
Drunks
An American History
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $18.35
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Malcolm Hillgartner
About this listen
A social history of alcoholism in the United States, from the 17th century to the present day.
Today, millions of Americans are struggling with alcoholism, but millions are also in long-term recovery. Alcoholics Anonymous and a growing number of recovery organizations are providing support for alcoholics who will face the danger of relapse for the rest of their lives. We have finally come to understand alcoholism as a treatable illness rather than a moral failure. Today's advocates can draw inspiration from the victories of sober drunks throughout American history.
Christopher Finan recounts the nation's history with alcohol and its search for sobriety, which began among Native Americans in the colonial period, when liquor was used to cheat them of their property. He introduces us to the first of a colorful cast of characters, a remarkable Iroquois leader named Handsome Lake, who dedicated his life to helping his people renounce hard liquor. And we meet Carrie Nation, the wife of an alcoholic who destroyed bars with an ax in her anger over what alcohol had done to her family, as well as the idealistic and energetic Washingtonians, reformed drunks who led the first national movement to save men like themselves.
Finan also tells the dramatic story of Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith, the two drunks who helped each other stay sober and then created AA, which survived its tumultuous early years and has made it possible for millions of men and women to quit drinking. This is narrative history at its best: entertaining and authoritative, an important portrait of one of America's great liberation movements.
©2017 Christopher M. Finan (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
- The “Twelve and Twelve” - Essential Alcoholics Anonymous Reading
- By: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Inc.
- Narrated by: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Inc.
- Length: 5 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Commonly referred to as the “Twelve and Twelve”, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions comprises 24 foundational essays by Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill W. that have helped millions of A.A. members worldwide both to get and stay sober “one day at a time”, and to ensure that their "Fellowship" - Alcoholics Anonymous as a whole - will be there for them tomorrow.
-
-
Perfect
- By Amazon Customer on 02-25-21
-
Drunk
- How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization
- By: Edward Slingerland
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
While plenty of entertaining books have been written about the history of alcohol and other intoxicants, none have offered a comprehensive, convincing answer to the basic question of why humans want to get high in the first place. Drunk elegantly cuts through the tangle of urban legends and anecdotal impressions that surround our notions of intoxication to provide the first rigorous, scientifically grounded explanation for our love of alcohol.
-
-
The equivalent of Harvey Weinstein writing a book why male dominated workplaces thrive
- By I Listen on 10-10-21
-
Blackout
- Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget
- By: Sarah Hepola
- Narrated by: Sarah Hepola
- Length: 7 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A memoir of unblinking honesty and poignant, laugh-out-loud humor, Blackout is the story of a woman stumbling into a new kind of adventure - the sober life she never wanted. For Sarah Hepola, alcohol was "the gasoline of all adventure". She spent her evenings at cocktail parties and dark bars where she proudly stayed till last call. But there was a price. Publicly, she covered her shame with self-deprecating jokes, and her career flourished, but as the blackouts accumulated, she could no longer avoid a sinking truth.
-
-
Blackout: A Knockout
- By W Perry Hall on 07-17-15
By: Sarah Hepola
-
US of AA
- How the Twelve Steps Hijacked the Science of Alcoholism
- By: Joe Miller
- Narrated by: Sean Patrick Hopkins
- Length: 6 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Five years in the making, this brilliant, in-depth investigative reporting on the history, politics, and science of alcoholism will show how AA became our nation's de facto treatment policy, even as evidence for more effective remedies accumulated. US of AA is a character-driven, beautifully written exposé, full of secrecy, irony, liquor industry money, the shrillest of scare tactics and, at its center, a grand deception. US of AA shines a much-needed spotlight on the addiction treatment industry. It will forever change the way we think about the entire enterprise.
-
-
A Detailed History of Alcoholism
- By Tricia O. on 04-03-19
By: Joe Miller
-
Going Clear
- Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief
- By: Lawrence Wright
- Narrated by: Morton Sellers
- Length: 17 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A clear-sighted revelation, a deep penetration into the world of Scientology by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Looming Tower, the now-classic study of al-Qaeda’s 9/11 attack. Based on more than two hundred personal interviews with current and former Scientologists—both famous and less well known—and years of archival research, Lawrence Wright uses his extraordinary investigative ability to uncover for us the inner workings of the Church of Scientology.
