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Our First Revolution
- The Remarkable British Upheaval That Inspired America's Founding Fathers (Unabr.)
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
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Publisher's summary
In a work of popular history that stands with recent favorites such as David McCullough's 1776 and Joseph J. Ellis' Founding Brothers, Michael Barone brings the story of this unlikely and largely bloodless revolt to American readers and reveals that, without the Glorious Revolution, the American Revolution may never have happened.
Unfolding in 1688-89, Britain's Glorious Revolution resulted in the hallmarks of representative government, guaranteed liberties, the foundations of global capitalism, and a foreign policy of opposing aggressive foreign powers. But as Barone shows, there was nothing inevitable about the Glorious Revolution. It sprang from the character of the English people and depended on the talents, audacity, and good luck of two men: William of Orange (later William III of England), who launched history's last successful cross-channel invasion, and John Churchill, an ancestor of Winston, who commanded the forces of the deposed James II but crossed over to support William one fateful November night.
The story of the Glorious Revolution is a rich and riveting saga of palace intrigue, loyalty, and shocking betrayal, and bold political and military strategizing. With narrative drive, a sure command of historical events, and unforgettable portraits of kings, queens, soldiers, parliamentarians, and a large cast of full-blooded characters, Barone takes an episode that has fallen into unjustified obscurity and restores it to the prominence it deserves.
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"Michael Barone...provides a splendid analysis of the intellectual pedigree of America's political order. He demonstrates the remarkable extent to which our revolution was a reverberation of another one." (George F. Will)
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No member of America's founding generation had a greater impact on the Constitution and the Supreme Court than John Marshall, and no one did more to preserve the delicate unity of the fledgling United States. From the nation's founding in 1776 and for the next 40 years, Marshall was at the center of every political battle. As Chief Justice of the United States - the longest-serving in history—he established the independence of the judiciary and the supremacy of the federal Constitution and courts.
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Scholarly and Accessible
- By Diana Black Kennedy on 03-01-18
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Patrick Henry
- Champion of Liberty
- By: Jon Kukla
- Narrated by: Paul Woodson
- Length: 17 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Born in 1736, Patrick Henry was an attorney and a planter and an outstanding orator in the movement for independence. A contemporary of Washington, Henry stood with John and Samuel Adams among the leaders of the colonial resistance to Great Britain that ultimately created the United States. The first governor of Virginia after independence, he was reelected several times. After declining to attend the Constitutional Convention of 1787, Henry opposed the Constitution, arguing that it granted too much power to the central government.
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Long awaited biography of Patrick Henry
- By GallowsJudge on 11-18-17
By: Jon Kukla
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Apostles of Revolution
- Jefferson, Paine, Monroe, and the Struggle Against the Old Order in America and Europe
- By: John Ferling
- Narrated by: Noah Michael Levine
- Length: 18 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine and James Monroe were in the vanguard of revolutionary ideas in the 18th century. As founding fathers, they risked their lives for American independence, but they also wanted more. Each wished for profound changes in the political and social fabric of pre-1776 America and hoped that the American Revolution would spark republican and egalitarian revolutions throughout Europe, sweeping away the old aristocratic order. Ultimately, each rejoiced at the opportunity to be a part of the French Revolution, a cause that became increasingly untenable as idealism gave way to the bloody terror.
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A bit of a challenging listen but well worth it
- By J. Parks on 09-20-21
By: John Ferling
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Absolute Monarchs
- A History of the Papacy
- By: John Julius Norwich
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 18 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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With the papacy embattled in recent years, it is essential to have the perspective of one of the world's most accomplished historians. In Absolute Monarchs, John Julius Norwich captures nearly 2,000 years of inspiration and devotion, intrigue and scandal. The men (and maybe one woman) who have held this position of infallible power over millions have ranged from heroes to rogues, admirably wise to utterly decadent.
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A relentless succession of very old men
- By Nassir on 11-01-11
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Mortal Republic
- How Rome Fell into Tyranny
- By: Edward J. Watts
- Narrated by: Matt Kugler
- Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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In Mortal Republic, prize-winning historian Edward J. Watts offers a new history of the fall of the Roman Republic that explains why Rome exchanged freedom for autocracy. For centuries, even as Rome grew into the Mediterranean's premier military and political power, its governing institutions, parliamentary rules, and political customs successfully fostered negotiation and compromise. By the 130s BC, however, Rome's leaders increasingly used these same tools to cynically pursue individual gain and obstruct their opponents.
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A Well Written Timely Work
- By David I. Williams on 09-10-20
By: Edward J. Watts
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For Liberty and Glory
- Washington, Lafayette, and Their Revolutions
- By: James R. Gaines
- Narrated by: Norman Dietz
- Length: 21 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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On April 18, 1775, a riot over the price of flour broke out in the French city of Dijon. That night, across the Atlantic, Paul Revere mounted the fastest horse he could find and kicked it into a gallop. So began what have been called the "sister revolutions" of France and America. In a single, thrilling narrative, this audiobook tells the story of those revolutions and shows just how deeply intertwined they actually were.
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Excellent presentation
- By Hal on 08-20-12
By: James R. Gaines
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Founding Rivals
- Madison vs. Monroe, the Bill of Rights, and the Election that Saved a Nation
- By: Chris DeRose
- Narrated by: Adam Verner
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1789, James Madison and James Monroe ran against each other for Congress-the only time that two future presidents have contested a congressional seat. But what was at stake, as author Chris DeRose reveals in Founding Rivals: Madison vs. Monroe, the Bill of Rights, and the Election That Saved a Nation, was more than personal ambition. This was a race that determined the future of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the very definition of the United States of America.
