Download the Top 100 Audiobooks in History, American

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Title: The Great Hurricane

Subtitle: 1938

Author: Cherie Burns

Narrator: Anna Fields

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-26-05

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 207 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

On the night of September 20, 1938, the news on the radio was full of Hitler's pending invasion of Czechoslovakia. Severe weather wasn't mentioned; only light rain was forecast for the following day. In a matter of hours, however, a hurricane of unprecedented force would tear through one of the wealthiest and most populated stretches of coastline in America, obliterating communities from Long Island to Providence, destroying entire fishing fleets from Montauk to Narragansett Bay, and leaving 700 people dead. They never knew what hit them.

Early that morning, several fishermen heading out on calm seas noticed a sudden drop in the barometer and decided to turn back. Hurtling toward them at the unheard-of speed of 67 miles per hour was a fierce storm. It struck Long Island first with the tide at an all-time high under a full, equinox moon. The sea rose out of its shores like a demon, with waves riding a surge of 50 feet that hit the earth so hard they were registered by a seismograph in Alaska. Winds whipped up to 186 miles per hour, trashing boats and smashing homes from West Hampton to Connecticut and Rhode Island.

Using newspaper reports, survivor testimony, and archival sources, Cherie Burns reconstructs this harrowing day and the amazing tales of heroism, survival, and loss that occurred. Those who survived still remember the Great Hurricane as the most terrifying moment of their lives. Burns' masterful storytelling follows the storm's monstrous path and preserves for posterity the way the Great Hurricane changed New England forever.

Critic Reviews:

"From start to finish, this powerful story of nature's fury and human survival pulls the reader in and doesn't let go." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Mesmerizing book!

Well written, thoroughly researched and enjoyable account of the 1938 storm that greatly affected the Eastern coast of the U.S. I listened to this non-stop on a (business) road trip and it kept me captivated, even in the wee hours of the night (during which I usually listen to scifi or mystery or other plot-driven fiction to keep me from drifting.)

Highly recommend for any history aficionados or storm watchers.

Great Storm Stories

The book is well researched and well presented, with anecdotes of many people and how they fared through this incredible hurricane. The reader handles the material very well. A book like this reads quickly because it's organized in a way that allows the events to tell their own exciting tales. It's also a fascinating reminder of how much day to day life in this country has changed in just a few generations, not all for the better.

Captivating Account

This book is not just informative, but captivatingly written and read. Not only were the personal accounts very well done, but the author placed this event clearly in its historical setting and importance to our country.

Well Done!

This was a well researched and engaging book. I learned alot about an event that is still mentioned in hushed tones where I live. Whenever the weather gets bad, the old timers always say "It was nothing like the one one in '38" Bravo to the author-- I will seek out other books she has written. The reader was very good as well.

Whew

I read this book in the wake of Hrricane Katrina.It is amazing, 67 years apart, mother nature's lessons never change, and are seldom remembered.

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Title: The Americas

Subtitle: A Hemispheric History [Modern Library Chronicles]

Author: Felipe Fernandez-Armesto

Narrator: Paul Hecht

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-28-05

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 41 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Felipe Fernandez-Armesto is a world-renowned scholar, professor of history and geography at Queen Mary, University of London, and a member of the Faculty of Modern History of Oxford University. The Americas, part of the acclaimed Modern Library Chronicles series, offers an intriguing history of the world's western hemisphere.

©2003 Felipe Fernandez-Armesto; (P)2003 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic Reviews:

"Readers of popular history have come to expect [Fernandez-Armesto] to deliver a read filled with wonders, important insights, wit, and outrageous opinion." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

6 Year Old Loves it

Clearly executed, my 6-year-old child listens to The America every day. I have learned a lot because the book is well written and because I can share it with my child.

All American

Interesting topic. Vivid pictures of early contennential dwellers up through modern times. A great starting point on the subject. Intro canned message says audible kids which I think is a glitch.

