Bennetts’ fascination with changes in Russian life under Putin will captivate listeners.
Bennetts narrates his fascinating experiences as a British journalist living in Putin’s Russia in the years leading up to the war in Ukraine. Marrying a Russian woman and having a daughter there gives him an increasingly strong connection with the country, but he witnesses the ominous impact of propaganda on its citizens. Presented matter-of-factly, Bennetts’ experiences furnish the drama as he attends a Super Putin exhibition featuring the leader in heroic poses and interviews a woman whose husband has been unfairly imprisoned. Even his favorite dairy product isn’t immune to propaganda—barcodes, which a conspiracy theory brands as the “mark of the beast,” are stamped with a red cross.
Bennetts’ fascination with changes in Russian life under Putin will captivate listeners.Pub Date: March 26, 2026
Duration: 7 hrs, 52 mins
DD ISBN: 9781399421683
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: May 5, 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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