A HISTORY OF FRANCE

Writer-narrator John Norwich brings a personal touch and a lifetime of experience to this breezy popular history of France from Roman times to the end of WWII. His voice, while aged, is pleasing and listenable. His narration is effortlessly clear, expressive, and well paced. His general manner is that of a cultured man of intelligence and learning who is indulging himself in a project close to his heart. Quotations, however, sound different from his narrative voice and tone--as if read by someone else or at another time--which is a bit distracting. While the audiobook is not scholarly, it is informative as well as enjoyable. As Norwich notes, it was written and read with love, a love of France that comes through to the listener. W.M. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2019]