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Title: Harlots, Hussies, and Poor Unfortunate Women

Subtitle: Crime, Transportation, and the Servitude of Female Convicts, 1718-1783

Author: Edith M. Ziegler

Narrator: Sally Martin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-19-15

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 17 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

In Harlots, Hussies, and Poor Unfortunate Women, Edith M. Ziegler recounts the history of British convict women involuntarily transported to Maryland in the 18th century.

Great Britain's forced transportation of convicts to colonial Australia is well known. Less widely known is Britain's earlier program of sending convicts - including women - to North America. Many of these women were assigned as servants in Maryland. Contemporary readers and scholars will be fascinated by Ziegler's explanation of how gender-influenced punishments were meted out to women and often ensnared them in Britain's system of convict labor.

Ziegler depicts the methods and operation of the convict trade and sale procedures in colonial markets. She describes the places where convict servants were deployed and highlights the roles these women played in colonial Maryland and their contributions to the region's society and economy. Ziegler's research also sheds light on escape attempts and the lives that awaited those who survived servitude.

Ziegler has masterfully researched the penumbra of associated documents and accounts to reconstruct the worlds of 18th-century Britain and colonial Maryland and the lives of these unwilling American settlers.

Members Reviews:

What if criminal justice was unchanged since then?

Three disclaimers: 1. I totally geek the American Revolution, 2. I (and whole family) have been Rev War re-enacting for much longer than the war lasted, 3. I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review. Plus, I am female and have worked with the criminal justice system.

That being said, I feel that this is a wonderful academic thesis made real and comprehensible. It appears to be as well-researched as possible, and is presented in a logical, coherent manner. Many details are presented regarding the charges and lifestyles involved, as well as the privations thrust upon the women who were enslaved by the sentences they were given. Any comparison to today's criminal justice system is laughable. It is well worth the read for many of us.

Sally Martin gives an excellent performance as personable lecturer. Her rate of delivery easily allows for note-taking as well as intellectual absorption.

Harlots etc

This is a very interesting book about women and how they were treated concerning transportation,jail etc in the 1700's.I found it very interesting! Sally Martin narrates it beautifully!

This audiobook was provided to me at no cost for a fair and honest review

Interesting and well reasearched

This was a really interesting, telling the story of the treatment of female convicts transported to the British Colonies during the Colonial era. Well researched, it shows a lot of details, really illustrating how these poor women were abused and mistreated in a male dominated world. It really sheds light on a part of history that no one likes to talk about, especially considering the large number of women involved.

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Title: Arsenal of Democracy

Subtitle: The Politics of National Security - From World War II to the War on Terrorism

Author: Julian E. Zelizer

Narrator: Paul Boehmer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 25 hrs and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-05-15

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

It has long been a truism that prior to George W. Bush, politics stopped at the water's edge - that is, that partisanship had no place in national security. In Arsenal of Democracy, historian Julian E. Zelizer shows this to be demonstrably false: Partisan fighting has always shaped American foreign policy and the issue of national security has always been part of our domestic conflicts.

Based on original archival findings, Arsenal of Democracy offers new insights into nearly every major national security issue since the beginning of the cold war: from FDR's masterful management of World War II to the partisanship that scarred John F. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis, from Ronald Reagan's fight against Communism to George W. Bush's controversial War on Terror.

A definitive account of the complex interaction between domestic politics and foreign affairs over the last six decades, Arsenal of Democracy is essential listening for anyone interested in the politics of national security.

Members Reviews:

Very thorough and objective.

A really good read to start understanding how both sides in the political spectrum uses and abuses the military for political posturing.

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Title: Trade, Land, Power

Subtitle: The Struggle for Eastern North America

Author: Daniel K. Richter

Narrator: Steve Ember

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-23-15

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Ratings: 2 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

In this sweeping collection of essays, one of America's leading colonial historians reinterprets the struggle between Native peoples and Europeans in terms of how each understood the material basis of power.

Throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Eastern North America, Natives and newcomers alike understood the close relationship between political power and control of trade and land, but they did so in very different ways. For Native Americans trade was a collective act. The alliances that made a people powerful became visible through material exchanges that forged connections among kin groups, villages, and the spirit world. The land itself was often conceived as a participant in these transactions through the blessings it bestowed on those who gave in return. For colonizers, by contrast, power tended to grow from the individual accumulation of goods and landed property more than from collective exchange - from domination more than from alliance. For many decades an uneasy balance between the two systems of power prevailed.

Tracing the messy process by which global empires and their colonial populations could finally abandon compromise and impose their definitions on the continent, Daniel K. Richter casts penetrating light on the nature of European colonization, the character of Native resistance, and the formative role each played in the origins of the United States.

The book is published by University of Pennsylvania Press.

