Listen to Best Sellers Audiobooks in Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

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Title: East to the Dawn

Subtitle: The Life of Amelia Earhart

Author: Susan Butler

Narrator: Anna Fields

Format: Unabridged

Length: 18 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-09-06

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 231 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

The image we have of Amelia Earhart today - a tousle-haired, androgynous flier clad in shirt, silk scarf, leather jacket, and goggles - is only one of her many personas, most of which have been lost to us through the years. Through years of research and interviews with many of the surviving people who knew Amelia, Susan Butler has recreated a remarkably vivid and multifaceted portrait of this enigmatic figure. Listeners will experience Amelia in all her permutations: not just as a pilot, but also as an educator, a social worker, a lecturer, a businesswoman, and a tireless promoter of women's rights. We experience a remarkably energetic and enterprising woman who battled incredible odds to achieve her fame, succeeded beyond her wildest dreams, and yet never lost sight of her beginnings, ensuring that her success would secure a path for women after her.

©1997 Susan Butler; (P)1998 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic Reviews:

"Certainly the single best book that we now have on Earhart's life....Earhart comes into sharper, more realistic focus through Butler's lens." (Washington Post)

"Filled with wonderful details about Earhart's glamorous lifestyle and the wild, dangerous world of early aviators....the still enthralling figure of the aviator...powerfully come[s] through." (Kirkus Reviews)

"The reader closes East to the Dawn with the lingering realization of how truly contemporary Amelia Earhart remains and with a new understanding of the love and admiration she earned from colleagues and the public at large....her insistence on being her own person while fighting for causes larger than herself continue to command our respect and fuel our dreams." (Los Angeles Times)

Members Reviews:

The Definitive Biography

Much like "Hughes" was the definitive biography of Howard Hughes, "East to the Dawn" is for Amelia Earhart. Both books show all facets of these aviation pioneers. And both dive into the little details of not only the subjects but also of the environment in which they lived.

The narration is lovely, and easy to follow. The only negative is that the genealogy of Ms. Earhart at the beginning is a little dry (though important for a definitive biography). It picks up tremendously once the book focuses on Amelia.

Searching for the "who" of Amelia Earhart

In many fictional or biographical accounts of this interesting and forward thinking woman the emphasis is usually placed on her last flight, where she went down and what happened to her.

In this book by Susan Butler we get to see and understand the person behind the public persona: from her scandalous affairs to her Clothing line for Women and from her fierce loyalty to her casual betrayals of those close to her. What Ms. Butler portrays is a complex and even conflicted figure.

The narrator does a substantial job of taking this book from text to audio.

Even if you are not an Ameliaphile, this book is well worth the price.

Interesting!

Would you listen to East to the Dawn again? Why?

No. Too much family history and lots of repetition. If I was actually reading the book I would have skipped through a bunch of pages

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Even though I knew how the story ends, I was still sad.

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Title: Diana

Author: Sarah Bradford

Narrator: Katherine Kellgren

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 22 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-20-06

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 83 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

Diana follows her old-fashioned courtship by the Prince of Wales, as the world began aiming its cameras at the entrancing princess-bride. Drawing on fresh interviews with those close to Diana, some of whom have never spoken on the record before, Bradford sheds new light on the collapse of the marriage once hailed as the ultimate fairy tale. She examines Diana's lovers and her relationships with staff, friends, and family, as well as her profound commitment to charity. Finally, she documents Diana's struggle to find an identity after her seperation from Charles, her final complicated year as a single woman, and the world's overwhelming reaction to her death.

Sympathetic but clear-eyed, with the authority missing from all previous accounts, acclaimed royal biographer Sarah Bradford delivers a complex and striking study of one of the most popular figures of the 20th century.

Members Reviews:

Depressing

The saddest story you'll ever read. A little too Pro-Charles for me but overall a good book.

A dignified historical account of the Princess.

This book seems to because full and true biography of an amazing woman straddling her role in an antiquated system and herself, her roles in a traditional society and as a catalyst for great humanitarian effects in the modern world.

