I saw an interview with Daniel Mendelsohn about his new book “An Odyssey: A Father, A Son and an Epic” and thought it sounded intriguing. This book isI saw an interview with Daniel Mendelsohn about his new book “An Odyssey: A Father, A Son and an Epic” and thought it sounded intriguing. This book is a memoir, but in many ways, it is three stories intertwined. The author provided a summary of “The Odyssey”, along with his account of the class he teaches at Bard College and the relationship with his father and how he and his father interacted with the students when his father decided to audit the class.
The book is well written but meanders a bit. Jay Mendelsohn is a retired research scientist and mathematician. At age 82 he decided to monitor his son’s class about “The Odyssey”. He challenged his son throughout the class. At the end of course, Daniel takes Jay on an Odyssey cruise on the Mediterranean. I found the interaction between Daniel, Jay and the class most interesting. Overall, this is a most delightful book. If you are looking for a good summer read, this might be your choice.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is ten hours and thirty-seven minutes. Bronson Pinchot does a good job narrating the book. Pinchot is an actor and an Audie Award winning narrator. This is my first experience with the author and narrator. ...more
This is about the Punic Wars (264BC –146BC) between Rome and Carthage. Much has been written about this epic ancient conflict. The result of the PunicThis is about the Punic Wars (264BC –146BC) between Rome and Carthage. Much has been written about this epic ancient conflict. The result of the Punic Wars led to the ascendancy of Rome.
The book is well written and researched. Goldsworthy does write in an academic style of a historian, but is easily readable for a lay person like me. The author covers the three Punic Wars. (Punicus in Latin for Phoenician as Carthage was part of the old Phoenician Empire.) The book is strong on military history and techniques. Goldsworthy does a good job analyzing the cultural differences between Rome and Carthage. The author also explains about the Roman Army of the period and the Roman political system of the day. Goldsworthy does an excellent job explaining the factors that brought about the wars. I learned more about some key people of the time such as: Hannibal, Fabius Maximus and lastly Scipio Aemilianus. If you would like to know about the Punic Wars this book will provide a good understanding of the Wars. I enjoyed reading about the ancient history.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is sixteen hours and twenty-six minutes. The well-known British audiobook narrator Derek Perkins does an excellent job. Perkins has won the Audie Award and many Earphone Awards for audiobook narrations. He also narrates in the following languages: Russian, French and Welsh as well as in English. ...more
This book provides a brief overview of the life of Hammurabi (1810 B.C.E.-1750 B.C.E.). Under the rule of Hammurabi, the Babylonians ended up ruling aThis book provides a brief overview of the life of Hammurabi (1810 B.C.E.-1750 B.C.E.). Under the rule of Hammurabi, the Babylonians ended up ruling all of Mesopotamia. He is known for the Code of Hammurabi; the first written legal code.
I had never heard of Captivating History before obtaining this book. Apparently, their goal is to provide a brief interesting overview on a historical topic. Looking at their collection I see books on ancient leaders, FDR and the Haitian Revolution. The books are short only averaging 100 pages. If you want a quick overview of a historical topic, they seem to be a good choice.
The book is well written and researched. They packed a lot of information into a short time frame. Information about Hammurabi was provided as well as some general information about the time. Glad I listened to this on an audiobook as I would never be able to pronounce all the names. I noted that the Middle East was constantly at war at the time of Hammurabi and is still at war.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is three hours and 6 minutes. Desmond Manny does a good job narrating the book. Manny is a voice-over artist and audiobook narrator. ...more
I just read Cooney’s most recent book “When Women Ruled the World”. I was impressed enough to hunt down other of Cooney’s publications. I found this oI just read Cooney’s most recent book “When Women Ruled the World”. I was impressed enough to hunt down other of Cooney’s publications. I found this one about the life of Hatshepsut.
Hatshepsut ruled Egypt as Pharaoh approximately 3500 years ago. She reigned for twenty-two years. Apparently, Hatshepsut was the High Priestess of Egypt prior to taking the throne. According to Cooney she did no wrong and Egypt thrived under her reign. She built strong trade agreements, expanded the Empire and lost no wars. As there were no diaries, etc., Cooney said she had to use conjecture to flesh out the fascinating story of her life.
