Listen Legally to Best Full Audiobooks in History, American

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Title: The Boys' War

Subtitle: Confederate and Union Soldiers Talk About the Civil War

Author: Jim Murphy

Narrator: Ed Sala

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-10-06

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 19 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Ed Sala's interpretation of this well-documented history brings the Civil War to life in a way that few historians could. These everyday details of the war, told in the straightforward language of the young, provide a moving, unforgettable history lesson.

Critic Reviews:

"This wrenching look at our nation's bloodiest conflict through the eyes of its youthful participants serves up history both heartbreaking and enlightening." (Publishers Weekly) "Their accounts bring to life, as no other versions can, the Civil War and all of its glories and horrors." (School Library Journal)

Members Reviews:

but it does contain some very shocking and sad photos of dead soldiers

Very readable account of the service of boys on both sides of the war. Lots of interesting photos. Technically a book for young adults, but it does contain some very shocking and sad photos of dead soldiers. Children have always fought in wars, but I think the American Civil War was perhaps one of the first times that people were developing a sensitivity to the idea. Certainly the ancient Romans and Greeks thought that a ten-year-old was plenty old enough for service. We forget, I think, that the concept of childhood--that children are not just short, untrained adults, is relatively new. In some parts of the world, this is still the case. These children fought with honor and bravery and their stories should not be forgotten.

My Great Granddad went into the civil war at age 15 ...

My Great Granddad went into the civil war at age 15 with two brothers and a cousin. One brother and the cousin were killed in battle. The other brother was wounded and my GGdad got out after 3 yrs at age 18

This book is supurb ---- exceptional... Somewhat of a tear jerker at times.

A Good Read about the Lives of Young Recruits on both Sides of the American Civil War

Enjoyed reading this brief overview of young recruits lives (12 to 16 years old) that participated in the American Civil War. It's very readable and makes you wish the author would write a longer and more detailed version. My 6th grader and High School freshman both enjoyed the information it covered. We've given away a copy of the book to a Civil War reenactor friend who works with young Cadets in his unit.

Another Murphy Success

I really appreciate this book. It will work well in the classroom as I teach Across Five Aprils. Once again Jim Murphy has brought primary sources to readers in a way that is both engaging and informative. The book is an excellent way to present the young ages of the Civil War fighting "men" to students. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is because I would have liked to see the sources more completely documented. If I tried to have my students find the sources of each young soldiers writing, I'm not sure they (or I) could do it.

Fantastic book to bring the war home

For older children, this is a great book to bring the conditions of the USA right before the Civil War, and then the war itself, to life. The language is often first-person, and the family situations described really resonated with our 9 year old - almost too much, in fact, because he had some anxious questions about 12 year olds going to war. Relieved to find that many were in the drum corps and other non-fighting units, this gave my son much food for thought/conversation as we read it together.

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Title: Manhunt

Subtitle: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer

Author: James L. Swanson

Narrator: Richard Thomas

Format: Abridged

Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-09-06

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 1161 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

At the very center of this story is John Wilkes Booth, America's notorious villain. A Confederate sympathizer and a member of a celebrated acting family, Booth threw away his fame and wealth for a chance to avenge the South's defeat. For almost two weeks, he confounded the manhunters, slipping away from their every move and denying them the justice they sought.

Based on rare archival materials, obscure trial transcripts, and Lincoln's own blood relics, Manhunt is a fully documented work, but it is also a fascinating tale of murder, intrigue, and betrayal. A gripping hour-by-hour account told through the eyes of the hunted and the hunters, this is history as you've never read it before.

Editorial Reviews:

Why we think it's Essential: If only all history lessons were taught by Richard Thomas, who elevates James L. Swanson's impeccably researched account of capturing John Wilkes Booth with this masterful performance. Thomas' pacing and nuanced narration make Manhunt seem more like a gripping thriller than a history tome. Diana Dapito

Critic Reviews:

"Pure narrative pleasure, sure to satisfy the casual reader and Civil War aficionado alike." (Publishers Weekly)

"Swanson's synthesis of the sources is bound to be a cover-to-cover reading hit with history lovers." (Booklist)

"Manhunt is vigorous and clear without sacrificing accuracy....Just as Booth did, the book saves its heavy ammunition for a final showdown." (The New York Times)

Members Reviews:

Fascinating!

