“The Arguments of America” might have been a better title because this is the story of conflicting interest groups and warring philosophies. Jefferson had one idea of America, Madison another. Nor is this book a single text. It consists instead of 11 essays, written over decades. Wood’s fascination with the power and origin of ideas is contagious, but the Pulitzer-winning historian is always looking down from 30,000 feet. Abstractions can be narrated with force, and Robert Fass does his job, but then abstractions are, after all, just that—amusing but rarely intimate. If the listener takes nothing else away, at least the vision of the Founding Fathers as a gathering of companionable saints in periwigs must die a terrible death.
Pub Date: 2011
Duration: 13 hrs
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
With his deep voice, capable of a rumble here and there, narrator David Colacci is well suited to this quintessential American story. Journalist David Philipps offers a look at our nation's wild horses and their future outlook. Their survival depends on the clarifying of myth and history and a clear-eyed examination of government policies. Though billed as a history of the mustang, in many ways, this is a story about wildness, belonging, and the right to be free. As such, Colacci's unhurried, thoughtful performance effectively balances detailed research, targeted investigation, and personal reflection, providing an engaging listen that highlights the significant challenges of modern-day conservation efforts and government policy.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781681688503
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Narrator Alex Chadwick's lightly dramatic voice keeps listeners focused on a fascinating story. Soichi Sakamoto's Three-Year Swim Club in Maui hoped for glory in the 1940 Tokyo Olympics, a goal thwarted by WWII. Julie Checkoway dives into the past for accounts of swimming records, training innovations, and the swimmers themselves. These branches flow into a larger story of growing global tensions, Olympics history, and Japanese-Americans in Hawaii. It's occasionally poignant, as when a club member encounters a German P.O.W. he once met in competition. When the account turns to swim meets, Chadwick's voice sounds wonderfully like vintage radio coverage. There's athletic triumph, but the war's toll on those hopes hits home.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 14 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781619693838
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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