Personality disorderr

Sad recounting of a sad person. Exceptionally beautiful physically but exceptionally troubled emotionally. Used by the royals to produce an heir and a spare and discarded. Betrayed and betraying. Well written, Satisfying as an account of a wretched soul

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Title: My American Journey

Subtitle: An Autobiography

Author: Colin Powell

Narrator: Colin Powell

Format: Abridged

Length: 3 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-15-06

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 144 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

My American Journey is the powerful story of a life well lived and well told. It is also a view from the mountaintop of the political landscape of America. At a time when Americans feel disenchanted with their leaders, General Powell's passionate views on family, personal responsibility, and, in his own words, "the greatness of America and the opportunities it offers" inspire hope and present a blueprint for the future. An utterly absorbing account, it is history with a vision.

Critic Reviews:

"Eloquent." (Los Angeles Times Book Review)

"A great American success story...an endearing and well-written book." (The New York Times Book Review)

"The stirring, only-in-America story of one determined man's journey from the South Bronx to directing the mightiest of military forces....Fascinating." (The Washington Post Book World) "Profound and moving....Must reading for anyone who wants to reaffirm his faith in the promise of America." (The Wall Street Journal)

"A book that is much like its subject: articulate, confident, impressive, but unpretentious and witty....Whether you are a political junkie, a military buff, or just interested in a good story, My American Journey is a book well worth reading." (San Diego Union Tribune)

"Colin Powell's candid, introspective autobiography is a joy for all with an appetite for well-written political and social commentary." (The Detroit News)

Members Reviews:

Impressive

Enjoyed hearing Colin Powell himself tell his life story. He told it like it was - no fluff.

Great Autobiography

Nicely done - brief, to-the-point and I believe a quite honest history of a leader who was in the right place at the right time. I took part in Desert Shield - Desert Storm, and I still believe - and more so now - that proper calls and sound leadership decisions were made. I look forward to following the General for some time in the future!

5 Stars 4 a 4 Star

This book was both inspiring and insightful! Thanks General for your sacrifice, service, and sharing your success.

great book

Excellent so many events I can relate and admire the book its truly good and inspiring

Nice, quick read if you're interested in Colin.

There were things I wanted to know about Colin as a man who is black in America, high ranking in the military and associated with the Republican party. I have a greater understanding of who he is. It's probably as in depth as any speech he would given to a lecture hall full of students so it's nice and it does the job if you're interested in who he is, it opens your eyes to how he came to love the military, the media's effect on perception of military engagements and what exactly it is that this guy does as he scales the ladder of the military career. It also mentions his view on running for President. I won't spoiler alert that. But you could also skip this read. By no means is this a must read.

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Title: Hogan

Author: Curt Sampson

Narrator: Tom Parker

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-31-05

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 160 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

The components of this mystique were easy to see: a silent, almost eerie concentration that intimidated his opponents, a presence any politician or actor would envy, and an ability to hit a ball so squarely it sizzled as it left his club. Accomplishment was another part of his aura. Ben Hogan won four U.S. Opens in six years, three of them after a near-fatal head-on automobile collision with a bus. His injuries limited him to six tournaments in 1953, but he won five of them, three of them majors. It was arguably the greatest year ever in the history of professional golf.

Magazines placed his face on their covers, New York City gave him a ticker-tape parade, and Hollywood made a movie of his life. Yet even in the midst of all this acclaim, myth distorted and obscured Ben Hogan. Here at last is the Hogan no reader has ever encountered. From the poverty and suicidal death of his father that scarred him as a youth, to the failure and conflict that stalked him into middle age, Hogan is the rare sports book that transcends the genre.

Combining interviews with Byron Nelson, Jack Nicklaus, Sam Snead, and scores of other golf professionals, as well as insights from Hogan¿s friends and business associates, Hogan traces the life of an amazing man and tells an unforgettable story.

Critic Reviews:

"A superb and insightful portrait of the most elusive and complex champion in golf history." (Golf Digest)

Members Reviews:

Hogan (unabridged)

I love the game of golf. I am now hooked on Curt Sampsons books. I began with "Hogan" and am now moving on with his other books. This book is a mini history of that era of the game of golf. I will now be reading more on the subject after learning about one of golfs greatest, Ben Hogan.

