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Title: The Private Journal of Judge-Advocate Larpent

Subtitle: Attached to the Head-Quarters of Lord Wellington During the Penninsular War, from 1812 to Its Close

Author: George Larpent

Narrator: Felbrigg Napoleon Herriot

Format: Unabridged

Length: 18 hrs and 44 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-27-12

Publisher: FNH Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

During the Peninsular campaign of the Napoleonic wars, the author of this book travelled with Wellington's headquarters. His position as Judge-Advocate kept him busy prosecuting the wrongdoers of the army. In this narrative you'll get to hear first-hand accounts of the various battles and sieges of the campaign including Vitoria. Other highlights include anecdotes of Wellington, murders, skirmishes, the narrator being captured by the enemy, the fall of Pamplona, deserters, rocket fire, and the marvellous bridge of boats.

Members Reviews:

very interesting, but....

This is an incredibly interesting account of everyday life for a high ranking noncombat officer on Wellington's staff during the later days of the peninsular war. If you are considering purchasing this book, be aware that you will not find descriptions of combat here. What you will find is a well detailed account of the general worldview of senior officers at the time, accounts and personal comments of military law and punishments, and whey they should be, a fair accounting of Wellington's personal life at the time, the struggles of "gentlemen" while enduring wartime camp life, interesting accounts of some logistical issues during the campaign, and generally the sort of background detail which most military histories would not cover in any detail. Readers will gain little terms of tactics, maneuvers, order of battle, or even a general understanding of the military situation. What they will gain is a better understanding of society at the time, a better appreciation of "fog of war" at the supreme command level, and how the war was seen by British Gentry.

could have been really good

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

A different narrator with a better grasp of the English language

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Mispronunciation , among to many others to list

Any additional comments?

A good item ruined by an atrocious reader, i get the feeling this is some sort of vanity project dreamed up by him the illustrious "Felbrigg Napoleon Herriot" which has got be the most pompous moniker i have ever seen in print , possibly rivalled only by Simon Sebag Montefiore

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Title: Cursed Days [Russian Edition]

Author: Ivan Bunin

Narrator: Ilya Bobylev

Format: Abridged

Length: 5 hrs and 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-23-12

Publisher: IDDK

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Cursed Days consists of the diaries and notes of the great Russian writer Ivan Bunin (1870-1953), the first Russian to win a Nobel Prize for Literature. A gripping and harrowing account of the Russian Revolution and Civil War, the book was banned during the Soviet era.

Please note: This audiobook is in Russian.

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Title: Dear River

Subtitle: A Message on Spirituality

Author: Heather Drummond

Narrator: Heather Drummond

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-23-12

Publisher: Heather Drummond

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Venture into the world of eastern theology with a conventional Christian who is challenged by the fear and scepticism often associated with yoga and meditation. Share with her a deeper understanding about these practices and how they can strengthen your relationship with God. Become part of a new movement of harmony in diversity that the world so desperately needs. Most importantly, come to know yourself as Teilhard de Chardin saw us - as spiritual beings having a human experience, not human beings having a spiritual experience.

Dear River is a powerful, poignant book written by a soul-searching woman as a gift to her young son. It speaks volumes on her pursuit of truth, her spiritual awakening, and brings to light new ideas on how to live life to the fullest. It is written from a very personal perspective which lends it a certain fresh resonance that is not often common in other spiritual books.

It offers a new viewpoint on Christianity, Spirituality, God, and our divine purpose here on earth. The author gently pushes you to question your life and your ideals for the better, as she did along her incredible journey. If you have ever wondered about life's bigger picture you should definitely read this book! (Tanya Hunt, Editor.)

Dear Riveris an auto-biography, written by a Zimbabwean girl who grew up in Africa. Greatly inspired by her husband Garth and the book Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch, she enrolled in a writing program called The Movement of Change, a program for amateur writers with a strong desire to share their spiritual message. This is her story....

Critic Reviews:

"You need to get this book onto Oprah, it's amazing" (Debbie Dabs, South Africa)

"I found Dear River to be a delightful exploration of love and life." (Pam Slujs - Amsterdam)

"Heather, I am totally blown by your book!" (Daren Williams - Harare)

Members Reviews:

the book was great & I had to have the audio !

What made the experience of listening to Dear River the most enjoyable?

