Roberta W
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The Avro Arrow
- For The Record
- Written by: Palmiro Campagna
- Narrated by: Mark Hebscher
- Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Declassified government records shed additional light on the cancellation and subsequent destruction of the Avro Arrow. The controversial cancellation of the Avro Arrow - an extraordinary achievement of Canadian military aviation - continues to fire debate today. When the program was scrapped in 1959, all completed aircraft and those awaiting assembly were destroyed, along with tooling and technical information. Was abandoning the program the right decision? Did Canada lose more than it gained?
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A lot of history I did not know
- By Dave on 2023-07-03
- The Avro Arrow
- For The Record
- Written by: Palmiro Campagna
- Narrated by: Mark Hebscher
Canada’s great Avro Arrow
Reviewed: 2025-01-19
I absolutely loved this book. As a Canadian, I had always been mystified by the fact that we had created the renowned Arvo Arrow, but it had been scuttled. I could never understand why. Now, here was the story. I bought and listened to the Audible audiobook as soon as I saw it. I found it to be an entirely engaging listen. This was such an amazing aviation accomplishment! I can’t say I’m totally satisfied in knowing what really transpired, but I do feel that this well researched account told me what was known, and all the various theories. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
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What's the Number for 911?
- America's Wackiest 911 Calls
- Written by: Leland Gregory
- Narrated by: Danielle Ferland
- Length: 2 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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America’s 911 system is supposed to be for emergencies only. But some people apparently didn’t get the memo, because the following are some of their responses when asked by dispatchers, “What’s your emergency?”, “Yeah, I want to order a pizza.”, “I’ve been standing all day and my feet hurt.”, “I just swallowed a penny. Am I going to die?”, “I want an officer to come out and take care of a low-flying aircraft.”,“When does the Burger King open?”
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Painfully amusing
- By Roberta W on 2025-01-19
- What's the Number for 911?
- America's Wackiest 911 Calls
- Written by: Leland Gregory
- Narrated by: Danielle Ferland
Painfully amusing
Reviewed: 2025-01-19
We hear about how people misuse the 911 emergency number, wasting operator time and delaying life saving assistance to those who need it. Hearing the nature of such calls is like watching a train wreck. It’s hard not to pay attention, and it’s equally hard not to be amused (mostly). I listened because it was free and had a few chuckles. Would have been better without additional commentary by the “host”. Listen at risk of your own annoyance.
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Mind Over Manners
- Written by: Laura Claridge
- Narrated by: Mary T. Farrell
- Length: 1 hr and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Award winning author Laura Claridge was in the midst of writing the first critical biography of etiquette doyenne Emily Post when she started acted nonsensical, according to her family. To this day, Claridge has no firsthand memories of that nine month period in 2003, when, it turned out, her brain was indeed going crazy, due to a rare, devastating cancer.
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Snuck up on me… and that’s ok.
- By Roberta W on 2025-01-19
- Mind Over Manners
- Written by: Laura Claridge
- Narrated by: Mary T. Farrell
Snuck up on me… and that’s ok.
Reviewed: 2025-01-19
I was so intrigued by the storyline, of her amnesia phase, and the Emily Post book, that I overlooked that this was still a cancer story. I lost a sister to cancer many years ago, and find I can’t take cancer stories, so avoid them. Low and behold, it seems time has been healing old wounds, and I was able to just listen to the author’s story, without being traumatized. I actually found it enchanting.
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It Takes Two
- Our Story
- Written by: Jonathan Scott, Drew Scott
- Narrated by: Drew Scott, Jonathan Scott
- Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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It Takes Two: Our Story shares never-before-revealed tales of the Scott brothers' childhood and rise to fame - from starting their first business at seven years old and their years modeling and acting to their first house purchase at the impressive young age of 18. They soon found their true passion in life, combining their natural gifts for entertaining with the skills they learned from buying, renovating, and selling homes.
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So different yet so alike
- By Roberta W on 2025-01-17
- It Takes Two
- Our Story
- Written by: Jonathan Scott, Drew Scott
- Narrated by: Drew Scott, Jonathan Scott
So different yet so alike
Reviewed: 2025-01-17
I was watching a Property Brothers show when I had an ah ha moment, that I couldn’t tell which was which (even though only one was bearded), and regardless had never learned about their individual uniqueness. It felt almost disrespectful to keep watching without learning more! In the process of reading their respective Wikipedia pages that I learned they had written a book, and was pleased to find they narrated it themselves on Audible. It was actually great fun to listen to. I now have great context for how they got to today, and that uniqueness I was seeking. I can’t wait to see more the next time a magic trick is played for a child, because I’ll know who did it. Tip: make sure you don’t miss the last chapter… it sounds like book ends - but there is a bunch of funny stories after that.
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Hidden Figures
- The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
- Written by: Margot Lee Shetterly
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Before John Glenn orbited the Earth or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of dedicated female mathematicians known as "human computers" used pencils, slide rules, and adding machines to calculate the numbers that would launch rockets and astronauts into space. Among these problem solvers were a group of exceptionally talented African American women, some of the brightest minds of their generation.
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It's about time we heard this wonderful story
- By France on 2018-02-23
- Hidden Figures
- The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
- Written by: Margot Lee Shetterly
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
These women enabled space travel
Reviewed: 2025-01-14
I neglected to write a review of this book when I read it, but even years later I remember the story quite vividly. These were very smart women, and they pioneered the mathematical calculations that were necessary to space travel, before computers were available to automate the process. The fact that they were black women to boot, makes the story even more compelling. This is an important story that deserves to have a spotlight shone on it.
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1923
- The Mystery of Lot 212 and a Tour de France Obsession
- Written by: Ned Boulting
- Narrated by: Ned Boulting
- Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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In the autumn of 2020 Ned Boulting (ITV head cycling commentator and Tour de France obsessive) bought a length of Pathé news film from a London auction house. All he knew was it was film from the Tour de France, a long time ago. Once restored it became clear it was a short sequence of shots from stage 4 of the 1923 Tour de France. No longer than 2.5 minutes long, it featured half a dozen sequences, including a lone rider crossing a bridge. Ned set about learning everything he could about the sequence – studying each frame, face and building – until he had squeezed the meaning from it.
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Sleuthing a slice of Tour de France
- By Roberta W on 2025-01-14
- 1923
- The Mystery of Lot 212 and a Tour de France Obsession
- Written by: Ned Boulting
- Narrated by: Ned Boulting
Sleuthing a slice of Tour de France
Reviewed: 2025-01-14
Many people took up baking during COVID; Ned Boulting turned an obsession with a tiny bit of film from the 1923 Tour de France into a sleuthing adventure. The fact that he was able to figure out the town where the film was taken was amazing, but he went much farther than that. No spoilers, so I’ll stop there. Suffice it to say that if you like a good mystery (especially one where no one dies!), and are a professional cycling fan, this book is for you. Highly recommended.
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The Genius Factory
- The Curious History of the Nobel Prize Sperm Bank
- Written by: David Plotz
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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It was the most radical human-breeding experiment in American history, and no one knew how it turned out. The Repository for Germinal Choice, nicknamed the Nobel Prize sperm bank, opened to notorious fanfare in 1980, and for two decades, women flocked to it from all over the country to choose a sperm donor from its roster of Nobel-laureate scientists, mathematical prodigies, successful businessmen, and star athletes.
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Creepy
- By Roberta W on 2025-01-14
- The Genius Factory
- The Curious History of the Nobel Prize Sperm Bank
- Written by: David Plotz
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
Creepy
Reviewed: 2025-01-14
This book was both creepy and mesmerizing. The very thought that children could be ‘engineered’ by selecting the supposed brightest sperm donors screams of early eugenics, yet they did it, in North America. But that wasn’t the end of it. The donors were not all as advertised (no spoilers, but this was quite the eye opener). On top of that, the clinic shut down and the records went…. well, that’s not entirely clear. Imagine discovering that you were conceived by artificial insemination, from this clinic, then trying to unravel the threads of your parentage. Plenty of creepiness, but a riveting listen.