A Ben Hogan Essential

This is my favorite book - period! I have listened to this book at least 50 times and each time I get new insight into what made Ben Hogan tick. This book will inspire you to play better golf!

very good

well read and fast moving. enjoyable. if you like golf and find Hogan interesting you will really like this audio-book.

Hogan will always be the BEST!

I had always known about the Hogan mystique. But now. thanks to the brilliant storytelling of Sampson, I feel like I lived there and saw it first hand.

Sampson tells the story of one of golf's all time greats beautifully. Anyone who loves golf and appreciates it's majesty should get this book.

Wonderful Book.

Any additional comments?

I loved the book and it's what I would give any child or friend to listen to in hopes some of this mans character would influence them in some way or just a good read. He wasn't perfect at all of course, but he did some great things and combined courage with character to bring us a legend not only in the game of golf but in life as well.

In an accident, hit by a bus and would die, to never walk again, to 16 months later wining the U.S. Open! I wish I had half the courage he did and the book simply inspires me to be a better man.

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Title: Busting Vegas

Subtitle: The MIT Whiz Kid Who Brought the Casinos to Their Knees

Author: Ben Mezrich

Narrator: Ben Mezrich

Format: Abridged

Length: 5 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-22-05

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 232 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

Semyon Dukach was known as the Darling of Las Vegas. A legend at age 21, this cocky hotshot was the biggest high roller to appear in Sin City in decades, a mathematical genius with a system the casinos had never seen before and couldn't stop, a system that has never been revealed until now; that has nothing to do with card counting, wasn't illegal, and was more powerful than anything that had been tried before.

Las Vegas. Atlantic City. Aruba. Barcelona. London. And the jewel of the gambling crown, Monte Carlo.

Dukach and his fellow MIT students hit them all and made millions. They came in hard, with stacks of cash; big, seemingly insane bets; women hanging on their arms; and fake identities. Although they were taking classes and studying for exams during the week, over the weekends they stormed the blackjack tables only to be harassed, banned from casinos, threatened at gunpoint, and beaten in Vegas' notorious back rooms.

The stakes were high, the dangers very real, but the players were up to the challenges, consequences be damned. There was Semyon Dukach himself, bored with school and broke; Victor Cassius, the slick, brilliant MIT grad student who galvanized the team; Owen Keller, with stunning ability but a dark past that would catch up to him; and Allie Simpson, bright, clever, and a feast for the eyes.

In the classroom, they were geeks. On the casino floor, they were unstoppable.

Busting Vegas is Dukach's unbelievably true story, a riveting account of monumental greed, excess, hubris, sex, love, violence, fear, and statistics that is high-stakes entertainment at its best.

Editorial Reviews:

The narrative drive that moves this audio along is the true story of a team, assembled by an MIT math whiz, that used three complicated techniques to tilt blackjack odds in their favor and win a pile of money. The accomplished writer of this fascinating story has a previous book on gambling strategies, as well as some well-received fictional titles. His attention to setting and nuance of behavior are vivid and immediate; they rivet the listener to a story line that's already as fascinating as any you'll hear. As narrator, the author is likable and easy to listen to. His brief interview at the end is a bonus for anyone interested in the writer's craft.

Members Reviews:

A Flat Read

For a story about "busting" Vegas, these characters never really get their act together. It's more a story about how well the casinos are at spotting and dealing with potential trouble makers. What could have been an interesting magazine article is expanded with a tepid love story, and a load of hard boiled exposition that hopes to make the story sound a lot more interesting then it is. Unfortunately, any attempt to enliven the story is squashed by the author's flat delivery. Not that I would recommend the book, but to anyone who's thinking of reading it I suggest buying the printed version.

