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)

Abridged verson

This is an abridged version missing some of what I consider important and interesting parts. Performances are great, I like the production but wish it was whole book.

Something's missing...But what was there was great

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

No, but for only one reason - it's abridged. The book was almost made to be listened to - it's a great interview style that fits perfectly with the audible format and hearing different voices for each character truly added something. But the fact that parts of the book was missing meant I had to go back and read the print copy anyway (though I skimmed over places I have already heard).

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

The story itself is compelling and interesting. It allows you to piece together the whole picture using stories and examples from many characters and situations.

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

The large cast of voice actors made this truly a pleasure to listen to!

Any additional comments?

It is great to listen to - but beware! If you have listened to the book and your friend read the print copy be prepared when talking about the book with them to say 'I don't remember that' a lot!!! I still think it would be worth listening to - but I really wish they would have recorded it all!

Max Brooks can write, but not narrate.

Would you listen to World War Z again? Why?

I would listen to World War Z again, the story sucks you in and each of the characters in the book are able to immerse you into their own experiences of the war. They each have such depth and humanity that you find yourself hanging on their every word and have an emotional attachment to the characters. The only character falling short of that in my opinion is that of the Journalist read by Max Brooks. He has a certain level of emotional detachment and seems to be unmoved by the words and stories of those he's interviewing. His character's questions and comments almost bring you out of the immersive stories that are being spoken.

Great Story!!

Would you listen to World War Z again? Why?

I would definitely listen to World War Z again. I loved the variation between readers, as it really seemed to bring the story to life, more so than a single reader. The story was so well written, it seemed like this could actually be a true account an event. Loved it!!

I don’t know how many times I’ve listened to this

Hands down this is my favorite book to listen to. Great story and wonderful performances. Absolutely recommend!

too short

Is there anything you would change about this book?

you miss so many of my favorite parts of the book by listening to the abridged version its not really worth buying without the whole thing

Okay...

The story was not my favorite but the performances by the huge cast were very good.

Not a zombie fan but liked this book

Zombies are not the focus of the book but rather a way to use a fantastical idea that everyone knows to conceptualize what would happen civically should such a "virus" occur. How would governments and populations cope. What strategies would need to be reimagined to deal with such a situation. My major criticism with the audio book was that it was abridged. I wish it hadn't been as the situations were compelling. Like many stories, developing an ending is always difficult and this was the case here as well. I would have liked a better resolution than what was given, but then again perhaps in the unabridged version that was the case. Recommended for people who like to think strategically.

good book

The primary back and forth narration style is an interesting story telling device. Great book.!

The Human Perspective

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I really enjoyed this audiobook, it's a totally different take on a