Editorial Review

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Reviews (53)

The Victors
From the very beginning of the book I was enticed.I thought it was very well written and an enjoyable read.It includes stories and things I would have never expected.I thought the relationship between Marshall and Eisenhower was most interesting.I had not learned much about Marshall and Eisenhower's personalities.They were opposites yet worked very well together.Their relationship was based on trust. It is inspirational to hear of all that our soldiers went through during World War II.As someone looking back it helped me to better understand what went on and what the soldiers experienced first hand.I thought "The Victors" was a wonderful book and spanned over a good period of time.I would highly recommend it to others as a World War II informative book.

Fighting in the cold
This covers the European theater from D day to the end. Sort of a best of Stephen Ambrose
I have read most of the books by Ambrose and the material in The Victors is covered better in his other works.It isn;t bad, but the only reader who might find it interesting is someone who was looking to get into Ambrose's WWII works.Anyone else but the completists will probably not enjoy this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Abridged Audio - History    3. Abridged Audio - Misc. Nonfiction    4. Audio Adult: Other    5. Audiobooks    6. Campaigns    7. History    8. Military - United States    9. Military - World War II    10. Soldiers    11. United States    12. United States - General    13. Western Front    14. World War, 1939-1945    15. History / General   

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Reviews (6)

In search of America
I arrived in new condition.I would purchase from them again.Very good experience

Skipping Across the Country to find History.
Since this is one of those special over-size books, I was expecting just a beautiful keepsake, a coffee table item.Its glossy exterior gives that impression.And yet the in-depth stories are chock full of historical facts and modern happenings as a result of what had happened before.
Worth the time
Peter Jennings narrates this abridged series of interesting vignettes about Americans living in America and by doing so creating and recreating America. He examines the old tensions in our democracy like big or small federal government, corporatism versus individualism, and secularism versus religious fervor. In some cases he elevates historical figures too highly, like Jefferson, despite his seditious writings in the Kentucky Resolutions, and W E B Du Bois, despite his socialist rantings from early in the century. Jennings and Brewster would have done well to feature other more worthy people in their book. I enjoyed the profile of the Club for Growth using populist tactic against unresponsive Republicans, and the profile of CFG's mouldy counterpart on the left. The heart rending story of Gary, Indiana and its misinformed leaders is a cautionary tale to any group in America that expects to dwell for long periods at the federal trough, administrations and sentiments change, don't get too comfortable. I would have liked to have heard how outside threats have molded our country (aside from 9-11), because I feel that it defines a portion of thecore of our country. Start at the XYZ affair up to the communist involvement in the FDR administration and I think you have rounded out a view of America more fully. Perhaps this is in the unabridged version. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Misc. Nonfiction    2. Anthropology - Cultural    3. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    4. Audiobooks    5. Civilization    6. Customs & Traditions    7. General    8. History    9. National characteristics, American    10. Sociology - General    11. United States    12. United States - General    13. American history    14. Cultural studies    15. History / United States / General    16. USA   

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Evolution of the dollar...
I'm a professional currency trader, so I bought this book to learn more about the history of the US Dollar going back to its creation.This book does give a lot of the history of the dollar, but unfortunately it is rather boring.Some of the stories are enjoyable and possibly apocryphal, but the book is still a very slow read.90+% of the book is devoted to the history of the US currency prior to the 20th century, so be prepared for some deep history of colonial America.There is a lot of good information in the book, but sadly, the story is boring.

Another entertaining and instructive book by J. Goodwin
Jason Goodwin is a polarizing author, whose books are either hated or loved by his readers.As in his best-known previous book, "Lords of the Horizons", in "Greenback" he uses a lot of wonderful anecdotes to spice up his prose and keep the reader interested.As in that book, his grasp of the essence of the subject is pretty good, although one could disagree in the details. Milestones in the Evolutionof Value Storage
This is a very enjoyable work, well-written and researched, with numerous anecdotes and sidelights. I thought particularly strongthe early chapters on colonial and post-revolution America. One sees in Jefferson an early version of a common type today: the person who is adamantly opposed to debt and credit instruments because he himself is hopelessly swamped in debt. Today's debt paranoiac shuns credit cards and deferred payment schemes of all stripes in favor of cash (paper dollars and checks drawn on bank accounts). But for Jefferson those very paper dollars and banks were suspect. For him, the only "real" money was metallic: gold or silver. The only stores of value in his opinion were coins or bullion or land.Read more

Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Business/Professional    2. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    3. Audiobooks    4. Dollar, American    5. General    6. History    7. United States - General    8. History / United States / General   

Editorial Review

Finally, someone who tells history like it was, without the old textbook gloss that's put so many students into premature naptime and misinformed the few who stayed awake. Davis corrects the myths and misconceptions from Columbus up through the Clinton administration, and shows that truth is more entertaining than propaganda. ... Read more

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Reviews (129)

Misses many points
Yes, there is a disconnect between what is taught what is real sometimes, although I had a problem with this book being a bit too persuading. Personally, I think exposing students to the founding documents as early as possible is critical.A better choice for students might be "The Elementary Common Sense of Thomas Paine: the famous pamphlet, Common Sense, adapted and illustrated for all readers." Reading the founding documents first can be a good first step to avoiding misconceptions in American History later.