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Title: Gasping for Airtime

Subtitle: Two Years in the Trenches of Saturday Night Live

Author: Jay Mohr

Narrator: Jay Mohr

Format: Abridged

Length: 2 hrs and 40 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-22-04

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 157 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

In Gasping for Airtime, Jay offers an intimate account of the inner workings of Saturday Night Live. He dishes on the guest hosts (John Travolta, Shannen Doherty, Charles Barkley), the musical guests (Kurt Cobain, Steven Tyler, Eric Clapton), and of course his SNL castmates (Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Mike Myers and David Spade). Refreshingly honest and laugh-out-loud funny, this audio will appeal to both fans of Jay Mohr and to devotees of Saturday Night Live.

Members Reviews:

Great Audiobook...

The other book "Live from New York" is a great book on SNL but more historical. This one is right inside, from waking up and taking the subway to NBC to being in the pitch meetings. Mohr mixes in some impersonations (no Christoper Walken though..darn!) and his style of writing is excellent, you end it really wanting to hear more. A great book on what it's like to be on the "inisde" of SNL, the good and the bad.

Great

This book was a great look into the cutthroat world of SNL. The author is obviously biased, but his account is fair, honestly criticizing himself and never blaming others for all of his unsuccessful moments. Very cool listen.

Worth a listen...

This is a good audiobook. Jay Mohr narriates it himself, which adds a lot to the experience. It's a good peek into how the creative process works at SNL, and how much pressure the staff is under to generate the best work each week.

My only complaint is that this is an abridged version of the book, and it feels like it. It seems too short, and I could not shake the feeling that there was more behind each story that wasn't being told. My guess is that those missing details are in the book, just not in the this audio version, which is a shame. If you're a fan of the show, I consider this a very good listen regardless.

Honest insight.

If you've ever wondered how the SNL sausage is made, listen to this. Jay Mohr tells it like he saw it, felt it, and lived it.

Short, but funny

Any additional comments?

I enjoy non-fiction audio books read by the author. This was no exception. It's interesting to hear about behind the scenes of SNL. The title is great, you do feel like it's a war zone and you're right there with him stressing out about each skit.

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Title: Road Racer

Author: Michael Dunlop

Narrator: Drew Dillon

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-05-17

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

Michael Dunlop is quite simply the greatest road racer on the planet. Brother of William, also an accomplished rider, son of the late Robert and nephew of the late great Joey Dunlop, Michael can fairly claim that racing is in his blood. Now for the first time he talks in depth about his family story, how he got involved in the family business and how he manages to keep getting back on his bike despite all he knows of the deadly risks he encounters every time he crosses the start line.

The death of his uncle during a competition in Estonia in 2000 was followed just eight years later by the death of his father at the North West 200. But despite these tragic losses, Michael was undeterred, and, two days after his father's death, he returned to the North West - and won. The next year Michael won his first TT, joining both his father and uncle in the record books.

Now with 13 TT wins to his name, Michael is a phenomenal competitor, and in this sensational autobiography he reveals the highs and lows of racing, what it was like growing up part of a motorcycle dynasty and how that made him the incredible racing driver he is today.

Members Reviews:

brilliant to listen to

absolutely loved to listen to this guys life story.

I could relate to alot of he's life in many ways, so got hooked very quickly.

top bloke

brilliant

phenomenal, motivating, gut renching book. really speaks the truth and shoes this great sport for what it is. shows his true character and not what the press leads us to believe.

Great Book Michael ! keep winning !

An honest , an inspiring book of a Hero Raod Racers challenges to make it to the top . It must be hard to live upto the Greatest name in road racing but Michael does it to boot !

I will be watching your racing more intense and supportive than ever having read your story Michael . keep pushing the boundaries and the glory will continue to follow !

Exhilarating and heartbreaking

Brilliant!!! Great insight in to the most famous road racing family in history of the sport.

Writing a book to pat yourself on the back.

Would you ever listen to anything by Michael Dunlop again?

Sadly no

Have you listened to any of Drew Dillons other performances? How does this one compare?

I have nothing to compare to but his performance was good.

Any additional comments?

Couldn't finish this sadly as all it seemed to be was telling people how great he is and praising himself up. Guy Martins books are alot better, I would recommend those to anyone!

