Get Best Audiobooks in Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

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Title: Story Painter

Subtitle: The Life of Jacob Lawrence

Author: John Duggleby

Narrator: Myra Lucretia Taylor

Format: Unabridged

Length: 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-09-13

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

A biography of the African American artist who grew up in the midst of the Harlem Renaissance and became one of the most renowned painters of the life of his people.

Critic Reviews:

"Recounting the compelling life of Jacob Lawrence, narrator Myra Taylor wisely lets his story take center stage. She's the unobtrusive narrator who steadily moves the story along. At key junctures, Taylor emphatically underscores Lawrence's belief that 'it's the little things that are big.' As the biography progresses, Taylor's narration mirrors Lawrence's own comfort with his status as 'a great artist, period.' Listeners will relish the life of this artist and this production." (AudioFile)

Members Reviews:

Jacob Lawrence for an Art Teacher and students.

Excellent story about the artist.

Great piece of art-literature convergence

Great piece of art-literature convergence

Lawrence is a master in poetically and esthetically driving us through his social history through images which are an exceptional treasure.

What a mighty fine man...

Clearly explains the life and philosophy behind the works of this amazing artist. Makes the stories that Jacob Lawrence's paintings tell come more alive - if that is even possible. A great tool to help young and old appreciate this great artist.

Five Stars

good for book report

beautiful and informative book

as an art teacher, i try to sneak in as much art history as possible; this book was perfect for 4th-5th graders to read a chapter, then paint about jacob lawrence's experience during that part of his life---they were always excited to hear what happened to him next:) great intro to the Harlem Renaissance!

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Title: The Art of Acquiring

Subtitle: A Portrait of Etta and Claribel Cone

Author: Mary Gabriel

Narrator: Laura Jennings

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-27-13

Publisher: Bancroft Press

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Etta and Claribel Cone had an eye for art that was unparalleled at their time, and they left Baltimore what is perhaps the best gift the city has ever received: their collection.

Members Reviews:

Ouch!

This is a fascinating book, and the narrator does all right, even though it often sounds like she's speed-reading, as long as the sisters Cone stay in the United States. But once they go abroad, there's at least one cringe per page for the listener. This book needs a reader who can pronounce words in several languages.

Great story on a rare topic

Story is very interesting-you not only learn about the Cone sisters but also the many artists and notables in their circle. I wish the narration was better done-it was a bit stiff and somewhat poorly recorded.

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Title: Mrs. Woolf and the Servants

Subtitle: An Intimate History of Domestic Life in Bloomsbury

Author: Alison Light

Narrator: Gale Van Cott

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-12-13

Publisher: Audible Studios for Bloomsbury

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

When Virginia Woolf wrote A Room of Ones Own in 1929, she established her reputation as a feminist, and an advocate for unheard voices. But like thousands of other upper-class British women, Woolf relied on live-in domestic servants for the most intimate of daily tasks. That room of Woolfs own was kept clean by a series of cooks and maids throughout her life. In the much-praised Mrs. Woolf and the Servants, Alison Light probes the unspoken inequality of Bloomsbury homes with insight and grace, and provides an entirely new perspective on an essential modern artist.

Critic Reviews:

"Superbly researched, often passionately eloquent, and enthralling throughout." (Washington Post Book World)

Members Reviews:

Disappointing

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The book is primarily suitable for the general reader, but the narration is terrible, so listening is a painful experience. The narrator mispronounces so many words and names that it's obvious she hasn't the vaguest understanding of the material. In addition, her voice is bland, and her inflections are annoyingly repetitive. A robotic performance.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Mrs. Woolf and the Servants?

Sorry--I listened for four hours and then couldn't take it any longer.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Gale Van Cott?

Siri would have done a better job.

Did Mrs. Woolf and the Servants inspire you to do anything?

Avoid anything with this narrator in the future.

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Title: American Character

Subtitle: Curious Life of Charles Fletcher Lummis and the Rediscovery of the Southwest

Author: Mark Thompson

Narrator: Joe Barrett

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-28-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Charles Fletcher Lummis began his spectacular career in 1884 by walking from Ohio to start a new job at the three-year old Los Angeles Times. By the time of his death in 1928, the 3,500 mile "tramp across the continent" was just a footnote in his astonishingly varied career: crusading journalist, author of nearly two dozen books, editor of the influential political and literary magazine Out West, Los Angeles city librarian, preserver of Spanish missions, and Indian rights gadfly. Lummis both embodied and defined our vision of the West, and of America itself.

