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Title: Double Cross

Subtitle: The True Story of the D-Day Spies

Author: Ben Macintyre

Narrator: Michael Tudor Barnes

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-01-12

Publisher: Soundings

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 12 votes

Genres: History, World

Publisher's Summary:

D-Day, 6 June 1944 was a victory of arms. But it was also a triumph for a different kind of operation: one of deceit, aimed at convincing the Nazis that Calais and Norway, not Normandy, were the targets of the invasion force. The deception involved every branch of Allied wartime intelligence. But at its heart was the Double Cross System, a team of double agents controlled by the secret Twenty Committee. The key D-Day spies were just five in number, and one of the oddest military units ever assembled: a Peruvian playgirl, a Polish fighter pilot, a Serbian seducer, a wildly imaginative Spaniard, and a hysterical Frenchwoman. Their enterprise was saved from catastrophe by a shadowy sixth spy.

Members Reviews:

Macintyre and Tudor Barnes - top combination!

This is a must read for anyone who is interested in WWII or who just likes a ripping and suspenseful spy story. I agree with all positive comments below. The book is beautifully written, with the occasional sardonic observation to bring a smile to your lips. The narration is perfect in every way. My only reservation has also been mentioned below - it can be difficult to keep track of the various players in audio format, but I found that with each switch between characters I quickly remembered what they were up to, so I don't consider it a reason not to read the book in audio. And listening to Michael Tudor Barnes is a treat not to be missed. I was left with just one question - could the Germans really have been THAT inept? Apparently so!

Doesn't 'Quite' meet heights of his previous books

Don't get me wrong, this is still a very good book, and the narrator does an excellent job. I think the problem is that Ben Macintyre has written a book that has cast too wide a net to be fully conveyed as an audio book. There's so many parallel threads going on that I sometimes found myself trying to remember exactly which Agent was which. In a physical book, that's not a problem, as you can always flick back to double-check things for clarity. That's not an option in an audio book....

His previous two books had the benefit of either one central agent or one core operation to focus on. Here, there's a lot of different threads and different plots to try to keep track of.

Bottom line it's still a good listen, but I suggest starting with either Agent ZigZag or Operation Mincemeat first, to "ease" yourself in!

Great but too many doubles?.....

I really enjoyed McIntyre's first two books and although the information in them had appeared elsewhere he delivers the details in such a detailed and personable way that the book reads like a weird blend of a thriller combined with a news bulletin.

In the latest book he sketches the most complex and daring orchestration of wartime deception - all based on fact, newly released by MI5. Although the plot is rich and unbelievably complex, and although the daring of the spies is far greater than before, the book never reaches the intensity of its two predecessors. This could be that there is less focus on one small cast of characters and the canvas is bigger, more complex with less opportunity to understand the lives and motives of the main characters. At times the cast of characters is unwieldy because of the number of characters and the complexity of the charade they were developing.

As always one is looking forward to the epilogue to explain how the people ended up.

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Title: Jumbo

Subtitle: This Being the True Story of the Greatest Elephant in the World

Author: Paul Chambers

Narrator: David Holloway

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 35 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-30-11

Publisher: steerforth press l.l.c.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: History, World

Publisher's Summary:

Jumbo was a superstar of the Victorian era. Every day tens of thousands of people would visit this adored animal known as "the Children's Pet" at the London Zoo. When P.T. Barnum purchased him for his Greatest Show on Earth, Jumbo's transport to the United States made headlines for weeks. In North America, Jumbo became an instant sensation, and his name entered our lexicon as an adjective for oversized things. A half century after his death his still-famous and unrivalled popularity was the inspiration for Walt Disney's Dumbo.

But the story behind the story is more gripping than one could possibly imagine. Jumbo's moving and surprisingly complex relationship with a junior zookeeper named Matthew Scott is told here for the first time using newly discovered archival material, including Scott's own diaries. Chambers' compelling account of Jumbo's secret history enhances an already magnificent legend.

