Listen Legally to Best Full Audiobooks in History, American

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Title: Lincoln's Lieutenants

Subtitle: The High Command of the Army of the Potomac

Author: Stephen W. Sears

Narrator: George Guidall

Format: Unabridged

Length: 32 hrs and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-25-17

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 51 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

From the best-selling author of Gettysburg, a multilayered group biography of the commanders who led the Army of the Potomac.

The high command of the Army of the Potomac was a changeable, often dysfunctional band of brothers, going through the fires of war under seven commanding generals in three years, until Grant came east in 1864. The men in charge all too frequently appeared to be fighting against the administration in Washington instead of for it, increasingly cast as political pawns facing down a vindictive congressional Committee on the Conduct of the War. President Lincoln oversaw, argued with, and finally tamed his unruly team of generals as the eastern army was stabilized by an unsung supporting cast of corps, division, and brigade generals. With characteristic style and insight, Stephen Sears brings these courageous, determined officers, who rose through the ranks and led from the front, to life.

Members Reviews:

Good, but not what I thought

He book was far more technical and discussed the individual battle movements than the personal relationships and struggles between the generals. If you like Civil War history it is very good.

Dictionary please

Please learn to properly pronounce the names of the people covered by the book before you produce or perform the narration.

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Title: The Greatest U.S. Marine Corps Stories Ever Told

Subtitle: Unforgettable Stories of Courage, Honor, and Sacrifice

Author: Iain Martin, Colonel Joseph H. Alexander - introduction

Narrator: Pete Simonelli

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-31-17

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 17 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

On Friday, November 10, 1775, the Continental Congress approved a resolution for the organization of the Corps, creating what would become the hallowed few, the proud - the Marines. Since then, the men and women of the United States Marine Corps have created the finest traditions of service and honor, and supplied a pantheon of heroes who have upheld them.

In The Greatest US Marine Stories Ever Told, editor Iain Martin has accumulated these marines' most amazing true tales of service and sacrifice, from the Halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli, to the conflicts where they serve today.

Critic Reviews:

"[A] very enjoyable read...definitely worthwhile. Should one have any interest in military history, or the Marine Corps in particular, then this book will be most enlightening." (Thomas Houlihan, SSGT, USMC (ret.), World War II Database)

Members Reviews:

Marines Will Hate This Narrator.

[{ "answer" : "No. At least in the print version if someone is butchering the words it has to be me.", "type" : "Overall", "question" : "Would you consider the audio edition of The Greatest U.S. Marine Corps Stories Ever Told to be better than the print version? ", "id" : 41, "typeString" : "overall" }, { "answer" : "Can't think one as I was so overwhelmed (or is it underwhelmed) by the mistakes by the narrator.", "type" : "Story", "question" : "What other book might you compare The Greatest U.S. Marine Corps Stories Ever Told to and why?", "id" : 11, "typeString" : "story" }, { "answer" : "The narrator referred to a Marine Lance Corporal as a Lieutenant Corporal. He referred to a B-A-R as a Bar. There were many more of these types of mistakes. I am an old Mustang Marine Captain whose Dad was a BAR man in the Pacific. He never referred to his weapon as a Bar. Calling a L/Cpl a Lieutenant Corporal is just ridiculous. It really ruined much of the book for me.", "type" : "Performance", "question" : "How could the performance have been better?", "id" : 40, "typeString" : "performance" }, { "answer" : "With or without a narrator?", "type" : "Genre", "question" : "If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?", "id" : 67, "typeString" : "genre" }, { "answer" : "Either get a narrator with military experience or get someone to proof his narration. I don't believe it is the narrator's fault but someone should have caught the many errors. It takes away from the authenticity of the book.", "type" : "Misc", "question" : "Any additional comments?", "id" : -1, "typeString" : "misc" } ]

NCO'S should have their Marines read this!

One of the nagging things I always think about during my time in the Corps:

"If I could go back in time and tell that sh!tbird Lance I used to be to do something different, it'd be...

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Title: A Brilliant Solution

Subtitle: Inventing the American Constitution

Author: Carol Berkin

Narrator: Jo Anna Perrin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-14-17

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

We know - and love - the story of the American Revolution, from the Declaration of Independence to Cornwallis' defeat. But our first government was a disaster, and the country was in a terrible crisis. So when a group of men traveled to Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 to save a nation in danger of collapse, they had no great expectations for the meeting that would make history. But all the ideas, arguments, and compromises led to a great thing: A constitution and a government were born that have surpassed the founders' greatest hopes.

