This audiobook soberly examines the prospect of having a missile that could destroy half your state move into your neighborhood. Narrator Susan Boyce presents the history of the Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), weapons capable of destroying the world, which were hidden in plain sight in thousands of communities in the U.S. during the Cold War. Boyce's journalistic performance enhances this powerful, and important, book about a bizarre chapter of American life—how everyday Americans learned to live with a supersonic missile as a neighbor. Unless you knew where to look, there was little to indicate that a warhead was hidden underground, but the neighbors always knew. The Cold War is now something for the history books, but these are the stories of people who lived it.
Pub Date: 2014
Duration: 8 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A brilliant piece of work that proves love can survive war.
Journalists are trained to look for and deliver facts, and Irish reporter Hayden did that, but she also did something more: She looked for love amid war. Narrator Aoife McMahon, with her delightful Irish accent, brings us the stories Hayden found while reporting the news. She explores war's impact on people and their relationships. She tells stories of the courageous soldier in Ukraine who confesses discomfort during his home visits and queer people in Ghana, where their love could have deadly consequences. From battle-scarred countries the world over, including Uganda, Iraq, and Rwanda, McMahon relates these stories with a beautiful dignity. They reveal terror and horror but also unexpected love, compassion, and survival.
A brilliant piece of work that proves love can survive war.Pub Date: June 16, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs, 41 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797198644
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2026
Addis delivers a satisfying performance that will keep listeners engaged in this commendable history.
Matt Addis narrates Bayliss’ detailed but straightforward history of Sparta, from prehistory to the destruction of the Spartan hegemony in the 360s B.C.E., both ably and amiably. His resonant voice is likeable, if sometimes scratchy. And his manner is so thoroughly friendly that the program seems like history as narrated by a kindly uncle—but an astute one. His understanding and interpretation of the text are precise, and his tones and emphases are correct and helpful. Addis’ pacing is slightly slow, with notable pauses between text blocks, but given the complicated interurban politics of the ancient Greek city-states, moderate pacing is helpful rather than distracting.
Addis delivers a satisfying performance that will keep listeners engaged in this commendable history.Pub Date: May 19, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 27 mins
DD ISBN: 9798899749254
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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