THE MIDDLE KINGDOMS A New History of Central Europe

Hearing Rady's sweeping history of the European region including Germany, Poland, Austria, and the Baltics, from antiquity to the present, the listener may sometimes feel lost in a wilderness of names, dates, and places. But John Curless makes following along as easy and pleasant as possible. He exhibits a fine ability to express the sense of the text and has an instantly likable voice and manner, all of which help keep the listener involved. There are a few flaws: His German can be awkward, and he often hesitates audibly before speaking foreign names. But these quibbles don't spoil the general pleasure of Curless's intelligent, highly congenial performance of this deeply informative book. W.M. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2023]