I think about
George Washington a lot; the GWB is part of my daily commute. *rimshot* But seriously, driving through Washington Heights each day, I remember that Fort Tryon is where Benedict Arnold handed over the plans of West Point to the British. And as I make my way south to NJ, I think of Washington and the Continental Army retreating through New Jersey in the autumn of 1776, from November 16th until they were able to turn around and cross the Delaware on Christmas Eve. To grow up in the Garden State—as I did—is to love the terrain where George Washington refused to give up. Therefore, I’m devoting this entire edition of the Audible History Newsletter to George Washington, not just because it’s his birthday (observed), but because, then as now, Americans don’t need to be perfect to be great. Enjoy!
- Christina, Audible editor
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You Never Forget Your First
- A Biography of George Washington
- By: Alexis Coe
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley, Alexis Coe
- Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 564
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 488
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 485
Young George Washington was raised by a struggling single mother, demanded military promotions, caused an international incident, and never backed down - even when his dysentery got so bad he had to ride with a cushion on his saddle. But after he married Martha, everything changed. With irresistible style and warm humor, You Never Forget Your First combines rigorous research and lively storytelling that will have listeners - including those who thought presidential biographies were just for dads - inhaling every word.
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1 out of 5 stars
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You Never Forget Your Worst
- By Wm Cole on 02-27-20
Presidents are people, too…
Alexis Coe (along with Elliott Kalan) used that tagline as the title of their hip Audible-only show about our Commanders-in-Chief. I’ll save you the search: Washington’s show is Episode 21. This month, she brings all of her wit and erudition to a full-length audio about GW. Narrated by Brittany Pressley, it recounts Washington’s life with originality, verve, and historical honesty. For instance, while Alexis Coe certainly discusses George Washington’s hard-won greatness, she also refuses to look away from his enslavement of others. The result is a revealing portrait that portrays Washington as a complex, nuanced person. Enjoy!
Hail to the Chief
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The First Conspiracy
- The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington
- By: Brad Meltzer, Josh Mensch
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,066
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,777
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,769
Taking place during the most critical period of our nation’s birth, The First Conspiracy tells a remarkable and previously untold piece of American history that not only reveals George Washington’s character, but also illuminates the origins of America’s counterintelligence movement that led to the modern day CIA. In 1776, an elite group of soldiers were handpicked to serve as George Washington’s bodyguards. Washington trusted them; relied on them. But unbeknownst to Washington, some of them were part of a treasonous plan.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliantly written and narrated!
- By Wayne on 01-09-19
Here comes the General!
February 17th marks the fifth anniversary of the debut of Hamilton: The Musical, which you can learn more about here. For all of you history nerds (and/or Knives Out fans!), I saw it at the Public! (I did! And then again on Broadway back when you could still buy tickets.) In honor of the musical that taught us all to sing the words of Washington’s farewell address, I put together a list of not-your-founding-father’s listens about the pride of Mount Vernon.
Take Me Back!
I cannot tell a lie…
The more I contemplate George Washington’s legacy, the more I wrestle—as he did—with the fact that his personal wealth depended upon the enslavement of others. A few years ago while I was working on a history of Arlington cemetery, On Hallowed Ground, I started to get my head around how complex those relationships were, and how the history of Washington’s step-family includes the personal histories of the people they enslaved. Author Robert Poole brought special context to Arlington’s early days as a plantation, owned by Martha Washington’s descendants…one of whom married Robert E. Lee. Robert Poole spoke at length with Wayne Parks, the great-grandson of Arlington’s first groundskeeper, who had been enslaved there before the Civil War, and Parks shared how the two family histories entwined. February isn’t just for Presidents anymore; I’m grateful that Black History Month inspires dialogue about our nation’s *entire* history.
History For a Better Future
20 great histories you never heard about in school
I am old enough to remember learning that George Washington was the father of his country.
Did you know that father of his country
was a translation from the Latin pater patriae,
or father of his fatherland
? And that the Roman Senate conferred the title on emperors (sometimes), and also on Cicero during his consulate? That’s one of the many juicy historical facts in Mary Beard’s SPQR, which I happened to discover while listening my way through our list of 20 of the best history audiobooks.
What stories from the past do you love to know? Tell me on Twitter @charcar, and they don’t need to be about George Washington. (I think I’m ready to move on to other topics, for now!) Happy listening and happy spring!
