Dick Hill takes listeners back nearly 64 years to February 19, 1945, and the U.S. invasion of Iwo Jima, a tiny volcanic island in the Pacific occupied by the Japanese. Hill is more than up to the challenge of portraying the memories and varying accents of 22 survivors of one of the costliest battles of WWII, a battle that claimed nearly 22,000 Japanese and 7,000 American lives. Enhancing the listening experience even more is Hill's exacting grasp of a Japanese accent. Author Larry Smith does an exceptional job of weaving the personal memories of the heroic veterans and factual nuggets—either previously unreported or unknown—on the battle itself. This audiobook is a must for all WWII aficionados.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2008
Duration: 13 hrs
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Addis delivers a satisfying performance that will keep listeners engaged in this commendable history.
Matt Addis narrates Bayliss’ detailed but straightforward history of Sparta, from prehistory to the destruction of the Spartan hegemony in the 360s B.C.E., both ably and amiably. His resonant voice is likeable, if sometimes scratchy. And his manner is so thoroughly friendly that the program seems like history as narrated by a kindly uncle—but an astute one. His understanding and interpretation of the text are precise, and his tones and emphases are correct and helpful. Addis’ pacing is slightly slow, with notable pauses between text blocks, but given the complicated interurban politics of the ancient Greek city-states, moderate pacing is helpful rather than distracting.
Addis delivers a satisfying performance that will keep listeners engaged in this commendable history.Pub Date: May 19, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 27 mins
DD ISBN: 9798899749254
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2026
Kristin Atherton is the absolute right choice to narrate this riveting and complex history of the rise of global terrorism. The research provided here is ambitious, providing a clear-eyed, deeply considered history of the nature of terrorist acts, the motivations for which were hard for news broadcasts of the 1970s to fully capture. Atherton's narration never wavers as Burke covers the well-known events of airplane hijackings, the Munich Olympic attacks, and the Beirut bombings of 1983, "the bloodiest year." The result is an insightful history that gives context to events that may have seemed disparate to casual observers. Atherton maintains a comprehensive, consistent voice throughout this long, gripping audiobook.
Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
Duration: 25 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217018796
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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