Editorial Reviews:

Historians and history buffs live for stories of men like Charles Fletcher Lummis. A once-famous, now largely forgotten American journalist, Lummis staked his integrity on such issues as Indian advocacy but made his name by "tramping across the continent", walking from Cincinnati to Los Angeles in 1884. As well-known at times for his eccentric behavior as his tireless work ethic and his commitment to such varied pursuits as journalism, archeology, and social justice, Loomis was a complex, sometimes bewildering figure. Thankfully, author Mark Thompson doesn't give short shrift to any one feature of this man's dynamic character. Narrator Joe Barrett gives a spirited and folksy performance of Thompson's account of this unique and uniquely American man.

Members Reviews:

Readable bio of a complicated life

I live within walking distance of Lummis' home El Alisal. It's fitting that it perches on the edge of what was the Arroyo Seco (dry gulch) whose raw beauty had attracted Lummis and early settlers. And symbolic in that the world's first freeway rushes past it now. In fact, El Alisal faced demolition until preservationists--always outnumbered in L.A.--saved the site. Lummis gave his adopted city a complicated heritage: he boosted its Spanish Californian image and so lured many newcomers who overwhelmed the vistas of fragile arroyo, hills and valleys with millions more homes. The millions clogged the roads, and so freeways followed, along the riverbeds now encased in concrete.

Mark Thompson's biography follows that assembled two decades earlier by Lummis' daughter and edited by his son from Lummis' own manuscripts, and one biography from the mid-70s that dwelt on Lummis but with far less access to personal papers.

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Title: Yankee Come Home

Subtitle: On the Road from San Juan Hill to Guantánamo

Author: William Craig

Narrator: Jimmy Garcia

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 20 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-26-13

Publisher: Audible Studios for Bloomsbury

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Yankee Come Home explores one family's history in Cuba, and through it, the intense, complex, smoldering relationship between the island nation and its leviathan neighbor. In Cuba's most entrancing, storied landscape, William Craig is searching for a history that his family has lost - and now needs to recover. He's looking for the truth about his mysterious great-grandfather, Thomas O'Brien, a self-proclaimed hero of the "splendid little war" who left a legacy of glorious, painful lies. Living a dream that haunts American hearts-the dream of escaping the past, of becoming who we say we are - "Papa" died leaving his own children wondering who he'd really been.

Along the way, Craig searches for the place where Gilded Age America abandoned republican ideals in favor of imperial ambition - and where his own generation of Americans now preside over arbitrary imprisonment and systematized torture. "I needed to see Guantnamo the way some Americans needed to drive through the night to kneel at JFK's coffin, and others are drawn to Ground Zero," he writes. "Sometimes, we don't know what we've lost until we trace the scars." Traveling with Craig, listeners will join in present-day adventures: spirit-possession rituals, black market odysseys, roots-music epiphanies, and discovering the continuing impact of the war in 1898 on both Cuba and America.

The story of the United States in Cuba is fascinating, but none too flattering. Like the reality of "Papa" O'Brien's identity, it reflects more hubris than heroism, more avarice than sacrifice. In the end, however, Craig's journey in Yankee Come Home is a transformation from disillusionment to redemption.

Members Reviews:

Craig Scores a Hit with Yankee Come Home

I loved the book! Especially interesting to me as a history nut was the context provided by Bill's recounting of life in Cuba under Spain and the cultural/religious influences that still impact people's daily lives. Reading about America's involvement with Cuba was a real eye opener. I think most people only know about the Bay of Pigs and how we almost went to war with Russia over Cuba in the 60s. I felt like I was there! Buy this book.

I've updated this review now that diplomatic relations are improving in 2015. All the more reason to buy this book now before you consider a trip. Check online to see how to legally visit Cuba. Check the CNN article to understand what any American tourist considering a visit should know (http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/17/travel/cuba-travel-feat/).

