The gunfight lasted less than 40 seconds. It saved President Truman's life but claimed those of a would-be assassin and a White House policeman. John Mayer's narration sounds like a cable television documentary. His measured pace and precise enunciation evoke black-and-white images and virtuous television-viewing habits. Unfortunately, that pace and enunciation come across as studied rather than involved. One wonders whether, should Mayer be interrupted, he would be able to tell you what he just said. In Mayer's voice, the authors' exhaustive research into the cause of Puerto Rican nationalism and the lives of the gunmen and their families fails to engage unless one is particularly interested in the subject.
Pub Date: 2005
Duration: 15 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Buckley offers a reasonable proposal for a national service program without jail or criminal penalties. Narrator Lawrence reads with a slow and careful announcer's voice; one wishes Buckley were reading this one himself. Books on Tape does its usual quality job with formatting, packaging and tape-turning instructions. The reader repeats the last sentence at such times, so you're sure you haven't missed anything. Popular nonfiction collections will appreciate Gratitude, and the topic is likely to prove timely in the years ahead.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Kozol’s shocking exposé of inequities in the funding of our public schools contrasts white suburban schools with those serving black and Hispanic populations. Interviews with students, teachers, and school administrators add eloquent testimony to Kozol’s disturbing presentation of facts. Narration by Jack Winston is clear and brisk, but the pace is unrelenting, with little pause for transition between scenes or chapters. Winston’s cool, detached voice contrasts with Kozol’s impasssioned and outraged message. The sheer repetition and magnitude of Kozol’s damning evidence is numbing; the narration gives no relief. Powerful medicine, most easily taken in small doses. Music signalling tape changes is jarringly inappropriate.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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