FLYING COLOURS

This great sea story, one of the famous Hornblower series set during the Napoleonic Wars, begins with a long stretch on land as Hornblower and his lieutenant are carried overland to Paris for execution. Their escape and further adventures have captivated readers for sixty years. Chivers has an uncanny knack for picking the perfect reader for their selections, and here Christian Rodska upholds the tradition by sliding in and out of character with effortless ease. His French accents are good, and his high, sometimes querulous British voice lends a sort of historical authenticity to his reading. The pacing is rapid, the suspense pervasive, the story both human and grand. D.R.W. © AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC/JAN 00]