher: Readio Theatre LLC

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 18 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Entrenched in a conflict over slave labor, the industrialized North and slave-powered South of the mid-1800s became entangled in the only war to be waged between Americans on U.S. soil. The Civil War, infamously known as the bloodiest military conflict to date, engaged three million Americans, claiming the lives of over half a million.

The long march from Secession to Southern Reconstruction comes to vivid life with The Civil War Collection, a riveting audio documentary that leads the listener on a compelling historical timeline chronicling America's insurrection. History buffs and educators alike will marvel at these peerless recordings offering unmatched scope and accuracy. From Fort Sumter to Appomattox, The Civil War Collection is a uniquely valuable testament to the tumultuous era of Lincoln and Lee.

Members Reviews:

An excellent glimpse into the Civil War

Mixed with first hand accounts and an overall narration. Only compliant is that episode 3 seems to be missing. There are 8 episodes in total and each is roughly an hour long. However episode 3 is only 5 minutes long before starting on episode 4.

Suprisingly Delightful

I will try to make this "short and sweet". I disagree that this set is for the Civil War novice only. I am a Civil War "buff" and historian (self proclaimed of course..) and I thought this series was VERY entertaining. In fact, I looked forward to running my 5 mile run daily just so I could listen to this production. AND..production is exactly what it is. Music, Full sound effects, 1st person accounts performed by a myriad of characters..none of which overshadows the central narratives being told.

I agree there are plenty of "common knowledge" stories and narraiton in here, but at the same time there are some real 'gems' that you won't get in your average 'over-the-counter' Civil War narrative.

It is also a VERY thorough history account covering the prewar decades, major battles, and my favorite section which was a good hour or so dedicated to post war reconstruction, treatment of veterans, etc.

Along with the major points there are some sections dealing with less covered period histories like Native American involvement, some minor, yet important, battles and skirmishes, etc, etc etc

My MAIN gripe with this set (I'd really give it 4 1/2 stars if I could instead of 5 because of this) is that the first few hours are not really in any order..they are random stories and narratives thrown together, often repeating incidents, details that have already been covered. BUT that corrects itself by the 3rd hour and follows a more correct timeline (for the most part) . Another small 'irk' I have, if you will, is that a few (very few) precise dates are incorrect and a few Civil War "incidents"."urban legends" that have been debunked/corrected over the years are still presented as fact.

Other than that, this is brilliant. It is NOT politically correct and period terms ARE used..which is a good thing when trying to convey the era.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: John Adams

Author: John Patrick Diggins

Narrator: Richard Rohan

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 29 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-13-03

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

But, as John Patrick Diggins shows, Adams's contributions still resonate today. During his single term he created the Department of the Navy, rallied support for an undeclared war against France, oversaw the passage of the Alien and Sedition Act, and left a solvent Treasury. More important, he identified and fought against two trends that continued to trouble domestic affairs today. Adams was keenly aware of the influence of the rich and famous over the popular imagination. Many of his policies were intended to keep the unofficial aristocracy of celebrity, including that of president, in check. Adams also foresaw the Jefferson's populism, which helped the Republicans win the close election of 1800, was faulty: guaranteeing freedom and the rule of popular opinion could not ensure that citizens would respect one another's inalienable rights. The Civil War, suffrage for women, and the civil rights movement would, generations later, highlight this tension between the will of the people and the rights of minorities.

Diggins' Adams is a man whose reputation for snobbery and failure are wholly undeserved, and whose prescient modernism still holds valuable lessons for us as we strive to fulfill the Founding Fathers' vision of a fair republic and just society. He is, in Diggins' view, the president who comes closest to Plato's ideal of philosopher-king.

Critic Reviews:

"The solid interpretation of events will interest students of the presidency and the early republic." (Kirkus Reviews)

"More than just a miniature of our second president, Diggins' slim volume offers a reconsideration of Adams, a thoughtful study of American politics of the period and Adams's legacy for today." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

A Worthy Addition

Good short biography of Adams. The author discusses Adam's political thought as much as he does Adam's life, making this book a nice addition to the current Adams' bibliography.

Just Okay

I really enjoy the history books, especially history books about the founding fathers but overall, I wouldn't rank this amongst those books that I've listened to and actually liked.

