Amazon Customer

Excellent overview in the light of recent years

Reviewed: 07-04-23

This is a recent work of scholarship that is quite even-handed in its coverage of the effects the Civil War had on the nation both during the war and even up to the recent past.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Common Soldiers From Both Sides

Reviewed: 05-25-23

War is definitely hell to hear the words of both Union and Confederate soldiers. This is a refreshing history, centered more on the experiences of the fighters rather than the generals and politicians.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Fascinating overview of the Confederacy

Reviewed: 04-23-23

Rapid yet easily understood narration, even with the original dialects from the primary source material, made me hunt down a paperback copy of this book. I want to study the quotes and history further.

Few scholars, especially in 2010, had seriously presented the attitudes of women and slaves in the southern states before and during the Civil War.

We rapidly become involved in the chasm between the poorer residents of the Confederacy and the planter-class elites who are running the show. Women find they have voices and they learn to use them. Slaves do the same thing.

Note that quotes from actual historical records contain language we don't often approve of today, yet that same language was part and parcel of life in the 1850-1865 era and beyond.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Very Informative

Reviewed: 03-16-23

Fascinating insight by a third party commentator during three months of the Civil War. The narration is perfectly suited to the material; however, the sheer number of names, places, and dates make this book much more suitable for either an ebook or even a print copy, especially if you want to use it as any sort of reference material.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Not Quite What I Expected

Reviewed: 02-14-23

It actually exceeded my expectations. As much a memoir as a history of African American cuisine, this book fascinated me all the way through.

Many authors aren't great narrators. Mr. Twitty is wonderful to listen to and his voice adds authenticity to everything.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

An Interesting Take on the 1920s in England

Reviewed: 01-13-23

University life among the professors and other staff rather than the students gives us much more range of subplots and the ability to peer into the changes taking place in England after the Great War.

I'm not particularly fond of science, but the botany that is covered so well here actually makes me want to learn more about plants and their ability to harm or heal.

The narration of the story is quite pleasant as are the characters' accents. Both Safron and her flatmate are wonderful and Alexander's struggles with his war experience are very well written.

I hope this becomes a series.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Fascinating Worldbuilding with Diverse Characters

Reviewed: 12-22-22

I love Steampunk, and this trilogy ticked all the right boxes. Unlike most steampunk, this world is not based on Victorian England, or even on earth, although the characters are all human. There are different races and ages and a large cast of characters that are sometimes hard to keep straight.

I also liked the emphasis on bugs and monstrous creatures. Think Aragog and Shelob. Some are tame; others are lethal. The weaponry is atypical. The differing countries and class systems aren't unique but feel fresh.

The one thing that grated a bit on listening was the constant use of "said" as in "he said" or "she said". Perhaps my eyes would have glossed over these words if I had been reading, but hearing them during the dialogue often seemed clunky. Of course, dialogue on the page can more easily move from one character to the other without being full of tags, while a poor narrator could make it difficult to understand who is actually speaking. This narrator handled the various voices well enough that tags could have been dispensed with. It's a style choice made by the author and the story works well either way.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Love the whole cast...

Reviewed: 10-19-22

This was just a DNF for me. The narrators are all great, and were the reason I chose this selection.

While I like comedy, and this comedy has excellent pacing, I just couldn't get into the sniping mood of the story. Perhaps it is because it seems to be a reflection of some real people and their attitudes in public right now?

Others will probably laugh out loud. I simply cringed. To each their own...

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Simple steps, and some are powerful

Reviewed: 10-05-22

In the beginning, I was fearful this book would be repetitive and boring, without any new information. It certainly is suitable for young writers with easy-to-understand information presented in a series of checklists.

Lucas covers basic writing skills that aren't always found in other books, and gives examples from well-known contemporary literature. If you know Star Wars, you can easily use the movies as examples too, especially when he talks about characters.

This book is short, easy to digest, but not full of fluff. I wish it was available as an ebook or PDF due to the number of checklists. I will be listening again when I can take notes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

A young, privileged woman records her experience

Reviewed: 09-22-22

I wanted to read this as background research for a novel I am writing, and I wish I had enjoyed this audio edition more. While the narration is suitable for the material and the vocal tone fits with a young woman of the South, it is just monotone enough to lull the listener into boredom.

The Booktrack edition, with its occasional background music, is also distracting. I found myself not taking notes as I had hoped, but mindlessly listening as I went about other chores.

Now that I have finished, I'm grateful I have a printed copy of the book as reference material on Civil War era Louisiana, and I won't be listening to this again.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!