Preview
  • Signing Their Lives Away

  • The Fame and Misfortune of the Men Who Signed the Declaration of Independence
  • By: Denise Kiernan, Joseph D'Agnese
  • Narrated by: Susan Larkin
  • Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (56 ratings)

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Signing Their Lives Away

By: Denise Kiernan, Joseph D'Agnese
Narrated by: Susan Larkin
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Publisher's summary

In the summer of 1776, fifty-six men risked their lives and livelihood to defy King George III and sign the Declaration of Independence - yet how many of them do we actually remember? Signing Their Lives Away introduces listeners to the eclectic group of statesmen, soldiers, slaveholders, and scoundrels who signed this historic document - and the many strange fates that awaited them. Some prospered and rose to the highest levels of United States government, while others had their homes and farms seized by British soldiers. Signer George Wythe was poisoned by his nephew; Button Gwinnett was killed in a duel; Robert Morris went to prison; Thomas Lynch was lost at sea; and of course Sam Adams achieved fame as a patriot/brewer. Signing Their Lives Away provides an entertaining and enlightening narrative for history buffs of all ages.

©2009 Denise Kiernan and Joseph D'Agnese (P)2013 Audible, Inc.
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Editorial reviews

Most people know what happened to George Washington after he signed the Declaration of Independence. (If you don’t, I’ll tell you for a quarter.) But what happened to the brave men who founded America but were then lost to history? Authors Denise Kierman and Joseph D'Agnese dig up surprising answers, introducing little-known founding fathers who were eventually poisoned, killed, financially ruined, and lost at sea. A concise, fascinating, and sometimes playful history, this book will have you wowing your history-minded friends for weeks. Narrator Susan Larkin blows the dust off this chapter of history with her lively reading of this surprising book.

What listeners say about Signing Their Lives Away

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Engaging. Liked the format

Each section was about one of the Founders as a sort of stand alone bio. That helped in understanding the relationships between the Founders as each viewed the others. There were so many that I knew nothing about. I'd recommend this for students, as history is driven by people.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Great summary!

This is a fantastic summary of the lives of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Highly recommend it. Full of facts and fun stories.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Mediocre and a bit snarky.

A bit too dismissive of the character and commitment of an extraordinary collection of talented and capable men who put it all on the line.

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3 people found this helpful