THE 47TH SAMURAI

Buck Schirner's deep drawl recounts 60-year-old Bob Lee Swagger's decision to come out of retirement to find a samurai sword. When he is visited by Philip Yano, Swagger is reminded of his own experiences in war, as well as his father's heroism in WWII. Yano seeks his father's sword, and Bob Lee is persuaded to help him. When he succeeds, he brings it to Japan, where its arrival causes the murder of Yano and his family. Turning into a sort of cowboy samurai, Bob Lee is determined to avenge their deaths. Schirner makes easy transitions from American to Japanese characters as Swagger strides through Japan. And in Hunter's scenes from WWII, Schirner just as easily portrays the world of Iwo Jima. S.W. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 07/ JAN 08]