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The American Identity
- Narrated by: Patrick N. Allitt
- Length: 24 hrs and 21 mins
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Publisher's summary
What defines an American? Is it the love of liberty, the pursuit of justice, the urge to invent, the desire for wealth, the drive to explore, the quest for spiritual values? The paradox of American identity is that although the United States is a melting pot of many different traditions, motives, and ideals, there are nevertheless distinctive qualities that define the American character.
In this series of 48 fascinating lectures, an award-winning teacher and author explores the national character by introducing you to notable men and women from every era of American history - some of them famous, some unknown, some even infamous - whose lives speak eloquently about the qualities, for better or worse, that make one truly American. Focusing on various character traits and attitudes that have indelibly shaped the national psyche, Professor Allitt takes you on a journey from the very first settlers to the present, showing how certain characteristics have persisted through time and also how certain traits and beliefs have changed. And while the lectures are enjoyable as a well-told series of biographies, they do much more, helping you gain a deeper understanding of the trends and ideas that have shaped America and continue to influence American society today.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.
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Take a riveting tour of the Italian peninsula, from the glittering canals of Venice to the lavish papal apartments and ancient ruins of Rome. In these 24 lectures, Professor Bartlett traces the development of the Italian city-states of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, showing how the modern nation of Italy was forged out of the rivalries, allegiances, and traditions of a vibrant and diverse people.
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A useful survey, just what I wanted
- By Adeliese Baumann on 11-07-16
By: Kenneth R. Bartlett, and others
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Investigating American Presidents
- By: Paul Rosenzweig, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Paul Rosenzweig JD
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Original Recording
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The office of the president of the United States of America is one that can shape not just a nation but the entire world. But what limits are there if any on presidential power? These 12 eyeopening, timely lectures examine the ins and outs of presidential investigations using past events as a lens through which to make sense of current (and future) ones. With his political and legal insights, Professor Rosenzweig walks you through the entire path of investigating potential misuse of presidential power, from the establishment of legislative committees to the impeachment process.
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Balanced and Authoritative
- By Peirce C.S. on 11-24-18
By: Paul Rosenzweig, and others
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The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World
- By: Robert Garland, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert Garland
- Length: 24 hrs and 28 mins
- Original Recording
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Look beyond the abstract dates and figures, kings and queens, and battles and wars that make up so many historical accounts. Over the course of 48 richly detailed lectures, Professor Garland covers the breadth and depth of human history from the perspective of the so-called ordinary people, from its earliest beginnings through the Middle Ages.
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Tantalizing time trip
- By Mark on 08-21-13
By: Robert Garland, and others
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The American Civil War
- By: Gary W. Gallagher, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Gary W. Gallagher
- Length: 24 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
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Between 1861 and 1865, the clash of the greatest armies the Western hemisphere had ever seen turned small towns, little-known streams, and obscure meadows in the American countryside into names we will always remember. In those great battles, those streams ran red with blood-and the United States was truly born.
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Excellent Series
- By Rodney on 07-09-13
By: Gary W. Gallagher, and others
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The Great Ideas of Philosophy, 2nd Edition
- By: Daniel N. Robinson, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Daniel N. Robinson
- Length: 30 hrs and 11 mins
- Original Recording
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Grasp the important ideas that have served as the backbone of philosophy across the ages with this extraordinary 60-lecture series. This is your opportunity to explore the enormous range of philosophical perspectives and ponder the most important and enduring of human questions-without spending your life poring over dense philosophical texts.
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A Hard Review to Write
- By Ark1836 on 11-20-15
By: Daniel N. Robinson, and others
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The Life and Writings of C. S. Lewis
- By: Louis Markos, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Louis Markos
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
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What can we still learn from C.S. Lewis? Find out in these 12 insightful lectures that cover the author's spiritual autobiography, novels, and his scholarly writings that reflect on pain and grief, love and friendship, prophecy and miracles, and education and mythology.
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Basically a collection of sermons
- By Richard on 11-20-13
By: Louis Markos, and others
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The Italians before Italy: Conflict and Competition in the Mediterranean
- By: Kenneth R. Bartlett, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Kenneth R. Bartlett
- Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
- Original Recording
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Take a riveting tour of the Italian peninsula, from the glittering canals of Venice to the lavish papal apartments and ancient ruins of Rome. In these 24 lectures, Professor Bartlett traces the development of the Italian city-states of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, showing how the modern nation of Italy was forged out of the rivalries, allegiances, and traditions of a vibrant and diverse people.