Great Marxist parody of US History
This was absolutely the funniest parody I have ever read. The eager repetition of "The Supremem Court interpreted the 14th Amendment to give civil rights to Corporations" as the SINGLE WORST argument to ever come forth from that body was one of the funniest lietmotif's in this hysterical parody of US History told from the standpoint of an over-the-top Marxist. Worse than cowboys were BUSINESSMEN!! Eugene Debs and WEB Dubois were the ONLY white americans who were not evil!
Too Politically Correct
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one to notice the anti-White preaching in this book. Not what I expected at all because this is how History is taught today and this is supposed to be an answer to that. I was expecting to learn a lot more - most of the things mentioned I already knew. I graduated from high school in '89 and then got a Bachelor's degree from a state college that wasn't in History. Perhaps this book would be useful to those who have less education. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    2. Audiobooks    3. History    4. Miscellanea    5. Unabridged Audio - History    6. United States    7. United States - General    8. United States History (General)    9. History / General   

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A MUST for All Americans--not just history buffs
This is the very best audio tape I've ever listened to.While some interviews are better (Stephen Ambrose) than others (Richard White), each one offers important insight and perspective on the most important events of our time. Through the eyes of thesemen, our nation's history is told so clearly and succinctly, and with such passion, that you can't help but be changed and moved by the experience.I guarantee you'll come away with a better grasp of who we are and where we're headed as a nation.

Easy U.S. History on the Ears
This audiobook is an excellent addition to the U.S. history-buff's glove compartment.There are basically four tapes of interviews by Roger Mudd done for the History Channel.Mudd asks questions to the featuredhistorians and they respond with stories and factoids to keep you thinking. I can listen to them many times and still learn things that I didn't catchthe last time around.This is also a great way to brush up on your U.S.history while enriching what you already know. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - History    2. Abridged Audio - Misc. Nonfiction    3. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    4. Audiobooks    5. General    6. History    7. Reference    8. United States    9. United States - General    10. History / General   

Editorial Review

Benjamin Franklin, writes journalist and biographer Walter Isaacson, was that rare Founding Father who would sooner wink at a passer-by than sit still for a formal portrait. What's more, Isaacson relates in this fluent and entertaining biography, the revolutionary leader represents a political tradition that has been all but forgotten today, one that prizes pragmatism over moralism, religious tolerance over fundamentalist rigidity, and social mobility over class privilege. That broadly democratic sensibility allowed Franklin his contradictions, as Isaacson shows. Though a man of lofty principles, Franklin wasn't shy of using sex to sell the newspapers he edited and published; though far from frivolous, he liked his toys and his mortal pleasures; and though he sometimes gave off a simpleton image, he was a shrewd and even crafty politician. Isaacson doesn't shy from enumerating Franklin’s occasional peccadilloes and shortcomings, in keeping with the iconoclastic nature of our time--none of which, however, stops him from considering Benjamin Franklin "the most accomplished American of his age," and one of the most admirable of any era. And here’s one bit of proof: as a young man, Ben Franklin regularly went without food in order to buy books. His example, as always, is a good one--and this is just the book to buy with the proceeds from the grocery budget. Read more

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Exactly what I was looking for in a Franklin bio
After reading Walter Isaacson's biography of Benjamin Franklin, I have concluded Benjamin Franklin lived a very long time. This one took some time to get through. That being said, I never found Benjamin Franklin: An American Life tedious or boring. Franklin's personality was (and is) unappreciated in its complexity, and his eventful life is examined comprehensively by Isaacson. Each chapter is broken down into manageable sections, making it a great book to pick up and read a little bit at a time. In the end, all these fragments come together to form a fascinating portrait of someone who personified what it meant (and means) to be American. Only appropriate considering he was the only founding father present at the drafting of all four documents critical to the establishment of the United States: the Declaration of Independence, the treaty of alliance with France, the peace treaty with Great Britain, and the Constitution.
The Real Ben

