Political Figures

Whatever the demerits of the book as outlined by some very good previous reviews, for someone like me -- a white Canadian who had never looked into the life of Malcolm X any deeper than the film and excerpts from the Autobiography-- this was an engaging and informative read. Some have described it as scholarly; others dispute its scholarship. For me, it read like a novel and motivated me to learn more about Malcolm X. Don't be put off by the word "scholarly" --it's far from a snooze.

While I know my Canadian and British 18th century history, before I listened to this, my knowledge of the U.S. in that period came from pop culture and sixth grade. This broadened my understanding and interested me in downloading more McCullough and U.S. history. Any book that invites nonAmericans to do so is good for the world!

Although long for nonfiction, the listen compares very favourably to a novel. However, I think McCullough strikes a balance between documentation and narrative that is easy on the ears but still seems to present sound history. The book draws on much more than the charming correspondance between the Adams' mentioned in the publisher's blurb. My head spins when I think of how McCullough combined sources to come up with this portrait.

I did not mind the narrator as did some other listeners -- He did sound a bit corny, but he read with enthusiasm for and appreciation of his material.

In the intro, Foreman claims to have written this book alongside her doctoral thesis on the Duchess. The book contains all the history of a dissertation meticuloulsy researched through what seems like kilotons of correspondence and records, but reads like a novel. 5 stars to Foreman for weaving such a tale from letters copiously quoted. The excellent narration contributed to the seemless flow of the story.

And what a story! Don't come to this because the Duchess is a distant ancestor of Lady Di, read it for the adventure of the women herself.

I think this can be enjoyed by a wide range of listeners, from those with a serious interest in 18th century history or lit to fans of Geogette Heyer novels (though I suspect many with a "serious" interest in history and lit do enjoy Heyer's novels -- and, after learning about some of the larger-than-life charactrs in this autobiography, I have more respect for Heyer's farces.)

Foreman is deliberately exploring the life of the political/economic upper, upper class, so this is of course a very partial picture of life in England at the time, when so much misery and physical brutality defined the life of the poor.