HOLDING THE ZERO

At first blush, this is just another war story set in Iraq. Below the surface, however, is a moving story about loyalty, honor, and pride. Narrator Sean Barrett, a veteran British actor, captures each of these emotions perfectly. To repay a debt of honor owed by his grandfather, a British civilian and expert target shooter journeys to Iraq to help Kurdish irregulars, led by a woman, attempt to defeat the Iraqi army. His efforts pit him against Iraq's best sniper, who has himself conspired with army generals to assassinate Sadam Hussein. Barrett's delivery is near perfect as he portrays each of the complex characters. The single flaw in his performance is his tendency to read adjoining paragraphs too quickly, sometimes creating confusion among the characters. A.L.H. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/MAR 01]