This audiobook introduces listeners to people the author believes may have more influence over the success of presidencies than anyone except the chief executives themselves--chiefs of staff. Narrator Mark Bramhall's deep pitch will rattle the low end of your sound system, and he uses it to report the facts in a no-nonsense approach that fits this book's tone. Bramhall doesn't have an elastic voice, but he does have an authoritative tone, and he sets a pace that allows us to follow the intrigue, political infighting, and policy successes that historical chiefs of staff have experienced during their tenures. He tells stories that most Americans haven't heard in a low-key manner that allows the words to take precedence.
Pub Date: April 4, 2017
Duration: 11 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781524722951
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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