Hearing the story read by the author added another dimension entirely. Sharing her spiritual journey which she described so eloquently - I found listening to the audio to be an uplifting experience. I had read the book twice and the audio definitely highlighted things I had missed. There is so much to be gained from the authors experiences and insight into her spiritual growth.

Any additional comments?

This book is an ideal read for people with questions and uncertainty about their spirituality. So easy to appreciate and relate to the author who has shared her experiences on such a personal level making me feel as though I was sharing her journey. One of the best self-help books I have read.

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Title: With Grant at Fort Donelson, Shiloh and Vicksburg

Author: Wilber F. Crummer

Narrator: Andrew Mulcare

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 40 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-20-12

Publisher: Wetware Media

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Wilber F. Crummer was an acquaintance and neighbor of Ulysses S. Grant in Galena, Illinois. When civil war broke out, he became "one of the Boys in Blue" who followed General Grant in the Battles of Fort Donelson, Shiloh and Vicksburg. His stirring and vivid accounts of these significant civil war battles, covering the years 1862-63, are filled with historic detail and conclude with his appreciation of General Grant.

Members Reviews:

A foot soldier's view of Grant & the Civil War

What made the experience of listening to With Grant at Fort Donelson, Shiloh and Vicksburg the most enjoyable?

A new and unique point of view

Who was your favorite character and why?

Grant as viewed by a neighbor and foot soldier

Have you listened to any of Andrew Mulcares other performances before? How does this one compare?

New to me

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Heart warming view of Grant who has often today been underestimated

Any additional comments?

Great to hear Grant given full value for his contributions to our nation's destiny

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Title: Drunken Angel

Author: Alan Kaufman

Narrator: Keith Szarabajka

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-15-11

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Alan Kaufman recounts with unvarnished honesty the story of the alcoholism that took him to the brink of death, the post-traumatic stress disorder that drove him to the edge of madness, and the love that brought him back. Son of a French Holocaust survivor, Kaufman was a drinker so mauled by his indulgences that it is a marvel he hung on long enough to get into recovery. With his estranged daughter as inspiration, Kaufman cleaned himself up at age forty, taking full responsibility for nearly destroying himself, his work, and so many loved ones along the way. Kaufman minces no words as he looks back on a life pickled in self-pity, self-loathing, and guilt. Reading Drunken Angel is like watching an accident to see if any of the victims crawl away barely alive. Kaufman did, and here he delivers a lacerating, cautionary tale of a life wasted and reclaimed.

Critic Reviews:

With an outsized heart to go with its outsized thirst, Drunken Angel tells the sort of truths that feel like myths and the sort of myths that feel like truth. (Daniel Handler, a.k.a. Lemony Snicket)

Members Reviews:

Couldn't put it down...

Reading this is enough to make me wish that I had been the kind of alcoholic that "couldn't stop." With a history of alcoholism in my Irish Catholic military family, it was easy for me to stop at the first sign of trouble. And my grandfather was one of early AA'ers in Chicago when it was all getting started, and I was raised on his knee being told "Catarina Shefelina, I can't take another drink again for as long as I live!" So I knew the story well. I guess by stopping so early on I escaped the hell that awaits all those who "cross over" to the other side, and are one of the truly lucky ones if they find their way back. It's a choice every individual makes, but once you do, it's nigh impossible to get back unless you have a support system such as the 12 Steps or other Faith in God.

I wish that I had talent that overflowed for this author the moment he might put the bottle down. I guess this just goes to show that "talent" is innate and something a person is born with, and nothing but nothing will make it die unless the person dies. It will always struggle and grow with the urge to blossom and bloom! Live it will if the body will. What a tale to tell.

Parts of this story are so hard to read and believe they could be real... it's a nightmarish roller-coaster ride that ends up throwing the actors high into heaven. A heaven I have never seen or been in. Great story and if ever there was a book about why it's worth getting and staying "clean and sober," and working The Steps, this is it. Bravo!

PS: Even though I have no idea about "past lives," if they are true or not, it seems that his daughter, angel from above, came to protect him from the nightmare his life had become. That was one of the most moving parts about this story that is oh-so-true. Love can triumph over all. Who knew?

