Several American airmen crash into the jungles of Borneo during WWII. The survivors' perils include leeches, starvation, infections, snakes, and the Japanese. Susan Ericksen's monumental task is to pronounce the hundreds of Indonesian names, objects, and places. Although few who hear the narration would ever know whether she's correct, they will notice she is consistent, fluent, and distinct. Having a woman narrate a story all about men puts Ericksen at no disadvantage--as she shows by singing the fliers' bawdy songs with gusto. The natives helped the Americans because their head-hunting had been ended by the Dutch Christian missionaries years before. The servicemen weren't captives of the aboriginals, but rather students of their foreign culture, diet, and language.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2007
Duration: 9 hrs
Publisher: Tantor Media
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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