Listening to this remarkable work is akin to eavesdropping on conversations in the Oval Office and policy discussions at the Pentagon. The author served as secretary of defense for both Presidents G.W. Bush and Obama, and this audiobook is a candid account of his tenure while the nation was involved in two wars. Gates himself delivers the author’s note at the beginning, narrating in a deep, gravelly voice that exudes confidence. George Newbern delivers the rest of the work. He doesn’t have a broad range, and, because he settles into a pattern as this long book unfolds, he’s prone to some monotony and flatness in his performance. However, he clearly articulates Gates’s arguments so they remain coherent and logical.
Pub Date: Jan. 14, 2014
Duration: 25 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780804148634
Publisher: Random House 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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