NPR American Chronicles--First Ladies

Journalist Cokie Roberts deftly introduces excerpts from interviews with First Lady biographers and First Ladies themselves, which aired over a period of time on NPR. Roberts, one of those interviewed for her books that feature women of the Revolutionary period, gives listeners newly researched information that reveals women's lives during our nation's infancy. Among the other First Ladies included are Eleanor Roosevelt, Jacqueline Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson, Betty Ford, Barbara Bush, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Michelle Obama , to name a few. To hear women who made history as they lived it involves the audience in a special experience and opens a window onto our presidents' private lives. E.E.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine


To mark the sesquicentennial of the start of the Civil War, NPR and HighBridge Audio have assembled this collection of stories about the conflict, originally broadcast over several years. The pieces touch on the people (not just the generals but also frontline soldiers), the places, and the issues. Highlights include Sam Waterston reciting the Gettysburg Address and author Shelby Foote talking about his books on the war and about growing up in the South with a grandfather who fought for the Confederacy at Gettysburg. The episodes are uniformly engaging and create a "you-are-there" atmosphere. Occasional music--including a piece on the song "Dixie"-- adds to mood. The episodes aren't long, making them ideal for listening while running errands. R.C.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine