Aaron

Hysterical

Revisado: 10-09-20

This is temarkably well written, but Harvey's performance puts it over the top. It's Mike Meyer's Coffee Talk on steroids with a full blown story. Pluck a Jewish woman full of moxie from the Bronx, drop her in 1960s Washington politics, add a little Civil rights history and Harvey Firersten's voice and you get Bella Bella. Wonderful!

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Wonderful

Revisado: 08-19-20

Informative and fun, short but engaging, filled with humor and well presented by Dan himself, this will be a keeper on my favorites list. I is also a warning about where this country has come from and where it is headed. I highly recommend it.

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Wonderful Fast Paced Historical Fiction

Revisado: 07-23-20

The story has a relatively simple (though exciting) plot, but rather than trying to stretch it into a book eight times longer than it needs to be, the author keeps it fast paced and brings it to an appropriate close.

Set during the Revolutionary War and surrounded by real historical figures, this story imagines who was the secret agent who passed General Washington information critical to the rebel cause. Robert Townsend is known to history as a critical part of Washington's spy ring known as the Culper Ring. But there is much about his life that is left in mystery. He had a son but no wife. What happened? The story is built around Townsend's career as a rebel spy and fills unknown details. It also fills details on the unknown person who was Agent 355.

If you are a Revolutionary War buff, enjoy military spy fiction, or perhaps just want a quick (though perhaps mild) thriller, this is a great way to spend a couple of hours. Even in two and a half hours, it has sufficient character and plot development because it wastes no time on minor characters. The story jumps right from the start and never lets up. If you take this for what it is, a short simple thriller limited by historical fact, I highly recommend it.

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Wonderful: A complete history wrapped in a story

Revisado: 04-22-20

This was a wonderful story that is extremely readable -- listenable. But it is also remarkably informative, carefully constructed to be complete. It begins with a portrait of the young Herbert Cukurs, a Latvian aviation hero, described as Latvia's Lindbergh. It is a remarkable story in and of itself of a man whose ambitions drove him to great feats with the airplane and descriptions of those feats.

Cukurs did not at least appear to be anti-Semitic in his early years and he was idolized by many Latvian Jews as a hero. But once the Germans arrived in Latvia, he turned on the Jewish population. This section of the book is graphic describing not only the betrayal of Jews who had idolized him, but the atrocities that took place. WARNING: this section of the book contains graphic descriptions of mass murders of Jews. It is not gratuitous, however, It describes actual facts which are necessary not only to the story, but the history it teaches along the way. It also prepares the reader to see Cukurs as an evil being, thereby setting the scene for the next sections of the book. But this section also includes the stories of individuals living in Riga at the time, and how one young girl was hidden by a Latvian soldier who was in love with her. (She would later provide evidence against a number of war criminals.)

The next section describes the Mossad agent who after the war is sent to Brazil to lead Cukurs into a trap. There is a lot of detail here and depending on your view, might drag, but because of the historical value, it was well worth the listen. It is also intertwined with the political fights in Germany over statutes of limitations for war crimes. At least one discussion involves the question of whether Adolph Hitler himself (if he were to have survived) could suddenly walk the streets of Berlin without fear of criminal charges. These political battles were at least in part the motivation for Mossad going after Cukurs in Brazil. The story is extremely well written to weave these parallel sets of events together.

Although the climax of the hunt is perhaps a touch disappointing -- the reader is prepared to enjoy a real revenge and is deprived of the perfect assassination -- that is a matter of historical fact, and not the fault of the author. Nonetheless, the events are fascinating. But it also provides an explanation as to why the assassination nearly failed to garner the necessary publicity to affect the political fights in Germany.

The remainder of the story goes through the political fight regarding the statute of limitations and it's effects in the world. (It also includes a nice discussion of Bobby Kennedy's views along with a few words from Kennedy's mouth with Kennedy's accent. The reader feels like he is hearing Kennedy speak. So special kudos to the narrator for that.) The story ends with a kind of epilogue including the trial of a related criminal, and the testimony of the aforementioned Jewish woman. It also provides a satisfying epilogue on her life.

Finally, the author provides the evidence and explanation as to why this Latvian hero who had no animosity toward Jews became a war criminal killing thousands. It is a puzzle that makes the reader/listener itch throughout the book and is provided a satisfying scratch.

I was thrilled with this book. It appears to be extremely well researched and full of important facts. I am smarter for knowing the history, but this was a story and not a reference book It is a rare feat. For those who are interested in war criminals captured well after the Nuremberg trials, I highly recommend this book. For those interested in the German mindset 20 years after the war, this is a rare find.

FIVE STARS.

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A Refreshing Perspective

Revisado: 04-16-20

Midway has been touted as a miraculous victory. This work argues that such views are the result of reports from the Jappanese Naval reports which were prepared for the purpose of covering their bumoliation, and that more contemporary and less biased Jappanese analysis indicate that the the battle was riddled with Jappanese errors in doctrine and planning. The book argues that the myths developed around Midway which it seeks to dispel unfairly suggest that Admiral Nimitz made poor decisions in engaging in a battle with odds stacked against him despite having superior forces coming available. Moreover, the authors here explain how while Nidway was in fact the turning point in the war in the Pacific, it was a war which, by virtue of superior industrial strength,, America was destined to win in the long run irrespective off Midway,.