-
-
Shockingly Great
- By Michael on 01-27-13
By: Lawrence Wright
-
Road to Jonestown
- Jim Jones and Peoples Temple
- By: Jeff Guinn
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 17 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the 1950s, a young Indianapolis minister named Jim Jones preached a curious blend of the gospel and Marxism. His congregation was racially mixed, and he was a leader in the early civil rights movement. Eventually, Jones moved his church, Peoples Temple, to northern California, where he got involved in electoral politics and became a prominent Bay Area leader. But underneath the surface lurked a terrible darkness.
-
-
An Important Accurate Historical Report
- By Julia on 08-24-17
By: Jeff Guinn
-
Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
- The “Twelve and Twelve” - Essential Alcoholics Anonymous Reading
- By: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Inc.
- Narrated by: Alcoholics Anonymous World Services Inc.
- Length: 5 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Commonly referred to as the “Twelve and Twelve”, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions comprises 24 foundational essays by Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill W. that have helped millions of A.A. members worldwide both to get and stay sober “one day at a time”, and to ensure that their "Fellowship" - Alcoholics Anonymous as a whole - will be there for them tomorrow.
-
-
Perfect
- By Amazon Customer on 02-25-21
-
Drunk
- How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization
- By: Edward Slingerland
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
While plenty of entertaining books have been written about the history of alcohol and other intoxicants, none have offered a comprehensive, convincing answer to the basic question of why humans want to get high in the first place. Drunk elegantly cuts through the tangle of urban legends and anecdotal impressions that surround our notions of intoxication to provide the first rigorous, scientifically grounded explanation for our love of alcohol.
-
-
The equivalent of Harvey Weinstein writing a book why male dominated workplaces thrive
- By I Listen on 10-10-21
-
Blackout
- Remembering the Things I Drank to Forget
- By: Sarah Hepola
- Narrated by: Sarah Hepola
- Length: 7 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A memoir of unblinking honesty and poignant, laugh-out-loud humor, Blackout is the story of a woman stumbling into a new kind of adventure - the sober life she never wanted. For Sarah Hepola, alcohol was "the gasoline of all adventure". She spent her evenings at cocktail parties and dark bars where she proudly stayed till last call. But there was a price. Publicly, she covered her shame with self-deprecating jokes, and her career flourished, but as the blackouts accumulated, she could no longer avoid a sinking truth.
-
-
Blackout: A Knockout
- By W Perry Hall on 07-17-15
By: Sarah Hepola
-
US of AA
- How the Twelve Steps Hijacked the Science of Alcoholism
- By: Joe Miller
- Narrated by: Sean Patrick Hopkins
- Length: 6 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Five years in the making, this brilliant, in-depth investigative reporting on the history, politics, and science of alcoholism will show how AA became our nation's de facto treatment policy, even as evidence for more effective remedies accumulated. US of AA is a character-driven, beautifully written exposé, full of secrecy, irony, liquor industry money, the shrillest of scare tactics and, at its center, a grand deception. US of AA shines a much-needed spotlight on the addiction treatment industry. It will forever change the way we think about the entire enterprise.
-
-
A Detailed History of Alcoholism
- By Tricia O. on 04-03-19
By: Joe Miller
-
Going Clear
- Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief
- By: Lawrence Wright
- Narrated by: Morton Sellers
- Length: 17 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A clear-sighted revelation, a deep penetration into the world of Scientology by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Looming Tower, the now-classic study of al-Qaeda’s 9/11 attack. Based on more than two hundred personal interviews with current and former Scientologists—both famous and less well known—and years of archival research, Lawrence Wright uses his extraordinary investigative ability to uncover for us the inner workings of the Church of Scientology.
-
-
Shockingly Great
- By Michael on 01-27-13
By: Lawrence Wright
-
Road to Jonestown
- Jim Jones and Peoples Temple
- By: Jeff Guinn
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 17 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the 1950s, a young Indianapolis minister named Jim Jones preached a curious blend of the gospel and Marxism. His congregation was racially mixed, and he was a leader in the early civil rights movement. Eventually, Jones moved his church, Peoples Temple, to northern California, where he got involved in electoral politics and became a prominent Bay Area leader. But underneath the surface lurked a terrible darkness.
