This investigative history studies Billie Holiday’s life and music and the various other biographies written since her death in 1959. Karen Chilton’s mellifluous voice is perfect for the study of a jazz singer. The author examines Holiday's autobiography, excerpted materials, and oral histories to understand her and the world she lived in. This audiobook is long winded, and Chilton’s reading ebbs and flows. Listeners learn more about Holiday’s music than the better-known tragedies of her life. Chilton works hard to keep listeners engaged in this scholarly exploration of the woman herself, her method of singing, her place in music history, and the context of the times. Musical interludes between the chapters would enhance this audiobook.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2015
Duration: 8 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781490676371
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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