
The Founding Fathers
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Narrated by:
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Richard Rohan
About this listen
George Washington by James MacGregor Burns and Susan Dunn. In this thoughtful and incisive biography, Burns and Dunn dissect the strengths and weaknesses of Washington's presidential leadership, from his lasting foreign and economic policies to his polarizing denunciation of political parties and his public silence about slavery.
John Adams by John Patrick Diggins. Perhaps no U.S. president was less suited for the practice of politics than John Adams. A gifted philosopher who helped lead the movement for American independence from its inception, Adams was unprepared for the realities of party politics that had already begun to dominate the new country before Washington left office. But in this program, historian John Patrick Diggins reveals a John Adams whose reputation for snobbery and failure are wholly undeserved, and whose prescient modernism still holds valuable lessons for us.
Thomas Jefferson by Joyce Appleby. Few presidents embody the American spirit as fully as Thomas Jefferson. His vision and unrivaled political imagination account for the almost utopian zeal of his two administrations. However, contradictions in his populism make Jefferson the most controversial of presidents. Jefferson described his election to the presidency as a second American Revolution. For the first time, historian Joyce Appleby rigorously explores this claim.
James Madison by Gary Wills. The eternal conundrum about James Madison - a key framer of the U.S. Constitution, a formidable political figure, and a man of tremendous intellect and foresight - is why, when he became chief executive, did he steer the ship of state with such an unsteady hand? Why was this man so lackluster and ineffectual in his tenure as president? Renowned historian Garry Wills outlines the confluence of unfortunate circumstance, misplaced temperament, and outright poor judgment that bogged down Madison's presidency.
©2008 Arthur Schlesinger (P)2008 Macmillan AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
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- By: Joseph J. Ellis
- Narrated by: Bob Walter
- Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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The American Civil War
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- Narrated by: Gary W. Gallagher
- Length: 24 hrs and 37 mins
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Overall
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Performance
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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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- By Rodney on 07-09-13
By: Gary W. Gallagher, and others
-
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
- By: Benjamin Franklin
- Narrated by: Qarie Marshall
- Length: 6 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Left unfinished at the time of his death, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin has endured as one of the most well-known and influential autobiographies ever written. From his early years in Boston and Philadelphia to the publication of his Poor Richard's Almanac to the American Revolution and beyond, Franklin's autobiography is a fascinating, personal exploration into the life of America's most interesting founding father.
-
-
Egregious omission of important passage.
- By Walking Man on 02-14-19
Critic reviews
"This excellent series of biographies, each written by an eminent historian, is a rich and rewarding listening experience." ( AudioFile)
Very Interesting
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One two three four
A little too long
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A good listen
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Excellent Overview of our first four Presidents,
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What did you love best about The Founding Fathers?
If you liked Founding Brothers by Ellis, or maybe 1776 by McCullough, this provides more background into the cast of characters without being a 200-hour commitment. There's enough humanity to keep things interesting to anyone who wants to know more while remaining, under Schlesinger's name, Real History. At not quite twenty-three hours, it moves along at a fairly good clip.As a work of Real History, it works to steer clear of the modern inclination towards the "WWGWD" (what would George Washington do?) political commentaries disguised as histories, largely by having a different biographer for of each of these men (and having none of them Glenn Beck clones). While none of the biographies are going to be called "the definitive work" on their respective topics, they provide a nice history aimed at the many of us in between high-interest stuff like Founding Brothers and the hardcover biographies most often given as gifts and used only as bookshelf decorations.
What other book might you compare The Founding Fathers to and why?
Isaacson's biography of Benjamin Franklin comes to mind, though the unabridged version is actually longer than these four biographies combined.....as the biographies are relatively short, you shouldn't expect the kind of in-depth detail found in a stand-alone single biography.What about the narrator???s performance did you like?
While not dry and dusty, appropriately professorial for the subject matter.Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Uhh....it's not really that kind of book.A well presented short series
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Unfortunate but quite understandable since these great men needed the money. As a great grandson of enslaved people in Virginia, I have a different view.
Founding Fathers epic struggles with Hypocrisy
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This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?
You might enjoy it if you're a historian, and want to be bored to death.Would you ever listen to anything by the authors again?
No!What didn’t you like about the narrator’s performance?
Narrator was fine, the words he read weren't.What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
Disappointment.Any additional comments?
The author assumes that the reader wants someone to recite facts from historical papers, with little insight into the person, makes for boring listen.Not That Good
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