To America
Personal Reflections of an Historian
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Narrated by:
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Henry Strozier
About this listen
Reflecting on his career, Stephen E. Ambrose - one of the country's most influential historians - confronts America's failures and struggles as he explores both its moral and pragmatic triumphs. To America celebrates the men and women who invented the United States and made it exceptional.
Taking a few swings at today's political correctness, Ambrose grapples with the country's historic sins of racism, its neglect and ill treatment of Native Americans, and its tragic errors. He reflects on some of the early founders - great men such as Washington and Jefferson - who, while progressive thinkers, lived a contradiction as slaveholders. He contemplates the genius of Andrew Jackson's defeat of a vastly superior British force with a ragtag army in the War of 1812. He describes the grueling journey that Lewis and Clark made to open up the country, and the building of the railroad that produced great riches for a few barons.
Ambrose explains the misunderstood presidency of Ulysses S. Grant, records the country's assumption of world power under the leadership of Theodore Roosevelt, and extols the heroic victory of World War II. He explores women's rights and civil rights, immigration, and museum and nation-building.
Most importantly, Ambrose tells us about writing history, and about what an historian's job is all about. As he says, "The last five letters of the word 'history' tell us that it is an account of the past that is about people and what they did, which is what makes it the most fascinating of subjects." As he reflects upon American history, Ambrose shares his own personal history. To America is an instant classic for those interested in history, patriotism, and the love of writing.
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By: Nancy Koehn
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Supreme Commander
- MacArthur's Triumph in Japan
- By: Seymour Morris
- Narrated by: Charles Constant
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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He is the most-decorated general in American history - and the only five-star general to receive the Medal of Honor. Yet Douglas MacArthur’s greatest victory was not in war but in peace. As the uniquely titled Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, he was charged with transforming a defeated, militarist empire into a beacon of peace and democracy - "the greatest gamble ever attempted", he called it.
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Compelling book in an pleasant voice
- By Pierke Bosschieter on 04-24-14
By: Seymour Morris
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Infamy
- The Shocking Story of the Japanese American Internment in World War II
- By: Richard Reeves
- Narrated by: James Yaegashi
- Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Less than three months after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and inflamed the nation, President Roosevelt signed an executive order declaring parts of four western states to be a war zone operating under military rule. The US Army immediately began rounding up thousands of Japanese-Americans, sometimes giving them less than 24 hours to vacate their houses and farms. For the rest of the war, these victims of war hysteria were imprisoned in primitive camps.
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Disjointed, disconnected narrative
- By Triple A on 05-22-15
By: Richard Reeves
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Latino Americans
- The 500-Year Legacy That Shaped a Nation
- By: Ray Suarez
- Narrated by: Ray Suarez
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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As the largest minority in the country, Latino Americans make up an integral part of American history and continue to make major social, cultural, and political contributions. Latino Americans, vividly and candidly tells how the story of Latino Americans is the story of the United States, revealing the personal struggles and successes of immigrants, poets, soldiers, and others who have made an impact on history.
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Unknown Latino History
- By Lou on 11-27-18
By: Ray Suarez
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How to Hide an Empire
- A History of the Greater United States
- By: Daniel Immerwahr
- Narrated by: Luis Moreno
- Length: 17 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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We are familiar with maps that outline all 50 states. And we are also familiar with the idea that the United States is an "empire", exercising power around the world. But what about the actual territories - the islands, atolls, and archipelagos - this country has governed and inhabited? In How to Hide an Empire, author Daniel Immerwahr tells the fascinating story of the United States outside the United States. In crackling, fast-paced prose, he reveals forgotten episodes that cast American history in a new light.
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How to beat a straw man to death
- By Susan on 01-25-20
By: Daniel Immerwahr
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Fidel Castro
- A Spoken Autobiography
- By: Fidel Castro, Ignacio Ramonet
- Narrated by: Todd McLaren, Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 26 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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For decades, people have tried to persuade the leader of the Cuban Revolution to tell his own life story. Ignacio Ramonet, the celebrated editor in chief of Le Monde diplomatique, has finally succeeded. For the first time, in a series of extensive and probing interviews, Fidel Castro describes his life from the 1950s to the present day.
