
My Penguin Year
Life Among the Emperors
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $18.89
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Lindsay McCrae
-
By:
-
Lindsay McCrae
About this listen
An unprecedentedly intimate portrait of an emperor penguin colony in Antarctica, by a BAFTA Award-winning BBC director of photography who observed these extraordinary birds for a year. This is the ultimate gift for any penguin or nature lover.
For 337 consecutive days, Lindsay McCrae followed 4,000 emperor penguins amid the singular beauty of Antarctica, chronicling their remarkable year-long journey of life, death, and birth. McCrae was there as the director of photography for the acclaimed BBC series Dynasties (narrated by Sir David Attenborough), for which he won a 2019 Bafta Award. Even in the depths of the Antarctic winter - the harshest environment on earth - McCrae witnessed the most intimate moments of these beloved animals as they sought survival with temperatures reaching 60 degrees below zero.
An unforgettable narrative account that is poised to become a classic of nature writing, My Penguin Year takes listeners into the world of the emperor penguin as no book has before. Emperors are the world’s largest penguins, and they play the game of life on the highest difficulty level, breeding in pairs on sea ice during the Antarctic winter. After mating, the female penguin lays her egg, and then disappears, not to return for months. The male penguin will starve himself for more than 100 days, incubating the egg in his pouch, while the female heads off in search of food. Finally, the female returns, and, recognizing her original mate by the sound of his call, is reunited with the father and their newly-hatched chick.
Highlights:
A decision to save penguins’ lives. McCrae details the difficult decision to break documentary protocol and intervene to save a band of penguins who had become trapped in an icy ravine, sure to die without human intervention.
Becoming a new father while on the ice. While filming the lifecycle of the penguins, McCrae himself became a father. He did not see his son until the child was seven months old.
The emperors’ uncertain future. The emperors breed on frozen sea ice. As ocean temperatures rise, their rookeries are endangered - and so too is this extraordinary species. Indeed in April 2019, the New York Times reported that “The Antarctic’s second-largest colony of emperor penguins collapsed...with more than 10,000 chicks lost, and the population has not recovered.”
One year in the wild Antarctic. McCrae’s narrative is also wonderfully evokes an extraordinary natural place, from the rare vantage point of someone who has spent every season there.
Wonderfully compelling, filled with surprising depth, insight, and warmth, My Penguin Year is essential listening for animal lovers, amateur naturalists, and fans of true-life adventure tales as well as H Is for Hawk and The Shepherd’s Life.
©2019 Lindsay McCrae (P)2019 HarperAudioListeners also enjoyed...
-
Emperors of the Deep
- Sharks - The Ocean's Most Mysterious, Most Misunderstood, and Most Important Guardians
- By: William McKeever
- Narrated by: Timothy Andrés Pabon
- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this remarkable, groundbreaking audiobook, a documentarian and conservationist, determined to dispel misplaced fear and correct common misconceptions, explores in-depth the secret lives of sharks - magnificent creatures who play an integral part in maintaining the health of the world’s oceans and ultimately the planet.
-
-
I wanted to like this book, but...
- By Lissa on 08-05-19
By: William McKeever
-
A Wild Idea
- By: Jonathan Franklin
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The incredible true story of the entrepreneur turned conservationist - the founder of the iconic company The North Face who used his fortune to protect more than 25 million acres of land from development and exploitation and “foster peace between people and wild nature”.
-
-
How could I have not known.
- By Nancy B. Bryant on 06-01-23
-
Wanderlust
- An Eccentric Explorer, an Epic Journey, a Lost Age
- By: Reid Mitenbuler
- Narrated by: Peter Noble
- Length: 19 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Deep in the Arctic wilderness, Peter Freuchen awoke to find himself buried alive under the snow. During a sudden blizzard the night before, he had taken shelter underneath his dogsled and become trapped there while he slept. Now, as feeling drained from his body, he managed to claw a hole through the ice only to find himself in even greater danger: his beard, wet with condensation from his struggling breath, had frozen to his sled runners and lashed his head in place, exposing it to icy winds that needed only a few minutes to kill him. If Freuchen could escape that, he could escape anything.
-
-
Amazingly in-depth look at an amazing person.