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Title: From Colonies to Country

Subtitle: A History of US, Book 3

Author: Joy Hakim

Narrator: Christina Moore

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-07-05

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 103 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

How did compliant colonials with strong ties to Europe get the notion to become an independent nation? Perhaps the seeds of liberty were planted in the 1735 historic courtroom battle for the freedom of the press. Or maybe the French and Indian War did it, when colonists were called "Americans" for the first time by the English, and the great English army proved itself not so formidable after all. But for sure when King George III started levying some heavy-handed taxes on the colonies, the break from the motherland was imminent.

is a 10-volume, award-winning series about the birth and development of the United States. Master storyteller and lifelong student of American history Joy Hakim takes readers from 9 to 99 on a breathtaking journey, from the Ice Age to the 21st century.

©1993 Joy Hakim (P)2002 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic Reviews:

"This series has a lot going for it. Hakim is excited about her subject and is a talented writer." (School Library Journal) "Titillating....Hakim is fond of juicy stories and talented at keeping them moving." (Los Angeles Times)

Members Reviews:

These books make US History fun!

My 10 year old daughter and I LOVE the Joy Hakim History of US series! The reader's voice is pleasant, and the books really 'come alive' when they're told orally...they're really written as storybooks rather than dry text. One strength of the printed books are the numerous pictures and sidebars, which unfortunately aren't always included in the audiobook. These books make history fun and relevant.

Excellent supplement to classroom instruction

At the end of this audiobook the "Declaration of Independence" and "Constitution of the United States" are read. I found this book to be an excellent alternative delivery method for U.S. History. I would recommend this to students taking a course in the Revolutionary War and the War for Independence.

Enjoyable US history for kids and adults

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, this series has been really enjoyable for both my 12 year old and me. If you like history, it is educational but truly a pleasure to listen to. I'm urging my high schooler to listen to it too.

What other book might you compare From Colonies to Country to and why?

Well, of course the other books in the Hakim series. If you had a child that liked The Story of the World by Susan Wise Bauer, or other children's history books, this would be a hit too.

What about Christina Moores performance did you like?

Her narration is lively and keeps me interested -- at the same time, she has a pleasant, non-jarring voice.

Any additional comments?

This is one of the most interesting in the series, since it is such a fascinating time in US history.

enjoyable for whole family

If you could sum up From Colonies to Country in three words, what would they be?

The Joy Hakim series has long been used by home schoolers to bring American history alive for their children. Atltough they are written for a young audience, the books are fascinating and filled with much detailed information.

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Title: War, Terrible War

Subtitle: A History of US, Book 6

Author: Joy Hakim

Narrator: Christina Moore

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-04-05

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 55 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Riveting, moving, and impossible to put down,

War, Terrible War takes us into the heart of the Civil War, from the battle of Manassas to the battle of Gettysburg and on to the South's surrender at Appomattox Court House. Follow the common soldiers in blue and gray as they endure long marches, freezing winter camps, and the bloodiest battles ever fought on American soil. Off the war fields,

War, Terrible War captures the passion and commitment of abolitionists and slave owners alike in their fiery debates throughout the land. With profiles of Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, John Brown, Harriet Tubman, Jefferson Davis, soldiers on both sides, slave owners, abolitionists, average citizens, and others,

War, Terrible War is the compelling story of a people affected by the horrors of war during this tragic and dramatic period in

A History of US.

is a 10-volume, award-winning series about the birth and development of the United States. Master storyteller and lifelong student of American history Joy Hakim takes readers from 9 to 99 on a breathtaking journey, from the Ice Age to the 21st century.

©1993, 1999, 2003 Joy Hakim (P)2002 Recorded Books, LLC

Members Reviews:

Civil War history for tweens and teens

My 12 year old and I have really enjoyed this Hakim history series. He actually finds it his preferred listening before bed. Although I was a US history major decades ago, I enjoy re-learning about events in US history. Ive been encouraging my older son to listen as a way to bone up on US history before he heads off to college.

This installment was especially good. The civil war is such an interesting and sad time in US history, filled with great and memorable stories. Both my son and I learned a lot from it.

In terms of perspective, I think it is fair to say that Hakim has a center left orientation, not dissimilar from the commentary you would see in a PBS documentary or a national park museum. Although I share her politics, it is sometimes a bit disconcerting to me that she digresses into judgments on the beliefs or behaviors encountered. I wonder if that is in part driven by the middle or high school audience and what she perceives as their need for guidance about the events she covers. I would have preferred not to have the commentary, but I think it is a minor flaw.

