Listen to Best Sellers Audiobooks in History, 21st Century

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Title: Iraq War

Subtitle: Revised Edition

Author: Rodney P. Carlisle

Narrator: Kirby Heyborne

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 44 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-15-11

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: History, 21st Century

Publisher's Summary:

In a dramatic three-week campaign beginning March 20, 2003, U.S. and British forces, along with several other countries in a coalition, destroyed the Iraqi army, defeating Saddam Hussein's oppressive regime. Over the coming months and years, former regime members, along with some armed anti-American forces from outside Iraq, started a long and bitter armed resistance.

Iraq War, Revised Edition covers all the material necessary to understand the circumstances surrounding this particular military undertaking. This new edition explores the history of the region as well as the recent events leading up to and culminating in this war. The book is published by Chelsea House Publishers, a leading publisher of educational material.

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Title: North American Indians

Subtitle: A Very Short Introduction

Author: Michael D. Green, Theda Perdue

Narrator: Richard Davidson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-24-11

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 25 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

When Europeans first arrived in North America, between five and eight million indigenous people were already living on the continent. But how did they come to be there? What were their agricultural, spiritual, and hunting practices? How did their societies evolve, and what challenges do they face today?

Eminent historians Theda Perdue and Michael Green begin by describing how nomadic bands of hunter-gatherers followed the bison and woolly mammoth over the Bering land mass between Asia and what is now Alaska between 25,000 and 15,000 years ago, settling throughout North America. They describe hunting practices among different tribes, how some made the gradual transition to more settled, agricultural ways of life, the role of kinship and cooperation in Native societies, their varied burial rites and spiritual practices, and many other features of Native American life. Throughout the book, Perdue and Green stress the great diversity of indigenous peoples in America, who spoke more than 400 different languages before the arrival of Europeans and whose ways of life varied according to the environments they settled in and adapted to so successfully.

Most important, the authors stress how Native Americans have struggled to maintain their sovereignty - first with European powers and then with the United States - in order to retain their lands, govern themselves, support their people, and pursue practices that have made their lives meaningful.

Members Reviews:

So much information!

This book was filled with a great deal of information. I liked that it was told the story of Native America in chronological order. I will be looking at other books in the very short introduction series.

African-Americans ain't African.

Book separates the Copper Colored People of America. Does not recognize aborigines americans who of african decedent. I wonder how accurate are the accounts given.

Narrator Can Make or Break a Story

Ohhh, I do hate to do this. It really does pain me anytime I have to give a not so stellar review. But, if one agrees to give reviews, one must review all honestly. And, after all, it is my own opinion and may not be true for others. So, here goes:

I have always held conflicting views of the American Indians and the American story. I do not call them Native Americans because I do not believe them to be any more "native" than am I, whose earliest ancestors set forth from Germany and Switzerland, Because the earliest Indians probably came from Asia, they are immigrants as well, albeit much earlier. Anyway, I set out to learn as much as I could about them. I thought a good place to start (from an audio point of view) would be a history of North American Indians and that is why I chose this book. And, from the first three chapters, I think I was right. Unfortunately, the narrator makes it very difficult to listen and almost impossible to finish. I have started -- and stopped -- listening to this book three times. I will now get the book in print.

Some people do not mind their narration experience. Others do, and I am one of them. I have to "feel" the story and some voices make it hard to do so. Subjective, I know.

Finally, Step 1 of the review process on Audible makes it necessary to rate Overall, Performance and Story before one can move on.

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Title: The Longest War

Subtitle: America and Al-Qaeda Since 9/11

Author: Peter L. Bergen

Narrator: Peter Ganim

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-11-11

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 131 votes

Genres: History, 21st Century

Publisher's Summary:

Ten years have passed since the shocking attacks on the World Trade Center, and after seven years of conflict, the last U.S. combat troops left Iraq - only to move into Afghanistan, where the 10-year-old fight continues. The war on terror rages with no clear end in sight.

