THE DAWN OF EVERYTHING A New History of Humanity

British actor Mark Williams seems sadly miscast as narrator for this provocative re-examination of the last 30,000 years of human history, which has drawn wide attention for upending many established notions about competition and social hierarchy. At 24 hours, this is a challenging listening experience, one that requires time and attention, and, most importantly, a steady and unobtrusive narrator. Williams's distinctive voice borders on the eccentric, with a hard beat at the end of each phrase. This jaunty, comfortably tweedy tone, which is right for a Harry Potter character, is too distinctive, and too far off the tone of this particular narrative. However, listeners who can adjust to the accent will be swept up by this audiobook's boldness of vision. D.A.W. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2022]