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Practicing History
- Selected Essays
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 12 hrs and 51 mins
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The relationship between military leaders and political leaders has always been a complicated one, especially in times of war. When the chips are down, who should run the show, the politicians or the generals? In Supreme Command, Eliot Cohen examines four great democratic war statesmen - Abraham Lincoln, Georges Clemenceau, Winston Churchill, and David Ben-Gurion - to reveal the surprising answer - the politicians. The generals may think they know how to win, but the statesmen are the ones who see the big picture.
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Dated material
- By Charlotte R. Shover on 11-21-20
By: Eliot A. Cohen
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Churchill
- The Power of Words
- By: Sir Winston Churchill, Martin Gilbert
- Narrated by: Fraser Wilson
- Length: 18 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Winston Churchill understood and wielded the power of words throughout his six decades in the public eye. His wartime writings and speeches revealed both his vision for the future and his own personal feelings, fascinating generation after generation with their powerful style and thoughtful reflection. In this book Churchill's official biographer, Martin Gilbert, has skilfully selected 200 extracts from his entire oeuvre of books, articles and speeches that reflect his life story, career and philosophy.
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I wish I found this book 10 years ago when I was 21
- By Brian Schutte on 07-30-18
By: Sir Winston Churchill, and others
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Thoughts and Adventures
- By: Winston Churchill
- Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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This wide ranging collection of essays allows the contemporary reader to grasp the extraordinary variety and depth of the statesman's mature thoughts on questions, both grave and gay, facing modern man. Churchill begins by asking what it would be like to live your life over again and ends by describing his love affair with painting. In between he touches on subjects as diverse as spies, cartoons, submarines, elections, flying, and the future.
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He is such a lively writer
- By W. Forrest on 07-15-23
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The Phoney Victory
- The World War II Illusion
- By: Peter Hitchens
- Narrated by: Peter Hitchens
- Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Was World War II really the 'Good War'? In the years since the declaration of peace in 1945, many myths have sprung up around the conflict in the victorious nations. In this audiobook, Peter Hitchens deconstructs the many fables which have become associated with the narrative of the 'Good War'. Whilst not criticising or doubting the need for war against Nazi Germany at some stage, Hitchens does query whether September 1939 was the right moment or the independence of Poland the right issue.
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Interesting but depressing story
- By casey urey on 03-16-19
By: Peter Hitchens
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There Was a Country
- A Personal History of Biafra
- By: Chinua Achebe
- Narrated by: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
- Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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The defining experience of Chinua Achebe's life was the Nigerian civil war, also known as the Biafran War, of 1967-1970. The conflict was infamous for its savage impact on the Biafran people, Chinua Achebe's people, many of whom were starved to death after the Nigerian government blockaded their borders. Immediately after, Achebe took refuge in an academic post in the United States, and for more than 40 years he has maintained a considered silence on the events of those terrible years. Now, decades in the making, comes a towering reckoning with one of modern Africa's most fateful events.
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The Audible Edition Is a Disaster
- By Olu on 11-28-12
By: Chinua Achebe
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Ben-Gurion
- A Political Life
- By: Shimon Peres, David Landau
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Shimon Peres was in his early 20s when he first met David Ben-Gurion. Although the state that Ben-Gurion would lead through war and peace had not yet declared its precarious independence, the "Old Man", as he was called even then, was already a mythic figure. Peres, who came of age in the cabinets of Ben-Gurion, is uniquely placed to evoke this figure of stirring contradictions - a prophetic visionary and a canny pragmatist who early grasped the necessity of compromise for national survival.
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Great Perfomance, Less than Stellar Story
- By Alexander on 01-02-12
By: Shimon Peres, and others
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Lincoln and Churchill
- Statesmen at War
- By: Lewis E. Lehrman
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 17 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Acclaimed historian Lewis Lehrman, in his path-breaking comparison of both statesmen, finds that Lincoln and Churchill - with very different upbringings and contrasting personalities - led their war efforts, to some extent, in similar ways. As supreme war lords, they were guided not only by principles of honor, duty, freedom, but also by the practical wisdom to know when, where, and how to apply these principles. They made mistakes which Lehrman considers carefully. But the author emphasizes that, despite setbacks, they never gave up.
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Outstanding book
- By Barmand on 03-07-18
By: Lewis E. Lehrman
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The War That Ended Peace
- The Road to 1914
- By: Margaret MacMillan
- Narrated by: Richard Burnip
- Length: 31 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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From the best-selling and award-winning author of Paris 1919 comes a masterpiece of narrative nonfiction, a fascinating portrait of Europe from 1900 up to the outbreak of World War I.