-
-
An Important Accurate Historical Report
- By Julia on 08-24-17
By: Jeff Guinn
-
Malcolm X
- A Life of Reinvention
- By: Manning Marable
- Narrated by: G. Valmont Thomas
- Length: 22 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Of the great figure in 20th-century American history perhaps none is more complex and controversial than Malcolm X. Constantly rewriting his own story, he became a criminal, a minister, a leader, and an icon, all before being felled by assassins' bullets at age 39. Through his tireless work and countless speeches he empowered hundreds of thousands of black Americans to create better lives and stronger communities while establishing the template for the self-actualized, independent African American man.
-
-
invites further reading on Malcolm X
- By connie on 05-14-11
By: Manning Marable
-
Inside Scientology
- The Story of America's Most Secretive Religion
- By: Janet Reitman
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 15 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Scientology, created in 1954 by a prolific sci-fi writer named L. Ron Hubbard, claims to be the world's fastest-growing religion, with millions of members around the world and huge financial holdings. Its celebrity believers keep its profile high, and its teams of "volunteer ministers" offer aid at disaster sites such as Haiti and the World Trade Center. But Scientology is also a notably closed faith, harassing journalists and others through litigation and intimidation, even infiltrating the highest levels of government to further its goals.
-
-
My cup of tea.
- By MWMcCabe on 08-09-11
By: Janet Reitman
-
Saxum
- The Life of Alvaro del Portillo
- By: John F. Coverdale
- Narrated by: Elliott Bales
- Length: 6 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Saxum - the Latin word means rock - is a term that St. Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei, sometimes used in letters to Alvaro del Portillo to describe him. Don Alvaro, as he came to be known, was for many years the founder's closest associate as well as his successor and first Prelate of Opus Dei after it became a personal prelature-a foundational rock for this dynamic international Catholic group devoted to promoting sanctity in ordinary life.
-
-
Inspiring!
- By Andrew Narduzzi on 10-07-23
-
Combating Cult Mind Control
- The #1 Best-Selling Guide to Protection, Rescue, and Recovery from Destructive Cults
- By: Steven Hassan
- Narrated by: Daniel Greenberg
- Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This essential guide explores the methods by which groups and individuals can manipulate people's minds and behaviors in a subtle and covert manner. Hassan combines his personal narrative with extensive psychological research to provide strategies for protection, intervention, and healing for those affected by destructive cults.
-
-
Getting to know you.
- By Bryan Zingen on 10-27-18
By: Steven Hassan
-
Alcoholics Anonymous, Deluxe Edition
- The Original Text of the Life-Changing Landmark
- By: Bill W.
- Narrated by: Mitch Horowitz
- Length: 11 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here is a book that has changed millions of lives and launched the modern recovery movement: Alcoholics Anonymous. This edition not only reproduces the original 1939 text of Alcoholics Anonymous, but as a special bonus features the complete 1941 Saturday Evening Post article “Alcoholics Anonymous” by journalist Jack Alexander, which, at the time, did as much as the book itself to introduce millions of seekers to AA’s program. Alcoholics Anonymous has touched and transformed myriad lives, and cont
-
-
Love This Book!
- By Marnie N. Peters on 10-09-15
By: Bill W.
-
True Tales from the Edgar Cayce Archives
- Lives Touched and Lessons Learned from the Sleeping Prophet
- By: Sidney Kirkpatrick, Nancy Kirkpatrick
- Narrated by: Scott R. Pollak
- Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There is perhaps no modern psychic more fascinating than Edgar Cayce and no better authors to explore the intricate details and eye-opening stories of the people who received his readings than Sidney and Nancy Kirkpatrick. The Kirkpatricks, with decades of experience and research, take us on a journey into the archives and history of these psychic passages, finding the most interesting case studies and exploring the most astounding results of the Cayce work in so many people's lives.
