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Title: American Sniper: Chuck Mawhinney

Author: Richard Lyle

Narrator: John Eastman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-21-15

Publisher: Richard Lyle

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

In 1991, Chuck Mawhinney was reluctantly dragged out of anonymity when it was revealed that he held the record among United States Marine Corps snipers with over 103 confirmed kills.

This story takes a look at the mindset and philosophy of an American Sniper as he is thrown into Arizona territory (named as such because of its numerous Wild West style firefights) at the height of the Vietnam War.

Members Reviews:

American Sniper

Chuck Mawhinney is a former Marine, who performed his job to the highest standards, a great book about a great man in my opinion, not one to brag , his exploits speak for themselves, and just like other snipers , people look at the number of kills these Snipers had. But to see it another way, how many lives of Marines and other services were saved because of these men.

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Title: The View from the Ground

Author: Martha Gellhorn

Narrator: Christine Marshall

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-19-15

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

First published in 1959 but now offered in a revised and expanded edition, The View from the Ground presents over six decades of Gellhorn's ruminations on political, civil, and social issues and crises, from a lynching in the American South in the 1930s through a recent visit to Cuba to see what is new and what remains the same in a country that is still off limits to most Americans. Gellhorn's ability to get to the truth of a situation makes her writing transcend the short shelf life of most reportage.

Members Reviews:

Better writer than her ex

Some of these articles are very relevant to issues of today. She was a really insightful reporter. Better writer than her ex, Whatshisname.

Martha is always a good read

Her stories are always well observed and well written. She is my kind of writer. I am sure that Hemingway did not like her style since it rivaled his for quality.

new favorite author

Martha Gellhorn is by far the most adventurous female war correspondent from 1939-1963. This women went places most soldiers would not dare go and she wrote about her experiences with a colorful and very personal perspective. Her world travels culminated into a series of books meant to entertain and engage the reader of the stories of real people and their relation to world events.

Entrancing

Well worth the purchase price. This is the third Gellhorn book I've read as well as her biography and now that I'm finished I find I miss her as though she were actually someone I know. Very sharp descriptions of war following troop movements if not directly on the front lines. Her articles are full of Martha and her opinions. Good stuff. Also check out Gellhorn, The Face of War and Travels with Myself and Another.

Tackling tyranny head on

Martha Gellhorn was not one to follow convention. She forged her own path, often with courage and always with conviction. A woman of strong principles, she was constantly on the lookout for the people swept aside by larger economic and political forces and she wrote their stories. Her writing is forthright and her judgements sharp and clear. You may not always agree with the point she is making, but you can't possibly miss it. She tells it as she sees it with reportage from settings as diverse as the end of Franco's Spain, battered postwar Poland, US coalmining families in the depth of the Great Depression, Eichmann's trial and seething Haiti. Her canvass is humanity and especially the downtrodden, the marginalised and the excluded. She reminds us constantly of the charge we each carry to protect freedom and challenge injustice, everywhere. Her collection of essays is the perfect scorecard of freedom's triumphs and setbacks over much of the last century and her warning remains as true and relevant now as did in any of the decades she surveys from the 1930s to the 1980s - "Once you get a tyranny, you don't easily get rid of it. Much better to remember about eternal vigilance."

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Title: The Indian Frontier, 1763-1846 (Histories of the American Frontier)

Author: R. Douglas Hurt

Narrator: Fred Filbrich

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-14-15

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

This synthesis of Indian-white relations west of the Appalachians from the end of the French and Indian War to the beginning of the Mexican War is not simply a story of whites versus Indians. The term "whites" encompassed British, Spanish, and American settlers and governments, and the hundreds of Indian tribes who opposed them were no more unified than their European colonizers. The author focuses on relations among the British, the Spanish, the Americans, and Indian tribes in territories claimed by more than one of these groups, with particular emphasis on Indian tribes' pursuit of trade, peace, and guarantees of their land. Self-interest motivated all the players in these complex interactions, and when irreconcilable differences inevitably resulted these were settled by force.

The broad chronological and geographical scope of this volume encompasses British efforts to enforce new settlement policies after their defeat of the French, the Spanish system of missions and presidios, trade in the Columbia River basin of the Pacific Northwest, the Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears, and the establishment of a strong military presence to defend the trade routes of the Great Plains. The author's clear explanations of complex negotiations over trade, land, and policy among countless conflicting groups during a period of transition will be invaluable for students and for the interested general listener.

Critic Reviews:

"One of the best history books of the year." (Library Journal)

"Hurt has done an admirable job of synthesizing the complex history of Indian versus non-Indian in the US." (Book News, Inc.)

