Listen Legally to Best Full Audiobooks in History, American

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Title: Making Thirteen Colonies: A History of US, Book 2

Author: Joy Hakim

Narrator: Christina Moore

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-24-05

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 130 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

People are coming to America, all kinds of people. If you're European, you come in search of freedom or riches. If you're African, you come in chains. And what about the Indians, what is happening to them? Soon 13 colonies are born, each with its own story. Meet Pocahontas and John Smith in Jamestown. Join William Penn and the Quakers in Pennsylvania. Sit with the judges at the Salem witch trials. Hike over mountains with Daniel Boone. And let Ben Franklin give you some salty advice in his Poor Richards Almanac.

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:

Audio makes these stories come alive!

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.

Like Story of the World, but for US History

Would you consider the audio edition of Making Thirteen Colonies to be better than the print version?

Although the audio version necessarily omits the pictures of the print version, the narrator -- and the story telling quality of the writing -- make this an excellent history for kids and teens on audio. Although we bought this for educational purposes, my 11 year old son has asked for this to be played at bed time, and he was not similarly attracted to the print books.

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

No, there's a lot to absorb and it isn't a cliffhanger. That said, we did return listening to it night after night, instead of starting a novel.

Any additional comments?

Although this is written at a middle school level, I found it completely enjoyable to listen to as an adult along with my son. It has enough detail that I learned something new every chapter.

Great history for Middle and Upper Schoolers

Adults may enjoy this series too, but it's mostly written for Middle and Upper School kids. Engaging, appropriately comprehensive for teens - highly recommend.

Not the whole book

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

My son needed to read this book for school and was excited that he would be able to listen to it to gain more comprehension. But, the Audible version is not the whole book, only the first 4 chapters.

No more time machine - yea

Better than first volume. Hope this bodes well for the upcoming volumes. Volume 9 - the first I read was excellent.

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Title: Inventing a Nation

Subtitle: Washington, Adams, Jefferson

Author: Gore Vidal

Narrator: Paul Hecht, Gore Vidal

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-19-04

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 250 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Volumes have been written about George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, but no previous work captures the intimate and vital details the way Inventing a Nation does. Vidal's consummate skill takes you into the minds and private rooms of these great men, illuminating their opinions of one another and their concerns about crafting a workable democracy.

Inventing a Nation is a remarkably vivid portrait of three American icons, men whose revolutionary ideas had a profound and lasting impact on the nation they helped create.

Critic Reviews:

"This entertaining and enlightening reappraisal of the founders is a must for buffs of American civilization and its discontents." (Booklist)

"An unblinking view of our national heroes by one who cherishes them, warts and all." (New York Review of Books)

Members Reviews:

Cynical But Good

I liked Vidal's book The Golden Age enough to try some of his history. This book is recent and seems built up from the extensive work he has done on the early Republic and its leaders. Again, Vidal makes nearly every other sentence cynical or ironic, or smartalecky. At first this put me off, but after a few chapter I got used to it. There is not really much here I didn't already know, as this book is kind of an introduction to the founding fathers (centering on Washington, Madison, and Jefferson). It is clear that Vidal stands in awe of these figures, even as he exposes their very human failings and contradictions. Hamilton gets a lot of coverage (mostly in his role as a British spy), and this has gotten my interest enough to consider looking into a book just on this topic. Vidal on the one hand makes clear Hamilton's founding of the American economy, but of course to Vidal this is not such a good thing.

Being with Gore Vidal

I love Gore Vidal and American history. Listening to him discuss various aspects of our history, official and unofficial, with little asides and gossip, is an absolute pleasure. One reviewer called it a "pontification", and I agree -- but am so pleased to just curl up and listen to such a brilliant mind pontificate! Its a joy. But the work IS complex so be prepared to give it your full attention.

Brilliantly irreverent

Had history of American politics been taught like this in school at any level, I would have certainly heeded Pericles admonition to Sophicles about civic duty (as discussed in the book).

Really brilliant. I am a Gore Vidal fan for life and will read all his books.