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Title: Confessions of a Conjuror

Author: Derren Brown

Narrator: Derren Brown

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-14-10

Publisher: Random House AudioBooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 54 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

In Confessions of a Conjuror, Derren Brown invites you on a whimsical journey through his unusual mind. Structured around the various stages of a conjuring trick, performed by his younger self in a crowded restaurant, Derren's endlessly engaging narrative takes you from the history of magic, to speculations on the manufacturing of Monster Munch and the correct way to poach an egg, via discussions about psychology, what he hums while cleaning his teeth and the social niceties surrounding Parmesan cheese.

Hugely revealing, hilarious and unlike anything youve read before, Confessions of a Conjuror is a refreshing alternative to autobiography that will charm and delight you.

Members Reviews:

Dont clap at the end!

If you find yourself wanting to laugh and clap at the end, he got you ;)

A book to be heard, rather than read, as this strange version of an autobiography, is best presented by the author, whom happens to know his way with rhetoric :)

A great book

I just loved it, if you are looking for a great story, from a great person, buy it immediatly.

Derren Brown is the best there is at being him

What made the experience of listening to Confessions of a Conjuror the most enjoyable?

The fact that it is the author who reads the story. And how much he gives. He is completely naked and shows all his awkwardness and strangeness in this great book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

N/A

Have you listened to any of Derren Browns other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not, but I will soon.

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

Yes, it made me laugh at a few points. Derren's humor is subtle, and it's not often you laugh out loud. But I still did a few times.

Any additional comments?

This book is not for everyone. It's for those of us who love Derren Browns performances and his quirkiness. Because he is quite quirky. But then again, so are most of us.

Smiled the whole way through

if you like Derren you will like this book.

it is witty and enjoyable.

Smiled the whole way through this book.

he is a great narrator and delivery of the book was really well done.

Witty

This is an interesting book - a more like (low-key) stand-up comedy than an auto-biography. While the seminal moments in Derren's life that lead him to magic are covered, they are not the central focus of his book. It is more a collection of memories, related by tenuous segues, with a little bit of conjuring theory thrown in. I found his vivid descriptions of childhood memories particularly good - maybe because we are approximately the same age and I could relate a lot to what he said.

The language and phrasing used are witty, without quite crossing the line into overwrought, and are a pleasure to listen to. Audio book listens are additionally rewarded by the fact the the author is also the narrator. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud funny bits, and I would recommend this to fans, as well as people who have only a passing interest in his actual shows.

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Title: Voice Lessons

Subtitle: A Sisters Story

Author: Cara Mentzel

Narrator: Cara Mentzel, Idina Menzel - foreword

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 10-10-17

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 32 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

This program is read by Cara Mentzel, with a foreword from her big sister, Idina Menzel. Also included is a bonus interview and an exclusive duet of the sisters performing the song "Never Never Land".

Voice Lessons is the story of one younger sister growing up in the shadow of a larger-than-life older sister - looking up to her, wondering how they were alike and how they were different, and ultimately learning how to live her own life and speak in her own voice on her own terms. As Cara Mentzel studied, explored, married, gave birth (twice), and eventually became an elementary school teacher, she watched her sister, Idina Menzel, from the wings and gives listeners a front row seat to the opening nights of Rent and Wicked, a seat at the Tonys, and a place on the red carpet when her sister taught millions more, as the voice of Queen Elsa in the animated musical Frozen, to "Let It Go".

Voice Lessons is the story of sisters - sisters with pigtails, sisters with boyfriends and broken hearts, sisters as mothers and aunts, sisters as teachers and ice queens, sisters as allies and confidantes. As Cara puts it, "My big sister is Tony Award-winning, gravity-defying, 'Let It Go'-singing Idina Menzel, who has received top billing on Broadway marquees, who has performed for Barbra Streisand and President Obama, at the Super Bowl and at the Academy Awards. The world knows her as Idina Menzel, but I call her Dee." Voice Lessons is their story.