Explore the List
New and Noteworthy
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Fight of the Century
- Writers Reflect on 100 Years of Landmark ACLU Cases
- By: Michael Chabon - editor, Ayelet Waldman - editor
- Narrated by: an all-star cast
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 50
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 41
In collaboration with the ACLU, authors Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman have curated an anthology of essays about landmark cases in the organization’s 100-year history. Fight of the Century takes you inside the trials and the stories that have shaped modern life. Some of the most prominent cases that the ACLU has been involved in - Brown v. Board of Education, Roe v. Wade, Miranda v. Arizona - need little introduction. Others you may never even have heard of, yet their outcomes quietly defined the world we live in now.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Outstanding
- By Nancy Bolin on 10-06-20
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Caffeine
- How Caffeine Created the Modern World
- By: Michael Pollan
- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
- Length: 2 hrs and 2 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 42,288
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 36,434
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 36,266
Michael Pollan, known for his best-selling nonfiction audio, including The Omnivores Dilemma and How to Change Your Mind, conceived and wrote Caffeine: How Caffeine Created the Modern World as an Audible Original. In this controversial and exciting listen, Pollan explores caffeine’s power as the most-used drug in the world - and the only one we give to children (in soda pop) as a treat.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Leaves much to be desired
- By Melody H on 02-02-20
-
The Presidential Fringe
- Questing and Jesting for the Oval Office
- By: Mark Stein
- Narrated by: Keith Sellon-Wright
- Length: 8 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars 5
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars 3
-
Story2 out of 5 stars 3
This offbeat slice of American history places the story of our great republic beneath an unexpected lens: that of fringe candidates for president of the United States. Mark Stein explores how their quest for our nation’s highest office helped to amplify voices otherwise quashed during their day. His careening tour through elections past includes the efforts of true pioneers in the quest for social equality in our country.
-
The Splendid and the Vile
- A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz
- By: Erik Larson
- Narrated by: John Lee, Erik Larson
- Length: 17 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 11,599
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 9,916
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 9,837
On Winston Churchill’s first day as prime minister, Adolf Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium. Poland and Czechoslovakia had already fallen, and the Dunkirk evacuation was just two weeks away. For the next 12 months, Hitler would wage a relentless bombing campaign, killing 45,000 Britons. It was up to Churchill to hold his country together and persuade President Franklin Roosevelt that Britain was a worthy ally - and willing to fight to the end. In The Splendid and the Vile, Erik Larson shows how Churchill taught the British people "the art of being fearless."
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
John Lee’s narration is a struggle
- By Leslie Rathjens on 03-05-20
-
Fight of the Century
- Writers Reflect on 100 Years of Landmark ACLU Cases
- By: Michael Chabon - editor, Ayelet Waldman - editor
- Narrated by: an all-star cast
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 50
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 41
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 41
In collaboration with the ACLU, authors Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman have curated an anthology of essays about landmark cases in the organization’s 100-year history. Fight of the Century takes you inside the trials and the stories that have shaped modern life. Some of the most prominent cases that the ACLU has been involved in - Brown v. Board of Education, Roe v. Wade, Miranda v. Arizona - need little introduction. Others you may never even have heard of, yet their outcomes quietly defined the world we live in now.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Outstanding
- By Nancy Bolin on 10-06-20
-
Caffeine
- How Caffeine Created the Modern World
- By: Michael Pollan
- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
- Length: 2 hrs and 2 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 42,288
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 36,434
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 36,266
Michael Pollan, known for his best-selling nonfiction audio, including The Omnivores Dilemma and How to Change Your Mind, conceived and wrote Caffeine: How Caffeine Created the Modern World as an Audible Original. In this controversial and exciting listen, Pollan explores caffeine’s power as the most-used drug in the world - and the only one we give to children (in soda pop) as a treat.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Leaves much to be desired
- By Melody H on 02-02-20
-
The Presidential Fringe
- Questing and Jesting for the Oval Office
- By: Mark Stein
- Narrated by: Keith Sellon-Wright
- Length: 8 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars 5
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars 3
-
Story2 out of 5 stars 3
This offbeat slice of American history places the story of our great republic beneath an unexpected lens: that of fringe candidates for president of the United States. Mark Stein explores how their quest for our nation’s highest office helped to amplify voices otherwise quashed during their day. His careening tour through elections past includes the efforts of true pioneers in the quest for social equality in our country.
-
The Splendid and the Vile
- A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz
- By: Erik Larson
- Narrated by: John Lee, Erik Larson
- Length: 17 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 11,599
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 9,916
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 9,837
On Winston Churchill’s first day as prime minister, Adolf Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium. Poland and Czechoslovakia had already fallen, and the Dunkirk evacuation was just two weeks away. For the next 12 months, Hitler would wage a relentless bombing campaign, killing 45,000 Britons. It was up to Churchill to hold his country together and persuade President Franklin Roosevelt that Britain was a worthy ally - and willing to fight to the end. In The Splendid and the Vile, Erik Larson shows how Churchill taught the British people "the art of being fearless."
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
John Lee’s narration is a struggle
- By Leslie Rathjens on 03-05-20
About the Editor
Opinionated. Omnivoracious. Nostalgic. Christina loves history, big idea
nonfiction, literary and historical fiction, and fantasy. Her guilty pleasure: unearthing books in print that aren’t in audio...yet. Follow her on Twitter @charcar.
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