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In His Own Words
- By Roy on 06-09-09
By: Fidel Castro, and others
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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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Jacksonland
- President Andrew Jackson, Cherokee Chief John Ross, and a Great American Land Grab
- By: Steve Inskeep
- Narrated by: Steve Inskeep
- Length: 11 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Jacksonland is the thrilling narrative history of two men - President Andrew Jackson and Cherokee chief John Ross - who led their respective nations at a crossroads of American history. Five decades after the Revolutionary War, the United States approached a constitutional crisis. At its center stood two former military comrades locked in a struggle that tested the boundaries of our fledgling democracy. Jacksonland is their story.
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Fantastic and Thoughtful
- By Elizabeth Westbrook on 05-05-16
By: Steve Inskeep
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American Ulysses
- A Life of Ulysses S. Grant
- By: Ronald C. White
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 27 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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A major new biography of the Civil War general and American president, by the author of the New York Times bestseller A. Lincoln. The dramatic story of one of America's greatest and most misunderstood military leaders and presidents, this is a major new interpretation of Ulysses S. Grant. Based on seven years of research with primary documents, some of them never tapped before, this is destined to become the Grant biography of our times.
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A New Campaign to Reasses Grant
- By Mark on 11-02-16
By: Ronald C. White
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The Thin Light of Freedom
- The Civil War and Emancipation in the Heart of America
- By: Edward L. Ayers
- Narrated by: James Edward Thomas
- Length: 18 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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At the crux of America's history stand two astounding events: the immediate and complete destruction of the most powerful system of slavery in the modern world, followed by a political reconstruction in which new constitutions established the fundamental rights of citizens for formerly enslaved people. Few people living in 1860 would have dared imagine either event, and yet, in retrospect, both seem to have been inevitable. In a beautifully crafted narrative, Edward L. Ayers restores the drama of the unexpected to the history of the Civil War.
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great history
- By Linda Sisco on 11-30-17
By: Edward L. Ayers
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Nothing Like It in the World
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Nothing Like It in the World is the story of the men who built the transcontinental railroad. In Ambrose's hands, this enterprise comes to life. The U.S. government pitted two companies - the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific railroads - against each other in a race for funding, encouraging speed over caution. As its peak the work force approached the size of Civil War armies, with as many as 15,000 workers on each line. The surveyors, the men who picked the route, lived off buffalo, deer, and antelope.
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A tragic waste
- By Joshua Tretakoff on 04-11-03
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Pegasus Bridge
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Great story told in greater detal
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Crazy Horse and Custer
- The Parallel Lives of Two American Warriors
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On the sparkling morning of June 25, 1876, 611 men of the US 7th Cavalry rode toward the banks of the Little Bighorn in the Montana Territory, where 3,000 Indians stood waiting for battle. The lives of two great warriors would soon be forever linked throughout history: Crazy Horse, leader of the Oglala Sioux, and General George Armstrong Custer.
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A Fascinating, Fair Depiction of Two Heroes
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Citizen Soldiers
- The U.S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany
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A masterful biography of the U.S. Army in the European Theater of Operations during World War II, Citizen Soldiers provides a compelling account of the extraordinary stories of ordinary men in their fight for democracy. From the high command on down to the enlisted men, Stephen E. Ambrose draws on hundreds of interviews and oral histories from men on both sides who were there.
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Required reading, excellent narration
- By Jeremy on 06-30-11
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D-Day
- June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of WW II
- By: Stephen E. Ambrose
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Stephen E. Ambrose draws from hundreds of interviews with US Army veterans and the brave Allied soldiers who fought alongside them to create this exceptional account of the day that shaped the twentieth century. D-Day is above all the epic story of men at the most demanding moment of their existence, when the horrors, complexities and triumphs of life are laid bare and courage and heroism come to the fore.
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What an epic story what great men
- By Michael on 02-12-14
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Undaunted Courage
- By: Stephen E. Ambrose
- Narrated by: Barrett Whitener
- Length: 21 hrs and 40 mins
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In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson selected his personal secretary, Captain Meriwether Lewis, to lead a voyage up the Missouri River, across the forbidding Rockies, and - by way of the Snake and the Columbia rivers - down to the Pacific Ocean. Lewis and his partner, Captain William Clark, endured incredible hardships and witnessed astounding sights. With great perseverance, they worked their way into an unexplored West. When they returned two years later, they had long since been given up for dead.
