Any audiobook that opens with the battle history of the 1905 Russo-Japanese War is likely to daunt narrator and listener. James Adams prevails through sheer expertise. He is adept and nimble with dozens of names of generals, battle sites, and battleships. He's never tripped up by the cosmopolitan nuances of a German-born Soviet spy operating out of Tokyo, or by the glottal sloughs of the German siege of Moscow. Alistair Horne's theme of military disaster resulting from hubris is vividly demonstrated in a series of dramatic modern defeats. A history of colossal military blunders is instructive, and fascinating in its own right, but after 12 hours, something of a downer.
Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2015
Duration: 12 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780062420831
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
GENERAL HISTORY | MODERN | MILITARY | WORLD | HISTORY
Geoffrey C. Ward's audiobook version of the current Ken Burns documentary series recounts the history of the Revolution as a story, and Robert Petkoff delivers it as such. He matches its narrative flow with a polished performance that draws the listener compulsively and pleasurably along. Never calling attention to himself, he narrates the text deftly with a subtle but perceptible mirroring of both sense and feeling. Petkoff's performance is like a dish that the more you have of it, the more you want. Six sidebar essays by other authors are split between narrators Beth Hicks and Fred Sanders. While they're not up to Petkoff's level of fluidity--Sanders' performance is somewhat stiff--both are able and professional enough. Overall, an engaging, illuminating retelling of America's founding story.
Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2025
Duration: 22 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217165483
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Never underestimate the value of a pleasing voice, especially when the subject is history--in particular, a topic as obtuse as the English Civil War. Mark Meadows's light British accent is an enhancement and a defining feature of this well-told narrative, a sequel of sorts to Oxford scholar Jonathan Healey's THE BLAZING WORLD. That narrative surveyed the entire revolutionary 17th century in Britain. This one focuses on a few momentous months when King Charles I and his Parliament split irrevocably, and England spiraled into civil war. As a case study in government deadlock and division, these events draw numerous parallels to contemporary scenarios. As an audiobook experience, Meadows delivers a lucid, arresting analysis of the how and why of England's most tragic era.
Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2025
Duration: 13 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217165612
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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