Brothers

On His Brothers and Brothers in History

By: George Howe Colt

Narrated by: David Drummond

Length: 18 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's Summary

George Howe Colt believes that he would be an entirely different man had he not grown up in a family of four brothers. In Brothers, he movingly recounts the adoration, envy, rivalry, affection, anger, and compassion in their shifting relationships from childhood through middle age.

In alternate chapters, Colt moves from a quest to understand how his own brothers shaped his life to an examination of the complex relationships between iconic brothers in history. Listeners will learn how Edwin Booth grew up to become the greatest actor on the 19th-century American stage while his younger brother John grew up to assassinate a president. They will discover how Will Kellogg worked for his older brother John Harvey as a subservient yes-man for two decades until he finally broke free and launched the cereal empire that outlasted all his brother's enterprises. The author also relates how Vincent van Gogh would never have survived without the support of his younger brother, Theo; how Henry David Thoreau's life was shadowed by the early death of his older brother, John; and how the Marx brothers collaborated on the screen but competed offstage for women, money, and fame.

Illuminating and affecting, this book will be revelatory for anyone curious about how thoroughly a man's life can be molded by his brothers.

©2012 George Howe Colt (P)2012 Tantor

Critic Reviews

"George Howe Colt is a master at balancing the personal and the universal, and the book makes a powerful case for sibling rivalry - and love - as a driving force not just in individual lives but in the world." (Maile Meloy, author of Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It)

All but the Karamazovs

George Howe Colt provides a masterful, well structured analysis of brotherly relationships. The book uses famous brothers to illustrate his themes: John Wilkes and Edwin Booth for "good brother, bad brother," the Kelloggs for sibling rivalry, the Van Goghs for "brother's keeper," etc. Most entertaining are the digressions about so many different brothers in history: Cain and Abel, Jacob and Esau (does God favor the younger brother, even if he's a trickster?), the Rothschilds, Lehmans, Kennedys, Nixons, Carters, Mayos, Melvilles, Jameses (Jesse and Frank; Henry and William), Joyces, Bellows, Emersons, Thoreaus...even Romulus and Remus and the Five Chinese Brothers in the old children's book. If you have a brother, you will love all of this.

Alternate chapters tell the story of Colt's own brothers: how they grew and fought and looked out for each other. For those who grew up in the '50 and '60s, there are wonderful details about life back then. But ultimately, the Colts fade in comparison to the famous brothers profiled elsewhere.

The narration is serviceable and professional, holding the listener's interest without drama. Overall, a very enjoyable book.

Memoir combined with history

George Colt mixes the story of his life as one of four brothers (coming of age in the 60's and 70's) along with famous and infamous brothers throughout history. The author's own life story is fascinating, and was my favorite part of this book (it was about a third of the book). This would have been a 5 star pure memoir. Stories of different brothers in history are woven throughout the book - some being major chapters and others being shorter references. These include The Booth brothers, the Thoreaus, the Marx Brothers, and the Kelloggs Brothers. Some of the historical pieces are more interesting than others (the Kelloggs chapter was the most interesting). The way the author left and then returned to a set of brothers was a bit disconcerting. I am close in age to the author, and I enjoyed listening to this book and thinking of my own brother and myself, as well as my own three sons. While this could have been better edited, with some slow parts here and there, I still liked much of it, and loved a lot too. It's a book that stays with me more than other books.

Good story and some good gossip

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Wow! This book delivered so much more than I was thinking it would. I purchased it because it was highly rated and long. I wanted something to hold my attention for a while. It sure fits the bill for that!
George includes so many varied stories of brothers throughout history. You learn a little bit about some famous folks you can use as conversation topics. this book entertains while it teaches. I loved the part about the Marx brothers. Excellent listen!

Who was your favorite character and why?

George wrote about a lot of people but I enjoyed hearing about the Kellogg brothers.. totally crazy stories there.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book didn't make me laugh or cry. It made me listen. It really taught me something about the nature of families. How you can't really have an expectation of siblings being alike. How that's normal and how brothers can either balance each other out or totally destroy each other (along with a combination of less dramatic things but the drama is more interesting here)

Any additional comments?

This book is smart. It's not easy listening or lighthearted. Sandwich it between a nice funny book or romance. Worth the listen if you enjoy a really good gossipy story about long dead famous people.