Critic Reviews:

"Trade, Land, Power reveals an accretion of powerful concerns that gripped Native Americans and Europeans in early America: trade, power, land, and - gradually - race and racism. With a strong eye for both broad patterns and local contingencies, Richter grounds his provocative arguments in thorough research and presents them in energetic and crystalline prose." (Gregory Dowd, University of Michigan)

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Title: The Smell of Battle, the Taste of Siege

Subtitle: A Sensory History of the Civil War

Author: Mark M. Smith

Narrator: Grover Gardner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-13-15

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Historical accounts of major events have almost always relied upon what those who were there witnessed. Nowhere is this truer than in the nerve-shattering chaos of warfare, where sight seems to confer objective truth and acts as the basis of reconstruction. In The Smell of Battle, the Taste of Siege, historian Mark M. Smith considers how all five senses, including sight, shaped the experience of the Civil War and thus its memory, exploring its full sensory impact on everyone from the soldiers on the field to the civilians waiting at home.

From the eardrum-shattering barrage of shells announcing the outbreak of war at Fort Sumter to the stench produced by the corpses lying in the midsummer sun at Gettysburg to the siege of Vicksburg, once a center of Southern culinary aesthetics and starved into submission, Smith recreates how the Civil War was felt and lived. Relying on firsthand accounts, Smith focuses on specific senses, one for each event, offering a wholly new perspective. At Bull Run the similarities between the colors of the Union and Confederate uniforms created concern over what later would be called "friendly fire" and helped decide the outcome of the first major battle simply because no one was quite sure they could believe their eyes. He evokes what it might have felt like to be in the HL Hunley submarine, in which eight men worked cheek by jowl in near-total darkness in a space 48 inches high and 42 inches wide.

Often argued to be the first "total war", the Civil War overwhelmed the senses because of its unprecedented nature and scope, rendering sight less reliable and, Smith shows, forcefully engaging the nonvisual senses. Sherman's March was little less than a full-blown assault on Southern sense and sensibility, leaving nothing untouched and no one unaffected.

Unique, compelling, and fascinating, The Smell of Battle, The Taste of Siege offers listeners a way to experience the Civil War with fresh eyes.

Members Reviews:

Good

Great book to learn about the civil war. It was foe my history project, I thought it was going to be bored but it was a good piece to read

Five Stars

Great

A terrific read

I have had an abiding interest in the War between the States since I was a child. My roots go back to General Wade Hampton of South Carolina, so my interest is constant.

This short book does an amazing job of capturing the sights and smells of the Civil War. I was impressed with the background work done by Mr. Smith and how it was translated in the book as something you could almost taste. From the shelling of Fort Sumter to the siege of Vicksburg, it is a difficult book to put down. I give it 5 stars for sure!

Great reading

Very interesting and could not put it down. Great reading of the sounds and sights of the Civil War.

Overly long ... at just 140 pages

Itâs an interesting idea. What might the actual sensory experience of the typical soldier or non-combatant tell us in addition to what we already know about the Civil War?

Unfortunately, this book doesnât really deliver. The idea is there throughout, but thereâs just not enough meat to really add anything new.

What we get instead is a lot of retelling of basic events, some tortured analogies to try and shoehorn everything into the theme, and some very purple prose.

The author focuses on a particular sense in every chapter.

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Title: Company Eight

Author: Matthew Pearl

Narrator: Matthew Pearl

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-08-15

Publisher: The Atavist

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

In the annals of American firefighting, the early 1800s were a dark time. Volunteer fire companies operated less as public servants and more as rival gangs: defying city regulations, extorting money from victims, sabotaging other companies to put out fires first, or letting them burn out of pure spite. Willard Sears, a Boston builder and abolitionist, set out to change all that with a vision for a fire company that would bring professionalism to a field laced with corruption and violence. He gathered a ragtag group to follow him under the banner of Company Eight. Ultimately, Sears' quest would pit him against the most powerful forces in the city, in a battle that would shape the future of firefighting in America. Writer Matthew Pearl delves into historical archives to bring to life, for the first time, a true story of courage and persistence.

Members Reviews:

Matthew Pearl does it again

One reason I love Matthew Pearl's stories of the 19th century is he helps you appreciate things we take for granted. Your perfectly functional fire department down the street? Things weren't always this way. Witness the birth of the first professional fire company in America in "Company Eight."

It's a history lesson, but it's a fun history lesson. Matthew Pearl's historical fiction prompts me to look up characters and names that emerge in his stories. How else would I have learned of Abner Kneeland, the last man jailed in the United States for blasphemy? Or learned about the Great Broad Street Riot, a brawl between Yankee firefighters and members of an Irish funeral procession?

