Not since Jack Johnson has a black fighter received such public vituperation during his heyday as Muhammad Ali. Now that the champ is disabled with Parkinson's the media are erring in the opposite direction. This biography brings welcome perspective, reducing the mythical saint to human proportions. Not that doing so diminishes Ali's greatness as a fighter or even his achievements out of the ring--quite the opposite. Michigan actor Dick Hill gives a superb reading of a tasteful abridgment. He adopts a thoroughly masculine sound, befitting his subject, but stopping short of the sportscaster's swagger. Every line-reading tells. Furthermore, he imbues the many quotes from eyewitnesses, Ali included, with personality. He impersonates so many disparate characters, mostly barely literate tough guys and ethnics, that avoiding caricature is nearly impossible. But he manages always to stay within the bounds of good taste while making each person distinctive. Speaking of taste, the book contains the obligatory descriptions of pugilistic bloodletting that delights fight fans and revolts everyone else. Hill communicates the excitement of these passages without the usual sadistic glee. This reviewer has not heard this narrator before, but just on the strength of this tape, Hill gets our vote for a profile in AudioFile. There are many flashier performances on audiotape, but few better.
Pub Date: April 28, 2005
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Brilliance 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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