With a youthful and energetic cadence, Egyptologist Kara Cooney introduces the listener to the far-off, mysterious world and times of ancient Egypt during the Eighteenth Dynasty, when a lone woman, Hatshepsut (1479-1458 BC), dressed, acted, and ruled as a male pharaoh. It was an unprecedented feat and rarely equaled. We know from hieroglyphics that Hatshepsut was a strong and accomplished ruler--building trade routes to the Land of Punt, making peace with Nubia, and, of course, erecting all the necessary monuments. But Cooney strives for more than just the facts. She speculates on what Hatshepsut may have thought and felt. Although not a professional narrator, Cooney brings a welcome enthusiasm to creating an accessible, modern-feeling portrait of a woman who didn't settle for being queen, but became a king.
Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2014
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780804128353
Publisher: Random House Audio
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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