Listen to Top 100 Audiobooks in Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: A Primate's Memoir

Subtitle: A Neuroscientists Unconventional Life Among the Baboons

Author: Robert M. Sapolsky

Narrator: Mike Chamberlain

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 35 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-10-13

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 586 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

"I had never planned to become a savanna baboon when I grew up; instead, I had always assumed I would become a mountain gorilla," writes Robert Sapolsky in this witty and riveting chronicle of a scientist's coming-of-age in remote Africa. An exhilarating account of Sapolsky's twenty-one-year study of a troop of rambunctious baboons in Kenya, A Primate's Memoir interweaves serious scientific observations with wry commentary about the challenges and pleasures of living in the wilds of the Serengeti-for man and beast alike.

Over two decades, Sapolsky survives culinary atrocities, gunpoint encounters, and a surreal kidnapping, while witnessing the encroachment of the tourist mentality on the farthest vestiges of unspoiled Africa. As he conducts unprecedented physiological research on wild primates, he becomes ever more enamored of his subjects - unique and compelling characters in their own right - and he returns to them summer after summer, until tragedy finally prevents him. By turns hilarious and poignant, A Primate's Memoir is a magnum opus from one of our foremost science writers.

Critic Reviews:

"Filled with cynicism and awe, passion and humor, this memoir is both an absorbing account of a young man's growing maturity and a tribute to the continent that, despite its troubles and extremes, held him in its thrall." (Publishers Weekly, Starred Review)

"Mike Chamberlain narrates this work by primatologist Robert M. Sapolsky, who went to Kenya to study baboons. Chamberlain's lively, bemused tone communicates Sapolsky's down-to-earth approach and sense of humor. Sapolsky's writing is eminently approachable for the layperson, and the listener soon begins to feel acquainted with the various baboons in the troop and to see certain similarities between their behavior and those of the human world. Through the amusing moments and the trials and tribulations, Chamberlain's energetic narration provides a great complement to the author's quirky personality." (AudioFile)

Members Reviews:

One of the best books I've ever read.

I admit I went in biased having watched all his youtube lectures and read his other books, but this book was so satisfying as a narrative and so beautifully written, I'm having trouble recalling when I've ever enjoyed a book so much. "To Kill a Mockingbird" comes to mind as a perfect piece of literature. This book is so close, I'll probably think of it as my second all time favourite from now on. The only thing that would have made it better for me would be to have it read by Sapolsky. But the narration was good anyway.

Compelling, humane, intelligent

This book, part memoir, part science, part philosophy, touched me deeply and taught me much about the tragicomedy of primate lives.

A Personal Memoir of the life of a researcher

I had heard lectures by Robert Sapolsky on the internet and was expecting this to be a more in depth science discussion along with some personal experiences.

It turned out to be a memoir of his personal experiences in Africa. His experiences are of two cultures - one human and one Baboon.

At first I was a little disappointed in that there was little scientific discussion of his research. Secondly I didn't like the reader and the writing was odd to say the least.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Big Truck That Went By

Subtitle: How the World Came to Save Haiti and Left Behind a Disaster

Author: Jonathan M. Katz

Narrator: Jonathan Davis, Jonathan M. Katz

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-05-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 94 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

On January 12, 2010, the deadliest earthquake in the history of the Western Hemisphere struck the nation least prepared to handle one. Jonathan M. Katz, the only full-time American news correspondent in Haiti, was inside his house when it buckled along with hundreds of thousands of others. In this visceral first-hand account, Katz takes readers inside the terror of that day, the devastation visited on ordinary Haitians, and through the monumental--yet misbegotten--rescue effort that followed.

More than half of American adults gave money for Haiti, part of a global response that reached $16.3 billion in pledges. But three years later the effort has foundered. Its most important promises--to rebuild safer cities, alleviate severe poverty, and strengthen Haiti to face future disasters--remain unfulfilled. How did so much generosity amount to so little? What went wrong?

The Big Truck That Went By presents a hard hitting investigation into international aid, finding that the way wealthy countries give today makes poor countries seem irredeemably hopeless, while trapping millions in cycles of privation and catastrophe. Katz follows the money to uncover startling truths about how good intentions go wrong, and what can be done to make aid "smarter."

Reporting at the side of Bill Clinton, Wyclef Jean, Sean Penn, Haiti's leaders and people, Katz also creates a complex, darkly funny, and unexpected portrait of one of the world's most fascinating countries. The Big Truck That Went By is not only a definitive account of Haiti's earthquake, but of the world we live in today.

