Audiobooks by Brian Kilmeade

Teddy and Booker T.: How Two American Icons Blazed a Path for Racial Equality

The New York Times bestselling author of George Washington's Secret Six and Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates turns to two other heroes of the nation: Theodore Roosevelt and Booker T. Washington. When President Theodore Roosevelt welcomed the country's most visible Black man, Booker T. Washington, into his circle of counselors in 1901, the two confronted a shocking and violent wave of racist outrage. In the previous decade, Jim Crow laws had legalized discrimination in the South, eroding social and economic gains for former slaves. Lynching was on the rise, and Black Americans faced new barriers to voting. Slavery had been abolished, but if newly freed citizens were condemned to lives as share croppers, how much improvement would their lives really see? In Teddy and Booker T., Brian Kilmeade tells the story of how two wildly different Americans faced the challenge of keeping America moving toward the promise of the Emancipation Proclamation. Theodore Roosevelt was white, born into incredible wealth and privilege in New York City. Booker T. Washington was Black, born on a plantation without even a last name. But both men embodied the rugged, pioneering spirit of America. Kilmeade takes us to San Juan Hill, where Roosevelt led his Rough Riders to a thrilling victory that set the stage for a legendary presidency, and to a small town in Alabama, where Washington founded the first university for African Americans, paving the way for the Civil Rights Movement. Both men abhorred the decadence and moral rot the nation had fallen into, believed that improvement through careful collaboration was possible, and trusted that the American ideals of individual liberty and hard work could propel the neediest toward success, if only those holding them back would step aside. As he did in George Washington's Secret Six, Kilmeade has transformed this nearly forgotten slice of history into a dramatic story that will keep you turning the pages to find out how these two heroes, through their principles and courage, not only changed each other, but helped lay the groundwork for true equality.

Brian Kilmeade (Author), Brian Kilmeade (Narrator)

Audiobook

The President and the Freedom Fighter: Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, and Their Battle to Save

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The New York Times bestselling author of George Washington's Secret Six and Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates turns to two other heroes of the nation: Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. In The President and the Freedom Fighter, Brian Kilmeade tells the little-known story of how two American heroes moved from strong disagreement to friendship, and in the process changed the entire course of history. Abraham Lincoln was White, born impoverished on a frontier farm. Frederick Douglass was Black, a child of slavery who had risked his life escaping to freedom in the North. Neither man had a formal education, and neither had had an easy path to influence. No one would have expected them to become friends-or to transform the country. But Lincoln and Douglass believed in their nation's greatness. They were determined to make the grand democratic experiment live up to its ideals. Lincoln's problem: he knew it was time for slavery to go, but how fast could the country change without being torn apart? And would it be possible to get rid of slavery while keeping America's Constitution intact? Douglass said no, that the Constitution was irredeemably corrupted by slavery-and he wanted Lincoln to move quickly. Sharing little more than the conviction that slavery was wrong, the two men's paths eventually converged. Over the course of the Civil War, they'd endure bloodthirsty mobs, feverish conspiracies, devastating losses on the battlefield, and a growing firestorm of unrest that would culminate on the fields of Gettysburg. As he did in George Washington's Secret Six, Kilmeade has transformed this nearly forgotten slice of history into a dramatic story that will keep you turning the pages to find out how these two heroes, through their principles and patience, not only changed each other, but made America truly free for all.

Brian Kilmeade (Author), Brian Kilmeade (Narrator)

Audiobook

Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates (Young Readers Adaptation)

A page-turning middle-grade adaptation of the New York Times bestseller about how a newly independent nation was challenged by foreign powers and what happened when America's third president decided to stand up to intimidation. When Thomas Jefferson became president in 1801, America was deeply in debt and needed its economy to grow quickly, but its merchant ships were under attack. Pirates from North Africa routinely captured American sailors and held them as captives demanding ransom and tribute far beyond what the new country could afford. Jefferson found it impossible to negotiate a truce, and decided to move beyond diplomacy. He sent the U.S. Navy and Marines to blockade Tripoli--launching the Barbary Wars and beginning America's journey toward future superpower status. This vivid and accessible young readers adaptation of the New York Times bestseller features an exclusive new introduction, extensive back matter, and eye-catching art throughout. Chronicling a crucial moment in American history, this historical thriller will excite and inspire the next generation of patriots.

