The author of this important audiobook about autocrats and their dealings is also its narrator. That isn't unusual in nonfiction, and it has its advantages: A committed expert brings authority and, often, experience with public speaking to the role. Thus, this author/narrator compellingly describes her rogues list of autocrats, ranging from China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin to Hungary's Viktor Orbán and Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro. Applebaum explains how each surrounds himself with corrupt enablers as he climbs to the pinnacle of power. She outlines their methods for keeping their citizenry in line and for wreaking havoc on countries that disagree with their ideology--and notes ways to counteract their power. Especially important is her cogently argued belief that ordinary citizens can ultimately prevail.
Pub Date: July 23, 2024
Duration: 4 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593949689
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
While author Zengerle provides a workmanlike reading of the lengthy prologue, Beth Hicks successfully presents an engaging, straightforward, and unadorned narration of the balance. Zengerle, a New York Times Magazine writer, presents a well-researched, if highly-opinionated, examination of the life and evolution of conservative pundit Tucker Carlson. Zengerle also examines the polarization of media covering American politics online and on cable networks, such as CNN and Fox News. Despite the author's sharply critical and, at times, angry rhetoric, Hicks manages to offer a calm and nuanced narration. Hicks delivers on this treatise profiling the American body politics' radicalization and extreme polarity in both the process itself and its coverage reporting.
Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798217296149
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Zygar, who was born at the beginning of the last decade of the USSR, is now an expatriate Russian journalist living in the West. In this audiobook he provides great detail on the interpersonal relationships among the various members of the Soviet ruling elite and how what seemed like an opportunity for "democracy" was muffed by all parties concerned. Henning's clear voice is easily understood. While his frequent mispronunciations of Russian names and words may be a distraction, the information he presents is interesting, and Zygar is a good writer. Henning's overall narration brings clarity to the decades-long decline and seemingly sudden demise of the Soviet Union.
Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2025
Duration: 22 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797192918
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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