THE FIELD OF BLOOD Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil War

If you think the country is divided now, then this entertaining audiobook might give you pause. It tells the story of the violence that erupted on the floor of Congress in the run-up to the Civil War. Joanne B. Freeman, Yale professor and noted lecturer, narrates her own book using her classroom experience to accentuate what's important. Freeman's voice is clear and accessible, and she occasionally smiles, laughs at her own jokes, and varies her pitch and tone to propel the story forward. At times she does sound as though she's giving a lecture, but she quickly moves back into being a storyteller. She also swallows some words or drops the ends of sentences, but these are minor concerns. R.I.G. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2018]