In The Longest War, Peter Bergen offers a comprehensive history of this war and its evolution, from the strategies devised in the wake of the 9/11 attacks to the fighting in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and beyond. Unlike any other book on this subject, here Bergen tells the story of this shifting wars failures and successes from the perspectives of both the United States and al-Qaeda and its allies. He goes into the homes of al-Qaeda members, rooting into the source of their devotion to terrorist causes, and spends time in the offices of the major players shaping the U.S. strategic efforts in the region.

At a time when many are frustrated or fatigued with what has become an enduring multigenerational conflict, this book will provide an illuminating narrative that not only traces the arc of the fight but projects its likely future.

Weaving together internal documents from al-Qaeda and the U.S. offices of counterterrorism, first-person interviews with top-level jihadists and senior Washington officials, along with his own experiences on the ground in the Middle East, Bergen balances the accounts of each side, revealing how al-Qaeda has evolved since 9/11 and the specific ways the U.S. government has responded in the ongoing fight. Bergen also uncovers the strategic errors committed on both sides - including the way that al-Qaeda's bold attack on the United States on 9/11 actually undermined its objective and caused the collapse of the Taliban and the destruction of the organizations safe haven in Afghanistan, and how al-Qaeda is actually losing the war of ideas in the Muslim world.

Critic Reviews:

Amazon Best Books of the Month, January 2011

"For readers interested in a highly informed, wide-angled, single-volume briefing on the war on terror so far, The Longest War is clearly that essential book....The lucidity, knowledge and carefully reasoned logic of [Bergen's] arguments lend his assessments credibility and weight, even when he is challenging conventional wisdom." (The New York Times)

When the War on Terror is consigned to the history books, one name will dominate as the steady, clear-eyed chronicler of that period. Peter Bergen was among the first to note the rise of al-Qaeda, and he is still on the case. The Longest War is a vital and essential account of the central conflict of our times. (Lawrence Wright, author of The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11)

"The first [book] to credibly cover the global sweep of events over the last 10 years, exploring not just American views but also Al Qaeda's....The Longest War is one of the most important accounts on the subject to appear in years. But be warned: You will read it and weep." (New York Times Book Review)

Members Reviews:

very good, completes the picture - take a listen

Good listen, recommended. Very good narrator, material is in depth and well-put together. Have read/listened to a dozen books on the war, early Bin Laden, Irag, Afghanistan, Bush, etc. This covers a great deal of the same ground but is more complete and relevant with excellent new source material from those who participated in the process.

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Title: City of Dust

Subtitle: Illness, Arrogance, and 9/11

Author: Anthony DePalma

Narrator: Dan Woren

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-28-10

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: History, 21st Century

Publisher's Summary:

The destruction of New York's World Trade Center unleashed one of the gravest environmental catastrophes in U.S. history. Now, former New York Times Ground Zero reporter Anthony DePalma presents a full accounting of the disaster that followed 9/11. He separates myths from reality, reveals decisions that destroyed public trust, shares victims untold stories - and helps us to ensure that this never happens again.

Members Reviews:

Facinating but tedious

This was a compelling title an on the surface an amazing insight to a little reported aspect of 9/11. there is lots of information, fact and figures and things you would'nt know about. The book is about the initially unseen and unrecognised consequences of how the City handled dealing with this terrible incident, what happed to those who searched the site, lived near by and generaly were the unrecognised victims. Unfortunately it became repetative and if you were reading it there would be lots you would skip to get to the point. Can't do that with audio as you may miss an important bit. A real shame that being consise and to the point is not the authors skill so lost me and i never finished it.

However if you love facts and figures and enjoy the laying it on thick to make sure you get it then this is the book for you.

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Title: Climatopolis

Subtitle: How Our Cities Will Thrive in the Hotter Future

Author: Matthew E. Kahn

Narrator: William Dufris

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-27-10

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: History, 21st Century

Publisher's Summary:

We have released the genie from the bottle: climate change is coming, and there's no stopping it. The question, according to Matthew Kahn, is not how were going to avoid a hotter future but how were going to adapt to it.

