10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America (History Channel Presents) [AUDIOBOOK] [UNABRIDGED] (Audio CD)

by Steven M. Gillon (Author), Stephen Hoye (Reader)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This audiobook will serve as the companion to the History Channel's ten-hour documentary series Ten Days That Changed America set to air in April 2006. As the name indicates, the audiobook profiles ten historical events that shaped our national history, culture, and consciousness. Although the publication will be tied directly to the History Channel's series, the essays will explore themes and topics not developed in the documentaries.

This audiobook will be a must-have for any history buff or patriot interested in some of the most significant historical events that shaped our culture, explored in grandiose, passionate detail and understood as necessary stepping stones toward the state of society today. The History Channel selected these ten dates after a long, deliberative process utilizing the expertise of a dozen of the country's leading historians. Needless to say, choosing between the events that have shaped our boisterous country and ranking them was an unprecedented challenge. Consider some of these profound moments in our past - can you figure out which ones qualified in their debates?

1607 - Jamestown founded * 1793 - Eli Whitney invents the cotton gin * 1803 - Louisiana Purchase
1836- The Battle at the Alamo * 1863 - Battle of Gettysburg and Vicksburg * 1890- Sherman Antitrust Act passed
1903- Ford Motor Company founded * 1920- Women win the right to vote * 1929 - Stock Market Crash
1941 - Japan attacks Pearl Harbor * 1954- Brown v. Board of Education * 1980- CNN starts broadcasting


Give up? Thankfully, they didn't, and from a much longer list of critical moments similar to these - all highly charged and inherently debatable - the panel eventually agreed on ten chart-toppers which they will be officially announcing in January.

This audiobook of companion essays will pair the historically accurate facts and figures from each day with fascinating characters, well-versed argument, and an awe-inducing philosophical bent. Either perceived as a must-have, gloss over primer for newbies, an engrossing series of adventure and suspense stories, or a detailed, highly focused analysis serving doubly as a debate platform, this approach to our history offers something for everyone. Ten Days That Changed America will bring the excitement and import of our past to life, to the benefit of all the patriots and pundits of the present.

About the Author
Steven M. Gillon is the resident historian of The History Channel and host of HistoryCENTER. Having taught at both Oxford and Yale, he is currently a professor at the University of Oklahoma.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Random House Audio; Unabridged edition (June 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0739333356
• ISBN-13: 978-0739333358
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #556,558 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Past that Created Change, October 8, 2006

By	Edward P. Matos "edmatos52" (Laredo, Texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: 10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America (History Channel Presents) (Paperback)

In "10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America", Steven M. Gillon writes about key events in US history and their impact on American Society. Gillon does this while paying close attention to historical accuracy and with lively writing that is sharp, descriptive, and enjoyable.

Gillon's book is about historical events that caused, for better or worse, long-lasting changes in American history. Gillon does not write about April 6, 1917, when America entered World War I, or December 8, 1941, when America declared War on Japan. Gillon does not cover the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Robert F. Kennedy, which had profound effects in American society. The author does not write about the 1973 landmark case: "Roe v. Wade". Instead, Gillon selects what some may view as obscure events, but that are all important in the sense that they did cause unforeseen change in American history.

Gillon covers a wide range of events, from the slaughter of the Pequot Indians by the Puritans to the murders of three young civil rights workers in Mississippi. Did Shays' rebellion lead to the creation of the Executive, Judiciary, and Legislative branches of the government? Was the Battle of Antietam the beginning of the end of the Civil War? Was Elvis Presley the "founding father" of rock and roll? These are but some of the questions that Gillon wants us to ponder.

Few Americans will disagree that Theodore Roosevelt was the architect of significant changes in American history. However, would Roosevelt have become president if President William McKinley had not been assassinated in 1901? While some readers may disagree with Gillon's selection of events, his book will still make for interesting and lively reading - the reader will have to make his or her own assessment.

Whether you agree or disagree with Gillon's ten historical events, one thing is certain: "10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America" will give every reader food for thought with Gillon's wide-angle view of our past, our present, and perhaps our future.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An unexpectedly thought-provoking book, March 17, 2007

By	L. F. Smith (E. Wenatchee, WA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: 10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America (History Channel Presents) (Paperback)

This book, the companion volume to a History Channel series with the same name, is an unexpectedly thought-provoking book.

The series and the book spotlight ten days in US history that triggered critical changes in the nation's development in an unexpected manner. That's an unusual concept. It means, for example, that Lincoln's assassination is ignored, while McKinley's is explored. That's because the impact of the former is well understood, while the impact of the latter-- Teddy Roosevelt unexpectedly propelled into the presidency, the sudden change in US foreign policy to an expansionist mode, the acceleration of the Progressive agenda, and the eclipse of the dominant conservatism at the end of the century-- is not.

Obviously, it's possible to quarrel with the ten events that were selected for the book and the series. Is the slaughter of the Pequot Indians by the Puritans really a critical event? How about Elvis Presley's appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show? Gillion makes the case, and it's up to us to decide if he's right.

The book and the series were developed in parallel, not in tandem. That is, Gillon details the same events as the series writers did, but they didn't share sources. I saw only two episodes of the series, and there are differences in emphasis.

The book is brief, but Gillon is careful to summarize without endangering historical accuracy. The ten accounts are fast-moving, and the writing is crisp. The end result is a very entertaining and enjoyable read. At the end of every chapter, Gillon cites several sources for further reading. These include standard histories and source documents.

This book offered a lot to think about. I really enjoyed it, and I recommend it highly.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Events are vividly re-created, September 23, 2006

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America (History Channel Presents) (Paperback)

If the title sounds familiar, it's because the History Channel has a series of documentaries on the topic - and 10 DAYS THAT UNEXPECTEDLY CHANGED AMERICA is the companion book for the series, covering the major events which triggered lasting changes in the nation. From the January 1787 battle of Shays' Rebellion to a carpenter who started the California gold rush, events are vividly re-created with plenty of attention to their lasting impact.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch