Colby

This was the perfect sequel to When Worlds Collide. It saw our adventurers explore, tame, and survive in their brave new world. Is it dated, sure, but that was some of the fun, too! Imagine how you would explain a microwave oven to someone in the Pre-WWII era...they describe something that sounded like one to me! There are several "discoveries" they make on Bronson Beta that sound like current objects. I kept waiting for a Twilight Zone ending that said they "jumped" onto the real Earth, but to a century later. The really fast cars, the "instant food", the magically opening doors, all of it is really fun to watch them explain with 1930's science. Also, imagine if you didn't know that nuclear radiation could be problematic and all of the things you would use it for if you could.

I really loved this, and hope you will too. You will need it to complete your picture if you are going to read the first one. The jump to the new planet was only the beginning!

I am going to listen again, because you always get more out of a book the second time you listen to it, but some are more worth the time than others. This is one of those that is more than worth it.

Marley and Me, in that the central character is a dog that you come to love like a member of your own family. It also has that element of how our dogs are truly bonded to we humans lucky enough to have them.

Enzo, the dog, of course. I believed I was seeing through a dog's eyes. I saw what he did, and knew when his imagination was taking over.

"Race" to see this one!"

This would be a great movie - but Enzo MUST BE narrated by Tom Hanks. He would be the best dog ever.

Yes, and I intend to, because I usually get nuances that I missed the first time.

I can't think of another book like this, because most stories of Jews during the war concern concentration camps, hiding in attics/basements or both for the duration, and this one is different. They were hardly comfortable, and they were most definitely in a form of hiding, but in a way not commonly heard about. I loved this perspective.

I am not an expert on any narrator, but I consider the highest compliment I can pay any reader is that I did not notice him or her. If you read to me in a way that brings me the story, not the storyteller - you have done a good thing. This was done well. I knew when men were speaking as opposed to women, but did not notice a strangeness that some give off when they try to "act" the part instead of just giving an appropriate "impression" of a character. (For a bad example, listen to the sample of 50 Shades of Gray when she tried to do a man's voice - AWFUL) This was very Well Done.

No extremes, though there were surprises and hard parts to imagine living through, but it was a story of war, and if war were not horrible, they would never end.

Loved it, would buy it again, time well spent.

It might be easier to have skipped the parts at the end that did not really add to the story. I did not need corroboration to believe Arthur.

It is not really much different than other Auschwitz accounts, except that he was a British POW, not a Pole, Czech or Jew, yet was treated almost as poorly. I was one of the people unaware that POW's were kept there as well.

Arthur was really the only recurring character, since most of the people he encountered disappeared or died. But I did come to love Arthur and feel his fear, uncertainty and other natural emotions.

When Arthur was supposed to tell the government how much he was owed for his time in captivity, and he chose a paltry amount. When I look at our selfish society today, where people want millions for slipping in a grocery store, I am humbled by this man.

Students of WWII history will hear a familiar tale, so if you want to fill in your education with another perspecitve, this one is a good choice. If you are new to the subject, know that this reality is a hard one to hear, as are all holocaust stories - but listen to these stories we MUST, lest anyone forget.

I am not hard to please with narrators, but this one made sure I never heard this book. The main character sounded like a 14-year-old, (not good in this setting, to be certain.) The attempt at a man's character was like that same 14-year-old trying to convince her school she is her dad calling her in sick to school - and failing miserably. I gave up after less than an hour. I couldn't listen any more. I have heard good enough things that I will try to find time to read the actual book.

I love history, but have always been drawn to European history, and knew little of my own country's. Audible can take credit for helping me expand my knowledge by introducing me to a fun way to learn. I have been listening to presidential biographies now for several months, and this is one of the best. I knew little about this (or any) founding father, and as much as we hear these days about the original intent of these men, I wanted to know more. This was detailed enough to give me insight into the man while broad enough to give me a sense of his place in the bigger picture. It was funny how the presidency now seems such a small part of his life.

I didn't give it all the stars only because there were times that the detail got to be too much, and I actually realized I had wandered off. I always came back, and figured that I had the general idea of what the author was speaking about, so I didn't bother to rewind. Any history of a real person will have it's moments that lag, but don't let that deter you. Edward Herrmann was wonderful, and could read the phone book well, so he gets all his stars.