In Climatopolis, Kahn, one of the worlds foremost experts on the economics of the environment, argues that cities and regions will adapt to rising temperatures over time, slowly transforming our everyday lives as we change our behaviors and our surroundings. Taking the reader on a tour of the world's cities from New York to Beijing to Mumbai - Kahn's clear-eyed, engaging, and optimistic message presents a positive yet realistic picture of what our urban future will look like.

Members Reviews:

Some interesting opinions but lacks balance

Would you try another book written by Matthew E. Kahn or narrated by William Dufris?

The book takes an glimpse into how cities might adapt to potential climate change. However it makes a complete assumption that this is actually happening and dwells too much on people movement and not enough on technological advances.

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Title: Harvey

Author: Susan Kertesz

Narrator: Susan Kertesz

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-24-10

Publisher: Tate Publishing

Genres: History, 21st Century

Publisher's Summary:

For his entire existence, the John J. Harvey had been serving the men and women of the New York City harbor area. As a fireboat, it was his job to provide support to firefighters on shore and to boats in trouble on the water.

Harvey fought fires for more than 60 years, but at last it was time to retire. For several years he served as a reminder of the proud past of New York City firefighters. It seemed like Harvey's rescuing days were done, until a late-summer morning in September....

Members Reviews:

Excellent reminder and teacher about 9/11

Harvey is a very touching story that can help children understand some of the events that happened on 9/11. It tells the true story of how the courage of a small and discarded boat saved hundreds of lives, the way that many other brave individuals gave their all to help save lives that day. Children need to be taught about 9/11 in a way that they can understand, in a way that makes them proud of the sacrifices of their countrymen.

Finally, a way to educate about 9/11 and empower both

Finally! A way for parents and educators to teach young children what happened on September 11th in a meaningful way they can understand, that also gives them courage that they too can rise to their own challenges. I love this book! The children not only get to learn about September 11th in an inspiring way, they also get to learn about this important ship while actually getting to participate in its restoration. A portion of the proceeds goes to the restoration project of the John J. Harvey in preparation of the tenth anniversary of September 11th. Not only does it teach history but how to overcome challenges by sharing what you have to give and making something around you better. We can all do that, no matter how old we are. It is empowering. Perhaps that is why so many children I know really love this book!

Great-grandmother of many

As a grandmother of 21 beautiful grandchildren and a great-grandmother of 32 cute and smart great-grandchildren, I am very concerned about how to teach the little ones and the bigger ones as well, the historical story of America in a way that will be not-threatening but sustaining the foundation of democracy and vigilence in our country. This book, Harvey, by Susan Kertesz, goes a long way in treating a scary subject in a way that shows children that although scary things happen in America and the world, we can all do our own job with our own strengths to make a difference in a situation we find ourselves in. It takes a village to raise a child, but it also takes a child with courage to make a difference in the village. We must learn from past history to keep from repeating the same mistakes that were previously made.

Very well done!!

This is such a good book, yes for children, but also for adults. I gave this book to each of my grandchildren because I wanted them to learn that it doesn't matter what others think or what situations you find yourself in, there is always something you can do to help make the world a better place and that it doesn't matter how big or little you are, you can make a difference. Another thing I love about it is that it is written with care, taking a very ugly event and talking about it is such a gentle, tender way that children see the good and aren't tramatized by the bad.

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Title: The Lowdown: A Short History of the First Gulf War

Author: Robert Johnson

Narrator: John Simpson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-15-10

Publisher: Create

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: History, 21st Century

Publisher's Summary:

A concise history of Saddams road to ruin the denouement of Iraq. The Lowdown: A Short History of the First Gulf War gives an explanation of the causes of the Gulf War in 1990-91 and how the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s shaped the political and diplomatic landscape that led to a confrontation between President Saddam Hussein of Iraq and a world coalition led by the United States.