Willard Sears' contributions to the growth and maturation of the city of Boston would be lost to history if Matthew Pearl hadn't uncovered his enthralling story. And when you finish this short read, go get his book "The Technologists" for another slice of 19th century Boston life.

Early history of the Boston's Fire Department- A story of bravery and dedication

An abbreviated history of Boston's early volunteer fire departments. When competition between the departments seemed to be more important than putting out fires. A dedicated reformer and visionary honed in on the problems and danger to develop a cure. Along with other ventures he persevered and helped to forge the professional fire department that is still a integral part of Boston's public services.

Good, not Great, Eight

Good, informative and interesting about the growth of the fire department and evolution of fire fighting in the 19th century. I enjoy reading historically-based fiction so this was a quick, fun read. This read a bit more like a book report or a research paper for a class so I wasn't as enamored of it as I am of his other material.

Put out the fire

Informative.

I really enjoyed this quick read dealing with the history of the ...

I really enjoyed this quick read dealing with the history of the Fire Departments. I had head about the rivalries in the fire service beforehand but had no idea the extent.

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Title: Cape Cod Bay: A History of Salt & Sea

Author: Theresa Mitchell Barbo, Richard G. Gurnon (foreword)

Narrator: Cynthia Wallace

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-22-14

Publisher: New Street Communications, LLC

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

European explorers were captivated by the seemingly endless bounty of natural resources on Cape Cod Bay. One Englishman declared that the codfish were so thick one could walk on their backs. Early settlers quickly learned how to harness the bay's resources and excelled at shore whaling, shipping and salt making. But as these new industries flourished, the native Wampanoag, who helped the fledgling colony to take root, nearly vanished.

Author Theresa Mitchell Barbo's skillful narrative weaves together the natural and cultural histories of the bay, highlighting some of the region's diverse milestones- from the drafting of the Mayflower Compact in 1620 to the establishment of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant 350 years later. Cape Cod Bay: A History of Salt & Sea inspires new appreciation for this storied and stunning seascape, and underscores the importance of new efforts to preserve the bay's unique ecosystem.

Members Reviews:

Reads like a college sophomore's history essay assignment with an endless ...

Reads like a college sophomore's history essay assignment with an endless stream of disjointed quotes that become insufferable. Wikipedia is more enthralling. The author's narrative comes across as dry library research instead of personal familiarity of Cape Cod. Returned this book.

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Title: The Oatman Massacre

Subtitle: A Tale of Desert Captivity and Survival

Author: Brian McGinty

Narrator: Tom Sleeker

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-09-14

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 17 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

The Oatman massacre is among the most famous and dramatic captivity stories in the history of the Southwest. In this riveting account, Brian McGinty explores the background, development, and aftermath of the tragedy.

Roys Oatman, a dissident Mormon, led his family of nine and a few other families from their homes in Illinois on a journey west, believing a prophecy that they would find the fertile "Land of Bashan" at the confluence of the Gila and Colorado Rivers. On February 18, 1851, a band of southwestern Indians attacked the family on a cliff overlooking the Gila River in present-day Arizona. All but three members of the family were killed. The attackers took thirteen-year-old Olive and eight-year-old Mary Ann captive and left their wounded fourteen-year-old brother Lorenzo for dead.

Although Mary Ann did not survive, Olive lived to be rescued and reunited with her brother at Fort Yuma.

On Olive's return to white society in 1857, Royal B. Stratton published a book that sensationalized the story, and Olive herself went on lecture tours, telling of her experiences and thrilling audiences with her Mohave chin tattoos.

Members Reviews:

SNORE

An indifferent and bizarrely cold account of what could have been an exceptional and heart wrenching tale. A serious snooze fest. Save your credit.

The Road to Hell

If you could sum up The Oatman Massacre in three words, what would they be?

Hatred And Survival

What did you like best about this story?

The return of Olive and seeing her brother alive and Lorenzo seeing Olive alive.

Have you listened to any of Tom Sleekers other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely

Any additional comments?

I went to the town of Oatman, which is named after Olive and one the residents had the luck to actually meet some of the Oatman family back east and people who knew them. The donkeys roam free in the town and they are the funniest to watch. They walk on the sidewalks and poke their heads inside the door of the stores. My friend make the mistake of rolling down her window and a donkey had his whole head inside the car. When I slowly drove a few feet forward to park the car, the donkey just walked with the car with his head still in the window.Way too funny. An incredible experience.