Critic Reviews:

"'Under the Radar' Top Ten One of the best books of 2008 you might have missed." (Kirkus Reviews)

This gentle, well-wrought book takes readers to thrilling places. (The Washington Times)

In what could perhaps be called a tell-all biography, Paul Chambers explores the sad but remarkable life of the most famous circus elephant ever in his fascinating, carefully researched account. (The Christian Science Monitor)

Members Reviews:

Jumbo the elephant remembered in 3 countries

Would you listen to Jumbo again? Why?

A 's good children's story. especially when taking them to a circus. Elephants are being senselessly killed in Africa and Asia.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Junbo was very intelligent and a great performer.

Have you listened to any of David Holloways other performances before? How does this one compare?

Never heard of him before. no comment

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Jumbo's death and reaction to it in 3 countries

Any additional comments?

no

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Title: Random Obsessions: Trivia You Can't Live Without

Author: Nick Belardes

Narrator: Todd Barsness

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-19-11

Publisher: Viva Editions

Ratings: 2.5 of 5 out of 14 votes

Genres: History, World

Publisher's Summary:

Did you know Thomas Jefferson's grandson was an ax murderer? Don't you delight in knowing that some dinosaurs were as teeny tiny as hens? Before buying that plane ticket, don't you NEED to know which exotic islands still have cannibals? Wonder what it's like to live in Hell Town at the End of the World? How about an ailment so surreal it's named after Alice in Wonderland?

In Random Obsessions: Trivia You Can't Live Without, historian Nick Belardes has dug into the raw source material found in historical archives, scientific studies, and libraries the world over. You'll also read first-person interviews with people who can explain the unexplained, from the permanently puzzling Mothman conspiracy to secret Star Wars Jedi religious cults, and the charmingly eccentric reason why British aerospace engineers sent teddy bears floating out into space.

Truly trivia you can't live without, Random Obsessions is filled with facts, lists, definitions, and astonishing information guaranteed to provide you with the best cocktail conversation for many years to come! Your guide, Nick Belardes, has devoted his life to poking around the peculiar and perplexing. Explore the unknown stories behind why the nation's capitol didn't stay in Philadelphia, why some fossils are smiling, and how, if Preparation H existed in the early 1800s, Napoleon would have won Waterloo. These real-world facts are outlandish enough to sharpen your brain and occupy your mind for hours of listening. This book is so fascinating and fun, you'll become obsessed, too!

Critic Reviews:

"Random Obsessions is the perfect desk reference for ordinary insane people. Nick Belardes is a force of nature." (Brad Listi, author of Attention. Deficit. Disorder)

"And I thought my friends were weird. Reading 'Random Obsessions' is like wandering around the Epcot Center on hallucinogens - colorful, crazy, occasionally terrifying, and always exciting. If you're a trivia buff with a penchant for the madcap, do yourself a favor and buy this book." (Christian Science Monitor)Matt Shaer, Christian Science Monitor

For the reader who needs to know why the characters in Dilbert don't have mouths, your oracle has arrived. Random Obsessions is every bit as silly as it is informative. Belardes has ransacked the useless information files and uncovered some gems. (Jonathan Evison, author of All About Lulu)

Members Reviews:

Disappointed!

I would most likely have given this book 5 stars, if I had read rather than listened. I love trivia and this book is filled with it, but the information is presented much too fast and in a somewhat disjointed style. The narration didn't help. The pace was much too rapid and I felt that the narrator (and I) were both out of breath from the first word. Full of wonderful arcane trivia but the pace was not comfortable and the information too dense. Get the hard copy!

OK but very American

Didn't realise from the clip but this book is almost totally focussed on American trivia, not bad in itself but lacks focus for UK readers.

Not a bad book by any means and some snippets that piqued my interest but I'd have chosen a UK/European edition if available.

