Kidder, a young ROTC intelligence officer, expects to serve Stateside when orders come for Vietnam. Responsible for an army unit of eight men reporting enemy radio positions, he finds himself far removed from the mortal danger of battle, hunting a shadowy enemy, tracking radio transmissions and passing on intelligence collected by others. Kidder soon realizes with relief and ambivalence that he will get no closer to the war than the radio. The "detachment" of the title seems to refer to a distance from the experience that his narration makes clear. His delivery is unemotional; he is more narrator than main character, making the story an examination of the nation's detachment from this chapter of our history.
Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2005
Duration: 6 hrs
DD ISBN: 739321668
Publisher: Random House 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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