Members Reviews:

Excellent book

Best book on Haiti by far. Katz nailed it and it was a fascinating read

Enjoyable objective analysis of the fail state

Anecdotes and jounalism. Mr Katz makes us live the analytic life of a foreign correspondsant .

Read (or listen) before you go to Haiti

I have visited Haiti 4 times since the earthquake on January 12, 2010 in a humanitarian capacity. This book can help you!when answering the inevitable question we all get before we go to Haiti, Where did all the money go?! It would be a great introduction to a course on Haiti After the earthquake. Thank you Mr. Katz!

very insightful

Shedded a lot of light on a highly politicized and distorted topic. I liked the use of the narrators accents to get the different nationalities.

Slow narrator, insightful book.

I found myself listening at 150% comfortably. And yet the author reads from afterword at the end and I would have really preferred if he was the narrator throughout.

Listen to this audiobook free with a 30-day trial. Go to http://hotaudiobook.com/free

Title: The Psychopath Inside

Subtitle: A Neuroscientist's Personal Journey into the Dark Side of the Brain

Author: James Fallon

Narrator: Walter Dixon

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 58 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-31-13

Publisher: Gildan Media, LLC

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 234 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

The memoir of a neuroscientist whose research led him to a bizarre personal discovery, James Fallon had spent an entire career studying how our brains affect our behavior when his research suddenly turned personal.

While studying brain scans of several family members, he discovered that one perfectly matched a pattern hed found in the brains of serial killers. This meant one of two things: Either his familys scans had been mixed up with those of felons or someone in his family was a psychopath. Even more disturbing: The scan in question was his own. This is Fallons account of coming to grips with this discovery and its implications.

How could he, a happy family man who had never been prone to violence, be a psychopath? How much did his biology influence his behavior? Fallon shares his journey to answer these questions and the discoveries that ultimately led to his conclusion: Despite everything science can teach, humans are even more complex than we can imagine.

Critic Reviews:

As comprehensive as it is compelling, essential listening for understanding the genetic and neuroscience underpinnings of psychopathy. (M. E. Thomas, author of

Confessions of a Sociopath)

Contact me for any questions: [email protected]

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Empty Mansions

Subtitle: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune

Author: Bill Dedman, Paul Clark Newell

Narrator: Kimberly Farr

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-04-13

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 794 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

When Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Bill Dedman noticed in 2009 a grand home for sale, unoccupied for nearly 60 years, he stumbled through a surprising portal into American history. Empty Mansions is a rich mystery of wealth and loss, connecting the Gilded Age opulence of the 19th century with a 21st-century battle over a $300 million inheritance. At its heart is a reclusive heiress named Huguette Clark, a woman so secretive that, at the time of her death at age 104, no new photograph of her had been seen in decades. Though she owned palatial homes in California, New York, and Connecticut, why had she lived for 20 years in a simple hospital room, despite being in excellent health? Why were her valuables being sold off? Was she in control of her fortune, or controlled by those managing her money?

Dedman has collaborated with Huguette Clarks cousin, Paul Clark Newell, Jr., one of the few relatives to have frequent conversations with her. Dedman and Newell tell a fairy tale in reverse: the bright, talented daughter, born into a family of extreme wealth and privilege, who secrets herself away from the outside world.

Empty Mansions reveals a complex portrait of the mysterious Huguette and her intimate circle. We meet her extravagant father, her publicity-shy mother, her star-crossed sister, her French boyfriend, her nurse who received more than $30 million in gifts, and the relatives fighting to inherit Huguettes copper fortune. Empty Mansions is an enthralling story of an eccentric of the highest order, a last jewel of the Gilded Age who lived life on her own terms.

Editorial Reviews:

"Empty Mansions is at once an engrossing portrait of a forgotten American heiress and a fascinating meditation on the crosswinds of extreme wealth. Hugely entertaining and well researched, Empty Mansions is a fabulous read." (Amanda Foreman, author of A World on Fire)

Critic Reviews:

"Empty Mansions is a dazzlement and a wonder. Bill Dedman and Paul Newell unravel a great character, Huguette Clark, a shy soul akin to Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird - if Boos father had been as rich as Rockefeller. This is an enchanting journey into the mysteries of the mind, a true-to-life exploration of strangeness and delight." (Pat Conroy, author of The Death of Santini: The Story of a Father and His Son)

Members Reviews:

Almost Great...