- By Dave on 06-18-23
By: Reid Mitenbuler
-
Fuzz
- When Nature Breaks the Law
- By: Mary Roach
- Narrated by: Mary Roach
- Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What’s to be done about a jaywalking moose? A bear caught breaking and entering? A murderous tree? Three hundred years ago, animals that broke the law would be assigned legal representation and put on trial. These days, as New York Times best-selling author Mary Roach discovers, the answers are best found not in jurisprudence but in science: the curious science of human-wildlife conflict, a discipline at the crossroads of human behavior and wildlife biology.
-
-
The footnotes
- By Alex on 09-24-21
By: Mary Roach
-
Satellite Boy
- The International Manhunt for a Master Thief That Launched the Modern Communication Age
- By: Andrew Amelinckx
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On April 6, 1965, Georges Lemay was relaxing on his yacht in a south Florida marina following one of the largest and most daring bank heists in Canadian history. For four years, the roguishly handsome criminal mastermind hid in plain sight, eluding capture and the combined efforts of the FBI, Interpol, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. His future appeared secure. What Lemay didn't know was that less than two hundred miles away at Cape Canaveral, a brilliant engineer named Harold Rosen was about to usher in the age of global live television.
-
-
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED — this is a gripping history!!
- By Deborah R. Castleman on 03-22-23
By: Andrew Amelinckx
-
Soul of an Octopus
- A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness
- By: Sy Montgomery
- Narrated by: Sy Montgomery
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sy Montgomery's popular 2011 Orion magazine piece, "Deep Intellect", about her friendship with a sensitive, sweet-natured octopus named Athena and the grief she felt at her death, went viral, indicating the widespread fascination with these mysterious, almost alien-like creatures. Since then Sy has practiced true immersion journalism, from New England aquarium tanks to the reefs of French Polynesia and the Gulf of Mexico, pursuing these wild, solitary shape-shifters.
-
-
Eight legs and so much more!
- By Kirstin on 07-02-15
By: Sy Montgomery
-
Emperors of the Deep
- Sharks - The Ocean's Most Mysterious, Most Misunderstood, and Most Important Guardians
- By: William McKeever
- Narrated by: Timothy Andrés Pabon
- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this remarkable, groundbreaking audiobook, a documentarian and conservationist, determined to dispel misplaced fear and correct common misconceptions, explores in-depth the secret lives of sharks - magnificent creatures who play an integral part in maintaining the health of the world’s oceans and ultimately the planet.
-
-
I wanted to like this book, but...
- By Lissa on 08-05-19
By: William McKeever
-
A Wild Idea
- By: Jonathan Franklin
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The incredible true story of the entrepreneur turned conservationist - the founder of the iconic company The North Face who used his fortune to protect more than 25 million acres of land from development and exploitation and “foster peace between people and wild nature”.
-
-
How could I have not known.
- By Nancy B. Bryant on 06-01-23
-
Wanderlust
- An Eccentric Explorer, an Epic Journey, a Lost Age
- By: Reid Mitenbuler
- Narrated by: Peter Noble
- Length: 19 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Deep in the Arctic wilderness, Peter Freuchen awoke to find himself buried alive under the snow. During a sudden blizzard the night before, he had taken shelter underneath his dogsled and become trapped there while he slept. Now, as feeling drained from his body, he managed to claw a hole through the ice only to find himself in even greater danger: his beard, wet with condensation from his struggling breath, had frozen to his sled runners and lashed his head in place, exposing it to icy winds that needed only a few minutes to kill him. If Freuchen could escape that, he could escape anything.
-
-
Amazingly in-depth look at an amazing person.
- By Dave on 06-18-23
By: Reid Mitenbuler
-
Fuzz
- When Nature Breaks the Law
- By: Mary Roach
- Narrated by: Mary Roach
- Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What’s to be done about a jaywalking moose? A bear caught breaking and entering? A murderous tree? Three hundred years ago, animals that broke the law would be assigned legal representation and put on trial. These days, as New York Times best-selling author Mary Roach discovers, the answers are best found not in jurisprudence but in science: the curious science of human-wildlife conflict, a discipline at the crossroads of human behavior and wildlife biology.
