The story of the sadly electrocuted elephant Topsy is actually two stories: one of circuses and one of the fight over electricity standards. Mark Peckham narrates the exploits of the two men who figure most in those stories with dramatic emphasis. He brings to life the boasting and trickery of P.T. Barnum and the strident statements of Thomas Edison with equal skill. Peckham creates mental pictures skillfully, re-creating a past era and the lives of two of its legends. Oddly, Topsy herself is the least interesting element, even considering the circus wars over elephants. Still, the book is a fascinating listen.
Pub Date: July 2, 2013
Duration: 11 hrs, 15 mins
Publisher: AudioGo
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Carol Matthau epitomizes a glamour and lifestyle not associated with the 1990's. Here is a life of privilege, tragedy and worry about what friends would think of her new frock or lover. Matthau possesses a voice and delivery that simply could not be improved on. In her coy whisper, she tells compelling stories involving everyone from William Saroyan (husband #1) and Truman Capote to Carson McCullers, Gloria Vanderbilt, and Walter Matthau (husband #2). This excellent audio presentation will leave you wanting to read the entire book to discover what juicy tidbits were left out.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: The Publishing Mills
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Tales of the rescued don’t diminish the sorrow for the millions lost.
Jim Meskimen’s authoritative voice and evenhandedness carry a narrative with many highs and lows and steeped in tragic irony. As Nazi attacks on Jews worsened in the 1930s, a group of poker-playing friends in Manila, including Dwight D. Eisenhower, conceived a plan to repatriate German Jews to the Philippines. Hundreds of people were subsequently saved, but antisemitism bothin the U.S. and the Philippines blocked a full effort. Most effectively, this episode offers a fresh perspective on the Pacific theater and subsequent independence of the Philippines—and on the careers of two men at the table, one of whom almost became a U.S. president, and one of whom did.
Tales of the rescued don’t diminish the sorrow for the millions lost.Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 13 mins
DD ISBN: 9798228966093
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Aug. 18, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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