Audiobooks narrated by Sean Runnette

The End of the Rope: The Ripcord Campaign and American Disengagement in Vietnam

"The campaign around Firebase Ripcord in 1970 was the last major American offensive effort in the Vietnam War. It went badly and is little known. Elements of the 101st Airborne Division tried to go back to the area where the Hamburger Hill battles had been fought the year before, but they never made it. Ripcord base was supposed to provide a stepping stone for an incursion into the A Shau Valley. It took three attempts to establish the base. Once the base was established, the North Vietnamese built up their forces in the area, effectively attacked surrounding units and bases, and isolated it. Instead of disappearing, they stepped up resistance and forced the Americans to abandon the campaign. In 1970, the Americans were unable to conduct the sort of campaign that they had previously launched. Instead of piling on, they chose to withdraw. As the Americans were weakening, the North Vietnamese were getting stronger. Beyond that, the American system of rotating officers in and out of command assignments took place without any regard for the situation. At the higher levels, there was also competition for commands of combat units. Several of the key leaders had little relevant experience. At lower levels, most of the officers and men in the campaign performed well, despite the sense that they were risking their lives for no purpose."

James R. Smither (Author), Sean Runnette (Narrator)

Audiobook

Buda's Wagon: A Brief History of the Car Bomb

"The brilliant and disturbing 100-year history of modern terrorism and car bombs—the ubiquitous weapon of urban mass destruction On a September day in 1920, an angry Italian anarchist named Mario Buda exploded a horse-drawn wagon filled with dynamite and iron scrap near New York's Wall Street, killing forty people. Since Buda's prototype the car bomb has evolved into a 'poor man's air force,' a generic weapon of mass destruction that now craters cities from Bombay to Oklahoma City. In this provocative history, Mike Davis traces the its worldwide use and development, in the process exposing the role of state intelligence agencies—particularly those of the United States, Israel, India, and Pakistan—in globalizing urban terrorist techniques. Davis argues that it is the incessant impact of car bombs, rather than the more apocalyptic threats of nuclear or bio-terrorism, that is changing cities and urban lifestyles, as privileged centers of power increasingly surround themselves with 'rings of steel' against a weapon that nevertheless seems impossible to defeat."

Mike Davis (Author), Sean Runnette (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Disunited States: Threats of Secession in Red and Blue America and Why They Won't Work

"There is a growing interest in American secession. In February 2023, Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted that 'We need to separate by red states and blue states.' Recent movements like Yes California have called for a national divorce along political lines. A 2023 Axios poll shows that 20 percent of Americans favor a national divorce. These trends show a sincere interest in American secession, and they will likely increase in the aftermath of the 2024 Presidential election. Proponents of secession make three arguments: the two sides have irreconcilable differences; secession is a legal right; and smaller political units are better. Through interviews with secessionist advocates in America, Ryan Griffiths explores the case for why Red America and Blue America should split up. But as The Disunited States shows, secession is the wrong solution to the problem of polarization. Red and Blue America are not neatly sorted and geographically concentrated. Splitting the two parts would require a dangerous unmixing of the population, one that could spiral into violence and state collapse. Drawing on his expertise on secessionism worldwide, he shows how the process has played out internationally—and usually disastrously. Ultimately, this book will disabuse listeners of the belief that secession will fix America's problems."

Ryan D Griffiths (Author), Sean Runnette (Narrator)

Audiobook

Hill 119: Defending a Reconnaissance Marines’ OP, Vietnam, 1969–70

"The Marines and Corpsmen of Delta Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division were surrounded by the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) for six hundred days in 1969 and 1970 during the Vietnam War. Hill 119 is a rise on a finger of land. The hill provided Marines with an excellent 360-degree view of the region, and so it was occupied as an Observation Post. Based on its immediate and enduring success as a tactical obstacle for the NVA, the OP became a key piece in the defense of the Da Nang Vital Area. The Marines called supporting arms every day and every night. They rained fire down on the NVA, and killed over a thousand enemy fighters. They posed such a threat that Gen Binh assigned his elite T89 Sapper Battalion to eliminate the Recon Marines on Hill 119. Throughout this period, as part of a six-man team, each Recon Marine would run adrenaline-filled patrols deep into enemy territory for six weeks and then serve for two weeks on the OP. Despite its danger, the Marines considered OP duty as a relaxing break. This first full account of Hill 119, written by historian Michael Fallon, who served as reconnaissance patrol leader on Hill 119, is based upon firsthand accounts from the Recon Marines, carefully cross-referenced with patrol reports and command chronologies. It covers the Marines' experiences in the bush, on the hill, and in the rear."

