Listen Legally to Best Full Audiobooks in History, American

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Title: Power to the People

Subtitle: The Black Panthers Speak

Author: Fred Hampton

Narrator: Fred Hampton

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-31-13

Publisher: BN Publishing

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 44 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

In October of 1966, in Oakland California, Huey Newton, and Bobby Seale founded the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. The Panthers practiced militant self-defense of minority communities against the U.S. government, and fought to establish revolutionary socialism through mass organizing and community-based programs. The party was one of the first organizations in U.S. history to militantly struggle for ethnic minority and working class emancipation - a party whose agenda was the revolutionary establishment of real economic, social, and political equality across gender and color lines. Many words have been said about the Black Panthers...listen to what they have to say.

Members Reviews:

So Hard to understand

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

No, I couldn't understand Fred's speeches. I slowed down the audio as much as possible but realized that it was the quality of the recordings. That can't really be anyone else's fault. Fred not only spoke very quickly but he lived quite a long time ago.

What other book might you compare Power to the People to and why?

I listened to a program of Malcolm X's speeches and this was similar.

What three words best describe Fred Hamptons voice?

Inspirational, fast and at times, incomprehensible

Could you see Power to the People being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Yes and uncertain.

Some parts may be trouble hearing

Great history lesson great speech of empowerment should be heard yearly just to remind yourself. If your just now reading this it's too late word to the 6god

Interesting primary source material

Interesting primary source. The audio edition can be hard to understand as the speeches sound as if they were recorded separately from whatever sound system they were using so is full of crowd noise, and echo from the speakers. They also don't set context for the speeches so I can only tell the shift in time and location from the content of the speech. It would have helpful to add something explain the date, and location, let alone any other context for the story around that speech. It was still interesting to experience the emotional content, and to hear from the Panthers. I had some background in the Panthers from a University course so, so long ago, which helped. If you're not familiar with the Black Panther Party, nor versed in the history of the struggle for Civil Rights, this isn't a good place to start, as it's just speeches.

Glad these recordings exist

Enlightened by the recordings, wish they were enhanced and made clearer. I look forward to finding more historical black recordings.

the seeds of the movement's destruction

Some of the goals of the BPP were noble. Increased empowerment of local communities to have more power to influence decisions impacting their daily lives, feeding the poor, providing healthcare for the sick, and others were and are things worthy of pursuit. However, MLK was right when he said violence begets violence. Talk of retaliation and armed self defense made the party easy to demonize and paint with a broad brush. And ultimately, violence ended them. This provides a sample of some of the dialogue that illustrates that philosophy.

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Title: A Leap in the Dark

Subtitle: The Struggle to Create the American Republic

Author: John Ferling

Narrator: Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff

Format: Unabridged

Length: 23 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-17-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 35 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

It was an age of fascinating leaders and difficult choices, of grand ideas eloquently expressed and of epic conflicts bitterly fought. Now comes a brilliant portrait of the American Revolution, one that is compelling in its prose, fascinating in its details, and provocative in its fresh interpretations.

In A Leap in the Dark, John Ferling offers a magisterial new history that surges from the first rumblings of colonial protest to the volcanic election of 1800. Ferling's swift-moving narrative teems with fascinating details. We see Benjamin Franklin trying to decide if his loyalty was to Great Britain or to America, and we meet George Washington when he was a shrewd planter-businessman who discovered personal economic advantages to American independence. We encounter those who supported the war against Great Britain in 1776, but opposed independence because it was a "leap in the dark."

Following the war, we hear talk in the North of secession from the United States. The author offers a gripping account of the most dramatic events of our history, showing just how closely fought were the struggle for independence, the adoption of the Constitution, and the later battle between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans. Yet, without slowing the flow of events, he has also produced a landmark study of leadership and ideas. Here is all the erratic brilliance of Hamilton and Jefferson battling to shape the new nation, and here too is the passion and political shrewdness of revolutionaries, such as Samuel Adams and Patrick Henry, and their Loyalist counterparts, Joseph Galloway and Thomas Hutchinson.