Revisiting all the original documents and using her deep knowledge of 18th-century history and politics, Carol Berkin takes a fresh look at the men who framed the Constitution, the issues they faced, and the times they lived in. Berkin transports the listener into the hearts and minds of the founders, exposing their fears and their limited expectations of success.

Members Reviews:

Conventional Convention

Author Carol Berkin offers a look inside the Constitutional Convention of 1787. This is a topic that has been explored a number of times in recent years. Professor Berkin, in her introduction to this book, explains that recent events, notably Bush v. Gore in 2000 and '911' in 2001 stimulated her interest in exploring, " What political crisis had the founding fathers faced, and how did they react to them. What problems did they hope to solve when they... drafted the new constitution. What role did they envision for the president and other branches...in times of calm or crisis. What dangers did they think lay ahead for their nation?" A weighty task and one that would separate this book from many of the others. Professor Berkin discussed this book on C-SPAN.org on Nov 13, 2002 and the (42-min) video is available to stream.

The read is easy - few if any prerequisites are expected of the reader for comprehension of the story to come. In fact, the book is probably aimed at a lay-audience, it dispenses altogether with citations normally used to back-up assertions, reinforce a point, or credit a source. The book concludes with brief biographic vignettes of each of the delegates, a nice touch that brings life and some comprehension for the lesser heard members of the delegation. There are occasional instances of editorial 'surprise'; Washington, "...was the only genuinely national figure attending the convention" (pg. 33) - apparently forgetting Benjamin Franklin's international renown. And on page 57, Charles Pinckney, "was willing to lie and cheat if it worked to his advantage." With no citations; a text example or two would have seemed only fair before or after dissing' Charles' reputation. Robert, "The Financier of the Revolution" Morris oddly (and awkwardly?) becomes "Bob" Morris in Berkin's narrative - and perhaps he was - but her use of the nick-name is a first among many similar accounts and the only informality ('Bill' S. Johnson? 'Chuck' Pinckney? 'Jim' Wilson? etc.) Berkin bewilders again on pg.

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Title: The Culper Ring

Subtitle: The History and Legacy of the Revolutionary War's Most Famous Spy Ring

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Colin Fluxman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-11-16

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 27 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

After the siege of Boston forced the British to evacuate that city in March 1776, Continental Army commander George Washington suspected that the British would move by sea to New York City, the next logical target in an attempt to end a colonial insurrection. He thus rushed his army south to defend the city. Washington guessed correctly, but it would be to no avail. Unlike Boston, New York City's terrain featured few defensible positions. The city lacked a high point from which to launch a siege, as the peninsula of Boston was fortunate to have. Moreover, Washington wasn't sure defending the city was necessary, hoping that an expedition launched toward Quebec like the one Benedict Arnold had led in late 1775 would keep the British away from New York anyway. However, Congress thought otherwise, and demanded that Washington defend New York. Washington thus did what he was told, and it nearly resulted in the army's demise.

Members Reviews:

Quick listen

The real story of the Culper Ring behind AMCs Turn... great information, but the narration is too fast paced. The narrator lacks an understanding of punctuation when reading aloud. The narrator had a wonderful voice, but I found myself rewinding and contemplating the best places to pause. I would recommend reading this one rather than listening to it.

there's probably more info on the Wikipedia page

I guess I should have checked how long this was. I was hoping for some detail, drama, etc.

great

good info and a good read if suggest to anyone who loves the show turn on AMC

Recap "Cliff Note"

This book appears to be a mere "Cliff Note" to other books that are available and makes many references to the various books r even the AMC mini series TURN.

I would only recommend this book if you knew nothing about America's first spy ring, "The Culper Ring" and were going to explore more historical information with future reads.

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Title: Iron Dawn

Subtitle: The Monitor, the Merrimack, and the Civil War Sea Battle That Changed History

Author: Richard Snow

Narrator: Grover Gardner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-01-16

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 127 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

From acclaimed popular historian Richard Snow comes the thrilling story of the naval battle that changed the Civil War and the future of all sea power.

