Audiobooks narrated by Rob Shapiro

When Caesar Was King: How Sid Caesar Reinvented American Comedy

"FINALIST FOR THE PEN/JACQUELINE BOGRAD WELD AWARD FOR BIOGRAPHY • FINALIST FOR THE MARFIELD PRIZE • FEATURED ON CBS SUNDAY MORNING • From longtime New York Times and Vanity Fair writer David Margolick comes the first definitive biography of Sid Caesar: founding father of television comedy and icon to generations of Americans. "Whip smart. . . . A nuanced appreciation of Caesar's comedy and the overall atmosphere of TV's early days." -Esquire By the spring of 1954, Sid Caesar was the most influential, highly paid, and enigmatic comedian in America. Every week, twenty million people tuned their TVs to his NBC extravaganza, Your Show of Shows, and witnessed his virtuosity in sketches and film spoofs, pantomime and soliloquy. Onstage, Caesar could play any character and make it funny: a befuddled game-show contestant, a pretentious German professor, a beleaguered husband (opposite his redoubtable co-star Imogene Coca)-even a gumball machine and a bottle of seltzer. To Caesar's mostly urban audience, his comedy was an era-defining leap forward from the days of vaudeville, launching a new style of humor that was multilayered and full of character, yet still uproarious. To his rivals, Caesar was the man to beat. To his fellow American Jews, his show's success meant something more: a post-Holocaust symbol of security and a source of great pride. But behind all that Caesar represented was the real Sid. Introverted and volatile, ill at ease in his own skin, he could terrorize his collaborators but reserved his harshest critiques for himself. After barely a decade, he was essentially off the air, beset by exhaustion, addiction, his own impossibly high standards, and changing viewership as television spread to the American heartland. TV's first true comic creation was also its first spectacular flameout. But in his wake came the disciples he personally nurtured-including Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Neil Simon, and more. Caesar left an indelible impact on what still makes us laugh. In When Caesar Was King, veteran journalist David Margolick conjures this complexman as never before. Deeply researched, brimming with love for Caesar and the culture from which he sprang, and reanimating a New York City that has all but vanished, this rollicking and poignant book traces the rise and fall of a legend."

David Margolick (Author), Rob Shapiro (Narrator)

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The Beached Ones

"“Share with fans of atmospheric literary fiction in the vein of Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library or Kate Atkinson’s Life after Life.”—Library Journal “A major achievement in fantasy and paranormal novel-writing.”—Nina Romano, Pushcart Prize nominee and author of The Secret Language of Women and The Girl Who Loved Cayo Bradley He came back, determined to keep his promise. Daniel and his younger brother grew up in an abusive home, but Daniel was the only one who escaped. Now an established stunt rider, he intends to go back to rescue his brother. But then one jump goes horribly wrong . . . He recovers to find himself in Iowa, unscathed, yet his life falls has drastically changed. His best friend won’t answer his calls. Even his girlfriend is hiding something. Increasingly terrified, he clings to the one thing he knows: He must pick up his brother in San Francisco. In five days. From the isolating fields of Iowa to the crowded streets of San Francisco, Daniel must fight his way through a fog of disjointed memories and supernatural encounters to pay a debt he didn’t know he owed. For listeners who enjoy Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah, The Secrets of Lost Stones by Melissa Payne, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman."

Colleen M. Story (Author), Rob Shapiro (Narrator)

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What Do We Know About Spontaneous Human Combustion?

"Can a person catch on fire without any reasonable explanation? Find out all we know about spontaneous human combustion in this exciting new book! A fire that burns without an obvious source of ignition isn't possible...right? In What Do We Know About Spontaneous Human Combustion?, curious young readers will explore all we know about this odd phenomenon, its history, and suggested theories and explanations. Can spontaneous human combustion be caused by something called ball lightning? Or can it be explained by something called the wick effect? From the infamous spontaneous combustion of Madame Nicole Millet in 1725 to the most recent case of spontaneous human combustion in 2020 in Estonia, scientists continue to search for a logical explanation. Ignite your curiosity with this exciting new book that covers the history, the science, and the mystery of SHC!"