Part I sets forth the battle on detail as do many books, though it corrects errors of older works. It is an excellent listen in itself, but even more important in that it sets up the analysis of Part II which provides new insight and cures logical inconsistencies that have always bothered me. Finally, its express admission that future technology will make more information accessible and direct invitation for others to make further corrections while perhaps proactive in responding to inevitable challenges as most academic works will face, does provide a sense that the analysis is stoll developing.


This was a great listen which O highly recommend to anyone interested in the war in the Pacific or the Bmbattle at Midway.

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The opening is good, the series gets much stronger

Revisado: 04-11-20

This is a new take on a war novel. Often the sequels try to trade on the popularity of a good book. In some sense, this is the opposite situation. After finishing the first three (this is the first three books in one package), I listened to Book 4 which I will give five stars.

The plot is a Chinese attack on the U.S. But this one is done very much from the inside. The story describes new vulnerabilities that we have developed in the computer age. But it is also very Jack Ryan like. (Perhaps not the original Tom Clancy, but the later stories by Mark Greany).

The books start on a high security think tank island where specialists are brought together to consider how the Chinese will attack the U.S. As more information develops, a couple of people decide to plan an escape. That portion of the story and the effort to hunt them down was just a bit too far fetched for me. However, once the story progresses into detailed military battles and the Ryanesque spy story in the background, it becomes a great combination.

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A wonderful suprise

Revisado: 04-11-20

Apparently a lot of people did not like this book. They felt that it was cliche and dull. If you are looking for a fast paced thriller, this isn't it. If you are looking for a police investigation mystery, this isn't it. While there is a kind of mystery embedded within it, this book turns its attention to the human condition and concepts of love and forgiveness. So expect low ratings from David Baldacci listeners. But I felt this was a wonderful suprise.

It is very difficult to write a review here without spoilers, so forgive my narrow description:

On the day that Erin was born, Joanne died. In fact, Joanne's dead body was right outside the maternity ward as it happened. Nine years later, Erin is telling details of Joanne's life and death. And Erin reveals that there is much more to the story of Joanne's death than Joanne's husband had thought.

I did not expect much when I read the summary of this book. The paranormal does not grab my attention. However, while the core theme of this book is reincarnation from past lives, the story itself plays like the proverbial peeling back of the skin of an onion. For a very short book, there is a lot there. The character development is surprisingly complete, the story is told succinctly but with everything needed.

It's only four and a half hours, and worth the listen.

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Too short for Five Stars

Revisado: 11-19-19

I have been a Seord of Truth fan since I bought the original hardcover addition of Wizard's First Rule in an Airport for a flight. This story is in the best traditions of that series.

It is the first of a new series, Children of D'hara. It begins immediately upon the end of the Sword of Truth. A new villain is introduced through the artifice of the shifting of the stars which occurred through the use of the boxes of Ordin. While only the opening taste of the new series and without any wandering questing or active war (yet) it carries through the characters of Richard and Kahlen well and begins to build new M'ord Sith and a new witch woman.

The story begins with a proclamation that a new villain comes and continues with an investigation by our main characters, an attack on the House of Rahl, and the discovery of what happened-- the explanation if the new storyline. I look forward to following it and hope that it meets its potential.

I got the Audinle edition of The Scribbly Man on a surprise daily deal. It is less than four hours long. I actually had to research to see if I accidentally got an abridged edition. I did not. That is not consistent with the Sword of Truth. it feels like it may be a single book released in four volumes as was originally done with Stephwn King's Green Mile. That is a significant cheat to the reader and a betrayal of a loyal following. I admit that the publisher if not Goodkind has lost my respect once well earned, but it's still Richard and Kahlen and I cannot just ignore it. But it does lose a star.

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Such a dissappointment

Revisado: 10-15-19

I loved the first book in this series and thought perhaps I was on to the next Phillip Margolin. I had planned to go through the entire series. But with each book, the presentation became weaker and the characters failed to develop into their potential. The stories have become more and more simple. None have the creative ending of the first. The effort in the stories appear to be less and less. Finally there was an editorial comment directed at the reader like a footnote that yanked me out of the story and I realized the frustration I was feeling. I am so disappointed in the series and plan to return it.

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Sketch Comedy in an Audiobook -- Fabulous

Revisado: 09-21-19

This sketch comedy works very well in an audiobook. Broken into roughly half hour chapters, it's a great place to go for some quick relief when you need a break. And it has replay value.

Queen Mortuana struggles with her life as an evil queen. But she has her friend Jojo the Raven in whom to confide and her mentor Galiphile. Even evil queens have their emotional crises. How do they deal with it?

This is an irreverent farce. Be prepared for some language. But don't take it too seriously.

Enjoy your break.

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