New Reviews: History

Aaron Mahnke narrates his own audiobook, based on his popular and delightful podcast "Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities" (as well as the earlier "Lore"). As a podcaster, Mahnke certainly knows how to inject the right amount of wonder, humor, and pithiness as he delivers his stories of obscure, coincidental, and highly bizarre events in American history. Included are tidbits... Read More

The fighting that occurred in Italy in 1944, which led to the capture of Rome in early June of that year, is described in great detail in this history. Al Murray, who is also a British comedian, has narrated many histories of WWII, including several by Holland. He does a solid job in this production. His style is not as polished nor his accent as refined as those of many other... Read More

Narrator Timothy Andrés Pabon brings numerous essential skills to this richly detailed history of El Paso, Texas. Most important are his command of languages and accents, and a degree of conviction that supports the author's distinctly Southwestern and multicultural perspective. Parker, a respected journalist who, sadly, died the week this book was published, argues that El... Read More

Tao Leigh Goffe narrates her audiobook about climate change and its impact on the Caribbean islands. Listeners are provided deeply researched background information on environmental racism, exemplified by the abuses inflicted on the Caribbean region and its people. Goffe is the founder of Dark Laboratory, a collective of artists and researchers who focus on climate and race.... Read More

Author and narrator are both at their best here. This second installment brings Atkinson's monumental history of the Revolutionary War to nearly 60 hours, with the conclusion still to come. It's an investment timely and richly rewarded. Grover Gardner isn't the most melodic of narrators, but he is steady, consistent, and subtly expressive, the very qualities needed for serious... Read More

Bob Souer is a strong, energetic narrator who brings character and clarity to this excellent history of America's most colorful and dynamic state. Equally important, Souer maintains the author's reportorial balance and unmistakable enthusiasm for his subject. Arranged chronologically with each chapter devoted to a different era or feature of California's history, this is the... Read More

Expertly narrated by Justin Avoth, and just under 10 hours, this history of the Turkish siege of Malta in 1565 is a good summary and analysis of one of the crucial struggles in Western history. Working with a narrative in which dramatic action is outweighed by critical analysis, Avoth maintains a solid pace and a steady tone, establishing a degree of focus and immediacy lacking... Read More

Deep-voiced Piers Hampton fluidly recounts the history of Rome from its earliest days to its collapse through beautiful handcrafted coins of the realm. This lengthy history unfolds with a detailed description of each coin and the period during which it was inscribed and stamped. Hampton's voice lovingly caresses the coins and coils around age-old stories that range from Aeneas... Read More

Narrator Daniel Henning takes on this detailed account of the shooting by National Guardsmen of students who were protesting the Vietnam War at Kent State University in 1970. Presented as a timeline with context but few digressions, it recounts the events from all sides: the National Guard's, politicians', Kent State administrators', students', parents', and local residents'.... Read More

David Thorpe, who has narrated many works of fiction, does a very good job with this history of Budapest from the end of WWI. At that time, the city was home to various political movements, besides being a splendid center of culture. In the spring of 1944, Hungary was invaded by the Germans, and the large Jewish population was then at the mercy of the Axis powers. When Budapest... Read More

Samara Naeymi delivers the untold story of four courageous women who played a vital part in winning WWII. Although they came from diverse backgrounds--Hawaii, Czechoslovakia, Tokyo, and Germany-- these women were all members of the OSS, the U.S. intelligence agency that was the forerunner of the CIA. They were responsible for producing varied pieces of propaganda designed to... Read More

Kevin R. Free narrates this fact-filled, occasionally opinionated, history of the post-WWII period when the U.S. targeted communists, trade unionists, homosexuals, progressives, and Soviet sympathizers for removal from civic life. Prodded by influential men like FBI head J. Edgar Hoover and Senator Joseph McCarthy, the government conducted intense surveillance. The House... Read More

Many new audiobook histories debunk legend and traditional narratives, but this brief account of Paul Revere's storied ride argues that his warning of approaching British troops on the night of April 18, 1775, was history changing. Narrator Johnny Heller, an engaging voice for wise-guy detective fiction, unwisely pushes the action toward melodrama, thereby sacrificing the tone... Read More

Russell Shorto is an author who can narrate his audiobooks as effectively as any professional. In voice, Shorto is personable, assured, and exact--much like his narratives. This history of the English acquisition of Dutch New Amsterdam follows Shorto's bestselling ISLAND AT THE CENTER OF THE WORLD, which covered the Dutch settlement of Manhattan. Once again, Shorto emphasizes... Read More

Most histories of the Tudor era focus on royals and their male underlings, but this absorbing audiobook takes a fresh look at the women who served Henry VIII's queens. Ladies-in-waiting fade into the background of most accounts, but in this introduction author Nicola Clark takes a firm feminist stand, reopening the narratives of their varied and complicated roles during the... Read More