-
-
The footnotes
- By Alex on 09-24-21
By: Mary Roach
-
Satellite Boy
- The International Manhunt for a Master Thief That Launched the Modern Communication Age
- By: Andrew Amelinckx
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On April 6, 1965, Georges Lemay was relaxing on his yacht in a south Florida marina following one of the largest and most daring bank heists in Canadian history. For four years, the roguishly handsome criminal mastermind hid in plain sight, eluding capture and the combined efforts of the FBI, Interpol, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. His future appeared secure. What Lemay didn't know was that less than two hundred miles away at Cape Canaveral, a brilliant engineer named Harold Rosen was about to usher in the age of global live television.
-
-
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED — this is a gripping history!!
- By Deborah R. Castleman on 03-22-23
By: Andrew Amelinckx
-
Soul of an Octopus
- A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness
- By: Sy Montgomery
- Narrated by: Sy Montgomery
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sy Montgomery's popular 2011 Orion magazine piece, "Deep Intellect", about her friendship with a sensitive, sweet-natured octopus named Athena and the grief she felt at her death, went viral, indicating the widespread fascination with these mysterious, almost alien-like creatures. Since then Sy has practiced true immersion journalism, from New England aquarium tanks to the reefs of French Polynesia and the Gulf of Mexico, pursuing these wild, solitary shape-shifters.
-
-
Eight legs and so much more!
- By Kirstin on 07-02-15
By: Sy Montgomery
-
All Hands on Deck
- A Modern-Day High Seas Adventure to the Far Side of the World
- By: Will Sofrin
- Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross
- Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the late 1990s, Patrick O’Brian’s beloved, massively bestselling historical novel series was destined for film. With director Peter Weir and stars Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany signed on for Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, there was only one problem: The Rose, the replica eighteenth-century warship that filmmakers bought for the production, was in Newport, Rhode Island, two oceans and thousands of miles away from Hollywood. Enter a ragtag crew of thirty oddballs and tall-ship fanatics, including author Will Sofrin.
-
-
Bow-spirit? BOW-SPIRIT!?!
- By A reader on 06-18-23
By: Will Sofrin
-
Fierce Valor
- The True Story of Ronald Speirs and His Band of Brothers
- By: Jared Frederick, Erik Dorr
- Narrated by: Chris Abell
- Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fans of Stephen E. Ambrose’s Band of Brothers will be drawn to this complex portrait of the controversial Ronald Speirs, an iconic commander of celebrated Easy Company during D-Day and beyond, whose ferocious courage and drive across three wars were matched by a devotion to duty and a hidden heart shadowed by lost love.
-
-
Felt like a historical yet cursory summary
- By JWalkup on 06-30-22
By: Jared Frederick, and others
-
What's Gotten into You
- The Story of Your Body's Atoms, from the Big Bang Through Last Night's Dinner
- By: Dan Levitt
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Every one of us contains a billion times more atoms than all the grains of sand in the earth’s deserts. If you weigh 150 pounds, you’ve got enough carbon to make 25 pounds of charcoal, enough salt to fill a saltshaker, enough chlorine to disinfect several backyard swimming pools, and enough iron to forge a 3-inch nail. But how did these elements combine to make us human?
-
-
One of the Very Best Science Books I have Read
- By TStair on 03-20-23
By: Dan Levitt
-
When Death Becomes Life
- Notes from a Transplant Surgeon
- By: Joshua D. Mezrich
- Narrated by: Josh Bloomberg
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the University of Wisconsin, Dr. Joshua Mezrich creates life from loss, transplanting organs from one body to another. In this intimate, profoundly moving work, he illuminates the extraordinary field of transplantation that enables this kind of miracle to happen every day.
-
-
Memoir and history, beautifully written
- By Bonny on 01-22-19
-
The Ship Beneath the Ice
- The Discovery of Shackleton’s Endurance
- By: Mensun Bound
- Narrated by: Mensun Bound - preface, Charles Armstrong
- Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On November 21, 1914, after sailing more than ten thousand miles from Norway to the Antarctic Ocean, the Endurance finally succumbed to the surrounding ice. Ernest Shackleton and his crew had navigated the 144-foot, three-masted wooden vessel to Antarctica to become the first to cross the barren continent, but early season pack ice trapped them in place offshore. They watched in silence as the ship’s stern rose twenty feet in the air and disappeared into the frigid sea, then spent six harrowing months marooned on the ice in its wake.