Here as well are activists who are not so well known today, men like Abraham Yates, who battled for democratic change, and Theodore Sedgwick, who fought to preserve the political and social system of the colonial past. Ferling shows that throughout this period the epic political battles often resembled today's politics and the politicians - the founders - played a political hardball attendant with enmities, selfish motivations, and bitterness. The political stakes, this audiobook demonstrates, were extraordinary: first to secure independence, then to determine the meaning of the American Revolution. John Ferling has shown himself to be an insightful historian of our Revolution, and an unusually skillful writer. A Leap in the Dark is his masterpiece, work that provokes, enlightens, and entertains in full measure.

Members Reviews:

Loved every minute!

Beautiful narrative, great writing, elucidating and entertaining!!

I have enjoyed Ferling's work before and he does not disappoint. Get it!

Very disappointed

Don't be fooled to believe you have a free book download during your 30 day Trail because if you're like me who likes to read along with the narrator of the book you will be asked to purchase the Kindle eBook prescription. My mother used this 30 day trial before and she was able to download and listen to narrator while reading along with the narrator in two of her books she got free with the same 30 day free trail promotion, but unfortunately it did not happen with me. I will never use this company again.

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Title: Golden Dreams

Subtitle: California in an Age of Abundance, 1950-1963

Author: Kevin Starr

Narrator: Elijah Alexander

Format: Unabridged

Length: 29 hrs and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-17-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 27 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

A narrative tour de force that combines wide-ranging scholarship with captivating prose, Kevin Starr's acclaimed multi-volume Americans and the California Dream is an unparalleled work of cultural history. In this volume, Starr covers the crucial postwar period--1950 to 1963--when the California we know today first burst into prominence.

Starr brilliantly illuminates the dominant economic, social, and cultural forces in California in these pivotal years. In a powerful blend of telling events, colorful personalities, and insightful analyses, Starr examines such issues as the overnight creation of the postwar California suburb, the rise of Los Angeles as Super City, the reluctant emergence of San Diego as one of the largest cities in the nation, and the decline of political centrism. He explores the Silent Generation and the emergent Boomer youth cult, the Beats and the Hollywood "Rat Pack," the pervasive influence of Zen Buddhism and other Asian traditions in art and design, the rise of the University of California and the emergence of California itself as a utopia of higher education, the cooling of West Coast jazz, freeway and water projects of heroic magnitude, outdoor life and the beginnings of the environmental movement. More broadly, he shows how California not only became the most populous state in the Union, but in fact evolved into a mega-state en route to becoming the global commonwealth it is today.

Golden Dreams continues an epic series that has been widely recognized for its signal contribution to the history of American culture in California. It is a book that transcends its stated subject to offer a wealth of insight into the growth of the Sun Belt and the West and indeed the dramatic transformation of America itself in these pivotal years following the Second World War.

Members Reviews:

Give us more Starr on California!!

Would you listen to Golden Dreams again? Why?

Yes. There is so much detail, its hard to take it in and ponder on the first reading.

What about Elijah Alexanders performance did you like?

He was very good except for his annoying attempts, when reading a quotation in the book, to imitate what he thinks that author would have sounded like. Universally lame. This is not fiction, so voice characterizations are unnecessary. Lose the whole attempt in the next books.

Any additional comments?

I've been waiting ever since becoming an Audible listener for recordings of the Starr series on California social history. This is the first volume. Give us more...PLEASE...and soon. Anyone interested in California as a place and a culture will enjoy Starr's narratives.

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Title: The War of 1812

Subtitle: A Forgotten Conflict, Bicentennial Edition

Author: Donald R Hickey

Narrator: Douglas R. Pratt

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-08-13

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 57 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

This comprehensive and authoritative history of the War of 1812, thoroughly revised for the 200th anniversary of the historic conflict, is a myth-shattering study that will inform and entertain students, historians, and general listeners alike.

Donald R. Hickey explores the military, diplomatic, and domestic history of our second war with Great Britain, bringing the study up to date with recent scholarship on all aspects of the war, from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada. The newly expanded The War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict, Bicentennial Edition includes additional information on the British forces, American Indians, and military operations - such as the importance of logistics and the use and capabilities of weaponry.

