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Michael

Athens, AL, USA | Member Since 2007

21
HELPFUL VOTES
  • 24 reviews
  • 70 ratings
  • 136 titles in library
  • 13 purchased in 2013
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  • The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo

    • UNABRIDGED (13 hrs and 35 mins)
    • By Tom Reiss
    • Narrated By Paul Michael
    Overall
    (154)
    Performance
    (133)
    Story
    (135)

    Father of the novelist Alexandre Dumas, Alex Dumas has become, through his son's books, the model for a captivating modern protagonist: The wronged man in search of justice. Born to a black slave mother and a fugitive white French nobleman in Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti), Alex Dumas was briefly sold into bondage but then made his way to Paris where he was schooled as a sword-fighting member of the French aristocracy. He was only 32 when he was given command of 53,000 men, the reward for series of triumphs that many regarded as impossible, and then topped his previous feats by leading a raid up a frozen cliff face....

    Jean says: "Truth more unbelivable than fiction"
    "History Discovered"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Any additional comments?

    Wow! This book opened insights I never had to the "3 Musketeer's" author and his father. I thought the book got off to a slow start, with the author spending a good deal of time as to his gathering of the information, but once it got into the story, it was fascinating.

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
  • Lord Hornblower

    • UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 29 mins)
    • By C. S. Forester
    • Narrated By Christian Rodska
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (86)
    Performance
    (67)
    Story
    (61)

    The Admiral's face was grim as he gave Commodore Hornblower his orders. The situation was critical: mutiny was an infection that could spread through the fleet like the plague and, furthermore, the crew were threatening to go over to the French.

    Jean says: "Old fashion story telling"
    "The Tedium of Self"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

    I would only recommend this book for those who have continued through all the Hornblower books, to get closure.


    What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

    Hornblower's constant introspection becomes increasingly tiring and boring. The over all story line is good enough, but Horatio's mind games with himself got more and more distracting.


    0 of 1 people found this review helpful
  • 1775: A Good Year for Revolution

    • UNABRIDGED (25 hrs and 44 mins)
    • By Kevin Phillips
    • Narrated By Arthur Morey
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (12)
    Performance
    (9)
    Story
    (9)

    What if the year we have long commemorated as America’s defining moment was in fact misleading? What if the real events that signaled the historic shift from colony to country took place earlier, and that the true story of our nation’s emergence reveals a more complicated - and divisive - birth process? In this major new work, iconoclastic historian and political chronicler Kevin Phillips upends the conventional reading of the American Revolution by puncturing the myth that 1776 was the struggle’s watershed year. Mythology and omission have elevated 1776, but the most important year, rarely recognized, was 1775.

    Jeannette says: "An audio trip through history"
    "Good Material too Haphazard"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Is there anything you would change about this book?

    I would have put things more in chronological order.


    What could Kevin Phillips have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

    I believe he started with a wrong premise. Truly 1775 was important leading up to 1776, but so was 1774, and 1773, etc. He is trying to prove a point that isn't an issue. As a result he continually uses events from many years before 1776 and from different socialogical angles.


    Any additional comments?

    To me, history is always interesting in itself. However, so much of it is left up to the interpreter. When it comes to figuring out what part of 1775 was religion the main motivator, or economic factors, etc. the conclusions are solely in the hand of the story teller.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • DemoCRIPS and ReBLOODlicans: No More Gangs in Government

    • UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 11 mins)
    • By Jesse Ventura, Dick Russell
    • Narrated By Johnny Heller
    Overall
    (40)
    Performance
    (30)
    Story
    (34)

    DemoCRIPS and ReBLOODlicans uncovers the truth about how corporations have bought the American electoral and legislative process through the power of lobbyists, campaign contributions, and political action committees. Using historical details, such as the development of the two-party system and the advent of third-party candidates throughout U.S. history, DemoCRIPS and ReBLOODlicans exposes how the two major parties have allowed corporations, businesses, and politically-motivated wealthy individuals to manipulate elections.

    Will says: "Buy Yourself some Influence or Get Screwed"
    "Interesting but Take with a Grain of Salt"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    What disappointed you about DemoCRIPS and ReBLOODlicans?

    Constant quotes without identification of the leanings of the quoters. I already know the untrustworthiness of the groups like the NYT, so, why would I believe any quotes from them?


    How could the performance have been better?

    Probably if he had a better book.


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

    Yes, the refreshing part was that he did put both parties in the same boat. I would agree with him that they are co-conspirators in the downfall of our nation, and constitution.


    0 of 1 people found this review helpful
  • A Ship of the Line

    • UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 25 mins)
    • By C. S. Forester
    • Narrated By Christian Rodska
    Overall
    (151)
    Performance
    (115)
    Story
    (117)

    Her Majesty's ship Sutherland is a humdrum ship of the line. But in command is none other than the heroic Captain Hornblower and, with his crew from the Lydia, he looks set to take on commando raids, hurricanes at sea, and Napoleons's gun batteries.

    Rollin Kent says: "Wonderful Hornblower"
    "Another Good Listen"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Any additional comments?

    Perhaps not as captivating as Forester's previous book, but still a good and interesting listen. Christian Rodska did a great job with the reading, which helped to keep the few dull parts interesting. I found the whole experience enjoyable.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Mr. Midshipman Hornblower

    • UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 24 mins)
    • By C. S. Forester
    • Narrated By Christian Rodska
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (295)
    Performance
    (262)
    Story
    (260)

    The year is 1793, the eve of the Napoleonic Wars, and Horatio Hornblower, a 17-year-old boy unschooled in seafaring and the ways of seamen, is ordered to board a French merchant ship and take command of crew and cargo for the glory of England. Though not an unqualified success, this first naval adventure teaches the young midshipman enough to launch him on a series of increasingly glorious exploits.