Steve Korté (Author), Rob Shapiro (Narrator)

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The Sword of Freedom: Israel, Mossad, and the Secret War

"Israel has always won. They are winning now. And they must always win in the future. In The Sword of Freedom, former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen pulls back the curtain on Israel’s success in the face of never-ending war. Cohen has played a pivotal role in shaping Israel’s modern defense strategy. Blending personal stories and the nation’s history, he offers a rare glimpse into how Israel has defied existential threats and built a cutting-edge defense system. Now, he reveals how Israel always finds a way to win, as well as: · The secret to Israel’s success as a nation and military power · The future of Gaza and Hamas · What it takes to be in the Mossad · The mistakes Westerners make when they look at the Middle East · How Mossad helps counter terrorism around the world · How the art of spycraft has changed in the advent of AI and social media · What Donald Trump’s second presidency means for Israel In today’s volatile world Israel must remain adaptable and resolute to survive. Cohen explores how Israel achieves this: by questioning all intelligence, prioritizing human ingenuity, cooperating with other countries (even ones you might not expect), and ensuring enemies fear defeat before battles begin. As David Ben-Gurion observed, “History is not written, it is created.” From thrilling covert operations to strategies that safeguard borders, The Sword of Freedom demonstrates how Israel’s transformation from a vulnerable state to a global power was no accident."

Yossi Cohen (Author), Rob Shapiro (Narrator)

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None Without Sin

"Be sure your sin won’t find you out. When a Delaware real estate mogul is murdered, Reverend Candice Miller is called to minister to the grieving family. She quickly realizes that the killer has adopted the symbolism of sin eating, a Victorian-era religious ritual, as a calling card. Newspaper journalist Brian Wilder wants the scoop on the killing, including the meaning behind the mysterious loaf of bread left with the corpse. Is it the work of a religious fanatic, or something more sinister? As more victims fall, Brian and Candice follow a trail of deceit and blackmail, hoping to discover the identity of the killer—and praying that their own sins won’t catch the killer’s attention."

Michael Bradley (Author), Lisa Larsen, Rob Shapiro (Narrator)

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Hope

"The Greenspan family are the envy of Brookline, Massachusetts. Scott Greenspan is a successful cardiologist. His wife is a pillar of the community, his daughter works at a distinguished New York publishing house and his son is at medical school, preparing to follow in his footsteps. They are an exceptional family, living in exceptional times. But when Scott is caught faking blood test results, he sets in motion a series of scandals that threatens to shatter his family. HOPE is a painfully funny account of the tumultuous year that follows, written by one of the most brilliant young American novelists at work today. ‘Tragicomic, piercingly satirical and perceptive about the American dream’ - Observer"

Andrew Ridker (Author), Rob Shapiro (Narrator)

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Crumb: A Cartoonist's Life

"Named a Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post and The New Yorker Longlisted for the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography Eisner Award Nominee for Best Comics-Related Book “A definitive and ideal biography—pound for pound, one of the sleekest and most judicious I’ve ever read.” —The New York Times A critical darling, Crumb is the first biography of Robert Crumb—one of the most profound and influential artists of the 20th century—whose frank and meticulously rendered cartoons and comics inspired generations of readers and cartoonists, from Art Spiegelman to Alison Bechdel. Robert Crumb is often credited with single-handedly transforming the comics medium into a place for adult expression, in the process pioneering the underground comic book industry, and transforming the vernacular language of 20th-century America into an instantly recognizable and popular aesthetic. Now, for the first time, Dan Nadel delivers a “gripping and essential account” (The Boston Globe) of how this complicated artist survived childhood abuse, fame in his twenties, more fame, and came out the other side intact. Braiding biography with “cultural history and criticism...that honors the complexity of [its] subject, even, perhaps particularly, when it gets ugly” (Los Angeles Times), Crumb is the story of a richly complex life at the forefront of both the underground and popular cultures of post-war America. Including forty-five stunning black-and-white images throughout and a sixteen-page color insert featuring images both iconic and obscure “at once nuanced and propulsive” (The Times Literary Supplement, London), Crumb spans the pressures of 1950s suburban America and Crumb's highly dysfunctional early family life; the history of comics and graphic satire; 20th-century popular music; the world of the counterculture; the birth of underground comic books in 1960s San Francisco with Crumb's Zap Comix; the economic challenges and dissolution of the hippie dream; and the path Robert Crumb blazed through it all. Written with Crumb's cooperation, this fascinating, rollicking book takes in seven decades of Crumb's iconic works, including Fritz the Cat, Weirdo, and his adaptation of The Book of Genesis and “floats Crumb on the rapids of his times” (Harper's Magazine), capturing, in the process, the essence of an extraordinary artist."