Hickey explains how the war promoted American nationalism and manifest destiny, stimulated peacetime defense spending, and enhanced America's reputation abroad. He also shows that the war sparked bloody conflicts between pro-war Republican and anti-war Federalist neighbors, dealt a crippling blow to American Indians, and solidified the United States's antipathy toward the British.

Critic Reviews:

"A well-researched and extensively documented overview of the causes and consequences of the War of 1812. Highly recommended as an inclusive political, military, and social treatment of a customarily neglected war." (

American Library Association Booklist)

"Despite being forgotten and overlooked, the War of 1812 was a significant milestone in the development of the United States... there is no better place to start than with The War of 1812." (

Civil War News)

"The definitive study." (

Journal of American History)

Members Reviews:

The War of 1812 fascinating listening

If you could sum up The War of 1812 in three words, what would they be?

It ended before the last battle

If England was not fighting Napoleon, we might all be speaking English now

Who was your favorite character and why?

Winfield Scott

Captured, shot

Which scene was your favorite?

When the troop went over the niagra in barrels

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Cried because I couldnt sleep

Any additional comments?

It's really an excellent book

Definitely an American Perspective

Generally easy to follow and well performed except for some annoying mispronunciations. Arrogantly American at times especially the pronouncement that the Americans were the most profoundly affected by the War, so much so that they hardly remember it! Well researched though so no real complaints. Good to have another perspective.

it was like reading a dry history book

if i had been reading this i would not have finished it. listening was hard enough.

The War of 1812

The subject matter was very interesting and the author has accumulated a tremendous amount of previously unknown information. To this he adds great insight acquired through his studies. However, the dryness of the presentation detracted greatly from my enjoyment. This was partly due to the manuscript itself, but was exacerbated by the reader's presentation style. It was at times painful to listen to, but as I was interested in the subject, perseverance ultimately got me through it.

Lots of information

This audio book does a great job of taking records 'with a grain of salt' and trying to give an unbiased and accurate explanation of the war of 1812.

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Title: Loss of Eden

Subtitle: A Biography of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Author: Joyce Milton

Narrator: Gary Dikeos

Format: Unabridged

Length: 22 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-06-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

For the first time, Joyce Milton gives us the dual biography of the wonder couple, Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Their love prevailed against a horrifying kidnapping and murder splashed throughout the media, their careers, and even the criticism they underwent following their involvement in the America First movement as the U.S. entered World War II. With new information presented about their son's kidnapper, Bruno Hauptmann, and Charlie's own role in the case, Milton gives her readers a lot to think about. Thoroughly researched, Milton exposes a new understanding and view into the personalities and lives of both Charles, Anne, and the time they lived in.

Editorial Reviews:

Gary Dikeos soaring voice and commanding presence fit well with the lofty subject matter in Loss of Eden: A Biography of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh.

Joyce Miltons biography provides a well-researched portrait of the Lindberghs, the first couple of aviation. Charles solo flight across the Atlantic helped him capture worldwide fame, while Anna became not only an aviator but a best-selling author. Between their air journeys, the couple dealt with the perils of fame, Charles fascination with fascism, and the kidnapping of their infant son.

In his captivating performance, Dikeos utilizes his raspy, baritone, which is reminiscent of a movie documentary narrator, and an engaged, enthusiastic tone.

Members Reviews:

"Loss of Eden" A Gain for Readers

Joyce Milton's double biography of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh is far and away one of the best written and, certainly,

one of the best detailed studies of personalities I've ever read.Biography,as you probably know, is the most difficult genre of prose.

How does one summarize a life and believe the subject is completed? Milton worked so hard, focused, acquired material and inter-

viewed so many subjects that you'll be left with the feeling she left no stone unturned. Starting with Charles Lindbergh's back-

woods Minnesota origins, a childhood coinsiding with the birth of aviation and the start of the automobile age, the life of a taci-

turn risk taker is documented and analyzed all the way through seven decades of publicity shy publicity getting. In contrast. his

wife, Anne Morrow, stems from origins the quintessential antithesis of his own. While no one knows what really goes on in other

person's marriages, I'd venture to say their's was a classic. Expect a page turner..