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Narration kills a great book
- By Kindle Customer on 02-10-08
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Nothing Like It in the World
- The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad 1863-1869
- By: Stephen E. Ambrose
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- Length: 15 hrs and 37 mins
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Nothing Like It in the World is the story of the men who built the transcontinental railroad. In Ambrose's hands, this enterprise comes to life. The U.S. government pitted two companies - the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific railroads - against each other in a race for funding, encouraging speed over caution. As its peak the work force approached the size of Civil War armies, with as many as 15,000 workers on each line. The surveyors, the men who picked the route, lived off buffalo, deer, and antelope.
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A tragic waste
- By Joshua Tretakoff on 04-11-03
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Pegasus Bridge
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In the early morning hours of June 6, 1944, a small detachment of British airborne troops stormed the German defense forces and paved the way for the Allied invasion of Europe. Pegasus Bridge was the first engagement of D-day, the turning point of World War II. This gripping account of it by acclaimed author Stephen Ambrose brings to life a daring mission so crucial that, had it been unsuccessful, the entire Normandy invasion might have failed.
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Great story told in greater detal
- By Amazon Customer on 08-16-17
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Crazy Horse and Custer
- The Parallel Lives of Two American Warriors
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On the sparkling morning of June 25, 1876, 611 men of the US 7th Cavalry rode toward the banks of the Little Bighorn in the Montana Territory, where 3,000 Indians stood waiting for battle. The lives of two great warriors would soon be forever linked throughout history: Crazy Horse, leader of the Oglala Sioux, and General George Armstrong Custer.
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A Fascinating, Fair Depiction of Two Heroes
- By Stewart Fletcher on 04-29-19
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Citizen Soldiers
- The U.S. Army from the Normandy Beaches to the Bulge to the Surrender of Germany
- By: Stephen E. Ambrose
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A masterful biography of the U.S. Army in the European Theater of Operations during World War II, Citizen Soldiers provides a compelling account of the extraordinary stories of ordinary men in their fight for democracy. From the high command on down to the enlisted men, Stephen E. Ambrose draws on hundreds of interviews and oral histories from men on both sides who were there.
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Required reading, excellent narration
- By Jeremy on 06-30-11
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D-Day
- June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of WW II
- By: Stephen E. Ambrose
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Stephen E. Ambrose draws from hundreds of interviews with US Army veterans and the brave Allied soldiers who fought alongside them to create this exceptional account of the day that shaped the twentieth century. D-Day is above all the epic story of men at the most demanding moment of their existence, when the horrors, complexities and triumphs of life are laid bare and courage and heroism come to the fore.
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What an epic story what great men
- By Michael on 02-12-14
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Undaunted Courage
- By: Stephen E. Ambrose
- Narrated by: Barrett Whitener
- Length: 21 hrs and 40 mins
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In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson selected his personal secretary, Captain Meriwether Lewis, to lead a voyage up the Missouri River, across the forbidding Rockies, and - by way of the Snake and the Columbia rivers - down to the Pacific Ocean. Lewis and his partner, Captain William Clark, endured incredible hardships and witnessed astounding sights. With great perseverance, they worked their way into an unexplored West. When they returned two years later, they had long since been given up for dead.
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Narration kills a great book
- By Kindle Customer on 02-10-08
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The Wild Blue
- The Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany
- By: Stephen E. Ambrose
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The very young men who flew the B24s over Germany in World War II against terrible odds were an exemplary band of brothers. In The Wild Blue, Stephen Ambrose recounts their extraordinary brand of heroism, skill, daring, and comradeship. Stephen Ambrose describes how the Army Air Forces recruited, trained, and chose those few who would undertake the most demanding and dangerous jobs in the war.
