These Truths

A History of the United States

De: Jill Lepore

Narrado por: Jill Lepore

In the most ambitious one-volume American history in decades, award-winning historian Jill Lepore offers a magisterial account of the origins and rise of a divided nation. The American experiment rests on three ideas - "these truths", Jefferson called them - political equality, natural rights, and the sovereignty of the people. And it rests, too, "[O]n a dedication to inquiry, fearless and unflinching", writes Jill Lepore in a groundbreaking investigation into the American past that places truth itself at the center of the nation's history.

In riveting prose, These Truths tells the story of America, beginning in 1492, to ask whether the course of events has proven the nation's founding truths or belied them.

"A nation born in contradiction, liberty in a land of slavery, sovereignty in a land of conquest, will fight, forever, over the meaning of its history", Lepore writes, finding meaning in those very contradictions as she weaves American history into a majestic tapestry of faith and hope, of peril and prosperity, of technological progress and moral anguish.

A spellbinding chronicle filled with arresting sketches of Americans from John Winthrop and Frederick Douglass to Pauli Murray and Phyllis Schlafly, These Truths offers an authoritative new history of a great, and greatly troubled, nation.

©2018 Jill Lepore (P)2018 Recorded Books

Good book. Terrible narration by the author

Jill LePore has written a long overdue history of the United States.

It is the first such book that I have read (listened to) that gives due recognition of slavery throughout our history as well as women's rights. The content is thorough, well-researched, timely, and well-written.

My only regret is that I purchased the Audible version instead of the hard cover. The book is narrated by the author. I cannot understate how awful the narration is. Ms. Lepore has as sing-songy voice that goes from highs to lows to non existent. It is a complete distraction which impacted greatly on my ability to not only enjoy, but to also even understand the content. The narration is also peppered with errors. She often mispronounces or totally misses words and, instead of deleting and rereading, she rereads with the errors intact.

All in all, a good book with sloppy and totally unprofessional narration. I don't know how Audible ever let this get released.

Excellent book

I am just in awe of this phenomenal book! Professor Lepore is a decent narrator of her own words. Though not as polished as a professional voice artist, her voice conveys her passion for the subject matter and it's a neat experience being "taught" by a true expert,

Author's narration diminished this book.

I am disappointed to have to report that the author's narration very much diminished the power of this book. It is a long book. I understand the author's intimate knowledge of the points she wanted to make and the emphasis she wished to convey, but her cadence and volume control often worked against her and resulted in dropping off the last words of the sentence. Her voice became wearing and ultimately was distracting. Many authors are not the best readers of their work. I was left with the feeling that I wish I could take her course and listen to her lectures over a semester rather than having her read her book to me.
Substantively, LePore's focus on political truths through the long arc of history, particularly the way that slavery was at the heart of the founders' concerns in drafting the constitution, was eyeopening. It was difficult to listen to the many ways our country has failed to deliver on the promise of freedom and equality. I felt that she was often repetitive and tended to make dramatic pronouncements that her sources did not quite support. I would recommend the book with reservations.

Chapters out of order

This is a wonderful book. Jill Lepore is both a dedicated historian and gifted storyteller, which makes this book phenomenal. It’s as dense and rich as Charles Mann’s 1491 (which was very informative but, in my opinion, dry and difficult to read for long period of time). But it’s engaging like a novel! I highly recommend *buying the book*

I bought both the audible and kindle versions so I could experiment with enjoying the book I different formats. Reading the book on the kindle is a delight. I am unable to listen on Audible, however, because the chapters are totally out of order, which completely ruins the purported seamless experience of having the book on both audible and kindle. I’ve tried redownloading the book multiple times, but I keep reaching the same result.

In conclusion, I recommend actually reading this one, rather than listening.

Epic story

An extremely thoughtful, timely, and moving epic on US history; it clearly speaks to us as we ponder how we got where we are now in the Age of Trump

The reading, by the author, is well done, except there are careless and distracting extra sounds: turning pages, coughing, stumbling over words, repeated lines. But overall, it's a good book to listen to

Annoying

The reader goes from a shrill, loud voice that hurts the ears, to a very low voice hard to hear. If you lower the volume to avoid hurting your ears then you can’t hear what she’s saying when she goes low with her voice. And if you raise the volume so you can hear what she’s saying, then it becomes piercing.
Is it just me who listens to there recordings in a car where there is outside noise?
Not very user friendly.

But what she said is what is important!

I am unimpressed with the complaints of those who trash Jill's narration, how she said it, and spend exactly no time understanding what it is she said.
I join those who find her voice not only fine, whatever faults she has for not being "a professional reader" is more than made up for her evident interest and passion for the subject.
But that is so not the point!

A history of America. Yes. But one that highlights what is normally buried...our foundational relationship with slavery, and how it affected quite literally everything. Not only then, but is the cause of so much of what continues to be seemingly unresolvable problems through to today.

It is said "it is your secrets that rule you". No greater open secret in the American experience than the unalloyed hypocrisy allowed to not only exist, but have primacy, to allow for slavery because the economy of the new world required it.

This book is a perfect merge w another : "The Half Has Not Been Told".
If you want to understand the seemingly impossible to understand issues of our time, you must reach back into these times so well presented by these books.

Amazing book, poor production quality

Professor Lepore is a genius and this book is incredible. Her podcast series “The Last Archive” brings the stories from this book to life, but it is obvious that the voice coaching and professional production on her podcast has vastly improved her vocal narrative abilities. I wish they would re-record this audiobook with her now. She’s great in the podcast, but in this recording she can’t read a single citation or direct quote without literally shouting and sounding extremely angry, and then dropping her voice to almost a whisper to deliver her sobbed and profound analysis. You get used to it after a while and it bothered me a lot less the more I listened.

Great overview.

Wish I had had this book when I was in high school. A great and thought provoking overview of how we came to where we are today. Want to get a copy of the physical book too, for reference and pictures.

Skillful Survey

Jill Lepore manages to cover an amazing amount of ground in this history of the United States. As other reviewers have noted, the author’s narration is a weak point, veering as it does from whisper to shout. I appreciated how much heart she put into it, but ouch, my ears.