Rediker’s account of the AMISTAD affair bogs down in repetition, tiresome or extraneous detail, and strained analysis. Peter Jay Fernandez’s voice is both distinguished sounding and listenable, and he reads with understanding, but he doesn’t rise above the material, if that’s even possible. His delivery, while expressive, has something of the feel of a lecture; if it were a person, it would be one we’d respect but wouldn’t want to spend time with. He provides a generic “African” accent for the slaves, which is satisfying, but his British accent is unconvincing. The relative stiffness of his delivery, combined with the weaknesses of the text, result in a program from which the listener drifts away too easily. This highly dramatic and significant episode in American history deserves better.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2013
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781470327187
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Buckley offers a reasonable proposal for a national service program without jail or criminal penalties. Narrator Lawrence reads with a slow and careful announcer's voice; one wishes Buckley were reading this one himself. Books on Tape does its usual quality job with formatting, packaging and tape-turning instructions. The reader repeats the last sentence at such times, so you're sure you haven't missed anything. Popular nonfiction collections will appreciate Gratitude, and the topic is likely to prove timely in the years ahead.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Kozol’s shocking exposé of inequities in the funding of our public schools contrasts white suburban schools with those serving black and Hispanic populations. Interviews with students, teachers, and school administrators add eloquent testimony to Kozol’s disturbing presentation of facts. Narration by Jack Winston is clear and brisk, but the pace is unrelenting, with little pause for transition between scenes or chapters. Winston’s cool, detached voice contrasts with Kozol’s impasssioned and outraged message. The sheer repetition and magnitude of Kozol’s damning evidence is numbing; the narration gives no relief. Powerful medicine, most easily taken in small doses. Music signalling tape changes is jarringly inappropriate.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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