This incisive broadside against the ubiquitous American narrative that anyone can be successful if they work hard enough could not have found a better narrator than Beth Hicks. The author's writing tone is indignant and unsparing in its takedown of the self-sufficiency myth, a tone that Hicks's performance renders with finesse. Her delivery expresses author Alissa Quart's complaints with the same authority and determination found in her excellent reporting; Hicks never lets her delivery sound shrill or snarky. This well-documented audiobook looks at how culture, the media, and politicians use the romantic ideal of individual determination to shame people who are disadvantaged by systemic obstacles, and to relieve the ruling class from the obligation to level the playing field with robust social programs.
Pub Date: March 14, 2023
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063028043
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Kristin Atherton is the absolute right choice to narrate this riveting and complex history of the rise of global terrorism. The research provided here is ambitious, providing a clear-eyed, deeply considered history of the nature of terrorist acts, the motivations for which were hard for news broadcasts of the 1970s to fully capture. Atherton's narration never wavers as Burke covers the well-known events of airplane hijackings, the Munich Olympic attacks, and the Beirut bombings of 1983, "the bloodiest year." The result is an insightful history that gives context to events that may have seemed disparate to casual observers. Atherton maintains a comprehensive, consistent voice throughout this long, gripping audiobook.
Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
Duration: 25 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217018796
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Erin Bennett narrates this unknown story of World War II intrigue that could be straight out of Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Listeners hear how a half-Jewish woman from a prominent Berlin family, Ruth Kuehn, had an affair with Joseph Goebbels. Rather than having her murdered, he sent her and her entire family to live in Honolulu. There the family established a spy network and passed all sorts of information to the Germans and the Japanese, which the latter used in planning the attack on Pearl Harbor. Bennett's enunciation is clear and precise, and she credibly affects various accents for people of different nationalities, as well as male and female voices. Bennett's alto pitch and calm presentation are splendid for this amazing true story.
Pub Date: Nov. 25, 2025
Duration: 8 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250415585
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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