THE SCRATCH OF A PEN 1763 and the Transformation of North America

Simon Vance's British diction is well suited to the formal speech of eighteenth-century Americans, Indians, and Europeans in this seven-hour history lesson. Vance's narration brings clarity to the production as he is adept at indicating with subtle intonation when he is reading quotes from historical documents and when he is reading Calloway's narrative. The text needed a respected veteran narrator to counter its somewhat monotonous subject matter. The Indians didn't like the British, who didn't like the French, who didn't like the . . . you get the idea. It's interesting to note, though, how many of the centuries-old ethnic enclaves across Eastern and Midwest states survive today. D.J.M. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 06]