For seventy years history had been overshadowed by the fictions of the Soviet empire. Then in 1990 history returned with a vengeance. Combining meticulous historical scholarship with on-the-spot journalism, David Remnick takes his readers all over the former empire, weaving together the heroic stories of those who risked their lives to gather records, those who challenged the system, and those who conformed but waited for the opportune time to act. The result is a Pulitzer Prize-winning account of the fascinating transition from party dictatorship to hard-won freedom. This is an important book, and Michael Prichard's reading pays tribute to that importance. It is careful and thoughtful, yet fraught with excitement. When Yeltsin mounts the tank outside the Russian parliament building, Prichard's voice mirrors the tension and triumph in Remnick's prose. The audio production is a flawlessly clear yet moving vehicle for the author's work, and as honest a way to read history as having the print copy in hand.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2001
Duration: 31 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A well-read explanation that will keep listeners engaged.
In a pleasing voice, Gordon Rothman narrates this account of how the current war in Ukraine started. Kinzer, a former foreign correspondent, goes back to the CIA’s clandestine war against the USSR, particularly its operations in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, to trace the origins of the conflict. “Ukraine is magnetically attractive to anyone looking for ways to keep Russia down or to bring it down,” Kinzer writes. He concludes that, although Russia was wrong to invade Ukraine in 2022, it was not unprovoked. Rothman’s delivery is clear, and his pace is easy to follow. Some of his pronunciations of Russian and Ukrainian names are anglicized.
A well-read explanation that will keep listeners engaged.Pub Date: Nov. 3, 2026
Duration: 13 hrs, 9 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250451781
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Nov. 11, 2026
A story of survival through unthinkable tragedy that the wistful little girl in the portrait could never have imagined.
Narrator Jenn Lee brings a storyteller’s flair to this true saga of the Renoir portrait La Petite Irène, painted in 1880 and stolen by the Nazis during WWII. Irène Cahen d’Anvers was the daughter of a wealthy Jewish banking family who were targeted and destroyed during the occupation of Paris. But Irène survived by changing her religion and remarrying, eventually recovering the painting. The survival story of the portrait is equally dramatic and full of twists and turns in the world of underground art dealings. Lee’s talent for French is evident in her pronunciation of names, locales, and expressions, adding a vivid sense of place and atmosphere.
A story of survival through unthinkable tragedy that the wistful little girl in the portrait could never have imagined.Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 51 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668659656
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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