PPS: I still "couldn't put the book down," but after reading a two star review by Michele, and comment after, they have addressed a few of the things that bothered me in the tale. Things that just seemed "too good to be true" but I accepted them because "there they were, in black and white!" So now not sure what is going on in this story.

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Title: My Heroes: Extraordinary Courage, Exceptional People

Author: Ranulph Fiennes

Narrator: Andrew Wincott

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-28-11

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

In My Heroes, the 'world's greatest living explorer' (Gunniess Book of Records), writes about the people who have inspired him - from explorers to policemen, families to freedom fighters. Wherever in the world Ranulph gives one of his lectures or motivational speeches, someone always asks: 'Who inspired you to do all the crazy things you've done?' For the first time he explores this idea by revealing his own personal heroes and what lessons their actions may have taught him in his own often hazardous profession. This book describes the extraordinary and often horrific events that led to these ordinary individuals becoming Ranulph's great heroes. From polar survivor to knifed-and-beaten policeman, from a woman missionary to a special forces soldier, these wonderful people will make you proud to be part of the human race.

Members Reviews:

Big disappointment...

I was very excited, when I saw this book among the new releases. Without thinking much, i downloaded it. I was excited to hear inspiring stories of human endeavor, courage, adventure.

After listening to the story for a while, my excitement turned into disappointment, deep disappointment unfortunately. The first big story was from a war. About "good" guys killIng "bad" guys, and the courage (!) behind it. About why it is no-brainer and most-logical, most ethical to also kill the civilian goat herders, when these poor people, by accident, bump into the "good" guys, who were sneaking into a village to carry an assasination of a "bad" guy... And when they don't do that, how big of a heart(!) they have...

I could not continue much further. I was disgusted by the stories presented as acts of heroes, but in fact, in my opinion, nothing more than most primitive and uncivilized, animal like behaviour.

If you think the world is black and white, if you think it is the moral imperative of the "good" guys to kill "bad" guys, and if you want to listen some raw war stories ("... his bullet hit the enemy's face and push his nose into his brain..." or something similar, dont remember the exact phrasing) go ahead, get this book.

But if not, i am afraid you need to look somewhere else.

Hard work

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

This book was disappointing, it's poorly structured and difficult to get through.Fiennes sets out his definition of 'hero' and 'courage' in the first chapter and seems at pains to stress the book won't be a list of military heros and VC winners, which I understood and it left me intrigued by what was to come. I was to be disappointed. Especially when the very first hero was indeed a military one.It drifts from quite specific examples of individual courage into an endless catalog of genocidal horror with a bizarre obsession with the gory details.In the context of what I had expected, given the title and opening chapter, the time was not well spent. Had I wanted a book that covers in detail some of histories worst genocides, I would have bought one.

Who might you have cast as narrator instead of Andrew Wincott?

Andrew Wincott was a poor choice for this book. I didn't like the style of his narration, he adds drama to his voice depending on what is being read, and at times puts on accents, which is extremely irritating.

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Title: Two Ton: One Night, One Fight - Tony Galento v. Joe Louis

Author: Joseph Monninger

Narrator: Kiff VandenHeuvel

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-18-11

Publisher: steerforth press l.l.c.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Beetle-browed, nearly bald, with a head that rode his collarbones like a bowling ball returning on rails, his waist size more than half his five-foot, eight-inch height, Two Ton Tony Galento resembled, according to Collier's magazine writer Jack Miley, ''a taxi driving away with its top down.'' By all measures he stood no chance when he stepped into the ring against the Brown Bomber, Joe Louis, the finest heavyweight of his generation.

But in Yankee Stadium on a June night in 1939 he entered the record books as one of the few men to put the great Louis down. For two splendid seconds he stood on the mat as the Joe Louis lay before him, champ of the world, the toughest man alive, the mythical hero of a nation little more than a year away from war. ''I'll moida da bum,'' he had predicted. And though Louis was no bum, Galento was almost as good as his word.

Critic Reviews:

"[Monninger] displays a sure feeling for the eccentricities and color of the era, and he has a novelist's ability to put the reader in the moment. In Monninger's hands, all 'two tons' of Tony come alive." (Publishers Weekly)

"The fight reportage is gripping, and while there's certainly nothing new here about Louis, Monninger's descriptions of Galento paint a portrait of one of boxing's great antiheroes." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Good rendition of a memorable fight

This was not a bad book by any means, the author writes well and can be quite engaging.