No single sea battle has had more far-reaching consequences than the one fought in the harbor at Hampton Roads, Virginia, in March 1862. The Confederacy, with no fleet of its own, built an iron fort containing 10 heavy guns on the hull of a captured Union frigate named the Merrimack. The North got word of the project when it was already well along, and, in desperation, commissioned an eccentric inventor named John Ericsson to build the Monitor, an entirely revolutionary iron warship - at the time, the single most complicated machine ever made. Abraham Lincoln himself was closely involved with the ship's design. Rushed through to completion in just 100 days, it mounted only two guns, but they were housed in a shot-proof revolving turret.

The ship hurried south from Brooklyn (and nearly sank twice on the voyage), only to arrive to find the Merrimack had destroyed half the Union fleet and would be back to finish the job the next day. When she returned, the Monitor was there. She fought the Merrimack to a standstill and saved the Union cause. As soon as word of the battle spread, Great Britain - the foremost sea power of the day - ceased work on all wooden ships. A thousand-year-old tradition ended, and the path to the naval future opened.

Iron Dawn is the irresistible story of these incredible, intimidating war machines. Historian Richard Snow brings to vivid life the tensions of the time, explaining how wooden and ironclad ships worked, maneuvered, battled, and sank. This full account of the Merrimack and Monitor has never been told in such immediate, compelling detail.

Members Reviews:

Good book about an underreported area of the civil war

I have read about 100 books about the civil war (including several comprehensive multi-volume histories) and an astonishing percentage of this book was completely unknown to me. It is a good length, well paced, enjoyable and informative.

Great story

As a boy, I went fishing in Hampton Roads, just off Fort Monroe, in a little boat with an outboard motor. This was just before the Civil War centennial craze: it was impossible not to get caught up in it, and the story of the Monitor and the Merrimack, which took place in Hampton Roads a hundred years earlier, was one of the most fascinating.

Richard Snow has written a wonderful book, in one sense a dual biography of the two warships. (He refers to the Confederate vessel throughout as the "Merrimack," pointing out that although it had been rechristened the CSS Virginia, that name never caught on, even at the time. He also explains why the name correctly has a "k" at the end. I was so steeped in the lore of the battle from my boyhood that the "k" in the title of the book is one of the first things that caught my attention.)

There was a lot of information here that was new to me, despite my previous interest in the subject. I had never known, for example, that the Monitor, as tough as she was under fire, was vulnerable to boarding - and that the crew of the Merrimack actually did try to board her at one point during the battle.

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Title: A Nation Without Borders

Subtitle: The United States and Its World in an Age of Civil Wars, 1830-1910

Author: Steven Hahn

Narrator: Barry Press

Format: Unabridged

Length: 27 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-01-16

Publisher: HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 27 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

In this monumental story of American imperial conquest and capitalist development, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Steven Hahn dismantles the conventional histories of the 19th century and offers a perspective that promises to be as enduring as it is controversial. It begins and ends in Mexico and is throughout internationalist in orientation. It challenges the political narrative of sectionalism, emphasizing the national footing of slavery and the struggle between the Northeast and the Mississippi Valley for continental supremacy. It places the Civil War in the context of many domestic rebellions against state authority, including those of Native Americans. It fully incorporates the trans-Mississippi West, suggesting the importance of the Pacific to the imperial vision of political leaders and of the West as a proving ground for later imperial projects overseas. It reconfigures the history of capitalism, insisting on the centrality of state formation and slave emancipation to its consolidation. It identifies a sweeping era of reconstructions in the late-19th and early 20th centuries that laid the foundations for corporate liberalism and social democracy simultaneously.

Contact me for any questions: [email protected]

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Title: City of Dreams

Subtitle: The 400-Year Epic History of Immigrant New York

Author: Tyler Anbinder

Narrator: George Guidall

Format: Unabridged

Length: 24 hrs and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-24-16

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 42 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

A defining American story, never before told with such breadth of scope, lavish research, and resounding spirit.

With more than three million foreign-born residents today, New York has been America's defining port of entry for nearly four centuries, a magnet for transplants from all over the globe. These migrants have brought their hundreds of languages and distinct cultures to the city, and from there to the entire country. More immigrants have come to New York than all other entry points combined.