Benjamin Franklin; An American Life
Thomas Barnes
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Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    2. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Historical - General    6. Historical - U.S.    7. Inventors    8. Political    9. Scientists    10. Scientists - Inventors    11. Statesmen    12. United States    13. United States - General    14. History / United States / Revolutionary Period (1775-1800)   

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Reviews (177)

Passion with humor
He is the host of a syndicated radio talk show and television program.He brings freshness and humor to life and politics. Each new day he fights with passion.
Sick Logic
One of the things the author says in his book is that Americans should support the troops so that they don't wonder if they are baby killers like the troops that were sent to vietnam. What the hell kind of sick twisted thinking is that to use? So if babies are getting killed, and civilians in other countries (or even our own) are getting wrongfully killed, we should say, "Hooray hooray, and here's some polish hotdogs our beloved troops, ignore that you are killing people wrongfully!"
Funny And Truthful
The Real America is much like Glenn Beck's radio show - humorous and full of common sense.
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Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Misc. Nonfiction    2. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    3. Essays    4. General    5. National characteristics, American    6. Political Process - General    7. Political Science    8. Popular culture    9. Social values    10. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    11. United States    12. United States - General    13. History / United States / General   

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Reviews (48)

An Interesting View of US History
We the people of the United States like to think of ourselves as peace loving icons, holding ourselves up above the petty problems that affect the rest of the world. And there is a certain amount of truth to that.
Paring history down to the essential lessons.
I will not repeat the many excellent comments here except that Kinzer writes very well, making the read fascinating and factually solid.Other points:
Regime Change Begins At Home
It's no mere cliche to state that those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it. Here Stephen Kinzer examines the almost completely unsuccessful legacy of American "regime change" operations. Starting in the late 1800s, American leaders have worked to overthrow uncooperative or politically undesirable governments that acted independently and in their own interests. Almost always, American business profits were threatened, but politicians have consistently justified these operations with jingoistic language about security, freedom, and democracy. Don't believe the hype, then or now.Kinzer's coverage of regime change operations is illuminating and often quite infuriating for the thinking American, especially in the stories of Guatemala, Iran, and Chile, where American operatives overthrew democratically elected governments and installed repressive dictatorships, simultaneously harping about the benefits of freedom, while merely protecting the freedom of corporations to rob sovereign nations of their natural resources. And with the exceptions of tiny Hawaii and Grenada, all of our regime change operations have contributed to the oppression of newly "freed" peoples, and created dictators and terrorists who have made America much less safe in the long run.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Audio - Nonfiction    3. History    4. History: American    5. International Relations - General    6. Intervention (International law)    7. Iraq War, 2003    8. Legitimacy of governments    9. Military - General    10. Military - United States    11. Unabridged Audio - History    12. United States - General    13. History / United States / General    14. History/Military - United States    15. Political Science/General    16. Political Science/International Relations - General    17. Unabridged Audio / History   

Reviews (2)

I would even read it for recreational reading
I had to read a lot of Carson's books for school. I enjoyed reading this history in particular. Everything is clearly spelled out, understandable, and makes perfect sense. Carson's tells the history that you won't find in most history books, which is very welcome.

The best modern history of the U.S. in my opinion
By the late 1970s, conservative historian Clarence B. Carson was known as the author of several volumes on American intellectual, political and economic history, including *The Fateful Turn*, which chronicled America's abandonmentof individualism in favour of collectivism in the years 1880-1960 and *The War on the Poor*, an examination of the disastrous effects of government programs to "help the poor".Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Other    2. Unabridged Audio - History    3. United States - General   

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Reviews (49)

Five Stars
A wonderful book about extraordinary real women who deserve their own spot along side the Founding Fathers. The bravery and the guts of these women surprised me. Each one was heroic in her own way and has made me want to learn more about each one.

History Comes Alive ...
This is a very fascinating book and I am glad that I was able to buy it not too long ago. I remember reading the back of the book at the bookstore and thinking, "I have to have it." That first thought hasn't changed.
LOW-KEYED, INFORMATIVE AND PLEASING READ
I rather enjoyed this low-keyed take on history.The reading was easy and it was fun and I did indeed learn some facts I was unaware of.This by no means is "hard core history" and I doubt if it was ment to be.The book of course take a look a the wives of some of our founding fathers and the role they played at the time.The book appears to be reasonably researched, as any book of the nature can be, and the author uses an easy and informative style.On the otherhand, I doubt if this work will satisfy the hard core reader of history any more than it will satisfy the reader who is wanting a cozy sort of read...it sort of falls in the middle somewhere.I read it for pleasure and did receive that from it.Recommend this one. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 18th century    2. 19th century    3. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    4. Biography    5. Historical - U.S.    6. History    7. Social Science    8. Sociology    9. Unabridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    10. United States    11. United States - General    12. United States - Revolutionary War    13. Women    14. Women in politics    15. Women's Studies - General    16. Social Science / Women's Studies   