Clear Eyed and Courageous Look at Cuba-US Relations

This book delves into the important history of Cuban-American relations, and digs into places long paved over by the textbook fascination with imperial conquest. The author brings out voices and stories that are unknown to most of us Americans, who are only familiar with the Spanish-American War's "Remember the Maine!" chest pounding. Craig spins an insightful and engaging narrative out of his travels in Cuba, and uses his observations to courageously remind us that America has not been a great neighbor, and that the fates of both Cuba and America are permanently enmeshed.

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Title: Don't Be a Donkey

Subtitle: Lessons Learned from Chef Gordon Ramsey

Author: Chadd McArthur

Narrator: Chadd McArthur

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-26-13

Publisher: Gildan Media, LLC

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Don't be a Donkey is a true story about the life and career of Chef Chadd McArthur. It is about the lessons, about both kitchen and life, that he learned while working for Gordon Ramsay. Eighteen hours a day, five days a week...when you work with a great chef and leader that much, his wisdom will rub off on you, and at times traumatize you. The lessons learned will stick with Chef McArthur for the rest of his life, and now, with funny stories and clever insights into working with one of the world's most well-known chefs, he's sharing them in this very audiobook. From having Chef Gordon Ramsay himself fling a ravioli at him, to the integrity with which Ramsay dealt with the death of a colleague, Chef McArthur has a lot to tell about his three years spent working in Ramsay's flagship restaurant in London, sometimes directly under the man himself. Each chapter also includes a recipe, some created wholly by the author, and some influenced by Chef Ramsay's own signature dishes. Enjoy this fresh new take on Gordon Ramsay, and the challenges of a chef who survived Ramsay's kitchen for years.

Contact me for any questions: [email protected]

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Title: Three Weeks with My Brother

Author: Nicholas Sparks, Micah Sparks

Narrator: Henry Leyva

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-14-13

Publisher: Hachette Audio UK

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

In January 2003 Nicholas Sparks and his brother Micah set off on a three-week trip around the world. An adventure by any measure, this trip was especially meaningful as it marked another milestone in the life journey of two brothers who, by their early thirties, were the only surviving members of their family. As Nicholas and Micah travel the globe, from the Taj Mahal to Machu Picchu, the story of their family slowly unfolds. Just before Nicholas' marriage he and Micah lost their mother in a horse-riding accident; a week short of Nicholas' triumphant debut as a novelist with THE NOTEBOOK, the brothers lost their father to a car crash, and just a few short years later they were forced to say goodbye to their sister who died of brain cancer at the young age of 36.

Against the backdrop of the main wonders of the world the brothers come together to heal the wounds of this tragic legacy and maintain their determination to live life to its fullest.

Critic Reviews:

"An interesting and thoughtful book, with the sadness of Sparks' past dealt with modesty and compassion... an emotional listen." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Very moving

I wasn't disappointed, a roller coaster of emotions from laughing out loud to sadness but very well written another great book I highly recommend this book,

Its the life of the writer

ita ok i would recome the life of nicolas spark and his brother. interesting life

Takes you on an emotional rollercoaster

I chose this book after reading 'Wild' by Cheryl Strayed and feeling that no other book could effect my life the way that did. I listened on audible, and for the first few hours just couldn't get into it. I realised it was because I was still thinking of 'wild' and comparing the two. Once I stopped comparing and carried on listening the book suddenly grasped me and I couldn't go to bed on a night without listening to it to see what happened next. Funny in places and heartbreaking in others, I would definitely recommend this book for people interested in inspiring true stories.

Personal story, music through talking annoying

Enjoyed the book, gave a good idea of N. Sparks' personal background.

At the start of each chapter, there was a musical background which made the narrator difficult to hear, not sure why they did this as it adds no value.

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Title: A Brief Guide to Jane Austen

Subtitle: Brief Histories

Author: Charles Jennings

Narrator: Nigel Carrington

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-05-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Jane Austen is a mystery. The first incontrovertibly great woman novelist, she is, among other things, one of the finest prose stylists in literature; the first truly modern writer, the godmother of chick lit. She is also the greatest enigma (next to Shakespeare) in English literature. Soldiers in the First World War sat in the trenches and read her novels for the civilising comforts they provided. Hard-nut literary critics such as F. R. Leavis lauded their austere complexity.