Inventing a Nation

The recent attraction for knowledge of our country?s founding fathers has given rise to numerous volumes dedicated to their lives, both public and private. Yet Gore Vidal?s Inventing a Nation clearly delivers a wide assortment of information regarding both spectrums of life while simultaneously reinforcing or denouncing legends of these men. This text is unmatched by any towards that era and can be enjoyed by more than simply historians. It receives my highest rating.

America According to Gore.

Despite the usual polemical tangents into areas of questionable relevance,(they don't last very long)- this is a highly interesting and entertaining exegesis. There's much to be learned from Gore Vidal and that's why I read him. Who knew what hypergamous meant? When he's content to just tell the story, the death of Washington for instance, there are few better.

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Title: No Ordinary Time

Author: Doris Kearns Goodwin

Narrator: Edward Herrmann

Format: Abridged

Length: 6 hrs

Language: English

Release date: 03-24-00

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 314 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Listen to

Members Reviews:

Great Personal History

The author provides countless personal insights into the lives of Elenor and Franklin Roosevelt. Although no new ground is uncovered, the author weaves the personal histories of two extraordinary people into a biography that gives great insight into a topic we see too little of today: Leadership.

As I listened to this book, I remarked repeatedly how lucky we were to have leadership that was at once personal and flawed, but overall magnificent and extraordinarily timely.

Franklin Roosevelt, according to his own wishes, is downplayed in history. I was reminded of this recently, when several in congress wanted to replace Roosevelt's bust on the dime with Reagan's. Mrs. Reagan had the class to actively squelch this campaign (at least for now).

Certainly history will judge each president in turn, but Roosevelt stands as a true giant in history, and this book cooberates his standing. Elenor's consistent contributions are stressed as well throughout the book; for in fact, they were the first president and first lady "team" in modern history.

Good enough that I wish it were unabridged.

The original book was a Pulitzer Prize winner -- enough said. I'm way too young to have first-hand memories of the years covered in this book, so I learned a lot about Franklin and Eleanor and the people around them. Fascinating.

Nice in combo with Hyde Park on the Hudson

Any additional comments?

As someone born in the 1960s who has not read extensively about American presidents nor American involvement in WWII, I found this book very interesting and informative. There was just enough detail for me in this abridged version of the book, which touched on both Mr. and Mrs. Roosevelts personal and public lives, primarily during WWII. Someone with a more burning interest in these topics would probably want to read the unabridged version, but for anyone with merely a passing interest, this abridged version is just the right length. Mr. Herrmanns performance of the book was excellent, and a foreword and afterword are read quite effectively by the author. Having just enjoyed Hyde Park on the Hudson, the 2012 movie about Roosevelt starring Bill Murray (an excellent film), this book definitely expanded my understanding of both the man and his times. As I listened, my mind was full of vivid pictures from the film of the president driving his car, looking at his stamp collection, enjoying his daily cocktail hour, and posing for press photos *after* being helped out of his wheelchair so the American public wouldnt realize the extent of his disability. The book devotes nearly as much time to Eleanor as to her husband (unlike the film) and left me with a much increased understanding of her importance, in both the life of her husband and of our nation.

Really good

The narrator (Edward Herrmann) of this book is THE best -- I purchased this book because I had listened to him narrate three other books and his performance here was not disappointing. I find Doris Kearns Goodwin a simply remarkable historian --- she knows how to make it real and interesting without making it too "just the facts". She weaves it all together so it is more of a novel than a biography. A truly great experience and time very well spent. More from both the author and the narrator would be GREAT!

No OrdinaryTime

I enjoyed listening to this book.

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Title: Day of Deceit

Subtitle: The Truth About FDR and Pearl Harbor

Author: Robert B. Stinnett

Narrator: Rafael Ferrer

Format: Abridged

Length: 3 hrs

Language: English

Release date: 12-16-99

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 33 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

After decades of Freedom of Information Act requests, Robert B. Stinnett has gathered the long-hidden evidence that shatters every shibboleth of Pearl Harbor. Not only was the attack expected, it was deliberately provoked through an eight-step program devised by the Navy. Whereas previous investigators have claimed that our government did not crack Japan's military codes before December 7, 1941, Stinnett offers cable after cable of decryptions. He proves that a Japanese spy on the island transmitted information - including a map of bombing targets - beginning on August 21, and that we knew all about it.