Love history hate this book

Something about this narrator made it very difficult to stay focused. I found my mind wondering continuously

Listen to this audiobook free with a 30-day trial. Go to http://hotaudiobook.com/free

Title: Lost and Found Sound, Volume One

Author: The Kitchen Sisters (Davia Nelson & Nikki Silva), Jay Allison

Narrator: various

Format: Abridged

Length: 2 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-08-01

Publisher: HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 38 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

A dozen stories from the Peabody Award-winning radio series, Lost and Found Sound, heard throughout 1999-2000 on NPR's All Things Considered. The series producers, The Kitchen Sisters (Davia Nelson & Nikki Silva) and Jay Allison, started with an idea of a radio series exploring how sound has captured and shaped American history and how the sound of our lives has changed over the last 100 years. Culled from more than 60 stories, this first compilation includes: "Tony Schwartz: 30,000 Recordings Later"; "Gettysburg Eyewitness"; "Cigar Stories" (narrated by Andy Garcia); "Carnival Talkers"; "Sound Restoration"; "LBJ and the Helium-Filled Astronaut"; "Listening to the Northern Lights"; "The Partridge Family Grand Tour"; "Tennessee Williams: The Pennyland Recordings"; and more.

Critic Reviews:

"These people are possessed. By sound. This is the most wonderful collection. The rich, rewarding sounds of life that might otherwise have escaped us. The sounds of the street and the soul." (Peter Jennings, ABC News)

Contact me for any questions: [email protected]

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Burning of Washington

Subtitle: The British Invasion of 1814

Author: Anthony S. Pitch

Narrator: Anthony S. Pitch

Format: Abridged

Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-17-00

Publisher: Naval Institute Press

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 23 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

With all the immediacy of an eyewitness account, Anthony Pitch recounts the dramatic story of the British invasion of Washington, D.C. in the summer of 1814. The British torched the Capitol, the White House, and other buildings, setting off an inferno that illuminated the countryside for miles around and sent President James Madison galloping out of town. The author's gripping account is filled with details of the attack and directs listeners to the exact location of scorch marks that can still be found on White House stones. He also describes the valiant defense of nearby Fort McHenry and the story of Francis Scott Key, who was detained on a British warship in Baltimore Harbor and wrote what would become The Star Spangled Banner.

©1998 by Anthony S. Pitch; (P)1999 by the Naval Institute Press

Critic Reviews:

"As good as historical re-creation gets! "(Gilbert M. Grosvenor, National Geographic Society)

"Extremely well written, with a wealth of original material." (Rex Scouten, former White House curator)

Members Reviews:

Ok book - Bad recording.

Content was fine - the audio was recorded on an 8 track in a crowded public booth and converted to an MP3. I have never heard worse audio. At first I thought the author had a bad vioce, but then I realized his voice was too compressed. I think a good recording would have bad the book more interesting.

Of the Old School

The sound quality is exceptionally poor, and with Mr. Pitch's very pukka English accent it sounds like a wartime BBC radio broadcast! Mr. Pitch delivers his book at a run, sometimes jamming sentences together without a pause. Eventually the listener get used to this, and ultimately there is much useful information in this audiobook, but facts alone do not really save it.

It appears that this book was written in 1998, and although Anthony Pitch is an expatriate Englishman, he seems to have imbued the mythology of his adoptive country when it comes to the War of 1812. As with the Revolutionary War, British historians have come late to the scene, and it is the American view which has prevailed unchallenged. Things have begun to change, but Mr. Pitch's book still belongs to the 'old school'.

Within that paradigm Mr. Pitch makes an attempt at even-handedness, but he tends to be betrayed by his repeated references to the British force as a "horde", or similar words, to suggest that the Americans were somehow overwhelmed by a vast military juggernaut. The reality is the British force was small and lightly equipped: Today we might call it a littoral raiding force. This is not made clear. Words like 'vandals' appear, with no counterbalancing explanation of the behaviour of American troops in Canada, or the stated aim of the British to punish America in kind for the burning of York. He also makes some basic historical mistakes, for example when he describes the British troops as 'veterans' of the Peninsular campaign: in fact only one British Army unit had seen combat before.

Mr. Pitch is to be commended for his presentation of the stories of the non-military actors, especially Booth and others caught up in the chaos. He is less objective when it comes to some of the main leaders on both sides.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Greatest Aces

Author: Edward H. Sims

Narrator: Justin Hecht

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-16-99

Publisher: Books on Tape

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 42 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Top World War II aces of the RAF, USAAF, and the Luftwaffe recall the greatest aerial missions in this thrilling program. There is Douglas Bader, one of the best of the RAF fighter pilots despite 2 artificial legs, Adolf Galland of the Luftwaffe, who, subsequent to being shot down in France one morning, took off in another Messerschmitt that afternoon, another German ace, Hans-Joachim Marseille, the young "Pilot of Africa" who would steal into the British fighters' own formations to down several Hurricanes before the enemy could react, and Robert S. Johnson, the American who heroically defended Liberator and Flying Fortress formations.

(P) Books on Tape, Inc.

Members Reviews:

Excellent

This is a great book with lots of interesting information and first-hand accounts of dogfights, compiled by the author through first-hand discussions with the aces written about. It is impressively well researched. I've read a lot of books on WWII air combat and like this one very much. If you like WWII aviation history, I'm sure you'll like this.

