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A Concise History of the Arabs
- Narrated by: Peter Ganim
- Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins
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A Concise History of the Arabs
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Publisher's summary
The key to understanding the Arab world today - and in the future - is unlocking its past. John McHugo takes the reader on a journey through the political, social and intellectual history of the Arabs from the Roman Empire right up to the present day. He covers the mission of the Prophet Muhammad, the expansion of Islam, medieval and modern conflicts, the interaction with Western ideas, the struggle to escape foreign domination, the rise of Islamism, and the end of the era of dictators.
The concise history reveals how the Arab world came to have its present form, why change was inevitable and what choices lie ahead following the Arab Spring.
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- By: Orlando Figes
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 191
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 168
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 168
The Story of Russia is about how the Russians defined themselves―and repeatedly reinvented such definitions along the way. Moving from Russia’s agrarian beginnings in the first millennium to subsequent periods of monarchy, totalitarianism, and perestroika, all the way up to Vladimir Putin and his use of myths of Russian history to bolster his regime, celebrated historian Orlando Figes examines the ideas that have guided the country’s actions.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Almost perfect…
- By Samantha Dispenzieri on 02-21-23
By: Orlando Figes
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The Shia Revival
- How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future
- By: Vali Nasr
- Narrated by: Fleet Cooper
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 192
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 165
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 162
Profiled on the front page of the Wall Street Journal, Iranian-born scholar Vali Nasr has become one of America's leading commentators on current events in the Middle East, admired and welcomed by both media and government for his "concise and coherent" analysis (Wall Street Journal). In this "smart, clear and timely" book (Washington Post), Nasr brilliantly dissects the political and theological antagonisms within Islam. He provides a unique and objective understanding of the 1,400-year bitter struggle between Shias and Sunnis, and sheds crucial light on its modern-day consequences—from the nuclear posturing of Iran's President Ahmadinejad to the recent U.S.-enabled shift toward Shia power in Iraq and Hezbollah's continued dominance in Lebanon.
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5 out of 5 stars
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The Narrator Needs Language Lessons
- By Pari Golha on 11-28-13
By: Vali Nasr
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The Gates of Europe
- A History of Ukraine
- By: Serhii Plokhy
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 15 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 119
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 99
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 98
Ukraine is currently embroiled in a tense fight with Russia to preserve its territorial integrity and political independence. But today's conflict is only the latest in a long history of battles over Ukraine's territory and its existence as a sovereign nation. As the award-winning historian Serhii Plokhy argues in The Gates of Europe, we must examine Ukraine's past in order to understand its present and future.
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5 out of 5 stars
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An extraordinarily good book
- By Specs2789 on 03-01-23
By: Serhii Plokhy
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Reconciliation
- Islam, Democracy, and the West
- By: Benazir Bhutto
- Narrated by: Rita Wolf
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 180
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 77
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 78
In Reconciliation, Bhutto recounts in gripping detail her final months in Pakistan and offers a bold new agenda for how to stem the tide of Islamic radicalism and to rediscover the values of tolerance and justice that lie at the heart of her religion.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Female Muslim insight
- By Craig Bell on 03-07-08
By: Benazir Bhutto
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The Kurds: The History of the Middle Eastern Ethnic Group and Their Quest for Kurdistan
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Colin Fluxman
- Length: 1 hr and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 37
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 33
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 32
The Kurds: The History of the Middle Eastern Ethnic Group and Their Quest for Kurdistan examines the group and the contentious issues surrounding them. By delving deeper into their ethnic, religious, and political history, it is possible to understand the larger issues of statelessness and the striving for independence. At the same time, the relationships between the Kurds and the ruling regimes of the day have changed and altered the political landscape in the Middle East.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Brief Historical Account but lacks depth.
