Listen to Top 100 Audiobooks in History, American

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Title: TWA 800

Subtitle: The Crash, the Cover-Up, and the Conspiracy

Author: Jack Cashill

Narrator: Richard Ferrone

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-05-16

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 85 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

What really happened to TWA 800? On the 20th anniversary of the crash, author Jack Cashill reveals shocking new evidence.

TWA Flight 800 crashed into the Atlantic shortly after takeoff from JFK Airport on July 17, 1996, killing all 230 passengers onboard. Although initial reports suggested a terrorist attack, FBI and NTSB investigators blamed a fuel-tank explosion. But skeptics have long questioned the official story, and new evidence has surfaced that suggests a widespread conspiracy.

In TWA 800, historian Jack Cashill introduces new documents and testimonies that reveal the shocking true chain of events, from the disastrous crash to the high-level decision to create a cover story and the attempts to silence anyone who dared speak the truth.

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Title: The Black History of the White House

Author: Clarence Lusane

Narrator: JD Jackson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-14-16

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

The Black History of the White House presents the untold history, racial politics, and shifting significance of the White House as experienced by African Americans, from the generations of enslaved people who helped to build it or were forced to work there to its first black first family, the Obamas.

Clarence Lusane juxtaposes significant events in White House history with the ongoing struggle for democratic, civil, and human rights by black Americans and demonstrates that only during crises have presidents used their authority to advance racial justice. He describes how in 1901 the building was officially named the "White House" amid a furious backlash against President Roosevelt for inviting Booker T. Washington to dinner and how that same year saw the consolidation of white power with the departure of the last black Congress member elected after the Civil War. Lusane explores how, from its construction in 1792 to its becoming the home of the first black president, the White House has been a prism through which to view the progress and struggles of black Americans seeking full citizenship and justice.

Critic Reviews:

"Clarence Lusane is one of America's most thoughtful and critical thinkers on issues of race, class and power." (Manning Marable)

"Barack Obama may be the first black president in the White House, but he's far from the first black person to work in it. In this fascinating history of all the enslaved people, workers, and entertainers who spent time in the president's official residence over the years, Clarence Lusane restores the White House to its true colors." (Barbara Ehrenreich)

"Reading The Black History of the White House shows us how much we DON'T know about our history, politics, and culture. In a very accessible and polished style, Clarence Lusane takes us inside the key national events of the American past and present. He reveals new dimensions of the black presence in the US from revolutionary days to the Obama campaign. Yes, 'black hands built the White House' - enslaved black hands - but they also built this country's economy, political system, and culture, in ways Lusane shows us in great detail. A particularly important feature of this book its personal storytelling: we see black political history through the experiences and insights of little-known participants in great American events. The detailed lives of Washington's slaves seeking freedom, or the complexities of Duke Ellington's relationships with the Truman and Eisenhower White House, show us American racism, and also black America's fierce hunger for freedom, in brand new and very exciting ways. This book would be a great addition to many courses in history, sociology, or ethnic studies courses. Highly recommended!" (Howard Winant)

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Title: Bound for Canaan

Subtitle: The Epic Story of the Underground Railroad, America's First Civil Rights Movement

Author: Fergus Bordewich

Narrator: Peter J. Fernandez

Format: Unabridged

Length: 19 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-07-16

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 12 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

An important book of epic scope on America's first racially integrated, religiously inspired movement for change.

The Civil War brought to a climax the country's bitter division. But the beginnings of slavery's denouement can be traced to a courageous band of ordinary Americans, black and white, slave and free, who joined forces to create what would come to be known as the Underground Railroad, a movement that occupies as romantic a place in the nation's imagination as the Lewis and Clark expedition.

The true story of the Underground Railroad is much more morally complex and politically divisive than even the myths suggest. Against a backdrop of the country's westward expansion arose a fierce clash of values that was nothing less than a war for the country's soul. Not since the American Revolution had the country engaged in an act of such vast and profound civil disobedience that not only challenged prevailing mores but also subverted federal law.

Bound for Canaan tells the stories of men and women like David Ruggles, who invented the black underground in New York City; bold Quakers like Isaac Hopper and Levi Coffin, who risked their lives to build the Underground Railroad; and the inimitable Harriet Tubman. Interweaving thrilling personal stories with the politics of slavery and abolition, Bound for Canaan shows how the Underground Railroad gave birth to this country's first racially integrated, religiously inspired movement for social change.