Best Lindbergh Profile Yet

Many authors have approached the life story of Charles and Anne Lindbergh as if the picture a black and white photograph from their era - one dimensional and somewhat lifeless. Joyce Milton's biography is a more enlivened approach and we see the Lindberghs in full colour, even when the colours are not harmonious. So much hyperbole has been attached to Charles and Anne's activities that telling their history in a rationale fashion is truly welcome. Constant public exposure and an aggressive press may have been the culture of the times when newspapers were the chief source of information, but today's readers will only sympathize with the Lindberghs who were made quite paranoid by this endless attention.

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Title: Hit List

Subtitle: An In-Depth Investigation into the Mysterious Deaths of Witnesses to the JFK Assassination

Author: Richard Belzer, David Wayne

Narrator: Tom Stechschulte

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-05-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 236 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Richard Belzer and David Wayne are back to set the record straight after Dead Wrong; this time they're going to uncover the truth about the many witness deaths tied to the JFK assassination.

For decades, government pundits have dismissed these "coincidental" deaths, even regarding them as "myths" as "urban legends." Like most people, Richard and David were initially unsure about what to make of these 'coincidences'. After all, events don't "consult the odds" prior to happening; they simply happen. Then someone comes along later and figures out what the odds of it happening were. Some of the deaths seemed purely coincidental; heart attacks, hunting accidents. Others clearly seemed noteworthy; witnesses who did seem to know something and did seem to die mysteriously.

Hit List is a fair examination of the evidence of each case, leading to (necessarily) different conclusions. The findings were absolutely staggering; as some cases were clearly linked to a "clean-up operation" after the murder of President Kennedy, while others were the result of 'other forces'. The impeccable research and writing of Richard Belzer and David Wayne show that if the government is trying to hide anything, they're the duo who will uncover it.

Members Reviews:

Awesome book. Filled with interesting knowledge

What made the experience of listening to Hit List the most enjoyable?

The truth

What was one of the most memorable moments of Hit List?

All the people LBJ had killed

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

He did great job

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

Can't believe all the people killed over JFK. Way to many

Any additional comments?

A+++

Extensive but skimming account of JFK rel. deaths

liked the effort and the light shed on suspicious deaths related to JFK. But accounts were somewhat vague as to how exactly they connect to JFK death.

Extremely enjoyable to listen to - brought back my questioning youth

I am 62 and lived through these times . I always had questions and was curious even at my young age at the time - that things just didn't seem right. This audiobook entertained me - had me thinking - and brought back youthful memories - I sure part of the reason why I became a history buff .

A Fraud

What disappointed you about Hit List?

One of Mssrs Belzer & Waynes chief sources for this book was a man named Tosh Plumlee. He has muddied the waters for JFK assassination researchers with his claims that he flew an Abort Team, starring Johnny Roselli, to Dallas on that fateful day.

Plumlee has claimed a mountainous paper/electronic trail for his bonafides, and the only problem with those bonafides is that, beyond his own word, theres not a single, solitary document that indicates that hes ever been involved in any covert activity. He often points to his numerous interviews debriefings by the FBI as proof of his involvement with the covert world. But every one of those reports was initiated by him. Yes, thats right. In every instance he contacted the FBI, explained that he has information about this or that, is interviewed, and then the FBI files a report.

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Title: The Men Who United the States

Subtitle: America's Explorers, Inventors, Eccentrics, and Mavericks, and the Creation of One Nation, Indivisible

Author: Simon Winchester

Narrator: Simon Winchester

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-15-13

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 350 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Simon Winchester, the acclaimed New York Times best-selling author of Atlantic and The Professor and the Madman, delivers his first book about America: a fascinating popular history that illuminates the men who toiled fearlessly to discover, connect, and bond the citizenry and geography of the U.S.A. from its beginnings.

How did America become one nation, indivisible? What unified a growing number of disparate states into the modern country we recognize today? To answer these questions, Winchester follows in the footsteps of Americas most essential explorers, thinkers, and innovators, such as Lewis and Clark and the leaders of the Great Surveys; the builders of the first transcontinental telegraph and the powerful civil engineer behind the Interstate Highway System. He treks vast swaths of territory, from Pittsburgh to Portland, Rochester to San Francisco, Seattle to Anchorage, introducing the fascinating people who played a pivotal role in creating todays United States.

