The short but dramatic life of Hank Williams, the beloved country singer with the distinctively mournful voice, offers sufficient material for an interesting biography--but this book is more. Also a product of the rural South, the author entwines his own life with that of Williams, and the result is worthwhile. Reader Jonathan Hogan invigorates Hemphill's descriptions of Alabama during the Depression, replete with coarse honky-tonks and the struggles of everyday Americans. Hogan mingles Williams's rocky road to fame with a sad recognition of his self-destructive drinking. Through Hogan's voice we experience Williams's ambition, and with wry and gentle sadness we anticipate his lonely death at age 29.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2006
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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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