Detroit

An American Autopsy

By: Charlie LeDuff

Narrated by: Eric Martin

Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

In the heart of America, a metropolis is quietly destroying itself. Detroit, once the richest city in the nation, is now its poorest. Once the vanguard of America’s machine age - mass production, automobiles, and blue-collar jobs - Detroit is now America’s capital for unemployment, illiteracy, foreclosure, and dropouts.

With the steel-eyed reportage that has become his trademark and the righteous indignation that only a native son can possess, journalist Charlie LeDuff sets out to uncover what has brought low this once-vibrant city, his city. In doing so, he uncovers the deeply human drama of a city filled with some of the strongest and strangest people our country has to offer.

©2013 Charlie LeDuff (P)2013 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"Full of both literary grace and hard-won world-weariness...Iggy Pop meets Jim Carroll and Charles Bukowski." ( Kirkus)

WOW

LeDuff delivers on the shocking goings-on of Detroit from the super-corrupt mayor to a super-corrupt judge to firemen who have to buy their own toilet paper because budgets are so mismanaged (ie, money pocketed by officials). Wish it was a tad more hopeful at the end, but it is what it is.

Narrator was good - think this is my first listen with him. But it would've been nice if some research had been done first to pronounce Detroit words correctly. Kil-PA-trick instead of KILL-patrick (who says that?). Mak-in-ack instead of Mack-in-aw Island. And the like.

Overall, quite good and mesmerizing.

He tells it like it is

I am from the suburbs of Detroit and it was easy to picture all of the places Charlie takes you. Learned things about area (good & bad) I didn't know. Also interesting stories of some of the local politics - people should be ashamed of themselves! Charlie is a great character and the reader did a good job in capturing that personality

Yup, this pretty much sums up much of the D.

Would you listen to Detroit again? Why?

Would I listen to it again? Probably not. It was definitely a worthy book to listen to, don't get me wrong. I just lived though much of the Coleman Young, Kwame, Emergency Manager time and had heard much of what happened on the local news. Charlie's book though, brought a new perspective to what happened and although I enjoyed it a lot, I doubt that I'd listen to it again...but I don't listen or read many books more than once.

What other book might you compare Detroit to and why?

No idea, but if you know of any like Detroit that cover different times in the city's history that are a good read/listen, I'd definitely be open to listening to those as well!

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

No, I haven't, but I thought he did a good job narrating. The various voices that he used for the different characters led to easily being able to picture them. Knowing who many of the players in Detroit were, I thought they were spot on. I'd listen to more of hos work without hesitation.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes and no (mostly yes). Yes because it was interesting getting more of an insiders view of many of the more recent going ons in Detroit. It was also nice learning about the history of Detroit. Charlie's own family story was interwoven into the book as well and offered another side to the book. No because-WOW! It's so damn depressing how messed up everything has gotten to be in Detroit. Being from the D though, overall, I really enjoyed listening and could have easily and happily listened to it in one day.

Tough

This is a tough story to hear. I grew up in Detroit in the 50s, and absolutely loved my life. Then moving to segregated Miami I learned about the differences of black-and-white. It was very sad and opened my eyes in so many ways. This is a hard story to hear, but very very necessary. I pray for Detroit and the good people that live there. A great read

Excellent real view of Detroit with story lines

Would you listen to Detroit again? Why?

To pick up some additional information I may have missed. The way regular people live is such a sad, but interestingly strange place that nobody ever talks about. Makes you really think about what's going on in our own country.

Less about Detroit; more about the author

Any additional comments?

This is less an autopsy of Detroit and more an autobiography of the author, Charlie LeDuff. It's an interesting and usually saddening series of vignettes about Detroit and the extreme poverty and corruption that are destroying it, strung together by stories about LeDuff and his family and written in an almost Raymond Chandler style, painting LeDuff as some long-suffering, hard edged guy hero with a heart of gold singlehandedly trying to fight for the city and its inhabitants.

The whole book is really about LeDuff, but Detroit gives him an interesting backdrop to look good against. That said, he still tells an interesting story and paints a vivid picture of a suffering city. Don't expect to really learn much about Detroit from the book though, just little glimpses and fragments framed as unconnected personal interest pieces.

This is an autopsy you need to read

Would you listen to Detroit again? Why?

"Detroit" joins my list of re-reads for a couple of reasons: One, I want to follow up on some of the many back stories. For example -- the Johnnie Redding frozen in ice story is a real thing. Look it up. A little research will make this story even more poignant.

Secondly, it's just a great story, even it were a novel instead of a documentary it would be a great read.

Listening tip: Eric Martin is easy to listen to at 1.6 speed or even quicker. It makes the story move along even better. You won't want to put it down.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The author is certainly my favorite. He's an interesting person in his own right so getting his perspective on an interesting history is doubly good. Not only does he narrate the tale, he's a fundamental part of the story, making it a first person perspective in many chapters.

Which scene was your favorite?

Without giving up too much of the story, the author and his mother visit the bar where the author's sister took her last drink. It was obvious they didn't belong there but when the bar patrons found out they were related, everything changed. Walls were broken down.

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

Although there are few emotional "hooks" in the story ( at least for me, a passionate pragmatic) the subject, as a whole, is laden with gravitas. To see into the inner workings of a dying city is heart rending.

Any additional comments?

I don't know whether or not it was intentional but the author delves into the realm of race. He makes it obvious that corruption is color blind. Read this story.

Nailed It

Where does Detroit rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It is top 10% experience. The only reason I didn't want to listen to it at times was because it was so real, and so poignant that it would burn you out a bit.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The political operative who characterized the auto execs while asking for federal subsidies. For being so spot on.

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

It's a pretty sad and disturbing book. But it also has hope. And it is very real. This is the world we live in, whether we "see" it or not.

Any additional comments?

Charlie LeDuff should be commended, for the effort he has put back into his community. And for his very basic, down to earth tell it like it is effort. In a weird way, there is one big agenda here, but it isn't any of the agendas that so often dominate our world of discourse today. It is one rooted in realities, and trying to get some, any, concrete results.

History with a story

Very well written! Allows the audience to understand Detroit thru the lives of its citizens. Not strictly a historical account so it is engrossing and easy to listen to.

Gritty Elegy for a City the author loved

Would you consider the audio edition of Detroit to be better than the print version?

NA

What did you like best about this story?

The writing is alive, it has a heart beat. You can feel the sweat and the dirt and the heartache of the author in the narrative. The author's prose borders on poetry.

Which character – as performed by Eric Martin – was your favorite?

The author is the main character and the favorite. Eric Martin's performance was totally life like and really made the book enjoyable even though it is about the death of Detroit.