-
-
Dragged out story
- By Bill on 09-14-23
By: Mensun Bound
-
The Confidante
- The Untold Story of the Woman Who Helped Win WWII and Shape Modern America
- By: Christopher C. Gorham
- Narrated by: Ann Richardson
- Length: 14 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With a disarming mix of charm and Tammany-hewn toughness, Rosenberg began her career in public relations in 1920s Manhattan. As FDR's unofficial adviser, Rosenberg soon wielded enormous influence—no less potent for being subtle. Her extraordinary career continued after his death. By 1950, she was tapped to become the assistant secretary of defense—the highest position ever held by a woman in the US military—prompting Senator Joe McCarthy to wage an unsuccessful smear campaign against her.
-
-
Part History, Part Promotion
- By D. Bucks on 06-07-23
-
The Elephant Whisperer (Young Readers Adaptation)
- My Life with the Herd in the African Wild
- By: Lawrence Anthony, Thea Feldman, Graham Spence
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 5 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of "rogue" wild elephants on his Thula Thula game reserve in Zululand, his common sense told him to refuse. But he was the herd's last chance of survival: they would be killed if he wouldn't take them. In order to save their lives, Anthony took them in. In the years that followed he became a part of their family. And as he battled to create a bond with the elephants, he came to realize that they had a great deal to teach him about life, loyalty, and freedom.
-
-
Elephants are fascinating! Such a great listen
- By Jeanine M. Lesperance on 08-11-19
By: Lawrence Anthony, and others
-
Silent Spring Revolution
- John F. Kennedy, Rachel Carson, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and the Great Environmental Awakening
- By: Douglas Brinkley
- Narrated by: Stephen Graybill
- Length: 29 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
New York Times bestselling author and acclaimed presidential historian Douglas Brinkley chronicles the rise of environmental activism during the Long Sixties (1960-1973), telling the story of an indomitable generation that saved the natural world under the leadership of John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and Richard Nixon.
-
-
Need one more book...
- By Chuck Wofford on 02-23-23
By: Douglas Brinkley
-
The Secret Lives of Bats
- My Adventures with the World's Most Misunderstood Mammals
- By: Merlin Tuttle
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A lifetime of adventures with bats around the world reveals why these special and imperiled creatures should be protected rather than feared.
-
-
Very Disappointing
- By R. Klein on 07-31-23
By: Merlin Tuttle
-
Into the Great Emptiness
- Peril and Survival on the Greenland Ice Cap
- By: David Roberts
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 9 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
By 1930, no place in the world was less well explored than Greenland. The native Inuit had occupied the relatively accessible west coast for centuries. The east coast, however, was another story. In August 1930, Henry George Watkins (nicknamed “Gino”), a twenty-three-year-old British explorer, led thirteen scientists and explorers on an ambitious expedition to the east coast of Greenland and into its vast and forbidding interior to set up a permanent meteorological base on the icecap, 8,200 feet above sea level.
-
-
Wonderful!
- By Sandy L Fleming on 12-02-22
By: David Roberts
-
The Impossible First
- By: Colin O'Brady
- Narrated by: Colin O'Brady
- Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Prior to December 2018, no individual had ever crossed the landmass of Antarctica alone, without support and completely human powered. Yet, Colin O’Brady was determined to do just that, even if, 10 years earlier, there was doubt that he’d ever walk again normally. From the depths of a tragic accident, he fought his way back. In a quest to unlock his potential and discover what was possible, he went on to set three mountaineering world records before turning to this historic Antarctic challenge.
-
-
Impossible Last
- By Mike MacSkivvy on 02-27-20
By: Colin O'Brady
-
The Bird Way
- A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think
- By: Jennifer Ackerman
- Narrated by: Jennifer Ackerman
- Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"There is the mammal way and there is the bird way." But the bird way is much more than a unique pattern of brain wiring, and lately, scientists have taken a new look at bird behaviors they have, for years, dismissed as anomalies or mysteries - what they are finding is upending the traditional view of how birds conduct their lives, how they communicate, forage, court, breed, survive. They are also revealing the remarkable intelligence underlying these activities, abilities we once considered uniquely our own.
