Golden Voice Juliet Stevenson's wise, somewhat bemused voice has introduced dozens of British classics to a generation of listeners. Her approach is familiar, subdued, precise. She skillfully builds and shapes this unexpectedly compelling history of the world's most performed piece of music. How Handel's MESSIAH came to be is a story with many twists, but it provides a focus for the broader story of an era, a society, and a string of history-altering events. This is one of the year's most satisfying popular histories, and one that will appeal to a broad range of listeners. Stevenson's voice isn't melodic, and it's toughened with age. But few narrators are as attuned to the rhythms and nuances of a narrative, or closer to its heart.
Pub Date: Oct. 29, 2024
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593947593
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
James Michener tells the real stories behind the man and his books. The recording is read with skill and consistency although the reader does little to enhance the robust, larger-than-life incidents related in the book. Due to the first-person narrative format, there is no opportunity for the narrator to change his voice. This makes some chapters monotonous as they go on and on in the typical Michener style. The listener may also become confused because the stories are not told chronologically. This is not a great choice for the audio format, but Michener fans may stick with it to the end.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In a quest for a sense of inner contentment and self-worth, Gloria Steinem brings the reader on a journey of investigation and discovery. Steinem reads the text herself in a straightforward and friendly, but not intimate, presentation which is so easy to listen to it invites repetition--thus ensuring the painless relearning of the lessons of the book. It's difficult to tell from the reading that this audiobook is abridged; each section can stand alone. Nonetheless, the listener wished the book were unabridged. Steinem left me wanting to learn more.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Dove Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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