Chelsea Manning narrates her own memoir, which chronicles her ambition to make the government and military transparent and beholden to the citizenry they serve. Manning leaked to the public thousands of documents and videos she collected as an Army intelligence analyst in Iraq. Her 35-year sentence to a federal penitentiary was commuted in 2017 after 7 years. Hearing her life story in her own words and voice layers in a compelling sense of intimacy and urgency. In a meticulous account, Manning not only confronts her drive for transparency but also examines her life of gender dysphoria before her gender-affirmation surgery. Manning maintains a flat affect when describing the abuse she's endured. Her text and performance create a blistering autobiography that is both observant and instructive.
Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2022
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781250241719
Publisher: Macmillan 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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