This candid memoir by a Navy SEAL medic is given a vigorous reading by Fred Berman. Beginning with his rough childhood and adolescence, Donald pulls no punches in describing his loving but dysfunctional home environment and how joining the Marines gave him a place to belong. Later, he transferred to the Navy to become a medic, and from there he underwent SEAL training. He recounts combat operations, for which he was highly decorated, and describes how he dealt with the PTSD that nearly destroyed him and his family. Berman has a quick, sometimes staccato delivery but is always understandable. His use of different voices for the dialogue is believable and effective. Most important, his overall performance winsomely conveys the author’s humility.
Pub Date: March 12, 2013
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781427222817
Publisher: Macmillan 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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