11TH MONTH, 11TH DAY, 11TH HOUR Armistice Day, 1918

One might reasonably wonder how a single day in WWI could be the subject of an entire book. But that question is quickly put to rest only a few minutes into Joseph Persico's history of November 11, 1918. Largely through the voices of soldiers in the trenches, he describes how both sides sent men to die senseless deaths on that day right up until the final minute before the Armistice--a staggering 11,000 casualties. Harry Chase reads all of the soldiers' words in their respective accents--German, British, French, and others--which would have been a disaster were he not so convincing with all of them. As it is, Chase's risky move pays off and adds color to a compelling narrative. D.B. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 05]