Narrator Jim Meskimen presents this argument, " A New History of Medieval Europe," in a voice both forceful and convivial. He speaks as if--like Demosthenes--he had water in his mouth, a pebble under his tongue. The authors have renamed the Dark Ages, calling them the Bright Ages. The Renaissance, they say, originated in this slandered era. Starting with an Italian chapel, they smash common misconceptions. Jews spoke Latin in Dark Age markets, while parrots off-loaded from Venetian ships were sent to Britain. Meskimen delivers the material with enthusiasm bordering on wonder. Sadly, this work is more an idea than a history. If you mean to confound your friends with incongruous Dark Age facts, here is your source. If your voice is as captivating as Meskimen's, they will be delighted, if not entirely convinced.
Pub Date: Dec. 7, 2021
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780062980922
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This fact-packed account of the apprenticeship and career of a master restorer is an unexpected listening pleasure.
Author and narrator Warrack’s modest subtitle barely suggests his audiobook’s range of interest. Equal parts autobiography, travelogue, and cabinet of curiosities, his rich personal history of monument restoration is also a treasure-trove of offbeat facts. How does Venice, built on a salt marsh, supply its fresh water? What’s the best method for removing pigeon excreta from the outside of a cathedral? Warrack’s rich narrative and unpretentious style are fully engaging and immersive. By the end, the listener knows exactly how to clean and repair Rome’s Tivoli Fountain—and longs fervently to have worked there alongside Warrack.
This fact-packed account of the apprenticeship and career of a master restorer is an unexpected listening pleasure.Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 42 mins
DD ISBN: 9798318583803
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Sept. 29, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2026
Utterly fascinating.
Narrator Soneela Nankani ushers listeners around the globe and through time in this sweeping survey of how humans use information to understand, interpret, and control. Author Risam begins her exploration 43,000 years ago and ends it with tantalizing peeks into possible futures. Ranging back and forth both geographically and temporally, she examines data collection and its use (or misuse) in the 23rd-century B.C.E. Akkadian Empire, Han-era China, 14th-century C.E. Mali, and elsewhere. Given this mammoth scope, the account could easily lose listeners along the way, but Nankani’s understated delivery is its perfect vessel. Voice rising and falling naturally, with emotion applied sparingly and skillfully, Nankani allows listeners full access to the argument Risam builds from the data she has so meticulously researched.
Utterly fascinating.Pub Date: July 14, 2026
Duration: 13 hrs, 59 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063430358
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Sept. 8, 2026
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