“Harrowing” may be an overused descriptor for war memoirs, but in fairness, the author earns it. Fair narrates his story straightforwardly, tracing his path from his upbringing in a blue-collar town to his work as a translator for the military, then as a contractor working in Abu Ghraib and other now infamous locations of the Iraq War. Fair recounts his involvement with torture and the emotional toll his life takes on his own family, especially his wife, as he commits to more work in the Middle East despite a heart condition that eventually lands him on the transplant list. Fair’s voice is honest and direct, taking the tone of a confession to the listener.
Pub Date: April 5, 2016
Duration: 7 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781427268068
Publisher: Macmillan 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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