Against the backdrop of Depression-era Detroit, author Tom Stanton and narrator Johnny Heller demonstrate what can happen when lucid writing meets skilled narration. The summer of 1935 belonged to the Detroit Tigers, who finally won their first World Series. Within months, the Lions captured the Super Bowl, the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup, and boxer Joe Louis became the country's first African-American sports idol. But the City of Champions was also home to the Black Legion, a group of white supremacist thugs who targeted immigrants, blacks, Catholics, and union activists. Stanton weaves these aspects of the city together with rigorous research and skillful prose, and Heller brings the heroes and villains to life with his easy style and pleasant timbre.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2016
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Kidd helps make the author’s words vivid and relevant for listeners.
Epplin’s second book lays out the parallel stories of two basketball players—Moses Malone and Julius “Dr. J” Erving. The biographical portraits paint a picture of two different men whose careers converged when they were both on the 1983 champion Philadelphia 76ers team. Terrence Kidd narrates with the perfect amount of emotion, offering slight accents or different vocal inflections when players and coaches are quoted. Between Epplin’s solid research and fine writing and Kidd’s invested narration, it’s a wonderful audiobook for anyone who wants to glean what 1970s and early '80s basketball was like.
Kidd helps make the author’s words vivid and relevant for listeners.Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 21 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668653852
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: April 1, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
Klosterman's keenness for the controversial pastime is on full display in this insightful audiobook.
Culture critic Klosterman narrates his latest audiobook, deconstructing the history and appeal of football. Klosterman's no voice pro, and this production is unpolished. But what he lacks in professional veneer he makes up for with intimate enthusiasm for his subject. Klosterman reflects deeply on his lifelong fandom, especially on how the sport has survived for so long in the public consciousness, yet faces a crossroads as public media consumption shifts drastically and awareness of traumatic brain injuries expand. The result is a rough, bare-bones listening experience, but Klosterman remains a good storyteller in any format.
Klosterman's keenness for the controversial pastime is on full display in this insightful audiobook.Pub Date: Jan. 20, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217282166
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 9, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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