Hard to navigate, otherwise its great!

The narrator does of wonderful job of reading this book, which is not like any text book from my day. Hakim has a gift for giving life and personality to the past. The crazy thing is that the recording is not divided into chapters or anything that resembles the divisions of the book. You'll waste a lot of time trying to find your place again.

A good read

I enjoyed listening to this book. The narrator reads with feeling, and I came away with what I feel is a good impression of the American Civil War.

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Title: Liberty for All?

Subtitle: A History of US, Book 5

Author: Joy Hakim

Narrator: Christina Moore

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-04-05

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 53 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Early nineteenth-century America could just about be summed up by Henry David Thoreau's words when he said, "Eastward I go only by force, but westward I go free." It was an exuberant time for the diverse citizens of the United States, who included a range of folk, from mountain men and railroad builders to whalers and farmers, as they pushed forward into the open frontier. And all their hopes and fears are captured in Liberty for All? In addition to colorful accounts of the massive westward migration, the California Gold Rush, a war with Mexico, the Oregon boundary conflict, Texas and the Alamo, Liberty for All? takes a deep look at the issue that began to gnaw at the country's core: how, in the land where "all men are created equal", could there be slaves?

is a 10-volume, award-winning series about the birth and development of the United States. Master storyteller and lifelong student of American history Joy Hakim takes readers from 9 to 99 on a breathtaking journey, from the Ice Age to the 21st century.

©1993, 1999, 2003 Joy Hakim; (P)2002 Recorded Books, LLC

Members Reviews:

Great survey of pre-Civil War US history

Would you consider the audio edition of Liberty for All? to be better than the print version?

My 12 year old and I are certainly enjoying the audio version better than we would the printed text. We find the narrator engaging and we get more covered since we can do other things while we listen. Some people have been concerned that the format wouldn't work on audio since there are sidebars with information in the text. It seems pretty seamless to us on audio.

Any additional comments?

This is a great series. Aimed at middle and high schoolers, I certainly have learned a lot as an adult. It would work well for an adult who is new to American history, but it also helped me brush up on facets of American history that I had forgotten.

Liberty for All, a fast moving look

At a time when the train begun to run and technology begun to make inroads, this fast moving narrative is in most parts like a cliff hanger, especially the passionate display on slavery

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Title: Reconstructing America

Subtitle: A History of US, Book 7

Author: Joy Hakim

Narrator: Christina Moore

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-03-05

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 54 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Covering a time of great hope and incredible change,

Reconstructing America is a dramatic look at life after the Civil War in the newly re-United States. Railroad tycoons were roaring across the country. New cities sprang up across the plains, and a new and different American West came into being: a land of farmers, ranchers, miners, and city dwellers. Back East, large-scale immigration was also going on, but not all Americans wanted newcomers in the country. Technology moved forward: Thomas Edison lit up the world with his electric light. And social justice was on everyone's mind with Carry Nation wielding a hatchet in her battle against drunkenness and Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois counseling newly freed African Americans to behave in very different ways. Through it all, the reunited nation struggles to keep the promises of freedom in this exciting chapter in

A History of US.

is a 10-volume, award-winning series about the birth and development of the United States. Master storyteller and lifelong student of American history Joy Hakim takes readers from 9 to 99 on a breathtaking journey, from the Ice Age to the 21st century.

©1993, 1999, 2003 Joy Hakim (P)2002 Recorded Books, LLC

Members Reviews:

Reconstructing America: A History Of US, book 7

Joy Hakim makes history come to life. In this volume, Joy steps outside the boundaries of what would normally be read in a stock history book about reconstruction and discusses PEOPLE. People in the forms of women, african americans, and many others who stood up to a societal time which was largely against them. The book is packed with TOUCHING primary and secondary documents that connect the reader/listener to the people or events. Joy often uses the "Socratic Method" of questioning, allowing the reader/listener to think for him/herself.

