It was the Greek philosopher Socrates who warned of the dangers of the written word. He'd doubtless be pleased that, a few millennia later, we're moving back to authors speaking directly to their audiences, albeit via a smartphone or other listening device. Who knows, maybe in 100 years, authors will be able, as Socrates thought should be the case, to tailor their message specifically for each listener.
In the meantime, we have a range of audiobooks on all sorts of subjects, even math, narrated by their authors. These are all books that have either been recommended on Five Books, or have been narrated by Five Books interviewees or other highly recommended authors.
All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days: The True Story of the Woman at the Heart of the German Resistance to Hitler
by Rebecca Donner
*** Winner of the 2021 NBCC Biography award ***
The astonishing story of Mildred Harnack, an American woman who was part of the largest underground resistance group in WW2 Berlin. Harnack’s great-great-niece Rebecca Donner masterly fuses elements of biography, political thriller and scholarly detective story in this gripping work of nonfiction.
Narrator: Rebecca Donner
Length: 13 hours and 49 minutes
“Dave Grohl is part of the band Foo Fighters. People really expected a lot of stuff about his life now, but he doesn’t really deal with that in the book. He’s really talking about his career and the whole space. It’s less intimate than some autobiographies are, but he does a great job. He is very jovial, is the word that I would use. He seems like a warm human being, as you listen to this book. Again, it’s not super short, it’s 10 hours.” Read more...
The Best Audiobooks: the 2022 Audie Awards
Michele Cobb, Publisher
“Reading This Much Is True is like hanging out with an aunt who’s had a little too much to drink and is letting it all hang out. I thought it was fantastic. At one point, she says, apropos of nothing, ‘I’ve always felt that smoked salmon was an essential ingredient of any social occasion. But it must, like a woman, be moist.'” Read more...
The Best New Celebrity Memoirs
Sharon Marcus, Literary Scholar
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty
by Patrick Radden Keefe
***Winner of the 2021 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction***
“It’s a perfect blending of family history, dynastic shenanigans on a par with the Borgias, combined with a story that has just ruined so many people’s lives.”
Narrator: Patrick Radden Keefe
Length: 18 hours and 6 minutes
“When we listened to this book, we both laughed and cried. It is a very personal memoir of life growing up as a mixed race child in apartheid South Africa. Trevor Noah’s book is a fascinating insight into the history of racism in South Africa, and his experience of growing up as the child of a devout Black Xhosa woman and a White Swiss man. ‘During apartheid, one of the worst crimes you could commit was having sexual relations with a person of another race,” Noah writes. “Needless to say, my parents committed that crime.'” Read more...
“Morrison had always thought the story of enslavement was too large to take on, but the story of Margaret Garner engaged her imagination and inspired the novel. She was intrigued with the thought of infanticide as an example of excessive maternal love under the duress of the terror of enslavement. In a sense, she wanted to interrogate what kind of love would drive a mother to engage in such an act, and what the consequences for her emotional life might be. The novel looks at enslavement primarily from a woman’s perspective, in contradistinction to the perspective in familiar slave narratives, written primarily by men, like Frederick Douglass. “ Read more...
Marilyn Mobley, Literary Scholar
“Richard Dawkins is very funny. One of the reasons for reading The God Delusion is that it will disabuse you of the idea – which is a common stereotype of atheists – that they are utterly humourless…Dawkins also explains a lot about why he disagrees with people who reconcile science and religion. I agree with him on this. I actually do think they are irreconcilable.” Read more...
Susan Jacoby, Journalist
Just Kids
by Patti Smith
Is there any reason not to listen to Patti Smith’s memoir, Just Kids, as an audiobook when it’s narrated by the artist herself?
Narrator: Patti Smith
Length: 9 hours and 50 minutes
7½ Lessons About the Brain
by Lisa Feldman Barrett
7½ Lessons About the Brain falls into that most wonderful of modern book genres, the 'neuroscience beach read.' Published in the US in 2020, the beautiful UK edition came out in March, 2021. Lisa Feldman Barrett, a leading psychologist and neuroscientist, spoke to us about books about emotions. If you'd like to hear her voice, she narrates the audiobook of 7½ Lessons About the Brain herself.