At the end of the Iran-Iraq War in 1988, Iraq was in significant debt. Saddam coveted Kuwaits vast oil revenues and considered using his vast and seasoned army to get them. He presumed that there would be little resistance to an invasion a dreadful miscalculation. When Iraqi forces poured into Kuwait, much of the world united against them. The First Gulf War opened a new chapter in the regions politics, bringing together the Arab states and the Western world. Yet, ultimately, it was a war that convinced Saddam to continue his defiance of the West and to exercise even greater ruthlessness to stay in power - a situation which led to the Coalition invasion of Iraq in 2003.

After that 2003 onslaught, many speculated as to what had gone wrong in the first Gulf War. Why had Saddam been able to survive? What was it that drove him to continue to snub the world and pursue his objectives so aggressively? The Lowdown: A Short History of the First Gulf War considers these questions, examines the character and experiences of Saddam himself, revisiting the First Gulf War in light of more recent events.

Members Reviews:

Only criticism is its price to length ratio

Only criticism is its price to length ratio i otherwise enjoyed it and will probably re listen to it soon

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Title: What's Going On?

Subtitle: The Emerging Trouble on the Horizon

Author: Ken Hoffman

Narrator: Dylan Raines

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-14-10

Publisher: Tate Publishing

Ratings: 1 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: History, 21st Century

Publisher's Summary:

The more things change the more they stay the same. Having been born in 1935 he remembers the Great Depression, the 2nd World War and events that followed to the present time, he lived them. He tells how the 1st and 2nd World Wars affected the U.S.A. and caused the progression of all things to happen before their time, a result of a dire need in order to win the wars. When you read this book you will understand what happened, the order in which each advancement took place and why. How we changed from a conservative Christian nation to a liberal nation with no common sense, with a welfare system used by the officials to buy votes and how the Democrats and Republicans have to be out of their minds to allow this to happen.

Members Reviews:

Good Book

this book tells you what America was like "during the good old days" and takes you through the years as America progressed to the liberal country we are today,"not good" also you must read Home Grown Enemies to be able to understand where we are going if we stay on the path we are on"even worse"... Whats Going On is a good read and to take the next step also you must read Home Grown Enemies to understand the full impact of what is going to happen...in the near future...

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Title: The Watchers

Subtitle: The Rise of America's Surveillance State

Author: Shane Harris

Narrator: Kirby Heyborne

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-09-10

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 46 votes

Genres: History, 21st Century

Publisher's Summary:

Our surveillance state was born in the brain of Admiral John Poindexter in 1983. Poindexter, President Ronald Reagan's national security adviser, realized that the United States might have prevented the terrorist massacre of 241 Marines in Beirut if only intelligence agencies had been able to analyze in real time data they had on the attackers. Poindexter poured government know-how and funds into his dream - a system that would sift reams of data for signs of terrorist activity. Decades later, that elusive dream still captivates Washington.

After the 2001 attacks, Poindexter returned to government with a controversial program, called Total Information Awareness, to detect the next attack. Today it is a secretly funded operation that can gather personal information on every American and millions of others worldwide. But Poindexter's dream has also become America's nightmare. Despite billions of dollars spent on this digital quest since the Reagan era, we still can't discern future threats in the vast data cloud that surrounds us all. But the government can now spy on its citizens with an ease that was impossible - and illegal - just a few years ago.

Drawing on unprecedented access to the people who pioneered this high-tech spycraft, Shane Harris shows how it has shifted from the province of right-wing technocrats to a cornerstone of the Obama administration's war on terror. Harris puts us behind the scenes and in front of the screens where 21st-century spycraft was born. We witness Poindexter quietly working from the private sector to get government to buy in to his programs in the early '90s. We see an Army major agonize as he carries out an order to delete the vast database he's gathered on possible terror cells - and on thousands of innocent Americans - months before 9/11. We follow General Mike Hayden as he persuades the Bush administration to secretly monitor Americans based on a flawed interpretation of the law.

