C. James Moore has narrated 5 audiobooks on Listento.it by 5 authors. The most-rated is The Faiths of the Founding Fathers.
Entirely Surrounded
Summary
It is 1934. Red-headed Henry Cook, fresh out of Amherst and excited about working on his first book at an infamous writers' colony, arrives at the Vermont island retreat at the invitation of its owner, Thaddeus Hulbert, a boisterous, bellowing, bloviated curmudgeon, whose reputation as a novelist, columnist, and radio commentator has vaulted him to national prominence. Additional island guests include Clarence Fitch, the editor of a prominent New York magazine; Agnes Sterner, an elegant, mature woman, also an author and close friend of Hulbert's; Daisy Lester, a nationally-known nightclub singer also known by Hulbert and friends to be a heavy drinker if not watched carefully; and Leith O'Fallon, an artist, writer, and liberal cause protester for whom Henry falls hard. Among the supporting characters are Mr. Veitch, the slow-drawling Vermonter who navigates the mail boat to and from the island, and Jenny, the shrieking housekeeper and cook who tends - genially if not loudly - to the needs of Hulbert's guests. Entirely Surrounded is a slightly venomous roman à clef poking satirically at the habits of several of the Algonquin Round Table notables: Alexander Woollcott (Hulbert), Alice Duer Miller (Sterner), Dorothy Parker (Lester), Harold Ross of the New Yorker (Fitch), and Neysa McMein, popular magazine cover illustrator (O'Fallon). The novel's author and narrator, Charles Brackett (Cook), had been a regular at the Algonquin for several years before leaving for Hollywood at the peak of the group's notoriety. Through Entirely Surrounded, Brackett deconstructs the Round Table's core elite and re-assembles them on their lake encircled hideaway to endure each other's company, play croquet, backgammon, cribbage, and anagrams, all under the withering snide and cutting bombasts of their host, Hulbert. The story's narrator, Henry Cook, is the mean gang's naïve foil, surrounded as he is by the idols of his literary dreams, viper-toothed gods who pick petty fights over silly games, and chide each other, and Henry, mercilessly over points of literature and social graces. And yet, there is compassion and love to be found on the island, and a twist to the tale that brings Henry face-to-face with his deepest insecurities. Brackett, one of the earliest New Yorker drama critics, prolific magazine columnist, and short-story author and novelist, brings to Entirely Surrounded elements of his own New England upbringing, his Ivy League education, his curious marriage, and his not-well-concealed need for social and professional approval. Brackett knew all the players quite well, and though the book is a biting commentary on the group's interrelationships and foibles, Brackett received grudging congratulations even from Woollcott and Parker, who took the majority of Brackett's jabs. Entirely Surrounded is narrated by Charles Brackett's grandson, C. James Moore.
©1934 Charles Brackett (P)2017 C. James Moore
The 480
Summary
Released not long after President John F. Kennedy's assassination, in the run-up to the 1964 national election, Eugene Burdick's blockbuster political novel, The 480, foresaw the rise of social media and 21st century analytical data manipulation, the use of computer-generated voter profiles to shape - for better or for worse - the outcome of a major national election. Burdick - coauthor of The Ugly American and Fail-Safe - was a true socio-political visionary, ahead of his time by more than half a century. Many passages and scenes in The 480 bear eerie resemblances to the social divisiveness, political blockades, and moral and ethical failures that dominate today's news cycles about America's place in the world. This sweeping 13-hour unabridged audiobook is the story of the rise of a morally grounded and ethically driven businessman, John Thatch - a political neophyte - to the heights of party stardom through plots by devious party operatives who hold the keys (IBM punch cards) of voter data, and potentially salacious journals, in their greasy little hands. As noted in the original 1964 cover blurb, "This is the story of an extraordinary presidential campaign, of unwanted fame and public responsibility thrust upon a very private citizen, of love tested and courage found, and a new breed of political expert who believes the voters can be sold a candidate as readily as a housewife is sold a name-brand toothpaste." The story spans the globe-from India and Pakistan to the Philippines and across length and breadth of the United States - in its full spectrum of shady characters, questionable motives, foreign adventure, heart-wrenching romance, and behind-the-podium intrigue. At its 20th-century heart, The 480 asks, and-in light of American politics in the twenty-first century-answers the question, "Could the American voter be masterfully manipulated to select a presidential candidate not by rational consideration, but by hidden design?"
