Hurricane - Audiobook Review

Title: Hurricane
Author: L. Ron Hubbard
Narrator: Multicast
Unabridged Length: 2 h, 2 m
Published by Galaxy Audio, 2011
Genres: Pulp Fiction




From the Publisher:
Wrongfully imprisoned on Devil's Island, Captain Spar dreams of killing the one man who contrived his capture on that island hell. When he daringly escapes from the penal colony, Spar lands on the island of Martinique, hot on the trail of his nemesis.

My Review:
I have a thing for light fast-moving adventure stories when it comes to escapism entertainment. I don’t care for the plot to be too involved or too unpredictable. As a result, I tend to like the pulp fiction from the 30s and 40s; and no one does a better job with producing these tales in audiobook form than Galaxy Audio with their series of Stories from the Golden Age. L. Ron Hubbard wrote a lot of entertaining pulp fiction, albeit campy and not terribly politically correct for today’s times.

Hurricane fits my preference in this genre really well, as it is a fast moving Caribbean adventure tale. We meet the hero, Captain Spar, on Martinique, where he has just arrived after escaping from the penal colony of Devil’s Island, where he was wrongly imprisoned. He is seeking the one who put him there, the Saint, so he can inflict revenge.

Captain Spar only knows of his nemesis as the Saint, but has never met him. He seeks him out and is quickly drawn into an ambush and ends up killing two others in the process. Things really get twisted from there. Next thing you know, Spar is forced to pilot the yacht Venture toward New York into a hurricane, with six passengers and a crew aboard, including a love interest. That’s all I’ll say as I don’t care to give away too much of the story.

A Moment In Time - Audiobook Review

Title: A Moment In Time: An American Story of Baseball, Heartbreak, and Grace
Author: Ralph Branca, David Ritz
Narrator: Traber Burns
Unabridged Length: 6 h, 45 m
Published by HighBridge Audio, 2011
Genres: Biography & Memoir, Sports



From the Publisher:
Ralph Branca is best known for throwing the pitch that resulted in Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard Round the World,” the historic homerun that capped an incredible comeback and won the pennant for the Giants in 1951. And so Branca was on the losing end of what many consider to be baseball’s most thrilling moment, but that notoriety belies a profoundly successful life and career. A Moment in Time is the remarkable story of a man who could have been destroyed by a supreme professional embarrassment—but wasn’t.

My Review:
When I was a young kid, I was a baseball fanatic. This was in the early 1960s and the New York Yankees were my favorite team. I watched the CBS Game of the Week each Saturday, and it was called by Pee Wee Reese and Dizzy Dean. I listened to the Cincinnati Reds on clear channel WLW radio at night and I followed the box scores in our daily paper. I also collected baseball cards back when one had to buy them in one-card or five-card packs, with each pack having a stick of gum. Back then, you bought baseball cards sight-unseen, which led to trading among friends.

I ended up with some historic cards in my collection, from the mid to late 50s. One of them happened to be a card with the photo of the New York Giants’ Bobby Thomson hitting the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” off the Brooklyn Dodgers’ Ralph Branca to dramatically end the three-game playoff for the National League pennant in 1951. My dad shared with me the significance of the card, as this event took place a few years before my birth. He also shared his memories of all of the baseball greats from the late 40s and early 50s, what he considered the golden age of baseball. When I was in elementary school in the early 60s, the books I checked out from the library were exclusively biographies of major league baseball players from the 40s and 50s. I knew of all of the top players in that era.

Fast forward many years. In October when I saw that we were offering a review copy of the newly released A Moment In Time in our Solid Gold Reviewer program through Audiobook Jukebox, I decided to take a closer look as the title gave me a nostalgic feeling. What I didn’t know at the time was the rest of the story.

Under the Black Ensign - Audiobook Review

Title: Under the Black Ensign
Author: L. Ron Hubbard
Narrator: Multicast
Unabridged Length: 2 h, 0 m
Published by Galaxy Audio, 2008
Genres: Pulp Fiction




From the Publisher:
Tom Bristol barely escapes an unjust death sentence aboard the British HMS Terror when the ship is overtaken by pirates. Soon enough, Bristol is stranded on a desert island for stopping a pirate mutiny. When Lady Jane Campbell joins Tom at sea, things really set sail in this swashbuckling adventure.

My Review:
Under the Black Ensign is a Caribbean Sea adventure set in 1680 when the British, Dutch, French, Danish, and Spanish were fighting for control of the islands and the rum and slave trades.