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

Yes, because it was really good but, I would warn them that they will be dissappointed with the way the author ended it.

Who was your favorite character and why?

W. A. Clark was my favorite character. I like his rags to riches story. My least favorite was Hugette, she wasted 104 years and there are plenty of people that would have used the money to feed millions of people or something like that instead of buying dollhouses and keeping up empty mansions.

Have you listened to any of Kimberly Farrs other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to her before but I hope to again. She was great.

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

No

Any additional comments?

This book was great for the most part. Incredibly interesting, I liked the actual voice recordings and the way the narrator narrated. The end of the book was terrible.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Distance Between Us

Subtitle: A Memoir

Author: Reyna Grande

Narrator: Tanya Eby

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-10-13

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 257 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

When Reyna Grandes father leaves his wife and three children behind in a village in Mexico to make the dangerous trek across the border to the United States, he promises he will soon return from "El Otro Lado" (The Other Side) with enough money to build them a dream house where they can all live together. His promises become harder to believe as months turn into years. When he summons his wife to join him, Reyna and her siblings are deposited in the already overburdened household of their stern, unsmiling grandmother. The three siblings are forced to look out for themselves; in childish games they find a way to forget the pain of abandonment and learn to solve very adult problems.

When their mother at last returns, the reunion sets the stage for a dramatic new chapter in Reynas young life: her own journey to "El Otro Lado" to live with the man who has haunted her imagination for years, her long-absent father.

In this extraordinary memoir, award-winning writer Reyna Grande vividly brings to life her tumultuous early years, capturing all the confusion and contradictions of childhood, especially one spent torn between two parents and two countries. Elated when she feels the glow of her fathers love and approval, Reyna knows that at any moment he might turn angry or violent. Only in books and music and her rich imaginary life does she find solace, a momentary refuge from a world in which every place feels like "El Otro Lado".

Members Reviews:

Great story - Culturally INCOMPETENT Reading

What would have made The Distance Between Us better?

I think this is a dynamic and well-written book, but I made the mistake of buying on Audible instead of reading the book myself. Big mistake. The reader has a hideous sing-songy disturbingly fake Mexican accent and mispronounces so many words in Spanish throughout the reading from beginning to end, that I would actually like my money back.

What could Reyna Grande have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

It's not the author but AUDIBLE, whose standards for English/Spanish readers is pathetic and embarrassing. Get competent reader forgodsakes!

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Tanya Eby?

ANYONE who can read well and pronounce Spanish (Mexican Spanish, please!) competently without using some stereotyped Mexican accent. I think it was unethical and unprofessional of the reader to accept this assignment, and speaks loads about Audible's lack of attention to it's growing English/Spanish bilingual readership. Get a clue, Audible!

Any additional comments?

Disappointed in Audible

A beautiful story, but narration by Siri

Would you try another book from Reyna Grande and/or Tanya Eby?

Reyna Grande is an incredible talent, but the narration is completely incompatible with the story style. The narrator is flat and with no Spanish-language pronunciation. It honestly sounds as if you are hearing this story through your car's GPS system.

How could the performance have been better?

Another narrator should have been selected.

You didnt love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The book is not the problem. The narration makes it very difficult to listen and become absorbed in this wonderful immigration story.

Loved the Story...the narration...not so much

What did you love best about The Distance Between Us?

I loved the story. It captivated me from beginning to end.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Growing a Farmer

Subtitle: How I Learned to Live Off the Land

Author: Kurt Timmermeister

Narrator: Ax Norman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-27-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 201 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

When he purchased four acres of land on Vashon Island, Kurt Timmermeister was only looking for an affordable home near the restaurants he ran in Seattle. But as he slowly settled into his new property, he became awakened to the connection between what he ate and where it came from: a hive of bees provided honey, a young cow could give fresh milk, an apple orchard allowed him to make vinegar. With refreshing honesty, Timmermeister details the initial stumbles and subsequent realities he faced as he established a profitable farm for himself. Personal yet practical, Growing a Farmer will entirely recast the way we think about our relationship to the food we consume.

Critic Reviews:

"Charming . . . . [Kurt Timmermeister] narrates his personal journey with an open, straightforward spirit." (Wall Street Journal)

Members Reviews:

So you want to be a farmer?

