Best of the Year: The 12 Best History Listens of 2022

Audible's History Listen of the Year, 2022

Created by Chris Morrow, produced by Kevin Hart and Charlamagne tha God’s SBH Productions, and narrated by Hart, a Philadelphia native, Summer of '85 marks the first attempt to connect two events that still resonate today: the May 13 decision to bomb the headquarters of MOVE and the July 13 Live Aid concert. They detail the incredible irony (and tragedy) of Philadelphia hosting a benefit for Africa the same summer it bombed a thriving African American neighborhood. Featuring candid interviews with participants such as Bob Geldof, Patti LaBelle, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, and Mike Africa Jr., the series explores ego, altruism, prejudice, utopian dreams, and human frailty. For its willingness to reckon with the ongoing results of what we call "history," this show is my pick for Best of the Year. —Christina H.

Jon Meacham, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and titan of presidential biography, breathed life, as both writer and narrator, into a Lincoln for our time with And There Was Light. Meacham examines Lincoln through a human lens: as an imperfect person and president who nevertheless led the nation with conviction and conscience. I listened with a sense of urgency from the frontier scenes where Lincoln was born in 1809 and through the entire trajectory of his life. —C.H.

Paul Michael narrates River of the Gods, Candice Millard’s story of the Burton-Speke expeditions to the source of the Nile, which began in 1857. Richard Burton, who spoke 29 languages and was a decorated soldier, was also mercurial and iconoclastic. John Hanning Speke was a young aristocrat and army officer determined to make his mark, and Burton’s opposite in temperament and beliefs. Whereas Burton and Speke clashed, Candice Millard’s novelistic detail and Paul Michael’s performance harmonize to illuminate a fascinating corner of history. —C.H.

I had known about the tragic history of Emmett Till’s murder, but this listen gave me the opportunity to consider the life and work of Emmett Till’s mother, Mamie Till-Mobley. (I haven’t seen the movie Till, which inspired and can accompany this title, but I still enjoyed the listen, narrated by April Ryan.) From her deep and loving relationship with her son in her private life, to her courageous pursuit of justice after his death—a pursuit that galvanized the civil rights movement—Mamie Till emerges as a sympathetic and larger-than-life activist in American history. —C.H.

Beverly Gage examines all of the milestones of Hoover’s life (the formation of the FBI, the "lavender scare," his anti-civil rights activity), placing the man in context while retrospectively surveying the “American Century” he helped to make. Gabra Zackman brings the narration to life with nuance and energy; every minute felt like a revelation in both performance and “who knew?!” historical detail. —C.H.

The Teaching Company is known for solid historical synthesis without losing sight of lived experience, and among this year’s notable listens is The Vietnam War. John C. McManus, award-winning professor, author, and military historian, dives into the human dimension of the Vietnam conflict, unearthing the experiences of everyday people bound up in and touched by war. Listeners can follow veterans as US combat soldiers living and fighting in Vietnam through their resettlement back into American society, despite maltreatment and personal trauma. Compare and contrast with the experience of a VC soldier, from his socioeconomic background to the kinds of food he ate along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. —C.H.

Erin Bennett is a “pied piper” performer for me; if she narrates, I listen! My favorite history performance of hers this year, Wise Gals, weaves together the stories of four women who were spies and friends and left an indelible mark on the formation of the CIA following World War II: Adelaide Hawkins, Mary Hutchison, Eloise Page, and Elizabeth Sudmeier, whose names (in my opinion) we should all know. Bestselling author Nathalia Holt drew upon personal interviews and recently declassified documents to bring their stories to life. Code word: audio! —C.H.

When I asked Imani Perry about the title of this listen, she said: “It's about the South as a region that is produced by the intersection between the transatlantic slave trade, Indigenous communities and their dispossession, and European powers, global powers; the sort of effort to harness the land that is often so cruel, but also becomes the space where cultures and innovations are born, and so America is this sort of vast term.” Her narration brings to life both the intimate spaces of her (physical) journey south, as well as the sweeping history that created the Global South. —C.H.

Pietro La Greca Sr., dubbed “Mexico’s real-life Don Corleone,” ran Mexico’s biggest money-laundering scheme during the worst economic period in the country’s history. But while he was running his criminal empire, his son, Pietro Jr., a.k.a. Picho, was learning his father’s tricks—if only to bring the man down. This listen is epic, multigenerational, and fast-paced. In the words of Audible Listener Philo: “The narrator is an instant favorite, well chosen, fitting the story's tone and voice like a glove, effortlessly bringing the listener into the events and situations. I just burned through this book in a day, my highest compliment.” —C.H.

If you’re a monarchist, you will like this listen a lot. If you’re not a monarchist, you will like this listen a lot. Tina Brown delivers, as only she can, the truth, the grit, and the dish about the royal family. We learn the inner workings of The Firm and why some make it and some don’t. We learn about the princes and their complicated relationship and how each has been affected by the loss of their doting mother whom they deeply loved. If you’re considering becoming a royal, this is a good primer on what to expect and if you can handle it. —Yvonne D.

Hours of rare, never-before-heard recordings detail the flashpoints of Nelson Mandela’s life, key moments that shaped him as a freedom fighter, a president of South Africa, and a Nobel Peace Prize winner. In the words of Audible Executive Producer (and author in his own right) Christopher J. Farley, Mandela “is one of the greatest things I’ve worked on at Audible. It’s a showcase for what Audible can do when it comes to big, important podcasts, and it features exclusive audio and new music from one of South Africa’s greatest young musicians. It’s also a showcase for Hear My Story—Audible’s program to give a platform to subjects and stories from diverse communities—as well as a release with global appeal.” —C.H.

A certain listener review caught my eye when The Need to Be Made Whole appeared in our store: “No one but Nick Offerman could render this carefully reasoned and important book with the tenderness and depth and wit it so deserves.” I dove right in, and I agree wholeheartedly with Audible listener Jane Vandenburgh’s assessment. I discovered that Wendell Berry’s overarching message is that the wealth of the mighty few governing this nation has been built on the unpaid labor of others. I feel energized by this listen and by Wendell Berry’s call to action, and I hope we can all look to history as an inspiration for our future actions. —C.H.