World War Z Audiobook By Max Brooks cover art

World War Z

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World War Z

By: Max Brooks
Narrated by: Christopher Ragland, Rupert Farley, Nigel Pilkington, Jennifer Woodward, David Thorpe, Adam Sims, Robert Slade
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About this listen

"The end was near." Voices from the Zombie War.

The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched firsthand 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 thirty 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.

©2012 Max Brooks (P)2012 Audible Ltd
Action & Adventure Horror Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction Suspense Thriller & Suspense Scary War Fiction Zombie Adventure

What listeners say about World War Z

Highly rated for:

Compelling Storytelling Diverse Perspectives Believable Voice Acting Realistic Portrayal Engaging Short Stories
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awsome

one of if not the best audio books i have listened to BUY THIS BOOK

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1 person found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good story

Easily finished it even though it is not my normal listening material. Good story.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Chilling Story of Mass Contagion

The srory consists of a series of interviews with key characters who survived the World War Z. The characters are from all countries and different phases of the war. The 'interviews' are frighteningly believable and take us on a journey of mass destruction and breakdown of society. An excellent story.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A pity the unabridged version is inferior

Fans waited for an unabridged version of the audiobook with bated breath... and it's been a bit of a letdown. For a book that seems tailor-made for the aural medium - it is a spoken word history of the titular war after all - the performances were uneven, some of them particularly weak, and some of the accents were absolutely terrible. Given the care and thought that went into the original abridged celebrity-laden audio book - not even legally available in some countries - it's a pity that the same attention wasn't given to this unabridged version. There are countless audiobook performers who, although not stars like Alan Alda, Henry Rollins etc, could have done very good jobs with these stories and characters. I would recommend this version for hardcore fans only.

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11 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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An Oral History (Not like the film)

It wasn't until I'd seen the film and read the reviews of how much it deviated from the original novel that I decided to take the plunge. If you're looking for a 'kicking zombie ass' post-apocalyptic action thriller, don't buy this.

If, on the other hand, you're interested in just how craftily speculative fiction can be employed to critique modern society, this is a masterpiece.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Not bad.

Pretty good, I like the story but not so much the delivery. Constant interview after interview. Felt very samey after a while. I think I'd have liked more flashback sequences and action.

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Modern Classic

Any additional comments?

How this author took a done to death concept, mixed it up, and made it fresh & exciting I will never know. There is a reason they made a movie about this with one of the most popular actors on the planet in the lead - A BIG REASON! But good news if you have seen the movie there is lots more they did not film in here for you to listen to. Enjoy!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Well worth the wait - but not a gorefest

Would you listen to World War Z again? Why?

It has long been one of my favourite books in written form, and I would definitely listen to it again. It is a fascinating story, either to read or listen to.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

The various narrators all had accents suitable to their section of the story. This added greatly to the listening experience.

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

The part with the K9 teams got to me, and probably would to any dog lover.

Any additional comments?

This book has been available in abridged for a while, but I held out for the unabridged version which I hoped would come, and I am so glad I did. The book is very cleverly structured, with each narrative section leading on to the next, and some characters coming back in at later parts of the story. It is a fascinating and "realistic" view of a zombie apocalypse and how it might be rolled back. If you;re looking for gore and schlock horror, this isn't the book for you, but if you;re looking for good writing and characterisation then get this.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story, amazing audiobook

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

It's a really unique way to present a lot of interesting topics covering war, politics, sociology, history and humanity in general.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I liked listening to the stories of the everyday people surviving the Zombie war

Any additional comments?

The only bad point is the really really bad Australian accent of one character.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Thought-provoking and Beautifully Narrated

Even if you don't care for a zombie novel, this is just a great book - full of interesting ideas, social commentary and wonderful stories. Some of the individual accounts have stuck with me in a way that I wasn't expecting. The narration was very absorbing and added a level of realism, even if the accents weren't always spot on. Thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook!

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