THE AMAZING SAS

Since 2001, the Australian SAS (Special Air Service), which is patterned after the British original, has earned itself a reputation for toughness and effectiveness in the mountains of Afghanistan and, since 2003, in the deserts of Iraq. Before 9/11, among other missions, they had been deployed in East Timor and were trained for anti-terror missions during the 2000 Olympics. To some, the Australian accent, while providing authenticity to this topic, sounds a bit harsher on the ear than the generic English accent—so listeners will need to take that into consideration during this 12-hour narration. Nevertheless, Byrne's reading is as no-nonsense as the text—bordering on the blunt at times but nuanced enough to keep one's attention. He does affect different accents for different people with varying degrees of success. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2009]