With a leaping, expressive, musical Irish brogue, author Patrick McCabe does not simply read his book, he performs every line. So, what do whistling trousers, David Attenborough, leprechauns, Jimi Hendrix, and Mott the Hoople have in common? They all become characters in McCabe's rhythmic free-verse ballad about a down-on-their-luck Irish family who emigrate to England in the 1950s and a brother and sister who finally land on the doorstep of a drug-addled, ghost-infested swinging commune in 1970s London. McCabe has fun creating his many character voices and, especially, parodying the stuffy English. Theater, plenty of attitude, confession, and a disquieting, crazed, surreal history of the 1970s. What else could one ask from an Irishman?
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2022
Duration: 16 hrs
Publisher: Unbound
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In this fascinating coming-of-age portrait, Thomas Black Bull's journey from the child, Bear's Brother, to the fearsome rodeo rider, Killer Tom Black, is painted with compassion and insight. Forced to learn the White Man's ways, Tom reaches adulthood consumed by rage. Read with great vigor by Norman Dietz, the recording bursts with the energy of rodeo circuit and transports the listener to the southwest. The accurate portrayal of Tom's Ute ancestry and way of life, the sorrow and frustration of losing his heritage, and his angry retaliation at the world make this an excellent listening choice for adults and teenagers. It would also be a wonderful addition to high school units on the Native American experience.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 10 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
George S. Irving adopts Patrick McManus's characters with gusto. Sit back and listen to yarn after yarn. Irving relishes each story, whether it's fishing stories, such as "Claw of the Sea-Puss" or "To Filet or Not to Filet," or the escapades with McManus's wary but vulnerable neighbors. Irving has the jocular chuckle down pat, and the low comedy satire comes off without a hitch. Listeners can imagine Irving tipping back a chair at the country store swapping lies with cronies and entertaining any comers with these hilarious tales. His repertoire of more than eight collections of McManus stories encourages this kind of ownership!
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: DH Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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