Robert Merry sheds light on that often-overlooked four years of American history during which the country doubled in size, Andrew Jackson's world came to an abrupt end, and the seeds of the Civil War were sown. Merry seeks to help us understand the enigmatic, socially inept, and almost impossibly successful one-term president who presided over it all. Michael Prichard's authoritative baritone presents James Polk's complex story with extraordinary clarity. This is not a history of frontiers, mountain men, and soldiers, but a history of politicians, generals, and political journalists—a link between John Meacham's AMERICAN LION and Doris Kearns Goodwin's TEAM OF RIVALS. As delivered by Prichard, the accounts are personal, without any tone of gossip, and the characters are vivid enough for a listener to remember.
Pub Date: March 8, 2010
Duration: 19 hrs
Publisher: Tantor Media
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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