Jeffrey

If The Wire were a novel . . .

Revisado: 05-24-21

Knowing the work of Richard Price, I expected a magical knack for dialog and a gritty but literary story. But I had no idea that a narrator like Ari Fliakos roamed the Audible website! He doesn't just read the text; he interprets it, like a virtuoso pianist interpreting Chopin! You have to hear it to believe it exists!

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Amazing!

Revisado: 04-26-21

Well written and honest. Way better and more informative than any documentary. Well worth buying!

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Narrator takes a dive . . .

Revisado: 05-30-20

I've just finished this volume, and like the first four books in the series, Mayer's seeming intent to use practically every known paranormal event as fodder for his cannons has continued brilliantly. He even manages to invite Sir Richard Francis Burton into the mix, as though Mayer has perhaps just read _The Strange Affair of Spring-heeled Jack_ ! I normally don't review books like this one. It's light reading, very entertaining if you have a good grasp of the paranormal world, its cover-ups and conspiracies, as well as its numerous sources, symptoms, causes, and effects.

But I really need to warn other readers. If the performance quality of the narration is a major factor for you, prepare to be outraged and let down. It's not so for me; I just ignored it and enjoyed the story. The narrator from the first four books, who was just ok, is gone. He's replaced by a slightly illiterate and robotic text reader who, when he doesn't know how to pronounce a difficult word, just makes up an approximation, at the meaning of which the listener then has to guess. He stops mid-sentence, pauses, then starts over, finally, mercifully, reaching a period. It's so bad it detracts from the story, which is my definition of the worst in narrators. Proceed at your own peril!

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A Kinder, Gentler, Flashman . . .

Revisado: 01-18-20

One of main draws of Fraser's original Flashman tales is their absolute freedom from politically correct and moralistic values. Harry Flashman is an extremely unlikely and unwilling hero, and his utter lack of traditional manly virtue is what makes him so refreshing.

Not so with Thomas Flashman, the protagonist of Robert Brightwell's somewhat derivative series of historical novels. Brightwell does try his best to make Thomas a n image of Harry, but it just doesn't work. Thomas Flashman's occasional claims that he is frightened, lusty, etc. simply don't hold up--he's a much nicer guy than Fraser's original.

Still, the books are ok--the history and setting are serviceable, the prose workmanlike, and the narrative well developed. But Brightwell just doesn't have the fearless instinct for creating a truly loveable bully, coward, and whoremonger that Fraser did. I doubt there will ever be another Harry Flashman. Fraser has passed on, taking with him his inimitable dismissal of all that is pc and ethically acceptable.Thomas Flashman is to Sir Harry what Andy Griffith is to Clint Eastwood, and more's the pity.

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God, what an inappropriate narrator!

Revisado: 02-01-19

Want to hear a book read aloud by a whiney, bitchy version of Richard Simmons? You'll love this guy. If I were Duane Evans, I'd go back to Afghanistan and hide in a cave in Tora Bora. Don't the authors have any say in who represents them in a first-person narration?

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Surprisingly good-humored and very honest

Revisado: 11-17-17

I have followed politics fairly diligently for about 40 years now. With the rise of neoliberalism, my attitude toward the Democratic party became less and less positive. It's a fundamentally dishonest ideology, and when Donna Brazile emerged on the national scene, I regarded her as much more a part of the problem than as a solution. So I was very surprised to find myself liking her more and more as I read this new book. She actually has a number of virtues, not the least of which is an earthy sense of humor. Describing her ride on the bucking bronco that was the 2016 elections, she never failed to describe particulars of a very ride. It was refreshing to hear that she had many differences with the Clinton campaign, not the least of which involves the sneaky takeover of the DNC's finances by Hilary & co. Brazile also has a great deal of political wisdom, and there is much to learn from her. No matter your political leanings or your position on the left to right spectrum, you will enjoy hearing some of the rather sordid details that obtained among the Clinton supporters. It's all here, from the murder of Seth Rich to multiple run-ins with Russian hackers. She even takes herself to task for being unable to prove that she did not give debate questions to Clinton before the infamous town hall meeting. How, after all, does one prove a negative? Anyway, I recommend the book highly, for both Democrats and Republicans. Both parties stand to learn some important lessons from _Hacks_ .My one disappointment is that in the end, she seems not to have thought through the problems inherent in identity politics. Others however may do so while reading her remarks about this intractable stumbling block. Let's hope that the power players all read it!

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A True Original--Breaks the Mold!

Revisado: 11-02-17

This is the first volume of the fictional truth company started by Tom Delonge. As such, it complements the non-fiction volume published last year, written mostly by the well-known Peter Levenda. You'll see what I mean by "fictional truth" when you read it. And if you are interested in lifting what Steven Basset calls the "truth embargo" foisted upon us by the deep state, you need to read Sekret Machines. Delonge's company encompasses several very high-powered and well-connected former government officials. Truth about UAPs is on the way in several different forms and from various angles! Give this book a shot. You will NOT regret it.

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Annie Hits Another Home Run!

Revisado: 10-10-17

As with her earlier books, Annie Jacobsen's Phenomena is a virtuoso performance, replete with deep research, smart analysis, psychological complexity, and superb narrative skill. There are a few passages that unsettled me, and I've been studying the paranormal and teaching a college course on it for several years now. Things happened during Uri Geller's testing sessions with scientists that had me checking my closets with a flashlight. I won't say more--you have to experience it yourself and I wouldn't want to spoil it for you. Annie reads her own Audible books, and I happen to love her voice: slightly breathy, deliberate, and--I might as well say it--actually kinda sexy. Read or listen; whether you're a serious investigator or an open-minded skeptic, you will not be disappointed!

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One of the more amazing books I've ever read!

Revisado: 10-02-17

If it were any other kind of book, I'd have failed it on narration. But I gave Pistone four stars, because he sounds exactly like a street-savvy agent who's been working the mob. As far as everything else goes, it's about perfect for a non-fiction book. If anything, I'd like to have heard more details, but since he now has a sequel out, I figure more detail will be revealed there. The book is great because there are so many dangers and difficulties he had to face day-to-day for six years. Put it this way: This book is so good, "fugeddaboudit !"

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Crappy production

Revisado: 09-15-17

Good story, but why play third rate rock music? Very distracting and downright annoying! Also they repeat themselves way too much.

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