Charlie Thurston proves up to the task of narrating this memoir by NEW YORK TIMES East Africa bureau chief Jeffrey Gettleman. This audiobook weaves the stories of Gettleman's intense career as a foreign correspondent in some of the world's most dangerous places with the story of his courtship, long-distance romance, and then marriage to his Cornell sweetheart. Thurston's steady, even understated, narration works. He neatly handles the adrenaline-laced scenes in which the author and his wife, Courtenay, a videographer, are kidnapped, waylaid, or up to their ears in dust, mud, and fear in various war-torn African nations. This is an audiobook that assesses the dangers and importance of a journalist's calling and is both thoughtfully written and narrated well.
Pub Date: May 16, 2017
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780062674739
Publisher: Harper 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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