Fred Sanders uses a smooth, authoritative delivery to describe one of the South's most controversial Confederate generals. At the height of the Civil War, James Longstreet was one of the most tenacious leaders of Confederate troops. With perfect pacing and a tinge of sorrow, Sanders describes Longstreet's reactions to Gettysburg and the South's defeat. After the war, Longstreet moved his family to New Orleans and found resistance and ridicule when he rejected the Lost Cause narrative. Sanders captures Longstreet's melancholy as he joined Louisiana's newly elected integrated postwar government. When white supremacists there took up arms in a coup, Longstreet led the interracial state militia and subdued former Confederates. Sanders's effective and empathetic performance adds significantly to Varon's extensive profile.
Pub Date: Nov. 21, 2023
Duration: 14 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797166155
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Manchester’s incisive writing and Parker’s friendly narration make this a compelling package on the life of 20th century icon General Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964). No student of modern times can ignore this vain, mercurial soldier whose battlefield brilliance conserved the lives of his soldiers even as they cut their opponents to ribbons. Listening to Parker, one imagines a jovial uncle delivering a slap on the back and sitting down to describe war experiences in a rich voice filled with humor and pathos. He pronounces Japanese names, New Guinea cities and American slang with effortless ease. The “you-are-there” quality grabs and holds. This is a carefully done, seamless audio presentation.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 16 hrs
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A splendid narration of an engaging biography.
Rob Heaps gives a strong narration of this account of the enigmatic and controversial (to say the least) Russian mystic who will forever be intertwined with the life of the last Romanov czar. Beevor gives a detailed description of life at the Romanov court and in Russia on the eve of the revolutions and ensuing civil war. Beevor’s own views of Rasputin may seem “ambiguous” to some, but then Rasputin was a person of strong contradictions—devoutly religious and compulsively lecherous. Heaps also narrated Russia (2022), Beevor’s history of the Russian Revolution, and the two works are complementary. Heaps’ excellent performance is easy to understand and follow, although his British pronunciation of Russian words and names may grate on purists.
A splendid narration of an engaging biography.Pub Date: April 14, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 13 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217281848
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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