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

Yes. The author's journey from an urban restaurant owner to an accomplished small farmer over a number of years is a story worth reading (or hearing).

What other book might you compare Growing a Farmer to and why?

Most books about small farming are not memoirs, but "how to" books, so it is hard to compare. Carla Emery's Encyclopedia of Country Living, which is part memoir, might come close.

Which scene was your favorite?

There were not really "scenes", but the author's descriptions of the habits of the various animals he has raised are interesting.

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

No. For one thing, it is too long for that. For another, too much information at one time is hard to absorb. I did listen to it consistently and was never bored.

Any additional comments?

Yes. About 20 years ago I was able to acquire my present residence and 6 acres from a "don't wanter." I didn't really know what to do with it, but began to plant vegetables (primarily tomatoes). Today, I plant a variety of vegetables including many heirloom tomato varieties. This book really struck a chord with me as the author related his progress through various experiences growing vegetables and fruits and raising farm animals, actually making a living from his endeavors. Although I have occasionally thought about raising animals, I have concluded that it would require too much time and dedication. His description of raising the animals to provide eggs and dairy products, through actual slaughter for meat, were detailed and fascinating. They also reinforced my conclusion that I'm not really cut out for that level of commitment. I did appreciate his concept of the "50 year plan," making gradual improvements year by year, and like to think I do that myself.

I also gave 5 stars for the narrator, who sounded as if he might have been the actual author.

Not a book for vegetarians

The narrator was fantastic. It was a book that kept you interested and was easy to listen to. If you are listening to this book for information on profitable vegitable farming though, you are listening to the wrong book. I wish the author was more clear in the beginning about what kind of farming he was going to talk about. The book is kind of an amusment ride, you know it is about farming, but you have no idea where the ride is going to take you.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Carnivore

Subtitle: A Memoir by One of the Deadliest American Soldiers of All Time

Author: James Tarr, Dillard Johnson

Narrator: John Pruden

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-25-13

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 331 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

As commander of the Carnivore - the most lethal Bradley Fighting Vehicle of the Iraq War - Dillard Johnson was at the forefront of the 2003 invasion. Awarded a Silver Star with Valor for his heroic efforts to save the crew of a crippled Bradley, he was personally responsible for 2,000 confirmed enemy kills. But surviving the enemy was only the beginning. Johnson would use the intensity, focus, and humor that kept him alive on the battlefield to fight stage three Hodgkin's Lymphoma - which developed from the radiation poisoning he suffered discharging 5,000 uranium rounds in combat - despite learning he had a 1 in 4 chance of survival. A man determined not to die, Johnson made a miraculous recovery - and then returned to Iraq for a second combat tour as an Army sniper. Performing overwatch protection for his fellow troops, he is officially credited with 121 snipers kills, believed to be the most ever by a U.S. Army sniper and second only (across all branches) to Chris Kyle. After finishing his 21-year career in the military in 2006, Johnson became a private contractor in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, in Carnivore, this decorated hero tells his amazing story.

Funny and exciting, Carnivore offers fresh insight into the mind and heart of a warrior and offers a look at the lives of troops on the ground not seen before. It is the story of a poor kid from Kentucky who has beaten extraordinary odds and a loving husband and a devoted father of four children, including a son with cerebral palsy. It is a story only one man can tell.

Members Reviews:

bulletproof

This book is meant to be on the big screen. What a hard headed push forward mini might, great stories of the Battle's and struggles he went through.Great insight and depth in to the making of a Tank man.

I really loved this book and the Performance of the reader was great, easy to get into and follow.

Wish I could have my money back

Would you try another book from Dillard Johnson and James Tarr and/or John Pruden?

Not even if my life depended on it!

What was most disappointing about Dillard Johnson and James Tarr s story?

Starting out I found this larger than life character fascinating. With total disregard of his own safety, and that of his crew, Dillard mows down huge amount of enemies single handedly that that just happen to run up in front of his multitude of weapons. You name it and he's using it! At first I was like "Damn, the beginning of the war was worse than I imagined and I ever read about from everything from fighter pilots, SEALS, snipers and Special Forces operators!" I started to believe that it was a Bradley IFV commander I should have become. I had no idea they went through tougher schools than most Tier 1 units! My gut even started telling me that this guy might be the closest to John Rambo as any human being the world has ever seen! Dillard does what Dillard wants apparently! Going on solo raids with his Bradley filled to the brink with ammo and when he can't shoot enough bad guys from the protection of the vehicle he jumps out among hundreds, or maybe thousands, of savages and start picking them of with his always jamming pistol.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Buried in the Sky