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Title: Neither Snow nor Rain

Subtitle: A History of the United States Postal Service

Author: Devin Leonard

Narrator: L. J. Ganser

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-03-16

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 25 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Few institutions are as loved, as loathed, and as historically important as the United States Postal Service, the subject of this landmark century-spanning social, political, and economic history.

The United States Postal Service is a wondrous American creation. Seven days a week, its army of 300,000 letter carriers delivers 513 million pieces of mail, 40 percent of the world's volume. It is far more efficient than any other mail service - more than twice as efficient as the Japanese and easily outpacing the Germans and British. And the USPS has a storied history.

Founded by Benjamin Franklin, it was the information network that bound far-flung Americans together, fostered a common culture, and helped American business to prosper. A first class stamp remains one of the greatest bargains of all time, and yet the USPS is slowly vanishing. Critics say it is slow and archaic. Mail volume is down. The workforce is shrinking. Post offices are closing.

In Neither Snow nor Rain, journalist Devin Leonard tackles the fascinating, centuries-long history of the USPS, from the first letter carriers through Franklin's days, when postmasters worked out of their homes and post roads cut new paths through the wilderness. Under Andrew Jackson, the post office was molded into a vast patronage machine, and by the 1870s, over 70 percent of federal employees were postal workers. As the country boomed, USPS aggressively developed new technology, from mobile post offices on railroads and air mail service to mechanical sorting machines and optical character readers.

Neither Snow nor Rain is a rich, multifaceted history full of remarkable characters, from the stamp-collecting FDR to the revolutionaries who challenged USPS' monopoly on mail to the renegade union members who brought the system - and the country - to a halt in the 1970s. An exciting and engrossing listen, Neither Snow nor Rain is the first major history of the USPS in over 50 years.

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Title: The War Before Independence

Subtitle: 1775-1776

Author: Derek W. Beck

Narrator: David Colacci

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-03-16

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 12 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

The United States was creeping ever closer to independence. The shot heard round the world still echoed in the ears of Parliament as impassioned revolutionaries took up arms for and against king and country. In this captivating blend of careful research and rich narrative, Derek W. Beck continues his exploration into the period preceding the Declaration of Independence, just days into the new Revolutionary War.

The War Before Independence transports listeners into the violent years of 1775 and 1776, with the infamous Battle of Bunker Hill - a turning point in the Revolution - and the snowy, wind-swept march to the frozen ground at the Battle of Quebec, ending with the exciting conclusion of the Boston Campaign. Meticulous research and new material drawn from letters, diaries, and investigative research throws open the doors not only to familiar figures and faces but also to little-known triumphs and tribulations of America's greatest military leaders, including George Washington.

Critic Reviews:

"Revolutionary War fans will rejoice in this well-written work and hope that the author has more on the way." (Kirkus)

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Title: Skull and Bones

Subtitle: America's Most Powerful and Mysterious Secret Society

Author: Conrad Bauer

Narrator: Charles D. Baker

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-11-16

Publisher: Conrad Bauer and Maplewood Publishing

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Skulls and Bones, a secret society that could easily be the most powerful in America.

Nobody likes the idea that there are hugely influential powers operating behind closed doors. For centuries, there have been stories about secret societies that control everything we do and dominate the highest echelons of politics and business. Whether it's the Illuminati, the Masons, or the Knights Templar, it's not uncommon for people to believe that there might be a cabal of people who conspire together for their own nefarious purposes. But while these earlier societies might be clouded in mystery and intrigue, there are modern equivalents of which we know much, much more.

One of these mysterious societies is known simply as Skull and Bones. A clandestine group who gather at one of the world's top universities, they are made up of some of the cleverest, brightest, and most privileged members of their generation. In addition to this, their members have gone on to be CEOs, moguls, and even Presidents. Their alumni hold some of the most important positions within society and, for the majority, their membership of this secret club is a closely guarded secret.

Whether it's generations of the Bush family, members of the Taft family, Rockefellers, CIA officers, Presidents, publishers, judges, lawyers, Olympians, ambassadors, congressmen, governors, senators, authors, diplomats, or musicians, there seems to be no limit on who might be its member. With their mooted involvement in thefts, rituals, and even more hidden power politics, the members of Skull and Bones are part of seemingly one of the most powerful groups in the world. In this book we will examine their history, their practices, their members, and their legacy. By the end, you should have a much clearer idea of what it means to be a member of one of Yale's most exclusive groups: Skull and Bones.

