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Anandasubramanian

Love excellent narrators like Ray Porter. Love the Joe Ledger series.

Member Since 2009

46
HELPFUL VOTES
  • 44 reviews
  • 66 ratings
  • 0 titles in library
  • 15 purchased in 2013
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  • Gravity's Engines: How Bubble-Blowing Black Holes Rule Galaxies, Stars, and Life in the Cosmos

    • UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 56 mins)
    • By Caleb Scharf
    • Narrated By Caleb Scharf
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (50)
    Performance
    (40)
    Story
    (44)

    We’ve long understood black holes to be the points at which the universe as we know it comes to an end. Often billions of times more massive than the Sun, they lurk in the inner sanctum of almost every galaxy of stars in the universe. Recent research, however, has led to a cascade of new discoveries that have revealed an entirely different side to black holes. As the astrophysicist Caleb Scharf reveals in Gravity’s Engines, these chasms in space-time don’t just vacuum up everything that comes near them; they also spit out huge beams and clouds of matter.

    Gary says: "One of the best science books for non-scientist"
    "When will Audible learn NOT to let authors narrate"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    What would have made Gravity's Engines better?

    Not having the author narrate his own story.


    What was one of the most memorable moments of Gravity's Engines?

    The first four words "This is Audible."


    What didn’t you like about Caleb Scharf’s performance?

    Everything


    You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

    Well, the title was interesting


    Any additional comments?

    Am returning it.

    0 of 16 people found this review helpful
  • The Beginning of the End: Apocalypse Z

    • UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 31 mins)
    • By Manel Loureiro
    • Narrated By Nick Podehl
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (240)
    Performance
    (224)
    Story
    (229)

    A mysterious incident in Russia, a blip buried in the news - it’s the only warning humanity receives that civilization will soon be destroyed by a single, voracious virus that creates monsters of men. A lawyer, still grieving over the death of his young wife, begins to write as a form of therapy. But he never expected that his anonymous blog and journal would ultimately record humanity’s last days. Governments scramble to stop the zombie virus, people panic, so-called Safe Havens are established, the world erupts into chaos; soon it’s every man, woman, and child for themselves.

    Keith says: "Just For Pleasure"
    "Brilliant engrossed narration"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    Nick does a brilliant, engrossed narration of a well-written story.
    I was fearing for the end, lest it may be a sad one. Thank God, Manel did not end it that way/
    He has given hope to the Lawyer.

    The story is different from similar ones in following ways:
    1) Its NOT set in USA. Its set in Spain.
    2) Its not all Gung-ho like Morningstar Strain or Peter Clines ones. Its more personal.
    3) Characters are less.
    4) Surprises galore in both pleasant and unpleasant ways.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • The Grail: Area 51, Book 5

    • UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 33 mins)
    • By Robert Doherty, Bob Mayer
    • Narrated By Martin Gollery
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (36)
    Performance
    (36)
    Story
    (34)

    Special Forces officer Mike Turcotte has paid his dues in battle and in blood. Now assigned to Area 51, he fights the toughest enemy of his career: the alien race who arrived on Earth millennia ago and have returned to claim the planet. Mike has dodged bullets and faced weapons of mass destruction to give humanity another day of reprieve. But when his lover, scientist Lisa Duncan, falls into evil hands, Mike must decide which prize means the most to him - the woman he loves or the legendary Grail.

    John says: "Just painful"
    "Audible takes the cake in Bad narrator list"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    I assume Audible has something against this author: why else would they use such awful narrators to narrate Bob Mayer's stories?

    The story is excellent, especially starting with King Arthur being one of the Alien factions.
    But the narration is like sand in a tasty meal. You want the meal, you eat the sand too !

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • The Sphinx: Area 51, Book 4

    • UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 32 mins)
    • By Bob Mayer
    • Narrated By Eric G. Dove
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (18)
    Performance
    (18)
    Story
    (17)

    Dr. Lisa Duncan and Special Forces officer Mike Turcotte know better than anyone that no secret is safe for long - especially one that offers untold power. Case in point: No sooner does Turcotte’s elite Area 51 team uncover a dormant alien ship in Earth's orbit than a group of alien-human hybrids seizes it and uses its technology to commandeer a satellite array bristling with nuclear missiles. Now they’re demanding that humankind hand over the key to an ancient stash of alien technology…or watch an entire continent be reduced to atomic rubble.