I am glad I listen to this on audiobook and listen to Cooney pronounce all the hard to say Egyptian names. I found this a most interesting story. The book is ten hours and twenty-three minutes. Kara Cooney does an excellent job narrating the book. ...more
Kara Cooney Ph.D. points out that ancient Egypt was punctuated by periods of rule by women. Many women ruled as regents for their young sons; then advKara Cooney Ph.D. points out that ancient Egypt was punctuated by periods of rule by women. Many women ruled as regents for their young sons; then advised them privately when they took the throne in their teens.
Cooney reviews the reign of six female pharaohs of the Ptolemaic period that ruled in their own right. They are: Merineth, Neferusobeck, Nefertiti, Tawosret, Hatshepsut and Cleopatra. The author discusses their similarities and differences of their reigns. Cooney describes how Hatshepsut and Cleopatra took and held power. The book is well written and meticulously researched. Cooney reveals how these women survived in a male-dominated world. The author points out that women in ancient Egypt had the right to own property, and the right to divorce. I found the book interesting and could not help but make comparisons in my mind to women’s rights today.
I found the book most interesting and will look for more books by the author. Kara Cooney is a Professor of Egyptology at UCLA. The books nine hours and fifteen minutes. I read the book as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Kara Cooney narrated the book herself.
This is a most interesting book about the Galapagos Islands. Nicholls describes the history, geology, sea birds, plants, invertebrates, land birds, reThis is a most interesting book about the Galapagos Islands. Nicholls describes the history, geology, sea birds, plants, invertebrates, land birds, reptiles and ocean life. I particularly enjoyed the section about the famous giant tortoise including Lonesome George. He also describes the sea turtles.
The UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee in 2006 warned the Island is at risk. The number of the visiting tourists having reached the tipping point for the conservation of the Islands. The area was being over fished. Nicholls states the Ecuador’s President, Rafael Correa, declared the preservation of the Island as a national priority.
The book is well written and concise. Nicholls provides enough information for an excellent overview of the Islands. From this information a reader can choose an area for further study.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is five hours thirty minutes. The book was published in 2014. James Adams does a great job narrating the book. His slight British accent is perfect for the book as it reminds me of the trip by Charles Darwin. Adams is an actor and audiobook narrator. ...more
I have read many of the Cussler books over the years and have sampled all the various series. I have settled on following the series: “The Oregon FileI have read many of the Cussler books over the years and have sampled all the various series. I have settled on following the series: “The Oregon Files”. This is book thirteen in the series. I particularly enjoy how Cussler always opens with a storyline for ancient times then moves something about the ancient story into the present time. In this book it starts 2000 years ago as an emperor avoids a coup and entrusts nine scrolls to nine people. In modern time Juan Cabrillo and crew have to deal with the descendants of the nine individuals.
The book is well written and is non-stop action. The plot twists and turns and the suspense at times is almost unbearable. The characters are interesting even the bad guys. As always, the book is hard to put down. I think this story is one of his better storylines. It was great to visit the crew of the Oregon; can hardly wait for the next episode.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is ten and a half hours. Scott Brick does an excellent job narrating the book. Brick is an actor and a well-known audiobook narrator. Brick has won twenty Earphone Awards and the 2003 Audie Award in the Best Science Fiction category. I always enjoy listening to his pleasant voice. ...more
This book is the history of biography. Hamilton explains the evolution of the biography and autobiography or idiography its prior name. The author staThis book is the history of biography. Hamilton explains the evolution of the biography and autobiography or idiography its prior name. The author states the Greco-Roman era as the golden age of biography. Hamilton goes on to explore the dark ages and the rise of Christian hagiography (the biographies of saints). Hamilton discuses Dr. Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) and states he is the father of the modern literary biography. Hamilton also covers the research required for writing a biography, as well as the role of authorized and unauthorized biographies. Hamilton includes a section on the rise of film as a medium of use in a biography.
I learned a lot from the book. The book was easy to read and quite entertaining. The book is 345 pages and well indexed, also there are notes and a bibliography. The book is published by Harvard University Press in 2007.