City of Dreams is peopled with memorable characters both beloved and unfamiliar, whose lives unfold in rich detail: the young man from the Caribbean who passed through New York on his way to becoming a Founding Father; the 10-year-old Angelo Siciliano from Calabria, who transformed into Charles Atlas, bodybuilder; Dominican-born Oscar de la Renta, whose couture designs have dressed first ladies from Jackie Kennedy to Michelle Obama.

Tyler Anbinder's story is one of innovators and artists, revolutionaries and rioters, staggering deprivation and soaring triumphs, all playing out against the powerful backdrop of New York City, at once ever changing and profoundly, permanently itself. City of Dreams provides a vivid sense of what New York looked like, sounded like, smelled like, and felt like over the centuries of its development and maturation into the city we know today.

Members Reviews:

Even as a history, not engaging

Would you try another book from Tyler Anbinder and/or George Guidall?

Even as a history, a book should be more than a collection of data or facts. I've given up on this audiobook. It left me flat. It wasn't written in an engaging manner or style. Facts and data are, to me, threads from which the author should weave an interesting story. This one took me nowhere. It didn't help that the reader or narrator seemed to me to have a halting style of speaking.

Has City of Dreams turned you off from other books in this genre?

I prefer non-fiction; particularly histories and biographies. I'll continue with books in this genre, and I'll avoid work by this author and narrator.

How could the performance have been better?

Narrator's voice would have been easier to take if it was warmer, friendlier and maybe more confident.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Boredom.

Any additional comments?

Having read a favorable review of this book in the Wall Street Journal, I had much higher expectations for this audiobook, and was looking forward to listening and enjoying it.

I don't feel good or satisfied leaving a review for a book I didn't finish, but I'm not going to invest another 20 or so hours to complete this, so I've given up, and I want to record my disappointment.

Probably a good book, but...

The reader reads this book so fast that he is impossible to understand. I would return it but I'm not sure if I can.

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Title: In the Shadow of Liberty

Subtitle: The Hidden History of Slavery, Four Presidents, and Five Black Lives

Author: Kenneth C. Davis

Narrator: JD Jackson, Dion Graham, Mark Bramhall, Adam Lazarre-White, Frankie Faison, Kenneth C. Davis, Adenrele Ojo, Keith David

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-20-16

Publisher: Listening Library

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 118 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Did you know that many of America's Founding Fathers - who fought for liberty and justice for all - were slave owners?

Through the powerful stories of five enslaved people who were "owned" by four of our greatest presidents, this book helps set the record straight about the role slavery played in the founding of America. From Billy Lee, valet to George Washington, to Alfred Jackson, faithful servant of Andrew Jackson, these dramatic narratives explore our country's great tragedy - that a nation "conceived in liberty" was also born in shackles.

These stories help us know the real people who were essential to the birth of this nation but traditionally have been left out of the history books. Their stories are true - and they should be heard.

Read by Ken Davis, with Frankie Faison, Keith David, JD Jackson, Adenrele Ojo, Adam Lazarre-White, Dion Graham, and Mark Bramhall.

Members Reviews:

A MUST READ/LISTEN

Would you listen to In the Shadow of Liberty again? Why?

THIS IS AN EXCELLENT BOOK THAT TEACHERS SHOULD USE IN A HISTORY CLASS ITS A QUICK LISTEN IT MOVES FAST PACTED WITH INFORMATION BUT JUST AS GOOD FOR YOUR LEISURE LISTENING.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

THE NARRATION WAS SPOT ON I RECOGNIZE SOME OF THE NARRATORS THESE PARTICULAR NARRATORS WERE PERFECT FOR THERE PARTS.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

HOW IT IS PUZZLING THAT WHEN SOME OF THE SLAVES HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAVE THE CONDITION (SLAVERY) THEY CHOSE TO STAY WITH THE PRESIDENT/PLANTER/SLAVE MASTER

Powerful

I enjoyed this book and the history that it provides to the white washed history of America. I grew up as a historical scholar I knew American history as well as my other white classmates. During my sophomore year in high school my school district in Georgia started having black history courses. I rushed to sign up to test my knowledge with other classmates. After the first day I found out how ignorant I was about my own history and how it was a major part of American history. From that point I've read and studied about African American history to buli

You're left wanting more, but there isn't any.

What made the experience of listening to In the Shadow of Liberty the most enjoyable?

I particularly loved how some of the major events were described in different chapters and from different perspectives. This was a smart move on the author's part because it helped to flesh the incomplete account of these people's lives. It also helped to place these people into the larger narrative of American history.