Throughout, he ponders whether the historic work of uniting the States has succeeded, and to what degree. The Men Who United the States is a fresh look at the way in which the most powerful nation on Earth came together.

Members Reviews:

deserves seven stars

The combination of wonderful writing, author as narrator and a wide range of interesting stories is an unbeatable combination. Moreover, Winchester goes beyond the major historical stories we are all familiar with, and illuminates a wide range of other people and events that played a role in forming the United States.

Fascinating with Amazing Detail

Would you listen to The Men Who United the States again? Why?

Yes, there is so much interesting information contained in this book, that a second or third read wouldn't be out of the question, just for all of it to register.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Men Who United the States?

The account of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Have you listened to any of Simon Winchesters other performances before? How does this one compare?

Not applicable.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It's not that kind of book, although it's full of chuckles.

A little slow but worth sticking it out.

The characters are unknown to many and little remembered in history but one comes away with a deep appreciation of the greatness of our country and it's amazing people. Another great history of our of the USA from a different angle.

Should be required reading for any American

What did you love best about The Men Who United the States?

Simon Winchester is a most eloquent writer and manages to fill in the gaps that connect our nation's history that are woefully overlooked in most collegiate courses. Not the first one of Simon's that I've read and have found each title to be brilliant and engaging. I've read fiction that had less compelling drama.

What other book might you compare The Men Who United the States to and why?

Any Simon Winchester book. He's in a class of his own.

Any additional comments?

Honestly, I wish this could be required reading in high school. I think kids (and adults) would be drawn to history and have a much better understanding of who we are as a nation.

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Title: The President Has Been Shot!

Subtitle: The Assassination of John F. Kennedy

Author: James L. Swanson

Narrator: Will Patton

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-01-13

Publisher: Scholastic, Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 53 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

A breathtaking and dramatic account of the JFK assassination by the New York Times best-selling author. Swanson transports listeners back to one of the most shocking, sad, and terrifying events in American history. As he did in his best-selling Chasing Lincoln's Killer, he deploys his signature "you are there" style to tell the story of the JFK assassination as it has never been told before.

Members Reviews:

Excellent and informative read

This was on my high school summer read list. Very informative. It made you understand how the nation felt losing their leader in his prime.

An Account on the Assassination of President Kennedy Written for Middle and High School Students

As author James Swanson did with his book entitled Manhunt on the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln he has now written an account on the assassination of President John Kennedy for young readers entitled "The President Has Been Shot." This book is suitable for middle school and high school students and even good readers on an elementary level. The book contains numerous photos so a reader isn't intimidated by page after page of only words. Author Swanson doesn't believe in the numerous conspiracy theories out there but focuses on three bullets fired by Lee Harvey Oswald as the lone gunman. President Kennedy's itinerary from the time he entered Texas along with the movements of Lee Oswald are followed until they come together when the assassination takes place are aptly covered. The chase for the murderer, the President's funeral, the murder of Oswald by Jack Ruby and the aftermath are all well covered. These would make good gifts for a young person on your list.

Five Stars

Good book but for young adult

I'm not an avid nonfiction reader normally, but this ...

I'm not an avid nonfiction reader normally, but this book is so well written that you get caught up in the story.

An excellent book about the president

An excellent book about the president, JFK, who has been murdered. But who did it?

The book tells us possible people or ways he was murdered. For example the book said a person named Lee Harvey Oswald shot a rifle though a window and made 7 bullet wounds. Another way was that the mafia shot him from behind.

This is a great book for people who like Presidents, Biography, and History

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Title: Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents

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

Author: Cormac O'Brien

Narrator: Robin Bloodworth

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-18-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 151 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

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

With chapters on everyone from George Washington to Barack Obama, Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents tackles all the tough questions that other history books are afraid to ask: How many of these guys were cheating on their wives? Are there really secret tunnels underneath the White House? And what was Nancy Reagan thinking when she appeared on Diffrent Strokes? American history was never this much fun in school!

