Samuel Adams Audiobook By Ira Stoll cover art

Samuel Adams

A Life

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Samuel Adams

By: Ira Stoll
Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
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"I pity Mr. Sam Adams," his cousin John Adams wrote to his wife, "for he was born a Rebel." At virtually every juncture of the American Revolution, from the Boston Massacre and Tea Party to Lexington and Concord and the ratification of the Constitution, Samuel Adams played a forceful role. With his fiery rhetoric and religious fervor, he was in many respects the moral conscience of the new nation. "The love of liberty," he thundered, "is interwoven in the soul of man, and can never be totally extinguished."

And yet history has neglected him; today Samuel Adams is best known as a brand of beer. As relations with Great Britain healed in the 19th century, historians were all too willing to dismiss him as a zealot; Adams's distrust of secularism (he envisioned America as a "Christian Sparta") has not endeared him to many contemporary scholars, either. Ira Stoll's fascinating biography not only restores this figure to his rightful place in history but portrays him as a man of God whose skepticism of a powerful central government, uncompromising support for freedom of the press, concern about the influence of money on elections, voluble love of liberty, and selfless endurance in a war for freedom has enormous relevance to Americans today.

©2008 Ira Stoll (P)2008 Tantor Americas Historical Revolution & Founding United States Freedom Great Britain Boston War United Kingdom Founding Fathers Government

Editorial reviews

Ira Stoll places Samuel Adams, the "forgotten Founding Father," in historical context, delving into how his Puritan sensibilities informed his vision of independence. Paul Boehmer competently handles the task of narrating extended passages of Adams's writings in the slightly foreign-sounding English of the Colonial period, although his attempts to give a British accent to British quotes detract from the overall delivery. With its overabundance of repetitive text, listening to this work is often tediously reminiscent of a college history course, but the importance of this "apostle of liberty" and his influence on our national psyche make this chapter of American history vital to understanding how the past informs our present and our view of ourselves as God's new "chosen people."
Detailed Historical Details • Insightful Founding Father • Excellent Content • Comprehensive Overview
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Insightful biography of Samuel Adams the man, with his moral principles and religious beliefs that shaped the American Revolution and the founding of our country.

A principles-based biography of our first Founding Father

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Where does Samuel Adams rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Very informative, but i had a hard to staying with it, kind of dry. I usually listen to these as I sleep, this one, was average.

Average to good

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Not a lot is known about this great man. glad i got to listen about the man who basically made the united states of america happen

informative and well read

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Though the content of this book was excellent, I was distracted by the narrator and felt it would have been served better by a different individual reading it.

Great biography, wooden performance

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An educated view of the man and I felt a lot of information shoved in this long
audio book.

Fact filled book

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Outstanding! The overlooked founding father who without his steadfastness the revolution may have never taken place.

A must for any American citizen!

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Amazing story of a very religious patriot and integral founding father. The writing was not as riveting as other biographies, but was a great story!

Fascinating

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This book is the best that I have come across on Samuel Adams. It goes into details that other books live out. I loved it. Thought it was fantastic.

Best Book Samuel Adams

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I listened to this book at the suggestion of a friend, and I was very impressed! I had no idea how much I did not know about Samuel Adams. I discovered a lot of new details I didn't know surrounding many historical events in American history, like Paul Revere's ride and the creation of the U.S. Constitution. I thought Chapters 6 and 7 were worth the price of the book all by themselves! Even if you don't think you are interested in this founding father, if you are interested in American History, you need to listen to this book.

Not just a biography. Must-read American History!

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Author did a fantastic job telling the story of such a misunderstood founding father.
Penty of direct quotes and everything in chronological order.. an educational and enjoyable read

Brilliant Insight

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