Hamilton is a professor at the University of Massachusetts. He is an award-winning biographer of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery and of John F. Kennedy. ...more
I learned so much from this book about not only Alexandria but of Egypt and the Mediterranean. The book covered the economy, history and existing knowI learned so much from this book about not only Alexandria but of Egypt and the Mediterranean. The book covered the economy, history and existing knowledge of the ancient era. I guess if you think of the library and museum of Alexandria in modern day terms, it would be called a university, a think tank as well as a library. I did note that Alexandrea was a diverse city of Egyptians, Jews, Greeks, Romans and people from neighboring countries. It is amazing to realize the city was designed to have a sewer system, running water, as well as the city was laid out with streets and buildings.
The book was well written and meticulously researched. I found the section about Hypatia (350-370-415 A.D.) to be most interesting. The way the author told the story has triggered me to want to learn more about Hypatia. She was a mathematician and philosopher in the later days of Alexandria and was considered a great teacher. I enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. It is eleven and a half hours. Simon Vance does an excellent job narrating the book. Vance is a well known award-winning audiobook narrator....more
I was a big fan of Tony Hillerman’s books. When his daughter Anne, started writing, I began following her. She has big shoes to fill as Tony was a masI was a big fan of Tony Hillerman’s books. When his daughter Anne, started writing, I began following her. She has big shoes to fill as Tony was a master storyteller. Anne has improved with each book which makes it fun to watch a writer grow. In this book Jim Chee is in Santa Fe at a training conference. Bernie Manuelito covers for a fellow officer to give a talk to a group of children on a camping trip. One of their leaders goes missing and Bernie is in for lots of work, danger and solving a mystery.
Hillerman does a great job in describing the scenery and Navaho customs and spiritual beliefs. To me, this makes the story much more enjoyable. The book is well written and the plot twists and weaves about. The suspense builds but there is also some humor tossed into the story. I cannot wait for the next book.
I read this as an audio book downloaded from Audible. The book is a little over ten hours. Christina Delaine does an excellent job narrating the story. Delaine is an actress. She has won multiple Earphone Awards for her audiobook narrations. ...more
A friend gave me a box of books to read and pass on. The only book in the box I had not read was “Sheba” by Jack Higgins. So, I sat down to enjoy it. A friend gave me a box of books to read and pass on. The only book in the box I had not read was “Sheba” by Jack Higgins. So, I sat down to enjoy it. I have read a number of Higgins’ books and have enjoyed them. Higgins is a British writer.
The book is about Nazis, an archeologist and the Suez Canal. It is a World War II action novel. The book is well written and fast paced. The first part of the book has more description and a great build up to the second half which has lots of action and suspense. The book was originally published in 1994 and is 272 pages. ...more
From 1779 to 1783 the Spanish and French Ships had blockaded the British owned City of Gibraltar. The Spanish also besieged the city by land. The obseFrom 1779 to 1783 the Spanish and French Ships had blockaded the British owned City of Gibraltar. The Spanish also besieged the city by land. The obsession with saving Gibraltar was blamed for the loss of the American colonies by some historians.
The authors tell the story of the siege. They tell the stories of the soldiers, their families and civilian workers who withstood the bombardment, starvation and diseases for three years. The fortress was located on about two square miles of rock. The British Army conducted daring guerilla strikes into Spain. In the end, the French Navy was eventually sunk when their gun batteries overheated and exploded. I enjoyed the descriptions from Mrs. Green’s diary about the various diseases that went through the city and army base. I found the information about smallpox the most interesting. Sometimes smallpox was brought in on a ship that ran the blockade and at other times it seemed to be a seasonal outbreak. Mrs. Green appeared to be most upset that Governor Elliott did not allow vaccinations to stop the epidemic. Mrs. Green had excellent descriptions of other diseases and the effects of starvation such as scurvy. The authors report that food prices were extremely high but the Governor did not allow price fixing because of the high profits to be made which were the incentive to the privateers to risk running the blockade.
