Like many people interested in American history, JFK and Bobby Kennedy have created a particular point of interest for me. I’ve already read a number Like many people interested in American history, JFK and Bobby Kennedy have created a particular point of interest for me. I’ve already read a number of books focused on the life and actions of this pair:
But I’ve also enjoyed a quite a few of Audible’s Great Courses, and when I spotted this one on offer as a freebie I concluded that another commentary on JFK’s short presidency would be a good way to keep me company during around 6 hours of dog walking time.
The lectures are written and delivered by Michael Sheldon, a Pulitzer Prize finalist who has written six biographies and, for ten years, was a feature writer for the London Daily Telegraph. His aim here is to take a balanced look at JFK’s presidency by examining both its successes and failures. Much of the input comes from a rich archive of eyewitness accounts from people who saw him up close as both a candidate and as a president. A good deal of this material has been drawn from a library of oral histories at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.
We’re walked through a brief family history, followed by his route to the presidency (the first Catholic to achieve this status, of course). Then there’s quite a bit of focus on his private life: he was, as been widely reported, a serial womaniser. The remainder takes a look at the big issues he was required to deal with in his time in office, which amounted to a little less than three years. His major challenges included: his health (he struggled throughout his life with issues connect to Addison’s disease); the Bay of Pigs fiasco (very soon after he gained office); the Cuban Missile Crisis (which arrived not long after he’d been bullied in his first meeting with Khrushchev); his pledge to reach the Moon by the end of the decade (this was subsequently achieved after his death, in July 1969); the civil rights battle (legislation with eventually be pushed through by Kennedy’s successor, Lyndon Johnson, some eight months after Kennedy’s assassination); Vietnam (there were just 685 military advisers in country at the start of his administration, but this had increased to more than 16000 by the time of his death). His assassination is covered, but only really in a political context.
Kennedy’s presidency it might not have been the longest, but it was certainly a busy one.
The author concludes that on the plus side are: JFK’s youthful ambition, energy, and his willingness to address the racial divide in America. In addition, there are his grand visions for scientific and technological changes together with his success at resisting American involvement in a major war (with the Soviet Union).But he admits that Kennedy divides opinion. There are many who can’t hear anything negative about the man but also a lot who can’t say anything positive. Either way, he says, he changed the way Americans look at the office itself. He was truly the first modern president.
Overall, I found it to be another useful and interesting look at one of the most fascinating men of the 20th century....more
I’d come across Professor Patrick Allitt before, whilst working my way through a number of the excellent American history courses available on AudibleI’d come across Professor Patrick Allitt before, whilst working my way through a number of the excellent American history courses available on Audible. Born in England, I continue to find a little incongruous to listen to his Derbyshire lilt talking authoritatively on this subject. But his enthusiasm and obvious knowledge do tend to make his lectures compulsively listenable.
The only issue I have with this set is that the history is just too recent and as a result I found that, for the most part, it simply provided a reiteration of news I’d already absorbed. To be fair, Allitt does a pretty good job of refreshing my memory on this recent period and he also provides some additional insight and analysis new to me. But overall I found this set to provide pretty slim pickings compared to other courses I’ve listened to....more
This 42 hour long audiobook comprises 84 half-hour lectures on the history of the United States of America from its colonial origins to the beginning This 42 hour long audiobook comprises 84 half-hour lectures on the history of the United States of America from its colonial origins to the beginning of the 21st century. It’s broken into three sections, each presented by one of three award winning historians.
Section 1
Focuses on the discovery by Europeans and their subsequent settlement, how this impacted the native population and also how this mix of people created a country unique amongst other, older nations of the West and of the world. It discusses how the United States managed to assimilate many different peoples from many different places and how this eclectic group, planted along the eastern coast of North America, developed such unprecedented religious, political and economic freedoms. Finally it talks of how the natural resources found in this land enabled its inhabitants to generate an abundance of wealth and of the many confrontations that transpired as it worked out how best to use it.
Led by Professor Allen C. Guelzo it’s told as the big story it is, in a really engaging way. It’s almost like a huge fictional tale, with the history being allowed to unfold with plenty of cliffhangers and loads of dramatic events. I really enjoyed the telling of this element of the country’s history.
Section 2
This section covers the events leading up to the American Civil War, the war itself and it’s immediate aftermath.
I’d previously listed to and extended series of lectures covering this period from Professor Gary W Gallagher, who delivers the sessions here. Again, it’s set out in the style of a good story and as in the Section 1 events are covered pretty much chronologically. But I think because I’d enjoyed the extended series covering this period so much I felt a little short changed by this section.
Section 3
This time the lectures are presented by an Englishman, Professor Patrick N. Allitt. After listening to two American voices, Allitt's East Midlands twang did feel a little incongruous but I soon got used to the change.
