On September 29, 1938, Neville Chamberlain, Adolf Hitler, and Benito Mussolini signed the Munich Agreement, which transferred to Germany the Sudetenland, a part of Czechoslovakia that contained a large German-speaking population. The word “Munich” became synonymous with appeasement. Author David Faber writes an in-depth analysis of the historic pre-war negotiations, including the Fürher’s embarrassment at a field marshal marrying a prostitute and the army chief of staff having homosexual liaisons in a Berlin restroom. Narrator Arthur Morey's soft voice melts into the background as he reads, allowing the people and events to take prominence. The abundance of European names and places flows with ease from his lips as he makes the intimate portraits of the famous principals as real as meeting them.
Pub Date: Nov. 30, 2009
Duration: 19 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
GENERAL HISTORY | MODERN | WORLD | HISTORY
Geoffrey C. Ward's audiobook version of the current Ken Burns documentary series recounts the history of the Revolution as a story, and Robert Petkoff delivers it as such. He matches its narrative flow with a polished performance that draws the listener compulsively and pleasurably along. Never calling attention to himself, he narrates the text deftly with a subtle but perceptible mirroring of both sense and feeling. Petkoff's performance is like a dish that the more you have of it, the more you want. Six sidebar essays by other authors are split between narrators Beth Hicks and Fred Sanders. While they're not up to Petkoff's level of fluidity--Sanders' performance is somewhat stiff--both are able and professional enough. Overall, an engaging, illuminating retelling of America's founding story.
Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2025
Duration: 22 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217165483
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Never underestimate the value of a pleasing voice, especially when the subject is history--in particular, a topic as obtuse as the English Civil War. Mark Meadows's light British accent is an enhancement and a defining feature of this well-told narrative, a sequel of sorts to Oxford scholar Jonathan Healey's THE BLAZING WORLD. That narrative surveyed the entire revolutionary 17th century in Britain. This one focuses on a few momentous months when King Charles I and his Parliament split irrevocably, and England spiraled into civil war. As a case study in government deadlock and division, these events draw numerous parallels to contemporary scenarios. As an audiobook experience, Meadows delivers a lucid, arresting analysis of the how and why of England's most tragic era.
Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2025
Duration: 13 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217165612
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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