Those interested in the history of Donovan, the wartime OSS, and the WWII era in general will be drawn to this title, but for anyone else its appeal is uncertain. There’s much to be said about Donovan’s style of espionage and the story of the postwar birth of the CIA, but this ancestors-to-grave biography dissipates its energies. Furthermore, Johnny Heller doesn’t succeed in establishing a thread or an arc for his narration. He is quite effective whenever the action picks up and draws him, and the listener, in. But through the bulk of the text he falls back on the practiced rhythms of the professional narrator, often without regard to syntax and with a monotony that builds in the listener’s mind, chapter by chapter. Production values are high here, and this is still a title worth recommending.
Pub Date: March 28, 2011
Duration: 14 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Tantor Media
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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