My only negative comment is that Joy sometimes places too much emphasis on the accomplishments of women during this period of American History (it sometimes gets a bit long-winded). My opinion in this matter, however, could be the product of the educational system I was brought up in with the emphasis on dates and the accomplishments of men.

This being said, Joy Hakim has thus far become one of my favorite writers of American History. I'm a teacher. I've read lots of great stuff and lots of crap. Joy is truly a great writer because you can feel her passion for American History through her writing...... great book, Joy. Sooooo much more than words. Your book is more like a historical conversation between yourself and the reader/listener. You have made history COME TO LIFE.

Reconstruction and post-Civil War history

This covers a difficult and interesting time in American history. It starts with Reconstruction which is tough to hear about. It moves around to different topics, some of which are less painful.

Although I am learning a lot from this, it is geared toward middle school readers. The only jarring aspect of this I find is the authors tendency to editorialize. Im not sure that the value judgments are needed or appropriate. Although I generally share the authors politics, it might not be for someone not looking for a left-leaning historical summary.

My son continues to love this series, and at 12 he is in the target audience range.

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Title: George W. Bush Second Inauguration with Reporter Commentary (1/20/05)

Author: George W. Bush

Length: 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-20-05

Publisher: Associated Press

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 28 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

On January 20, 2005, George W. Bush took the oath of office to become the nation's 16th second-term president. The President's 17-minute speech focused on themes of hope and freedom. Near freezing temperatures did not discourage the more than a half million spectators who gathered to see the swearing in at the West Front of the Capital and the traditional parade. In the first presidential inauguration ceremony since 9/11, the security in Washington, D.C. was extremely tight. The audio of this ceremony was presented by the Associated Press with voice-over from their reporters in Washington, D.C.

©2005 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.

Members Reviews:

The inauguration speech of Bush.

This is a good source to hear the actual inauguration speech of Bush, with hearing also the tone and sub text.

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Title: Army Life in a Black Regiment

Author: Thomas Wentworth Higginson

Narrator: Jim Roberts

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-17-04

Publisher: Jimcin Recordings

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 18 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

A fascinating account by an eyewitness of the formation and heroic deeds of the first black regiment in the civil war.

©1993 Jimcin Recordings; Cover Design ©2004 Brian J. Killavey

Editorial Reviews:

Abolitionist and early social activist Thomas Wentworth Higginson's Army Life in a Black Regiment tells the story of his own personal experiences during the Civil War, when he served a colonel of the United States' first ever regiment of freed African American slaves, known as the 1st South Carolina Volunteers.

Jim Roberts' authoritative performance of this historic work is characterized by steady pacing and diction. Higginson's rich memories will arrest the attention of anybody with a particular affinity for the period, although his observations and outlook, while quite progressive at the time, may prove startling and even seem bigoted to contemporary listeners.

Critic Reviews:

"An account of life in a black civil war regiment, offers a fascinating view of a little-reported aspect of the fighting written by the regiment's commander, a sympathetic and compassionate white man. It nonetheless reveals the biases and misunderstandings of the times....This recording makes a key work accessible to audiobook listeners." (Booklist)

"Roberts' account is clear and he reproduces the dialect of the Southern troops without stereotyping." (Kliatt)

Members Reviews:

Not What I Expected

I have been involved with the 9th Memorial Cavalry for several years. Portraying a white officer in a black regiment has taught me a great deal about black military history, so naturally, I was interested in this book as soon as saw it. However, the title is a little misleading. This book was written by the commanding officer of a black civil war regiment, and is much more about how he experienced life among the black soldiers and his observations about the black soldiers he commanded. Very informative. Good book. Just not what I expected?

Sabotaged

This book was Sabotaged with very poor sound quality to combine with lame narration. What drivel are we supposed to accept? How trashy can you bury a manuscript before the people ignore it? Well, Army Life in a Black Regiment did it for me. This is a waste of what may be a good story.

don't get this book

This is a good book for bedtime, puts you to sleep when you wake up and the book is over thats all you get. Very Slow read.