Brian Kilmeade, Don Yaeger (Author), Stephen Graybill (Narrator)

Audiobook

Sam Houston and the Alamo Avengers: The Texas Victory That Changed American History

The heart-stopping story of the fight for Texas by The New York Times bestselling author of George Washington's Secret Six and Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates. In his now-trademark style, Brian Kilmeade brings alive one of the most pivotal moments in American history, this time telling the heart-stopping story of America's fight for Texas. While the story of the Alamo is familiar to most, few remember how Sam Houston led Texians after a crushing loss to a shocking victory that secured their freedom and paved the way for America's growth. In March 1836, the Mexican army led by General Santa Anna massacred more than two hundred Texians who had been trapped in a tiny adobe mission in San Antonio for thirteen days. American legends Jim Bowie and Davey Crockett died there, along with other Americans who had moved to Texas looking for a fresh start. The defeat galvanized the surviving Texians. Under General Sam Houston, a maverick with a rocky past, the tiny army of settlers rallied--only to retreat time and time again. Having learned from the bloody battles that characterized his past, Houston knew it was poor strategy to aggressively retaliate. He held off until just one month after the massacre, when he and his army of underdog Texians soundly defeated Santa Anna's troops in under eighteen minutes at the Battle of San Jacinto, and in doing so won the independence for which so many had died. Sam Houston and the Alamo Avengers recaptures this pivotal war that changed America forever, and sheds light on the tightrope all war heroes walk between courage and calculation. Thanks to Kilmeade's storytelling, a new generation of readers will remember the Alamo--and recognize the lesser-known heroes who snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

Brian Kilmeade (Author), Brian Kilmeade (Narrator)

Audiobook

George Washington's Secret Six (Young Readers Adaptation)

A captivating middle-grade adaptation of the New York Times bestseller about George Washington's top-secret spy ring that helped defeat the British. The American Revolution is well under way in 1776, but things are looking bleak for General George Washington and his Continental Army. With Washington's hasty retreat from New York City in August, many think the war might soon be over. After all: how on earth is this ragtag group going to defeat its enemy, the well-trained and well-funded military of the largest empire in history? But Washington soon realizes he can't win with military might. Instead, he must outsmart the British, so he creates a sophisticated intelligence network: the top-secret Culper Spy Ring. Drawing on extensive research, Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger tell the fascinating stories of these long unrecognized spies: a reserved merchant, a tavern keeper, a brash young longshoreman, a curmudgeonly Long Island bachelor, a coffeehouse owner, and a mysterious woman. This vivid and accessible young readers adaptation of the New York Times bestseller features an exclusive new introduction and extensive back matter. Chronicling a crucial moment in American history, this historical thriller will excite and inspire the next generation of patriots.

Brian Kilmeade, Don Yaeger (Author), Stephen Graybill (Narrator)

Audiobook

Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans: The Battle That Shaped America's Destiny

Another history pageturner from the authors of the #1 bestsellers George Washington's Secret Six and Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates. The War of 1812 saw America threatened on every side. Encouraged by the British, Indian tribes attacked settlers in the West, while the Royal Navy terrorized the coasts. By mid-1814, President James Madison's generals had lost control of the war in the North, losing battles in Canada. Then British troops set the White House ablaze, and a feeling of hopelessness spread across the country. Into this dire situation stepped Major General Andrew Jackson. A native of Tennessee who had witnessed the horrors of the Revolutionary War and Indian attacks, he was glad America had finally decided to confront repeated British aggression. But he feared that President Madison's men were overlooking the most important target of all: New Orleans. If the British conquered New Orleans, they would control the mouth of the Mississippi River, cutting Americans off from that essential trade route and threatening the previous decade's Louisiana Purchase. The new nation's dreams of western expansion would be crushed before they really got off the ground. So Jackson had to convince President Madison and his War Department to take him seriously, even though he wasn't one of the Virginians and New Englanders who dominated the government. He had to assemble a coalition of frontier militiamen, French-speaking Louisianans,Cherokee and Choctaw Indians, freed slaves, and even some pirates. And he had to defeat the most powerful military force in the world-in the confusing terrain of the Louisiana bayous. In short, Jackson needed a miracle. The local Ursuline nuns set to work praying for his outnumbered troops. And so the Americans, driven by patriotism and protected by prayer, began the battle that would shape our young nation's destiny. As they did in their two previous bestsellers, Kilmeade and Yaeger make history come alive with a riveting true story that will keep you turning the pages. You'll finish with a new understanding of one of our greatest generals and a renewed appreciation for the brave men who fought so that America could one day stretch "from sea to shining sea."

