I like audio books, but I’m not into Sports and Trucks and Stuff. But if you want macho:
Frederick Forsyth’s stuff. His most recent books have come out on widely-available CDs, and Recorded Books has his older stuff on CD and on Tape.
Several of Rex Stout’s “Nero Wolfe” books are easily available unabridged on CD. Archie Goodwin is a macho Good Guy.
For auto stuff, Car Talk is available on CD:
My older brother didn’t have much use for fiction until he belatedly discovered Louis L’Amour There’s lots to choose from though and I can’t recommend a specific title.
Into the Woods had a better score, but isn’t so popular with macho guys.
Also, if he’s willing to try something lengthy, the Dark Tower series is good, too. Macho fiction, and the readers have grizzled, older voices. Very manly.
My sister told me that when she found out that she was going to have surgery followed by 6 weeks recovery at home she was excited at the prospect of catching up on reading and movies. Her reality was that she couldn’t really focus on long narratives and ended up watching lots of Food Network and HGTV.
That’s my long way of saying “yeah, maybe something in short segments would be good”
Best wishes to your brother.
Into the Wild. Which, I believe, is now on DVD.
But I’ll second Into Thin Air. Very well written, and very interesting.
If he likes hard-boiled detectives, Amazon has four Raymond Chandler novels read by Elliott Gould.
They also have a collection of radio shows from the 1940s and 1950s based on Dashiell Hammett stories. (The one review didn’t like the fact that ads were left in, but it sounds like the stories are good.)
And of course there’s Sherlock Holmes.
What could be more macho that Pirates? Arrrr!!!
And if you’re looking to hear about pirates what better pirate to start with than the most famous of them all: Henry Morgan.
And if you’re looking to hear about Henry Morgan, I can’t think of a more enjoyable introduction than Peter Earle’s The Sack of Panama. Which was released as an audiobook when it was first published. I can speak from experience: it’s a fascinating and entertaining account, full of swashed buckles, derring-do, and more than a little ugliness.
As is quite proper for a pirate story.
grrr… stupid board…
The audio version of One Ranger by H. Joachim Jackson is excellent. It’s a memoir by a Texas Ranger. The reading by Rex Linn is perfect. Definitely a manly tale.
Going along with Lee Child is Barry Eisler’s John Rain books.
I came in to mention these. There are also many James Bond books on audiobook. You can also find lots of old radio shows available for download (Roy Rogers, The Shadow etc).
If he likes history and things like that, the Patrick Tull narrated audiobooks of the Patrick O’Brian Aubrey/Maturin novels might be cool.
Macho type men, cannons, swords, guns, women, intrigue, spying, etc… great stuff!
I Know This Much is True, by Wally Lamb, read by George Guidall. For those of you who are sick of seeing me push this in every audiobook thread, I’m sorry. It’s just that this is such a terrific audiobook. It’s good stuff for anyone, but I think a macho man especially could identify with the protagonist and dig the subject matter. It’s also very long, which to me is a point in favor.
From the Publisher’s Weekly review
If you do look for this, please find the version read by George Guidall…and if your brother’s no longer in need of an audiobook, I still recommend that you listen to it yourself. It totally swept me up.
BTW, I hope your brother’s feeling better!
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. Samurai swords, hackers, skateboarding, pizza delivery, ancient languages…it’s very badass.
Some Elmore Leonard short stories should fit the bill–mystery, westerns, violence, humor. Good stuff.