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A useful survey, just what I wanted
- By Adeliese Baumann on 11-07-16
By: Kenneth R. Bartlett, and others
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Investigating American Presidents
- By: Paul Rosenzweig, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Paul Rosenzweig JD
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The office of the president of the United States of America is one that can shape not just a nation but the entire world. But what limits are there if any on presidential power? These 12 eyeopening, timely lectures examine the ins and outs of presidential investigations using past events as a lens through which to make sense of current (and future) ones. With his political and legal insights, Professor Rosenzweig walks you through the entire path of investigating potential misuse of presidential power, from the establishment of legislative committees to the impeachment process.
-
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Balanced and Authoritative
- By Peirce C.S. on 11-24-18
By: Paul Rosenzweig, and others
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The Other Side of History: Daily Life in the Ancient World
- By: Robert Garland, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert Garland
- Length: 24 hrs and 28 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Look beyond the abstract dates and figures, kings and queens, and battles and wars that make up so many historical accounts. Over the course of 48 richly detailed lectures, Professor Garland covers the breadth and depth of human history from the perspective of the so-called ordinary people, from its earliest beginnings through the Middle Ages.
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Tantalizing time trip
- By Mark on 08-21-13
By: Robert Garland, and others
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World War II: Up Close and Personal
- By: Keith Huxen, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Keith Huxen
- Length: 11 hrs and 28 mins
- Original Recording
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From the icy front lines of Soviet Russia to the bombing campaigns against Britain to the American submarines lurking beneath the choppy waters of the Pacific, step into the shoes of remarkable everyday men and women in World War II: Up Close and Personal. Your lecturer is Dr. Keith Huxen, a historian and project director at The Henry M. Jackson Foundation, which supports the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.
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Fascinating, Captivating, Heartbreaking
- By BookAddict12 on 12-02-21
By: Keith Huxen, and others
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A New History of the American South
- By: Edward L. Ayers, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Edward L. Ayers
- Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins
- Original Recording
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To know the history of the American South, within its own context, is to come to terms with one of modern history’s most astonishing, polarizing, and illuminating stories. In these 24 lectures, you’ll relive the unforgettable drama of the South, from the rise and fall of the slave South to the making of the New South, examining the full scope of a historical epoch that still affects life in the United States today.
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A very narrow view of southern history
- By Ralph Alderson on 06-09-20
By: Edward L. Ayers, and others
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The Age of Benjamin Franklin
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Robert J. Allison PhD Harvard University
- Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins
- Original Recording
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Why is Benjamin Franklin so compelling? What made him so successful in his day? And why has he continued to influence generations of Americans? Tackle these questions and more in The Age of Benjamin Franklin, a thorough - and sometimes surprising - course that presents a full portrait of a personality that defies easy definition.
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It's a lecture
- By Amazon Customer on 05-17-18
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No Excuses: Existentialism and the Meaning of Life
- By: Robert C. Solomon, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Robert C. Solomon
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Original Recording
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What is life? What is my place in it? What choices do these questions obligate me to make? More than a half-century after it burst upon the intellectual scene - with roots that extend to the mid-19th century - Existentialism's quest to answer these most fundamental questions of individual responsibility, morality, and personal freedom, life has continued to exert a profound attraction.
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Good for even a non-existentialist
- By Gary on 07-24-15
By: Robert C. Solomon, and others
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Big Data: How Data Analytics Is Transforming the World
- By: Tim Chartier, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Tim Chartier
- Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins
- Original Recording
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In our age of accelerating progress in so many fields, it’s easy to lose sight of the underlying innovation that makes the data analytics revolution possible. These 24 lectures introduce you to the key concepts, methods, and accomplishments of this versatile approach to problem solving. You need no expertise in mathematics to follow this exciting story. Tim Chartier, professor of mathematics and computer science, explains the basic computational techniques used in data analytics, but his focus is on how these ideas are applied and the amazing results they achieve.
