Rosbottom's revealing study of Paris under German occupation endeavors to capture the feeling of those strange and horrifying 1,500 days. He uses an impressive range of literary, journalistic, and eyewitness sources to offer different points of view. Malcolm Hilgartner's clear, somber voice suits the tragic, complex subject. His command of both German and French allows him to effectively convey French slang and the Teutonic word choices of the Nazi regime. He presents both the horror of the occupation and its few light moments without being overdramatic. This is not a traditional chronological history. Rosbottom's inquiry moves back and forth across time in his quest to capture the essence of the City of Lights at a dark time.
Pub Date: Aug. 5, 2014
Duration: 14 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781478953906
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
GENERAL HISTORY | WORLD | MILITARY | JEWISH | HISTORY
A story of survival through unthinkable tragedy that the wistful little girl in the portrait could never have imagined.
Narrator Jenn Lee brings a storyteller’s flair to this true saga of the Renoir portrait La Petite Irène, painted in 1880 and stolen by the Nazis during WWII. Irène Cahen d’Anvers was the daughter of a wealthy Jewish banking family who were targeted and destroyed during the occupation of Paris. But Irène survived by changing her religion and remarrying, eventually recovering the painting. The survival story of the portrait is equally dramatic and full of twists and turns in the world of underground art dealings. Lee’s talent for French is evident in her pronunciation of names, locales, and expressions, adding a vivid sense of place and atmosphere.
A story of survival through unthinkable tragedy that the wistful little girl in the portrait could never have imagined.Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 51 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668659656
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2026
A troubled history haunted by discord, imperialist blunders, and heartbreaking might-have-beens.
A steady voice is required for tracking the past century and a quarter of turmoil in the Middle East. With restraint and composure, British narrator Leighton Pugh unravels a knot of ancient rivalries and long-lasting violence that defies all efforts at peacemaking. Montefiore’s narrative is excellent—succinct, accessible, and providing insight into character and motive. With the awful fatefulness of Greek tragedy, Pugh’s narration follows the sequence of events that led to the creation of borders that served foreign interests but ignored historical boundaries. Sadder still are the decisions not made and the solutions that might have worked.
A troubled history haunted by discord, imperialist blunders, and heartbreaking might-have-beens.Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2026
Duration: 20 hrs, 10 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217340194
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: yesterday
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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