The evidence is overwhelming. At the highest-levels - on FDR's desk - America had ample warning of the pending attack. At those same levels, it was understood that the isolationist American public would not support a declaration of war unless we were attacked first. The result was a plan to anger Japan, to keep the loyal officers responsible for Pearl Harbor in the dark, and thus to drag America into the greatest war of her existence.

Critic Reviews:

"Stinnett's meticulously researched book raises deeply troubling ethical issues...convincing enough to make Stinnett's bombshell of a book the subject of impassioned debate in the months to come." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Another View Of An Historic Event To Consider

I know Pearl Harbor is a touchy subject for many but this audio give one something to consider when looking back at historic events. To think that governments won't distroy their own citizens or citizens of other nations to achieve an outcome or further their own ambitions is a fools game. We get only once to go around in this human life, it is so much better to question everything, least we wake up and find that we have been thrust back into the dark ages. There is not excuse for not seeking truth in an information and especially a technological age. If we continue to not get it right we will suceed in destroying ourselves and we will accomplish that by repeating Earth's history to our regret.

Should Be Required Reading For All History Student

I would encourage you to listen and judge for yourself whether or not there is something here. In my opinion, there absolutely is something here. Take FDR's word for it, "In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way."

I won't go into any details about the book. If you love history and want to be told ALL the information so that you can judge, then you will love this. I listened to it in two days and would have listened in one day if I had been able to find that much free time.

It's a great piece of history, told very well by the author and narrated superbly.

Insightful work!

Well researched, logically laid out & in clear language to de-mystify the military jargon..... a great book!

Honest, and non-judgmental

I have always thought it was pretty strange how the US severely embargoed Japan, and was totally suprised by an attack, even in college history classes. It was years later when I heard about the interceptions and codes, which did more to further my questions.

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Title: American Tempest

Subtitle: How the Boston Tea Party Sparked a Revolution

Author: Harlow Giles Unger

Narrator: William Hughes

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-08-11

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 15 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

On Thursday, December 16, 1773, an estimated seven dozen men, many amateurishly disguised as Indiansthen a symbol of freedomdumped about 10,000 worth of tea in the harbor. Whatever their motives at the time, they unleashed a social, political, and economic firestorm that would culminate in the Declaration of Independence two and a half years later.

The Boston Tea Party provoked a reign of terror in Boston and other American cities, with Americans inflicting unimaginable barbarities on each other. Tea parties erupted in American cities up and down the colonies. The turmoil stripped tens of thousands of Americans of their dignity, their homes, their properties, and their birthrightsin the name of liberty and independence. Nearly 100,000 Americans left the land of their forefathers forever in what was historys largest exodus of Americans from America. Nonetheless, John Adams called the Boston Tea Party nothing short of magnificent. And he went on to say that the destruction of tea is so bold, so daring, so firmit must have important consequences.

Ironically, few if any Americans todayeven those who call themselves Tea Party Patriotswould be able to name even one of the estimated eighty participants in the original Boston Tea Party. Nor are many Americans aware of the important consequences of the Tea Party. The acute shortage of tea that followed the Tea Party, of course, helped transform Americans into coffee drinkers, but its effects went far beyond culinary tastes.

The Tea Party would affect so many American minds, hearts, and souls that it helped spawn a new, independent nation whose citizens would govern themselves.

Critic Reviews:

Harlow Giles Unger has taken a much-written-about subject from Americas past and looked at it with fresh eyes, finding insights and drawing conclusions that will startle not a few people. (Thomas Fleming, New York Times best-selling author)

Members Reviews:

American Tempest

This is an impressive "read" if you want to find out more about the life and times which led to American Independence from Britain. It is thorough and objective and for a non- American like myself it paints a great canvas of the people of the era.

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Title: American History: A Very Short Introduction

Author: Paul S. Boyer

Narrator: Gregory St. John

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-06-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 24 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

In a miracle of concision, Paul S. Boyer provides a wide-ranging and authoritative history of America, capturing in a compact space the full story of our nation. Ranging from the earliest Native American settlers to the presidency of Barack Obama, this Very Short Introduction offers an illuminating account of politics, diplomacy, and war as well as the full spectrum of social, cultural, and scientific developments that shaped our country.

