Accomplished narrator Paul Michael hits all the right notes in Toobin's detailed account of heiress Patricia Hearst's notorious 1974 kidnapping. The young woman was grabbed by a ragtag group of self-proclaimed revolutionaries who called themselves the Symbionese Liberation Army. Toobin, a CNN senior legal analyst and NEW YORKER magazine writer, employs his expertise to clearly explain the legal details as Hearst is tried for the criminal activities she was persuaded to participate in. Michael is an excellent choice to deliver the myriad facts and critical analyses of the proceedings, such as the inebriated shenanigans of Hearst's defense attorney, F. Lee Bailey. Despite Hearst's refusal to cooperate with the author, this elegantly written book, paired with Michael's excellent narration, makes for absorbing listening.
Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
Duration: 15 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780449807514
Publisher: Random House 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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