-
-
Good Work but it doesn’t scale
- By Stanley Lippman on 07-02-20
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Heart of the Hive
- Inside the Mind of the Honey Bee and the Incredible Life Force of the Colony
- By: Hilary Kearney
- Narrated by: Hilary Kearney
- Length: 4 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Listeners will be awestruck by the hive as superorganism and how the individual bee lives and behaves within it, perfectly suited to each specific job it performs. From their intricate dances and information-rich pheromones to how they sense and respond to their environment, learn, and remember, this immersive journey into the world of bees offers an entirely new perspective on the wisdom of nature and our relationship to it.
-
-
Full of fun facts!
- By Nicole Fraker on 04-13-25
By: Hilary Kearney
-
Chasing Shadows
- My Life Tracking the Great White Shark
- By: Greg Skomal, Ret Talbot
- Narrated by: Jamie Renell
- Length: 14 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With its quaint villages, local restaurants serving up lobster rolls, and miles and miles of warm, sandy beaches, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is famous for being America’s carefree seaside getaway. But in August 2012, the first confirmed shark attack in almost eighty years occurred in the region. As shark sightings quickly began to increase on Cape Cod and elsewhere and large beachside billboards warning about the growing shark population became a common sight, a boogie boarder died after being attacked by a great white shark in Cape Cod’s shallow waters.
-
-
Not just a boy who loves sharks!
- By Marianne O'Sullivan on 08-12-23
By: Greg Skomal, and others
-
The Sun Is a Compass
- A 4,000-Mile Journey into the Alaskan Wilds
- By: Caroline Van Hemert
- Narrated by: Xe Sands
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This gripping true story follows a biologist's human-powered journey from the Pacific Northwest to the Arctic to rediscover her love of birds, nature, and adventure—perfect for fans of Cheryl Strayed.
-
-
The journey doesn’t get any better...
- By Philip Jacob Lee on 06-18-19
-
The Library
- A Fragile History
- By: Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Length: 15 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Famed across the known world, jealously guarded by private collectors, built up over centuries, destroyed in a single day, ornamented with gold leaf and frescoes, or filled with bean bags and children’s drawings - the history of the library is rich, varied, and stuffed full of incident.
-
-
Stays on point
- By Alex on 04-29-23
By: Andrew Pettegree, and others
-
Granite Mountain
- The Firsthand Account of a Tragic Wildfire, Its Lone Survivor, and the Firefighters Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice
- By: Brendan McDonough, Stephan Talty - contributor
- Narrated by: John Glouchevitch
- Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The true story behind the events that inspired the major motion picture Only the Brave. A "unique and bracing" (Booklist) first-person account by the sole survivor of Arizona's disastrous 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire, which took the lives of 19 "hotshots" - firefighters trained specifically to battle wildfires. Brendan McDonough was on the verge of becoming a hopeless, inveterate heroin addict when he, for the sake of his young daughter, decided to turn his life around. He enlisted in the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a team of elite firefighters based in Prescott, Arizona.
-
-
Thank you Brendan
- By Kenton on 06-07-16
By: Brendan McDonough, and others
-
Rare Objects
- A Novel
- By: Kathleen Tessaro
- Narrated by: Susan Bennett
- Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Maeve Fanning is a first-generation Irish immigrant born and raised among the poor, industrious Italian families of Boston's North End by her widowed mother. Clever, capable, and as headstrong as her red hair suggests, she's determined to better herself despite the overwhelming hardships of the Great Depression. However, Maeve also has a dangerous fondness for strange men and bootleg gin - a rebellious appetite that soon finds her spiraling downward, leading a double life.
-
-
I loved this book!!
- By Traci J on 08-19-17
By: Kathleen Tessaro
-
Heart of the Hive
- Inside the Mind of the Honey Bee and the Incredible Life Force of the Colony
- By: Hilary Kearney
- Narrated by: Hilary Kearney
- Length: 4 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Listeners will be awestruck by the hive as superorganism and how the individual bee lives and behaves within it, perfectly suited to each specific job it performs. From their intricate dances and information-rich pheromones to how they sense and respond to their environment, learn, and remember, this immersive journey into the world of bees offers an entirely new perspective on the wisdom of nature and our relationship to it.