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Title: How the Dog Became the Dog

Subtitle: From Wolves to Our Best Friends

Author: Mark Derr

Narrator: David Colacci

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-13-11

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 26 votes

Genres: History, World

Publisher's Summary:

That the dog evolved from the wolf is an accepted fact of evolution and history, but the question of how wolf became dog has remained a mystery, obscured by myth and legend. How the Dog Became the Dog posits that dog was an evolutionary inevitability in the nature of the wolf and its human soul mate. The natural temperament and social structure of humans and wolves are so similar that as soon as they met on the trail they recognized themselves in each other. Both are highly social, accomplished generalists, and creatures of habit capable of adapting - homebodies who like to wander.

How the Dog Became the Dog presents "domestication" of the dog as a biological and cultural process that began in mutual cooperation and has taken a number of radical turns.

Critic Reviews:

"A transporting slice of dog/wolf thinking that will pique the interest of anyone with a dog in their orbit." (Kirkus)

Members Reviews:

Disapointing.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes, it was somewhat informative.

Would you listen to another book narrated by David Colacci?

Yes.

Did How the Dog Became the Dog inspire you to do anything?

No.

Any additional comments?

This book was just not as interesting as I had hoped. This is a subject that I am incredibly interested in and I felt like a learned little that I didn't already know and was actually bored through a lot of it. It is largely focused on anthropology and a lot of what the author claims is mostly opinion (albeit, a very well studied and informed opinion).

Interesting and thorough, but not for everyone

Would you listen to How the Dog Became the Dog again? Why?

I probably will not listen to this again because, although much of the detail was helpful in supporting the connection between the evolution of the dog with that of our own species, I doubt that I will have time to revisit it now that I have accepted the primary concept: we have co-evolved over a longer period of time than was previously believed.

What was one of the most memorable moments of How the Dog Became the Dog?

At the end of the book, the author discusses how the role of the dog has changed significantly in recent times from that during all of our prior history together. This has created serious problems for dogs because they are being bred primarily to artificial breed standards rather than for pet potential or for the original jobs they did such as herding, hunting, guarding, etc. Few modern breeds retain the characteristics that were developed originally.

Have you listened to any of David Colacci???s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first audiobook I have listened to narrated by David Colacci. I felt he did a very good job with the material.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I was left with concern for dogs in our present culture, especially pedigree dogs. So many have serious diseases from the birth because of the way they are being bred and marketed. This affirmed our decision to rescue an adult mixed-breed dog from our local shelter rather than take on the probable physical and emotional problems so common in pure-bred dogs. Our dog is truly a treasure, and the last section of this book helped me to appreciate him even more.

Any additional comments?

This is not a

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Titel: Friedrich I. Barbarossa. Kaiser des Römischen Reichs

Autor:: Elke Bader

Erzähler: Heiner Heusinger

Format: Unabridged

Spieldauer: 2 hrs and 26 mins

Sprache: Deutsch

Veröffentlichungsdatum: 12-08-10

Herausgeber: Griot Hörbuchverlag GmbH

Bewertung: 5 von 5 von 1 Stimmen

Kategorien: History, World

Zusammenfassung des Herausgebers:

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Título: Enigmas históricos al descubierto. De Jesús a Ben Laden [Historical Enigmas Revealed: From Jesus to Bin Laden]

Autor: César Vidal

Narrador: Rafael Oñate

Formato: Unabridged

Duración: 5 hrs and 2 mins

Idioma: Español

Fecha de publicación: 11-12-10

Editor: Audiomol

Calificaciones: 3 de 5 de 5 votos

Categorías: History, World

Resumen del editor:

El conocido divulgador César Vidal satisface la curiosidad de múltiples lectores sobre los temas más variados, como quién ordenó el bombardeo de Guernica, si fue Bin Laden un agente de la CIA, cómo se apoderó Gran Bretaña de Gibraltar entre otras.

Please note: This audiobook is in Spanish.

