Franklin and Lucy: President Roosevelt, Mrs. Rutherfurd, and the Other Remarkable Women in His Life, by Joseph E. Persico

A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World, by Tony Horwitz

Boom! Voices of the Sixties, by Tom Brokaw

The title may imply the sound of a large explosion, but it really refers to the birth of the era of the baby boomers. Noted television news anchor and best-selling author Tom Brokaw was working as a reporter in the late 50s, so he was perfectly poised to observe the happenings of the sixties and the years that followed. Using his personal experience and the material gleaned from interviewing a wide cross-section of people who lived through the time, he tells a story that could fill history books...[More] (3/28/08)

Jane Boleyn: The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford, by Julia Fox

Opportunist or pawn? Schemer or innocent? Justly punished or wrongly accused? These are some of the questions Julia Fox poses as she tells the story of Jane Boleyn's short life in Henry XIII's court. As the wife of George Boleyn and sister-in law of Queen Anne Boleyn, Jane is welcomed into the inner circle of court life. Her position is threatened when Henry tires of Anne, but Jane retains her place at court by providing the evidence Henry needs to condemn Anne and George...[More] (1/25/08)

Be the Pack Leader: Use Cesar's Way to Transform Your Dog . . . and Your Life, by Cesar Millan with Melissa Jo Peltier

Cesar Millan, star of National Geographic Channel's "Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan," and Melissa Jo Peltier offer an entertaining and informative look at the world of dog psychology and how to apply those principles to attain a happy life for your dog as well as for yourself. His approach is based on the human establishing himself as the leader of the pack (the dog and the owner) by using calm-assertive energy...[More] (11/30/07)

The War: An Intimate History, 1941-1945, by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns

This is not an ordinary war story. It is a historical account of World War II from 1941to 1945. It thoroughly covers the December 7, 1941 sneak attack by the Japanese which put the United States into the war in the Pacific. This book covers military operations throughout World War II in the European theatre and other locations as well as the war against Japan in the Pacific...[More] (11/2/07)

I Am America (And So Can You), by Stephen Colbert

Even the packaging for this audiobook is outrageous with its demand that the listener "Buy this audiobook before you leave the store" and Colbert's personal endorsement: "A great listen! I laughed, I cried, I lost 15 pounds! I cannot recommend this audiobook highly enough." Those thoughts pretty much set the tone for the 3.5 hours of ranting and pontificating by The Comedy Channel's premiere philosopher...[More] (11/2/07)

The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell

Remember the song, "Little Things Mean a Lot"? Well, The Tipping Point shows how the effect of doing one little thing can multiply exponentially to cause a great change. This book is full of examples of how society, science, commerce and history have changed as the result of someone or some group behaving in a particular way. Gladwell states that ideas and trends spread in a way similar to the way a virus causes an epidemic. He describes three rules of epidemics -- that they involve contagion, that little changes can have big effects, and that change is quick and dramatic. Then he gives recognizable examples. In each of these examples there is a tipping point, a point at which an idea or trend takes off....[More] (10/14/07)

Satan's Circus: Murder, Vice, Police Corruption, and New York's Trial of the Century, by Mike Dash

Charles Becker, a handsome young German-American boy, grew up in poverty in the small village of Callicoon Center, New York in the late 1800s. In 1890 he, like so many others, left his rural home to seek his fortune in the "big city". But while he did achieve fame and fortune in New York City, this is no fairy tale, for two reasons. First, the author claims that everything he presents in this audio book is true, based on actual court records, written accounts or sworn testimony. Second, Charles Becker did not live happily ever after...[More] (9/9/07)

Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10, by Marcus Luttrell with Patrick Robinson

This is an amazing true story as told by Marcus Luttrell, the lone survivor of Operation Redwing, a secret mission carried out by an elite team of Navy Seals in 2005. He graphically tells what took place in the northern mountains of Afghanistan where their mission was to capture (or kill if necessary) a terrorist leader who also was presumed to be one of the planners of 9-11. Navy Seal Team 10 consisted of a tightly knit group of six men who would protect each other till death...[More] (8/26/07)

Blood and Thunder: An Epic of the American West, by Hampton Sides

What a perfect book to accompany a road trip around the southwestern United States! Hampton Sides traces the suppression of the Navaho nation during the 19th century in this comprehensive and compelling tale of the heroes and villains of the American West. If there could be a main character in this saga, it would be Christopher (Kit) Carson, a larger than life figure who epitomized the courage and valor of the westward explorer...[More] (7/15/07)

Chasing Life, by Sanjay Gupta

We've all seen the handsome Dr. Sanjay Gupta reporting on health issues on CNN, providing news coverage from Iraq or post 9/11 New York City or being featured in People or Time magazines. Now we have the opportunity to hear the doctor's personal prescription for maintaining health and vitality well into old age. In this thoroughly researched work, he provides sensible advice about how to eat and live in order to remain happy, healthy and productive for...[More] (6/3/07)

Lost in My Own Backyard: A Walk in Yellowstone National Park, by Tim Cahill

Yellowstone is not only the first and oldest national park in the world, but it also attracts more visitors than any other in the country. Even so, over 99.9% of them, as Tim Cahill points out with evidence to support the astonishing number, never venture beyond paved roads and fenced viewpoints. This means most visitors never see the wonders he describes in Lost in My Own Backyard: A walk in Yellowstone National Park...[Read more] (9/26/04)

They Made America, by Harold Evans

Since road trips couldn't exist without the inventions that make them possible -- internal combustion engines, to name an important one -- it's hard to think of a better audiobook to slip into your CD player on such a journey than Harold Evans' They Made America. As you zoom past power lines, railroad tracks, and generating plants, the author himself will regale you with the fascinating stories behind the innovators who made them integral parts of daily life. It's a refreshing way to travel through American history, and Evans' selection of subjects includes not only names you'll recognize, but also...[Read more] (11/21/04)

Downtown: My Manhattan, by Pete Hamill

I have always loved the energy and vitality of New York City, and although I have never lived there, I have fond memories of my short visits there. A new audio book written and read by Pete Hamill, who has lived and worked in Manhattan for most of the past seventy years, has increased my understanding and deepened my appreciation exponentially about this legendary town. "Downtown: My Manhattan" is a six-hour exploration into the heart of a place that occupies at least four dimensions. The concrete, brick, steel, trees and grass of a modern city and the presence of a cultural identity that has been evolving since...[Read more] (1/21/05)

Hallowed Ground: A Walk At Gettysburg, by James M. Mc Pherson

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom, James McPherson reads his new book Hallowed Ground: A Walk at Gettysburg in this remarkable audio CD. When I visited Gettysburg and the National Cemetery in 2002, I started (as most people do) at the Visitor's Center and then followed the "three hour tour" around the park. There's a problem in doing this, and after listening to McPherson's reading, I learned what it was....[Read more] (2/11/05)

Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer, by Warren St. John

Are there really people who would miss their own daughter's wedding to go to a football game? If you know anything about Alabama football fanaticism, you know the answer is, "Of course!" followed immediately by "Roll Tide!" Warren St. John, an Alabama native who writes for the New York Times, spent five months up close and personal with the RV crowd that follows 'Bama football in a giant, migrating horde...[Read more]
(9/19/04)