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Title: Six Flags Over Texas: 50 Years of Entertainment, Second Edition

Author: Clint Skinner

Narrator: Steven A. Gannett

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-25-14

Publisher: Clint Skinner

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

The second edition of Six Flags Over Texas : 50 Years of Entertainment tells the story of America's first regional theme park. After looking at the founder, the audiobook turns its attention on the park's construction and takes a tour of Six Flags during the first year of operation. From there, it follows the history of Six Flags Over Texas year by year, covering all aspects of the park. New features of the second edition include updated information; brand-new material; an index of attractions; lyrics to the Six Flags March and Fiesta Train Theme Song; a collection of vintage postcards; and spiels for the Six Flags Railroad, Casa Magnetica, and La Salle's Riverboat Adventure. All this adds up to the ultimate account of this park's long history.

Members Reviews:

Was disappointed.

Not enough pictures in book. Was disappointed.

The complete history of 6 Flags over Texas

The only thing I did not like is that there are hardly any photos of the park included in this book.

An eye opener

Full of fun facts. I do wish there were a few more pictures of the long gone items (such as the lumber jack animations) that used to grace the log flume. Other than that, the book was full to the brim with "juicy" facts about the park and its many owners. A must have for the amusement park enthusiast.

Historical document that entertains.

What a great book that has all the Six Flags information you could ever want and then some. Also this book has pictures of the original park in its beginning.

Please edit books before publishing them!!!

This book is written like a bad high-school essay. It does not appear that any editing was done. Starting right away with improper spelling, to sentences simply missing words. The only reason I give it any stars at all is learning the history of this great theme park. Aside from that terrible! I cannot get over the number of errors and boring tone it reads in.

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Title: Martin Van Buren's Final Address

Author: Martin Van Buren

Narrator: John Greenman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-15-14

Publisher: Spoken Realms

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Before leaving office, Van Buren reminds Congress that he refrained from raising taxes, and kept the national debt in check. He makes no mention of the growing factionalism between pro-slavery and abolitionist groups, once again showing his concern for preserving the union.

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Title: The Adventures of Big-Foot Wallace

Author: John C. Duval

Narrator: Jack Sondericker

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-25-14

Publisher: Books in Motion

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Wallace picked up the name "Big-Foot" while in a Mexican prison, because the prison attendants couldnt find a boot large enough to fit him. Not only was he large of foot but also of deeds. Big-Foot Wallace was an Indian-fighter, hunter, and Texas Ranger. Few men have witnessed as many stirring incidents, had more hair-breadth escapes, or gone through more of the hardships and perils of a border life than Big-Foot Wallace. He was a participant in almost every fight, foray and skirmish with the Mexicans and Indians that took place in Texas since he first landed on her shores in 1836.

Members Reviews:

Classic 1800s Frontiersman,Indian fighter, ranger, soldier against Mexico

I like reading about the Old West in the 1800s. Time Life books has reprinted a great group of leather bound Old West Classics ( see my reviews).

John C. Duval 1870 wrote a classic true story about Big Foot Wallace, a 6ft 4in Texas frontiersman, Indian fighter, ranger and soldier against Mexico.

The 291 page book reads well with no boring parts. Some B/W illustrations too. I'm glad Duval left out the slang and misspellings of frontier English and used a normal modern English.

We see Big Foot Wallace originally from Virginia living in Texas. We see him as a level headed frontiersman who hunted deer, turkeys and bear and honey. We see his escapades with rattlesnakes and tarantulas. Wallace did have a sense of humor. Parts of the book are funny.

Then we see him as an Indian hunter who really wanted to be left alone by the Indians but if his possessions were stolen or if threatened would fight and kill them with a vengeance. We see him captured by Indians and living as an adopted "son" by an old squaw and later helped to escape by her other son.

Later we see Big Foot Wallace as a ranger and a soldier against Mexico. He is captured and some men are sentenced to be executed by Santa Anna. They draw black and white beans. If black they are killed. Luckily Wallace draws a white bean and after a few years as a prisoner is released.

We see him in New Orleans getting used to city life. Then he gets news he is to report to Virginia to get part of an inheritance.

Later he tries his hand at farming on 200 acres he bought and built a small ranch house. He hates farming.I won't ruin the ending for you.

Here is a good book showing true stories of Texas frontier life, Indian fighting and soldering against Mexico and much more. An interesting classic. Anyone interested in the Old West will like this book. 4 stars.

Fun read. An amazing story on so many levels

Fun read. An amazing story on so many levels. This guy was the archetype for the "John Wayne" character in every hollywood movie. His story proves that truth is stranger and always more interesting than fiction. And like a cat, Big Foot Wallace had nine lives!!! He survived the Mier Expedition and the "Black Bean Episode." He was captured and adopted by the Comanches. He was attacked by wolves and javelinas. As a Texas Ranger, indian fighter and frontiersman, Big Foot Wallace was the real deal.

First Rate

Entertainment of first rate quality. The author has a well developed sense of humor with a slight over cast of sarcasm. A trip in time to the early days of the republic.

Life in pre civilized Texas

An interesting look at the life of one of the early figures in Texas history.