A Little History of the United States

By: James West Davidson

Narrated by: Arthur Morey

Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

How did a land and people of such immense diversity come together under a banner of freedom and equality to form one of the most remarkable nations in the world? Everyone from young adults to grandparents will be fascinated by the answers uncovered in James West Davidson's vividly told A Little History of the United States.

Davidson guides listeners through 500 years, from the first contact between the two halves of the world to the rise of America as a superpower in an era of atomic perils and diminishing resources.

In short, vivid chapters the audiobook brings to life hundreds of individuals whose tales are part of the larger American story. Pilgrim William Bradford stumbles into an Indian deer trap on his first day in America; Harriet Tubman lets loose a pair of chickens to divert attention from her escaping slaves; the toddler Andrew Carnegie, later an ambitious industrial magnate, gobbles his oatmeal with a spoon in each hand. Such stories are riveting in themselves, but they also spark larger questions to ponder about freedom, equality, and unity in the context of a nation that is and always has been remarkably divided and diverse.

©2015 James West Davidson (P)2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Outstanding and Enthralling Book

I’ve studied USA history many times in my lifetime, and yet, I’ve either forgotten or never been exposed to several facts and stories in this phenomenal book. It is written so well, and the story is so amazing, that it’s a real page-turner—the best kind of “reality” reading as opposed to much frivolous and worthless “reality TV.” I highly recommend this! It exposes the good and the bad about US History, and you won’t want to put it down nor stop listening.

Great book

This is just an amazing book when you actually read it. Its gives you a good gist about the world and history on it.

An excellent refresher course in the cultural and political history of America and the United States

With the familiar voice of a truly talented narrator, “A Little History” takes you through the centuries of exploration, exploitation and development of this vast land, balancing the very good with the very bad, in order to get to where we are today. The author does not ignore or bypass the wars which always seem to come out in other history books as the major historical markers, but they are given similar cultural and political significance as the treatment of Native Americans, the abolition of Slavery, Reconstruction, the influx of millions of immigrants, Civil Rights movements, landing humans on the Moon and the advent of the Atomic Age. For all of its faults and imperfections, the author leaves the reader with no doubt that America is exceptional.

Great book but of course some of it may not be truth

Like most history, it’s written by the victor. Mainly the world wars and bush era are up for debate imo

Good Read and Informative

I enjoyed the shorter version of the events that shaped America. Well written and without the political spin associated with most books these days.

Great

Well written, easy to follow along. Really enjoyed it. Western bias, but they stated that at the beginning.

Good story, great narrator.

Story was well written and educational. It is exactly what it says it is, a little bit of history. Would love to read more from this author. Great narrator, good voice. He definitely makes the story come to life for you. Overall, I definitely recommend this listen.

excellently done. quick easy read

If you were to only read one book about US History, this 2would be a very good place to start. Best thing about this book is the way the author links things together to create one cohesive narrative. Well organized, clearly not all inclusive but a very good overview in brief. well done, entertaining, great read

Great overview of American history

I loved this book for an intro into US history. The narration is fantastic and for a short history I thought the author covered all the topics adequately.

amazing

my favorite thing about this book is that the author is not giving you good opinion, he is just stating the facts and letting you decide what you think is better.

the narrator is really good and steady, he doesn't mumble, speed up or laugh.


overall it is a very good book.