Blessed with a fine and resonant voice, James Fouhey eloquently performs this revisionist history. His clear tone and thoughtful pace enrich the portraits of unsung activists and pioneering thinkers in this compelling audiobook. Cultural historian Gaines upends the bland decade of the fifties by revealing the "underground history" that spawned the gay and Civil Rights movements and the roots of feminism and ecology. He profiles Harry Hay, founder of the pro-gay rights Mettachine Society; Robert F. Williams, who led armed Black WWII vets against KKK attacks; Fanny Lou Hamer, the extraordinarily brave leader who exemplified the importance of Black women in the movement; Gerda Lerner, the Austrian refugee who helped found women's history; and the insightful Rachel Carson, whose pioneering work, SILENT SPRING, spawned the environmental awakening.
Pub Date: Feb. 8, 2022
Duration: 8 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797137360
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Carol Matthau epitomizes a glamour and lifestyle not associated with the 1990's. Here is a life of privilege, tragedy and worry about what friends would think of her new frock or lover. Matthau possesses a voice and delivery that simply could not be improved on. In her coy whisper, she tells compelling stories involving everyone from William Saroyan (husband #1) and Truman Capote to Carson McCullers, Gloria Vanderbilt, and Walter Matthau (husband #2). This excellent audio presentation will leave you wanting to read the entire book to discover what juicy tidbits were left out.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: The Publishing Mills
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Brick delivers this unforgettable narrative with grace and skill for full impact.
Scott Brick is a frequent narrator of historian Philbrick’s audiobooks, and he’s a perfect match for the author’s straightforward but highly expressive narrative voice. The discovery of gold in the California Sierras in 1848 triggered one of the most dramatic episodes in American history, a grand panorama of greed, obsession, and astonishing twists of fortune. Gold fever fueled progress in sea travel, railroad building, and mechanics and, not incidentally, accelerated the booming nation’s slide toward civil war. Philbrick is, as always, a rewarding and deeply satisfying storyteller, and his history of the California Gold Rush offers a cast of memorable characters along with a troubling record of racism and vigilantism.
Brick delivers this unforgettable narrative with grace and skill for full impact.Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026
Duration: 13 hrs, 21 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217356218
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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