Narrator Neil Hellegers presents this brief biography of Ludwig Guttmann in much the same manner that Guttmann lived his life--with precision and matter-of-factness. Guttmann's outstanding contributions to the field of spinal cord injuries and his dogged determination to help patients are more than sufficient to keep listeners interested in this audiobook. Hellegers even presents Guttmann's early struggles as a Jewish doctor in Nazi Germany without invoking real horror; however, this feels consistent with Guttmann's relentless resolve to persevere, succeed, and improve the lives of soldiers and others with paralyzing spinal cord injuries. Guttmann's refusal to give up on these "incurables" led him to realize the importance of sports in recovery and to found the Paralympic Games, now the world's third largest sporting event.
(Biography. 8-12)Pub Date: 2020
Duration: 1 hr, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781690587255
Publisher: Dreamscape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ken Coleman's expertise as a baseball announcer enriches this history of the Boston Red Sox since the sale of Babe Ruth to the N.Y. Yankees. He leads off with a grim account of this transaction, which started the curse that has plagued the Red Sox ever since. The sermon-like tone will amuse non-believers and comfort listeners who are certain the team is cursed. Like the ups and downs of Boston's play through the years, the narrator's voice fluctuates--exuberant and then despondent--in tone and tempo accurately reflecting the mood of any given baseball season. The narrator is very successful at conveying the emotional roller coaster ride Red Sox fans have endured as a result of the curse of the Bambino.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Author and narrator James Robinson combines his documentary filmmaking skills and familiarity with audiobooks to render his experience with serious visual disability in audio. Sound effects immerse the listener in Robinson's memories, like the ticking of the school clock as impatient classmates wait while he struggles to read. Slow pacing reflects the gravity of each memory. He sometimes inserts the confused conversations of friends and family who are puzzling out images of the world as he sees it. Other times, he provides insightful descriptions of images. He shares the difficulties associated with what he calls "whale eyes," the extraordinary help of his mother, and his eventual academic and professional success. Robinson's caring outlook and advice on society, specifically the disability community, is, unsurprisingly, visionary.
(Memoir. 11-18)Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 3 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217018239
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
