This heavily researched biography (by the author of the compelling memoir WILD SWANS) sets out to destroy the self-created iconography that has surrounded Chairman Mao--and it reveals him to be one of the most ruthless murderers of the twentieth century. According to the authors, Mao's ideology was purely opportunistic and all of his actions were in calculated self-interest, no matter whom they harmed. Reader Robertson Dean's solid baritone voice is judicious, engaging, moderately paced, and effective. Some of his Chinese pronunciations do not adopt the more contemporary "pinyin" system, although most of the Chinese surnames in particular will be unfamiliar to the casual Western listener anyway. This is a long listen, but the authors deliver and so does the reader.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2006
Duration: 30 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
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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