Walt Whitman’s America

A Cultural Biography

By: David S. Reynolds

Narrated by: John Lescault

Length: 28 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

In his poetry, Walt Whitman set out to encompass all of America, and in so doing, heal its deepening divisions. This magisterial biography demonstrates the epic scale of his achievement, as well as the dreams and anxieties that impelled it, for it places the poet securely within the political and cultural context of his age.

Combing through the full range of Whitman’s writing, David Reynolds shows how Whitman gathered inspiration from every stratum of 19th-century American life: the convulsions of slavery and depression; the raffish dandyism of the Bowery “b’hoys”; the exuberant rhetoric of actors, orators, and divines. We see how Whitman reconciled his own sexuality with contemporary social mores and how his energetic courtship of the public presaged the vogues of advertising and celebrity. Brilliantly researched, captivatingly told, Walt Whitman’s America is a triumphant work of scholarship that breathes new life into the biographical genre.

©2011 David S. Reynolds (P)2019 Blackstone Publishing

Whitman Demystified

I am more than a fan and lover of WW’s poetry. I am a devotee. This book feels like a gift because it’s among the most comprehensive and thoroughly researched biographies I’ve ever read on anyone. For me, it was nothing short of a revelation, particularly the details of his post war years. Reynold’s research reveals so much about the American culture that produced the artist which he in turn so lovingly tried to capture. Reynolds provides valuable insights and context that further enrich the poetry. The biographical details go beyond the popular understandings that Whitman largely engineered himself. What’s more American than the notion that there’s no such thing as bad press? You’re confronted with a man who was admittedly fraught with contradictions. I found myself wondering whether or not my own imagination had constructed and filled in the blanks of his origin story and who he was. At times the truth was not pretty. He was not a saint and some of his ever evolving opinions fell far short of what I had hoped. The truth of his post war years is richer and more eventful than I had imagined. No one else has covered this period with as much depth. His final decades were far more heartening and sweeter than Whitman would have led us to believe lol.

A wonderful insightful biography well narrated

This biography gives the listener a deep sense of the contradictory elements in the larger than life figure of Walt Whitman. It interweaves his fascinating biography with the main events in American history from the 1830s to the 1890s. Having read Whitman's poetry for many years, I come away from this book with a much deeper insight into his work and an appreciation of it.

Helps the listener to understand Leaves of Grass

This book is a thorough piece of scholarship and a fine telling of the story of Walt Whitman's life and the national context at the time he wrote each of the editions of "Leaves of Grass" (LOG). LOG is one of those books that having an overview of the author's project when writing it is helpful. This is that kind of book. It has helped me to understand the four editions of LOG that I've read over the years. It also helps to explain why Whitman created 6 editions that were so different from each other without giving the editions different titles.

I highly recommend this book.

Finally understanding Whitman

I thought David Reynolds does an excellent job deeply exploring the influences and motivations of not only Walt Whitman but the people around him. By going thoroughly from the beginning to the end, a sense of how Whitman changed and evolved. Reynolds does an excellent job talking about the cultural influences on Whitman and how the culture also evolved during Whitman's life. Smooth narration I enjoyed it to the end.

Simply Superb

Superb and engrossing, a full and culturally based depiction of the gray bearded artist of the word. Thorough, interesting and a most welcome read. Narration excellent and Whitman comes alive. Many thanks, and good reading be yours, my Audible friends. Ernie

Remarkably well researched.

An in-depth cultural and literary analysis of Whitman’s 19th century world and works, as well as a deeply probing biography. I ordered the physical book for my library. It may be the best I’ve read this year.

Interesting but too detailed for the casual reader.

Walt Whitman’s America is a well written and well narrated audio book. It covers the life and times of Walt Whitman which is it say it is a book about the formation of an unique American culture. It is deeply interesting and informative. For the history buff who focus on the political and economic development of America - it gives a different and more enriching view of the 19th century. Focusing on the literary, scientific, social and sexual politics of the 19 century it traces the development of not only whitman’s writing, but also of American culture more generally.

However, this book is significantly more detail than the casual reader can tolerate. Spending literally hours on transcendentalism,reform movements, civil rights, religious ideology, scientific developments, changing views of sexuality and more - the book becomes a slog for the reader.

The book represents an uncomfortable compromise, too detailed for the casual reader, or even fan of Whitman but certainly not scholarly enough for the true scholar - this book is really only appropriate for the amateur historian or someone who is deeply interested in 19 century America and Whitman.