Two new audiobooks--THE STALIN AFFAIR and now this full biography--present a fresh, sympathetic view of one of the last century's most intriguing and maligned figures, Pamela Digby Churchill Hayward Harriman. She was the daughter-in-law of Winston Churchill, the widow of the astronomically wealthy Averill Harriman, the lover of a legion of powerful men, the patron to a generation of liberal politicians--and arguably, says this author, "the most powerful courtesan in history." Judgments may vary, but what a life beautiful, smart, adventuresome Pamela Digby made for herself. Narrator Louise Brealey's high pitch might sound harsh to some ears, but she keeps up a brisk pace and delivers her narration without frills or melodrama. The result is interesting, to say the least.
Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2024
Duration: 17 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780593912409
Publisher: Penguin 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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