This was a natural after reading The Lincolns: Portrait of a Marriage. The story of the plotting of Lincoln's assassination, from the point of the assassin, and the ensuing account of his escape, 12 days on the lam, and eventual capture and death are told so well that it keeps the listener on the edge of his seat. The unwitting errors in navigation that led to Booth's capture make the reader realize just what a fluke it was that Booth was brought to justice, rather than disappearing into the deep South where he might have been hailed as a hero, rather than the cold-blooded killer that he was. On the flip side, the listener gains insight into the fact that Booth believed he was a patriot to a righteous cause, that of the lifestyle embraced by the South, and that his actions were justified. This is a "must listen" for any reader who enjoys American history or biography.

Somewhat over the top

I hesitated before ordering because I generally don't like ABRIDGED works, but there was plenty here.

The story was an amazing part of history in ultimate detail, and I was left feeling that the author included every bit of his research in the book. The detail was so thorough that I wondered what an unabridged version could have added. I'm not saying this was a good thing... the drama added to the depth of detail resulted in a drawn-out narration full of (supposed) exclamation marks. The description of Booth actually pulling the trigger of the gun during the assassination was longer than this review.

The read by Richard Thomas was only fair. While I have always been impressed by Mr.

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Title: A Crack in the Edge of the World

Subtitle: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906

Author: Simon Winchester

Narrator: Simon Winchester

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-05-05

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 433 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

In the early morning hours of April 18, 1906, San Francisco and a string of other towns were overcome by an earthquake registering 8.25 on the Richter scale, resulting from a rupture in the San Andreas fault. Lasting little more than a minute, the earthquake wrecked 490 blocks, toppled a total of 25,000 buildings, broke open gas mains, cut off electric power lines, and effectively destroyed the gold rush capital that had stood there for a half century.

Winchester brings his inimitable storytelling abilities, as well as his unique understanding of geology, to this extraordinary event, exploring not only what happened in northern California in 1906 but what we have learned since about the geological underpinnings that caused the earthquake in the first place. A Crack in the Edge of the World is the definitive account of the San Francisco earthquake and a fascinating exploration of a legendary event that changed the way we look at the planet on which we live.

Critic Reviews:

"In this brawny page-turner, best-selling writer Winchester (Krakatoa, The Professor and the Madman) has crafted a magnificent testament to the power of planet Earth and the efforts of humankind to understand her." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

This Book Delivers

An excellent book!

Simon Winchester goes into great detail in the book, as he does in his other books. And, as the description indicates, this covers far more than the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.

Winchester ensures that readers of this book understand the context in which the 1906 earthquake occurred by giving extraordinary detail on the history of earthquakes and our understanding of them, the history of San Francisco (up to 1906), and detailed look at the mechanics of the San Andreas Fault.

The Publisher's Summary above clearly shows this is more than just a look at one particular earthquake. The excerpt from Publishers Weekly also describes this as more than just about the 1906 earthquake. Based on those descriptions, and after listening to the book, I have to say that I got everything I expected... and more.

Simon Winchester is the narrator for his book and does an excellent job.

7 Hours and 45 minutes . . .

That's how long it takes for the author to get to the actual story of the San Francisco earthquake. Yes - that's right almost 8 hours!

I would love to write a review that says - "what a great book", but I honestly can't. I read "Krakatoa" last year, and liked it so well I gave two copies as Christmas presents, however my one complaint about the book was the ratio of background material to the actual story that the book was supposed to be about.

In this book, the problem reaches EPIDEMIC proportions. Probably 1/4 of the book deals with the 1906 earthquake directly. The rest is Simon's travels around the US to other seismically active regions, commentary on the Chinese immigrants in San Francisco, the history of the Pentecostal movement in the US, etc..... If you read reviews on Amazon.com, even those who like the book comment on Winchester's meanderings (often without a clear direction toward a given point).

I don't care how many degrees from Oxford the man has.

