THE LAST FULL MEASURE

This conclusion to the Shaaras' Civil War trilogy begins as Lincoln places Ulysses S. Grant in command of the Union army. Shaara's exquisitely detailed account conveys a sense of impending tragedy, and Estell's newsreader style of delivery adds further to this. Estell's voice is clear, concise, well paced, and easy to listen to, while still capturing the weariness of the soldiers, officers, their wives, everyone. From the disaster at Gettysburg, to the costly Battle of the Wilderness, and finally Appomattox, listeners will hear and experience the dreadful toll war takes on the minds, hearts and, more obviously, the bodies of mere mortals. Civil war is surely any country's greatest tragedy. S.C.A. © AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC/JAN 00]