This is a breezy, somewhat cursory examination of how conservative Republican President Ronald Reagan and liberal Democratic Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill bridged their differences to create compromise in the 1980s. Chris Matthews, a member of O'Neill's leadership staff, offers an engaging, well-articulated narration. Matthews's emphatic staccato sounds far less bombastic in this audiobook than it does on his "Hardball" television show. However, the listener occasionally has difficulty determining who is speaking as Matthews portrays events in the key participants' paraphrased words without any vocal differentiation. Matthews's theme is that O'Neill was ill equipped to measure up to Reagan in the early years of "all-media/all-the-time" politics.
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2013
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781442366435
Publisher: Simon & Schuster 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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