It is the story of the Two Ton Tony Galento vs Joe Louis fight which was a short affair but had so many newsworthy backdrops to it that it made it one of Louis's biggest fights. Galento was a heavy drinking, overweight banger who probably didn't belong in the same ring with Louis but he had guts and a tremendous fan following. He was the everyman's boxer, they could relate to his story and he made newspaper reporters happy with plenty of great stories.

I found the book to be very readable although extremely short. Would have liked it to have been a true biography of Galento but I assume that will never happen.

A Different View of Tony Galento

Tony Galento was going to 'moider' every 'bum' who cared to enter the ring with him. And he did that on many occasions.

But, to be honest, he was never going to 'moider' Joe Louis and, I believe, he never really thought he would. But every fighter has to exude that confident front, but the reality of the situation was that Joe Louis was simly in a different class. admittedly, Tony put Joe on the canvas in the second, but from then on it was one-way traffic.

I always thought that Tony was just another low-down creep, but this book changed those views. Tony's abrasiveness was, no doubt, the image that he wanted to portray. I think it was merely for display on the surface. Deep down there was, amazingly, a softer character; a husband and father who cared for his family.

Joseph Monninger has painted a wonderful picture; not only of the the fight, but also the fighters and the people around them, and the era in which the bout took place.

I had always regarded Tony Galento as nothing more than another 'bum of the month' but since reading this book...

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Title: Wild Life

Subtitle: Amazing Animals, Extraordinary People, Astonishing Places

Author: Simon King

Narrator: Simon King

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-25-11

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Even as a very young child, Simon King was passionate about the natural world. Being savaged by a rabid cheetah, charged at by rhinos and elephants and defecated upon by a long list of birds and other animals may sound like hell to some. But these, along with countless other experiences alongside all things furry, scaly, slimy and feathery have provided him with an enormously rich bank of tales to relive and retell.

With characteristic honesty and charm, Simon King weaves his animal stories amongst encounters with extraordinary people, and astonishing places to give us a memoir that will delight readers.

Members Reviews:

Interesting

I enjoyed this book and it was interesting finding out about Simon's facination with wildlife from a young age. It was easy to listen to.

Beautifully written and totally absorbing!

What made the experience of listening to Wild Life the most enjoyable?

Being able to visualise Simons interesting Wildlife adventures.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Wild Life?

Simons unexpected encounter with a Lion in the bushes.

What does Simon King bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you had only read the book?

His enthusiasm and passion for all things alive is made evident in his voice.

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

Simons openess when he spoke about a relationship breakdown.

Any additional comments?

This is the best thing I have listened to on Audible to date!

It's very interesting and educational. Good job Simon king!

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Title: The Honored Dead

Subtitle: A Story of Friendship, Murder, and the Search for Truth in the Arab World

Author: Joseph Braude

Narrator: Benson Simmonds

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-14-11

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

The Arab Islamic world is known for religious extremism, ethnic conflicts, and, now, the overthrow of seemingly unshakable regimes. But if anything has become clear, its that our understanding of the region remains shrouded and incomplete. The seeds of revolution, radicalism, andpossiblyreform are buried in the individual stories of millions of people whose lives determine the fates of their societies, people whose motivations are as common, and as strange, as our own. Here is one of those storiesand the story of how this world is being transformed, one life at a time.

Joseph Braude is the first Western journalist ever to secure embed status with an Arab security force, assigned to a hardened unit of detectives in Casablanca who handle everything from busting al-Qaeda cells to solving homicides. One day, hes given the file for a seemingly commonplace murder: a young guard at a warehouse killed in what appears to be a robbery gone wrong. Braude is intrigued by the details of the case: the sheer brutality of the murder; the identities of the accuseda soldierand the victim, a shadowy migrant with links to a radical cleric; and the odd location: a warehouse owned by a wealthy member of one of the few thriving Jewish communities in the Arab world. After interviewing the victims best friend, who tearfully insists that the true story of the murder has been covered up by powerful interests, Braude commits to getting to the bottom of it.

Braudes risky pursuit of the shocking truth behind the murder takes him from cosmopolitan Marrakesh to the proud Berber heartland, from the homes of the wealthiest and most powerful people in the country to the backstreets of Casablanca, where migrants come to make fortunes, jihad, and trouble, but often end up just trying to survive with dignity.

