This book brings to vivid life the improbable journey of Henry Morton Stanley into central Africa to discover and rescue Dr. David Livingstone, who had been lost for several years. The author leaves nothing out, including the earlier explorations of Livingstone and other British explorers, and the helter-skelter, failure-laden life led by Stanley until his exploit. This is high adventure at its best. Simon Jones holds the listener's attention throughout. The voices he gives to the main characters work well--open and confident even in the most dire circumstances for Livingstone, and gruff and hale with a minor note of doubt for Stanley. An excellent production is marred only by the lack of end-of-CD signals and a tendency to end individual CDs mid-paragraph.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2003
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Random House 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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