Subtitle: The Extraordinary Story of the Sherpa Climbers on K2's Deadliest Day

Author: Peter Zuckerman, Amanda Padoan

Narrator: David Doersch

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-17-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 404 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

When Edmund Hillary first conquered Mt. Everest, Sherpa Tenzing Norgay was at his side. Indeed, for as long as Westerners have been climbing the Himalaya, Sherpas have been the unsung heroes in the background. In August 2008, when eleven climbers lost their lives on K2, the worlds most dangerous peak, two Sherpas survived. They had emerged from poverty and political turmoil to become two of the most skillful mountaineers on earth. Based on unprecedented access and interviews, Buried in the Sky reveals their astonishing story for the first time.

Peter Zuckerman and Amanda Padoan explore the intersecting lives of Chhiring Dorje Sherpa and Pasang Lama, following them from their villages high in the Himalaya to the slums of Kathmandu, across the glaciers of Pakistan to K2 Base Camp. When disaster strikes in the Death Zone, Chhiring finds Pasang stranded on an ice wall, without an axe, waiting to die. The rescue that follows has become the stuff of mountaineering legend.

At once a gripping, white-knuckled adventure and a rich exploration of Sherpa customs and culture, Buried in the Sky re-creates one of the most dramatic catastrophes in alpine history from a fascinating new perspective.

Critic Reviews:

"

Buried in the Sky is a compelling account of the men who have literally shouldered the rest of the worlds mountaineers up K2." (Norman Ollestad, best-selling author of

Crazy for the Storm )

Members Reviews:

Great Storytelling/ Story

What does David Doersch bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

As a narrator, David Doersch makes great effort to bring this book to life. Especially noteworthy in this performance are his attempts to articulate accents, and onomatopoeia.

Any additional comments?

"Buried in the Sky" examines the business of high altitude climbing from a vastly different perspective than many accounts penned by other authors on the topic. From the Rowaling Valley in Nepal (altitude 12,000 feet above sea level) up the soaring slopes of the world's tallest peaks, the authors follow key points in the life of Chhiring Dorje Sherpa and his own personal journey out of poverty and up the mountains, first as a porter, and then as a mountaineer. The story finds it's apex on K2 in 2008 when 11 climbers perished on the slopes. The book is well written and trimmed with rich cultural detail, bridging a crevasse sometimes left untraversed by other authors on the subject. Noteworthy about the book is the authors' attention to rich folklore, adding a new dimension to those 8,000 meter giants.

Great perspective & a total page turner

I listened to this book over the course of two days, that's really fast for me and a testament to what a fast read 'Buried in the Sky' is. I love books about mountaineering and extreme sports and I now consider 'Buried in the Sky' among my favorites. The 2008 season on K2 was a tragedy and listening to the telling of it is extremely addictive, but the perspective of the Sherpa climbers, Pemba and Chhiring, was what made this book stand out. How and why the people native to the Himalaya region make the difficult choices (and sometimes they have little choice) to become porters/guides/climbing team members is such a silent voice in the world of mountaineering novels.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: I Have Lived a Thousand Years

Subtitle: Growing Up in the Holocaust

Author: Livia Bitton-Jackson

Narrator: Christine Williams

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-14-13

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 164 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Imagine being a 13-year-old girl in love with boys, school, family - life itself. Then suddenly, in a matter of hours, your life is shattered by the arrival of a foreign army. You can no longer attend school, have possessions, talk to your neighbors. One day your family has to leave your house behind and move into a crowded ghetto, where you lose all privacy and there isnt enough food to eat. Still you manage, somehow, to adjust. But there is much, much worse to come...

This is the memoir of Elli Friedmann, who was 13 years old in March 1944, when the Nazis invaded Hungary. It describes her descent into the hell of Auschwitz, a concentration camp where, because of her golden braids, she was selected for work instead of extermination. In intimate, excruciating details she recounts what it was like to be one of the few teenage camp inmates, and the tiny but miraculous twists of fate that helped her survive against all odds. I Have Lived a Thousand Years is a searing story of cruelty and suffering, but at the same time it is a story of hope, faith, perseverance, and love. It will make you see the world in a new way - and it will make you want to change what you see.