Mythos: A Retelling of the Myths of Ancient Greece
by Stephen Fry
Mythos by Stephen Fry is a humorous retelling of the Greek myths—if that seems possible given all the atrocities constantly being committed by the the gods, goddesses, and titans. It's a really great book for getting on top of not only the Greek myths, but also the way the names of the gods/goddesses etc. and Ancient Greek words are intertwined into the modern English language. We highly recommend the audiobook in particular, narrated by Stephen Fry himself, who is a talented and funny actor.
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals
by Oliver Burkeman
Oliver Burkeman, the Guardian self-help columnist and author of the The Antidote, draws on the insights of ancient and contemporary philosophers and spiritual teachers in this entertaining and gently profound book that calls on the reader to accept that life is inherently short, and that we must learn to prioritise what is most important to us.
Oliver Burkeman previously spoke to Five Books about the best self-help books of 2020 and 2019.
H is for Hawk
by Helen Macdonald
It’s not an exaggeration to say that H is for Hawk, published in 2014, is already a classic of nature writing. In the audiobook, author Helen MacDonald narrates her touching memoir.
Narrator: Helen MacDonald
Length: 11 hours and 5 minutes
Dreams From my Father
by Barack Obama
Yes, it’s true: before he was president Barack Obama had already won a Grammy award for the audiobook of his memoir, Dreams from my Father.
Narrator: Barack Obama
Length: 7 hours and 8 minutes (abridged)
“This is a celebrity biography. It’s Alicia Keys talking about her life and she gets all sorts of celebrities, like Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama, to do these little interstitial moments. I have to say, I’m always a little bit nervous with celebrity biography. You want to know about their lives, but half the time, it’s not really that exciting. They haven’t really had that many struggles. But with Alicia Keys, first of all, I thought it was super-interesting. She was talking about her upbringing. Again, she wasn’t coming from a position of privilege, but she had been taught really well to stand up for herself. Here she is, becoming a celebrity, and ending up in these positions where it’s hard to speak up for yourself. I appreciated that on that journey she was taking us through what she had learned, and encouraging the listener to speak out, to take ownership of who you are and your needs at any moment. Narrator: Alicia Keys Length: 9 hours and 55 minutes” Read more...
The Best Audiobooks: the 2021 Audie Awards
Michele Cobb, Publisher
Me Talk Pretty One Day
by David Sedaris
“I remember picking up this book, and I then started buying all his books because it is amazing how funny he makes these short stories about himself”—comedian Maz Jobrani on David Sedaris’s Me Talk Pretty One Day. The audiobook is a wonderfully funny listen which includes live recordings.
Narrator: David Sedaris
Length: 5 hours and 51 minutes (abridged)
Acid for the Children: A Memoir
by Flea
The nominations for the 2021 Grammy Awards were announced in November and five audiobooks are in the running in the Spoken Word category, including Acid for the Children, written and read by Flea, the bassist for the band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Here is hard-earned wisdom from a sweet soul. Flea may have flamed out tragically like so many of his Los Angeles rock world contemporaries if not for the redemptive qualities of reading. Flea is widely regarded as the most talented rock bassist alive, and has pioneered a string-thumping technique that was entirely original, providing the punk-reggae backbone for the RHCP signature sound. In this heartfelt, blazingly honest memoir, he describes his incendiary creative relationship with RHCP lead singer Anthony Kiedis. Their high-jinx, death-defying shenanigans read like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, on acid, at a time when punk was giving way to new wave and new hybrid music genres like RHCP’s mix of rock, funk, punk and psychedelia. Throughout, Flea recounts the importance of books in his life in keeping him grounded and balanced. With some 1m Instagram followers, he formed what may be the biggest book club in the world. His life story underscores his humility, kindness and profound love of art. Tears of laughter, tears of sadness, they both flow freely in listening about his early wayward life.