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A Must for Anyone Interested in the Constitution
- By Garshom L. Arkoff on 07-09-13
By: Chris DeRose
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King John
- Treachery and Tyranny in Medieval England: The Road to Magna Carta
- By: Marc Morris
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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King John is familiar to everyone as the villain from the tales of Robin Hood - greedy, cowardly, despicable, and cruel. But who was the man behind the legend? Was he a monster or a capable ruler cursed by bad luck? In this new book, best-selling historian Marc Morris draws on contemporary chronicles and the king's own letters to bring the real King John vividly to life. John was dynamic, inventive, and relentless but also a figure with terrible flaws.
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A Medieval Narcissist
- By M. A Newman on 09-19-21
By: Marc Morris
What listeners say about Our First Revolution
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Ky
- 04-04-17
interesting
It was very indepth about the Stuarts and William of Orange. There weren't very many links to America, it was more focused on England.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Tom
- 10-08-19
Loved it, but be prepared
The book is a marvelous telling of Charles II, James II, William of Orange, and parliamentary v royalty struggles. Eventually, the former wins. The narrator is superb, really. My caution is that the author gives an account that is too detailed, e.g., William spends late spring to early autumn on the continent for most of the 1690s. You learn the exact months he is there for all 7 or 8 years, which are the same months for most of those years. You learn the expenditures of the Crown and Parliament in precise numbers for lots of items, e.g. 605,322 for this, 42,317 for that, 1,189,754 for something else. So, the book is longer than one needs to learn the history non-historians want to know. Sill, it isn't hard to tolerate this detail. But, don't be surprised.
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- Jonah
- 03-27-14
ambitious topic, well executed
If you could sum up Our First Revolution in three words, what would they be?
A fine account of the half century leading up to the Glorious Revolution and the denouement afterwards. A bit undisciplined in its wide ranging focus and miscellany of themes. At times I felt the author was including his research even if it didn't quite fit in the book. However, the importance of the book's subject and its grand ambition makes up for such flaws.
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- D. Littman
- 11-15-07
good, not great
This book comes in two parts, the first 40% of so is the necessary background information for understanding the "Glorious Revolution" & its immediate aftermath, the context. The remaining 60% is the story of the run-up to the revolution under James II, the conquest, and the aftermath. The work is well narrated. However, the first portion is a jumble, organizationally, and the previous Audible reviewer who noted that having a good understanding of the history from other sources is necessary to understand this part of the book, was right on target. I do have that background, and it helped immensely. I should say that the author does a good job on vignettes & small interpretative sections here, but jumps around a bit too much and needed an editor to insert thesis statements here & there.
The 60% that is actually about the Glorious Revolution (which some pundit remarked was "neither glorious nor a revolution") is very well done. It is worth getting the book to listen to this portion. The author's history is good here, the narrative drive moves you along, and this part of the book has ample amounts of thesis statements & good organization. The author's interpretations of the events, events that were critical to the future evolution of the UK and North America, is good.
I highly recommend the book for the last 60%.
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9 people found this helpful
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- Douglas R. Pratt
- 08-27-10
One of the finest histories, superb performance
Brilliant history filled with fascinating characters. Insights into the Stuart kings, Churchill and William of Orange are fascinating. At the end Barone ties it all up and tells us why it matters. Hoye's performance has exactly the right tone and pacing. One of my favorite repeat listens.
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- Horace
- 10-06-08
Important, yet not Widely Known
This revolution before the American Revolution seems to have been important in shaping the American identity and probably in shaping the American Revolution.
I was previously unaware of the "The Glorious Revolution". Learning about it shed light on much of American politics, especially American religious politics. This book gave me a new appreciation of William of Orange. More importantly it gave me a new appreciation for the origins of anti-catholic sentiment, which always seemed a little, well un-American.
Finally, this book reinforced the idea that a non-trivial part of what America great was the ability to forge more or less real religious tolerance. In the last 20 years it seems that there has been a noticeable erosion of religious tolerance. I hope this is a temporary fad and not a trend, and wish that I could persuade more of neighbors of the importance of this issue.
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2 people found this helpful
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- rollcall40
- 01-02-08
Excellent Recap of a Forgotten Event
This is submitted just as an observation from the previous review which gave this book a somewhat undeserved low rating. It is correct that the narrative covers a confusing and contradictory event in history, but I found its approach creating a straight forward,even balanced, and most importantly, an interesting account all the same.
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11 people found this helpful
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- Doctordad
- 03-29-23
Fascinating history
A fascinating and detailed account of a little known, but very important chapter in both British and American history.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Ted Smith
- 01-31-14
Superb Book
Would you listen to Our First Revolution again? Why?
Yes. Barone relates a period of English history that profoundly influenced the American founders. I don't understand those who criticize either the book or the narrator. Yes, it's a complicated story. But the careful reader will be rewarded, and the American reader will understand our founding much better. Highly recommended.
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- D. Martin
- 02-08-13
Not a Real Historian
I don't have a lot to say because I didn't finish the book, and I'll be the first to admit that, because of that, you shouldn't go on my opinion alone on this one.
But I did want to issue a buyer beware: Michael Barone is not a real historian but a Fox News hack--ok, he also wrote for US News). Does that mean he's not qualified to write a history book? Not necessarily. But in the short part of the book I listened to (enough to make me go "who is this author anyway" and then to wiki him), it was clear that this is a book looking to draw broad, simplistic, moralistic conclusions from history. It's intended to show us where our freedom comes from and why America is the greatest nation on Earth, etc.
Again, that doesn't mean the book is worthless, but there are plenty of excellent books out there on 17th century English history. Unfortunately, none on audible at the moment.
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3 people found this helpful