IN THE WAKE OF THE PLAGUE The Black Death & the World It Made

There are some narrators who, in the first moments of an audiobook, make one sit back and relax with anticipatory pleasure. Such is John McDonough. His deep voice, clear enunciation, intelligent pacing, and apparent fascination with whatever he is reading capture even the most ear-worn listener. In author Norman F. Cantor, McDonough has found a worthy partner. The bubonic plague of 1348-1350 wiped out 40 percent of Europe’s population. Cantor’s engaging yet scholarly analysis of the plague’s devastation and its social and political consequences is fascinating. Want a tidbit? The royals who built their castles on the coveted land at the edge of a port really got zapped by those plague-carrying rats. Guaranteed--you will frequently exclaim aloud, and you will interrupt other people’s conversations to share everything you learn. A.C.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB / MAR 03]