It picks up the period from the late 19th Century and takes us through to just beyond the start of the 21st Century. This time the style is different and the lectures are diced up according to various themes, such as industrialisation, railroads, indian wars, religion etc. It does follow a rough timeline through the period and, actually, I think this way of covering the period does work well. As with previous sections, I found it both entertaining and informative.
The series is supported by a 408 page document which provides additional information and pictures, recommended supporting reading and detailed timelines. It’s a very comprehensive document.
It’s a superb series of lectures and I’d recommend it to anyone interested in the history of this vast land. Despite its length it is positioned as an ‘introduction’ to the history of America and I can see why that is: despite providing a huge amount of information I kept thinking I’d like to know more about quite a number of themes and events. More study will certainly follow....more
A series of forty eight lectures, each lasting around thirty minutes, delivered by Michael E. Wysession, PHD – Professor of Geophysics at Washington UA series of forty eight lectures, each lasting around thirty minutes, delivered by Michael E. Wysession, PHD – Professor of Geophysics at Washington University in St. Louis. Part of the Great Courses collection provided by Audible (many of them free to members.). This set takes us from the formation of everything – the Big Bang – right through to speculation around whether life exists beyond this planet. It’s thorough, sometimes a little too detailed for me but enthusiastically delivered by a man who clearly knows his subject.
There’s a lot of geology here, but all of the other major sciences feature too. Some early facts that grabbed me included:
- 20% of all humans who have ever lived are alive today
- Most of what each of us is – the atoms- are actually billions of years old
We’re walked through the formation of our planet and a good deal about how it functions, which includes some pretty eye opening news (to me) regarding how Plate Tectonics work and how this has delivered substantial changes that to Earth’s geography over time. There’s also a lot here about weather and severe events that impact us, such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Towards the end there’s a really interesting section on natural resources: how they’re being depleted and what options are open to us in the future. Some more facts stood out to me here, such as:
- The US uses circa 25% of the world’s oil but only has around 2% of the world’s reserves
- Saudi Arabia covers a third of one percent of Earth’s surface but owns 25% of the world’s oil
The final sections looking beyond planet Earth were possibly the highlights for me. It seems that in our galaxy only Mars offers a haven should we be forced to leave our planet – but this presupposes that water is found there (the scientists think this is likely). Though even on Mars life would be tough – and very cold! Wider afield, it all becomes pretty much guesswork but there seems to be a distinct possibility that we are indeed the only planet on which life as we know it exists. ...more
Mark Stoler, a renowned historian, sets out to debunk a list of commonly held myths and half-truths about American history, unpicking these with factsMark Stoler, a renowned historian, sets out to debunk a list of commonly held myths and half-truths about American history, unpicking these with facts and analysis which show them up to be the falsehoods he always knew them to be. The list he produced of subjects and events is rather eclectic but did include a few areas I’m particularly interested in – especially a couple concerning the American Civil War. This audiobook comprised a series of lectures, each lasting 30 – 40 minutes.
It quickly became apparent that some knowledge of American history is a prerequisite here as Stoler isn’t looking to explain the history here but rather to challenge the interpretation of the outcome of a series of steps he references but does not explain (typically this might be a legal change introduced by the government of the day, a specific battle - or series of battles - or any other event which might have prompted an important action or reaction). Each section had a theme or a question, but I found some of the early lectures hard going as I just didn’t have enough background knowledge to fully appreciate or challenge the professor’s analysis.
When it came to areas in which I did have some knowledge I was somewhat surprised to find that the arguments put forward, whilst firmly set in logic and underpinned by plenty of historical detail, didn’t really debunk myths or half-truths so much as take a side in what had always been, in my view, a lively debate. One example of this was his lecture entitled Did Slavery Really Cause the Civil War? In short, there was really nothing new here. So after picking my way through quite a few I decided to skip the remainder. In truth, I found it all rather disappointing....more
I’ve worked my way through a few of these Audible Great Courses, presented by renowned history professors and supported by comprehensive written materI’ve worked my way through a few of these Audible Great Courses, presented by renowned history professors and supported by comprehensive written material. They’re not hard work, indeed I find them more user friendly than some densely written books I’ve read covering the same ground. The lectures (each typically 30 - 45 minutes in length) actually feel less academic, more engaging and, as a result, far easier to digest. Professor Gary Gallaher is one of my favourites, his love of his subject is truly evident and he’s adept at laying out the facts in a way that paints a vivid picture of the sad but magnificent story that it really is. In this series of lectures he examines Robert E. Lee and his senior officers in the Army of Northern Virginia, by far the most important army fighting for the Confederates.
