In case you're asking, yes, we do need another well-researched book on the John F. Kennedy administration because new facts and interpretations are coming to light 50 years after his tragic death. And author Robert Dallek is just the sort of rock-star historian we need to deliver this message. Narrator James Lurie has a paternalistic voice that sounds as if it's meant to assure us that what we are about to hear is true, and that even the names are real. There are times when his low register becomes somnolent and he loses his energy. This is especially true during long stretches of exposition throughout the book, when Dallek needs to give background information. Lurie is better when the action picks up, such as when the book details Cold War activities.
Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2013
Duration: 17 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780062283849
Publisher: Harper Audio
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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