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Title: Rising Tide

Subtitle: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America

Author: John M. Barry

Narrator: Barry Grizzard

Format: Abridged

Length: 4 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-16-05

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 206 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

An American epic of science, politics, race, honor, high society, and the Mississippi River, Rising Tide tells the riveting and nearly forgotten story of the greatest natural disaster this country has ever known, the Mississippi flood of 1927. The river inundated the homes of nearly one million people, helped elect Huey Long governor and made Herbert Hoover president, drove hundreds of thousands of blacks north, and transformed American society and politics forever.

©1997 John M. Barry; (P)1998 Simon & Schuster Inc. All rights reserved. AUDIOWORKS is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division.

Critic Reviews:

"It is a gripping narrative...Rising Tide stands not only as a powerful story of disaster but as an accomplished and important social history, magisterial in its scope and fiercely dedicated to unearthing the truth." (The New York Times Book Review)

Members Reviews:

Where is the rest of the book?

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Great topic and narrator but the abridged version is way too short! I would pass on this audiobook for the original version.

lessons from yesterday for today

I ordered this title because I grew up near Greenville, MS, and was curious what a comparative "outsider" might say so long after the fact.

I heard many tales of this flood, and the Percy family so key to this book was well known (believe a room in the local library was named for them among other items, and read Lanterns on the Levee in high school).

The reader does a good job.

A cautionary tale of scientific and engineering rivalry over flood control theory, and how it combined with having the absolutely wrong leader in place at a critical time. Those power struggles are timeless. As Katrina shows, they never DID get the flood control problems handled right. . .but the lessons go well beyond just the Mississippi River and who claims to control it.

Not preachy, and not dry. Truly well done.

Interesting History of New Orleans

This book was suggested by a friend who was reading the hard cover version. When I ordered it I didn't realize it was the abridged version. Actually, it was just long enough. I got all the great stories and history of how the Mississippi river changed New Orleans and it was not too long and drawn out. It gave me a wonderful understanding of the political machine that shaped New Orleans.

Mixture of politics, race and engineering

I very much enjoy books like this that present the engineering wrapped inside an excellent study of the people and the politics of complex times. The reader is extremely talented and makes the book very exciting. The story starts around 1840 and leads into the 1930's. I was very fascinated with the story of the Percy family of Greenville MS and of course with the politics of New Orleans. The section that discusses the conflicts between EADS and Humphreys is also very entertaining.

Fantastic

A great story. Very interesting character development; plot development was well conceived. Some parts made you feel you were there. Recommended for history buffs.

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Title: The American Revolution

Subtitle: A History [Modern Library Chronicles]

Author: Gordon S. Wood

Narrator: Jack Garrett

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-08-05

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 80 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

The American Revolution signalled a great change in the course of world history and progress. From this colonial revolt sprouted ideals of liberty and democracy, and all the aspirations and ambitions of a new people. In this work, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Gordon S. Wood discusses the character and consequences of the revolution, grounding the events and ideas that shaped the American consciousness.

©2003 Gordon S. Wood; (P)2003 Recorded Books, LLC

Members Reviews:

The foremost scholar on the subject

Along with Bernard Bailyn, Gordon Wood (who was immortalized to the non-academic world in GOOD WILL HUNTING, when Will accused the Harvard intellectual bully in the bar of plagiarizing his arguments from Wood) is the foremost authority of his generation on the ideological sources of the American Revolution. I first read this when it came out in hardback and have enjoyed relistening to it now that it is in audio format. I thoroughly recommend this superb survey of the subject. For further reading/listening, go to the printed copy of the book and look over his marvelous annotated guide for further reading.

excellent!

I loved the writing. The narrator was also excellent. Great performance. Recommend it to anyone interested in history.

Textbook dry

If you're looking for a stirring account of the revolution that changed the world, instead you're in for a version as exciting as reading the Wall St. Journal about Federal Reserve financial policy. I've only listened to the first hour and if I wasn't upright I'd be comatose. People are only mentioned in the abstract and as statistics. The reader is fine, and scholars of the American Revolution may appreciate this, but please DO NOT let students listen to this -- it will kill all interest in this amazing and exciting time. zzzzzzzz....

