Narrator George Newbern’s homey tone and use of a Southern accent succeed in making this book seem as all-American as its author. Webb, a combat veteran, former U.S. senator (D—Virginia), and secretary of the navy in the Reagan administration, calls his memoir a love story. His loves are family, country, and service. He’s seen war, peace, and politics, and he recounts his experiences with pride. Newbern narrates with an easy style, making the book engrossing by involving the listener with a friendly, open approach. He doesn’t have an especially elastic range, which does limit his effectiveness, but he varies his tone to encompass the joys of family stories and the horrors of Webb’s experiences in Vietnam.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2014
Duration: 12 hrs
Publisher: Simon & Schuster 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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