This literary road trip translates well to audio, as it relies heavily on description and anecdote. The twin travelogue recounts Frederick Law Olmsted's journey through the pre-Civil War South and writer Tony Horwitz's 21st-century attempt to re-create that journey. At the time, Olmsted was working as a journalist for the NEW YORK TIMES. Mark Deakins offers an engaging narration. His conversational tone and pacing suit the material well, and he hints at regional dialects just enough to set those speakers apart. He captures Olmsted's and Horwitz's wonder at America's natural beauty. He also renders Horwitz's sense of humor as he describes some of the oddities he encounters and voices his disappointment at finding vestiges of the prewar South in the current day.
Pub Date: May 14, 2019
Duration: 17 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781984888655
Publisher: Penguin Audio
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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