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Title: They Made America

Subtitle: From the Steam Engine to the Search Engine: Two Centuries of Innovators

Author: Harold Evans, Gail Buckland, David Lefer

Narrator: Harold Evans

Format: Abridged

Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-20-04

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 71 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

The workshop revolutionaries who made our world have never had the attention afforded the political revolutionaries who founded this nation. But it has been these innovators, in small-town attics and on the Mississippi, in Silicon Valley and the wheat fields of Kansas, in a black woman's beauty parlor and a Dayton bicycle shop, who set America on a course to attain a standard of living unprecedented in the history of the world.

The flourishing of America is the story of an inventive people with a mystic faith in technology, from the early settlers who devised windmills as a way of getting water on the Great Plains to the electronic whiz kids of the Internet. Innovation, practical inventiveness, is the main force behind America's preeminence. But there is more to this extraordinary history. Harold Evans traces how the innovators have time and time again proved to be democratizers, driven not by greed but by an ambition to be remembered. They translated the nation's political ideals into economic reality.

Yet many of these heroic contributors have been lost to history. Who fought and fought to make banking available to the common people? Who opened the world of international air travel to the masses? Whose Internet triumph was based on egalitarian ideals? Who put cheap electricity into everyone's homes, and was pursued as a fugitive? Who gave everyman high-quality sound, and was driven to suicide?

They Made America is eminently practical; but more than anything, it is history to inspire.

Critic Reviews:

"Absorbing....A compellingly written...reminder of how much we in 2005 owe to some determined, risk-taking forebears." (The New York Times Book Review)

"Evans's...elegantly written book offers the same breadth and scope as his previous best seller, The American Century....Evans doesn't neglect the latest generation of innovators....[An] exciting survey." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Wait for the Unabridged audiobook.

Wait for the Unabridged version because most of the really good stuff was left out when this book was abridged. Unbelievably the Wrighte Brothers, google, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs were left out, and Barbie was left in.. This is a great book! I have the hardback version and I have been enjoying it immensly. I have low vision and even with the screen reader reading is sloww going. I like to use the audio book to keep me going but this abridged version was so badly cut up it was frustrating.

Great Stories Well Told

This is the best book yet if you enjoy being inspired by stories of innovation and invention. An amazing walk through history, Evan's writing offers great insight into the genius and 'can do' smarts of these American icons. I especially enjoy the personal details that reveal the type of character that could take these inventions beyond tinkering to have a lasting effect on all of us. Just the right amount of information too. Hearing it in the author's voice makes it all the better, as he gets the emphasis right and his style is to move swiftly through the details and punctuate the brilliance of each story. It's great listening. I think my iPod toting teenagers will enjoy it too.

Liked it, even abridged

As an entrepreneur, I appreciate stories of those who have gone before me to create new markets despite adversity.

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Title: A Thread Across the Ocean

Author: John Steele Gordon

Narrator: Scott Brick

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-19-04

Publisher: Books on Tape

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 91 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Field was not the first to conceive such a venture, but he was the first to act on the idea, writing to Samuel Morse and finding another ally in the naval surveyor and architect Matthew Fontaine Maury. With the limited sum of $1.5 million, Field and company eventually managed to make the transatlantic cable a reality, and even if its early iterations turned out to be duds, their work did in fact revolutionize communications and "laid down the foundations of what would become...a global village."

A Thread Across the Ocean is a satisfying book for the budding entrepreneur and general readers as well.

Critic Reviews:

"This is an appealing account...and an entertaining reminder of the storied past of expensive technology gambles." (Publishers Weekly)

"Gordon, a business historian, skillfully and briskly recounts the saga of the transatlantic telegraph project....Gordon's evocation of Field's pioneering spirit will fascinate tech-history buffs." (Booklist

Members Reviews:

great audiobook

on the surface you might question how such an event could be converted into an audiobook in an attempt to captivate the listener. On all fronts this book was very well executed, the narrator puts enough inflection and pace to maintain the listeners interest throughout. From the daring concept of the project through the main protagonists and on to the many testing circumstances there are no flat periods in this book at all.

I would heartily recommend this audiobook

Good stuff.

Gordon provides a solid historical account of (to me) a sometimes overlooked, undertold story of a wildly ambitous endeavor. I was left with a new appreciation for this undertaking and 19th century communications in general.

Good listen

interesting story, well read and entertaining