Colonel Michael O. Fallon USMC (Ret) (Author), Sean Runnette (Narrator)

Audiobook

Trajectory of Power: The Rise of the Strongman Presidency

"In Trajectory of Power, leading political scientists William Howell and Terry Moe provide a sweeping account of the historical rise of presidential power, arguing that it has now grown to the point where, in the wrong hands, it threatens to subvert American democracy and replace it with a de facto system of strongman rule, whether led by Donald Trump or someone else. For much of the twentieth century, Republican and Democratic presidents pursued power in very similar ways and almost always within democratic bounds. But Republican presidents since Ronald Reagan, in a transformation that has grown increasingly extreme over time, have gone beyond the 'normal' incentives that have traditionally shaped presidential behavior—and still shape the behavior of Democratic presidents—to pursue a presidency of such expansive unilateral power, and with such disregard for basic democratic requirements, that it puts democracy at serious risk. The book traces this divergence in approach to the backlash of conservatives against the administrative state, and to their epiphany that a war on big government could only be waged through a presidency of extraordinary power. Timely, urgent, and original, Trajectory of Power reveals how the presidency has been profoundly transformed during the modern era—and why it now puts our democracy in imminent danger."

Terry M. Moe, William G. Howell (Author), Sean Runnette (Narrator)

Audiobook

Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics

"Following the end of the Cold War, the world experienced a remarkable wave of democratization. Over the next two decades, numerous authoritarian regimes transitioned to democracies, and it seemed that authoritarianism as a political model was fading. But as recent events have shown, things have clearly changed. In Dictating the Agenda, authors Alexander Cooley and Alexander Dukalskis reveal how today's authoritarian states are actively countering liberal ideas and advocacy surrounding human rights and democracy across various global governance domains. The transformed global context has unlocked for authoritarian states the possibility to contend with Western liberal soft power in new, traditionally 'non-political' ways. Cooley and Dukalskis ultimately advance a theory of authoritarian snapback, the process in which non-democratic states limit the transnational resonance of liberal ideas at home and advance anti-liberal norms and ideas into the global public sphere. Drawing from a range of evidence, this book doesn't just reveal the limits of the liberal influence taken for granted across the world. It offers a novel theory of how authoritarian governments figured out how to exploit and repurpose the same actors, tools, and norms that once exclusively promoted and sustained US-backed liberalism."

Alexander Dukalskis, alexander cooley (Author), Sean Runnette (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Lost Cause and the Great War: Progressive Reform and Patriotism in the American South

"The Lost Cause and the Great War tells the stories of central Tennessee Progressive-era reformers to illustrate the fascinating broader issue of how Southerners steeped in Lost Cause Civil War mythologies simultaneously developed patriotic American fervor. Focusing on Luke Lea, a prominent politician and American army officer who attempted to capture Kaiser Wilhelm II during World War I, the book reveals the intricate interplay between three competing ideas: attachment to the memory of the Confederacy, intense American nationalism, and advocacy for progressive reforms. Hunt shows that Lea and his contemporaries sought either to harmonize these competing loyalties or to compartmentalize them to use when needed. Through insightful accounts of Tennessee's 1928 presidential campaign, the American Legion's response to cuts to veteran benefits in 1933, and the redefinition of America's global role post–World War II, Hunt shows how these reformers achieved a balance that held until the Civil Rights movement disrupted this delicate consensus. Hunt's rich account reveals how Lea and others like him wove national patriotism and Southern collective memory into a cohesive narrative that supported their broader Progressive goals. The book provides vivid examples of how collective memory and narratives shape social and political movements."

Robert E. Hunt (Author), Sean Runnette (Narrator)

Audiobook

Bridging Our Political Divide: How Liberals and Conservatives Can Understand Each Other and Find Common Ground

"Bridging Our Political Divide: How Liberals and Conservatives Can Understand Each Other and Find Common Ground is an essential contribution to a better national conversation. Psychologist Kenneth Barish explains the sources and consistency of our political beliefs and why we continue to disagree about fundamental issues in American life. He offers antidotes to the angry, repetitive, and unproductive arguments that now dominate our political culture. Barish teaches us how to listen, think, and speak about our political opinions in a way that allows us to understand each other's concerns, resist false dichotomies and ideological certainty, see new perspectives and possibilities, and find common ground. The concluding chapter shows how we can move beyond partisan divisions toward pragmatic solutions and a better future for America's children. This fundamentally hopeful book is an essential listen for students in all areas of study, for professionals in the fields of conflict resolution, communication, political science, and social psychology, and for anyone seeking to improve the quality of their conversations with people who may disagree with them, in both politics and in their personal relationships."

