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Brittain

Grasonville, MD, United States | Member Since 2010

1
HELPFUL VOTES
  • 6 reviews
  • 8 ratings
  • 105 titles in library
  • 8 purchased in 2013
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  • Jack of Diamonds | [Bryce Courtenay]
    Jack of Diamonds
    UNABRIDGED

    Jack of Diamonds

    • UNABRIDGED (26 hrs and 15 mins)
    • By Bryce Courtenay
    • Narrated By Humphrey Bower
    Overall
    (319)
    Performance
    (270)
    Story
    (272)

    Born and raised in a poor, working-class family in Toronto, Jack Spayd is the son of an unhappy marriage. After being taken under the wing of "Miss Frostbite", the owner of a local jazz club, Jack becomes a gifted musician, playing piano and harmonica. Fame and the allure of gambling takes him to Vegas, and prospects of fortune take him to the Belgian Congo, where he's heard it's possible to earn big money working in the most dangerous parts of the local copper mines.

    Brodie says: "On the Day we lost Bryce"
    "Courtenay characters are as usual superb"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    What does Humphrey Bower bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

    He is the master of seemingly all dialects, Australian, South African, German, Irish, Chicago, New York, Canadian, the list goes on.


    Any additional comments?

    Watching Jack grow from childhood to senior citizen and all of his adventures was spellbinding. I am truly sorry we are at the end of Courtenay's books. What a gifted storyteller.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • The Last Hero | [Peter Forbath]
    The Last Hero
    UNABRIDGED

    The Last Hero

    • UNABRIDGED (26 hrs and 27 mins)
    • By Peter Forbath
    • Narrated By Simon Vance
    Overall
    (5)
    Performance
    (4)
    Story
    (4)

    In the greatest adventure of the Victorian age, a famous explorer makes a heroic relief expedition to a beleaguered British outpost deep in the heart of Africa. The British Empire, at its zenith, is shocked by the fall of Khartoum and the murder of General Gordon. But word reaches London that all is not lost; one garrison, commanded by the Emin Pasha, still holds out against the Mahdi leading the rebellion against the British in the Sudan. The Emin Pasha is hailed as a hero of mythic proportions.

    Brittain says: "Wow!!, Who knew this about Stanley (of stanley and"
    "Wow!!, Who knew this about Stanley (of stanley and"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

    Absolutely! Excellent insight to the African continet and the various other colonial and Arabic powers


    What was one of the most memorable moments of The Last Hero?

    The caravan sloughing into the African interior contending with the various occupants, elements and rigors of the trek.


    Which scene was your favorite?

    The couple times where Stanley's indomitable will purshed the others beyond their own expectations


    Any additional comments?

    I thoroughly enjoyed the book in it's detail, dialogue, and cast of characters.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Noble House | [James Clavell]
    Noble House
    UNABRIDGED

    Noble House

    • UNABRIDGED (56 hrs and 13 mins)
    • By James Clavell
    • Narrated By John Lee
    Overall
    (452)
    Performance
    (218)
    Story
    (210)

    The setting is Hong Kong, 1963. The action spans scarcely more than a week, but these are the days of high adventure, from kidnapping and murder to financial double-dealing and natural catastrophes: fire, flood, and landslide. Yet they are days filled as well with all the mystery and romance of Hong Kong, the heart of Asia, rich in every trade: money, flesh, opium, power.

    Bruce says: "Incredible in every way"
    "Not his best"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

    His previous novels did not have as much dialogue and were packed with history and action.


    Has Noble House turned you off from other books in this genre?

    Not so much the genre as the authors books. I really enjoyed Shogun and King Rat this was a major disappointment.


    What does John Lee bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

    His accents and dialects


    Any additional comments?

    I will pay more attention to the reviews of his books in the future.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943 | [Rick Atkinson]
    An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943
    ABRIDGED

    An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943

    • ABRIDGED (7 hrs and 1 min)
    • By Rick Atkinson
    • Narrated By Rick Atkinson
    Overall
    (211)
    Performance
    (39)
    Story
    (40)

    The first volume of the Liberation Trilogy, An Army at Dawn is history of the highest order - brilliantly researched, rich with new material and surprising insights, the deeply human story of a monumental battle for the future of civilization. "An absolute masterpiece," says Andrew Carroll, author of War Letters, "This book is storytelling - and history - at its most riveting."

    Jeremy says: "Abridging too far?"
    "Too Short"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    If you could sum up An Army at Dawn in three words, what would they be?

    Good insight to a campaign of Worlr war II that has not received as much coverage as the European campaign


    Which scene was your favorite?

    The Casablanca meeting


    Any additional comments?

    The book has me wanting more information, more detail about the campaign

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Shantaram | [Gregory David Roberts]
    Shantaram
    UNABRIDGED

    Shantaram

    • UNABRIDGED (43 hrs and 9 mins)
    • By Gregory David Roberts
    • Narrated By Humphrey Bower
    Overall
    (2873)
    Performance
    (1225)
    Story
    (1224)

    This mesmerizing first novel tells the epic journey of Lin, an escaped convict who flees maximum security prison in Australia to disappear into the underworld of contemporary Bombay. Accompanied by his guide and faithful friend, Prabaker, Lin searches for love and meaning while running a clinic in one of the city's poorest slums and serving his apprenticeship in the dark arts of the Bombay mafia. The keys to unlock the mysteries that bind Lin are held by two people: his mentor Khader Khan, mafia godfather and criminal-philosopher; and the beautiful, elusive Karla, whose passions are driven by dangerous secrets.

    Richard says: "Do Not Miss This"
    "incredible character study"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Would you consider the audio edition of Shantaram to be better than the print version?

    I never read the print edition


    What did you like best about this story?

    The visuals painted by the author


    Have you listened to any of Humphrey Bower’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

    Yes, he is excellent. This is comprable to what I have listened to from him before.


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

    No extreme reaction. Some of the tales made me cringe from the brutality


    Any additional comments?

    I thoroughly enjoy lenghty in depth character development and this book definitly fits that description.

    0 of 0 people found this review helpful
  • Istanbul Passage: A Novel | [Joseph Kanon]
    Istanbul Passage: A Novel
    UNABRIDGED

    Istanbul Passage: A Novel

    • UNABRIDGED (14 hrs and 48 mins)
    • By Joseph Kanon
    • Narrated By Jefferson Mays
    • Whispersync for Voice-ready
    Overall
    (181)
    Performance
    (133)
    Story
    (134)

    A neutral capital straddling Europe and Asia, Istanbul has spent the war as a magnet for refugees and spies. Even American businessman Leon Bauer has been drawn into this shadow world, doing undercover odd jobs and courier runs for the Allied war effort. Now, as the espionage community begins to pack up and an apprehensive city prepares for the grim realities of postwar life, he is given one more assignment, a routine job that goes fatally wrong, plunging him into a tangle of intrigue and moral confusion.

    Maine Colonial says: "What choice do you make when all options are bad?"
    "Old fashion WWII spy novel"
    Overall
    Performance
    Story
    Is there anything you would change about this book?

    The story was too plotting.


    Any additional comments?

    The story moved slowly. It reads like a 1950's WWII spy novel. Just so-so.

    1 of 1 people found this review helpful

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