World War Z: The Complete Edition

An Oral History of the Zombie War

By: Max Brooks

Narrated by: Max Brooks, Alan Alda, John Turturro, Rob Reiner, Mark Hamill, Alfred Molina, Simon Pegg, Henry Rollins, Martin Scorsese

Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Winner, Multi-Voiced Performance, 2014

World War Z: The Complete Edition (Movie Tie-in Edition): An Oral History of the Zombie War is a new version of Max Brooks' episodic zombie novel. The abridged versions of the original stories are now joined with new, unabridged recordings of the episodes that were not included in the original (abridged) version of the audiobook. These additional episodes feature a star-studded cast of narrators to coincide with the upcoming release of the film.

New narrators include Academy Award-winning director Martin Scorsese, Spiderman star Alfred Molina, The Walking Dead creator Frank Darabont, rapper Common, Firefly star Nathan Fillion, Shaun of the Dead's Simon Pegg, and members of the casts of Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Heroes and more! Max Brooks will be reprising his role as The Interviewer.

The original abridged edition, released in 2006, won an Audie Award for Best Multi-Voiced Performance. Original cast members include Alan Alda, Mark Hamill, Carl & Rob Reiner, and John Turturro.

In this new classic of apocalyptic fiction that feels all too real, the Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. The documentary-style oral history records 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.

Featuring five more hours of previously unrecorded content, this full-cast recording is read by F. Murray Abraham, Alan Alda, René Auberjonois, Becky Ann Baker, Dennis Boutsikaris, Bruce Boxleitner, Max Brooks, Nicki Clyne, Common, Denise Crosby, Frank Darabont, Dean Edwards, Mark Hamill, Nathan Fillion, Maz Jobrani, Frank Kamai, Michelle Kholos, John McElroy, Ade M’Cormack, Alfred Molina, Parminder Nagra, Ajay Naidu, Masi Oka, Steve Park, Kal Penn, Simon Pegg, Jürgen Prochnow, Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner, Henry Rollins, Jeri Ryan, Jay O. Sanders, Martin Scorsese, Paul Sorvino, David Ogden Stiers, Brian Tee, John Turturro, Eamonn Walker, Ric Young, and Waleed Zuaiter.

©2006 Max Brooks (P)2012 Random House

Critic reviews

"What happens after the end of the world as we know it? Humanity rebuilds, and Kirby Impoinvil (Max Brooks) is there to help survivors make sense of what happened the day the zombies came. Helping author Brooks is a host of family friends, including Alan Alda, Nathan Fillion, Paul Sorvino, Rob Reiner, Carl Reiner, Simon Pegg, John Turturro, and many others. This audio production was released to coincide with the movie of the same name. That it’s a real drama is not surprising given the stellar cast. They don't just read the book, they act it out. And don’t think this is a teen thriller. The zombies serve as a backdrop to the larger story of how humankind reacts to such an unexpected and catastrophic invasion and the inevitable conclusion that millions must be sacrificed to save the rest. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2014. Audies Finalist." (AudioFile magazine)

Amazing vocals

Really enjoyed the vocal performers a lot. Adds to the story. Helps beak up all the jumping around location and point of veiw.

Good enough for a repeat listen

What did you love best about World War Z: The Complete Edition (Movie Tie-in Edition)?

I listened to the abridged version previously released and really enjoyed it, so I was excited to find this longer version available.

What was one of the most memorable moments of World War Z: The Complete Edition (Movie Tie-in Edition)?

There were so many of them: the Chinese Doctor and his patient zero, the Canadian solder and his experience in a cave, the Israeli spy and his discovery, I could go on...

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

This audio book has a large cast of narrators-brilliant idea!

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

I did well up a couple of times, the story is so plausible.

Any additional comments?