What was one of the most memorable moments of In the Shadow of Liberty?

The story about George Washington's personal servant and the story of his wife's personal servant were particularly compelling and seemed to be the most thorough. Those parts will stick with me.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

The narrator's changed, and that was refreshing. You don't feel stuck with a certain narrator you may not enjoy.

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Title: American Treasures

Subtitle: The Secret Efforts to Save the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Gettysburg Address

Author: Stephen Puleo

Narrator: Eric Michael Summerer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-30-16

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

On December 26, 1941, Secret Service Agent Harry E. Neal stood on a platform at Washington's Union Station, watching a train chug off into the dark and feeling at once relieved and inexorably anxious. These were dire times: As Hitler's armies plowed across Europe, seizing or destroying the continent's historic artifacts at will, Japan bristled to the East. The Axis was rapidly closing in.

So FDR set about hiding the country's valuables. On the train speeding away from Neal sat four plain-wrapped cases containing the documentary history of American democracy: the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Gettysburg Address, and more, guarded by a battery of agents and bound for safekeeping in the nation's most impenetrable hiding place. American Treasures charts the little-known journeys of these American crown jewels.

From the risky and audacious adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 to our modern Fourth of July celebrations, American Treasures shows how the ideas captured in these documents underscore the nation's strengths and hopes, and embody its fundamental values of liberty and equality.

Members Reviews:

In wartime, which documents would you seek to preserve that represent the American democracy? And how would you do it ?

This is the story of the little known effort to save store and preserve the documents considered the most precious to American democracy during WWII. The object of course was to ensure that they were not destroyed by any attack but also to make sure they suffered no damage while hidden. And this was done in secrecy and known only to a few. The documents were the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and the Gettysburg Address. History buffs and especially those interested in archival documents will find this a great adventure. Those interested in WWII will find this an interesting side story to our war preparations. It's somewhat similar to the actions of the monuments men but on a much smaller scale.

Informative

Very informative. I thought I knew a lot of US history, but this book informed me of historical and 'turf protection' stories I have never heard before. Extremely good read.

An excellent book

this is the third book I have read by Stephen Puleo and I must say, he does not disappoint. I am not a fan of historic works but it has never been presented to me the Author Puleo writes. Fascinating insight in the mindsets of our beloved historic forefathers and the amazing documents they created and debated over.

A must read just like his other books. Stephen gives it his all with an amazing amount of research and historical context.

More than I expected

The story of moving and protecting the founding documents would have been a good story all by itself. I truly appreciated the story of the struggle behind the creation of each of the documents and to a lesser degree the political struggle about who was going to hold these priceless treasures. I have recommended this book to friends personally and will continue to do so, I enjoyed this book very much.

Well written and a great read. I learned so much more about our ...

A very inspiring book. Well written and a great read.

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Title: The Swamp

Subtitle: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise

Author: Michael Grunwald

Narrator: Adam Verner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-16-16

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 37 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

The Everglades was America's last frontier, a wild country long after the West was won. In this book Michael Grunwald chronicles how a series of visionaries tried to drain and "reclaim" it and how Mother Nature refused to bend to their will; in the most harrowing tale, a 1928 hurricane drowned 2,500 people in the Everglades. But the Army Corps of Engineers finally tamed the beast with levees and canals, converting half the Everglades into sprawling suburbs and sugar plantations. And though the Southern Everglades was preserved as a national park, it soon deteriorated into an ecological mess. The River of Grass stopped flowing, and 90 percent of its wading birds vanished.

Now America wants its swamp back. Grunwald shows how a new breed of visionaries transformed Everglades politics, producing the $8 billion rescue plan. That plan is already the blueprint for a new worldwide era of ecosystem restoration. And The Swamp is a cautionary tale for that era. Through gripping narrative and dogged reporting, Grunwald shows how the Everglades is still threatened by the same hubris, greed, and well-intentioned folly that led to its decline.

Critic Reviews:

"Grunwald brings the zeal of his profession - and the skill that won him a Society of Environmental Journalists Award in 2003 - to this enthralling story." (

Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Great listen

I learned so much about the Everglades ecosystem and history of environmental activism. Highly recommend!

Better come take a look at the Everglades more they're gone

I live near the Everglades and this book really opened my eyes. Mandatory reading for those who care