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Title: The Last Voyage of Columbus

Subtitle: Being the Epic Tale of the Great Captain's Fourth Expedition

Author: Martin Dugard

Narrator: Simon Jones

Format: Abridged

Length: 6 hrs and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 07-20-05

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 94 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

The final voyage of Christopher Columbus was by far his most dangerous, unexpected, exhilarating, and consequential. It was, as Pulitzer Prize-winner Samuel Eliot Morison put it, "a story of adventure which imagination could hardly invent; a struggle between man and the elements, in which the most splendid manifestations of devotion, loyalty, and courage are mingled with the vilest human passions."

Shockingly, no book has been written about this fateful final journey until now. Martin Dugard finally brings to light this saga of shipwreck, mutiny, discovery, and political treachery, telling the story of how Columbus's quest to find a passage to the Orient drove him onward in the face of peril.

Here we meet Christopher Columbus, the determined, and sometimes desperate, elder adventurer, a far cry from the shrouded hero/villain of legend. The Last Voyage of Columbus offers up the long-lost last chapter in the life of a man whose story we only thought we knew.

Critic Reviews:

"A book that reads like a David Lean movie. Martin Dugard combines adventure and history in a raw, powerful narrative that is impossible to put down. We see Columbus, brilliant, determined, flawed, and ultimately tragic, afresh through his eyes, and experience the horrors and triumphs of the Admiral's final voyage in vivid fashion. This book will forever alter your view of Columbus." (Mark Burnett, executive producer of Survivor)

Members Reviews:

Brilliant!

One of my favorite audiobooks of the year. Well read, and both a great history and a marvelous story. Dugard has brought Columbus to life with a fast paced, suspenseful account of his last voyage. You will likely come away with a new respect for the man that took such great risks, despite his many errors in judgement and geography.

This will make a great movie someday.....

One of the best

I was so impressed with every aspect of this audiobook. The author's writing skill is so accessible, even though he covers broad topics such as the poltical interplay of Portugal and Spain, the details of ship life and the riveting retelling of Indian battles. The gentlemen who reads this book is exceptional. His diction and timing are superb. Finally, the story itself is captivating. I had no idea of Columbus' fourth voyage and I am recommending this book to most people I know.

Excellent product!

Amazing Story

I have really learn a lot from this book about Columbus. I do recommend it to anybody thank you to the writer and to all the people that made this book possible, excellent job!

loved it!

I listened to it while flying to Spain and back. It was really good. It talked about the places I saw there including the tomb of Columbus.

Interesting but not the best format for me

Might be better to listen to this one at length. I heard it in small parts with some interruptions so might have missed a lot. Mostly entertaining. Not exactly what you heard in school.

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Title: 109 East Palace

Subtitle: Robert Oppenheimer and the Secret City of Los Alamos

Author: Jennet Conant

Narrator: Anne Twomey

Format: Abridged

Length: 6 hrs and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 06-06-05

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 161 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

They were greeted by Dorothy McKibbin, an attractive widow who was the least likely person imaginable to run a front for a clandestine defense laboratory. They stepped through her threshold into a parallel universe, the desert hideaway where Robert Oppenheimer and a team of world-famous scientists raced to build the first atomic bomb before Germany and bring World War II to an end.

Despite all the obstacles, Oppie managed to forge a vibrant community at Los Alamos through the sheer force of his personality. Dorothy devoted herself to taking care of him and his crew, and supported him through the terrifying preparations for the test explosion at Trinity and the harrowing aftermath of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

In this deeply moving account, Conant reveals an enigmatic man who served his country at tremendous personal cost and whose singular achievement, and subsequent undoing, is at the root of our present nuclear predicament.

Critic Reviews:

"Conant brings to life the colorful, eccentric town of thousands that sprang up on a New Mexico mesa and achieved the unthinkable." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Great Listen

I have long been fascinated by the Manhattan Project and what happened at Los Alamos and have read a number of books on the subject. When I saw a review of "109 East Palace", I knew this was a book that would interest me. I was delighted to find it available on Audible and it was as good as I expected. My only criticism is that the only available version on Audible is abridged. I have an aversion to abridged books. It's like looking at a balck and white copy of the Mona Lisa and trying to gain some sense of the impact of the original. I realize some people who are in a rush prefer them but I wish we had a choice of abridged and unabridged versions as we do with some Audible titles. If you are interested in the history of Los Alamos, this is a book you should have.

