Portraying the life of the seventeenth-century poet John Donne, narrator Simon Vance is, as always, eloquent, precise, and finely attuned. He delivers some of the finest lines in British poetry with ease and assurance. Donne’s poetic genius emerged out of long struggle and deprivation, shadowed by a love-match elopement that ruined his prospects but inspired much of his greatest verse. The emotional center of this accessible and insightful narrative is the death of Anne Donne at 33, after bearing her 12th child, a scene that Vance renders with powerful feeling and restraint. This fine production of one of this year’s best literary biographies will lead listeners inevitably to the riches of Donne’s poetry, memorably recorded by actor Richard Burton, among others.
Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
Duration: 7 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798212030816
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Manchester’s incisive writing and Parker’s friendly narration make this a compelling package on the life of 20th century icon General Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964). No student of modern times can ignore this vain, mercurial soldier whose battlefield brilliance conserved the lives of his soldiers even as they cut their opponents to ribbons. Listening to Parker, one imagines a jovial uncle delivering a slap on the back and sitting down to describe war experiences in a rich voice filled with humor and pathos. He pronounces Japanese names, New Guinea cities and American slang with effortless ease. The “you-are-there” quality grabs and holds. This is a carefully done, seamless audio presentation.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 16 hrs
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A splendid narration of an engaging biography.
Rob Heaps gives a strong narration of this account of the enigmatic and controversial (to say the least) Russian mystic who will forever be intertwined with the life of the last Romanov czar. Beevor gives a detailed description of life at the Romanov court and in Russia on the eve of the revolutions and ensuing civil war. Beevor’s own views of Rasputin may seem “ambiguous” to some, but then Rasputin was a person of strong contradictions—devoutly religious and compulsively lecherous. Heaps also narrated Russia (2022), Beevor’s history of the Russian Revolution, and the two works are complementary. Heaps’ excellent performance is easy to understand and follow, although his British pronunciation of Russian words and names may grate on purists.
A splendid narration of an engaging biography.Pub Date: April 14, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 13 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217281848
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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