THE RISING TIDE

The campaigns in North Africa during 1942-43 and subsequent campaigns in Sicily, the Mediterranean, and Italy through the beginning of 1944 form the basis for this long work. Shaara has done his homework and makes such historical figures as Patton, Eisenhower, Mark Clark, Montgomery, and Rommel, among others, into flesh-and-blood men. He also has invented fictional characters that are every bit as alive. Paul Michael gives a masterful reading. He is in his element in the long sections of dialogue, giving each character not only a credible accent, be it German, American, or British, but also a distinct and consistent voice. Conversations between Patton and Eisenhower, Clark's negotiations with a Vichy general, and candid conversations between Rommel and Kesselring ring true to life. Narrative is also ably rendered. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 07]