    Emrys says: "Superb narration of a great story"
    "Excellent, Enjoyable, and Entertaining"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Where does Mr. Midshipman Hornblower rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

    This was one of the best books on British Naval challenges during the Napolionic era. It was entertaining, and very well performed. I have read the O'brian "Aubrey/Maturin" series and found this book much better.


    3 of 3 people found this review helpful
  • Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever

    • UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 49 mins)
    • By Bill O'Reilly, Martin Dugard
    • Narrated By Bill O'Reilly
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (2969)
    Performance
    (2645)
    Story
    (2654)

    The anchor of The O'Reilly Factor recounts one of the most dramatic stories in American history—how one gunshot changed the country forever. In the spring of 1865, the bloody saga of America's Civil War finally comes to an end after a series of increasingly harrowing battles. President Abraham Lincoln's generous terms for Robert E. Lee's surrender are devised to fulfill Lincoln's dream of healing a divided nation. But one man and his band of murderous accomplices are not appeased....

    William says: "Decent Book - Bad Narration"
    "Great view into History"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

    Yes, and I have. All Americans should have an understanding as to what was going on during this momentous even in US history. It was laid out in chronological order, with the proper amount of background to give one an appreciation for what was taking place.


    What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

    Bill O'Reilly is a good newsman, but he read the book like he was doing his 'No Spin Zone' commentary. The monotonous cadence became very distracting.


    Any additional comments?

    For US history buffs, this book is a must.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Mr. Churchill's Secretary: A Maggie Hope Novel, Book 1

    • UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 48 mins)
    • By Susan Elia MacNeal
    • Narrated By Wanda McCaddon
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (417)
    Performance
    (359)
    Story
    (355)

    London, 1940: Winston Churchill has just been sworn in, war rages across the Channel, and the threat of a Blitz looms larger by the day. But none of this deters Maggie Hope. She graduated at the top of her college class and possesses all the skills of the finest minds in British intelligence, but her gender qualifies her only to be the newest typist at No. 10 Downing Street. Her indefatigable spirit and gifts for codebreaking, though, rival those of even the highest men in government, and Maggie finds that working for the prime minister affords her a level of clearance she could never have imagined....

    Susie says: "Good Cozy Spy thriller"
    "Slightly Interesting & Disjointed"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    What does Wanda McCaddon bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

    McCaddon did a good job on the voices and narrative. Without her strong performance, I would have given a lower overall rating.


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

    I have read a lot of history on Churchill and Britain before and during WWII. I love the time period and the resolve of the people. The story does give one an appreciation for the complexities and dangers of that era for the British people.


    Any additional comments?

    Too many long periods of 'dull' in the book.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Hornblower and the "Atropos"

    • UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 29 mins)
    • By C. S. Forester
    • Narrated By Nicolas Coster
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (172)
    Performance
    (112)
    Story
    (107)

    In the wake of a humbling incident aboard a canal boat in the Cotswolds, young Captain Horatio Hornblower arrives in London to take command of the Atropos, a 22-gun sloop barely large enough to require a captain. Her first assignment under Hornblower's command is as flagship for the funeral procession of Lord Nelson. Soon Atropos is part of the Mediterranean Fleet's harassment of Napoleon, recovering treasure that lies deep in Turkish waters

    Edward says: "Great fun and adventure in 1806"
    "Narrator hurts the Story"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Would you be willing to try another one of Nicolas Coster’s performances?

    This is the last Nicolas Coster performance that I will spend my time to listen.


    Any additional comments?

    The story of Hornblower and Atropos has as good a plot and story as any of the others, but the narrator was a constant irritation. The previous narrators enhanced the enjoyment of listening to the book, but Nicolas Coster seemed bored when he did this. Throughout the book he would lapse into a practical whisper that would totally detract from the book.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Hornblower and the Crisis

    • UNABRIDGED (4 hrs and 12 mins)
    • By C. S. Forester
    • Narrated By Christian Rodska
    Overall
    (81)
    Performance
    (65)
    Story
    (64)

    The final Horatio Hornblower story tells of Napoleon’s plans to invade England. Set in 1805, Hornblower and the Crisis finds Horatio Hornblower in possession of confidential dispatches from Bonaparte after a vicious hand-to-hand encounter with a French brig. The admiralty rewards Hornblower by sending him on a dangerous espionage mission that will light the powder trail leading to the battle of Trafalgar.

    Michael says: "Not a complete Book"
    "Not a complete Book"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Any additional comments?

    Come to find out, this was the last book written in the series, even though it is number 4 in sequence of action. The author died while writing it. I had a great story line, and was interesting until its very abrupt end in the middle of the plot. Frustrating.

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful
  • Fighter Pilot: The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds

    • UNABRIDGED (17 hrs and 2 mins)
    • By Robin Olds, Christina Olds, Ed Rasimus
    • Narrated By Robertson Dean
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (533)
    Performance
    (273)
    Story
    (271)

    A larger-than-life hero with a towering personality, Robin Olds was a graduate of West Point and an inductee in the National College Football Hall of Fame for his All-American performance for Army. In World War II, Olds quickly became a top fighter pilot and squadron commander by the age of 22—a double ace with twelve aerial victories. But it was in Vietnam where the man became a legend.

    R. A. Frank says: "Top Notch Audiobook"
    "American Hero"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Any additional comments?

    If you love stories of American patriots this will inspire you. Robin Olds was a truly amazing, fearless, patriotic American. The book was well read. My only drawback was the language. I understand from the Introduction that Olds wanted the story in his language, and he got it. Unfortunately, much of the vulgarity just was not need to tell the story.

    3 of 3 people found this review helpful

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