Before he was president, Theodore Roosevelt was a New York City police commissioner, bound and determined to lead the reform movement and put the brakes on sin. Joe Ochman's no-nonsense yet expressive narration complements Zacks's well-researched examination of Roosevelt's tenure with the city's finest in the late 1800s. Using appropriate accents and characterizations to enhance the story, Ochman takes listeners deep into the seedy side of Manhattan as Roosevelt makes midnight raids on brothels, metes out discipline to cops on the take, and checks up on taverns trying to beat the excise law. Ochman's nuanced tones help listeners distinguish between narrative passages and firsthand quotations. Despite sting operations and courtroom drama, Roosevelt's moral mission was undermined by bribery, a muckraking press, and fun-loving New Yorkers.
Pub Date: March 13, 2012
Duration: 15 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780307876874
Publisher: Random House 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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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