Opiniones de los miembros:

Five Stars

Very good, as expected

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Title: Pirates of Barbary

Subtitle: Corsairs, Conquests and Captivity in the Seventeenth-Century Mediterranean

Author: Adrian Tinniswood

Narrator: Clive Chafer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-11-10

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 25 votes

Genres: History, World

Publisher's Summary:

It's easy to think of piracy as a romantic way of life long gone - if not for today's frightening headlines of robbery and kidnapping on the high seas. Pirates have existed since the invention of commerce itself, but they reached the zenith of their power during the 1600s,when the Mediterranean was the crossroads of the world and pirates were the scourge of Europe and the glory of Islam. They attacked ships, enslaved crews, plundered cargoes, enraged governments, and swayed empires, wreaking havoc from Gibraltar to the Holy Land and beyond.

Historian and author Adrian Tinniswood brings alive this dynamic chapter in history, in which clashes between pirates of the East (Tunis, Algiers, and Tripoli) and governments of the West (England, France, Spain, and Venice) grew increasingly intense and dangerous.

In vivid detail, Tinniswood recounts the brutal struggles, glorious triumphs, and enduring personalities of the pirates of the Barbary Coast, and how their maneuverings between the Muslim empires and Christian Europe shed light on the religious and moral battles that still rage today. As Tinniswood notes in Pirates of Barbary, "Pirates are history." In this fascinating and entertaining book, he reveals that the history of piracy is also the history that shaped our modern world.

Critic Reviews:

"Tinniswood gives us both a rollicking narrative and a rich brew of early modern maritime history." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Pirate/History buffs dream come true.

Would you listen to Pirates of Barbary again? Why?

Yes!!! It brings to life Pirate history that is not what Hollywood has mislead us all with. Even better it fills in some gaps typicaly left out of World History.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Pirates of Barbary?

When King James I granted a pirate pardon and then had to chase said Pirate down to give it to him.

Which scene was your favorite?

To many to choose just one.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

True Pirate/ History buffs will love this book. It is a fresh look at Pirates that are not Caribbean based.

Arrrr mate get it!

I enjoyed this book allot. it keeps your attention and gives a great account of life at sea and struggles faced by those long ago.

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Title: History Speaks, Volume 2

Author: Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, William Howard Taft, O. Henry, Theodore Roosevelt

Narrator: Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, William Howard Taft, O. Henry, Theodore Roosevelt

Format: Unabridged

Length: 18 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-07-10

Publisher: Listen & Live Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: History, World

Publisher's Summary:

Along with historical narration, hear rare recordings of some of the most iconic people in history, including Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, William Howard Taft, James Whitcomb Riley, O. Henry, Arthur Conan Doyle, William Gillette, Theodore Roosevelt, Ellen Terry, King George V, and Amelia Earhart. Recording obtained and published by Rick Sheridan.

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Title: Life in Year One

Subtitle: What the World Was Like in First-Century Palestine

Author: Scott Korb

Narrator: Arthur Morey

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-02-10

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 34 votes

Genres: History, World

Publisher's Summary:

What was it like to live during the time of Jesus? Where did people live? Who did they marry? What was family life like? And how did people survive? These are just some of the questions that Scott Korb answers in this engaging new book, which explores what everyday life entailed 2,000 years ago in first-century Palestine, that tumultuous era when the Roman Empire was at its zenith and a new religion - Christianity - was born.

Culling information from primary sources, scholarly research, and his own travels and observations, Korb explores the nitty-gritty of real life back then - from how people fed, housed, and groomed themselves to how they kept themselves healthy. He guides the contemporary listener through the maze of customs and traditions that dictated life under the numerous groups, tribes, and peoples in the eastern Mediterranean that Rome governed two thousand years ago, and he illuminates the intriguing details of marriage, family life, health, and a host of other aspects of first-century life.

The result is a book for everyone, from the armchair traveler to the amateur historian. With surprising revelations about politics and medicine, crime and personal hygiene, this book is smart and accessible popular history at its very best.

Critic Reviews:

Korb's vivid, breezy prose makes accessible a mountain of scholarship that illuminates the past. (

Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

accessible listen with broad appeal

This is more a meditation on life in first century CE Palestine than traditional history, with back and forth comparisons to contemporary ways of being in the world.

