This centenary year of the Russian Revolution promises a string of new audio histories, but not many will surpass this one for impact. Xe Sands is a subtle and empathetic narrator--not the voice you'd immediately think of for a story of violent upheaval. Helen Rappaport's narrative, too, told from the perspective of Westerners in the Russian capital in 1917, might initially seem narrow and parochial. But together they bring the listener down to street level to witness firsthand a chain of events that seems astonishing even today. Hunger, confusion, high hopes, terror, and ruthless determination fueled those uncertain months, and, as the chapters unfold, you see and feel with vivid immediacy how everything could have been so different--and yet could have ended no other way.
Pub Date: Feb. 7, 2017
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781427284785
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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