-
-
Full of fun facts!
- By Nicole Fraker on 04-13-25
By: Hilary Kearney
-
Chasing Shadows
- My Life Tracking the Great White Shark
- By: Greg Skomal, Ret Talbot
- Narrated by: Jamie Renell
- Length: 14 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With its quaint villages, local restaurants serving up lobster rolls, and miles and miles of warm, sandy beaches, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is famous for being America’s carefree seaside getaway. But in August 2012, the first confirmed shark attack in almost eighty years occurred in the region. As shark sightings quickly began to increase on Cape Cod and elsewhere and large beachside billboards warning about the growing shark population became a common sight, a boogie boarder died after being attacked by a great white shark in Cape Cod’s shallow waters.
-
-
Not just a boy who loves sharks!
- By Marianne O'Sullivan on 08-12-23
By: Greg Skomal, and others
-
The Sun Is a Compass
- A 4,000-Mile Journey into the Alaskan Wilds
- By: Caroline Van Hemert
- Narrated by: Xe Sands
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This gripping true story follows a biologist's human-powered journey from the Pacific Northwest to the Arctic to rediscover her love of birds, nature, and adventure—perfect for fans of Cheryl Strayed.
-
-
The journey doesn’t get any better...
- By Philip Jacob Lee on 06-18-19
-
The Library
- A Fragile History
- By: Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Length: 15 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Famed across the known world, jealously guarded by private collectors, built up over centuries, destroyed in a single day, ornamented with gold leaf and frescoes, or filled with bean bags and children’s drawings - the history of the library is rich, varied, and stuffed full of incident.
-
-
Stays on point
- By Alex on 04-29-23
By: Andrew Pettegree, and others
-
Granite Mountain
- The Firsthand Account of a Tragic Wildfire, Its Lone Survivor, and the Firefighters Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice
- By: Brendan McDonough, Stephan Talty - contributor
- Narrated by: John Glouchevitch
- Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The true story behind the events that inspired the major motion picture Only the Brave. A "unique and bracing" (Booklist) first-person account by the sole survivor of Arizona's disastrous 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire, which took the lives of 19 "hotshots" - firefighters trained specifically to battle wildfires. Brendan McDonough was on the verge of becoming a hopeless, inveterate heroin addict when he, for the sake of his young daughter, decided to turn his life around. He enlisted in the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a team of elite firefighters based in Prescott, Arizona.
-
-
Thank you Brendan
- By Kenton on 06-07-16
By: Brendan McDonough, and others
-
Rare Objects
- A Novel
- By: Kathleen Tessaro
- Narrated by: Susan Bennett
- Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Maeve Fanning is a first-generation Irish immigrant born and raised among the poor, industrious Italian families of Boston's North End by her widowed mother. Clever, capable, and as headstrong as her red hair suggests, she's determined to better herself despite the overwhelming hardships of the Great Depression. However, Maeve also has a dangerous fondness for strange men and bootleg gin - a rebellious appetite that soon finds her spiraling downward, leading a double life.
-
-
I loved this book!!
- By Traci J on 08-19-17
By: Kathleen Tessaro
-
Forever Young
- A Memoir
- By: Hayley Mills
- Narrated by: Hayley Mills
- Length: 16 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Iconic actress Hayley Mills shares personal memories from her storied childhood, growing up in a famous acting family and becoming a Disney child star, trying to grow up in a world that wanted her to stay forever young.
-
-
Excellent Detailed Acct. of her Years to Mid-70s
- By Mary Burnight on 09-17-21
By: Hayley Mills
-
Codename Nemo
- The Hunt for a Nazi U-Boat and the Elusive Enigma Machine
- By: Charles Lachman
- Narrated by: Qarie Marshall
- Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On June 4, 1944, the course of World War II was forever changed. That day, a US Navy task force achieved the impossible—capturing a German U-Boat. Called Operation Nemo, it was the first seizure of an enemy ship in battle since the War of 1812, one of the greatest achievements of the US Navy and a victory that shortened the duration of the war. A deeply researched, fast-paced World War II narrative for the ages, Charles Lachman’s white-knuckled war saga and thrilling cat-and-mouse game is told through the eyes of the men on both sides of Operation Nemo.
