America's Hidden History
Untold Tales of the First Pilgrims, Fighting Women and Forgotten Founders Who Shaped a Nation
Spanning a period from the Spanish arrival in America to George Washington’s inauguration in 1789, AMERICA’S HIDDEN HISTORY explores these episodes, among others: The story of the first real Pilgrims in America, who were wine-making French Huguenots, not dour English Separatists • The coming-of-age story of Queen Isabella, who suggested that Columbus pack the moving mess hall of pigs, which may have spread disease to many Native Americans • The long, bloody relationship between the Puritans and Indians that runs counter to the idyllic scene of the Thanksgiving feast • The little-known story of George Washington as a headstrong young soldier who committed a war crime, signed a confession, and started a war!
Full of color, intrigue, and human interest, AMERICA’S HIDDEN HISTORY proves why Davis is truly America’s teacher.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
April 22, 2008 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781415948200
- File size: 219815 KB
- Duration: 07:37:56
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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AudioFile Magazine
In looking at early America, from Spanish explorations to Shay's Rebellion, Davis starts by mentioning Flip Wilson and a comedy sketch about Queen Isabella. "History should be much more fun than most Americans believe it is," he explains before turning things over to narrator Sam Freed. Some anecdotes, describing the earliest "forensic dentistry" or the importance of a broken egg, are fun, but Freed mostly plays it straight. He's no lecturer, though; Freed's narration tells a dramatic story. Listeners may have heard some of these stories before--like the one about George Washington's alleged war crime--but will still enjoy the spin Davis and Freed put on these historic events. J.A.S. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine -
Publisher's Weekly
March 24, 2008
Davis (bestselling Don't Know Much About History
and other books in his Don't Know Much... series) provides insight into American history by telling these “tales the textbooks left out.” Christopher Columbus serves as a springboard into the “extraordinary odyssey'' of castaway Cabeza de Vaca, who was stranded during a 1527 expedition and spent eight years wandering from Florida to the Pacific. Davis asks whether the 22-year-old George Washington was a “war criminal” for having his Virginia militiamen launch a surprise attack on a French diplomatic party when England and France were at peace, setting in motion the French and Indian War. The half-dozen historical narratives also offer different perspectives on horrific Indian attacks on New Englanders during the 1690s; the 1775 battles of Lexington and Concord; and “idealistic patriot” Benedict Arnold. While some of these episodes are no longer as “hidden” as Davis claims, he skillfully illuminates the role of human foibles in historic events. With these “fulcrum moments” ending in 1789, Davis has enough leverage for another successful series.
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