DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT AMERICAN HISTORY

This is a book that makes a rough transition to audio, and listeners who truly don't know much about American history will have a difficult time keeping up. The book is primarily in question-and-answer format with various narrators voicing the questions and Oliver Wyman reading answers that are filled with dates, times, places, and lists. Wyman reads expressively and enthusiastically but also too quickly. The pace, combined with the lack of musical interludes or even a bit of dead air between segments, makes it difficult for listeners to absorb the information. While the production will have fans, it's not first-rate. A.F. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 03]