Before the Storm

Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus

By: Rick Perlstein

Narrated by: Kiff VandenHeuvel

Length: 28 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Acclaimed historian Rick Perlstein chronicles the rise of the conservative movement in the liberal 1960s. At the heart of the story is Barry Goldwater, the renegade Republican from Arizona who loathed federal government, despised liberals, and mocked "peaceful coexistence" with the USSR. Perlstein's narrative shines a light on a whole world of conservatives and their antagonists, including William F. Buckley, Nelson Rockefeller, and Bill Moyers. Vividly written, Before the Storm is an essential book about the 1960s.

©2017 Rick Perlstein (P)2017 Hachette Audio

Enthralling Tale of the Seeds of 21st Century

A riveting, accurate, and informative account of American politics in the mid-20th century, setting the stage for all that would follow. Perlstein has a storyteller's skills and an historian's respect for selecting key events and getting all perspectives. This book provides the essential but often missing context behind today's headlines. The reader for the audiobook brings the whole thing to life.

Another Perlstein tour-de-force

no one is better than Perlstein at collecting and ordering the detail with requisite nuance.

Narrator Detracts From Superb Content

Whether mispronunciations - for example, what should be South Vietnamese President Diem [dee-em] rather than Deem - to his attempts at voice impersonations, the narrator undermines the author’s superb content of what is significant history of the emergence of the Big Lie wing of national governance and campaign

Necessary to know of this context to acquire the tools needed to deconstruct the Big Lie with calm and repetitive truth

Excellent, illuminating content Mr. Perlstein!
Thank you

Excellent but marred by narration

This book features an intriguing thesis, in-depth research, and an annoying narrator who for reasons I can’t fathom offers lame impressions of the historical figures quoted in the text. The JFK and Nixon mimicry is bad enough but the half-baked Willy Brandt about 1/3 in was too much for me. I switched to the print version.

great

excellent narration, enjoyed the impersonations of the various presidents quoted. fascinating book, filled in some blank spots in an era that is a little blurry for most of is who didn't live through it.

Excellent

A great start to the rise of the conservative wing of the US Republican Party.

Another banger from Ricky P

So now I have read or listened to all of perlstein’s books. This is a compelling work; start this series if you haven’t already.

fantastic political storytelling

I enjoyed the product and recommend you imbibe in it as I did. may the politics be with you.

Great book, so-so narrator

Jam packed with information that isn't widely spoken of today. Hard to take some parts seriously or to stay in the story when the narrator is doing Nixon, Kennedy, LBJ, etc, impersonations whenever they're quoted in the book.

Birth of the Modern Conservative Party

I’m not a conservative. I’m a liberal Democrat. The birth of this movement is very unfortunate, even tragic in the current form it has reached under Trump. But Goldwater was not a bad man. He is very honorable in many respects although I disagree with virtually everything he believed in I do respect him. And he did believe. He was not fake. I look forward to the next three installments of Perlstein’s conservative arc. The narrator, VandenHeuvel is great. Does all the voices. His Nixon is superb, Reagan even better. It’s very detailed. If you’re really into political history you will live this book.