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Required Reading
- By Lyle on 11-22-11
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The Victors
- Eisenhower and His Boys: The Men of World War II
- By: Stephen E. Ambrose
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- Length: 4 hrs and 21 mins
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From America's preeminent military historian, Stephen E. Ambrose, comes a brilliant telling of the war in Europe, from D-Day, June 6, 1944, to the end; 11 months later, on May 7, 1945. To create this astonishing narrative, Ambrose draws from his 5 acclaimed works about that conflict, particularly from the definitive and comprehensive D-Day and Citizen Soldiers.
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The Stephen Ambrose highlight reel
- By JustThisGuyYouKnow on 09-28-07
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The Supreme Commander
- The War Years of Dwight D. Eisenhower
- By: Stephen E. Ambrose
- Narrated by: Richard Ferrone
- Length: 32 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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In this classic portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower the soldier, best-selling historian Stephen E. Ambrose examines the Allied commander's leadership during World War II. Ambrose brings Eisenhower's experience of the Second World War to life, showing in vivid detail how the general's skill as a diplomat and a military strategist contributed to Allied successes in North Africa and in Europe and established him as one of the greatest military leaders in the world.
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Very Interesting of the politics of war
- By Timothy on 06-28-17
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Undaunted Courage
- Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West
- By: Stephen E. Ambrose
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Adventure, politics, suspense, drama, diplomacy, romance, and personal tragedy combine to make this outstanding work of scholarship about Captain Meriwether Lewis, hand-picked by President Thomas Jefferson to explore and acquire the American West. Browse more Ambrose, including his latest, Nothing Like It in the World.
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Excellent book
- By Robert on 06-01-04
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What If? Part 1
- Reshaping the 20th Century
- By: Stephen E. Ambrose, John Keegan, more
- Narrated by: John Cunningham, Janet Zarish
- Length: 4 hrs and 45 mins
- Abridged
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What if Hitler had won the war, if Japan had another sneak attack, or if the cold war turned hot? What If? provides a fascinating new perspective on history's most pivotal events. Featuring today's foremost historians speculating on what could have happened, we discover where we might be if history had not unfolded the way it did.
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For history buffs
- By Charles Elmore on 05-11-04
By: Stephen E. Ambrose, and others
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The Pioneers
- The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West
- By: David McCullough
- Narrated by: John Bedford Lloyd
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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The number one New York Times best seller by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David McCullough rediscovers an important chapter in the American story that's "as resonant today as ever" (The Wall Street Journal) - the settling of the Northwest Territory by courageous pioneers who overcame incredible hardships to build a community based on ideals that would define our country.
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i would prefer david reading it
- By hooterwah on 05-07-19
By: David McCullough
What listeners say about To America
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Maria
- 02-05-19
A True Gift of Patriotic Spirit!!
Dear Mr. Ambrose,
Thank you for your balanced, truthful, insightful, heart warming, witty, and fascinating gift of patriotism!
I know your mentor said not to use adjectives in your historical writing, but this is a review. I will have to listen again....and again. Would you consider being a political advisor to our three branches of government? I would vote for you for our President!
Your interviews and research are so enriching! I will have to get your book for my father, who I believe is only slightly older than you. Thank you for your energy and American spirit!
Sincerely,
Maria (your new fan!)
PS. Mr. Strozier is a superb narrator for your writing. He embodies your words with great warmth and understanding!
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- John McCallum
- 07-18-18
Worth the time!
Ambrose has done us all a favor with this book. A brief overview of many of the key characters and events in American history by a man who is a no Ted expert in the field. And his personal reflections draw the reader close to the author. You may not agree with all he says but you will be stimulated to consider it.
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- Ryan
- 07-28-19
Like a casual conversation
Enjoyed the meandering musings of an extraordinary historian. Can see myself listening to this again.
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- Sergio
- 04-24-15
Wow!
Wow! was that a chalk full of information. He applies his life into his writing, demonstrating the effects that History has had on himself and his family is a skill which he masters. What a great book! Highly Recommend it if you love history. Brilliant man.
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13 people found this helpful
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- Eden
- 12-06-16
A book for opened eyes.
As I am a young adult in a collage class this book has opened my eyes greatly. As a part of the new generation coming forth this book has set my views wild. There has been nothing in this book I didn't find enjoyable. This book is about facts and the antidotes of a great historian not afraid of opening his eyes to new concepts. I recommend this to any young adult reader. A wonderful book to read.
