THE LION OF ST. MARK

G. A. Henty gives us a delightful tale of a young English lad, Francis, who lives in fourteenth-century Venice with his trader father. Venice was at this time a world trading power at war with Hungary, Padua, and Genoa. The story offers action and intrigue, and Francis ("Francisco" to the Venetians) is a charming lad filled with "energy and pluck." Howard splendidly reads with a sonorous and stately voice, nuanced perfectly for narration. While not attempting to effect different voices for the characters, he subtly expresses his voice so that the listener is able to differentiate. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB / MAR 03]