Dan Nadel (Author), Rob Shapiro (Narrator)

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Cinnamon Girl

""Evocative, nostalgic, haunting, twisty, and true, Weizmann's fast paced and smartly written CINNAMON GIRL is everything there is to love about a classic PI novel and more … much more.' - Reed Farrel Coleman, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of SLEEPLESS CITY From the author of the acclaimed The Last Songbird, Lyft driver-turned-sleuth Adam Zantz returns in a neo-noir dive into the dark side of LA's rock scene . . . Adam Zantz is still driving for Lyft, struggling to make ends meet, when his beloved former piano teacher makes a deathbed request: He wants Zantz to prove his son's innocence in a decades-earlier murder case. There doesn't seem to be much hope of solving such a cold case-until Zantz stumbles onto a test pressing of a never-released vinyl LP. The recording is of a high school garage band lost to the tides of the Paisley Underground, the acid-fueled early '80s music scene that spawned the Bangles and the Three O'Clock. Down the psychedelic rabbit hole Adam falls, tracing the band's journey from the middle class garage to the precipice of fame-a twisted tale marked by crooked DJs, elder-scammers, wellness hucksters, a teen cult, and the woman who held the key to the band's triumph and ruin. One part Raymond Chandler, one part Ziggy Stardust, Cinnamon Girl is both an indelible, moving portrait of Los Angeles, and a suspenseful tale of greed, lust, betrayal, and the hidden price of teenage yearning. * This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF of a song playlist from the book."

Daniel Weizmann (Author), Gabra Zackman, Rob Shapiro (Narrator)

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The Last Songbird

"'Weizmann's music bona fides inform the novel's tone and purpose, but it's equally clear how steeped he is in the styles of detective fiction past and present...This is a story of murder, but also of vivid life.' -- The New York Times "A confident, polished storyteller who honors his influences and while weaving his amateur detective through a complex mystery that will keep you turning the pages until you've reached the haunting finale. A sharp, memorable debut." -- Alex Segura, bestselling author of Secret Identity A gritty, fast-paced neo-noir that explores the consumptive nature of fame, celebrity, and motherhood through the lens of a driver lost in the gig economy. A struggling songwriter and Lyft driver, Adam Zantz's life changes when he accepts a ride request in Malibu and 1970s music icon Annie Linden enters his dented VW Jetta. Bonding during that initial ride, the two quickly go off app- over the next three years, Adam becomes her exclusive driver and Annie listens to his music, encouraging Adam even as he finds himself driving more often than songwriting. Then, Annie disappears, and her body washes up under a pier. Left with a final, cryptic text- 'come to my arms'- a grieving Adam plays amateur detective, only to be charged as accomplice-after-the-fact. Desperate to clear his name and discover who killed the one person who believed in his music when no one else in his life did, Adam digs deep into Annie's past, turning up an old guitar teacher, sworn enemies and lovers, and a long-held secret that spills into the dark world of a shocking underground Men's Rights movement. As he drives the outskirts of Los Angeles in California, Adam comes to question how well he, or anyone else, knew Annie- if at all. The Last Songbird is a poignant novel about love, obsession, the price of fame and the burden of broken dreams, with a shifting, twisting plot that's full of unexpected turns. * This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF of a song playlist from the book."

Daniel Weizmann (Author), Rob Shapiro (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Californians: A Novel

"'The Californians is an absolute pleasure from end to end, a thrilling, century-spanning, wholly American tale of art and money, family and land, treasure and time....A brilliant read for fans of Anthony Doerr, Dana Spiotta, and Don DeLillo.”—Matt Bell, author of Appleseed For fans of Trust and North Woods, a daring novel that spans 100 years of American history, from the early days of cinema to the rise of digital community art, about parents and children, the drive to create even in times of crisis, and the inheritance of grand western dreams. It’s 2024, and Tobey Harlan—college dropout, temporary waiter, recently dumped—steals from the wall of his father’s house three paintings by the venerated and controversial artist Di Stiegl. Tobey’s just lost everything he owns to a Northern California wildfire, and if he can sell the paintings (albeit in a shady way to a notorious tech bro) he can start life anew in a place no one will ever find him. It's a risky move, but his father barely seems to like them--as long as Tobey can remember the artworks lived in the shadows of a hallway or partially obscured by furniture. Still, Di Stiegl has always been a touchy subject in his household, and he doesn't quite know why. A hundred years before, Klaus Aaronsohn—German-Jewish immigrant, resident of the Lower East Side—inveigles his way into a film studio in Astoria, Queens. In love with silent cinema, Klaus will restyle himself Klaus von Stiegl, a mysterious aristocratic German film director. In true Hollywood fashion, he will court fame, fortune, romance, and betrayal, and end his career directing Brackett: a radical, notorious 60s-era detective show. Weaving between them is the story of Diane “Di” Stiegl: Klaus’s granddaughter and the woman whose art seems to haunt Tobey's father, who claws out a career as an artist in gritty 1980s NYC. As America yields the presidency to a Hollywood cowboy, as Diane’s grifter father and free-spirited mother circle in and out of her life, Diane will reflect America’s most urgent and hypocritical years back to itself, uneasily finding critical adoration as well as great fame and wealth. A dazzling novel for readers of Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter and The Candy House by Jennifer Egan, The Californians is an ambitious and sweeping journey across a century. Nuanced and textured, gloriously funny, a critical portrait of the collective American consciousness that has brought us to today, it showcases Brian Castleberry as an inventive, stylish storyteller and a sharp observer of the human condition."

