AMERIGO The Man Who Gave His Name to America

Michael Prichard's voice and cadence make him sound a bit like radio personality Paul Harvey, and that works to the benefit of his listeners. The explorer Amerigo Vespucci took part in exploring the New World after the generation of Columbus. He lived a complex life that will be pretty alien to modern readers. Prichard's surging pace and folksy tone do a good job of grounding the author's scholarship and making Vespucci's story seem familiar. It doesn't hurt that the author writes with a dramatic flair and a vivid turn of phrase, which often create an intensity that Prichard drives home. The result is an approachable account of the life of this intrepid navigator. G.T.B. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 08]