THE GREAT DEMOCRACIES A History of the English-Speaking Peoples, Volume IV

Christian Rodska delivers a straightforward, entirely satisfying rendition of Churchill’s history of the Western democracies from the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 to the end of the Boer War in 1902. During this period, Great Britain was more dominant in world affairs than ever before or since. Churchill tells the story briskly and entertainingly, always emphasizing the actors over the play, and always from the British point of view. Rodska doesn’t need to use different voices in this narration, although occasionally he adopts a stage voice to deliver a quote from some famous personage, such as the Duke of Wellington. The choice is oddly intrusive, but it doesn’t mar the listening experience, which is a fine one. R.E.K. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 07]