The third in a Civil War series, this novel plays with history and shows how the conflict might have been resolved differently. Most of the war's major players appear and are voiced by Boyd Gaines. General Grant is gruff and raspy, and Lee has a genteel Southern accent; only Lincoln is accentless, belonging to everyone. Throughout the long battle scenes Gaines doesn't allow things to drag; what really sticks with you, however, are the images of lines of war-weary men, the piles of amputated limbs, and the before-battle camp fires. A clever blend of imagination and fact, this is well handled by an experienced reader.
Pub Date: May 31, 2005
Duration: 19 hrs
Publisher: Audio Renaissance
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ayla, one of the "others," is adopted by a clan of Neanderthal cave people. She struggles to conform to their ways, but her advanced human traits overwhelm and threaten their primitive culture in this initial installment of an immensely popular series. Although the story might benefit from abridgment, Rowena Cooper easily carries out the formidable task of enlivening the mostly silent and stereotypical characters with consistent, diverse personalities and human dimension. Through skillful phrasing and inflection, she maintains the reader's interest and suspense, especially with Ayla and her plight, throughout this rambling and imaginative story.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This lyrical, sensual novel of woman's lot in Manchu, China, is as well researched as it is well written. Authentic in tone, it's nonetheless written for Westerners by a Western expert on China. Moreover, Susan Clark performs the demanding text superbly, with only occasional signs of fatigue. For the most part she not only sustains the quaint diction and Asian atmosphere, but also, creates whole worlds with her voice. She acts the book, rather than reads it, and, in so doing, turns a pretty trifle into a stupendous beauty.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audio Literature
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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