-
-
LOVED IT. Great storytelling. Engaging.
- By DucatiRacer M.D. on 04-04-25
By: Charles Lachman
-
The Secret Knowledge of Water
- There Are Two Easy Ways to Die in the Desert: Thirst and Drowning
- By: Craig Childs
- Narrated by: Craig Childs
- Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Deserts are environments that can be inhospitable even to seasoned explorers. Craig Childs has spent years in the deserts of the American West, and his treks through arid lands in search of water reveal the natural world at its most extreme.
-
-
This book is fantastic
- By Jamesdcawley on 04-09-20
By: Craig Childs
-
Patient Zero
- A Curious History of the World's Worst Diseases
- By: Lydia Kang MD, Nate Pedersen
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 14 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the masters of storytelling-meets-science, Patient Zero tells the long and fascinating history of disease outbreaks—how they start, how they spread, the science that lets us understand them, and how we race to destroy them before they destroy us. Written in the authors’ lively style, chapters include gripping medical stories about a particular disease or virus—smallpox, Bubonic plague, polio, HIV—that combine “Patient Zero” narratives, or the human stories behind outbreaks, with historical examinations of missteps, milestones, scientific theories, and more.
-
-
Can’t listen to the reader
- By Doug Clyde on 07-21-22
By: Lydia Kang MD, and others
-
The Animal Dialogues
- Uncommon Encounters in the Wild
- By: Craig Childs
- Narrated by: Craig Childs
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Animal Dialogues tells of Craig Childs' own chilling experiences among the grizzlies of the Arctic, sharks off the coast of British Columbia and in the turquoise waters of Central America, jaguars in the bush of northern Mexico, mountain lions, elk, Bighorn Sheep, and others. More than chilling, however, these stories are lyrical, enchanting, and reach beyond what one commonly assumes an "animal story" is or should be. The Animal Dialogues is a book about another world that exists alongside our own.
-
-
detailed and unusual descriptions of animals
- By Renate on 01-13-22
By: Craig Childs
-
Little and Often
- A Memoir
- By: Trent Preszler
- Narrated by: Matt Bomer
- Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Trent Preszler thought he was living the life he always wanted, with a job at a winery and a seaside Long Island home, when he was called back to the life he left behind. After years of estrangement, his cancer-stricken father had invited him to South Dakota for Thanksgiving. It would be the last time he saw his father alive. Preszler’s only inheritance was a beat-up wooden toolbox that had belonged to his father, who was a cattle rancher, rodeo champion, and Vietnam War Bronze Star Medal recipient. This family heirloom befuddled Preszler.
-
-
So good
- By Trevor Stanco on 04-28-21
By: Trent Preszler
-
A History of the Human Brain
- From the Sea Sponge to CRISPR, How Our Brain Evolved
- By: Bret Stetka
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Just over 125,000 years ago, humanity was going extinct until a dramatic shift occurred—Homo sapiens started tracking the tides in order to eat the nearby oysters. Before long, they’d pulled themselves back from the brink of extinction. The human brain, and its evolutionary journey, is unlike anything else in history. In A History of the Human Brain, Bret Stetka takes listeners through that far-reaching journey. He also tackles the question of where the brain will take us next, exploring the burgeoning concepts of epigenetics and new technologies like CRISPR.
-
-
Fascinating survey of the evolution of the human brain
- By Cosmos on 03-30-21
By: Bret Stetka
-
The Honey Bus
- A Memoir of Loss, Courage and a Girl Saved by Bees
- By: Meredith May
- Narrated by: Candace Thaxton
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Meredith May recalls the first time a honeybee crawled on her arm. She was five years old, her parents had recently split, and suddenly, she found herself in the care of her grandfather, an eccentric beekeeper who made honey in a rusty old military bus in the yard. That first close encounter was at once terrifying and exhilarating for May, and in that moment, she discovered that everything she needed to know about life and family was right before her eyes, in the secret world of bees.