"Hurt's masterfully written synthesis should appeal to the general reader . . and prove invaluable to students and specialists in the field."(The Historian)

Members Reviews:

customer liked the book

book for a customer liked the book

Excellent History with a Different Perspective

This is not a standard listing of Indian wars when describing what happened to the Native American Indians but what happened to them from the encroachment of several nations. The Americans, British, Spanish and French all had effects on the natives creating different policies and treaties. The book starts from the end of the French Indian War when the French become neutralized opening westward expansion. But the book delves immediately into the Spanish attempts to conquer the west particularly Texas, New Mexico and California. Using missions and the Catholic Church to create Missions or Presidios, the Spanish make attempts to subjugate the natives by forcing their religion on them and virtually making them slaves. Many tribes withdraw into the interior and the effects of disease are devastating reducing the populations tremendously. Hurt notes the enterprising trading of the Chinooks and how they were able to deal with the multiple cultures of Europeans. The author notes that Jefferson originated the plan to move natives west of the Mississippi. President Jackson manipulated breaking treaties on technical grounds arguing that State's rights could nullify Federal treaties forcing the removal of the Creeks, Choctaws, and Cherokees. Chickasaw and others.

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Title: The United States Capitol Building

Subtitle: The History and Legacy of the Seat of Congress

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Diane Lehman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-29-15

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

For over two centuries, the capital of America has been located in Washington, D.C., and among all the iconic landmarks and monuments associated with the city, nothing is as conspicuous as the Capitol, the magnificent building that houses Congress and sits on Capitol Hill at the epicenter of the city. At the same time, even though the Capitol is now one of the most recognizable buildings in the world, the image everyone is familiar with took decades to achieve, and its grand scope belies its rather chaotic history. In fact, the Capitol was partially burned by the British during the War of 1812, and its now famous dome was still under construction while the nation fought itself during the Civil War. Moreover, it's easy to forget that the expansion of the country resulted in the addition of new Congressmen, requiring the expansion of the Capitol as the seat of the legislative branch.

The history of the Capitol also serves as a reminder that the building, like the nation, both shapes and is shaped by history. There are still singed walls from the War of 1812 under the marble façade, and microscopic examination could no doubt find cracks from the vibration of distant cannon fire during the Civil War. Of course, there is no way to calculate the wear and tear caused by the millions of feet that trudge through the Capitol's sacred halls each year, but through it all, the Capitol has managed to endure, just like the nation it represents.

The United States Capitol Building: The History and Legacy of the Seat of Congress looks at the winding history of the building and how it has changed over time.

Members Reviews:

EXCELLENT

Very interesting and educational, good for school children.

Four Stars

The type is really small.

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Title: Grand Central Station

Subtitle: The History of New York City's Famous Railroad Terminal

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Ian H. Shattuck

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-29-15

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Of all the great cities in the world, few personify their country like New York City. As America's largest city and best known immigration gateway into the country, the Big Apple represents the beauty, diversity and sheer strength of the United States, a global financial center that has enticed people chasing the "American Dream" for centuries.

Given that background, it's fitting that the city's most iconic railroad station, Grand Central Terminal, is the largest in the world, sprawling across nearly 50 acres with over 40 platforms and 65 lines. Moreover, in addition to handling hordes of bustling commuters, it's now a classic tourist spot that attracts tens of millions of visitors annually. As author Tom Wolfe would so eloquently put it, "Every big city had a railroad station with grand - to the point of glorious - classical architecture - dazzled and intimidated, the great architects of Greece and Rome would have averted their eyes - featuring every sort of dome, soaring ceiling, king-size column, royal cornice, lordly echo - thanks to the immense volume of the spaces - and the miles of marble, marble, marble - but the grandest, most glorious of all, by far, was Grand Central Station."

Like Manhattan itself, Grand Central Station, which recently celebrated its 100th birthday, manages to be both historic and modern. Built upon the site of a former railroad depot, the current structure and layout was phased in over the course of nearly a decade in the early 20th century. Whereas the first railroad stations depressed the value of land nearby in the 19th century, the location of Grand Central was a boon that actually helped bring about construction all across Midtown, including the nearby Chrysler Building, thereby serving to transform the cityscape altogether.

Grand Central Station: The History of New York City's Famous Railroad Terminal chronicles the construction and history of the Big Apple's most famous train station.

Members Reviews:

Grand Story About Grand Central: a Grand Lady in a Grand City

A unique look at one of Americaâs landmark buildings. This account discusses the social, economic, and political viewpoints about the planning, the engineering, and the implementation of building and rebuilding this marvelous edifice. Grand Central Station is way more than an edifice. It is an iconic image of New York, and it serves as a central point for commuters, travelers, and tourists. It began simply enough; a station for a burgeoning railroad company that needed a switchyard, but as coal fired steam engines gave way to electric powered trains, the vision became much more grandiose since the negative qualities of coal fired were eliminated. No longer did noisy, dirty, black smoke belch out the engines; it was possible to bring many electric trains to this location and make it a necessary passenger terminal as well as a freight terminal for Manhatten. The book is understandably a little light on the technical side of the story, but it touched on it enough to give the reader an honest view of the degree of difficulty in going underground so deep in rock and water.

