Michael Prichard's voice and cadence make him sound a bit like radio personality Paul Harvey, and that works to the benefit of his listeners. The explorer Amerigo Vespucci took part in exploring the New World after the generation of Columbus. He lived a complex life that will be pretty alien to modern readers. Prichard's surging pace and folksy tone do a good job of grounding the author's scholarship and making Vespucci's story seem familiar. It doesn't hurt that the author writes with a dramatic flair and a vivid turn of phrase, which often create an intensity that Prichard drives home. The result is an approachable account of the life of this intrepid navigator.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2007
Duration: 9 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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