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10 Great What-Ifs of American History
- Narrated by: Adam Jortner
- Length: 3 hrs and 54 mins
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Publisher's summary
History may appear logical and even inevitable: Things happened because they had to. But when you go back to examine the great turning points of the past, you quickly discover how choices, chances, and accidents played a huge rule in making the world we know today. Politicians, writers, explorers, and ordinary people all make choices that shape history. But examining the moments that define our history raises an important question: What if things had gone differently?
Historians have a term for this type of speculation. A “counterfactual” history imagines a different person, a different decision, different luck in a critical moment—and the way a small change could have transformed history as we know it. What if Christopher Columbus never got the money to sail in 1492? What if the Union lost the Battle of Gettysburg? Or President John F. Kennedy escaped assassination?
As you’ll learn, a well-constructed counterfactual is about more than flipping a switch or taking a guess. Historians look for moments of “contingency”—times when something unlikely happened or when events turned on a moment that could have gone either way. What happens when you take away favorable weather conditions or delay an event by 15 minutes?
Accompanied by a selection of guests, Professor Jortner takes you through a mind-bending exploration of the history that could have been. Captivating storytellers and imaginative thinkers, these experts show how history is contingent on split-second decisions, near misses, and sheer dumb luck. By reflecting on what didn’t happen, 10 Great What-Ifs of American History gives you new insights on what did happen—and the impact on our world today.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
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In The Pagan World: Ancient Religions Before Christianity, you will meet the fascinating, ancient polytheistic peoples of the Mediterranean and beyond, their many gods and goddesses, and their public and private worship practices, as you come to appreciate the foundational role religion played in their lives. Professor Hans-Friedrich Mueller, of Union College in Schenectady, New York, makes this ancient world come alive in 24 lectures with captivating stories of intrigue, artifacts, illustrations, and detailed descriptions from primary sources of intriguing personalities.
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The Pagan World
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Tribal Justice
- The Struggle for Black Rights on Native Land
- By: Allison Herrera, Adreanna Rodriguez
- Narrated by: Allison Herrera
- Length: 1 hr and 21 mins
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On September 26, 2020, Michael was in a great mood. He’d recently returned home to Oklahoma after years in the military. He’d bought a house and had a job teaching and coaching basketball at the local high school. But that night, Michael’s life would turn upside down. Around two o’clock in the morning, he heard people banging on the doors and windows of his home. He called 911 for help. This is the story of what happened next, and why. To understand it, we have to go back to the Trail of Tears that the Five Tribes were forced to walk.
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The next great battleground for Native America and Racial Justice
- By AGifford on 10-14-24
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Napoleon's Hemorrhoids…And Other Small Events That Changed History
- By: Phil Mason
- Narrated by: LJ Ganser
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Hilarious, fascinating, and a roller coaster of dizzying, historical what-ifs, Napoleon's Hemorrhoids is a potpourri for serious historians and casual history buffs. In one of Phil Mason's many revelations, you'll learn that Communist jets were two minutes away from opening fire on American planes during the Cuban missile crisis, when they had to turn back as they were running out of fuel. You'll discover that before the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon's painful hemorrhoids prevented him from mounting his horse to survey the battlefield.
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They just throw the facts too fast
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The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome
- By: Gregory S. Aldrete, The Great Courses
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The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome traces the breathtaking history from the empire’s foundation by Augustus to its Golden Age in the 2nd century CE through a series of ever-worsening crises until its ultimate disintegration. Taught by acclaimed Professor Gregory S. Aldrete of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, these 24 captivating lectures offer you the chance to experience this story like never before, incorporating the latest historical insights that challenge our previous notions of Rome’s decline.
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Gregory S. Aldrete is a treasure
- By Laurel Tucker on 02-04-19
By: Gregory S. Aldrete, and others
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Patrick is the Best!
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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
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What listeners say about 10 Great What-Ifs of American History
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- homedaddy
- 05-09-24
Overacting and Multiple Narrators Distracting
The overacting of the main narrator was way over the top and very annoying to me. Almost like an audio version of the National Enquirer. I felt it was condescending, as if he assumed I was bored or too dumb to understand the consequences of the “what if.”
There were three other narrators who read small passages. Why? I kept losing my focus, because I was used to the rhythm and inflections of one narrator. During one passage, the female narrator sounded as if she was cut off before finishing a sentence.
I couldn’t finish the book.
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