I think the narrator is fine -- the problem, though, is that the recording quality is quite bad. It sounds like the tapes they digitized from are much worse for the passage of time (muffled sounding) or that person who did the digitization did a very bad job. Although the recording quality is bad, to me it is intelligible -- but I suggest you listen to a sample first to make sure you are OK with it.

Great Stuff!!!

This book is essential for anyone with an avid interest in military history and/or aviation. The descriptions are very detailed and give you a basis to vividly imagine the experiences of the profiled fighter pilots. From unconscionable skill of Marseille, to the undeterable Bader, to the machine-like Hartmann, this book is a great insight into the world of the fighter pilot.

The audio quality is not that great, with the volume fluctuating at times. But the reader is good enough not to refrain from going audio.

I highly recommend this item.

very good but dry delivery

the details in this book are amazing and i thoroughly enjoyed it but be warned the narrator is so droning you may falll asleep. But the facts are great and the subject matter makes you stick with it.

Poor in All Areas

This is the first time I have reviewed a book but this one was so poor I felt compelled to speak out. The author spends more time differentiating between what the proper aircraft numbers were or what the actual number of downed aircraft were than focusing on the pilot aces. The actual audio quality was terrible. The volume fluctuates and the voice quality oscillates constantly. The reader seems to put his hand on his mouth and mumble on purpose. Potentially a very interesting topic that is absolutely butchered in every aspect. If you buy you will be disappointed.

Topic Soars, Narrator Snores

An early production for the audiobook, this release fails to achieve the same standard that we've come to expect in contemporary releases. The narrator, while earnest in tone and inflection, conveys none of the excitement that would ordinarily abound in such vivid subject matter. His style is not compelling at all, but rather matter of fact and undramatic. However, if you are a true fan of WW2 fighter aviation, you will carry on and through sheer pluck and fortitude, make your way through this work. Tally ho!

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Boston Tea Party

Subtitle: History

Author: iMinds

Narrator: Ellouise Rothwell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-14-09

Publisher: iMinds

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Learn about the Boston Tea Party with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series.It was another cold night in Boston, Massachusetts on the 16th of December 1773. But this was no ordinary night. This night would ignite the flames of injustice within many an American colonist. And it would eventually lead to the American Revolution.

That night, three British ships - the Dartmouth, the Eleanor, and the Beaver - were moored in the Boston harbor. Their holds were filled with British tea that the American colonists had refused to accept. However, Thomas Hutchinson, the royal governor of Massachusetts, in turn, refused to issue the permits which would allow the ships to leave the harbor and return to Great Britain. Already, in Pennsylvania and New York City, public outcry had resulted in ships in harbor there returning to Great Britain without unloading their cargo of tea. But in Boston, Governor Hutchinson was standing strong against the colonists.

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:

When Parliament passed the Tea Act, American colonists were furious, believing it to violate their rights against taxation without representation. As three tea ships from Britain rested in Boston Harbor, the Sons of Liberty invaded, throwing the tea supply overboard. It remains an iconic moment of nonviolent protest that helped to trigger the American Revolution. This iMinds production is a comprehensive account of the important facts of the Boston Tea Party, and Elouise Rothwell delivers a compelling performance that imbues this historic event with an appropriate sense of intrigue and significance.

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)

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: 2008 DNC

Subtitle: Former Virginia Governor Mark Warner (8/26/08)

Author: Mark Warner

Format: Original Recording

Length: 18 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-27-08

Publisher: Associated Press

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 21 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Mark Warner, former governor of Virginia, speaks on the second night of the Democratic National Convention in Denver, August 26, 2008.

©2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use. AP will not be held liable in any way to the User or to any third party or to any other person who may receive information in the Service or to any other person whatsoever, for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing or occasioned thereby.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The American Civil War

Subtitle: A Military History

Author: John Keegan

Narrator: Robin Sachs

Format: Abridged

Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-20-09

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 41 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Now Keegan examines these and other puzzles with a peerless understanding of warfare, uncovering dimensions of the conflict that have eluded earlier historiography.

While offering original and perceptive insights into psychology, ideology, demographics, and economics, Keegan reveals the war's hidden shape - a consequence of leadership, the evolution of strategic logic, and, above all, geography, the Rosetta Stone of his legendary decipherments of all great battles. The American topography, Keegan argues, presented a battle space of complexity and challenges virtually unmatched before or since. Out of a succession of mythic but chaotic engagements, he weaves an irresistible narrative illuminated with comparisons to the Napoleonic Wars, the First World War, and other conflicts.

The American Civil War is sure to be hailed as a definitive account of its eternally fascinating subject.

