JERUSALEM VIGIL

This novel focuses on the early days of the nation of Israel in the spring of 1948. It takes place primarily in Jerusalem as Muslims and Jews battle for control of the Holy City. The audio is strong, with music and a small number of sound effects heightening the mood. The reader is excellent, handling the assorted accents with skill. At times, a listener might swear two people are doing the reading instead of one. A weakness, though, is in the abridgment. The authors have used so many characters and scenes that following them in audio is difficult. And the abridgment has excised some of the linking material. So it can take a few sentences for a listener to figure out who's who and what's what. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 00]