Don't Know Much About American History

This is a book that makes a rough transition to audio, and listeners who truly don't know much about American history will have a difficult time keeping up. The book is primarily in question-and-answer format with various narrators voicing the questions and Oliver Wyman reading answers that are filled with dates, times, places, and lists. Wyman reads expressively and enthusiastically but also too quickly. The pace, combined with the lack of musical interludes or even a bit of dead air between segments, makes it difficult for listeners to absorb the information. While the production will have fans, it's not first-rate. A.F. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine

April 1, 2003
Using his highly successful q&a formula and proceeding chronologically, Kenneth C. Davis adds to his series for young people with Don't Know Much About American History, illus. by Matt Faulkner. Readers may be surprised to learn, for example, that the ratification of the constitution was not "a sure thing," requiring nine of the 13 states' approval (Virginia and New York were two of the holdouts) or that 17 African-American men were elected to Congress between 1869 and 1876. Sidebars, brief bios, copious quotes and Faulkner's pen-and-inks keep the design lively.