Narrator: Flea
Length: 9 hours and 4 minutes
A Promised Land
by Barack Obama
Barack Obama is an experienced—and talented—audiobook narrator so it’s no surprise he’s the one reading aloud his presidential memoir. This is only the first volume and it’s already more than 29 hours, so it’s quite a commitment, but also a unique opportunity to be told, firsthand, what it’s actually like to be President of the United States (POTUS). Hint: you’re dealing with a lot of complicated things, like healthcare reform.
Narrator: Barack Obama
Length: 29hr 10mins
Islands of Abandonment: Life in the Post-Human Landscape
by Cal Flyn
Five Books deputy editor Cal Flyn's second work of nonfiction, Islands of Abandonment, is a book about abandoned places: ghost towns and exclusion zones, no man’s lands and post-industrial hinterlands – and what happens when nature is allowed to reclaim its place. Exploring extraordinary places where humans no longer live – or survive in tiny, precarious numbers – Islands of Abandonment give us a glimpse of what nature gets up to when we’re not there to see it. From Tanzanian mountains to the volcanic Caribbean, the forbidden areas of France to the mining regions of Scotland, Flyn brings together some of the most desolate, eerie, ravaged and polluted areas in the world – and shows how, against all odds, they offer our best opportunities for environmental recovery.
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
by Stephen King
Stephen King is best known for his horror books, but even if that’s not your preferred genre, it’s hard not to be blown away by his memoir, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. King is a big audiobook fan, and he reads this book—part story of his life, part really useful tips on how to write—himself.
Narrator: Stephen King
Length: 7 hours and 59 minutes
“It’s an uncomfortable book to read. It’s one of those books that makes you feel slightly discomfited, but because he is such a beautiful writer, a poet, he does have this lyrical voice. That makes it extremely pleasurable as well, which in itself makes one feel a little bit anxious, getting pleasure from such an uncomfortable subject.” Read more...
The Best Nonfiction Books: The 2021 Baillie Gifford Prize Shortlist
Kathryn Hughes, Literary Scholar
Humble Pi: A Comedy of Maths Errors
by Matt Parker
Never thought of math as a funny subject? Think again. The author, Matt Parker, is a standup comedian, enough of a reason in itself to listen to Humble Pi as an audiobook.
Narrator: Matt Parker
Length: 9 hours and 33 minutes
Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities
by Bettany Hughes
It is well worth spending a day of your life listening to TV historian Bettany Hughes narrate her book about the fabulous and pivotal city of Istanbul.
Narrator: Bettany Hughes
Length: 24 hours and 35 minutes
The Looming Tower
by Lawrence Wright
The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright is a detailed narrative history of the events leading to 9/11, based on five years of research and hundreds of interviews. It is one of Five Books’ most recommended books.
Narrator: Lawrence Wright
Length: 16 hours and 31 minutes
The Mars Room
by Rachel Kushner
The Mars Room, set in a women’s prison, was one of the best novels of 2018, shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and convincing the chair of the judges, Kwame Anthony Appiah, of the urgent need for prison reform. In the audiobook, Rachel Kushner narrates The Mars Room to great effect.
Narrator: Rachel Kushner
Length: 9 hours and 41 minutes
Between the World and Me
by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates’s acclaimed book—written as a letter to his adolescent son—is incredibly moving to listen to as an audiobook.
Narrator: Ta-Nehisi Coates
Length: 3 hours and 35 minutes
Norse Mythology
by Neil Gaiman
“My kids have also adored listening to this on audiobook – his voice is so calming, while the adventures are so wacky!” Historian Janina Ramirez recommended Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology audiobook when she spoke to us about the best Viking history books for kids.
Narrator: Neil Gaiman
Length: 6 hours and 29 minutes
Becoming
by Michelle Obama
In a relative rarity for a book with such star power, Michelle Obama narrates the audiobook of her memoir, Becoming, herself. You can hear the wise, comforting voice of one of America’s most beloved public figures: it’s almost as if you’re having a coffee with her.
Narrator: Michelle Obama
Length: 19 hours and 3 minutes
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men
by Caroline Criado Perez
Caroline Criado Perez narrates the audiobook of Invisible Women herself. With her passion, she brings alive the importance and wide-ranging consequences of past design gender bias.