Critic Reviews:

"An absorbing look at modern spying technology and how it impacts average Americans." (Booklist)

"The Watchers reads like a thriller, and the story is sadly on the mark in describing our limited oversight of the government's surveillance powers. The nation needs to do better, and Harris' book is rich background to that task." (Gregory F. Treverton, Director, Center for Global Risk and Security, RAND Corporation)

Members Reviews:

Important context for privacy debate

Shane Harris does such a good job of explaining the rationale behind the creation of the modern US surveillance state and the motivations of the people who created it that in the end I felt it was lacking compelling arguments against such domestic spying. Despite that, the book does chronicle the rapid erosion of protections for US persons in the face of comprehensive government eavesdropping. I heartily recommend this book to anyone seeking a better understanding of privacy and surveillance issues.

The truth

After meeting some of the key people in this book and reading their books that connect to this subject, one can discern their biases and blind spots. This book shows good balance and unravels the information 'hairballs" that often confuse the key issues. Excellent in all respects.

Didn't Expect That

I love it when background reading persuades me to see things in a new light.

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Title: Down in New Orleans

Subtitle: Reflections from a Drowned City

Author: Billy Sothern

Narrator: David Henry

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-04-10

Publisher: Caravan

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: History, 21st Century

Publisher's Summary:

"Billy Sothern's Down in New Orleans illustrates, in very human and heartbreaking ways, how the horrors that emerged during and following Hurricane Katrina existed long before the storm. These beautifully composed stories not only reveal the dignityand amazing grit and graceof the hurricane's survivors; they also illuminate larger truths about the urgent issues of our day. Sothern magnifies the urgency of creating a government that really serves the common good - and a society that protects its poor and vulnerable."

--Katrina vanden Heuvel, Editor and Publisher, The Nation

Critic Reviews:

"He eloquently and angrily shows how devastatingly easy it can be for those in power to cast aside the rule of law our society relies on. In outrage he recalls how the prisoners in New Orleans' jailmost of whom had yet to be tried, let alone convictedhad to break open their cell doors to swim to safety. He follows the story of residents suddenly arrested as suspected terrorists and held for weeks with no family contact. Sothern's own story of escape and return adds a personal facet to a Katrina book that looks not to the destruction wrought by the storm, but to that caused by the suspension of rights by those in charge of a great American city now truly in ruins." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

I'm so confused. And annoyed.

What did you find wrong about the narrator's performance?

Why would an author/ publisher/ narrator even bother recording an audiobook making ABSOLUTELY NO EFFORT to learn to properly pronouce the local street names, city names, or surnames? It's not like you can't GET to New Orleans, or make a phone call, or talk to the AUTHOR, who, supposedly, has actually lived there for years. This was PAINFUL to me. I tried to start a list, but it soon became obvious that it would be easier to list the things he pronounced correctly: Canal street....Harry Lee...St. Charles..umm yeah that's about it. SO DISTRACTING, I found myself having to backtrack constantly to force myself to listen to the content. He pronounced "Metairie" about 4 different (wrong) ways. "FAW-berg Ma-RIG-ny". "THibodeaux" (like thistle). "KAY-rondolet". And when he got to the part where he had to list the streets named after the muses, my eye started twitching. All I'm saying is, DUDE. Make an effort, for crying out loud.

One side of a complicated story

I liked this book because it made me examine some pre-concieved notions I had(have.) It took me several chapters to figure out the author's race and religion and my perceptions morphed during the exercise.

I used to live in New Orleans and my brother still does. He was there through Katrina and I was there less than 2 weeks after.

The book presents some of the most grievous episodes of post-Katrina NOLA--evacuees turned back on the Crescent City connection, the handling of state prisoners, the case of Abdulrahman Zeitoun and tries to extrapolate from them a theory of systematic oppression. I didn't quite buy it, but the author shines a light on some obvious problems in southern Louisiana.

As a lawyer who represents death penalty prisoners he has a clear bias against law enforcement and "the system." Every instance of authority paints the law enforcement officers in the worst possible light.