The book is well written and meticulously researched. The Adkin’s writing style is to intersperse narrative with first-hand accounts that give an accurate picture of the times. The authors reveal step by step every major decision made by Governor Elliott and the military staff. This provides a fascinating insight into the officers and the wives as well as the enlisted men and civilian workers. The book format provides a comprehensive bibliography and index as well as maps, diagrams and photographs. The Adkins are well-known British archeologists and historians and have written a number of books. For the more serious reader the book format would make an excellent reference book.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is fifteen hours long. John Telfer does a good job narrating the book. Telfer is a well-known English actor and audiobook narrator.
This book was first published in 1948. Anita Theodosia Moira Leslie (Nov 21, 1914-Nov 5, 1985) was born in Ireland and was the daughter of a baronet aThis book was first published in 1948. Anita Theodosia Moira Leslie (Nov 21, 1914-Nov 5, 1985) was born in Ireland and was the daughter of a baronet and a cousin of Winston Churchill via his mother. Jennie Churchill was Anita’s great aunt. Anita followed many of her peers in volunteering for active service in World War II. She served in the mechanized Transport Corp as a mechanic and ambulance driver. (Princess Elizabeth also served as mechanic and ambulance driver but had to stay in England). Anita served in the Middle East and Egypt and then in Italy, Northern France and Germany. She was award the Croix de Guerre, the French Military Award given to foreign military personnel who served in France during WWII. Her family was friends with General Alexander so whenever they were in the same area she always had either lunch or dinner with him. Because of her family status, she moved in the upper circles in the Middle Eastern countries where she was stationed. I found her discussion of Palmyra, Syria interesting as the archeologist gave her a tour. I thought her descriptions of Aleppo, Homs and Damascus were most interesting considering what has happened to these cities today. I found her discussion about meeting with Churchill at Checkers when she was returning to France after visiting her ill mother most fascinating.
The memoir is well written in the style of writing typical of the era and displays the typical “stiff upper lip” of the British. As an ambulance driver, she saw many of the horrors of war. She said the worst was Nordhausen Concentration Camp. She was assigned to evacuate the surviving prisoners. Some of the desensitization from war comes through in the writing. This is a common factor to anyone who has seen and lived through the horrors of war. Leslie spoke several languages and was fluent in French.
Anita Leslie went on after the war to become a prolific author and biographer. She wrote over seventeen books several of them about the Churchills. She wrote “Jennie: The Life of Lady Randolph Churchill” and “The Marlborough House”.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book was nine and a half hours long. Deryn Edwards does a good job narrating the book. Edwards studied at the Guildhall school of Music and the Royal Academy of Music. She is a singer and audiobook narrator. ...more
Bernard examines this famous waterway of the Bayou country. The author delves into the geological formation of the bayou as well as the Mississippi anBernard examines this famous waterway of the Bayou country. The author delves into the geological formation of the bayou as well as the Mississippi and Red Rivers. Bernard also exams the prehistoric Native American occupation and that of the French, Spanish, and Anglo-American pioneers. The economy of the area is reviewed from sugar, including sugar mills, and riverboats. The author reviewed how the Civil War effected the area as well as the postbellum era of misery. The author covers the environmental problems of the Bayou with pollutants, garbage and invasive species.
In the second part of the book, Bernard describes his canoe journey down the 125-mile course of the Teche. The book is well written and meticulously researched. The author successfully covers a broad range of topics from the history, inhabitants, geology, agriculture, transportation and environment. I learned a great deal from this book in a most enjoyable fashion. The book makes me want to take my own canoe trip of the Teche.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is six and a half hours long. Toby Sheets does a good job narrating the book. Sheets is a voice-over artist. This is the first time I have heard him narrate a book. ...more
This book is divided into two parts. The first part is written by William Dalrymple, who is an authority on 18th and 19th century India. He tells the This book is divided into two parts. The first part is written by William Dalrymple, who is an authority on 18th and 19th century India. He tells the story of the Koh-I-Noor diamond from the time Persian Nadu Shah humiliated the Mughal Emperor, sacked Delhi and sized the diamond, the Peacock throne and other jewels. The Mughal Dynasty was of Turkic-Mongol origin and ruled most of Northern India from 16th to mid-18th century. The Shah was murdered and the Afghan King took the diamond. It was then taken by the Sikhs under Ranjit Singh. When the British conquered the Punjab in 1846, the ten-year-old King Duleep Singh gave it to Queen Victoria. It is now in the Tower of London.