If you are afraid of non-fiction because you are afraid it will be boring, this might be a good one to try because he was NOT boring. He was funny, irreverant, and had a wonderful way of looking at the world. My new favorite quote is now one of his: "Religion requires careful thought, not reflexive acceptance. Fix reason firmly in her seat... Question with boldness even the existence of a God, because if there be one, he must more approve the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear." In his time, this was HUGE! He was considered by many of being an athiest.

I look forward to some history about other men of the time, like Madison, to see history of the same time from another person's perspective, while also seeing Jefferson from another perspective.

I love WWII history and historical fiction, whether in books or movies because there is just SO MUCH emotional material to work with. This is no exception. This is not an extraordinary tale of heroics, or a romantic tidal wave, or even a great exploration of the war. It is the story of one girl, her family, friends, and experiences as told by the most present character of the era...Death. The Grim Reaper is our narrator, and all is told through his view. No spoilers, for there are times when you will gasp in surprise - for good and for bad. This is worth your time and credit.

I do not want to destroy the effect of this story on you by giving too much information, but want you to know that it is not a lighthearted tale. The description tells you it will not be fun, but realize that it is real, and the effects are strong. As a mother, it was hard sometimes to listen, but I am glad I did. I am not any kind of activist, nor do I give much thought to human rights around the world, but this gives me pause to consider it more - without telling me I was a bad person for not considering it before now.
Highly suggest this for those strong enough to face harsh truths about this world.

I love a good end-of-the world tale, but do NOT like vampires or zombies, and this seems to be the trend these days. This is less about the plague and more about the survival afterwards, and it is a good one.

It is very British, which I liked fine, although I have no perspective of where the towns mentioned are because English topography is not something I am familiar with. I also (being American) do not translate kilometers, so I have no idea how far apart these towns were from each other, but it was not a major obstacle to enjoying the book, although it would have helped me visualize things a bit better.

I love picturing what our world would look like after a major, global disaster, and whether we would pick up the pieces or dissolve into anarchy. I pray for the former while fearing the latter, and this shows what likely would be the reality - some of both.

I enjoyed the characters, with human strengths and flaws, and a natural developments between them. This might make it seem predictable, but humans sometimes really are.

Overall, great story that entertained me - and that is the point.

Those of us who experienced 9/11 may have some idea of how a world can change virtually overnight. Those involved in World War 2 may not have realized how much impact these six months would have on the world, nor may those of us living today have known how our world was shaped - or even CREATED within that same time frame.

We learn history from books written with perspecitve. This perspective changes with every person removed from the events, every decade that passes where we see consequences of the events, and with the softening of opinions about events experienced by earlier generations.

This type of history telling - with first person perspective written at the time of the events is so much more...EVERYTHING. I love the humourous events around Churchill (including FDR finding him naked in the tub); the details on the death of FDR, and the real fear of Truman as he stepped into the presidency; the nature of Stalin in his creation of his power-bloc behind the "iron curtain", all of it. Many of the details come from those we have never heard of - but who kept good diaries, who have insights we would never had discovered any other way.

This type of history can give us more depth on issues that we have a surface knowledge of. We know the Cold War developed out of the WWII end, just as WWII grew out of the end of WWI, but this book delves into the details in a way that is in-depth without being dry and boring. We know the atomic bomb race was a part of this Cold War, but this dig into the WHY and HOW in ways I have never read before. I even found out that the 38th parallel was chosen as the dividing line for Korea (an important part of the second half of the 20th Century) by two guys and a National Geographic map!

This is a credit well-used, and I share this in hopes it helps you decide if it is for you.

This was a great insight into someone I knew little to nothing about. It has nothing to do with politics, and everything to do with adventure, ego, ecology (not the annoying tree hugger kind, the cool - "look what I found" kind,) and family.

President Roosevelt - and this was AFTER he left office - was an almost fearless adventurer, as was the son he took with him - which sometimes he was sorry for, in fear for his life. They are brave, foolish, strong, and sometimes convinced they will not survive (and some do not.) I cannot imagine the mindset that is required to undertake that kind of map making. The Amazon jungle today is still a largely unfriendly terrain with people who have little contact with what we call civilization, but imagine trying to navigate thorugh that world before there were any maps to let you know what you would find, (or WHO,) and throw in the lack of medical advances, satelite phones, or other technologies. No roads, no phones, no radios, just you, some wooden boats and your wits. They didn't even know how long the river was, and so did not know how long they would be out there.

They say truth is stranger than fiction, and this is a novel that proves it. Great read, great book, and probably a great president.