JayHey

An interesting history marred by narrator

Revisado: 05-27-20

Alison Weir's histories are usually well researched and written, so I was happy to get this. But the narrator, Maggie Marsh, does great disservice to the text. While a good narrator will use some vocal clues to point up changes of voice in a reading, Ms. Marsh uses broad "accents" that border on characature - perhaps sliding into offensive. This is distracting and does not make the narration better, in fact I'm suprised that a director or the author let it slide by.

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esto le resultó útil a 6 personas

Intriguing story that would be better in print

Revisado: 03-12-18

What did you love best about Revolution Song?

That the author stretches out to find both known and unknown lives to tell about.

What did you like best about this story?

It reminded me that Americans can always hope to be better.

Which character – as performed by Russell Shorto – was your favorite?

Mr. Shorto gives two especially powerful characters in Cornplanter and Venture. These men lost so much and struggled hard to create decent lives in the face of overwhelming odds.

Any additional comments?

The only problem I have with this book is the narration. By moving between the characters without a vocal cue of any kind, it became very hard to follow. That's why I intend to buy it in print.

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Stunning story.

Revisado: 04-18-17

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Ms. See has protrayed the Akha with such deep understanding and without falling into Western style judgements on their beliefs and actions. Without spoiling the story, the primary narrator's reaction to a terrible event rises from her own revulsion and the actions of her traditionally raised mother are both heart-rending and understandable from her own point of view - that she is saving their entire village from much worse. The conflict between the two women in a sense creates the path that sets the younger on her journey.

What did you like best about this story?

The different narrators made the book far easier to follow and added drama and life to the author's words.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

As the female characters grew and aged, the actor's performing them gave slightly different inflections to their voices, indicating both maturity and passing time.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Impossible, due to length, but I did listen to it whenever possible over several days.

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An under told story of the United States.

Revisado: 08-28-16

If you could sum up Heaven’s Ditch in three words, what would they be?

Religion, Politics, Violence.

What did you like best about this story?

The intertwining of the chapters between the canal's life and the American life during the first decades of the 1800's.

What about Andrew Reilly’s performance did you like?

He was very clear and his voice was pleasant to listen to.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

God, Gold And Murder - just as Mr. Kelly has subtitled the book.

Any additional comments?

This was such a good, interesting book! It wove the early commercial, spiritual, and political happenings of the time into a very compelling story. That so many characters in American history bumped shoulders in the corridor of the Erie Canal and that what happened in roughly fifty years still affects us.
The beginnings of both the Mormon and Seventh Day Adventist Churches, of the abolitionist fervor that resulted in the founding of Oberlin College and the start of a political party that would eventually becoming the Republican party of Lincoln all took place or were influenced by this era. I will not spoil it, but the wife of a missing man from the early section of the book reappears later as an intimate of another major character - a twist not unlike that of a novel but one of complete truth. Jack Kelly shows in this book that history is always with us.

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Fresh, Interesting Take on Old Story

Revisado: 08-28-16

Would you consider the audio edition of The Last Stand to be better than the print version?

I did not purchase the print version of this book.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Last Stand?

One episode when a young cavalryman risked his life under intense fire to get water for suffering wounded soldiers.On the Native American side, when a young woman went along into battle to avenge her ten year old brother killed by cavalrymen.

Have you listened to any of George Guidall’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, he generally does an excellent job.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

It's not that we were so good, it's that you were SO STUPID!

Any additional comments?

This book was really not my usual cuppa tea, but I had enjoyed other books by the same author and decided to give it a try. I found myself fascinated by the story of Sitting Bull and how his people and their allies were driven into conflict by the prejudice, vainglory, and down right stupidity of the US army. By giving backstory and alternating chapters between the opponents, Mr. Philbrick gave an even handed view of this conflict while keeping my interest. His descriptions of the several days of conflict, including numerous first hand sources, and the personalities involved make this an excellent listen for anyone interested in history.

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A history that all Americans should know.

Revisado: 02-27-16

Would you listen to The Invisibles again? Why?

This is a fascinating, all too short history of the enslaved African-Americans who were the support staff of the great majority of our early presidents.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The great variety of human stories - from the young woman who escaped George Washington's Philadelphia Executive Mansion to P. Jennings who showed charity to his former mistress (Dolly Madison) even though she had broken every promise made to him and his fellow slaves she had made. And the last slave of a US President lived until 1943!

What about JD Jackson’s performance did you like?

Mr. Jackson had an easy to listen to clear voice and showed flexibility in both expressing the author's and the quoted slaves emotions and ideas while keeping the listener's interest.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The Real Backstairs of the White House.

Any additional comments?

I only regret that Mr. Holland did not have more to share with us ( which he bemoans himself) and thank him for educating me on a subject that was never mentioned in my time in school.

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