The Honored Dead is a timely and riveting mystery about a society in transition, the power of the truth, and the irrepressible human need for justice.

Members Reviews:

A True Crime Story with a Regional Studies Twist

Joseph Braude in The Honored Dead: A Story of Friendship, Murder, and the Search for Truth in the Arab World, takes the reader inside an Arab security force in Casablanca. In so doing, he provides a true crime story about a robbery (or something) that has gone wrong and a victim left for dead. The story lopes along until Braude, an American, starts interviewing family members and friends of the dead man. Then he confronts security force officials to solve the murder. Along the way, the reader gets an inside look at how the culture works, conflict between the "old ways" and new ways of looking at the world conflict, and the courage it takes to unravel a murder mystery there. Thoughtful, interesting, and informative to the reader of true crime and the general reader with an interest in the region in general. The reading of Benson Simmonds is a plus.

Well written, not as well edited

The premise of the story is compelling, it starts out promisingly. The initial pacing was good but the author does not stay as focused in the middle. Although I enjoy context in a story, when context overshadows the plot I am disappointed.

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Title: The Man Who Broke into Auschwitz

Subtitle: A True Story of World War II

Author: Denis Avey, Rob Broomby

Narrator: Sean Barrett

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-10-11

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Audiobooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 33 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

The Man Who Broke into Auschwitz is the extraordinary true story of a British soldier who marched willingly into Buna-Monowitz, the concentration camp known as Auschwitz III. In the summer of 1944, Denis Avey was being held in a POW labour camp, E715, near Auschwitz III. He had heard of the brutality meted out to the prisoners there, and he was determined to witness what he could. He hatched a plan to swap places with a Jewish inmate and smuggled himself into his sector of the camp.

He spent the night there on two occasions and experienced at first-hand the cruelty of a place where slave workers had been sentenced to death through labour. Astonishingly, he survived to witness the aftermath of the Death March in which thousands of prisoners were murdered by the Nazis as the Soviet Army advanced. After his own long trek right across central Europe he was repatriated to Britain.

For decades he couldn't bring himself to revisit the past that haunted his dreams, but now Denis Avey feels able to tell the full story - a tale as gripping as it is moving - which offers us a unique insight into the mind of an ordinary man whose moral and physical courage are almost beyond belief.

Members Reviews:

Well worth listening to

What did you love best about The Man Who Broke into Auschwitz?

Fascinating account. I enjoyed the additional autobiographical detail and it was easy to empathize with the author. Well written and authentically narrated. The story is so astonishing that at times I found myself wondering if it could be true but the details seemed sufficiently plausible and I was absorbed from beginning to end.

What other book might you compare The Man Who Broke into Auschwitz to and why?

None

Have you listened to any of Sean Barretts other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Same as title

Any additional comments?

No

Captivating. Definitely worth reading/listening

Would you listen to The Man Who Broke into Auschwitz again? Why?

Yes I would, although the story stuck with me.

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

Yes, luckily enough I took it for long runs!

SPELLBINDING, COULDNT PUT IT DOWN

Would you try another book from Denis Avey and Rob Broomby and/or Sean Barrett?

YES

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Man Who Broke into Auschwitz?

THE EXCHANGE AND BOLDNESS TO CONFRONT AN SS SOLDIER

What does Sean Barrett bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

ONE FEELS HE IS TALKING DIRECTLY TO YOU.

Any additional comments?

ANYONE INTERESTED IN THE FACTS OF WW2 HISTORY SHOULD READ THIS STORY. IT IS BOTH HEART BREAKING AND UPLIFTING AND LEAVES ONE WITH A SENSE OF PRIDE THAT THERE WERE THOSE WHO WERE PREPARED TO LOSE EVERYTHING IN ORDER TO HELP ANOTHER HUMAN BEING IN AN EXTREMELY BAD SITUATION. IT IS HARROWING AND INFORMATIVE AND I COULD'NT PUT IT DOWN. I THINK IT IS A MUST READ!

Eye Openeing

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

For all the WWII movies, and History Channel programmes, this audio book was an eye opener to the Actual Horrors experienced by One Denis Avey, a British POW. Very interesting, I could not stop listening.

What did you like best about this story?

A Journey of a man through the war.