- By Shadow Kurdi on 02-21-22
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They Can Live in the Desert but Nowhere Else
- A History of the Armenian Genocide
- By: Ronald Grigor Suny
- Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 15 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 137
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 120
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 120
Starting in early 1915, the Ottoman Turks began deporting and killing hundreds of thousands of Armenians in the first major genocide of the 20th century. By the end of the First World War, the number of Armenians in what would become Turkey had been reduced by 90 percent - more than 1,000,000 people. A century later, the Armenian genocide remains controversial but relatively unknown, overshadowed by later slaughters and the chasm separating Turkish and Armenian versions of events.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great book, unbiased view finally
- By Raffy Afarian on 10-30-15
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A Brief History of Ukraine
- A Singular People Within the Crucible of Empires
- By: Dominic Haynes
- Narrated by: Jordan Vogt
- Length: 3 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 55
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 52
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Story5 out of 5 stars 52
Ukraine is a geographically diverse country with the unfortunate fate of being sandwiched between empires. Though this is frequently explored no further than the global conflicts of the 20th century, in reality, Ukraine’s struggle for self-determination has far deeper roots than most people realize. See the splendor of the Kyivan Rus, gallop with the Golden Horde across the Ukrainian steppe, encounter the legendary Cossacks, and witness the terror of the tsars. From the Romans to the Mongols to the Russians, Ukraine has seen it all and remained uniquely Ukrainian through it all.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent quick listen
- By Thomas J Anderson on 12-14-23
By: Dominic Haynes
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Islam
- A Short History [Modern Library Chronicles]
- By: Karen Armstrong
- Narrated by: Richard M. Davidson
- Length: 6 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 300
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 175
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Story4 out of 5 stars 174
Best-selling author and renowned religious scholar Karen Armstrong presents a concise and articulate history of Islam, the world's fastest-growing faith. Beginning with the Prophet Muhammad's flight from Medina and concluding with an examination of modern Islamic practices and concerns, Armstrong delivers an unbiased overview. She contends that no religion is more feared and misunderstood by the Western world as Islam, and firmly challenges the notion that these two civilizations are on a collision course.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Read the Book, pass on the audible!
- By J********** on 08-21-06
By: Karen Armstrong
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The English and Their History
- By: Robert Tombs
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 43 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 688
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 603
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 595
Robert Tombs' momentous The English and Their History is both a startlingly fresh and a uniquely inclusive account of the people who have a claim to be the oldest nation in the world. The English first came into existence as an idea, before they had a common ruler and before the country they lived in even had a name. They have lasted as a recognizable entity ever since, and their defining national institutions can be traced back to the earliest years of their history.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Should be called, The English and their politics
- By Mary Elizabeth Reynolds on 08-24-16
By: Robert Tombs
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The Balkans [Modern Library Chronicles]
- By: Mark Mazower
- Narrated by: Robert O'Keefe
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 187
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 125
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Story4 out of 5 stars 124
In this fascinating work, winner of the Wolfson Prize for History Mark Mazower uncovers the history of the Balkans with detail and clarity. He explores the reasons for current conflicts and examines the Balkans as a religious, cultural, and economic melting pot for Europe and Asia. Through Robert O'Keefe's articulate narration, listeners will be absorbed by this rich world.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Thorough History...
- By David on 09-30-05
By: Mark Mazower
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Iran
- A Modern History
- By: Abbas Amanat
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 41 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 271
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 231
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 231
This history of modern Iran is not a survey in the conventional sense but an ambitious exploration of the story of a nation. It offers a revealing look at how events, people, and institutions are shaped by currents that sometimes reach back hundreds of years. The book covers the complex history of the diverse societies and economies of Iran against the background of dynastic changes, revolutions, civil wars, foreign occupation, and the rise of the Islamic Republic.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A Nuanced, and Objective Masterpiece !!!!!
