Ronald L. Davis, a historian from Southern Methodist University, tracks John Wayne's life from his childhood in Iowa to beyond the grave. Davis uses interviews gleaned from Wayne's last wife, Pilar, Maureen O'Hara and John Ford's son, among others. We follow the Duke from his unhappy boyhood with his overbearing mother and his beloved but bumbling father, through his accidental beginnings in the movie business, to his becoming a movie star and then a national icon. Davis reveals a complex personality, both insecure and courageous, compassionate and yet unswerving in its political prejudices. Adams Morgan's reading doesn't interfere with the text, but after a few hours of hearing about heavy drinking and smoking in the company of cowboys, the allure of the Duke eludes me.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1999
Duration: 16 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Blackstone 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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