World War Z

An Oral History of the Zombie War

By: Max Brooks

Narrated by: Max Brooks, Alan Alda, John Turturro, Rob Reiner

Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of 30 million souls, to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet.

He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. World War Z is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years.

Ranging from the now infamous village of New Dachang in the United Federation of China, where the epidemiological trail began with the 12-year-old Patient Zero, to the unnamed northern forests where untold numbers sought a terrible and temporary refuge in the cold, to the United States of Southern Africa, where the Redeker Plan provided hope for humanity at an unspeakable price, to the west-of-the-Rockies redoubt where the North American tide finally started to turn, this invaluable chronicle reflects the full scope and duration of the Zombie War.

Note: Some of the numerical and factual material contained in this edition was previously published under the auspices of the United Nations Postwar Commission.

©2006 Max Brooks (P)2006 Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Winner of Audio Publishers Association 2007 Audie Award, Multi-Voiced Performance
• Audie Award Finalist, Audiobook of the Year, 2007

"Hard to put down." (Publishers Weekly)

"A literate, ironic, strangely tasty treat." (Kirkus Reviews)

"Horror fans won't be disappointed: like George Romero's Dead trilogy, World War Z is another milestone in the zombie mythos." (Booklist)

Fantastic book, but ABRIDGED?? WHY?!?!

What made the experience of listening to World War Z the most enjoyable?

The ONLY reason I can't rate this 5 stars is because it was too short. There seemed to be layers left out of the story and when I went back to look at the description I saw it was abridged, which really seems to explain it all. I haven't even read the original and I could tell it was abridged just by listening... I can't fathom why they would choose to do this unless the original unabridged version is poorly written (doubt it). Otherwise, that was my only complaint - I listened to this in one day and accomplished nearly nothing because I was so engrossed.

Great performance, just wish it were unabridged

I love this type of audiobook...the multi-reader performance piece. It really brings a book to life and I think this a perfect showpiece to get someone into Audible. The story itself keeps you interested and engrossed in the world that is created. The only downsides to the book are that I'd say maybe 2 or 3 of the characters readings were a little (I mean a little..still not bad) flat or mechanical, like you could tell they were reading..not performing...on the other hand, some were awesome, like they were REALLY acting out the part, my second downside is that it REALLY should have been unabridged...it's a bit short. Otherwise, it's like I said, a VERY entertaining book that makes you want more.

Conclusion: -1 star for the lack of unabridged version and a couple of acting quirks, well worth the listen.

Great Story

It was really great. I loved how we got different points of view from all of the participants in this giant traumatic world event.

A Worthey Selection

Would you consider the audio edition of World War Z to be better than the print version?

I do not know as I have not read the book.

Any additional comments?

Very well done production. I just wish it wasn't abridged.

Fantastic Book (But Note This is ABRIDGED!)

What made the experience of listening to World War Z the most enjoyable?

The international scope of the story, the building suspense (without the gratuitous gore and violence that make up so many zombie stories), the political and economic discussions beside the personal stories, the distinct, interesting characters-- it was all amazing.

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

Every narrator was brilliant. It really felt like an oral history-- the perfect format for this book.

Who was the most memorable character of World War Z and why?

Every character was so vivid! I think my favorite story involved a blind Japanese man (who lost his vision from the atomic bomb drop in WWII) who ended up living in a national park and taking out hundreds of zombies alone. His narrative was so engaging, his voice was unique, and it had great layers of detail about Japanese culture.

Any additional comments?

I made the mistake of not double-checking that this was the full version. I found out near the end that in buying this (abridged) version, I missed out on a lot of the narrators I'd most been looking forward to hearing, like Nathan Fillion! I definitely recommend going for the full version instead of this one.

Fantastic Cast

What made the experience of listening to World War Z the most enjoyable?

The wide cast that acts out, rather than simply reads, this book is amazing. The story in itself is very interesting and is made a great listen thanks to the voices lended to the title.

Loved this Book!!

Such a creative way to tell a story. I really enjoyed the vignettes, and the tie-ins later on from each of the different perspectives. I had heard about this book for years, but never got around to picking it up. So glad I was able to spend the time. I was honestly a little disappointed that the audio seemed so short (close to 6 + hours). I realized that only the abridged version is available, but would honestly listen to the whole thing over if the unabridged version became available.

The performances were spectacular!! I loved the honesty behind every reader. I sometimes felt as though I was listening to an interview on the radio and not a book about a zombie apocalypse!

I enjoyed every section and was disappointed when it ended. I can't wait to see how it translates onto the screen next summer.

Exciting!!!

Would you listen to World War Z again? Why?

Due to my Loud job occupation I would listen to again, just to feel in the parts i've missed and to fully understand the book better.

Who was your favorite character and why?

There was few parts and characters that really grabbed me and as I said will have to listen to again.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

Spoke very clear, had passion in what the situation called for.

If you could rename World War Z, what would you call it?

I would not.

Any additional comments?

Great audio book. Just wish it was longer. At first it is hard to grasp that we were almost annihilated. To pick up where the stories start and run with it. To me some were easier than others and can visually see myself in a couple circumstances. Great audio book and hope to listen to again soon.

Unique performance and story.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes, I would recommend this if my friend was a zombi or war book fan.

Would you be willing to try another book from Max Brooks? Why or why not?

I would like to try an unabridged book that would allow for less fragmentation.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

They did a great job of making me feel like I was there.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Maybe, it depends on who's in it.

Absolutely impressed

I listened to this audiobook at least once a day for three weeks. It was the most impressive audiobook that I have ever heard. The different characters will draw you into the story and your imagination will propel you into another world. I would recommend this story to any "zombie" fan. It is true to form and I hope that someday it is a full length movie. I would buy the DVD.