Brian Kilmeade, Don Yaeger (Author), Brian Kilmeade (Narrator)

Audiobook

Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War That Changed American History

Another blockbuster! Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates reads like an edge-of-your-seat, page-turning thriller. You will love this book and also wonder why so few people know this story. No one captures the danger, intrigue, and drama of the American Revolution and its aftermath like Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger. Brad ThorThis is the little-known story of how a newly indepen dent nation was challenged by four Muslim powers and what happened when America third president decided to stand up to intimidation. When Thomas Jefferson became president in 1801, America faced a crisis. The new nation was deeply in debt and needed its economy to grow quickly, but its merchant ships were under attack. Pirates from North Africa Barbary coast routinely captured American sailors and held them as slaves, demanding ransom and tribute payments far beyond what the new coun try could afford. Over the previous fifteen years, as a diplomat and then as secretary of state, Jefferson had tried to work with the Barbary states (Tripoli, Tunis, Algiers, and Morocco). Unfortunately, he found it impossible to negotiate with people who believed their religion jus tified the plunder and enslavement of non-Muslims. These rogue states would show no mercy-at least not while easy money could be made by extorting the Western powers. So President Jefferson decided to move beyond diplomacy. He sent the U.S. Navy new warships and a detachment of Marines to blockade Tripoli-launching the Barbary Wars and beginning America journey toward future superpower status. As they did in their previous bestseller, George Washington Secret Six, Kilmeade and Yaeger have transformed a nearly forgotten slice of history into a dramatic story that will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next. Among the many sus penseful episodes: Lieutenant Andrew Sterett ferocious cannon battle on the high seas against the treacherous pirate ship Tripoli. Lieutenant Stephen Decatur daring night raid of an enemy harbor, with the aim of destroying an American ship that had fallen into the pirates hands.·General William Eaton unprecedented five-hundred-mile land march from Egypt to the port of Derne, where the Marines launched a surprise attack and an American flag was raised in victory on foreign soil for the first time. Few today remember these men and other heroes who inspired the Marine Corps hymn: From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli, we fight our country battles in the air, on land and sea. Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates recaptures this forgot ten war that changed American history with a real-life drama of intrigue, bravery, and battle on the high seas.

Brian Kilmeade, Don Yaeger (Author), Brian Kilmeade (Narrator)

Audiobook

George Washington's Secret Six: The Spy Ring That Saved America

From the cohost of Fox & Friends, the true story of the anonymous spies who helped win the Revolutionary War Among the pantheon of heroes of the American Revolution, six names are missing. First and foremost, Robert Townsend, an unassuming and respected businessman from Long Island, who spearheaded the spy ring that covertly brought down the British...before they, or anyone else, could discover their names. Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger finally give Townsend and his fellow spies their proper due, telling the fascinating story of how they passed information to George Washington that turned the tide of the war. Using a network of citizen operatives that included a longshoreman, bartender, newspaper editor, housewife, tailor, and femme fatale, and employing a series of complex codes, the so-called Culper Spy Ring used sophisticated tactics to subvert the British. Based on previously unpublished research, George Washington's Secret Six is a gripping history of these amazing, anonymous Patriots who risked their lives for our freedom.

Brian Kilmeade, Don Yaeger (Author), Brian Kilmeade (Narrator)

Audiobook

It's How You Play the Game and The Games Do Count: The Powerful Sports Moments That Taught Lasting V

Surprising, entertaining, and always imparting an important life lesson, It's How You Play the Game features anecdotes and vignettes that are sure to benefit any reader. As Brian Kilmeade writes, "Regardless of who you are, what sport you chose, or how much success you achieved, playing the game is all about getting you ready for life. Winning or losing has little to do with who you will become. Instead, it's how you prepared for the game that determines whether you'll be a winner or loser in life." From competition to camaraderie, failure to success, humiliation to glory, individual achievement to teamwork, the world of sports encompasses it all and enriches our lives. The Games Do Count reveals that America's best and brightest haven't just worked hard, they've played hard, and the results have been staggering!

Brian Kilmeade (Author), Brian Kilmeade (Narrator)

Audiobook