- By Chris Carl on 01-16-20
By: Abbas Amanat
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A People’s History of the World
- From the Stone Age to the New Millennium
- By: Chris Harman
- Narrated by: Napoleon Ryan
- Length: 29 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 264
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 217
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 213
Chris Harman describes the shape and course of human history as a narrative of ordinary people forming and re-forming complex societies in pursuit of common human goals. Interacting with the forces of technological change as well as the impact of powerful individuals and revolutionary ideas, these societies have engendered events familiar to every schoolchild-from the empires of antiquity to the world wars of the 20th century. In a bravura conclusion, Chris Harman exposes the reductive complacency of contemporary capitalism.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Oh God avoid
- By Robert on 03-28-18
By: Chris Harman
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A Concise History of Italy
- By: Christopher Duggan
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 52
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 45
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 45
Since its formation in 1861, Italy has struggled to develop an effective political system and a secure sense of national identity. Christopher Duggan's acclaimed introduction charts the country's history from the fall of the Roman Empire in the West to the present day, and surveys the difficulties Italy has faced during the last two centuries in creating a unified country. Duggan successfully weaves together political, economic, social and cultural history, and stresses the alternation between materialist and idealist programs for forging a nation-state.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Concise indeed
- By nikex on 03-22-21
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From the Ruins of Empire
- The Revolt Against the West and the Remaking of Asia
- By: Pankaj Mishra
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 69
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 57
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 57
A little more than a century ago, as the Japanese navy annihilated the giant Russian one at the Battle of Tsushima, original thinkers across Asia, working independently, sought to frame a distinctly Asian intellectual tradition that would inform and inspire the continent's anticipated rise to dominance.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Breathtaking Scale, Cohesion and Vision of Asian History
- By Oscar C. Huerta on 03-18-19
By: Pankaj Mishra
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Russia in Revolution
- An Empire in Crisis, 1890 to 1928
- By: S. A. Smith
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 43
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 35
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 33
The Russian Revolution of 1917 transformed the face of the Russian empire, politically, economically, socially, and culturally and also profoundly affected the course of world history for the rest of the 20th century. Historian S. A. Smith presents a panoramic account of the history of the Russian empire, from the last years of the 19th century, through the First World War and the revolutions of 1917 and the establishment of the Bolshevik regime, to the end of the 1920s.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent centenary look at the complete revolutio
- By Privet on 09-13-18
By: S. A. Smith
What listeners say about A Concise History of the Arabs
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Eitan Yudilevich
- 07-10-15
Interesting, educating, but not balanced
What did you love best about A Concise History of the Arabs?
The capability to summariize the long and complex history of the Arabs in a relatively compact form. Good reference and I will certainly come back to it.
If you’ve listened to books by John McHugo before, how does this one compare?
This is my first
Which character – as performed by Peter Ganim – was your favorite?
Not relevant
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
The author is not balanced in its attitude towards Israel as a part of the modern Middle East. Where he could provide a positive angle, he avoided reference to Israel. He claims this is not a history of Israel or of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but uses every opportunity to (concisely) refer to Israel in a negative way.
Any additional comments?
Despite my comment on the Israeli angle, my overall ranking is high because I was captured by the story and the way the author tells it.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- EHAB ASSAL
- 10-21-17
Great book !!!
Must read to understand history of the Arab world and the middle east up till today,and very balanced book for all nations mentioned .
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Michael
- 10-05-14
Useful but...
I enjoyed the opportunity tho review the history of the Arab. I would enjoy it more if the author haven't lost his cool and refrained from the emotional outbreaks when he approached modern history. Any history of the Arab world would lose its appeal with the first anti-Jewish remark just as the opposite is true.
As an alternative narrative of Muslim history I would recommend the excellent A Brief Guide to Islam by Paul Grieve also available from Audible.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Peter
- 09-05-13
Starts with the Life of Mohammed: you do the math
What disappointed you about A Concise History of the Arabs?
Might have well been "A Concise History of the Trayvon Martin Case" by Rev. Al Sharpton.
What could John McHugo have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
I found his sanctimonious preface particularly noteworthy.
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4 people found this helpful