Dalrymple makes it clear that the history of the diamond prior to being captured by the Persian Nadu Shah is only based on guess work and fables. The author goes into the relationship the Indians have with gems including culture and religion. Dalrymple states that in ancient times the Indians sifted the diamonds from the sands of stream beds. All diamonds came from India until the 18th century when diamonds were discovered in Brazil.
The author states there were three great diamonds taken from the Mughal Emperor by the Persian Nadu Shah: the Koh-I-Noor is in England, the Darya-I-Noor is in Iran and the Orlov is in the center of the Imperial Scepter of Catherine the Great in Russia.
The second part of the book is written by journalist Anita Anand. She tells the story of King Duleep Singh. Anand sites the history of the diamond in the hands of the British. The author also discusses the characteristics of the diamond. It is thought the diamond came from the Kollur mine in Andhra Pradesh India in the 13th century. It was claimed to be 793 carets and 158.6g uncut and a clear color.
The book is well written and meticulously researched. The authors tell the complicated story drawing on a wide range of literature and memoirs. Koh-I-Noor in Persian means Mountain of Light.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Leighton Pugh does a good job narrating the book. Pugh is an actor, voice over artist and audiobook narrator. ...more
The oceans always have some great unsolved mystery disappearances. In the mid- 1840s the Royal Navy bomb ketches, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror disappeareThe oceans always have some great unsolved mystery disappearances. In the mid- 1840s the Royal Navy bomb ketches, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror disappeared in the Arctic of Canada. Paul Watson tells the story of their loss and discovery in his book “Ice Ghosts: The Epic Hunt for the Lost Franklin Expedition”. The two ships and every member of their crews-129 officers, seamen, and marines under the command of the Admiralty’s third choice for the job, Rear Admiral Sir John Franklin-were lost somewhere in the Arctic. The ships and all hands disappeared while searching for the several hundred miles of the central Northwest Passage, the shortest route between Europe and China. The Passage’s eastern and western ends had been discovered earlier.
In 2008 Ottawa decided to fund a six-year hunt for the ships. Over the years many have searched unsuccessfully for the lost ships. But with the melting ice and the glaciers shrinking, another hunt was begun. In 2014 The Erebus, the expedition’s flagship, was located off the west coast of the Adelaide peninsula. The Terror was discovered in 2016 about forty miles away at the southwestern corner of King William Island. The HMS Terror was found intact. How did the ships, beset in the ice at the northern end of Victoria Strait in September 1846 and abandoned in October 1848, arrive at their final resting places? The author tells of the help he received from the Inuit people who had information in their collective memory and oral history about the wrecks and the crews.
The book is well written and meticulously researched. The author is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist. He uses his journalistic talents to tell the story about the hunt to solve the mystery of these two ships. The book has maps, Illustrations and notes. The book is 383 pages and was published in 2017. ...more
The author, Mark Adams, retraces the steps that led Yale Professor, Hiram Bingham, to discover Machu Picchu one hundred years ago, on July 24, 1911.
ThThe author, Mark Adams, retraces the steps that led Yale Professor, Hiram Bingham, to discover Machu Picchu one hundred years ago, on July 24, 1911.
The chapters more or less alternate between Bingham’s and Adams’ expeditions. Adams packs a lot of information into the book. He includes anecdotes, observations and sometimes he tosses in hilarious tidbits. He also includes information on the flora and fauna as well as Inca history of the area. He also describes what it is like today. I picked up a bit of trivia: “Peru has twenty of the thirty-four types of climatic zones of the Earth and mules have bowel problems at high altitudes.”
The book is meticulously researched. The author does an okay job with intertwining three separate plots. I discovered that the April 1913 issue of the National Geographic is all about Bingham’s discovery of Machu Picchu. This is available on CD or on line for members. It was great to hike the Inca trail without doing the physical work and deal with the mosquitoes.
