Two of Osama bin Laden’s family members provide a troubling, yet fascinating, look at his private life. His first wife, Najwa, and fourth son, Omar, alternate chapters that recount the family's descent from privilege to subsistence living in a training camp in Afghanistan. With the mere hint of an accent, narrator Mel Foster captures Omar's persona as a boy as his once-revered father becomes increasingly militant and fanatical. Lorna Raver and Sherry Adams give convincing voice to the naïve Najwa as she tells of family life and her relationship with her husband. The female narrators also present an introduction and appendices full of historical and current family information.
Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2009
Duration: 14 hrs
Publisher: Tantor Media
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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