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Title: Mormons at the Missouri, Winter Quarters, 1846-1852

Author: Richard E Bennett

Narrator: Alan J. Gardner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-23-16

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 15 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

The Mormon trek westward from Illinois to the Salt Lake Valley was an enduring accomplishment of American overland trail migration; however, their wintering at the Missouri River near present-day Omaha was a feat of faith and perseverance. Richard E. Bennett presents new facts and ideas that challenge old assumptions - particularly that life on the frontier encouraged American individualism.

With an excellent command of primary sources, Bennett assesses the role of women in a pioneer society and the Mormon strategies for survival in a harsh environment as they planned their emigration, coped with internal dissension and Indian agents, and dealt with tribes of the region. This was, says Bennett, "Mormonism in the raw on the way to what it would be later."

Critic Reviews:

"A major contribution to the historiography of the western movement. . . . Bennett documents . . . the tremendous suffering that took place at Winter Quarters as people waited for their trip to the West." (Missouri Historical Review)

"A prime demonstration that detached and objective scholarship can still produce books that are emotionally compelling." (Patricia Nelson Limerick, author of The Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West)

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Title: King and Queen of Malibu

Subtitle: The True Story of the Battle for Paradise

Author: David K. Randall

Narrator: Eric Summerer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-02-16

Publisher: HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 37 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Over a half century, Malibu went from an untamed ranch in the middle of nowhere to a paradise seeded with movie stars. Behind its transformation is the love story of Frederick and May Rindge. He was a Harvard-trained confidant of presidents; she grew up on a hardscrabble Midwestern farm; yet their unlikely bond would shape history. The Rindges settled in Los Angeles, quickly amassing a fortune and ushering the frontier city into its modern form.

After Frederick's sudden death, May spent her life clashing with some of the most powerful men in the country to preserve Malibu as she saw fit. Her struggle culminated in a landmark Supreme Court decision that created the iconic Pacific Coast Highway. The story of Malibu spans from the embers of the Civil War to the glamour of early Hollywood, starring millionaires, movie stars, and rough-and-tumble settlers at a time when the frontier seemed truly limitless.

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Title: Heroines of Mercy Street

Author: Pamela D. Toler PhD

Narrator: Suzanne Toren

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-16-16

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 57 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

A look at the lives of the real nurses depicted in the PBS show Mercy Street.

Heroines of Mercy Street tells the true stories of the nurses at Mansion House, the Alexandria, Virginia, mansion turned wartime hospital and setting for the new PBS drama Mercy Street. Among the Union soldiers, doctors, wounded men from both sides, freed slaves, politicians, speculators, and spies who passed through the hospital in the crossroads of the Civil War were nurses who gave their time freely and willingly to save lives and aid the wounded.

These women saw casualties on a scale Americans had never seen before, and medicine was at a turning point. Heroines of Mercy Street follows the lives of women like Dorothea Dix, Mary Phinney, Anne Reading, and more before, during, and after their epic struggle in Alexandria and reveals their personal contributions to this astounding period in the advancement of medicine.

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Title: Whiskey Women

Subtitle: The Untold Story of How Women Saved Bourbon, Scotch, and Irish Whiskey

Author: Fred Minnick

Narrator: James Killavey

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-27-16

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 39 votes

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

Without women, whiskey may not exist. In Whiskey Women, Wall Street Journal-best-selling author Fred Minnick tells the tales of women who have created this industry, from Mesopotamia's first beer brewers and distillers to America's rough-and-tough bootleggers during Prohibition. Women have long distilled, marketed, and owned spirits companies. These strong women built many iconic brands, including Bushmills, Laphroaig, and Maker's Mark. Until now their stories have remained untold.

Critic Reviews:

"Fred Minnick shows us how the fairer sex established liquor techniques, culture, and tastes as we know it today." (Esquire.com)

"This enjoyable book leaves readers feeling a way they're likely not accustomed to after such a wild, whiskey-soaked ride: enlightened." (

American Way Magazine)

"

Whiskey Women is an entertaining and unexpected look at the role of women in the spirits industry. They were an integral part of this history and I'm delighted their story is finally being told." (Southern Foodways Alliance)

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