Democracy in America

By: Alexis de Tocqueville

Narrated by: Peter Wickham

Sent by the French government to examine the American prison system, Alexis de Tocqueville spent nine months touring the United States between 1831 and 1832. However, fascinated by the success of America's democratic system, de Tocqueville took advantage of his stay to examine the country's foundations and glean ideas that might rescue his homeland from the manacles of social inequality. He leaves no stone unturned, exploring each branch of government, the constitution, economics, religion, race, the judiciary, laws, principles, education, culture, and views on wealth and poverty. Many of his observations have been praised for their prescience and foresight, and many are still relevant, offering fresh and piercing insights into American life today.

Download the accompanying reference guide.Public Domain (P)2020 Naxos AudioBooks

A Must-Read Classic

A superb study of America matched with a first-class narrator. de Tocqueville knew more about America than the vast majority of historians, eloquently written, explained in detail. The gold standard of American history non-fiction.

Outstanding must listen

This book is amazing on many levels. Prophetic in ways that made hearing it not merely interesting but utterly compelling. I did nor want to stop listening even though it is a long book. He was spot on in explaining America and the foundations of this country and developing culture.

Amazing book!

This book is so full of incisive observations that it warrants periodic rereading. I found the performance to be good but not great. The narrator’s voice and cadence worked for me, but I would have liked greater energy and tonal emphasis that matched the relative importance of the concepts being presented. It is a very long work and a slightly more emphatic performance would be welcome.

Narrator killed it for me

I returned this book. Found myself nodding off or losing focus because of the narrators delivery. De Tocqueville’s language is intense to start with but the narrator just didn’t do it for me. YMMV

Tedious

This is a rah-rah and glowing assessment of America by an impressed Euro. Often, it is invoked by those who propound the doctrine of "American Exceptionalism".