It is the story of Tom Bristol, the former first mate of the Maryland-based bark Randolph who is press-ganged into British naval service while in port in London. The story begins not far off St. Kitts with Tom now a crewman of the British man-o-war HMS Terror, sailing in the Caribbean, taking the Lord High Governor from England back to his residence on the British held island of Nevis for his wedding.

Tom is working high in the lines with a marlin spike, splicing rope. He accidently drops the tool which nearly hits the Lord High Governor who is standing far below on the deck with the captain. Immediately Tom is accused of attempted murder. He is sentenced to 100 lashes, a certain death sentence, to take place immediately. Just as this is about to start, the HMS Terror is attacked by pirates, overrun, and Tom is saved and invited to join the pirate crew.

Henceforward... - Audiobook Review

Title: Henceforward...
Author: Alan Ayckbourn
Narrator: Jared Harris, Anne Heche, Jack Davenport, Moira Quirk, Full Cast
Unabridged Length: 2 h, 27 m
Published by L.A. Theatre Works, 2011
Genres: Dramatized



From the Publisher:
Starring Anne Heche and Jared Harris, the hilarious Henceforward... is one of Alan Ayckbourn’s most unusual works. In the near-future, a composer with creative block tries to re-unite with his estranged wife and daughter, hoping their reconciliation will free his mind to create his greatest musical masterpiece. But his own erratic impulses hinder his journey to creative freedom.

My Review:
Henceforward… is set in London in the not too distant future. The story takes place at the high-rise apartment of ultra modern music composer Jerome played by Jared Harris. He lives in a rundown section of London without police protection, a no-go zone, in an area controlled by the female gang Daughters of Darkness.

Jerome’s wife split with him 4 years prior, taking their daughter with her. Unfortunately for Jerome, his daughter is also his muse. He’s had no contact with his daughter during this time, and as a result, has been unsuccessful in composing anything during this time; total creative block. The story is about the extremes he goes through to try to get visitation rights with his daughter.

The first act is the set-up for the big visit with Mervyn (Jack Davenport) from the Department of Child Wellbeing, along with Jerome’s estranged wife Corrina (Anne Heche) and daughter Geain (Paula Jane Newman) to determine if he is fit to be a responsible parent. Jerome owns a perfectly human-looking robot named Nan, technically Nan300F. He has programmed Nan with the voice of Corrina. He has also hired Zoe (Moira Quirk) from an escort service to pose as his fiancé for the visit.

EntreLeadership - Audiobook Review

Title: EntreLeadership
Author: Dave Ramsey
Narrator: Dave Ramsey
Abridged Length: 6 h, 15 m
Published by Simon & Schuster Audio, 2011
Genres: Nonfiction, Business

From the Publisher:

Your company is only as strong as your leaders. These are the men and women doing battle daily beneath the banner that is your brand. Are they courageous or indecisive? Are they serving a motivated team or managing employees? Are they valued?

EntreLeaders are hard-charging and passionate, encouraging and motivating. They have the pioneering spirit of an entrepreneur and the humble spirit of a leader. EntreLeadership is how they guide their companies to success, and how you can too.

My Review:

Dave Ramsey is well known for his radio show “The Dave Ramsey Show” and his Financial Peace University seminars, as well as his three bestselling books. I must confess up front that I’ve never heard his radio show, never been to any of his seminars, and have never read any of his previous books. I’ve been aware of him for a long time and have had friends and relatives tell me great things about him.

I was interested in this book as we are in the process of starting a business and I wanted to hear his “practical business wisdom” and learn pitfalls to avoid.

Dave Ramsey lives up to his reputation in giving good solid and practical financial advice.

Here, There and Everywhere - Audiobook Review

Title: Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of The Beatles
Author: Geoff Emerick, Howard Massey
Narrator: Martin Jarvis
Abridged Length: 7 h, 48 m
Published by Penguin Audio, 2006
Genres: Biography & Memoir, Arts & Entertainment



From the Publisher:
A fascinating memoir featuring never-before-told stories from Beatles recording engineer Geoff Emerick—the industry legend who made music history by crafting the groundbreaking sound of the group’s most famous records, including Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, and Abbey Road

My Review:
I just finished listening to the audiobook "Here, There and Everywhere" by Geoff Emerick. He worked in the EMI Abbey Road Studios with the Beatles from the beginning, becoming their recording engineer at age 19, and engineering their classic albums Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, and Abbey Road. Emerick gives a great insider's view to the Beatles recording of many of their hit songs and albums. As a gearhead, I found the details of how various sounds were made for the songs to be interesting, since this was before the era of stomp boxes and digital effects. It is amazing the sound he got from a 4-track recorder.