World Book Day, 2007, found that Pride and Prejudice was the one book "the nation can't live without". In this witty, accessible guide, Charles Jennings goes in search of this enigma through her words as well as her times, including a short biography, an overview of the novels, as well as the world that she inhabited. Finally, the book contains Jane's very own words of advice for the modern life.

Charles Jennings studied English at Oxford and then become, as reported in the Spectator, the funniest journalist in London. He has written numerous books, including a history of Greenwich, as well as Them and Us: The American Invasion of English High Society.

Members Reviews:

What is says on the tin

The book is well described by the publishers description and as I like Pride and Prejudice I thought it would be an interesting read. However, I found it rather too academic, in the sense that it picked away at details surrounding Austen's life and they were not all interesting to me. So, my rating is really a reflection of the fact that I probably made a bad choice, rather than the book being average.

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Title: Who I Am

Author: Pete Townshend

Narrator: Pete Townshend

Format: Unabridged

Length: 17 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-05-12

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

From the voice of a generation: The most highly anticipated autobiography of the year, and the story of a man who...is a Londoner and a Mod...wanted The Who to be called The Hair...loved The Everly Brothers, but not that "drawling dope" Elvis...wanted to be a sculptor, a journalist, a dancer and a graphic designer...became a musician, composer, librettist, fiction writer, literary editor, sailor...smashed his first guitar onstage, in 1964, by accident...heard the voice of God on a vibrating bed in rural Illinois...invented the Marshall stack, feedback, and the concept album...once speared Abbie Hoffman in the neck with the head of his guitar...inspired Jimi Hendrix's pyrotechnical stagecraft...is partially deaf in his left ear...stole his windmill guitar playing from Keith Richards...followed Keith Moon off a hotel balcony into a pool and nearly died...did too much cocaine and nearly died...drank too much and nearly died...detached from his body in an airplane, on LSD, and nearly died...helped rescue Eric Clapton from heroin...is banned for life from Holiday Inns...was embroiled in a tabloid scandal that has dogged him ever since...has some explaining to do...is the most literary and literate musician of the last 50 years...planned to write his memoir when he was 21...and published this book at 67.

Members Reviews:

Great reading

Great book hated it to end. Having it read by Pete Townshend made it more interesting for me.

Who Cares!

Would you try another book from Pete Townshend and/or Pete Townshend?

No. I was disappointed to find that Towshend really is the self absorbed arrogant jerk that he has always appeared to be. His childish exploits and drug abuse seem to be a constant source of amusement to him. He chases after anything in a skirt, falls in "love" at the drop of a pair of panties, all at the expense of his own marriage. Then he whines about how "lonely" he feels!!

Would you be willing to try another one of Pete Townshends performances?

Not if he is talking about his favourite subject _ Pete Townshend!

What character would you cut from Who I Am?

Pete Townshend!!

Any additional comments?

I ended up abandoning this book. I just couldn't bear to listen to any more. The people who idolize these Rock and Roll heroes, are the self same Rock and Roll heroes!!!

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Title: To Peking

Author: Peter Fleming

Narrator: David Shaw-Parker

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-09-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Peter Fleming, brother of James Bond author Ian Fleming, was one of the greatest adventurers and travel writers of the 20th century and author of several classic and best-selling books. This book presents an exciting adventure that could never be made today, and it will appeal to all interested in the region.

When in 1934 at the age of 27 Peter Fleming set out for the Far East, his ultimate goal was to return from China to India overland - a journey he later described in the classic News from Tartary. On his outward journey, Fleming travelled through regions which remain some of the most remote and least-visited in Asia and which, soon after his journey, became closed entirely to Westerners.

From Moscow, through the Caucasus to the Caspian, on to Samarkand and Tashkent, skirting the edge of Outer Mongolia to Vladivostok and winding his way down to Peking, Fleming tells of people encountered, places explored, and of ways of life that have since been lost through revolution, war, and the passage of time. Along the way, he kept a diary that he never intended to publish and that lay forgotten 'in the box-room' of his mind for 15 years. To Peking is an unassuming classic of travel literature. Subtle yet sparkling with intelligence and humour, simple yet beautifully told, it illuminates a world that travellers - armchair or otherwise - can only dream of today.

Members Reviews:

Very interesting listen

Flemming has a magical way of painting a vivid picture of his trials and tribulations during his trip to Peking, A must listen for those interested in travel.