World War Z

An Oral History of the Zombie War

By: Max Brooks

Narrated by: Max Brooks, Alan Alda, John Turturro, Rob Reiner

Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of 30 million souls, to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet.

He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. World War Z is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years.

Ranging from the now infamous village of New Dachang in the United Federation of China, where the epidemiological trail began with the 12-year-old Patient Zero, to the unnamed northern forests where untold numbers sought a terrible and temporary refuge in the cold, to the United States of Southern Africa, where the Redeker Plan provided hope for humanity at an unspeakable price, to the west-of-the-Rockies redoubt where the North American tide finally started to turn, this invaluable chronicle reflects the full scope and duration of the Zombie War.

Note: Some of the numerical and factual material contained in this edition was previously published under the auspices of the United Nations Postwar Commission.

©2006 Max Brooks (P)2006 Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Winner of Audio Publishers Association 2007 Audie Award, Multi-Voiced Performance
• Audie Award Finalist, Audiobook of the Year, 2007

"Hard to put down." (Publishers Weekly)

"A literate, ironic, strangely tasty treat." (Kirkus Reviews)

"Horror fans won't be disappointed: like George Romero's Dead trilogy, World War Z is another milestone in the zombie mythos." (Booklist)

I don’t know how many times I’ve listened to this

Hands down this is my favorite book to listen to. Great story and wonderful performances. Absolutely recommend!

too short

Is there anything you would change about this book?

you miss so many of my favorite parts of the book by listening to the abridged version its not really worth buying without the whole thing

Okay...

The story was not my favorite but the performances by the huge cast were very good.

Not a zombie fan but liked this book

Zombies are not the focus of the book but rather a way to use a fantastical idea that everyone knows to conceptualize what would happen civically should such a "virus" occur. How would governments and populations cope. What strategies would need to be reimagined to deal with such a situation. My major criticism with the audio book was that it was abridged. I wish it hadn't been as the situations were compelling. Like many stories, developing an ending is always difficult and this was the case here as well. I would have liked a better resolution than what was given, but then again perhaps in the unabridged version that was the case. Recommended for people who like to think strategically.

good book

The primary back and forth narration style is an interesting story telling device. Great book.!

The Human Perspective

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I really enjoyed this audiobook, it's a totally different take on a

Loved it!

What more can I ask for than zombies pushing the feeble hummies to the brink of destruction.
So I didn't like the voice work of that one narrators, it didn't sway my love of humanity fighting to survive.

Great Book But Wanted Unabridged Version

Where does World War Z rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is my first book I read because it was recommended to me by the podcast from Rooster Teeth.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The accents were really awesome and made the story much better than if I had just read the book alone.

Any additional comments?

I LOVED the book overall and the cast of characters really brought it to life! My only complaint is that I wished the book was the unabridged version instead of the shortened one.

Where is the unabridged version

Would you listen to World War Z again? Why?

I would listen to it again, but I'd rather listen to the whole book. This was far too short.

What did you like best about this story?

Very realistic portrayal of fictional events.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The use of a full cast in the reading of this book really elevated the whole experience. It made each character stand out even more.

Any additional comments?

Bring out the unabridged version and I'll buy it.

Buy now!

Wonderfully delivered and executed. Great cast, great tempo, and the story will grab you from the start till the end.