The author uses events from his own life to comment on the nation’s intelligence gathering. As part of the CIA, Crumpton spent time abroad, with posts in Africa and missions in Afghanistan. David Colacci’s narration is decent; he even delivers voices with growls or twangs when appropriate. The book stresses the importance of effective intelligence gathering—often through the development of foreigners on their home soil—in the face of the frustrations of politics. The latter half focuses on the CIA’s contributions to the efforts to defeat Al Qaeda. Colacci’s steady tone changes only when he is portraying an assertive Cofer Black during his discussions with the author. The book’s only shortcoming—and an understandable one—may be the lack of detail on exactly how spies pass along information, or other facts of a clandestine nature.
Pub Date: May 14, 2012
Duration: 13 hrs
Publisher: Penguin 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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