If you didn’t know that this biography of Israeli general and political leader Ariel Sharon is read by Rich Topol, you’d swear it’s Sharon’s son, Gilad Sharon, doing the narration. The book is written in the first person and draws heavily on the elder Sharon’s personal letters and documents. Topol offers a solid, even intimate, reading. When he says “I”—whether it’s the author’s spoken words or a quotation from a letter—the listener will get the feeling it is Sharon the younger or elder who is speaking. Bringing to life a book that portrays the man in a personal way, Topol’s conversational tone carries the listener along. He differentiates mood by raising his pitch slightly during light family-oriented passages and slowing the pace down significantly—almost to the extent of pausing between each word—during especially emotional ones, such as when the author writes about terrorist attacks on Israeli citizens.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2011
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780062099785
Publisher: Harper 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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