Shnayerson's brisk and absorbing profile of the brief, violent life of Bugsy Siegel, son of Ukrainian-Jewish immigrants, is afforded a warm, sensitive narration by Steven Jay Cohen. Siegel--gangster, bootlegger, and murderer--is humanized by Cohen's youthful, quiet performance. His narration is intoned with the occasional Yiddish accent, presented subtly. Insightful research on the suspects who may have murdered Siegel at his home in Beverly Hills in 1947 is discussed. Listeners will learn a lot about the relatively unknown roles of twentieth-century Jewish gangsters whose deeds and misdeeds led to business innovations such as the luxurious casinos and affiliated hotels of Las Vegas.
Pub Date: Feb. 9, 2021
Duration: 7 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781705286661
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Manchester’s incisive writing and Parker’s friendly narration make this a compelling package on the life of 20th century icon General Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964). No student of modern times can ignore this vain, mercurial soldier whose battlefield brilliance conserved the lives of his soldiers even as they cut their opponents to ribbons. Listening to Parker, one imagines a jovial uncle delivering a slap on the back and sitting down to describe war experiences in a rich voice filled with humor and pathos. He pronounces Japanese names, New Guinea cities and American slang with effortless ease. The “you-are-there” quality grabs and holds. This is a carefully done, seamless audio presentation.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 16 hrs
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
An unwilling and divided nation gradually comes together to face fascism at home and abroad.
Narrator Gary Tiedemann brings impact and immediacy to this panoramic history of the rapid rise of fascism in the 1930s and the United States' slow awakening to its dangers. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, facing the Depression and the country’s prevailing isolationism, is depicted as expedient and reluctant to act. America, too, had its own share of racists and ideologues. With calculated restraint, Tiedemann tracks a history of international aggression and American violence that is still shocking today. Hitchcock’s powerful narrative highlights a small number of journalists and diplomats who sounded early warnings and, like Roosevelt eventually did, rose to meet the challenges that fascism posed.
An unwilling and divided nation gradually comes together to face fascism at home and abroad.Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2026
Duration: 29 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797199153
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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