Joshua M. Levin

One of The Best in the Genre

Revisado: 12-28-22

There are no shortage of expose reveal books about Donald J. Trump these days, but Maggie Haberman’s has just the right amount of everything: ample but not excessive detail into his upbringing, his New York career and his presidency. She brings just the right amount of attention to the pathologies that have governed – or failed to govern — Trump’s life. Maggie Haberman has instant credibility and her book does, too.

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I Expected A Lot More

Revisado: 10-31-22

I anticipated this book eagerly, expecting that it would dissect the thought process and evolutionary growth of this widely-respected president. Instead, the book offered a little more than a day by day recitation of events that was void in particular insight or analysis. For that reason, I found the book deeply disappointing.

The narrator of the book is fine, but his delivery is not in the least soaring or compelling. This underscored the sense of insufficiency that I have from the work.

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I’m glad it wasn’t just me.

Revisado: 05-18-22

I’ve been feeling guilty that I didn’t enjoy this Audible book as much as I assumed I would: the plot line and context is so poignant and tragic end. But the reviews I’ve read have assured me that I am not alone.

I found this book exceptionally hard to follow: Toni Morrison‘s voice was too quiet and intimate, and her intonations were too subtle and bland, for me to pick up the nuance in the character development (and even the plot). I often simply had no idea what was happening in the text. (It’s not a good sign when you start doing the daily crossword puzzle while the audiobook plays.)

I am sure that her Pulitzer for this novel is well deserved, but I cannot say I enjoyed my Audible experience.

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Important story, poorly told.

Revisado: 02-28-22

There are many important stories that are far too seldom told, and the story of New York’s smuggling ring that took the freedom and lives of untold enslaved and free Black people is high among them.

An important story warrants a strong narrator, however, and unfortunately the Audible version of this book did not receive one. I confess I am a stickler for clear and accurate pronunciation of important words that are used regularly in the course of a lengthy Audible book. Mr. Johnson, sadly, frequently mispronounced words that should have been easy to practice and confirm beforehand. This includes obvious words like “seaman,” “chafed,” “inexorably,” and “maritime.” It also includes proper names like Tribune, and the last name of the famed New York abolitionist, Lewis Tappan. A few additional minutes of inquiry on the narrator’s part, or conversations with the author or a New York historian, might have avoided these frequent and annoying miss cues.

The narrator has a pleasing voice and hopefully will rectify these errors – beginners errors? – as his career evolves. As it happened, though, I was put off by these easy to avoid errors and diminished my enjoyment of the book a lot.

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Great story read by a great narrator

Revisado: 02-16-22

My reading this book was long overdue and I’m so glad I finally did. The story is engrossing and the characters are each so vivid. Lovers of DC politics will have their imaginations swept up by the story. Equally enjoyable was the excellent narration; the reader took on each of the characters roles with aplomb. The fact that the story is 60 years old mattered little. It is a great read. Thoroughly enjoyable.

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Great, great book spoiled by awkward narration

Revisado: 12-11-19

This is a spell binding, breathtaking history of one of America’s most important wartime epochs. So much in this book is new and noteworthy. Alas, the compelling narrative is often deeply marred by the tone, emphasis, inflection and even the dialect of its British narrator. Why couldn’t a great, baritone American voice (one with a more natural grasp of American history) have been used? This reader’s style was just completely wrong. It doesn’t ruin the magnificence of the book but it irks all the same.

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Gripping and tragic story

Revisado: 04-14-18

I’d always been fascinated by the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko and eagerly purchased this recording to learn about it - not knowing how much more than that I would receive. This story provides a clear portrait of the world menace that is Vladimir Putin: it is a highly listenable account into the maze of corruption and amorality that grips his country, our own, and sadly now much of the world. A great find.

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An important book, bias and all.

Revisado: 03-12-18

The Great Divide addresses the important difference in world view between Washington and Jefferson, with both insight and heavy handed ness. Jefferson is demonized in this account, perhaps fairly. But the tilt of the text ( and the narrator’s constant sighs, smirks and cynical condescension) left me uneasy and skeptical all the same.

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Nearly perfect

Revisado: 01-28-18

This is an eloquent, haunting and deeply poignant story, fully worthy of the Pulitzer it received. The Audible recording nearly matched the narrative, although I found the narrator a little dull for the first half of the story. He seemed to find his rhythm in midstream, or maybe I just got used to the somewhat monotonal, flat style. But overall, this is a treasure.

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A phenomenally engaging listen

Revisado: 01-19-18

Churchill is endlessly fascinating by definition, but this tale of his bravery and craftiness is fully worthy of the man himself. The writing is crisp and engaging. The narration is pleasant and fully compatible with the story and its varied characters and ethnicities. Even the imitation of Churchill himself is not too overt,and perfectly suited to the narrative. Bravo!!

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