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Reviews (13)

Survey of the year 1763
Perhaps the long shadow of Francis Parkman has discouraged historians from writing about the French and Indian War (Seven Year's War).Whatever the reason it's good to see from the publication of several books that Americans are taking a renewed interest in the pre-revolutionary period when the British were triumphant and the Indians still counted as a political force.
Great Primer, Great Research
Meticulously documented, supported by great quotes from the players, Calloway's book may be a tad dry, but it is long on data, insight and perspective.Great, short read and I would say a highly recommended read for anyone interested in Colonial America and our history in general.
Brief, but a fine introduction for those not in the know
My comments will fall in line with the majoritiy of previous reviews. This is a very good survey of of the seismic shifts that occurred in North America in 1763 following the Peace of Paris. Calloway's eye ranges across the societies affected, as well as the interaction of different elements within each society. There is much anecdotal testimony, tilting this work somewhat toward the more recent trend of "eyewitness" history that turns over the experience of "ordinary" people rather than only recounting the actions of those in power. This method can sometimes result in an author beating the same point to death with repetitious quotations, a fault that Calloway is not guilty of, largely due to the shortness of his text. That brevity has been commented on by others, and to say the book has only 171 pages should be considered an observation rather than a criticism. Simply put, this is an introductory survey for the interested non-expert. Taken in that sense, it's a fine addition to anyone's reading list in history. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History: American    3. Native American    4. Unabridged Audio - History    5. United States - Colonial Period    6. United States - General    7. Chronological Period/18th Century    8. History / United States / Colonial Period (1600-1775)    9. Unabridged Audio / History   

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Reviews (6)

It was ok
I thought I was getting the unbrigged one but it wasn't. I was a little upset about that.

Simply stated, the Best History Book Ever Written
This impecably researched, easy to read and understand writing style tells the truth about our Nation and the world.
A necessity for all to read
Howard Zinn has done what few historians have done in his book.To look at America with the eyes of those who have lived through the periods he describes.The picture is an attempt not to paint a picture that makes something look good or look bad but the desire to see what people living in the US have felt as events both good and bad.This is a couragious depiction of real people, often people who have been seen by otheres as less real than they really were.Mr. Zinn wants his readers to see the feelings of these people as real.I know of nothing more important than people be seen as real.The receint events in New Orlenes have once again shown the necessity to see all people as existing as much as oneself exists.I commend Mr. Zinn for the extensive research and selectivity he has accomplished in this magnificent work.I do not say that I agree with all he says but he says it and one can get a larger idea of what has been with the hope that we will use that knowledge to have true kindness come to be seen as the trough thing it is. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio - Nonfiction (Unabridged)    2. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    3. Audiobooks    4. Civilization    5. History    6. Unabridged Audio - History    7. United States    8. United States - General    9. History / United States / General   

Editorial Review

"I am a storyteller by training and inclination," writes the late Stephen Ambrose in Read more

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After reading this book, you'll wish Ambrose had been your history teacher!
Heard the taped version of TO AMERICA: PERSONAL
A Fond Farewell to a Beloved Nation
In this last work of one of the nation's foremost historians, Stephen Ambrose has woven a complex tapestry that includes the distinct threads of practical career guidance to budding historians, an engaging memoir of a distinguished career in American letters and compelling stories from the pageant of events that constitute our shared national experience.
Great review of the last century
What went wrong with this country during the last century?Stephen Ambrose looks at what our country went through during the last 100 years from a very secular point of view.He does an excellent job highlighting all the issues from a personal perspective."The United States and the Middle East: 1914-9/11" from The Teaching Company gives a more in depth look into the global issues involved.Both miss the spiritual issues brought up by fundamentalist Christians. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - History    2. Abridged Audio - Misc. Nonfiction    3. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    4. Audiobooks    5. Biography    6. Historians    7. Historiography    8. History    9. Modern - 20th Century    10. United States    11. United States - General    12. United States History (General)    13. History / Modern / 20th Century   

Editorial Review

A biography of Meriwether Lewis that relies heavily on the journals of both Lewis and Clark, this book is also backed up by the author's personal travels along Lewis and Clark's route to the Pacific. Ambrose is not content to simply chronicle the events of the "Corps of Discovery" as the explorers called their ventures. He often pauses to assess the military leadership of Lewis and Clark, how they negotiated with various native peoples and what they reported to Jefferson. Though the expedition failed to find Jefferson's hoped for water route to the Pacific, it fired interest among fur traders and other Americans, changing the face of the West forever. ...