-
-
Touching story
- By Tess Villa on 05-31-19
By: Meredith May
-
In Plain Sight
- The Kaufman County Prosecutor Murders
- By: Kathryn Casey
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 14 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On a cold January morning, the killer executed Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse in broad daylight. Eight shots fired a block from the Kaufman County Courthouse. Two months later, a massacre. The day before Easter, the couple slept. Bunnies, eggs, a flower centerpiece gracing the table. Death rang their doorbell and filled the air with the rat-a-tat-tat of an assault weapon discharging round after round into their bodies. Eric Williams and his wife, Kim, celebrated the murders with grilled steaks. Williams planned to exact revenge on all those who had wronged him.
-
-
BOR-ING!!
- By farmhouselady on 11-11-19
By: Kathryn Casey
-
The Atlas of Happiness
- The Global Secrets of How to Be Happy
- By: Helen Russell
- Narrated by: Helen Russell
- Length: 6 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This charming and entertaining guide offers listeners the chance to learn and be inspired by the "untranslatable" beliefs and unique perspectives on how to live a happier life from countries around the world.
-
-
Good, but not quiet Danishly
- By G. Baker on 04-03-20
By: Helen Russell
-
Life with the Afterlife
- 13 Truths I Learned about Ghosts
- By: Amy Bruni, Julie Tremaine
- Narrated by: Amy Bruni, Christine Lakin
- Length: 6 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Amy Bruni, co-star of Kindred Spirits and one of the world's leading paranormal investigators, has learned a lot about ghosts over her years of research and first-hand experience. Now, in Life with the Afterlife, she shares the insight she has gleaned and how it has shaped her unique approach to interacting with the spirits of the dead and those who encounter them.
-
-
This is a great book!
- By R. Dess on 11-21-20
By: Amy Bruni, and others
-
Somewhere Sisters
- A Story of Adoption, Identity, and the Meaning of Family
- By: Erika Hayasaki
- Narrated by: VyVy Nguyen
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Identical twins Isabella and Hà were born in Vietnam and raised on opposite sides of the world, each knowing little about the other’s existence, until they were reunited as teenagers, against all odds. Award-winning journalist Erika Hayasaki spent years and hundreds of hours interviewing each of the birth and adoptive family members and tells the girls’ incredible story from their perspectives, challenging conceptions about adoption and what it means to give a child a good life.
-
-
Not anticipated
- By Bajagringa on 12-22-23
By: Erika Hayasaki
What listeners say about My Penguin Year
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Janet S Mallory
- 09-15-24
The an absolute devastation and emptiness of the Antarctic.
The author brings you into this magical quiet world to show others how quiet and beautiful the world is. Majestic huge birds whose only way of survival and movement was swimming and walking thru this quiet area of a world we are too busy to see.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Not Public
- 01-16-25
An Animal Lover’s & Adventurer’s Delight!
This was the first book I finished in 2025 and what a wonderful way to start the year! I truly loved this book and couldn’t wait to listen to it daily! I flew through it because it was moving, exciting, interesting and so well written. I felt like I was there! As a huge animal lover, an amateur adventurer and photographer this book was a delight. I really enjoyed all of Lindsay’s details (even if the seemingly mundane, which I felt was interesting and wanted to know!) and his love and admiration for the birds really shines through in the book. I’ve always loved and admired penguins but I have such a new profound respect for them and what they must endure just for their species to survive! I highly recommend this book and can’t wait to watch The Emperor episode of Dynasties to see the visual representation of the book in all its glory!! Thank you for sharing this with all of us! ❤️
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- EMU
- 04-20-24
Emotional roller coaster
Took me away from my everyday. I enjoyed every minute imagining the experience. A beautiful read to help leave work or worry’s behind.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sharon Hunt
- 05-16-24
Honest and heartfelt descriptions - Emperor Penguins and those that study them are simply amazing.
Although written in realistic journal fashion, the power and emotion came through. Adaptations in the face of fierce nature surprised and delighted - even when nature seemed the victor. Totally engaging - I’ll listen again.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- smilin29
- 01-28-24
My favorite animal
The narrator did a great job, the topic was one dear to my heart, I have loved emperor penguins since a young child, so, it was a great read.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful