IN HARM’S WAY

Audiophiles who like shark and starvation stories will devour this salty tale. A WWII cruiser was sunk by a Japanese submarine a few days before the war ended; the Navy took four days to respond. Boyd Gaines, a well-chosen narrator, has one of those rare radio-announcer voices with a deep, sandpapery touch so pleasant it melts into the vivid images he portrays. His increased tempo during the ship's sinking captures the chaos, while the four days of deaths in the sea are interpreted with somber respect. J.A.H. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 01]