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Title: Native American Tribes: The History and Culture of the Chippewa

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: David Zarbock

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-23-15

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

"Sometimes I go about in pity for myself, and all the while, a great wind carries me across the sky." (Chippewa proverb)

From the Trail of Tears to Wounded Knee and Little Bighorn, the narrative of American history is incomplete without the inclusion of the Native Americans who lived on the continent before European settlers arrived in the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the first contact between natives and settlers, tribes like the Sioux, Cherokee, and Navajo have both fascinated and perplexed outsiders with their history, language, and culture. In Charles River Editors' Native American Tribes series, listeners can get caught up on the history and culture of North America's most famous native tribes in the time it takes to finish a commute. And they can do so while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.

Outside of the Midwest, the Chippewa are not as well known as other Native American tribes like the Sioux or Cherokee, but they have long been one of the biggest groups in all of North America. Not surprisingly their presence around the Great Lakes region made them especially important to early European explorers who sailed the St. Lawrence and came into contact with the natives as they continued searching for the Northwest Passage. The French in particular conducted substantial fur trading with the Chippewa. And it is thanks to the European explorers that the various groups have all been identified as Chippewa today.

Unlike other Plains peoples and tribes scattered throughout North America, the Chippewa fared relatively well after contact was established with European and American settlers. They had been enemies of the Iroquois before and during European colonization of North America. They then engaged in different political alliances with the French and British as their interests dictated.

Members Reviews:

It was like picking up a book billed as a comprehensive history ...

Yikes!!! This 'booklet' was disappointing, to say the least. It is billed as, and I am quoting directly from the synopsis posted on Amazon here "The History and Culture of the Chippewa comprehensively covers the culture and history of the famous tribe, profiling their origins, their famous leaders, and their lasting legacy." Except...not really. Not even close. It was like picking up a book billed as a comprehensive history of Germany during World War II, and reading that in World War II, Germany, under the leadership of Adolph Hitler, went to Poland, and then, later, went to France. End of story. I guess the fact that the 'booklet' is only 38 pages long should have been a clue. Will you learn anything from reading it? Probably. But only a little. But I guess a little is more than "nothing'. Just don't expect very much.

A total waste of time and money

Only 30 pages long with lots of empty spaces and all in black and white which I would normally would not be bothered by but they put in a color coded map with eight separate colors, makeing the map impossible to read. I learned more in high school history class and that was not much, A total waste of time and money.

Great cover but not worth buying.

Not a comprehensive study of the Chippewa.

History in a very readable package

I homeschool as well as teach at high school and this book, and others in the series, just make my job so much easier.

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Title: The Pony Express: The History and Legacy of America's Most Famous Mail Service

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: James McSorley

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-13-15

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

"I, [name], do hereby swear, before the Great and Living God, that during my engagement, and while I am an employee of Russell, Majors, and Waddell, I will, under no circumstances, use profane language, that I will drink no intoxicating liquors, that I will not quarrel or fight with any other employee of the firm, and that in every respect I will conduct myself honestly, be faithful to my duties, and so direct all my acts as to win the confidence of my employers, so help me God." (The oath taken by Pony Express riders)

Although it was only in operation for about 18 months, the Pony Express remains the most famous and romanticized mailing system in American history. It still instantly brings to mind all of the old themes of the untamed frontier and the Wild West. Starting shortly before the Civil War erupted across the United States, the Pony Express connected the east and west by having riders deliver mail from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California - a route set up by previous explorations and a system of relay stations and waypoints. When working in perfect unison, the Pony Express dramatically cut down the time it took to travel to California, with the mail traveling nearly 1,900 miles to California just 10 days after the beginning of the journey in Missouri. Naturally, the Pony Express also ran from west to east as well.

Of course part of the allure of the Pony Express is in the way it challenged riders and horses, which ties it to Americans' fond visions of the frontier as an untamed landscape that only the most pioneering and rugged individuals could survive. At the same time, the Pony Express needed small riders to reduce the weight being carried by the horses.

Members Reviews:

Interesting details, but hard to read

This book has some interesting details and insights. However, the print is so very tiny that it was difficult to read. The lack of page numbers and the lack of an index (can't have an index without page numbers) was irritating.

Revealing reading.

A wonderful look at a time of American history. It removes the fantasies, legends and editorialization of this pivotal era during the Westward Expansion. It replaces the myths with historical perspective. A good read for those interested in the Wild West.

Interesting

I had hoped for more personal details for the riders. it is a good overall view of the Pony Express.

Worht Reading

Quite interesting especially some of the politics involved in the pony express and the opening of the west. I found this quite interesting in infomative.