There’s a good deal of early focus on Lee but Gallagher then gives detailed attention to his three most successful infantry corps commanders: Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson, James Longstreet and Jubal Early. Ten further generals are covered in subsequent lectures. As well as learning a good deal about the individuals there’s a lot here about many of the great battles they fought, the politics of the time and how, after the war, the writings of those who became known as the Lost Cause school of interpretation sought to influence how subsequent generations would interpret the conflict. Amongst these, the writings of Lee’s subordinates typically exposed a desire to exaggerate their own role, denigrate others and paint a picture that, from a Southern point of view, the war wasn’t about protecting the right to slave ownership but rather it was all about a desire to win independence. Gallagher scoffs at this, pointing to writings and speeches delivered by the same people at the outset of the campaign.
Overall, another brilliant set of lectures which really did increase my understanding of not only some of the key players but also of the broader conflict....more
I’ve read a fair bit about Word War II in various history books and biographies, most notably Boris Johnson’s homage to Churchill, and I’ve seen numerI’ve read a fair bit about Word War II in various history books and biographies, most notably Boris Johnson’s homage to Churchill, and I’ve seen numerous films and documentaries too, all of which add up to a reasonable body of knowledge. But I was attracted to this audiobook because it’s very narrow focus; I do like chronological accounts without the baggage of extraneous information cluttering up the ‘story’.
In many ways this fifteen hour audiobook is quite spare with the facts, which demonstrates just how big a subject this is. It covers the build up to and the reasons for the war, the key battles, events and political and social impacts of the conflict plus a short summary of the knock-on repercussions following the end of hostilities. Some reviews I’ve read point out that there are chunks of relevant information missing here and that may be the case – certainly some key moments are skipped over quite quicky or merely mentioned in passing – but for me it provided just the right amount of information without getting bogged down in the minutiae.
Read by the author of the course, Thomas Childers, I found the lectures to be engaging and easy to follow. A PDF was provided detailing a summary of what’s covered in each lecture together with pointers for additional information should this be desired. In truth, I didn’t feel the need to refer to this document. I found it to be a great way of absorbing what was for me just about the right amount of information on this vast subject. Highly recommended. ...more
Garry Gallagher is Professor of History at the University of Virginia and the author and editor of many books on the American Civil War. In this book Garry Gallagher is Professor of History at the University of Virginia and the author and editor of many books on the American Civil War. In this book (I listened to it on audio) he delivers a series of 48 lectures examining on the background to the war, the repercussions following Northern victory and how the conflict affected all people in America. Along the way he delves into some pretty deep detail on how armies were recruited, strategic breakdowns of key battles, pen pictures of leading figures and many more related topics. The audiobook was accompanied by a comprehensive word document aimed at helping the listener fully get to grips with the subject matter.
Although this is effectively a course designed for students or others wishing to study the war, it’s actually pretty easy listening. Gary has an engaging and enthusiastic delivery and the information is very well structured into bite sized chunks. I liked too that the author/presenter is prepared to nail his colours to the mast on some much debated and contentious issues. And although I did occasionally refer to the word document (and sometimes other sources) I felt that the only reason for me to do this was an occasional desire to refresh, ingrain or further explore particular elements covered in the lectures. This is clearly a massive subject and to undertake an exhaustive review it would be necessary to augment the information contained herein with additional study on the detail of the many components of the war, but I believe that the material here is comprehensive enough to satisfy the interest of all but serious students of the conflict.
I started out with only a very rudimentary knowledge of some key events and in the course of imbibing the the 24 hours or so of information supplied it certainly fleshed out my knowledge considerably and, for me, it also threw up a number of surprises, namely:
- I’d always been led to believe that the United States had, from the very start of the war, held an overpowering superiority over the Confederacy. However, Gary’s assertion is that at the outset, when the various advantages and disadvantages were taken into account, the chances of either side winning was relatively equal. The North had money and numbers heavily weighted in their favour but this was somewhat negated by the home field advantage held by the South. In terms of senior military figures, both had sets of Generals who had been trained at West Point and blooded in the Mexican War.
- I hadn’t realised that Maryland, bordering the nations capital, was at the time of the war a slave state and early in the conflict it remained quite possible that this state could itself have chosen to declare secession from the Union. I was also surprised to learn that at one-point Confederate troops ventured as far north as the suburbs of Washington D.C.
- I’d no idea that President Lincoln’s preferred way of dealing with freed African American slaves was to have them removed from the American continent and shipped to to Africa or the Caribbean. Or that he had trialled this concept in an ill fated venture using Haiti as the haven for this colonization experiment.
In summary, I found this to be an excellent way of gaining a good overview of the war and all associated elements. I’d certainly be encouraged to explore this way of learning about other key historical events....more
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