A book of personalities, surprisingly intriguing

The sound quality is great, the narration is clear and professional. Oddly there is a dreamy sentimental quality about the production ( I mean this in a good way), so much of the book feels friendly and informative like listening to a favorite clear minded Aunt filling you in on the missing pieces of handed down family stories. Finally, you feel like you have the whole picture given to you by one who knows, someone who was there - no more rumors! Probably not the best book to listen too if you are missed some important hours of sleep, the narrator's voice is so calm and soothing you may very well find yourself studying the undersides of your eyelids.

The prelude to the book is read by the author which, personally, I appreciate. It is surprising how much personal and reflective material has been out there simply waiting for J.Conant to collect and organize. She's done a good job of presenting information that could easily be boring. In a straight forward way she uses everyday details and reflections found in seemingly mundane sources of scientists, office workers, and their family members involved in this enormous enterprise in such a way that it's easy to feel like I would recognize 1950's Los Alamos if I stumbled on it through a time warp.

I especially enjoyed the tidbits that described what outsiders thought about this mysterious place, and descriptions of the conditions within the community.

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Title: All the People

Subtitle: A History of US, Book 10

Author: Joy Hakim

Narrator: Christina Moore

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-24-05

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 35 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Meet Harry S. Truman, Joe McCarthy, Ike, JFK, LBJ, Rosa Parks, Thurgood Marshall, Elvis Presley, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Cesar Chavez, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton. Full coverage of everything, including President Clinton's impeachment trial.

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

Critic Reviews:

"Far from being a dry-as-dust recitation of dates and facts, it's an epic story told by someone who obviously enjoys telling it." (School Library Journal)

Members Reviews:

End of entertaining American history series

My 13 year old and I have greatly enjoyed this wonderful series of American history books for tweens and teens (though younger kids and adults can learn a lot too). We are sad to get to the end of the series!

The narrator is wonderful and the content is full of interesting information. I enjoyed it as much as an adult listener, as my son did while he was 11 to 13. He listened to it for fun and relaxation at the end of the day. Because it is non fiction and somewhat episodic, it was suitable to end of the day or short trip car listening in a way that suspenseful fiction is not.

The whole series is greatly recommended!

Great entertaining enrichment

We listened to this audio book on a long trip from New Orleans to San Antonio and back. The entire family enjoyed it and learned much. Although the author does, as the previous reviewer mentioned, define some words for us, I found this quite helpful for the children and as a parent. (My kids are ages 5-11.) As adults, we often forget that kids of varying ages don't have the vocabulary we have and simply haven't yet taken history or civics yet. So, in addition to the author's definitions being helpful for the children, these instances were also reminders to me that the kids might not know this term. Often we would pause the audio after one of these definitions and discuss the concept defined.

The only complaint I have is that the author sometimes refers to events she does not explain. This is mentioned as an aside. For example, she might be talking about a political figure and say like in event so and so, Senator X campaigned for reform when speaking in Idaho. But she never tells us the significance of event so and so. This may be because the event was explained in one of the earlier volumes. For some reason, we bought Volume 10 first. Now I am going to purchase more volumes, starting with 1!

Reader's Digest of history...

This is presented in an entertaining manner. It does gloss over a lot of details/issues while at the same time presenting some information that I had not known before. This audio book is a great way to bring people up to speed on the "who's who" of the twentieth century. Only complaint is that I find it a bit insulting ot the intelligence of the listener when the program defines terms that should already be understood such as the word "illiterate" or what it means to appeal a court decision. Overall, I found it to be entertaining and educational.