-
-
You will believe in Cayce if you don't already
- By Larry on 09-18-16
By: Sidney Kirkpatrick, and others
-
Alcoholics Anonymous - Big Book - Original Edition
- By: BN Publishing
- Narrated by: Jason McCoy
- Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alcoholics Anonymous -t he Big Book has served as a lifeline to millions worldwide. First published in 1939, Alcoholics Anonymous sets forth cornerstone concepts of recovery from alcoholism and tells the stories of men and women who have overcome the disease. This is the most widely used resource for millions of individuals in recovery.
-
-
Big Book review
- By Jodie on 09-13-10
By: BN Publishing
-
Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book (2nd Edition)
- The Story of How Many Thousands of Men and Women Have Recovered from Alcoholism
- By: Bill W.
- Narrated by: Kevin Coan
- Length: 5 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the most modern audio version of the Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book. The second edition of the seminal work of Alcoholics Anonymous, The Big Book, was released in 1955 and continues to be extremely influential in the lives of so many addicts. The basic text of the Big Book contained in this audiobook remains unchanged and is still used in the program to this day!
-
-
Very valuable info.; needs skilled narrator
- By Amazon Customer on 03-04-18
By: Bill W.
-
Leadership by Example
- The Ten Key Principles of All Great Leaders
- By: Dr. Sanjiv Chopra, David Fisher
- Narrated by: Alan Sklar
- Length: 3 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Leadership by Example is an accessible and inspiring guide to good leadership based on a popular lecture that Dr. Sanjiv Chopra has presented to thousands. Very few of us are leaders all the time, in everything we do, but all of us can become a leader in specific situations. In a committee, in business, at a social club, or religious institution - we all find a time in our lives when we can lead. Few people set out knowingly to become leaders; rather, they see a need and find a way of dealing with it, and often others choose to follow their example.
-
-
Constant contradiction
- By AttackGirl on 12-27-23
By: Dr. Sanjiv Chopra, and others
-
Living History
- By: Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Narrated by: Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
You've probably heard clips from Senator Clinton's interview with Barbara Walters. But now you can listen to her full account of her years in the White House. Hillary Clinton vividly describes her pain over her husband's betrayal with Monica Lewinky saying that former President Bill Clinton lied to her about the relationship until the weekend before he admitted the nature of it to a grand jury.
-
-
Dare To Read - She Will Dare To Compete in 2008
- By Michael on 06-17-03
-
Breathing Under Water
- Spirituality and the Twelve Steps
- By: Father Richard Rohr OFM, Anne Lamott - foreword
- Narrated by: John Quigley OFM
- Length: 4 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
We all suffer from unhealthy dependencies that we continually return to in hopes of having a better life. But after yet another TV show is streamed or another drink is swallowed, we find we once again feel worse, not better, than we did before. Where is the hope for that fully awakened life we long to live?
-
-
NOT JUST FOE 12-STEPPERS!!!!!
- By Musical Theatre Fan on 04-16-23
By: Father Richard Rohr OFM, and others
-
Rush
- Revolution, Madness, and Benjamin Rush, the Visionary Doctor Who Became a Founding Father
- By: Stephen Fried
- Narrated by: John H. Mayer
- Length: 22 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
By the time he was 30, Dr. Benjamin Rush had signed the Declaration of Independence, edited Common Sense, toured Europe as Benjamin Franklin’s protégé, and become John Adams’s confidant, and was soon to be appointed Washington’s surgeon general. And as with the greatest Revolutionary minds, Rush was only just beginning his role in 1776 in the American experiment.
-
-
The narration problem can be corrected
- By Sandra L. on 09-27-18
By: Stephen Fried
What listeners say about Drunks
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- megan Windeler
- 11-19-17
Full of facts and great stories
This book was an informative and captivating journey into the world of The American Drunk and the history of recovery, and public attitudes around addiction and recovery. I think it’s a must read for anyone who has an addict in their life or is one themselves...so really everyone.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- A. Bees
- 05-30-24
Amazing and comprehensive history of alcoholism!
As a recovering alcoholic/addict, I thoroughly enjoyed listening. This is a great listen for anybody interested in the history of alcoholism and addiction.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!