Brian Castleberry (Author), Jim Meskimen, Micky Shiloah, Nancy Peterson, Rob Shapiro (Narrator)

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Sons and Daughters: A Novel

"2026 PEN AMERICA AWARD FOR TRANSLATION FINALIST • From "one of the great-if not the greatest-contemporary Yiddish novelists" (Elie Wiesel), the long-awaited English translation of a work, Tolstoyan in scope, that chronicles the last, tumultuous decade of a world succumbing to the march of modernity. A NEW YORK TIMES BEST HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK • A KIRKUS BEST FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR • SHORTLISTED FOR THE FREUDENHEIM TRANSLATION PRIZE "A great beard novel . . . Also a great food novel . . . A melancholy book that also happens to be hopelessly, miraculously, unremittingly funny . . . [Grade's] fretful characters vibrate as if they were drawn by Roz Chast [and] Rose Waldman's translation seems miraculous to me." -Dwight Garner, The New York Times "It is me the prophet laments when he cries out, 'My enemies are the people in my own home.'" The Rabbi ignored his borscht and instead chewed on a crust of bread dipped in salt. "My greatest enemies are my own family." Rabbi Sholem Shachne Katzenellenbogen's world, the world of his forefathers, is crumbling before his eyes. And in his own home! His eldest, Bentzion, is off in Bialystok, studying to be a businessman; his daughter Bluma Rivtcha is in Vilna, at nursing school. For her older sister, Tilza, he at least managed to find a suitable young rabbi, but he can tell things are off between them. Naftali Hertz? Forget it; he's been lost to a philosophy degree in Switzerland (and maybe even a goyish wife?). And now the rabbi's youngest, Refael'ke, wants to run off to the Holy Land with the Zionists. Originally serialized in the 1960s and 1970s in New York-based Yiddish newspapers, Chaim Grade's Sons and Daughters is a precious glimpse of a way of life that is no longer-the rich Yiddish culture of Poland and Lithuania that the Holocaust would eradicate. We meet the Katzenellenbogens in the tiny village of Morehdalye, in the 1930s, when gangs of Poles are beginning to boycott Jewish merchants and the modern, secular world is pressing in on the shtetl from all sides. It's this clash, between the freethinking secular life and a life bound by religious duty-and the comforts offered by each-that stands at the center of Sons and Daughters. With characters that rival the homespun philosophers and lovable rogues of Sholem Aleichem and I. B. Singer-from the brooding Zalia Ziskind, paralyzed by the suffering of others, to the Dostoyevskian demon Shabse Shepsel-Grade's masterful novel brims with humanity and heartbreaking affection for a world, once full of life in all its glorious complexity, that would in just a few years vanish forever."

Chaim Grade (Author), Rob Shapiro (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Contractor: How I Landed in a Pakistani Prison and Ignited a Diplomatic Crisis

"A lot has been written about the time contractor Raymond Davis spent in a Pakistani jail in 2011. Unfortunately, much of it is misleading—or downright false—information. Now, the man at the center of the controversy tells his side of the story for the very first time. In The Contractor: How I Landed in a Pakistani Prison and Ignited a Diplomatic Crisis, Davis offers an up-close and personal look at the 2011 incident in Lahore, Pakistan, that led to his imprisonment and the events that took place as diplomats on both sides of the bargaining table scrambled to get him out. How did a routine drive turn into front-page news? Davis dissects the incident before taking readers on the same journey he endured while trapped in the Kafkaesque Pakistani legal system. As a veteran security contractor, Davis had come to terms with the prospect of dying long before the January 27, 2011 shooting, but nothing could prepare him for being a political pawn in a game with the highest stakes imaginable. An eye-opening memoir, The Contractor takes the veil off Raymond Davis's story and offers a sober reflection on the true cost of the War on Terror."

Raymond Davis, Storms Reback (Author), Rob Shapiro (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Rob Shapiro

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