Tom Zingarelli has a sonorous, even tone as he narrates an important story that demands outrage. Isaac Woodard was an African-American soldier returning home from war in 1945 when he was removed from a bus in South Carolina and savagely beaten by a police chief until he was permanently blinded. The trial of Woodard's attacker got the attention of President Truman, and it changed the career trajectory of the presiding judge, Waites Waring, who watched the all-white jury acquit the officer. Waring was so galvanized that he became active in the Civil Rights movement and school desegregation. Zingarelli's fine narration animates this story of how a disgraceful crime that blinded one man opened the eyes of two others who could make a difference.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2019
Duration: 8 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250319432
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Buckley offers a reasonable proposal for a national service program without jail or criminal penalties. Narrator Lawrence reads with a slow and careful announcer's voice; one wishes Buckley were reading this one himself. Books on Tape does its usual quality job with formatting, packaging and tape-turning instructions. The reader repeats the last sentence at such times, so you're sure you haven't missed anything. Popular nonfiction collections will appreciate Gratitude, and the topic is likely to prove timely in the years ahead.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Kozol’s shocking exposé of inequities in the funding of our public schools contrasts white suburban schools with those serving black and Hispanic populations. Interviews with students, teachers, and school administrators add eloquent testimony to Kozol’s disturbing presentation of facts. Narration by Jack Winston is clear and brisk, but the pace is unrelenting, with little pause for transition between scenes or chapters. Winston’s cool, detached voice contrasts with Kozol’s impasssioned and outraged message. The sheer repetition and magnitude of Kozol’s damning evidence is numbing; the narration gives no relief. Powerful medicine, most easily taken in small doses. Music signalling tape changes is jarringly inappropriate.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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