The Brothers

A true-life saga of the remarkable family who made America free

By: Karl Zinsmeister

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

This imaginative re-creation tells the lost true story of three brothers who turned America against human bondage. During the Jacksonian era when our politics were harshly partisan, ferociously personal, and often gridlocked, the Tappan brothers pioneered new ways of solving national problems—through philanthropic gifts, mass-persuasion campaigns, courtroom battles, religious appeals, and skillful culture reform. Set in an emerging New York City, amidst grave social tumult and the Erie Canal economic boom, the story churns through the making of vast fortunes, frontier explorations, grand sea voyages, Tammany Hall violence, shocking urban riots, slave escapes, press scandals, legal dramas, a stunning fire, duplicity in the White House and Senate, and searing personal loss. Through it all, the three brothers touch an astonishing number of seminal American events and personalities—from Alexander Hamilton and Gilbert Stuart to Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. And despite some bitter clashes, they somehow manage to keep loving each other. In that and other ways, this historical tale offers fascinating detail, drama, and inspiration that transport readers to a national moment with much relevance for contemporary America.