AudioFile Magazine's Editor Picks for 2017's Best Audiobooks in Biography & History

December is all about the best-of books--and audiobooks--of the year. This year, I'm happy to be celebrating the best listens in biography and history of 2017 with AudioFile magazine.

The editors of the magazine tapped 12 audiobooks as deserving special recognition in this category. Here, I feature the book covers, give you a hint of what each audiobook is all about, and share some sound samples and videos.

Don't forget to check out AudioFile magazine's review of each winning biography and history audiobook; just click through the title links in the following list. To see all the winners in all the categories, read the AudioFile ezine "2017 Best Audiobooks".

To learn even more about the don't-miss audiobooks from 2017, be sure to follow @AudioFileMag on Twitter or like AudioFile Magazine on Facebook.

Between Them by Richard Ford, read by Christian Baskous: The novelist's first work of nonfiction is a tribute to his parents. For more about this audiobook and how Baskous approached the narration of this memoir, watch this video:


Caught in the Revolution by Helen Rappaport, read by Xe Sands: Amazing firsthand accounts of the early days of the Russian Revolution in 1917 Petrograd.

Grant by Ron Chernow, read by Mark Bramhall: The well-known, prize-winning historian and biographer turns his attention to the Civil War general and 18th president of the United States. Here's a sample of Bramhall's narration:


The Jersey Brothers by Sally Mott Freeman, read by Cassandra Campbell: Three brothers joined the navy during World War II but only two came home; this is the true-life story of the search for the youngest brother, who was reported missing in action.

Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson, read by Alfred Molina: One of our best biographers brings to life the story of the definitive Renaissance man. Listen to a sample of Molina's narration:


Lucy and Desi by Warren G. Harris, read by Jim Frangione: A behind-the-scenes look at what was once television's most famous and loving couple.

A Mind at Play by Rob Goodman and Jimmy Soni, read by Jonathan Yen: All about Claude Shannon, one of the often-overlooked pioneers of the digital information age. Here is narrator Yen's reaction to innovator and his work:

Remember the Ladies by Angela P. Dodson, read by Suzanne Toren: On the hundredth anniversary of women's suffrage, a tribute to those who fought for equal voting rights.

Sting Like a Bee by Leigh Montville, read by J. D. Jackson: An examination of Mohammad Ali's objection to serving in the Vietnam War. Listen to a sample of Jackson's narration:


The Vietnam War by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns, read by Ken Burns: This is the official companion audiobook for Ken Burns's documentary series on the controversial war.

A Woman in Berlin by Anonymous, Philip Boehm [trans.], read by Isabel Keating: An eye-witness account of the Russian invasion of Berlin and the last weeks of the war.

The World Remade by G. J. Meyer, read by Rob Shapiro: A look at the far-reaching political and economic implications of World War I, especially from an American perspective. Here is narrator Shapiro's thoughts about the audiobook: