Jill Jonnes’s account of the Paris Universal Exposition of 1889 somewhat resembles Erik Larson's account of the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893 as described in THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY (only Jonnes’s book has no mass murderer). It focuses on the Eiffel Tower. Through the run-up to and the glory days of the Paris Exposition the scenes shift from Gustav Eiffel and his tower to Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley, James Gordon Bennett of the Paris Edition of the NEW YORK HERALD, Thomas Edison, Paul Gauguin, and Vincent van Gogh—then back again (and again). Many of the stories are quite wonderful. Paul Hecht's deep baritone rolls along smoothly without distracting the listener from the stories he tells.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2009
Duration: 13 hrs, 15 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Author Baconi is the best choice to narrate his memoir of family and political upheaval. The emotional undercurrent he projects suits a story spanning Haifa, Beirut, Amman, and London. His delivery gives clarity to the family history he recounts--his grandmother Eva's flight from Haifa in 1948, his mother Rima's escape from Beirut during the civil war, his own displacement, and a deepening love for his childhood friend, Ramzi. As Baconi moves into his London years, his narration highlights his search for belonging, his emerging political awareness during the Iraq War, and his effort to understand himself across cultures. His voice brings cohesion to these interwoven timelines. Baconi guides listeners through an intimate exploration of identity, inheritance, displacement, and return.
Pub Date: Nov. 18, 2025
Duration: 7 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668114834
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
The author and narrator of this lively book about how money evolved over the millennia is an Irish economist and journalist. McWilliams shows how civilizations have used money in different ways that suited their needs at the time. Today, for example, mobile phones are used to safely move money around in African countries. McWilliams also posits that the hot investment in developed countries, cryptocurrency, may be no more than "a financial lobby group." Besides being opinionated and having a sense of humor, McWilliams makes us reevaluate long held beliefs. To wit, Darwin's theories might not have been based solely on the animal kingdom; he may have tied in elements of economic behavior. McWilliams is a terrifically energetic narrator with a perfect Irish lilt.
Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2025
Duration: 12 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250417688
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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