A History of the American People

By: Paul Johnson

Narrated by: Nadia May

Length: 48 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Johnson's monumental history of the United States, from the first settlers to the Clinton administration, covers every aspect of American culture: politics, business, art, literature, science, society and customs, complex traditions, and religious beliefs. The story is told in terms of the men and women who shaped and led the nation and the ordinary people who collectively created its unique character.

Anne Hutchinson, Cotton Mather, Ben Franklin, Tom Paine, George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, among others, are all presented in a fresh perspective. Wherever possible, letters, diaries, and recorded conversations are used to ensure a sense of actuality.

This is an in-depth portrait of a great people, from their fragile origins and struggles for independence, to their heroic efforts and sacrifices to deal with the "organic sin" of slavery and the preservation of the Union, to their explosive economic growth and emergence as the world's greatest superpower.

©1997 Paul Johnson (P)1998 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Johnson is a lively writer (more so than nearly all other historians), and May's reading is sensitive to Johnson's wit and sharp comments....Her reading is lively, crisp, and sharp throughout." (AudioFile)

"A magnificent achievement...brilliantly combines broad sweep with extraordinary detail." (Wall Street Journal)

47 hours felt too short!

A great comprehensive view of American history. With no pretensions or excuses Mr Johnson explains the complexity through the lives of great statesman.

Bliss

Uses data to make points. Memorable turns of phrase. Ready to listen again. insightful, enjoyable listen.

Amazing book narrator horrible

I stuck with the book because Paul Johnson's books are awesome. This one in particular. I think he is right in that not having learned American History in school gave him a fresh perspective. I haven't read all of his, but many and Intellectuals is the best I've read.
But, I didn't like the narrator. It isn't that she did a bad job, I just dislike her voice. She does many audiobooks, so it is probably just me.

Really interesting

Loved the speed and how the time periods and people were covered. I am not a big history buff but I really enjoyed this listen.

Brilliant light in a sea of darkness!

Simply breathtaking. Johnson eviscerates the cancerous pablum spawned by the anti American Howard Zinn to tell a story of a people making their way in the world, often making mistakes and failing, but far more often succeeding brilliantly. Johnson, unlike Zinn, clearly recognizes the fundamental goodness of the American people writ large, and the extraordinary positive impact the United States has had on the world. It’s not that Johnson doesn’t recognize or address America’s failures and imperfections, he does, but he recognizes them for what they are, the human frailties of a people - individually and collectively- actively working to create prosperity and make their lives better. They don’t always succeed, but they certainly do more often than not, and the planet as a whole is far better off for it. At the end of the day, as a result of the American constitution, the individual liberty it protected and free markets and capitalism, the United States has driven more prosperity and freedom for more people around the world than any nation or people in history...Johnson tells you their story.

Excellent History, Very Enlightening

Johnson brings a fresh perspective to American History that helps us realize the unsung heroes (like James K. Polk and Warren Harding) as well as the blatant farces (the 1960 election) of US History. His treatment is very satisfying to a student of western, modern, and American history.

This is how a historian writes history!

After listening to this history you know the author has mastered his craft. It was easy to listen although a long listen.

A Masterpiece

A masterpiece of history that is truly worth the listen. Wonderfully crafted to tell the story of America and its people, both big and small.

Bias

Very bias, especially after the civil war. I also don't remember him mentioning Japanese Internment at all, which is crazy. However the reader was VERY good.

Poor Fact Checking

So many factual errors I doubt author could draw meaningful conclusions. I think I wasted my money.