Sebestyen's detailed biography of the founder of the Soviet state is given a lively reading by Jonathan Aris. Using sources not available to researchers until now, Sebestyen gives us a Lenin who is not a "coldly one-dimensional leader of the Bolshevik Revolution" but, rather, a coldly three-dimensional leader of the Bolshevik Revolution. Russophiles and those who enjoy accounts of the Russian Revolution will find Aris's reading to be a fine match of text and voice. His British accent, which seems to now be obligatory for almost all histories of Russia, is a pleasing and expressive baritone. He enunciates well and affects different voices for characters with various British accents.
Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2017
Duration: 20 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780525499572
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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