The Serbs light the fuse, but they and the rest of Europe are only minor players in Robert Massie's vast, graceful tragedy which culminates in the First World War. The principals, England and Germany, caught in a deadly naval arms race, hurtle toward a destiny neither can foresee. Grover Gardner gives life to Massie's thousand-page drama and becomes, as all great actors must, invisible--transparent-- a perfectly graceful, unhurried medium. For so long a book, the listening is effortless. Gardner's characterizations are not differentiated by voice, but in every other respect the feel of fiction propels the reading. An expensive but richly rewarding package.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1992
Duration: 46 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Books on Tape
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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