    William says: "Never let Eric G. Dove near a book again"
    "Extremely bad narrator !"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    I Want a refund.
    The narrator messed up a perfectly good.
    I listened for about 40 mins assuming he was just an introducer, but realized he's going to the narrator for the full book.
    His tone is like a 5th grade school boy and his British & Arab accents are extremely phony and bad.
    Even Hollywood movies would not mess up the accents so badly

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA

    • UNABRIDGED (21 hrs and 25 mins)
    • By Tim Weiner
    • Narrated By Stefan Rudnicki
    Overall
    (1740)
    Performance
    (379)
    Story
    (376)

    This is the book the CIA does not want you to read. For the last 60 years, the CIA has maintained a formidable reputation in spite of its terrible record, never disclosing its blunders to the American public. It spun its own truth to the nation while reality lay buried in classified archives. Now, Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter Tim Weiner offers a stunning indictment of the CIA, a deeply flawed organization that has never deserved America's confidence.

    Michael says: "Flawed but Important"
    "Well titled"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    1) Regime change did not start with Bush or Iraq. It started with Eisenhower.

    2) JFK was not all Camelot. He made the CIA intervene in internal affairs of many countries than any of his predecessors. His obsession with killing Castro and his subsequent assassination may or may not be revenge killing.

    3) CIA is not all great as its myth. It was brilliantly bad at its core purpose (to collect intelligence). It was good at wetware operations and regime changes.

    4) The CIA was almost always wrong with its intelligence reports, so bad in fact not one President trusted it. Except for the Israeli war, it was wrong on ALL counts.

    5) The CIA did not win the Cold war. The USSR lost it.

    6) The sheer amount of useless lives lost due to CIA carelessness is criminal.

    7) The CIA was a bastard child since its inception was vetoed by the President who refused to sign the declaration and killed the OSS.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Inside the Nazi War Machine: How Three Generals Unleashed Hitler's Blitzkrieg Upon the World

    • UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 33 mins)
    • By Bevin Alexander
    • Narrated By Ray Porter
    Overall
    (17)
    Performance
    (12)
    Story
    (13)

    Under orders of the Fuhrer, the German General Staff reluctantly drew up a lackluster plan of invasion for France. Yet it was the audacious scheme of three of Hitler’s top generals that brought down France’s military force, Rather than simply move troops to engage the enemy, for the first time they would unleash the tank and drive straight into the heart of their foe.

    Anandasubramanian says: "So good. Need to listen to it again."
    "So good. Need to listen to it again."
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    An excellent, lively book narrated by the best narrator Audible has!

    What more do you want? The drawbacks of Charbis tanks, Rommel's blasting away a hole in the Maginot line and driving his tanks through by firing at both flanks non-stop.

    The bravery of British betrayed by the French surrender, and the shock of the British ambush that forced Hitler to avoid attacking Dunkirk.

    As the author says: For want of a nail, the ship was lost. If Hitler had listened to his Generals and let them loose on Dunkirk instead of depending on Goering, the history would be different and we would all be typing this out in German.

    I play the Company of Heroes RTG, and I have learnt a lot of how to utilize the strategies outlined here.

    The book would have been spoiled if not for Ray Porter. He brings out the urgency, the panache, the chutzpah and the anger well.

    May he live long and prosper.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Area 51: the Mission

    • UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 9 mins)
    • By Bob Mayer, Robert Doherty
    • Narrated By Jeffrey Kafer
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (56)
    Performance
    (52)
    Story
    (51)

    Hidden deep in the Amazon rain forest is a place shrouded in mystery. It is called The Mission. And in nearby villages people are screaming in pain as they die from a virus more deadly than Ebola. They can't escape it. They can't cure it. They can't stop it from exploding into a worldwide epidemic poised to kill us all.... Scientist Lisa Duncan and Special Forces Officer Mike Turcotte suspect this new "Black Death" is actually a biological weapon in an escalating war between us...and "them".

    Anandasubramanian says: "Getting better with both narration and suspense"
    "Getting better with both narration and suspense"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    The author has improved the tightness of the story and improved the writing style.
    I can't believe am listening to the 3rd book. Its actually good.

