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Title: Don't Know Much About History: Everything You Need to Know About American History but Never Learned (Davis, Kenneth C. Don't Know Much.) by Kenneth C. Davis ISBN: 0-7393-0396-1 Publisher: Random House Audio Publishing Group Pub. Date: April, 2003 Format: Audio CD Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.51 (101 reviews)
Rating: 1
Summary: WK Folsom California
Comment: If you want a politically correct view of history this is it. Accuracy is secondary. History with a left wing bias.
Rating: 3
Summary: Interesting and accessible
Comment: I bought this book several years to help me prepare for the State Department's Foreign Service written exam. I was pretty confident in my knowledge of foreign affairs and European history, but less so about the events that had occurred right here in my own backyard for the past 200+ years. Well, it really helped! I particularly remember questions on the exam about the Monroe Doctrine, the Missouri Compromise, and Marbury v. Madison that I could not have answered had I not read this book. I passed the exam, which is one of the most draining tests I have ever taken. It's like a super-SAT for adults.
Recently, I picked up this book again and thumbed through it. My one criticism is Davis's "anti-Manifest Destiny" rhetoric, which is true, I suppose, of most modern historians, with the exception, perhaps, of the incomparable Stephen E. Ambrose. General George A. Custer described as "probably deranged" is pure revisionism! Straight out of "Little Big Man," the 1968 movie with Dustin Hoffman. Anyhow, that's my one beef in an otherwise fun and engaging read.
Rating: 3
Summary: Bias Disappoints, audio reading is fantastic
Comment: (This review refers to the audio edition)
"Don't Know Much About History" is as hard a book to recommend as it is to truly scorn. Author Kenneth Davis succeeds in offering a single-volume of American history covering most major events and eras in simple, accessible language. Yet Davis fails to craft a balanced book, his own political viewpoints and biases too often intruding upon the text. It's unfortunate, because his victory in putting together such a book is noteworthy.
The audio reading here is extraordinary. The tone is lively and engaging, and the use of several narrators (changing places for chapter titles and famous quotes) brings a welcome change of pace to what could be a monotonous 20-plus hours. The production is very good, the sound crisp, and chapter titles are read aloud. (I hate audio books that skip chapter titles).
As it purports to do, "Don't Know Much..." runs the gamut of American history, from the earliest explorers to September 11, 2001, and just about every major event in between. Events are summarized and explained in easy to understand language, making a great starting point for those developing a love for history, or readers looking to refresh their memory of history lessons learned long ago. Throughout are timelines on major events (the Civil War, World War II, etc.) and quotes from key historical figures. Overall, the presentation is wonderful and will be a boon to those with even a passing interest in history. A well-formatted piece.
In the audio edition, the timelines come across as awkward. The quotes, however, are wonderful. Two other narrators, a male and female, handle the chores here, serving to break the listener away for a moment and sink into the famous quote. Impersonations are also excellent. These add a lot of flavor to the reading.
Unfortunately, despite his claims otherwise, the author fails to leave his political viewpoints out of the picture. (Right from the start, Davis spends ten minutes telling you why his book is NOT biased. That screams of protesting a bit too much). His viewpoint intrudes too often, and after a while it becomes an unwelcome distraction.
As far as Davis is concerned, business in America is a Great Evil, never having done anything that wasn't corrupt, dishonest and brutal. Not once does he offer a story about business improving the American way of life, yet dozens of examples are given about what mean-spirited murderers businessmen are. If it entails business, it is Bad. Always.
Corrupt seems to be Davis' view of all of American history. No bravery, sacrifice, grand vision, or good intentions in Davis' America (even those who fought slavery did so out of greed, not a desire to free slaves, according to the author). No inspiration, can-do spirit, hands-on building of a new world. Nothing worth being proud of. Only greed, murder, racism, and more greed. An objective writer would have noted that America was built on both the good and the bad.
Davis' propensity to inject racist motivations into event after event is equally troubling. America's history with racism is indeed disturbing and shameful; that it is well-chronicled here is unquestionably commendable. Yet the author also seems to inject racism in almost everything, whether or not there is any indication that race played a part in the historical event.
None of this is to say the book does not have merits. It does. The writing is crisp, fast-paced, detailed, and informative. The light humor is welcome. Almost every major era in American history is covered. Davis also makes an effort to put events in the context of their times, helping us better understand what key events meant in the long term. It is an engaging look at history.
Don't Know Much About History is easy to recommend to a casual reader looking for a quick primer on American history - with the caveat that they are getting a skewed view of things. The book will be all but worthless to a history buff - you won't learn anything new here. The book may well be abrasive and irritating to those who want their history with a little more balance, but as a single-volume chronicle of American history that is both complete and well-written, it would be difficult not to recommend this. The bias is there, sure, but for those willing to look past it, this is a solid selection. And for the price, the unabridged audio edition is a fantastic bang for the buck.
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Title: Don't Know Much About Geography : Everything You Need to Know About the World but Never Learned by Kenneth C. Davis ISBN: 0380713799 Publisher: Avon Pub. Date: 07 September, 1999 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Don't Know Much About the Bible: Everything You Need to Know About the Good Book but Never Learned by Kenneth C. Davis ISBN: 0380728397 Publisher: Avon Pub. Date: 04 September, 2001 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Don't Know Much About the Civil War : Everything You Need to Know About America's Greatest Conflict but Never Learned by Kenneth C. Davis ISBN: 0380719088 Publisher: Avon Pub. Date: 07 September, 1999 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Don't Know Much About American History by Kenneth C. Davis, Matt Faulkner ISBN: 0064408361 Publisher: HarperTrophy Pub. Date: 01 April, 2003 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Don't Know Much About the Presidents by Kenneth C. Davis, Pedro Martin ISBN: 0060286156 Publisher: HarperCollins Pub. Date: 01 January, 2002 List Price(USD): $15.99 |
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