This is a title best heard in brief installments.
Many listeners will find this audiobook daunting. The concept is intriguing: to reconstruct everyday Romans’ views of their Caesars through jokes, songs, rumors, nicknames, and private messages. The research is impressive and the evidence extensive. The narrative is divided into five general categories but before very long, the copious historical examples in each category become overwhelming. Narrator Christopher Grove is skilled and effective but, lacking a narrative thread or arc, he relies on speed and agility, leaping across centuries from one Caesar to another, from Roman to Byzantine rulers, and from example to example.
This is a title best heard in brief installments.Pub Date: March 10, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 25 mins
DD ISBN: 9798318568749
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: today
Narrator David Shih impeccably introduces renowned artist Ai Weiwei, whose outspoken stand on the freedoms denied in China has made him a government target. Here he looks at 100 years of Chinese history through his life and that of his father, Ai Qing, a well-known poet. Shih faultlessly captures Ai Weiwei's first-person story and gracefully recites Ai Qing's magnificent poetry. Both men's imprisonment is powerfully conveyed, along with descriptions of cities, remote villages, and vibrant conversations with famous and ordinary people. Ai Weiwei's activism is more widely covered than his art. His sadness, sarcasm, optimism, and wit, as well as quotes from his young son, are enlivened by Shih's considerable skill. Audio enhances this unflinching look at China and an extraordinary man.
Pub Date: Nov. 2, 2021
Duration: 13 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780399567537
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Charles Mann’s new book about the world transformed by the “Columbian Exchange” lacks the single-minded focus of his popular 1491, in which he endeavored to prove that pre-Columbian America was densely populated and culturally advanced. Still, the new book is full of surprising information. Robertson Dean’s bass voice provides authority even to Mann’s most speculative claims. While some of his regular mispronunciations (for example, “King dynasty” for “Qing dynasty, pronounced "Ching”) can be trying, his performance is consistent and clear. Mann’s focus on ecological change, trade with Asia, and the Indo/African aspects of New World settlement is laudable. If you haven’t thought about the effects of Columbus’s exploration for a decade or two, Mann will rock your world.
Pub Date: Aug. 9, 2011
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780307913777
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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