ASSASSINATION VACATION

Sarah Vowell, the NPR commentator with a childlike voice, provides an engaging tour of historic sites associated with presidential assassinations. While searching for meaning among the brutal and sometimes banal events surrounding the deaths of Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley, Vowell takes some wacky digressions; at one historic site, a Bermuda shorts-clad tourist resembling John Wilkes Booth bangs out a version of "Lean on Me" on an ancient piano. More than a history lesson, Vowel's work looks at how men of violence have forced themselves upon history, changing the course of politics and power. Audiobook listeners get serious bang for their buck, including guest appearances by Stephen King (as Lincoln), Jon Stewart, Conan O'Brien, and Eric Bogosian, among others. The soundtrack by Michael Giacchino deserves a disc of its own. R.W.S. 2006 Audie Award Finalist © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 05]