This intimate portrait of the life of a presidential speechwriter is both informative and touching. The author, who served as Barack Obama's chief speechwriter, narrates the audiobook, giving it immediacy. He talks of being holed up in the basement "speech cave" while crafting the president's speeches and statements, and then anxiously sitting down with him to hear his feedback. Obama comes across as a clear headed perfectionist who pushed his writers to transcend the mundane. During the period covered, the author worked on several high-stakes speeches, including possible responses to the Supreme Court's decisions on the Affordable Care Act and same-sex marriage, as well as the shooting at Charleston's Mother Emanuel Church, which killed nine people. For listeners interested in the politics of persuasion, this audiobook is a must.
Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
Duration: 8 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063274457
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A personal performance of a spiritual journey.
Vance narrates a spirited discussion of his departure from Christianity and religion generally, as well as his subsequent return. His commanding performance is moving, solid, authentic, and sincere. Vance’s deep voice is enhanced by his precise enunciation and is measured and appropriate to the material. In what could be considered a sequel to his 2016 autobiography, Hillbilly Elegy, listeners hear his evolution as a human being, family man, and leader. The consistently absorbing and entertaining narration pays tribute to his mentors, friends inside and outside the military, and most emphatically his wife, Usha, who practices Hinduism.
A personal performance of a spiritual journey.Pub Date: June 16, 2026
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780063575080
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Aug. 18, 2026
A doyenne of American literature, Godwin, now 89, adds to her distinguished body of work.
Rosemary Benson has narrated Godwin’s work before, and she conveys the contemplative and appalled tone of this brief memoir. Her performance reveals the author’s disappointment in the country’s state of political affairs during the 2024 election. Godwin sees then-candidate Trump as an emblem of corruption, and she painstakingly analyzes his debate with Kamala Harris and the idea of citizenship, quoting liberally from Brian Tangury’s blog Working-Class Scribbler. Other sections show the arc of Godwin’s long career, recalling her life in the 1960s working for the U.S. Travel Service and her ill-considered marriage.
A doyenne of American literature, Godwin, now 89, adds to her distinguished body of work.Pub Date: June 9, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs, 16 mins
DD ISBN: 9781639739004
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: July 7, 2026
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