Back Roads and Better Angels Audiobook By Francis S. Barry cover art

Back Roads and Better Angels

A Journey into the Heart of American Democracy

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Back Roads and Better Angels

By: Francis S. Barry
Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
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About this listen

A year into his marriage and having never driven an RV, Frank and his wife Laurel set out from New York City in a Winnebago to drive the nation's first transcontinental route, the Lincoln Highway, which zigzags through small towns and big cities from Times Square to San Francisco.

Using the spirit of Abraham Lincoln to guide them across the land, they hope to see more clearly what holds the country together-and how we can keep it together, even amidst political divisions that have grown increasingly rancorous, bitter, and exhausting.

Along the way, Frank and Laurel meet Americans whose personal experiences help humanize the nation's divisions, and they encounter historical figures and events whose legacies are still shaping our sense of national identity and the struggles over it.

This unforgettable journey is full of what makes any great road trip memorable and enjoyable: music, conversation, and laughter. By the end, listeners will have a clearer picture of how we have arrived at a period that carries echoes of the Civil War era, and—using Lincoln as a guide—where the path forward lies.

©2024 Francis S. Barry (P)2024 Tantor
Travel Writing & Commentary Marriage New York
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True nature of America and Americans.

A wonderful tale of traveling the country and finding out the roots of who we are today and our common bonds as Americans.

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So many roads!

My only criticism of the book is that it has inspired me to buy a Winnebago, take a sabbatical and travel the backroads of the forgotten parts of our country. If it does not inspire you to do that, at the very least you’ll end the audiobook journey with a more optimistic ear. Of course, our country faces a lot of difficult, seemingly unsolvable issues at the moment. Nothing new really but Mr. Barry’s wisdom gives us a timely reminder that listening (really listening), tolerance, curiosity and the occasional H.W.B. prank can make all of our lives so much better. I look forward to Mr. Barry’s future endeavors and playlists!

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Great book abominably read

Barry laces his cross country tour on the Lincoln Highway with historical vignettes that shed light on current events. The narrator runs it all together with no distinction between stories or even chapters. Read the book, don’t listen.

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