Great American Bestsellers: The Books That Shaped America

By: Peter Conn, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Peter Conn

Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

Best-selling books have played a critical role in influencing the tastes and purchasing habits of American readers for more than 100 years. But there is more to America's great best-selling books than the sales figures they rake in. American bestsellers also offer us ways to appreciate and understand particular periods of American culture.

In this series of 24 lectures you'll enjoy a pointed look at key best-selling works and their places within the greater fabric of American cultural history. Guided by an award-winning teacher, you'll explore representative bestsellers at various stages of American history, from the first book published in the English-speaking New World to the blockbuster authors who dominate the 21st-century publishing industry.

The result is an expert look at the evolution of American culture - its tastes, its hopes, its dreams - through the unique lens of the books that have captivated its readers at various points in American history.

Each of the 22 works discussed - from literary masterpieces (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn) to enduring self-help books (How to Win Friends and Influence People) - has had a crucial and unique impact on American society.

Studying these representative works will give you a deeper understanding of how American literature can both mirror the events of its time and, in many instances, have a pronounced impact on them. These lectures are your opportunity to see our nation's best-selling books as more than just popular forms of entertainment that have managed to make their authors lots of money, but as stunning microcosms of American cultural history.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2009 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2009 The Great Courses

Not bad some ok nuggets

Bit long but ok as author knew subject matter very well….Some good classics discussed

Just what I'd expect from this series.

Narrator was great, and demonstrated good knowledge of history. Books were well chosen. Wonderful lecture.

Looking for the great in great

I thoroughly enjoy the Great Courses series, but found myself a bit disappointed in this one. I was looking for a deeper analysis of what made these books great. Most of the information was information I already knew. There were no great revelations. The professor also spent much time summarising the books, which gave away the book for anyone who would want to read the book if he or she had not done so already. Great creates great expectations, (excuse the pun) and I didn't come away with that great feeling.

Best one yet

Love to hear the backstory of some of the books that I've loved and would like to read. Love to see how history has formed books and has books have formed history.

Brief View of American History Through Literature

I liked the author's straightforward unpretentious almost deadpan reading style: "just the facts ma'am ". I could have done without his personal opinions in the last chapter. Overall, a very enjoyable brief review of American literature.

Good analysis

Mr. Conn gives you a good background on the best sellers he selected. It is interesting and gives you a taste of American literature in the past 300 years.

Surprisingly Interesting

This could have been so dry, but it wasn't! The lectures flew by. The titles chosen made sense and were a good mix. The lecturer was easy to listen to. My personal favourite lecture was on To Kill a Mockingbird, maybe because that book is so good? Still, an excellent overview. (It does start slow, The Bay Psalm Book is probably my least favorite, it's the first after the introductory lecture.)

Favorite

My favorite audible listen so far. I have hundreds in my library. As the end neared, I thought I might start it over. And I expect I will listen again. The speaker is a professor with extensive knowledge and gift of ability to speak like an actor.

Much More Than I Expected

Bought on a whim. A better guide through American history than most American History text books. This series of lectures on page turners flys by much quicker than the running time.

GREAT!! Much prefer LISTENING!

Great readers! Very enthusiastic. A good addition to great content.

Five more words are NOT necessary!!