Shapiro's story of Billy Gawronski stowing away on Richard Byrd's expedition to the South Pole in 1928 is an old-fashioned adventure yarn that harks back to the bravado of polar expeditions. Narrator Jacques Roy is clear and authoritative, befitting the heroic age. Billy's story is full of daring and pluck, overcoming obstacles, and generating sensational newspaper headlines. In Billy's first attempt at stowing away, he swims a mile in the Hudson River. Discovering him, along with two other stowaways, the crew quickly rousts them all out. After three attempts, Byrd gives the lad a shot, and Billy heads to Antarctica as a mess boy. While more boldness and enthusiasm would have better matched the author's tone, Roy expresses the story's wry humor.
Pub Date: Jan. 16, 2018
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781508244578
Publisher: Simon & Schuster 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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