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Detailed review of 1882 to 1914
- By smarmer on 04-06-14
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Bible and Sword
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Two-time Pulitzer Prize - winning historian Barbara Tuchman explores the complex relationship of Britain to Palestine that led to the founding of the modern Jewish state - and to many of the problems that plague the Middle East today.
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Excellent book, but not quite objective
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What listeners say about Practicing History
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- KnightT
- 09-12-20
Enjoyed Barbara Tuchman’s Views
Excellent collection of works by a great historian who expounds on what she has learned from family connections (her grandfather was very rich and powerful and became an ambassador) and research. Great analysis on a wide range of subjects, including Israel, China, Vietnam, Woodrow Wilson, and Nixon. Truly she had a great meaningful career as a historian and voice of caution and reason for the present and future.
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7 people found this helpful
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- CB
- 05-03-24
Wonderful!
I read this book back in the mid-90"s, a few years after the author's death. When I saw this work was available as an audio book, I decided it was time to reconnect with this insightful historian. Some of her assessments have turned out to be incorrect, but her analysis is still incisive. She could not have foretold some events would take a different turn than she anticipated. I also snagged the audio versions of her other books, all of which I read back in the day. I recommend The Bible and the Sword as especially relevant right now. Barbara Tuchman was a popular historian in the manner of Doris Kearns Goodman...before DKG (no dis to DKG--I love her work as well)! Special compliments to the narrator. Her delivery is just right. Tuchman was American and she did not have a British accent but, based on this performance, she SHOULD have.
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- Bruce Cline
- 08-01-22
Diverse collection of insightful essays
This book is a series of essays, including speeches, by well-known historian Barbara Tuchman. Respected books of hers include The Guns of August, A Distant Mirror, The First Salute, and The Zimmerman Telegram. In Practicing History’s collection of diverse writings, she covers a lot of ground. Of particular interest to me were her commentaries on writing history, the inevitability of bias in history, the uses of history for present day decision making (rather difficult she contends), and other aspects of her difficult trade. She also presents a variety of essays that, to me, appear to be subjects of her research that for the most part never developed into full blown books. She expounds on subject matter as diverse as Mao Tse Dong, Richard Nixon, Woodrow Wilson, the Israeli military, and Vietnam. Knowing her work, I found her insights and commentary to be quite fascinating. Loved it!
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2 people found this helpful
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- Kyle B.
- 11-11-23
Surprisingly Relevant and Well Narrated
Tuchman’s perspectives on citizen involvement in the military and the power of the presidency are prescient. Great narration!
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- Jam Lam
- 02-01-22
Missing Table of Content :(
Such a simple thing as providing a Table of Contents is sadly missing making navigating impossible.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Reckoning
- 12-19-23
Delightfully crafted essays
Closely observed essays, great prose, outstanding reader. What’s not to love? Yes, she has opinions and designates them as such.
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- Mandy
- 05-17-24
A mixed bag but definitely worth reading
There are some pieces that are absolutely fantastic and some that have aged less well. My highlights were the review of Kissinger’s book, most of the first third on how to write history, and the watergate pieces at the end.
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- Joseph White
- 02-07-16
A Great Mind Shares a Lifetime of Experience
One of the great historians of the Twentieth Century meditates upon the methods of her craft and the lessons of our history.
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3 people found this helpful
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- John Ray
- 01-19-22
Excellent and entertaining, but cut short
Barbara Tuchman’s prose is highly entertaining and the content highly enriching.
Unfortunately, it is cut short (in mid-sentence) at the end. Perhaps the administrators could investigate.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Christopher F. Wilson
- 03-19-22
Excellent essays - superb mind for diplomacy
Like the careful research and incisive analysis. A bit off about rights of women, but that shows how much progress has occurred since 1980. Also a bit off about Israel and how any imperialism or colonization engaged in by or for Zionists is NBD because they are such charming robust and vigorous people. Again, we have the benefit of 50 years of perspective. She gets right her analysis of flailing in Vietnam and China in late 1949s. Too bad she could not have been Secretary of State in those times. Gifted use of language and fearless editing. Does a nice job of skewering Kissinger flabby writing, timid editing, as well as immoral and wasteful policy. Interesting suggestion of cabinet style government. If writing today she might have 4/5 other proposed changes to the Constitution.
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1 person found this helpful