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Title: War, Peace, and All That Jazz, 1918-1945, A History of US, Book 9

Author: Joy Hakim

Narrator: Christina Moore

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-18-05

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 41 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

From woman?s suffrage to Babe Ruth?s home runs, from Louis Armstrong?s jazz to Franklin Delano Roosevelt?s four presidential terms, from the finale of one world war to the dramatic close of the second,

War, Peace, and All That Jazz presents the story of some of the most exciting years in U.S. history. With the end of World War I, many Americans decided to live it up, going to movies, driving cars, and cheering baseball games aplenty. But alongside this post-WWI spree was high unemployment, hard times for farmers, ever-present racism, and, finally, the Depression, the worst economic disaster in U.S. history, flip-flopping the nation from prosperity to scarcity. Along came one of our country?s greatest leaders, F.D.R., who promised a New Deal, gave Americans hope, and then saw them through the horrors and victories of World War II. These three decades ? full of optimism and despair, progress and Depress, and, of course,

War, Peace, and All That Jazz - forever changed the United States.

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. Recorded by arrangement with Oxford University Press.

Critic Reviews:

"A bold contrast to the old facts-and-dates approach to history....A throough and accurate narrative of our nation's history, written in a warm and chatty voice." (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Members Reviews:

US History for Tweens and Teens

Another great installment by Hakim. And the narrator is one of the best. The Nazi period is of course very tough going, but important. My 13 year old still counts this series as one of his favorites on audio, and enjoyed hearing about World War II.

The later installments in the series are most suitable for tweens, less so for older teens and adults. For me, the events are more familiar and the author's opinions are more grating. Still, it is a great series for young teens and tweens. Anything that makes history a favorite request is a win!

Perfect For Kids

Although the blurb for the book says readers from 9 to 99 it's more appropriate for under 17. That said, both the author and reader do a magificent job of bringing this era to life. For adults, if you can get through the abundance of rhetorical questions ("What do YOU think about that?") and don't mind definitions of words like "totalitarian" you'll be pleasantly surpised. Both my daughters (ages 9 and 12), however, absolutely love this volume and are insisting on getting the others.

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Title: The First Americans: Prehistory 1600, A History of US, Book 1

Author: Joy Hakim

Narrator: Christina Moore

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-25-05

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 193 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Thousands of years, way before Christopher Columbus set sail, wandering tribes of hunters made their way from Asia across the Bering land bridge to North America. They didn't know it, but they had discovered a New World.

The First Americans is a fascinating re-creation of pre-Columbian Native American life, and it's an adventure of a lifetime! Hunt seals with the Inuit; harvest corn on a cliff-top mesa; hunt the mighty buffalo; and set sail with Leif Erickson, Columbus, and all the early great explorers, Cabot, Balboa, Ponce de Leon, Cortes, Henry the Navigator, and more, in this brilliantly told story of America before it was America.

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

Members Reviews:

Hakim a Joy to Read/Listen

Another reviewer said that Hakim's history series (10 books) are for kids. True, but her books are also for adults who are not Ph.D. historians - that means just about everyone.

A great read - a great listen. Hakim has a way of making the various periods of history come alive like the best soap operas on TV. Tantalizing looks are the warts and all of the historical figures that shaped our past. Highly recommend Hakim for "kids" of all ages.

Peoples History

I have read and listened to alot of history books. I have rarely found one more enjoyable. I loved the way the writer explains everything. After listening to just the first 15 minutes I found myself wanting to get my kids to listen with me. This is history for all ages.

Great resource for young adults.

My son has another view of history now. Not a boring view, but a colorful, exciting, living veiw. This is how history is meant to be learned. Joy Hakim deserves much thanks.

Excellent

You are in for a treat with this series. A History of US makes our history come alive. The book is well written and thought provoking. Not just for kids!!!! Take the time to learn about American History, you will not be sorry.

I'm thrilled to find this on Audible!!!

Yes, this series of books is for children and that is exactly what I need! I home school my children and this series is used in my curriculum package so I have the books. My youngest son is dyslexic, though. That means that I read most of his books to him to save time since his reading speed is so slow. Audible has been a lifesaver for me. Having this series of books on Audible will save me huge amounts of time this year. I wasn't expecting to find these; I checked just for form and here they are. In terms of content, Hakim's books are an excellent source for young listeners. She writes in an engaging style that captivated even my oldest who is decidedly uninterested in all things history.

Thank you, Audible, for making these available.