Here is a masterful picture of America's achievements and failures, large-scale socio-historical forces, and pivotal events. Boyer sheds light on the colonial era, the Revolution and the birth of the new nation; slavery and the Civil War; Reconstruction and the Gilded Age; the Progressive era, the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression; the two world wars and the Cold War that followed; right up to the tragedy of 9/11, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the epoch-making election of Barack Obama. Certain broad trends shape much of the narrative - immigration, urbanization, slavery, continental expansion, the global projection of U.S. power, the centrality of religion, the progression from an agrarian to an industrial to a post-industrial economic order. Yet in underscoring such large themes, Boyer also highlights the diversity of the American experience, the importance of individual actors, and the crucial role of race, ethnicity, gender, and social class in shaping the contours of specific groups within the nation's larger tapestry. And along the way, he touches upon the cultural milestones of American history, from Tom Paine's The Crisis to Allen Ginsberg's Howl.

American History: A Very Short Introduction is a panoramic history of the United States, one that covers virtually every topic of importance - and yet can be read in a single day.

Members Reviews:

Good listen

I enjoyed this and it was worth the money. Currently re-listening because the amount of info is so large :) happy listenings!!!

minimalist but accurate

I listen to it twice to get familiar to American History to get ready for my history course in college.

I just immigrated to USA and knew a less about its history in detail.

This book helped me a lot.

also has a great performance. I loved when narrator got excited during WWII and cold war.

perfect.

It is as described "A very short introduction"

It seemed great until I came to the part of history which I know, then I felt I'm rushed. But again it's supposed to be "A very short intro". Overall it's good for what it is.

Before WWI, Not Bad, After WWI Hopelessly Biased

Dr. Boyer's account of the discovery of America, founding of Jamestown & Plymouth, the Revolution, first half of the 19th Century, and up through the Civil War & Reconstruction isn't half bad, if a bit heavy on social vs. military or political history. This is why, overall, it gets two stars instead of one. In the Gilded Age, the narrative becomes a bit "social justice" heavy, but returns to relative balance through WWI. After WWI, he seems so bent on coloring anything that can be construed as conservative or Republican as "dark", "reactionary", "intransigent" , etc., that the narrative loses objectivity and becomes a caricature of what is often criticized about academia today...

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Title: The Great Upheaval

Subtitle: America and the Birth of the Modern World, 1788-1800

Author: Jay Winik

Narrator: Jonathan Davis

Format: Unabridged

Length: 31 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-09-16

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 35 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

It is an era that redefined history. As the 1790s began, a fragile America teetered on the brink of oblivion, Russia towered as a vast imperial power, and France plunged into revolution. But in contrast to the way conventional histories tell it, none of these remarkable events occurred in isolation.

Now, for the first time, acclaimed historian Jay Winik masterfully illuminates how their fates combined in one extraordinary moment to change the course of civilization. A sweeping, magisterial drama featuring the richest cast of characters ever to walk upon the world stage, including Washington, Jefferson, Louis XVI, Robespierre, and Catherine the Great, The Great Upheaval is a gripping, epic portrait of this tumultuous decade that will forever transform the way we see America's beginnings and our world.

Members Reviews:

I was crazy addicted to this book.

the French Revolution parts of this book were amazing. I listened to it almost everyday for 2 months. I got the unabridged version and still wanted more. I bought the Great Courses on the French Revolution afterwards. I never knew much about the French Revolution, other than what's world-famous and what everybody knows. This was a great introduction, for anyone wanting a deeper study than cursory knowledge

Fantastic juxtaposition of time and place!

I will say right off that it took a while for the book to get going. But once it did it hit its stride in a very eloquent fashion telling the story of the French Revolution and then framing it with events going on at the time in Russia and the fledgling United States. I have read a number of books about the French Revolution but never one that put it into so much contact in regards to American history. At times it was downright scary to see how close we were to possibly falling into the chaos everything from the storming of the Bastille to the actual Terror itself are scenes that could have been replayed here in this country at that time. For that alone I highly recommend this book.

