As much a history of world economics as a biography, this exhaustive opus chronicles the life of financier J. Pierpont Morgan, who was in the center of worldwide business and politics from the Civil War to WWI. Strouse’s research covers not only the personal and professional life of the banker, but also the politics and business activities of the day. Nelson Runger narrates as though he were presenting a university lecture. His precise, even pacing delivers great clarity but tends to drone throughout some of the longer, complex passages. In characterizations, he raises and lowers his voice for women and men but delivers little else in dramatic detail. A surprise bonus at the end is a long interview with the author. Her comments on the fifteen-year project are as riveting as her excellent text.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1999
Duration: 42 hrs, 15 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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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