Audiobooks by Ryan Cole

The Last Adieu: Lafayette’s Triumphant Return, the Echoes of Revolution, and the Gratitude of the Re

""Memories of the Revolution have come back to life…" In the summer of 1824, the aging Marquis de Lafayette, defeated politically and distraught over the fate of liberty in Europe, set sail one last time from France for America after an absence of forty years. Across the sea waited a nation transformed: Thirteen colonies were now twenty-four states, stretching from the Atlantic Coast to the Mississippi River. The number of Americans had more than tripled; their industry and creativity had ushered in a new era of individual prosperity and civic improvements. But progress brought worries. Shocks-an economic collapse, a crisis over the westward creep of slavery-foreshadowed a new political age, increasingly democratic and impassioned. The presidential election of 1824 was a precursor to this era. It was fought among four men, and was so bitter and divisive some observers wondered if it heralded the end of the Union. All while the Declaration of Independence neared its fiftieth anniversary and the first generation of Americans passed on, leaving a second to lead their great experiment in liberty into the uncertain future and stirring tender nostalgia for the Revolution and its quickly vanishing stars. Chief among them was Lafayette, the last living major general of the Continental Army. When he arrived at last in August 1824, the old hero met once more with the young republic. One of the greatest celebrations in American history followed. Citizens put aside their differences and rallied together around the spirit of their Revolution, rejoicing over the return of the "Nation's Guest," as Lafayette was called. For thirteen months, Lafayette traveled thousands of miles, reaching every state in the Union and met with parades and delirious crowds. The nation was spellbound by their benefactor. And Lafayette was overjoyed and stunned by the nation's growth and advances, all made possible by the freedom he had fought for long ago. The Last Adieu narrates Lafayette's farewell tour, capturing both its spectacular pageantry and emotional impact-not only from Lafayette's perspective, but through eyewitness accounts and recollections of the everyday Americans who participated in the great celebration. Co-starring the swarm of fascinating characters Lafayette encountered across the American landscape-elderly founding fathers, populist politicians, idealistic reformers-this is not simply the record of an incredible journey, but a panorama of a rising America and a chronicle of a time when, as Lafayette wrote, memories of its Revolution came back to life, and its citizens were united in gratitude to the men who had won it. Bibliography can be found in the audiobook companion PDF download."

Ryan Cole (Author), Fred Stella (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Soul of an American President: The Untold Story of Dwight D. Eisenhower's Faith

"While there have been many biographies of Dwight D. Eisenhower that focus on his military career or the time of his presidency, none clearly explores the important role faith played both in his personal life and in his public policy. This despite the fact that he is the only US president to be baptized as a Christian while in office. Alan Sears and Craig Osten invite you on a journey that is unique in American history and is essential to understanding one of the most consequential, admired, and complex Americans of the twentieth century. The story begins in abject poverty in rural Texas, then travels through Kansas, West Point, two World Wars, and down Pennsylvania Avenue. This is the untold story of a man whose growing faith sustained him through the loss of a young son, marital difficulties, depression, career disappointments, and being witness to some of the worst atrocities humankind has devised. A man whose faith was based in his own sincere conviction, not out of a sense of political expediency or social obligation. A man whose personal principles shaped public policy that would define the soul of a nation. This is the untold story of the faith of Dwight D. Eisenhower. You've met Dwight Eisenhower the soldier and Dwight Eisenhower the president. Now meet Dwight Eisenhower the man of faith."

Alan Sears, Craig Osten, Ryan Cole (Author), David Cochran Heath (Narrator)

Audiobook

Light-Horse Harry Lee: The Rise and Fall of a Revolutionary Hero

"He was a dashing military hero who led the fight for America’s independence. His son would later become the general who almost tore America apart. Henry Lee III—whose nickname, “Light-Horse,” came from his legendary exploits with mounted troops and skill in the saddle—was a dashing cavalry commander and hero of America’s War for Independence. By now most Americans have forgotten about Light-Horse Harry Lee, the father of Confederate general Robert E. Lee, but this new biography reveals he may be one of the most fascinating figures in our nation’s history. A daring military commander, Lee was also an early American statesman whose passionate argument in favor of national unity helped ratify the Constitution. When President George Washington needed to suppress the Whiskey Rebellion, he sent in his friend Light-Horse Harry Lee with twelve thousand militiamen. When Washington died, Lee was the man who famously eulogized our first president as “first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” With incredible stories about Light-Horse Harry Lee’s interactions with famous men and women—including George and Martha Washington, Nathanial Greene, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr—this book paints a rich portrait of an underappreciated American character and provides unique new insight into the upbringing and motivations of Lee’s infamous son, General Robert E. Lee."

Ryan Cole (Author), John Mclain (Narrator)

Audiobook