Members Reviews:

It's like spending a weekend with a new friend

Theres a certain human connection that happens when you hear a personal story spoken aloud, and that made this memoir even better than if I had read a hard copy myself. Maybe its the honesty and inflection behind the words, and the Long Island accent that is emphasized in certain parts. Other audiobook bonuses are the foreward read by Idina (Dee), the interview with both sisters at the end, and the duet that they sing of Never Never Land from Peter Pan, which is referenced in the book as the first musical theatre performance that the sisters ever saw.

Cara Mentzel, younger sister of Broadway supernova Idina was (relatively) quieter and (seemingly) shy to the average observer, but through her own words and voice we get to know her spunk and wit as she recalls tales that span from their childhood (think little orphan Annie and Snoopy Sno Cone Machines), to the present. The book tells of their journey as sisters (so far) through marriages, careers, and finally - their shared experience on the Oscars red carpet. I loved that Cara had hoped Dee would invite her as her Oscars date, but didnt want to ask; her recollection of everything to do with attending the Oscars was so humourous because Cara was thinking what you or I would probably be thinking in the same situation. One of my favourite passages was about deciding which dress to wear, and the tongue-in-cheek line: Luckily, the vote for the periwinkle dress was unanimous, so I didnt have to worry about showing up at the Oscars like I thought I was going to the Golden Globes. How embarrassing would that have been!

Voice Lessons explores the complexity of a sibling relationship like any other, with the added fun of a glimpse here and there into the celebrity life.

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Title: The Dark Tourist

Subtitle: Sightseeing in the World's Most Unlikely Holiday Destinations

Author: Dom Joly

Narrator: Dom Joly

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-05-11

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 142 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Celebrities

Publisher's Summary:

Ever since he can remember, Dom Joly has been fascinated by travel to odd places. In part, this stems from a childhood spent in war-torn Lebanon, where instead of swapping marbles in the schoolyard, he had a shrapnel collection - the schoolboy currency of Beirut. These early experiences left Dom with a profound loathing for the sanitized experiences of the modern-day travel industry and a taste for the darkest of places. And in this brilliantly odd and hilariously told travel memoir, Dom Joly sets out on a quest to visit those destinations from which the average tourist would, and should, run a mile.

Funny and frightening in equal measure, this is a uniquely bizarre and compelling travelogue from one of the most fearless and innovative comedians around.

Members Reviews:

Funny and Insightful - Not just for Travelers!

As an avid traveler, this book appealed to me as an opportunity to get a another person's point of view on some places I've never been. After reading the book however, I think anyone with a good sense of humor and curiosity would really enjoy this book.

Between being narrated by the author himself, and the auto-biographical nature of the subject, it's an extremely personal account of this smart, funny man's experiences. I found his insights clever and the experiences with the different individuals in each place were very true to the experience every traveler has when meeting up with people by chance on the road.

He paints a vivid picture of each spot he goes to; Iran (to ski!), the US (famous assassination locations and 9/11 sites) , the Ukraine (Chernobyl), North Korea (State organized tour) and Lebanon (his childhood home).

In each location, something strange, shocking, or unique happens; from being stuck in the elevator from hell and his insanely difficult way of extracting himself from it, to being on the same tour to Chernobyl as a man that has a very bizarre reaction to the site, to heading home to Lebanon only to find he may have attended private school with Osama Bin Laden. Every stop of this fantastic tour had it's own twists and turns, and I loved them all.

I was sorry when it was over, and hope for another book by the author soon.

Fantastic

I have traveled to over 70 countries myself and often wondered what it would be like to visit North Korea, Iran and some of the other places visit by Dom Joly. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good travel story.

THE DARK TOURIST

Easy reading, great for a chuckle while waiting at the airport lounge for that overdue flight to finally board.

The Title Leads One to Expect More

Maybe I should have checked more carefully.The title, "Dark Tourist," made me think of exotic places and primitive accomodations, lots of danger, etc. As presented by the author, however, the "Dark Tourist" is one who visits some uncommon destinations (Iran) and some not so uncommon (USA) and stays in hotels with modern accomodations, some better than others. This was my first disappointment.

The author made his name with a low-brow British hidden camera/prank series that became well known in many countries. My second disappointment was that his humor, just like his tv show, is at the expense of others.