This affectionate work of scholarship opens a window on a magical week in January 1961, when a stylish, manipulative president-elect mingled with actors, writers, diplomats, and mistresses, all while working on the "spare and elegant prose" that would become one of the most famous addresses in American history. Thurston Clarke's meticulous research uncovers many fascinating nuggets, including the debunking of the popular myth that Ted Sorenson was the primary author of the speech. Read with just the right sense of nobility by Edward Herrmann, this audiobook offers something the print version can't--a recording of the actual JFK speech interspersed with a play-by-play commentary. R.W.S. 2005 Audie Award Finalist © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine
Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2004
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Audio Renaissance
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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