Editorial Reviews:

Looking for a grand historical drama in which great men undergo great trials in pursuit of great deeds? Well, this is not that book. The great men in Cormac OBriens survey of Americas presidential pantheon are at their laziest, their craziest, and their strangest. Some of the revelations here are old news - Jeffersons sexual dalliances with his slaves, for example, or Lincolns free hand with pardons for soldiers facing executions. Others are truly startling. (Next time some talk-radio pundit accuses a president of gambling away the countrys money, consider that Warren G. Harding actually bet with the presidential china in poker games!) Not Pulitzer material, but Robin Bloodworths sure narration makes this a great choice for a long drive.

Members Reviews:

Very interesting

An interesting book, although I found it a little more interesting from FDR on because they're presidents who I am familiar with ---

Sloppy, dull, partisan

The author, O'Brien, did not make himself master of his material. Every piece of trivia recounted could be found in a quick web search, and many even more interesting things were left out.

O'Brien made the novice historian's error of presuming to speak for what his subjects wanted or thought without showing evidence that this was the motive behind the policy in question (and obviously ignoring direct evidence from the Presidents' own speeches writings and diaries that contradicts his psychoanalysis. This is compounded by an easy partisanship; partisanship is easier to forgive in a historian who recognizes her/his own biases, but O'Brien has no such sense of self, writing over and over things like "everybody agrees that . . ." or "we can all be thankful that . . ." about issues faced in the past over which reasonable people still differ today.

A good prose style can make up for sloppy history, as in Chesterton's thoroughly enjoyable if unreliable history of England. Sadly O'Brien's prose is lackluster; neither engaging, enraging, or melodious, but in the form of simple un-lyrical statements and lists.

I wanted to like the book, but I simply could not find a purchase from which I could hang any praise for it.

A real bore nothing new in here

This book wasnt for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Save your time and go to Wikipedia

Has Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents turned you off from other books in this genre?

No I love history

Would you listen to another book narrated by Robin Bloodworth?

Never again

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Secret Lives of the U.S.

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Title: American Ideals: Founding a 'Republic of Virtue'

Author: The Great Courses

Narrator: Professor Daniel N. Robinson

Format: Original Recording

Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-08-13

Publisher: The Great Courses

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 79 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

What is the significance of the phrase "the pursuit of happiness" in the Declaration of Independence? Why does it read "We the people" in the preamble to the Constitution? What were the philosophies and social forces that made this country unique - that enabled it to become the first successfully self-governing republic?

Answer these questions and more with this insightful 12-lecture course, which explores the principles that guided the founding of the United States, the conditions that led to the break with Great Britain, and the creation of such founding documents as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. You'll deepen your understanding of fundamental ideas that inspired American independence and that continue to have a profound influence on American thought. You'll also receive insight into what historians call "the long conversation" in American society - questions that have been the focus of debate and controversy since the nation was born.

As the world's oldest democracy, the United States stands as the "test case" for those who regard self-government as inherently unstable, inherently self-destructive. Examining the founding documents, such as the Articles of Confederation, the Declaration of Independence, and the U.S. Constitution, Professor Robinson considers the principles under which the United States evolved.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

Members Reviews:

So much more than anticipated

A wonderful ride thru the birth of the USA.

What lies behind the constitution and how did it come about.

A convincing and engaging narration. Will look for more audibles by Prof. Daniel N. Robinson.

Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Beautiful and Flawless

As always just beautiful! Delivery is flawless. Mix of philosophy and some comparisons with present times was really informative.

Prof. Robinson never fails to deliver....

....brilliant in his many works. To learn and be simultaneously entertain keeps me coming back for more. But his ability to teach will always be the reason for pursuing his courses in the first instance.

Fascinating presentation that ended too quickly.

The lectures flew by, even after listening to large parts of them more than once to better understand it all.

Well Done!

I think this is the second iteration of this lecture. Prof. Robinson is an old school (compliment!) erudite intellectual who knows much more than he can possibly convey in a lecture so he gives the information with just enough background to support his thesis. He also does not let politics or pc intrude into the delivery.

Very informative, thank you.

Mickey Campagna