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10 people found this helpful
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- Lori Hanson
- 10-18-19
Very interesting take on hot spots in our history
One reviewer did not like that Ambrose seemed to lack objectivity; too liberal. Since I'm a liberal, that didn't bother me as much as it might someone who leans to the right.
I really enjoyed the topics he picked and the narrative style (reminded me of Shelby Foote's 3-volume history of the Civil War). He clearly loved his work and reminded me why I've always been fascinated with American history. The narrator had a voice that reminded me of the newsmen I grew up listening to and watching on TV. Very authoritative with clear, accurate pronunciations.
I hesitate to mention this since I don't know how accurate these allegations are, but I've read that Mr. Ambrose has been accused of plagiarism and factual errors. I didn't hear anything that I know to fit either of those accusations, but deducted a star for story and overall just in case that's true. It certainly would make me hesitate in passing along information from this book without verifying it with other sources. (Can you tell that I work for a newspaper?)
Overall, I consider this to be a well-written and well-narrated book. I'm sure I'll be listening to it again.
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- ToddH
- 08-06-18
I wish I'd been a historian
What a great book for those who ever studied history or for those interested in a brief overview of the different areas Mr Ambrose studied. He is a national treasure.
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- Coach Nathan L.
- 02-10-16
Wow!
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Ambrose's personal reflections. It is great to learn history from such a passionate author. I recommend this to all who wish to gain additional historical insight, while learning a little bit about the author as well.
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15 people found this helpful
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- A Person With An Opinion
- 08-05-19
The twisted brain of a incoherent historian
The first thing that I picked up on fairly quickly that at least in this book and Ambrose’s definition of a historian was that he lacked objective mind of a true historian. He seemed to want to put liberal spin on almost everything except his twisted ideology about women and their place in society. He sounded like the typical male chauvinist of the 1950s. I do not believe he ever relinquished the attitude towards women.
The style was not the atypical moroseness of the typical historian as he spoke with vivacity. He was emotionally charged with the subjects and very opinionated to a fault.
He discussed in length his years writing the memoirs of Eisenhower and Nixon. Expressed his distaste for Nixon in terms that I could not image how he could have written a fair biography of Nixon without the taint of his hatred for the man. Ambrose came across to me as a pompous bigot that could not remotely see both sides of history because of his lack of understanding of both sides. I never under-mind good work because of lack of empathy from the author. Perceptions from men like Ambrose truly express the vileness of the social structures from the past in their own unique definition of the world that they inhabited. As Ambrose said about Nixon, he couldn’t detest the man because of the good that was embodied in him but he couldn’t admire him for the bad choices that he made. Ambrose is the same to me. There is lots of good inwoven in detestable traits. But unlike Nixon, I think we’d have been much better off historically if Ambrose and his rouge ideology had faded into obscurity without anyone knowing his name. I personally would not recommend his book or books to anyone regardless of the fact that I gave it four stars. I would only say it was interesting and read at your own pleasure if seeking incoherent babble that is based on Ambrose’s twisted concept of reality.
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- Homer
- 07-25-19
Don’t let this one get past you!
Are you an Ambrose skeptic (life me)? This one is great. Are you an Ambrose fan? This one is great. Why?
This is a series of essays, starting with the clay feet of the founding founders, and proceeding chronologically through American history up to the turn of the century. Along the way, Ambrose throws in wonderful autobiographical anecdotes.
I am normally somewhat of an Ambrose skeptic. Why did we win World War II? Our boys were b enter, our country was better, etc. I love our country, but not to the point where historical writing hits you over the head with it. I’ve read many partisan histories of the Civil War — both North and South — and they are tiresome. I’m being pounded with an obvious point of view. Much with the same with some history written by Ambrose.
That said, this one is different. Do his views come out? Of course. But they are some very real gems in this collection, starting out with the first one, the essay on Grant and reconstruction, and his efforts to the D-day museum built.
Are you a history buff. If so, this one is for you. I finished this audio book in less than 24 hours. I could not stop listening. Enjoy.
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1 person found this helpful