©2019 Eugene Burdick (P)2019 Spoken Realms
Report of the Select Committee on Intelligence on Russian Active Measures Campaigns and Interference in the 2016 U.S. Election, Volume 5: Counterintelligence Threats and Vulnerabilities
Summary
The Russians were playing Donald Trump and his allies long before the 2016 election - and continue to do so to this day. That much, and more, is made clear in this masterfully narrated audiobook of the US Senate's Report of the Select Committee on Intelligence on Russian Active Measures Campaigns and Interference in the 2016 U.S. Election, Volume 5: Counterintelligence Threats and Vulnerabilities. Narrated by C. James Moore - a former US Senate staff member and investigator - the report makes it inescapably clear that Vladimir Putin, through his army of oligarchs, his network of spies, operatives, and provocateurs, all boosted by his devoted influencers across the world, was (and still is) eager to infiltrate, deceive, and disrupt the American electoral process to benefit the Trump campaign and sow political and social chaos across our nation. If not for the fact that it is all true and frightening, this audiobook would be a blockbuster spy thriller. From Russian "lawyers" and NRA-infiltrating spies like Natalia Veselnitskaya and Maria Butina, to Russian financiers, real-estate moguls, and entertainment stars like the father-son team of Aras and Emin Agalarov, to Oleg Deripaska and other Russia-aligned oligarchs in Ukraine, the narrative of Russian duplicity and manipulation fills every minute of this must-hear report. With the eager help of Trump advisors like Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, George Papadopoulos, and Trump family members, Russian intelligence officer Konstantin Kilimnik and master oligarch Oleg Deripaska sought to gain influence within Trump's sphere. This important audiobook, produced by Mike Vendetti - who brought you the audiobook of the Mueller Report - delivers a nearly minute-by-minute account of Russia's duplicity and eagerness to subvert our nation's most sacred right.
Public Domain (P)2020 Mike Vendetti
Madam Speaker
Summary
Unthinkable just a generation ago, Hillary Clinton's run for the presidency and Nancy Pelosi's ascension to Speaker of the House have cast the spotlight on American political women as never before. In the 230 years of this country's history, never has a woman—let alone a mother and a grandmother—risen to such a position of power as Nancy Pelosi did when she assumed her role as the first female Speaker of the House, third in line for the presidency. In Madam Speaker, Marc Sandalow, an esteemed journalist and political analyst who covered Pelosi for decades, offers a richly nuanced portrait of the woman who made history. He charts Pelosi's political roots, honing in on her father, who spent five terms in Congress and stored hundreds of copies of the Congressional Record under her bed, and goes on to examine how Pelosi, who didn't run for political office until she was 47 years old, juggled her family life and fought hard to forge a place for herself in Washington, ultimately becoming one of the most influential voices in our nation. Based on hundreds of interviews with Pelosi's colleagues, family, and friends—and the Speaker herself—Sandalow culls together insightful anecdotes and political analysis to chronicle Pelosi's meteoric rise and controversial tenure. Madam Speaker illuminates the inspiring life of a woman who has already made history.
©2008 Marc Sandalow (P)2014 Audible, Inc.
The Faiths of the Founding Fathers
Summary
It is not uncommon to hear Christians argue that America was founded as a Christian nation. But how true is this claim? In this compact audiobook, David L. Holmes offers a clear, concise and illuminating look at the spiritual beliefs of our founding fathers. He begins with an informative account of the religious culture of the late colonial era, surveying the religious groups in each colony. In particular, he sheds light on the various forms of deism that flourished in America, highlighting the profound influence this intellectual movement had on the founding generation. Holmes then examines the individual beliefs of a variety of men and women who loom large in our national history. He finds that some, like Martha Washington, Samuel Adams, John Jay, Patrick Henry, and Thomas Jefferson's daughters, held orthodox Christian views. But many of the most influential figures, including Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John and Abigail Adams, Jefferson, James and Dolley Madison, and James Monroe, were believers of a different stripe. Respectful of Christianity, they admired the ethics of Jesus, and believed that religion could play a beneficial role in society. But they tended to deny the divinity of Christ, and a few seem to have been agnostic about the very existence of God. Although the founding fathers were religious men, Holmes shows that it was a faith quite unlike the Christianity of today's evangelicals. Holmes concludes by examining the role of religion in the lives of the presidents since World War II and by reflecting on the evangelical resurgence that helped fuel the reelection of George W. Bush. An intriguing look at a neglected aspect of our history, this audiobook will appeal to American history buffs as well as to anyone concerned about the role of religion in American culture.
©2006 David L. Holmes (P)2014 Audible Inc.