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Huge disappointment as "audio book"
- By Paananen Marko H S on 02-07-19
By: Tim Chartier, and others
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Great Music of the 20th Century
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Robert Greenberg PhD
- Length: 17 hrs and 50 mins
- Original Recording
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The 20th century was a hotbed of musical exploration, innovation, and transformation unlike any other epoch in history. Ranging across the century in its entirety, these 24 lectures present a musical cornucopia of astounding dimensions - a major presentation and exploration of the incredible brilliance and diversity of musical art across a turbulent century. Far more than simply a series of lectures, the program comprises a huge and many-sided resource for discovering the endless riches of 20th-century concert music across the globe.
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Disappointment
- By MAdison on 03-11-18
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Food: A Cultural Culinary History
- By: Ken Albala, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Ken Albala
- Length: 18 hrs and 22 mins
- Original Recording
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Eating is an indispensable human activity. As a result, whether we realize it or not, the drive to obtain food has been a major catalyst across all of history, from prehistoric times to the present. Epicure Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin said it best: "Gastronomy governs the whole life of man."
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One of my top 3 favorite courses!
- By Jessica on 12-28-13
By: Ken Albala, and others
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The Foundations of Western Civilization
- By: Thomas F. X. Noble, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Thomas F. X. Noble
- Length: 24 hrs and 51 mins
- Original Recording
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What is Western Civilization? According to Professor Noble, it is "much more than human and political geography," encompassing myriad forms of political and institutional structures - from monarchies to participatory republics - and its own traditions of political discourse. It involves choices about who gets to participate in any given society and the ways in which societies have resolved the tension between individual self-interest and the common good.
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Not Engaging or Very Interesting
- By Tommy D'Angelo on 03-05-17
By: Thomas F. X. Noble, and others
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1066: The Year That Changed Everything
- By: Jennifer Paxton, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jennifer Paxton
- Length: 3 hrs
- Original Recording
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With this exciting and historically rich six-lecture course, experience for yourself the drama of this dynamic year in medieval history, centered on the landmark Norman Conquest. Taking you from the shores of Scandinavia and France to the battlefields of the English countryside, these lectures will plunge you into a world of fierce Viking warriors, powerful noble families, politically charged marriages, tense succession crises, epic military invasions, and much more.
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History brought to life
- By Joshua on 07-10-13
By: Jennifer Paxton, and others
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Existentialism and the Authentic Life
- By: Skye C. Cleary, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Skye C. Cleary
- Length: 11 hrs and 51 mins
- Original Recording
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In the 24 fascinating lectures of Existentialism and the Authentic Life, Professor Skye C. Cleary will lead you through the writings of many existentialists to help you understand how they addressed the biggest of all questions. Writing about love, death, sex, war, plagues, intrigue, murder, deception, and more, these thinkers guide you toward living an authentic and meaningful life in a world that often seems absurd.
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Friendly presentation
- By Anonymous User on 06-04-24
By: Skye C. Cleary, and others
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The Iliad of Homer
- By: Elizabeth Vandiver, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Vandiver
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
- Original Recording
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For thousands of years, Homer's ancient epic poem the
Iliad has enchanted readers from around the world. When you join Professor Vandiver for this lecture series on the Iliad, you'll come to understand what has enthralled and gripped so many people. Her compelling 12-lecture look at this literary masterpiece -whether it's the work of many authors or the "vision" of a single blind poet - makes it vividly clear why, after almost 3,000 years, the
Iliad remains not only among the greatest adventure stories ever told but also one of the most compelling meditations on the human condition ever written.
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Vandiver never disappoints
- By Machteacher on 07-23-13
By: Elizabeth Vandiver, and others
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A Day's Read
- By: The Great Courses, Emily Allen, Grant L. Voth, and others
- Narrated by: Arnold Weinstein, Emily Allen, Grant L. Voth
- Length: 18 hrs and 25 mins
- Original Recording
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Join three literary scholars and award-winning professors as they introduce you to dozens of short masterpieces that you can finish - and engage with - in a day or less. Perfect for people with busy lives who still want to discover-or rediscover-just how transformative an act of reading can be, these 36 lectures range from short stories of fewer than 10 pages to novellas and novels of around 200 pages. Despite their short length, these works are powerful examinations of the same subjects and themes that longer "great books" discuss.