Members Reviews:

Touching and Important Story - Terrible Audio Performance

This is a truly well written personal account of life prior to and during the author's detention in multiple concentration camps. Imagine being a preteen and watching your entire world crumble. Her survival is nothing short of a miracle.

The only issue was the off-putting audio performance.

The actress' voice is nice but her "dramatic" tone comes off as "melodramatic". I did not think that was possible for such a serious topic but that is the only way I can describe it. Unfortunately she leans heavily on this tone throughout the entire recording. I do not understand why they chose this style because the words have enough impact on their own so the "dinner show theater" flair was unnecessary.

If I could go back in time I would just buy the digital book instead of the audiobook.

If you don't have time to commit to reading the story *please do not allow the acting to stop you from purchasing it.*

It's bad, but not bad enough to miss out on a really compelling and touching story.

Good book poor production

Would you try another book from Livia Bitton-Jackson and/or Christine Williams?

The narrator isn't too bad, but she has Whiny voice and speaks way too fast. So no.

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

It was too abrupt

What didnt you like about Christine Williamss performance?

Too fast and whiny

Did I Have Lived a Thousand Years inspire you to do anything?

Be more careful of narrators

Any additional comments?

This is a good book on surving the Holocaust, but not as good as others. Could have been the narrator though.

"My God, My God"

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

I did not really enjoy this book at all. I felt like the story was very vague and all I can remember is her saying "My God, My God" through the whole thing.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Rattler One-Seven: A Vietnam Helicopter Pilot's War Story

Subtitle: North Texas Military Biography and Memoir Series

Author: Chuck Gross

Narrator: Gerry Burke

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-26-13

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 131 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Personal Memoirs

Publisher's Summary:

Rattler One-Seven puts you in the helicopter seat, to see the war in Vietnam through the eyes of an inexperienced pilot as he transforms himself into a seasoned combat veteran. At the age of twenty, Chuck Gross spent his 1970-71 tour with the 71st Assault Helicopter Company flying UH-1 Huey helicopters. He inserted special operations teams into Laos and participated in Lam Son 719, a misbegotten attempt to assault and cut the Ho Chi Minh Trail, during which his helicopter was shot down and he was stranded in the field.

Soon after the war he wrote down his adventures, while his memory was still fresh with the events. Rattler One-Seven (his call sign) is written as Gross experienced it, using these notes along with letters written home to accurately preserve the mindset he had while in Vietnam.

Critic Reviews:

"Exciting reading! Chuck Gross vividly tells the dramatic account of being a combat helicopter pilot in such a way that you feel you are there.

Rattler One-Seven is a compelling memoir of what it was like to fly combat helicopters in Vietnam. It is a must-read for all military and aviation enthusiasts." (Chuck Carlock, author of

Firebirds)

"Gross' memoir is worth reading. His stories should find an audience among serious collectors of books about Vietnam." (

Military History of the West)

"Chuck Gross' book tells exactly what it was like to fly a Huey slick in combat in the Vietnam War. The only things missing are the smells of gunpowder and the incredible noise as he takes the reader on combat assaults into hot landing zones." (James Joyce, author of

Pucker Factor 10)

Members Reviews:

One of the Best Helicopter books I've listened to!

The first Heli book I listened to was Night Stalkers. That was Very informative and at the same time fed my Love for Helicopters. This book Does it all over again. Gross takes his letters he sent home and other things he wrote at the time and reads them as he progresses thru his Army stint in "Nam". He takes you from when he enters the Recruit center and adds the most Exiting and informative days in that time period and puts them in this book. He becomes one of the more revered leaders of his unit that many guys come to look up to. I hesitated b/c of not many people rating this yet but I'm glad I took a chance and got it. It is now one of my Favorites that I will be re listening to for a long time.

Good story. Mispronunciations distract and annoy

This review is limited to the audio version. Mispronunciations litter this audiobook butchering both helicopter and military terminology as well as geographic locations, such as the historic city of Hu. I found this distracting as well as disrespectful to the earnest efforts of the author. I don't intend this as nit-picking. I simply expect (and hope) for better from Audible. The audio format calls for adequate preparation by the production team prior to entering the studio, with particular attention to accurate pronunciation.

That said, Mr. Gross comes across as one of those decent enough sorts, simultaneously coming of age while developing into a competent combat pilot, yet so straight-laced, pious and temperate that he routinely rubbed his commanders the wrong way and alienated himself from his peers.