Men Who Stare at Goats Audiobook Review

Jonathon Ross Picks Jon Ronson Bestseller for Twitter Book Club

May 25, 2009

Men Who Stare at Goats, by Jon Ronson, is the first book to be discussed in Jonathon Ross's Twitter bookclub. The audiobook is expertly narrated by Sean Mangan

Men Who Stare at Goats, by Jon Ronson, was the first book to be discussed as part of Jonathon Ross's informal Twitter book club. This exposure has raised awareness of the book, although a movie starring George Clooney and Ewan McGregor is being filmed which many fans will be aware of. In addition to paper and ebook formats, Men Who Stare at Goats is available as an audiobook narrated by Sean Mangan.

First Earth Battalion

Men Who Stare at Goats is the result of Jon Ronson's investigation into the US military's experimentation into the paranormal and the supernatural, exploring how this was incorporated into the War on Terror. This included a proposal for the First Earth Battalion, which was a restyling of the military along New Age lines. The title refers to the belief that men possessing certain powers could kill goats by staring at them. This is just one of the many findings that leaves readers and listeners wondering that the truth is truly stranger than fiction.

Jon Ronson has a satirical and dry writing style that people familiar with his work will recognize from his other writing, such as Them, as well as his television and radio work. In Men Who Stare at Goats, Jon Ronson simply presents the findings of his investigations and does not add comment or speculation to this. This gives the book a very narrow focus, however the content is so bizarre and stretches credibility to a stage where it is almost beyond belief, that people will find that the chapters fly by.

Narration of Men Who Stare at Goats

For the audiobook version of Men Who Stare at Goats to really work it is essential that the style of the narrator reflects the style of writing. Sean Mangan does this perfectly and his dry and witty narration brings Jon Ronson's words alive without turning the book into farce.

The narration allows the content of the book to stand on its own without resorting to characterizes which would have detracted from the flow. Mangan's deadpan delivery makes the strangeness of Jon Ronson's investigations all the more apparent. Sean Mangan is a skilled narrator and has voiced many bestsellers including books by Matthew Reilly, A J Butcher and Michael Connell.

With the unabridged audiobook extending to a little over 7 hours, Men Who Stare at Goats is a relatively short listen. This is ideal for travel as well as weekend listening. Listeners should note that there is adult language and animal lovers may find the content a little distasteful.

Further Information

More information about Jon Ronson can be found on his website jonronson.com. This includes a page of links that will take visitors to the websites of different people and organizations featured in Men Who Stare at Goats. The Jonathon Ross Twitter bookclub can be found at Twitter.com/atwossybookclub.

The copyright of the article Men Who Stare at Goats Audiobook Review in Non-Fiction Audiobooks is owned by Kate Pullen. Permission to republish Men Who Stare at Goats Audiobook Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.