I admit I love zombies, what can I say? This book is among the best I have read. Max Brooks had to do extensive research here and it shows. It is so realistic. I found myself wanting to go to the sporting goods store to begin stocking up-just in case. In addition, some of the stories are truly moving. I really felt for these people and wanted to know more. What better accolade can you give a novel?

sprawling, meticulous, epic.

The star studded cast makes all the difference. While some performances are better than others, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Fantastic storytelling.

Better than ever

I had been the happy owner of the first version of this audio production for years. When I saw this new, extended version I jumped on it. I'm so glad I did. The cast is phenomenal. The "new" stories are just as great as my old favorites. This book remains one of my favorite pieces of literature of all time. It makes me laugh, it makes me cry, it makes me think about what it means to be human. Max Brooks is a wonderful writer and, in my opinion, the World War Z movie is a travesty compared to his literature. Decent zombie movie? Yes. Accurate representation of the book? Not at all.

Love, love, love it!

An amazing audiobook, and Mark Hamill shines! It's excepetional quality, and makes the story come alive.

The perfect version

If you could sum up World War Z: The Complete Edition (Movie Tie-in Edition) in three words, what would they be?

The Perfect Version

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

This was a great listen, so many stars and so many characters. Max Brooks wrote a brilliant book with great description and great words and each word spoken by stars who made the work come alive

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

It is not the end of the world, but the start of recovery

Any additional comments?

An enjoyable version and one I am truly pleased to have heard and have in my library.

Best book ever!

Great story! Will listen to this one many times! I would recommend this book very highly

Zombies, War, and Very well done story telling

You may be sick of zombies or you can't get enough of them. This is an amazing book (or audio book) that most people will enjoy.

I heard about this book when I was in high school, which was more then 7 years ago now. And you may think that this is exactly like the movie that came out with Brad Pitt, but you would be very much wrong in believing that. To sum up the books concept: It's a series of interviews with different people, from different parts of the world that experienced and survived the Zombie epidemic or like the title implies "War". Each with their own accounts on how events unfolded for them and how it changed the world they live in but also changed their views on humanity as a whole.

This book may have zombies in it, but the interviews are very well "conducted" that your convinced these characters are real people and can really relate to them. This book is inspired by another book called "The Good War" which is similar in concept, but it is with real people during WW2. The book is a good read, but this audio book is so well acted that I recommend just getting this instead of the paper back if you haven't read it. An all star cast voicing most of the characters, with very convincing dialogue that it's hard not to recommend this audio book. So use your credit on this!

Unbelievable!

First off: I don't like zombie entertainment, none of it. This is, hands down, the finest piece of spoken word entertainment available anywhere. Mark Hamill steals the show, with Common, Henry Rollins, Martin Scorsese, and pretty much everyone else in the cast making a pretty lasting impression too. If this was a cassette tape, you could count on wearing it out.

Can't Say Enough Good Things

What made the experience of listening to World War Z: The Complete Edition (Movie Tie-in Edition) the most enjoyable?

The HUGE cast of readers, some of which are celebrities. They used people with the PERFECT voices and the PERFECT accents for the PERFECT roles. I loved that the setting of the book was post-war, and they seemed to capture the perspectives of a HUGE range of people, from soldiers around the world to doctors, and just, everyone. It's an absolute must-have.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Todd Wainio, read by Mark Hamill. He's perfect. He makes me believe it was a real event and that he was there. The author wrote an amazing role, and Mark Hamill gave it life, and emotion.

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

The narrators bring feeling into the text. The way they tell their stories, with extended pauses, voices cracking, emotion... it made me feel like I was in the room with them. I sympathized with their experiences.

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

This book brought an overwhelming sense of dread to me. At times, I got so lost in the story- I felt like World War Z had happened, and I was only now learning about it. It felt historical, and factual. Very intense.

Any additional comments?

There's nothing I can add that would do this book the appropriate amount justice. You just have to experience it. I'm not a huge zombie fan, but I decided I was going to read the book before I saw the movie. I was absolutely blown away by this one.