Kenneth Barish (Author), Sean Runnette (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Demon's Story: Publisher's Pack: A Demon's Story, Books 1-2

"Contains books one and two of the A Demon's Story series. Book 1, Frederick the Demon (formerly A Warm Place to Call Home): Frederick is a demon. Born in Maryland in the early 1980s, he hasn't a clue where he came from or why but feels an irresistible desire to occupy a human body. Once inside, he finds the previous occupant's consciousness and memories forever erased, an inevitable side effect that gives Frederick pause when switching bodies but not so much as to truly halt his ongoing enjoyment of human lives. In various bodies, he travels the world for decades - aimless - sampling cultures and experiencing life from the points of view of males, females, young, old, rich, poor. Now Frederick has an urge to return to his roots in America, explore the mystery of his origin, find someone to love, and settle down for a while. In his hometown his mission bears fruit much faster than he expected, as person after person present themselves, and following his impulses he is led directly to love, tragedy, answers, and the humanity he never knew he wanted. Book 2, Samuel the Demon (formerly The Many Lives of Samuel Beauchamp): In this prequel to the highly acclaimed novel A Warm Place to Call Home (A Demon's Story) by Michael Siemsen, the best-selling author turns back the clock - from post-WWI California to late 1950s New York City. For reasons unknown to him, Samuel's essence remained after his body was killed, and he discovers that the living emit an irresistible force, drawing him inside, where he has the power to take over. After surviving the great depression in the body of a young hobo, Samuel spends years studying the history of his condition, moving from body to body when necessary and finally settling in New York City in the late 1950s. Following a few years of relative serenity, his beautiful and brash girlfriend disappears, and his search for her uncovers answers to questions he never asked."

Michael Siemsen (Author), Ray Chase, Sean Runnette (Narrator)

Audiobook

Can Deliberation Cure the Ills of Democracy?

"In our modern world of propaganda, social media enclaves, misinformation, and manipulation, the connection between 'the will of the people' and political action has broken down, political divisions are becoming increasingly intractable, and democracies are growing ever more ungovernable. Democracy is in crisis. In Can Deliberation Cure the Ills of Democracy?, James S. Fishkin argues that deliberative democracy can have surprisingly positive effects on all of these problems and charts a unique path to fixing them with his method of Deliberative Polling. After decades of applying and perfecting the methods of deliberative democracy in countries all over the world, this book synthesizes the results of 150 applications and shows how the method can be applied to resolve many of democracy's seemingly intractable challenges. It can clarify the public will and depolarize our divisions. Fishkin demonstrates that deliberative democracy is a practical solution if applied widely and lays out a vision for how to combine elections with deliberation to build a more deliberative society, one that cures our extreme partisanship and leads to substantive dialogues that foster mutual respect and more engaged voters. Deliberation provides a story of thoughtful empowerment and democratic reform, strengthening but not replacing our current institutions."

James S. Fishkin (Author), Sean Runnette (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Bergdoll Boys: America's Most Notorious Millionaire Draft Dodgers

"Heirs to the renowned German-American Bergdoll Beer fortune at a young age, the Bergdoll boys used their millions to become champion race car drivers and pioneer aviation heroes in the early 1900s. Then, just as Grover is trying to buy a bigger plane to set more records and attempt to fly to Europe a decade before Lindbergh, they're snared by vengeful local military draft officials. Running and hiding from their war duty, the fugitives are so reviled by nationalistic Americans that two older brothers change their names to avoid infamy. Eluding capture for years with financial help from their wealthy German Mutter, the Bergdoll boys are entangled with kidnapping and murder, federal agents and bounty hunters, Nazis, and Congressional investigators, and an incredible story of release and escape from an Army jail with bribery, all the way up to the White House to search for buried gold. Hounded by the unsympathetic press and public, and congress, the Bergdoll fortune is confiscated by the federal government. Their doting mother gets into pistol shootouts with agents trying to search their mansions and country estates. Grover remains one step ahead of bungling lawmen by hiding in Germany and secretly traveling into and out of America on fake passports and producing kinderreiche Familie with his attractive German wife."

Timothy W. Lake (Author), Louis Erwin Bergdoll, Sean Runnette, Timothy W Lake (Narrator)

Audiobook

What Color Is Your Parachute?: Your Guide to a Lifetime of Meaningful Work and Career Success

"The groundbreaking, indispensable guide to rewarding work and a fulfilling life-more than ten million copies sold! For more than fifty years, What Color Is Your Parachute? has transformed the way people think about job hunting. Whether searching for that first position, recovering from a layoff, or dreaming of a career change, What Color Is Your Parachute? has shown millions of readers how to network effectively, compose impressive resumes and cover letters, interview with confidence, and negotiate the best possible salary-while discovering how to make their livelihood part of authentic living. More than a job-hunting book, Richard N. Bolles's timeless wisdom and famed self-assessment exercise clarifies seven key dimensions, so you can uncover your greatest passions, most valued traits, and transferable skills to design a life that enables you to flourish. With the job market in constant flux, people everywhere have found that understanding who they are-what they care about, where and how they do their best work, and the most effective way to express their abilities-is the best compass to navigating an ever-changing and challenging professional landscape. It is also how their work can become part of a life filled with passion and purpose. Using the trailblazing advice and enduring guidance of What Color Is Your Parachute?, job-hunters and career changers will have the tools to discover-and land-the work, and life, most meaningful to them. * This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF of exercises and charts from the book."

Richard N. Bolles (Author), Sean Runnette (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Sean Runnette

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