Not Bad, Little Random

Not as good as his more recent books and somewhat random in how it is organized but it would have to be in order to tell whole story. In some ways I found the parts about Russia the most interesting but really not connected to the overall storyline of the book. Overall I believe the focus of the author should have been more on France and the US but that would have been a much shorter read. Seems like Russia was "thrown in" to make a more complete story. But overall very solid and enjoyable.

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Title: The Book of Honor

Author: Ted Gup

Narrator: Frank Muller

Format: Abridged

Length: 6 hrs

Language: English

Release date: 09-06-00

Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 80 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

But what the CIA keeps secret in the name of national security is often merely an effort to hide that which would embarrass the agency itself - even at the cost of denying peace of mind for the families and honor due the "nameless stars." In an extraordinary job of investigative reporting, Ted Gup has uncovered the identities, and the stories, of the men and women who died anonymously in the service of their country. In researching The Book of Honor, Gup interviewed over four hundred current and former covert CIA officers, immersed himself in archival records, death certificates, casualty lists from terrorist attacks, State Department and Defense Department personnel lists, cemetery records, obituaries, and tens of thousands of pages of personal letters and diaries.

In telling the agents' stories, Gup shows them to be complex, vibrant, and heroic individuals - nothing like the suave super spies of popular fiction or the amoral cynics of conspiracy buffs. The accounts of their lives - and deaths - are powerful and deeply moving, and in bringing them at long last to light, Gup manages to render an unprecedented history of covert operations at the CIA.

Listen to

Critic Reviews:

"Gup may have succeeded in humanizing the CIA." (AudioFile)

Members Reviews:

Thoroughly Enjoyable Read

This work takes individual names from the CIA's wall of honor, officers and agents killed in the line of duty, and tells their stories in a compelling narrative. The book is a collection of riveting short stories, all well researched, weaved together to form a history of covert actions little known. The narration adds to the action to form a very worthwhile read.

Good book on the hidden men who gave their lives

based on the description of the book and the author's introduction it's easy to assume the book is just another piece of liberal anti-CIA hurt feelings garbage. Turns out it's pretty informative and the author did a great deal of investigation to tell the story of men that paid the ultimate sacrifice and are otherwise unknown.... There was almost zero anti-CIA sentiment whatsoever.

Frank Muller

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Not in this format. I'm not sure I will be able to finish it. The narration is too distracting.

Would you be willing to try another one of Frank Mullers performances?

No. He is an award winning narrator, and has an interesting voice. However, from my perspective, his cadence is monotonous. The intonation in each sentence is spoken exactly like the next. He reminds me of Gregory Peck, but in a way where every sentence is spoken as if it is the most significant sentence in the paragraph. Each sentence separate and unconnected from anything else. I don't think I can get through this.

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Title: A Storm of Witchcraft

Subtitle: The Salem Trials and the American Experience

Author: Emerson W. Baker

Narrator: Marc Vietor

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-06-15

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 70 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Beginning in January 1692, Salem Village in colonial Massachusetts witnessed the largest and most lethal outbreak of witchcraft in early America. Villagers - mainly young women - suffered from unseen torments that caused them to writhe, shriek, and contort their bodies, complaining of pins stuck into their flesh and of being haunted by specters. Believing that they suffered from assaults by an invisible spirit, the community began a hunt to track down those responsible for the demonic work. The resulting Salem Witch Trials, culminating in the execution of 19 villagers, persists as one of the most mysterious and fascinating events in American history.

Historians have speculated on a web of possible causes for the witchcraft that started in Salem and spread across the region - religious crisis, ergot poisoning, an encephalitis outbreak, frontier war hysteria - but most agree that there was no single factor. Rather, as Emerson Baker illustrates in this seminal new work, Salem was "a perfect storm": a unique convergence of conditions and events that produced something extraordinary throughout New England in 1692 and the following years, and which has haunted us ever since.

Baker shows how a range of factors in the Bay colony in the 1690s, including a new charter and government, a lethal frontier war, and religious and political conflicts, set the stage for the dramatic events in Salem. Engaging a range of perspectives, he looks at the key players in the outbreak - the accused witches and the people they allegedly bewitched, as well as the judges and government officials who prosecuted them - and wrestles with questions about why the Salem tragedy unfolded as it did, and why it has become an enduring legacy.

