America's Hidden History

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