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Information Hunters
- When Librarians, Soldiers, and Spies Banded Together in World War II Europe
- Written by: Kathy Peiss
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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In this fascinating account, cultural historian Kathy Peiss reveals how book and document collecting became part of the new apparatus of intelligence and national security, military planning, and postwar reconstruction. Focusing on the ordinary Americans who carried out these missions, she shows how they made decisions on the ground to acquire sources that would be useful in the war zone as well as on the home front.
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Unique and informative
- By Roberta W on 2025-01-14
- Information Hunters
- When Librarians, Soldiers, and Spies Banded Together in World War II Europe
- Written by: Kathy Peiss
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
Unique and informative
Reviewed: 2025-01-14
I really enjoyed this book… in fact, it was one of my favourite books of the year in 2024. While I am well acquainted with the role of books in both WWI and WWII, I had not come across information on the contribution of librarians and professors to war efforts. It was eye opening and, at times, very intriguing! I liked learning about professors who, on the outside, appeared to be going about their university lives as “usual” but, in reality were involved in research in support of the war effort. Similarly with librarians. Maps were important for planning troop movements and sorties, while travel accounts, memoirs and archives could be scoured for all sorts of facts on people and places. Highly recommended.
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Farewell Yellow Brick Road
- Memories of My Life on Tour
- Written by: Elton John, David Furnish - foreword
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage, Vikas Adam, Daniel Henning, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Farewell Yellow Brick Road is a celebration of Elton John's record-breaking, globe-spanning farewell tour—from Allentown to Auckland, from Sydney to San Francisco. Featured concerts include Elton’s dazzling performances at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium in November 2022, the finale of which streamed live on Disney+. Fans will be treated to a behind-the-scenes glimpse into every aspect of these spectacular shows, including Elton’s legendary touring wardrobe by Gucci, the set design, official photography, and more.
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Crocodile rock!
- By Roberta W on 2025-01-13
- Farewell Yellow Brick Road
- Memories of My Life on Tour
- Written by: Elton John, David Furnish - foreword
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage, Vikas Adam, Daniel Henning, Ray Porter, Jesse Einstein, Fred Berman, Edoardo Ballerini, Mark Boyett, Kevin T. Collins, Peter Ganim, Mike Cooper, John Lee, Oliver Wyman
Crocodile rock!
Reviewed: 2025-01-13
What a great Audible production! The whole book was written as an account of, and a tribute to, Elton John’s farewell tour. Despite the COVID interruption, the story carried through. By talking about each venue highlighted, and his past experiences performing there, Elton was able to weave the threads of his life story in, giving a lot of context for someone like me, who hasn’t (yet) read his biography. Similarly with the musicians he has worked with and the people he met. An aspect I really liked was the first person accounts from members of his road crew, many of who had been with him for decades.The use of different narrators worked well in this regard. Elton’s big heart came through throughout. A very enjoying listen.
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Science on Shackleton’s Expedition
- The Science of History
- Written by: Tammy Enz
- Narrated by: uncredited
- Length: 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton led an expedition across Antarctica in 1914. Did you know that science played a big role in this dangerous journey?
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Too short
- By Roberta W on 2025-01-13
- Science on Shackleton’s Expedition
- The Science of History
- Written by: Tammy Enz
- Narrated by: uncredited
Too short
Reviewed: 2025-01-13
Maybe this was intended to a a children’s book? Regardless, as I just had read South, as well a as other accounts of Shackleton’s epic journey, I thought I may as well read this too. There was a tiny bit of science that was new, but not worth the time to listen to.
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