Scott Ellsworth describes the many expeditions climbing higher and higher in the Himalayas, including attempts on Everest, K2, and Nanga Parbat. Ellsworth's writing style is accessible and compelling, but his narration is, sadly, an uphill trudge. His timing is clunky and a step too slow, and his tone is overly dramatic. The race to the top of the world is bookended by the disappearance of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine from Everest in 1924 and the 1953 success of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, which provided the cherry on top of Queen Elizabeth's coronation. Expeditions in between involved national pride, differed on the correctness of using modern aids such as ice axes and oxygen, and featured many fascinating and quirky characters. It all cries out for a professional narrator to do it justice.
Pub Date: Feb. 18, 2020
Duration: 13 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781478944645
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Dugard charts the course, and Godfrey hits a personal best.
Dugard explores the origins of the marathon, from the legend of Pheidippides and the race’s peculiar length to the 1970s and '80s athletes who made marathons cool. Now, competing in a marathon is on every casual runner’s bucket list. Matt Godfrey takes the author’s accessible style and runs with it. His timing, liveliness, and wry tones bring Dugard’s multiple threads to life. The decade is jammed full of stories—Steve Prefontaine getting pipped for the bronze medal at the 1972 Olympics, Joan Benoit winning the first women’s Olympic marathon, the book by Jim Fixx that inspired sedentary people to take up jogging, and even the author finding his community when he discovered running as an 11-year-old.
Dugard charts the course, and Godfrey hits a personal best.Pub Date: April 14, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs, 33 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217285556
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: May 5, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2026
Bennett’s narration elevates an already entertaining audiobook.
The host of the soccer podcast Men in Blazers narrates with a high-energy, animated style that immediately draws listeners in. Author Bennett details his recollections of each World Cup since he was a boy in this wonderful memoir that is at times laugh-out-loud funny. Every sentence of this audiobook is infused with his Liverpudlian accent, and his storytelling alternates between self-deprecating and uproariously funny as he chronicles the highs and lows of being a soccer fan. Soccer aficionados, whether they’re die-hards or casual fans, will appreciate Bennett’s work and his passion for the sport he loves.
Bennett’s narration elevates an already entertaining audiobook.Pub Date: March 3, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 12 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063320802
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: April 28, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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