Brian Kilmeade clearly is excited by his subject, and the story of George Washington's spy ring during the American Revolution is indeed an exciting story. But in his narration of the book he cowrote, he needs to dial back some of that enthusiasm. He adds emphasis to passages and even words that don't warrant it. He also pauses at awkward and even unexpected points in sentences. In remarks at a book signing this would be acceptable, but in a book-length reading it becomes distracting. A more studied reading of the book, adding emphasis more judiciously, would have done the subject greater justice. To make the book longer, the authors include basic information about the American Revolution, which nearly all listeners will already know. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
The history of the United States is a story of individuals. There are no true dynasties, no noble families like the Caesars or the Habsburgs who have remained in power for decades. If you want to understand our past, you have to get to know the men who have been chosen by their fellow citizens […]
Whether you have a personal connection to the U.S. Marine Corps or not, you may recall the the opening lines of the Marine’s Hymn: “From the Halls of Montezuma / To the shores of Tripoli.” And yet, few know much about the Barbary Wars that inspired that second line. American history seems to skip from the Revolutionary War […]