Not every audiobook offers pleasurable listening, and narrator Jonathan Todd Ross has a particular gift for making topics of narrow interest—liquid rocket propellants, for example—palatable for general listeners. Few eras in American history are as unpalatable as that ignited by WWI and extending into the 1920s, a time when unchecked racism, union opposition, and patriotic fervor stoked dozens of incidents of violence and savagery. None of it makes for easy listening, but this is undoubtedly one of this year’s best and most important histories, narrated with impressive skill, balance, and restraint. The many links to our own uneasy present are implicit, and the evil precedents described here are critical history that bears on dozens of relevant issues today.
Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
Duration: 15 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780063274488
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Carol Matthau epitomizes a glamour and lifestyle not associated with the 1990's. Here is a life of privilege, tragedy and worry about what friends would think of her new frock or lover. Matthau possesses a voice and delivery that simply could not be improved on. In her coy whisper, she tells compelling stories involving everyone from William Saroyan (husband #1) and Truman Capote to Carson McCullers, Gloria Vanderbilt, and Walter Matthau (husband #2). This excellent audio presentation will leave you wanting to read the entire book to discover what juicy tidbits were left out.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: The Publishing Mills
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A perfect marriage of text and delivery.
Women are routinely missing from American history texts. This audiobook seeks to remedy that. Journalist O’Donnell’s TV-honed voice carries the stories in compelling fashion. Dozens of overlooked heroines are profiled, such as Elizabeth Freeman, an enslaved woman who filed a lawsuit to obtain her freedom, or Emily Warren Roebling, an engineer who saved the Brooklyn Bridge when her husband fell ill. The writing style is straightforward and narrative-based, making it easy for listeners to follow. O’Donnell varies her tone to suit the material, reflecting intensity, disbelief, humor, and admiration. The sketches are generally short, making this a perfect audiobook for people with short windows of opportunity for listening.
A perfect marriage of text and delivery.Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 37 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217176236
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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