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Stories not included, only discussed
- By Julie Jester on 01-15-16
By: The Great Courses, and others
What listeners say about The American Identity
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Christina Richards
- 05-10-17
American history told through rich tapestry of interrelated biographies
Lively, insightful presentation brimming with understanding of how each character exemplified and extended the attributes of "American character".
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- lynette
- 07-29-20
This lecture series gave me a lot to think about
Professor Allitt lays out historical events in a way that is pleasing and also demanding. He asks insightful questions and provides meaningful information. His spin on the American Identity is persuasively presented.
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- EmilyK
- 01-01-22
Fascinating and well-organized lectures
Professor Allitt is always worth a listen. I had put this one off, thinking I was a bit tired of American history, but his approach of using certain individuals as a lens to look at particularly American traits was fascinating. Having grown up elsewhere, he offers an interesting perspective, and his usual even handed depiction was well-done in a time of polarization. He's always witty and charming and is a fabulous storyteller.
I think this one could be quite interesting to someone new to American history or a homeschooling student.
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- beotherworldly
- 06-15-17
Nice history of American individuals
I enjoyed this lecture because it takes an interesting look at American history, but I don't think the lecture particularly covered American identity. Especially with how long this lecture is, it lacks a cohesive thread connecting all of the individuals Professor Allitt describes. The first and last chapters attempt to make that thread, but I don't think it was successful. Otherwise, I did enjoy learning about different Americans who have contributed to what America is today.
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- MortonC
- 05-01-23
Some overlooked but influential Americans
Excellent course that covers many influential Americans, many of whom we are less familiar with today.
As an ex-pat Briton, I really appreciate how the professor is able to give "an outsider's perspective" and often feel such people can see aspects that native Americans might not perceive.
Excellent presentation style, with clear storytelling, as usual from Professor Allitt.
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- Joey Caster
- 10-27-20
One of my top 3 lecturers on TGC
I recently just discovered Patrick N. Allitt on the great courses and quickly fell in love with his lectures and teaching style. He has become one of my favorites and I have listened to literally dozens of different courses. He keeps his lectures focused and adds enough fun and humor to the lectures to keep your interest. Any one of his courses are a must listen.
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3 people found this helpful
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- LR
- 03-26-22
Brilliant
Hearing these lectures at this time in our history (2022) is especially poignant. The story is told through biographical sketches of Americans, significant in different ways. I learned so much about these individuals and about what is important in our country, for better or worse, as we face an uncertain future.
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- BF Palo Alto
- 12-29-15
Superb series of individual bio's
Most are outstanding. A few, which probably were added for the sake of inclusiveness, leave one head-scratching. Jesse Jackson? Seriously? Show me the money.
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5 people found this helpful
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- wesley smith
- 04-08-16
interesting
I would have liked a little more detail on each person. was read very well.
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- Quaker
- 01-23-14
Endlessly Fascinating and Entertaining Stories
What made the experience of listening to The American Identity the most enjoyable?
I have watched or listened to many of The Great Courses series, and Professor Patrick Allitt ranks among my very favorite professors. I had previously listened to his course called American Religious History, and loved it. He is both a scholar and a natural storyteller. His lectures are filled with fascinating portraits of historical figures that rival any audio book in terms of drama and intrigue.The moment The American Identity started playing through my car speakers, I heard Professor Allitt's voice and a broad smile of recognition came across my face because I knew I was in for an entertaining treat. 36 half-hour lectures flew by like the wind, and I found myself looking for excuses to spend more time listening.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The American Identity?
Each lecture profiles a different American selected by Professor Allitt as representative of various aspects of American Identity. Professor Allitt is a Brit who has been the Cahoon Professor of American History at Emory University for over 25 years. He is like a modern day de Toqueville, offering a brilliant perspective on what makes America unique.The very first lecture about the settler John Smith set the tone. What a fascinating character. Forget the myths you were told in elementary school. Turns out Smith was an insufferable social climber and pragmatist who didn't actually spend that much time in America, but set the tone of meritocracy for the new land. By the end of that first 30 minutes, I knew I had already gotten my money's worth.
Have you listened to any of Professor Patrick N. Allitt’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
This was my second of The Great Courses by Professor Allitt. Fortunately, he has a half dozen other titles, and I plan to listen to or watch them all.
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27 people found this helpful