Five Stars

Great information and a fun read!!

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Title: American Legends: The Hatfields and McCoys

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Scott Clem

Format: Unabridged

Length: 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-13-15

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Explains the origins and legacy of the famous feud. Includes a timeline of the feud. Includes a bibliography for further reading. Includes a table of contents.

"They were men, who matched the mountains, they were Hatfields and McCoys. They were men, who matched the mountains. They were men, when they were boys." (Jimmy Wolford)

A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors' American Legends series, listeners can get caught up to speed on the lives of America's most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.

The feud between the Hatfields and McCoys is the stuff of American legend and has become synonymous with vendettas. In fact it has become its own term for any large-scale disagreement and has made its way into everything from music to television and movies. Though the fighting took place over a century ago, Americans remain so fascinated by it that The History Channel's 2012 miniseries about the feuding families set records for cable television ratings.

These days the feud between the Hatfields and McCoys is a celebrated piece of American folklore, but for two families living along the West Virginia-Kentucky border during the last half of the 19th century, the feud was literally a matter of life and death. Twenty-first century America might celebrate this relic of the country's rural past, but modern society would also likely scoff at the idea of a couple of rural families taking potshots at each other through the woods over slights as insignificant as a stolen pig.

Members Reviews:

Hillbilly Hatred

Many jokes, many stories, many parodies have sprung up from the true account of several generations of feuding between two real American families, the Hatfields and the McCoys. One family hailed from Ireland, and one family hailed from Scotland, and they ended up settling in West Virginia and in Kentucky. The book goes through the generational feud that has spawned some of the richest American folklore. It is hard to summarize the actual problems that these families encountered with each other, but it certainly included a great deal of bickering over property, deceit, fraudulent claims, and eventually murder. The backwoods areas of history is brought forth in a colorful and engaging fashion, and the reader is regaled with one episode after another of real life fighting between clans. If it werenât so tragic, it would be very funny.

Short and concise

A very short, concise history. This is a great book if you want to read the quick story about the Hatfields and McCoys.

Fantastic, Destructive Tale from American History.

Length: 38 pages.

Before I launch into my diatribe I have to disclose some tidbits.

Although my name is William Anderson I am not kin to William Anderson, aka Devil Anse.

However, my first wife was likely a descendent of the Hatfields and, possibly, of the McCoys. Her mother's side grew up in the hill country along the border of Ohio and Kentucky, their family name was Hicks. My father-in-law was a man named Jim Vance.

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Title: Mapping the Cold War

Subtitle: Cartography and the Framing of America's International Power

Author: Timothy Barney

Narrator: William Hughes

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-01-15

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

In this fascinating history of Cold War cartography, Timothy Barney considers maps as central to the articulation of ideological tensions between American national interests and international aspirations. Barney argues that the borders, scales, projections, and other conventions of maps prescribed and constrained the means by which foreign policy elites, popular audiences, and social activists navigated conflicts between north and south, east and west. Maps also influenced how identities were formed in a world both shrunk by advancing technologies and marked by expanding and shifting geopolitical alliances and fissures. Pointing to the necessity of how politics and values were "spatialized" in recent US history, Barney argues that Cold War-era maps themselves had rhetorical lives that began with their conception and production and played out in their circulation within foreign-policy circles and popular media.

Reflecting on the ramifications of spatial power during the period, Mapping the Cold War ultimately demonstrates that even in the 21st century, American visions of the world - and the maps that account for them - are inescapably rooted in the anxieties of that earlier era.

Members Reviews:

not as good as i thought

for me wanting to learn more about the cold war it wasnt what i hoped it would be just not the right narater possable

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Title: The President Did What?

Subtitle: Presidential Trivia Quiz

Author: Nancy Ragno

Narrator: Kristi Burns

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-23-15

Publisher: Nancy N. Ragno

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Go behind the scenes at the White House to uncover intriguing (often startling) facts about the US presidents - facts few others know. Not just another book about the presidents! The President Did What? is structured as a trivia quiz (multiple choice) to make it interactive and keep you guessing. But that's not all. Every president is covered, from George Washington to Barack Obama. Plus there's a complete list of the presidents and their vice presidents for easy reference. No more drawing a blank at the mention of such presidents as Franklin Pierce, Millard Fillmore, or Benjamin Harrison. Thanks to The President Did What?, you'll know details about even the "forgotten presidents", details history buffs may be unaware of. For example, see the sample questions below: What president...

Who should listen to this book? US history buffs... Trivia buffs... Students... Teachers... Those looking for a fun, informative listen and those who enjoy an intellectual challenge. Is this book suitable for children? Yes, for those in the middle grades and higher.

Members Reviews:

Good trivia read from 8 years old and up.

great trivia book. A good length read for young and old. Could be used as family game.