Don't let the cover fool you -- the book deftly skirts skirts theological controversies and so can be enjoyed by range of listeners: theist, atheist, deist, nondeist, trinitarian, fundamentalist...anyone interested in a listen about the time in which Jesus walked, not necessarily arguments about Jesus' identity.

Although uses Korb uses archaeological discovery as much of the "evidence," the listen is accessible and more like having a conversation with a scholarly friend who takes the material to your level without being condescending. The "author's notes" sound more like friendly asides than distracting footnotes.

Narration is good, with occasionally mispronunciation (John Dom Crossan for example, sometimes becomes JAY-dee Crah SAHN), but the listen didn't sound as though it was being site read, like so many other reasonably priced audio books.

This definitely put me in an Easter mood!

Concise, informative, entertaining

Scott Korb has written an excellent short introduction to life in the first century of the Common Era. For those versed in the history of the period, he doesn't break new ground; but he's arranged the material in an effective way, relying heavily on archaeology and to a lesser extent on surviving documents. If you grew up, like me, thinking of life in first-century Palestine as poor but comfortable, you will be shocked at the level of grinding poverty and demoralization that Kolb describes. Everyone felt the heavy hand of Rome, even in provinces like Galilee that were only indirectly ruled by the empire. It ended badly for most, with a series of revolts brutally crushed, ending with the city of Jerusalem being dismantled. Jesus was only one of many tens of thousands of Jews crucified by the Iron Empire.

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Title: Darwin Slept Here

Subtitle: Discovery, Adventure and Swimming Iguanas in Charles Darwin's South America

Author: Eric Simons

Narrator: Nick Sullivan

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-30-10

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: History, World

Publisher's Summary:

For "Darwin Year," a fresh-eyed and enchanting journey through South America in his footsteps One snowy day in Ushuaia, Argentina, the self-proclaimed "southernmost city in the world," writer Eric Simons picked up a copy of Charles Darwin's The Voyage of the Beagle. Simons had just hiked the mountains overlooking Beagle Channel, and he found himself engrossed in Darwin's account.

Like Simons, Darwin was in his mid-20s when he traveled to the continent. Simons followed Darwin further into South America--to stand where Darwin had stood and to explore the histories, legends and people that had fascinated him two centuries before. Simons trekked to as many of the locations Darwin wrote about as he could find to see if he could see these places through Darwin's eyes, and to learn what South Americans know about Darwin. Darwin Slept Here is an innovative and thrilling new look at a familiar subject from a compelling new writer to watch.

Members Reviews:

Narration ruins the book

I am about to venture down to South America and will be actullay walking in some of Darwin's foot steps. I thought that this book would add a little colour and information to my trip. Unfortunately the narrator of this book has made it all but unlistenable. I find it very, very hard to get past the narrator's mechanistic e-nun-ci-ation of al-most ev-ery syl_able. I've played it for a few freinds and they insist that it is a machine/a computor and not a real human being doing the reading.

I've listened to too many audio books to count over the years. I've had some favorite narrators and some not so favorite, none that would stop me from listening. If I wasn't traveling and hoping to get some useful information form this I would have given up on this one long ago.

Excellent! What I hoped for to prepare for trip.

Would you consider the audio edition of Darwin Slept Here to be better than the print version?

I did not read the print version so I cannot say for sure.

I can, however, speculate that it is better because the performance was so good.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Darwin as a young man came to life so it would have to be him.

What does Nick Sullivan bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

Nick brings more emotion, excitement and humor. I got each passage as I was listening instead of having to occasionally re-read sections once the intended emotion became evident.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Finding the old building that Darwin possibly slept in is especially moving to me as I have felt similar emotions while metal detecting for historical artifacts in old places. The closing comments about getting out and participating in adventures were also great.

Any additional comments?

My wife and I are preparing for a month long hiking trip to Peru, Chile and Argentina in a couple of weeks and I hoped to find a book that would fire my curiosity about the area. This book did just that. My most rewarding travel adventures have been when I eventually experienced that which I had imagined through another's creative viewpoint.