Members Reviews:

Masterly written

John Keegan continues in his flawless study of military history. He gives a thorough account of the America before the civil war, the political, social and economic scenario and also keeps his touch when describing the bloody battles involved

American Civil War from a British point of view

Another winner by preeminent historian Keegan. The reader's English accent and odd pronunciations of names, such as 'Potomac', emphasizes that this is intended to be an impartial evaluation of the American Civil War. I really like how the writer describes English roots of some parts of the Civil War military tradition.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Lincoln's Gamble

Subtitle: The Tumultuous Six Months That Gave America the Emancipation Proclamation and Changed the Course of the Civil War

Author: Todd Brewster

Narrator: Todd Brewster

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-09-14

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 25 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

A brilliant, authoritative, and riveting account of the most critical six months in Abraham Lincolns presidency, when he penned the Emancipation Proclamation and changed the course of the Civil War.

On July 12, 1862, Abraham Lincoln spoke for the first time of his intention to free the slaves. On January 1, 1863, Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, doing precisely that. In between, however, was perhaps the most tumultuous six months of his presidency, an episode during which the sixteenth president fought bitterly with his generals, disappointed his cabinet, and sank into painful bouts of clinical depression. Most surprising, the man who would be remembered as The Great Emancipator did not hold firm to his belief in emancipation. He agonized over the decision and was wracked by private doubts almost to the moment when he inked the decree that would change a nation.

Popular myth would have us believe that Lincoln did not suffer from such indecision, that he did what he did through moral resolve; that he had a commanding belief in equality, in the inevitable victory of right over wrong. He worked on drafts of the document for months, locking it in a drawer in the telegraph room of the War department. Ultimately Lincoln chose to act based on his political instincts and knowledge of the war. It was a great gamble, with the future of the Union, of slavery, and of the presidency itself hanging in the balance.

In this compelling narrative, Todd Brewster focuses on these critical six months to ask: was it through will or by accident, intention or coincidence, personal achievement or historical determinism that he freed the slaves? The clock is always ticking through this narrative as Lincoln searches for the right moment to enact his proclamation and simultaneously turn the tide of war. Lincolns Gamble portrays the president as an imperfect man with an unshakable determination to save a country he believed in, even as the course of the Civil War remained unknown.

Members Reviews:

A masterful integration of the historical record.

Truly one of the best books I have read about Lincoln, The Civil War and the lead-up to the Emancipation Proclamation. I have read many books on these subjects (probably 100 or more) but never one that pulls it all together like this. It's replete with historical record, personal profiles and decisions. In an age where history is being rewritten to fit todays political agendas, Todd Brewster has masterfully pulled together the facts and decisions from the six months prior to the Emancipation Proclamation and weaves both a historically accurate account as well as a compelling read. Highly recommend if you are interested in the facts, personalities, decision processes of what caused the Civil War and Lincoln's beliefs about equality and slavery.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: With Golden Visions Bright Before Them

Subtitle: Trails to the Mining West, 1849-1852

Author: Will Bagley

Narrator: Don Moffit

Format: Unabridged

Length: 20 hrs and 44 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-26-16

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

During the mid-19th century, a quarter of a million travelers - men, women, and children - followed the "road across the plains" to gold rush California. This magnificent chronicle - the second installment of Will Bagley's sweeping Overland West series - captures the danger, excitement, and heartbreak of America's first great rush for riches and its enduring consequences. With narrative scope and detail unmatched by earlier histories, With Golden Visions Bright before Them retells this classic American saga through the voices of the people whose eyewitness testimonies vividly evoke the most dramatic era of westward migration.

Traditional histories of the overland roads paint the gold-rush migration as a heroic epic of progress that opened new lands and a continental treasure house for the advancement of civilization. Yet, according to Bagley, the transformation of the American West during this period is more complex and contentious than legend pretends. The gold-rush epoch witnessed untold suffering and sacrifice, and the trails and their trials were enough to make many people turn back. For America's native peoples, the effect of the massive migration was no less than ruinous. The impact that tens of thousands of intruders had on native peoples and their homelands is at the center of this story, not on its margins.

Beautifully written, With Golden Visions Bright before Them continues the saga that began with Bagley's highly acclaimed, award-winning So Rugged and Mountainous: Blazing the Trails to Oregon and California, 1812 - 1848, hailed by critics as a classic of western history.

Best Western Nonfiction Historical Book from Western Writers of America. The book is published by University of Oklahoma Press.

Members Reviews:

Well written and interesting

The combination of historical background and quotes from diaries and memoirs written by gold rush participants makes for an easy to read and interesting piece.

The Madness of Crowds

The author makes clear what a miserable undertaking it was for many who left their homes to travel by wagon 2,000 miles to the imagined riches that waited for those who made it to the California gold fields - victims of journalists who wrote fantastical reports of California and of unscrupulous guides who promoted shortcuts that resulted in loss of lives. Not the first, and certainly not the last, example of the madness of crowds in U. S. history. The author makes extensive use of traveler's diaries to support his argument. If you are interested in the Gold Rush, add this volume to your collection.