Andrew Garman does a good job narrating the book. Garman is an actor and audiobook narrator. ...more
I became interested in Easter Island and the South Pacific many years ago after reading Kon Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl. In fact, it is a book I pull out aI became interested in Easter Island and the South Pacific many years ago after reading Kon Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl. In fact, it is a book I pull out and read every five years or so since about 1950. Easter Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean approximately 1500 miles from any neighbor. The Island is called Rapa Nui by its inhabitants. It is famous for its 900+ enormous stone statues called Moai which dot the landscape.
The authors are two archaeologist, Terry Hunt from the University of Hawaii and Carl Lipo from California State University Long Beach. They have lived on the Island for many years bringing graduate students to work on scientific exploration and archaeological digs. They describe the first colonists to the island in 1200 A.D. of 30 to 100 Polynesians. The climate of the island wasn’t conducive to their growth. Rats that came to the island with the colonists decimated the large palm trees. The authors claim it was the rats rather than over use of the land that led to the devastation of the land. They claim the building of the statues helped maintain social networks that allowed a small closely related population to stay alive and work cohesively. They found that the large statues protected the soil from erosion and regulated the temperature changes over the day and night. In addition, the cracked surfaces of the stone on open ground added essential mineral nutrients to the ground. They also build small walled gardens, called manavai, that protected crops from the wind. They also present their hypothesis of how the statues were moved to their final location. The visits by Europeans brought disease, violence and slavery to the Island.
The book is well written and researched. The authors present a different hypothesis to the environmental conditions of the island. Unlike prior authors they have conducted extensive, long term scientific exploration and analysis to the mysteries of the island. I found the book most interesting and it was easy for the lay person to read.
Joe Barrett does an excellent job narrating the book. Barrett is a theatre actor and award winning audiobook narrator. ...more
The dog and pig domesticated themselves. In the distant past, wild pigs came into early human settlements and stayed. Pre-Christian European societiesThe dog and pig domesticated themselves. In the distant past, wild pigs came into early human settlements and stayed. Pre-Christian European societies loved the pig. Move into the desert areas and the pig was shunned. In England there were penalties for destroying oak trees as acorns made the best pig food.
What I found most interesting was the early European explorers would drop a boar and sow on an uninhabited island to make it into a future food supply stop. The Spanish conquistadores introduced pigs to South American. Essig claims it was the pig that allowed China to feed its massive population.
Essig not only covers the history of the pig but the anatomy, physiology, factory farming and the culinary arts of the pig. The book is well written and research. It provides all you would ever want to know about the pig in an entertaining and educational manner. Essig also reviews the religious views of the pig throughout history. I know that Winston Churchill is the most quoted person in the world, but I never expected to find a quote from him in a book like this. The quote is “A dog looks up to you, a cat looks down at you, but the pig looks you in the eye and treats you like an equal.” This book was a delight to read.
Joe Barrett does a good job narrating the book. Barrett is an actor and award winning audiobook narrator. ...more
In 2000 an old boat was found on the Ohio River shoreline in Illinois by local residents. Mark J. Wagner an archaeologist from Southern Illinois UniveIn 2000 an old boat was found on the Ohio River shoreline in Illinois by local residents. Mark J. Wagner an archaeologist from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and his colleagues investigated the wreck in 2002. They performed an intensive investigation and determined it was a pre-civil war flatboat. They named it America after a nearby town.
Wagner provides a detailed report of the field work performed including the construction of the boat to artifacts found in and near the wreck. Wagner also provides a possible cause for the wreck of the boat. Wagner goes on to provide a history of the flatboats which, she says, was the most prolific type of vessel on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers in the early 1800s. The author says the flatboats disappeared from the rivers after the Civil War probably due to more steamboats and the advancing railroads. This is the only flatboat ever found on the rivers and they would like to preserve it and place it in a museum before the Ohio River destroys it completely but as with most historical items there is no money available. This book was published in 2015 by the Southern Illinois University Press.
The book is well written and easy to read. I have always found archaeology fascinating and enjoy reading about discoveries. I would love to go on a dig again; maybe someday that might happen. I was particularly interested in this book as I was at the Southern Illinois University campus in Carbondale this spring. Wish I had known about the boat, I would have gone to see it. This is a short book at about four hours.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Robert Diepenbrock does a good job narrating the book. Diepenbrock is an Emmy Award winning actor, director and audiobook narrator ...more