    Narration has improved, although not upto standards set by Ray Porter.
    Sometimes find it difficult to differentiate characters since same type of narration and accent is used.

    The story is now complex and contains more depth.

    Well done.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • The Second World War: Alone

    • UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 4 mins)
    • By Winston Churchill
    • Narrated By Christian Rodska
    Overall
    (496)
    Performance
    (257)
    Story
    (259)

    "After the first forty days we were alone," writes Churchill. This edition is part two of Churchill's own abridgement of his original six-volume history of the Second World War.

    Susanne Jerome says: "the rest of the story"
    "Christian Rodska is a brilliant narrator"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    The 6 volume history of Churchill requires a narrator who can present the tension, sadness, interest and frustration the author felt during those tumultuous days.

    Christian Rodska Brings it out very well.

    I give the author himself only 3 points because:
    1) Self-propaganda. Churchill's self promotion makes Kim Kardashian blush.
    2) Forgets to include the India's contribution to the war: Over 10 million Indians died in WW2 in India, due to forced starvation by Churchill who shipped off food stuffs to feed his Empire. When asked, his cold reply was "Is Gandhi still alive?"
    3) Winners write histories: Hitler was neither a madman nor a megalomaniac as portrayed. If he was a bumbling fool, how did he outwit so many nations and almost USSR to its knees? Why did German people support him even in 1945? Fear? Not likely.

    0 of 1 people found this review helpful
  • Dracula

    • UNABRIDGED (18 hrs and 11 mins)
    • By Bram Stoker
    • Narrated By Jerry Sciarrio, Kris Faulkner, Kevin Foley, and others
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (56)
    Performance
    (24)
    Story
    (26)

    Dracula begins with the journal of Jonathan Harker, a young solicitor on the way to Transylvania to give information to the mysterious Count Dracula about his new estate in London. Dracula takes the young man prisoner, and Jonathan sees many strange and evil things in the castle before escaping and fleeing into the night. He later decides that he must have been mad.

    Lee says: "A SUPERB PRODUCTION!"
    "Brilliant narration of the greatest horror story!"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    I listen to audible during my long commute at nights.
    That commute takes me through lonely, dark roads.
    The wonderful, thrilling narration chilled my soul many a times, especially when you are alone in the car, at night, on a new moon day.

    The howl of wolves and Jonathan Harker discovering he was alone was so chillingly narrated that i switched it off out of sheer fear.

    Kudos to the narration team. Especially Van Helsing's voice, and Dracula's.

    It was like a movie/TV Series.

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
  • Worldwar: In the Balance

    • UNABRIDGED (26 hrs and 33 mins)
    • By Harry Turtledove
    • Narrated By Todd McLaren
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (168)
    Performance
    (79)
    Story
    (80)

    War seethed across the planet. Machines soared through the air, churned through the seas, crawled across the surface, pushing ever forward, carrying death. Earth was engaged in titanic struggle. Germany, Russia, France, China, Japan: the maps were changing day by day. The hostilities spread in ever-widening ripples of destruction: Britain, Italy, Africa...the fate of the world hung in the balance. Then the real enemy came.

    W says: "Awesome"
    "Excellent story spoiled by indifferent narration"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    I have the entire series on Kindle.
    Mr.Turtledove writes brilliantly. His sweep of imagination and perspective is simply breathtaking.

    I would have expected Audible to use a dramatization and full-cast for this entire series to make it sound like a movie. Audible did it with John Birmingham's alternate history, or the ones by Larry Corriea.

    Sadly, the narrators of this story sound indifferent and robotic. They don't even know how to enunciate certain characters. Worst of all their accents are horrible.

    If you overcome the painful rendition, you will enjoy the story.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Sundara Kandam

    • UNABRIDGED (3 hrs and 14 mins)
    • By Pazhaniappan Pazha
    • Narrated By Sundararaman S
    Overall
    (4)
    Performance
    (2)
    Story
    (2)

    The Sundara Kandam has a value of its own. The essence of the entire Ramayana has been encapsulated in the Sundara Kandam. It is the story of Sita and Hanuman's bhakti. It is certain to invoke feelings of faith, unalloyed happiness, and peace.

    Aswinkumar says: "Superb narration"
    "Excellent narration of a classic"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story

    Loved the story always.

    Now love the narration even better. Clear tamil and precise pronounciation.

    Good narrator.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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