Narrator: Caroline Criado Perez
Length: 9 hours and 24 minutes
Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body
by Roxane Gay
New York Times best-selling author Roxane Gay narrates the audiobook of her painful memoir, Hunger. Journalist Dana Schwartz told us it was a book “every young woman should read.”
Narrator: Roxane Gay
Length: 5 hours and 58 minutes
The War on Normal People: The Truth About America's Disappearing Jobs and Why Universal Basic Income Is Our Future
by Andrew Yang
The War on Normal People by Andrew Yang—entrepreneur and would-be Democratic presidential candidate—was one of our best politics books of 2019. Whatever your political views, this sincere narration of his own book really drives home the urgency of the issues facing ordinary Americans.
Narrator: Andrew Yang
Length: 6 hours and 55 minutes
His Dark Materials
by Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman himself is the narrator of the audiobook of the trilogy His Dark Materials. Different actors play the parts of the characters, in what is known in the trade as a ‘multi-voiced performance.’
Narrator: Philip Pullman, full cast
Length: 10 hours and 45 minutes
Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown
by Anne Glenconner
The audiobook of Lady in Waiting, narrated by Anne Glenconner herself, is enchanting. Narrating audiobooks is hard work and the fact that she took it on in her 90s is a measure of the woman, who was lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret and had a fascinating, glamorous, tragic life.
Narrator: Anne Glenconner
Length: 9 hours and 8 minutes
How the World Thinks: A Global History of Philosophy
by Julian Baggini
In the audiobook of How the World Thinks, the author himself, Julian Baggini, takes us on a tour of world philosophy, highlighting the similarities and the differences in the way people think about the world around them.
Narrator: Julian Baggini
Length: 12 hours and 43 minutes
Agent Running in the Field: A Novel
by John le Carré
Everyone has heard of the great spy novelist, John le Carré. What you might not know is that octogenarian has narrated the audiobook of his latest book, Agent Running in the Field, himself.
Narrator: John le Carré
Length: 9 hours and 33 minutes
“White House Diary is interesting. It’s a focused part of the time that he was in the White House. It’s shorter than some of the other books we’ve been discussing, it’s not an exhaustive look at his presidency.” Read more...
Presidential memoirs (and biographies) as audiobooks
Robin Whitten, Journalist
“Much as I’m not a big fan of George W. Bush for his politics, it was an important time in history, and his take on it is important too, and hearing him talk about it.” Read more...
Presidential memoirs (and biographies) as audiobooks
Robin Whitten, Journalist
“He has a very good presentational style…My Life follows very much the form of mixing personal and political life, which, of course, is completely intertwined for all of them. But I think that intersection of the personal and political in the Clinton memoir was a particularly interesting aspect of it, as he tells it.” Read more...
Presidential memoirs (and biographies) as audiobooks
Robin Whitten, Journalist
The Annotated Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant
by Ulysses S Grant and Elizabeth Samet (editor), Mark Bramhall (narrator)
“The audiobook of the memoir is read by a professional narrator, Mark Bramhall. This is again very long, nearly 30 hours. Particularly for this long form, you have to engage your listeners and the narrator needs to be engaged with the material. In order to sustain your listeners, you have to keep a pace. What I really liked about Mark’s narration is that he was able to do that.” Read more...
Presidential memoirs (and biographies) as audiobooks
Robin Whitten, Journalist
“He published Promise Me, Dad in 2017 and it’s more or less a memoir about his time as vice president at the time of his son Beau’s death. It’s a moving, personal story delivered with empathy.” Read more...
Presidential memoirs (and biographies) as audiobooks
Robin Whitten, Journalist
Presidential memoirs (and biographies) as audiobooks, recommended by Robin Whitten
When you listen to presidential memoirs as audiobooks, you can hear an American president telling you their own story—at least when it comes to recent presidents. Going further back in time, biographies may be more useful. Veteran audiobook reviewer Robin Whitten, editor of Audiofile magazine, recommends the best audiobooks about US presidents, and explains the crucial role of professional narrators in bringing big books to life.