Members Reviews:

Wow....riveting and tragic

This was a thoughtful and thorough look at the 1692-3 Salem Witch Trials and their impact on American History. The author pulled upon a wealth of previous scholarship and synthesized a highly readable book. The audible recording is excellent. As a Massachusetts native, I noticed some of the pronunciations of Towns were off - but the rest of the reading made up for that and a regular listener would probably not notice.

not what I thought it would be

I could not keep up with all the names and dates! I was hoping for more of a description of what actually took place and more info about the people involved. i.e family life, how they were suspected.

Good read

Very interesting. Full of history. A lot of new information for me.

I will listen to it again.

Everything you would want to know about Salem

Very detailed account of the history of Salem and it's ties to witchcraft. Sometimes the story seems strung out, but the intent is to give a truthful account. It makes me want to explore more on Salem and to read Hawthorne. I did not enjoy the voice of the narrator. He came across as pompus.

Great History Lesson

I found this book enjoyable for the history of the witch trials but also the education of the areas around Salem. This touches on not just religion but politics, prejudices and hysteria. I found that rolling all of that that into the telling of the witch trials gave me a clearer picture as to what really did happen beyond the idea of accusers, accused, trials and hangings. The usual textbook information as I will call it. I enjoyed having a much broader view of this time period.

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Title: Secret Lives of the First Ladies

Subtitle: What Your Teachers Never Told you About the Women of The White House

Author: Cormac O'Brien

Narrator: Teresa DeBerry

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-24-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 63 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Scandals, Seduction, Addiction, Adultery, Horrific Fashions...And the White House?!

Your high school history teachers never gave you a book like this one! Secret Lives of the First Ladies features outrageous and uncensored profiles of the women of the White House - complete with hundreds of little-known, politically incorrect, and downright wacko facts. Youll discover that:

With chapters on every woman whos ever made it to the White House, Secret Lives of the First Ladies tackles all of the tough questions that other history books are afraid to ask: How many of these women owned slaves? Which ones were cheating on their husbands? And why was Eleanor Roosevelt serving hot dogs to the King and Queen of England? American history was never this much fun in school!

Editorial Reviews:

Cormac O'Brien's humorous and irreverent audiobook on America's First Ladies might not paint full biographical portraits, but it certainly paints colorful ones. Listeners know they're in for an idiosyncratic history when each chapter opens not only with the dates the subject lived in the White House, but also her astrological sign.

Teresa DeBerry performs Secret Lives of the First Ladies

Members Reviews:

Trivia delight

This is a great book for gathering trivia information but be forewarned the book mixes facts with gossip. I recently read Upstairs at the White House by J. B. West which is Wests memoirs as Chief Usher in charge of the East wing of the White House and the first ladies. West book is all facts. OBriens book covers all of the first ladies to date. The first ladies are a position of marriage and she is not paid for any of her work. The effect the first ladies have on the nation is immense and should not be overlooked.

Some of the information is well known such as Abigail Adams letter to her husband John while he was working with the group writing the Constitution to Remember the ladies. The author says it was Helen Taft that saw to the planting of the cherry trees that was send as a gift from Japan. OBrien also includes some little know facts such as the candy bar Baby Ruth was named after President Clevelands baby daughter.

OBrien states some the Presidents and their wifes were partnerships, like the Carters, The Hoovers and the Tafts while other Presidential couples were just quietly devoted to each other, such as the McKinleys, the Clevelands, and the Trumans.

The book has made me want to learn more about some of the first ladies. I shall be off to the library looking for a good in-depth biography of a first lady. Teresa DeBerry narrated the book.

Where did they get this narrator???

Nice voice in the narration but what's with all the snottiness??? Just started listening and I really wish someone else was doing the narrating. Tone of voice is snippy gossip. How demeaning to the First Ladies.

interesting facts

Would you try another book from Cormac O'Brien and/or Teresa DeBerry?

not sure I would. was interesting, to have that many facts of presidents wives, but not sure i would say it was a serious book to read, just like a trivia book.

What did you like best about this story?

interesting facts

What aspect of Teresa DeBerrys performance would you have changed?

a little mundane.