If you think the country is divided now, then this entertaining audiobook might give you pause. It tells the story of the violence that erupted on the floor of Congress in the run-up to the Civil War. Joanne B. Freeman, Yale professor and noted lecturer, narrates her own book using her classroom experience to accentuate what's important. Freeman's voice is clear and accessible, and she occasionally smiles, laughs at her own jokes, and varies her pitch and tone to propel the story forward. At times she does sound as though she's giving a lecture, but she quickly moves back into being a storyteller. She also swallows some words or drops the ends of sentences, but these are minor concerns.
Pub Date: Sept. 11, 2018
Duration: 11 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781427293411
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Buckley offers a reasonable proposal for a national service program without jail or criminal penalties. Narrator Lawrence reads with a slow and careful announcer's voice; one wishes Buckley were reading this one himself. Books on Tape does its usual quality job with formatting, packaging and tape-turning instructions. The reader repeats the last sentence at such times, so you're sure you haven't missed anything. Popular nonfiction collections will appreciate Gratitude, and the topic is likely to prove timely in the years ahead.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Kozol’s shocking exposé of inequities in the funding of our public schools contrasts white suburban schools with those serving black and Hispanic populations. Interviews with students, teachers, and school administrators add eloquent testimony to Kozol’s disturbing presentation of facts. Narration by Jack Winston is clear and brisk, but the pace is unrelenting, with little pause for transition between scenes or chapters. Winston’s cool, detached voice contrasts with Kozol’s impasssioned and outraged message. The sheer repetition and magnitude of Kozol’s damning evidence is numbing; the narration gives no relief. Powerful medicine, most easily taken in small doses. Music signalling tape changes is jarringly inappropriate.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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