LINDBERGH

If any twentieth-century biography merits exclamation points, it would be Charles Lindbergh's. His was a life that incited incredible passions. James shrewdly follows Berg's lead, however. Neither author nor narrator oversells the drama that was Lindbergh's life. Simply relating who this man was and what he did is gripping enough. James is a comfortable, engaging companion through this long, breathtaking journey. When he allows astonishment or awe into his voice, he's justified by the text. But James never tries to snare attention for himself, thereby detracting from this engrossing Pulitzer Prize winner. If, at the end, Lindbergh doesn't emerge as an untainted hero, there's no doubt he's one of the American century's towering figures. M.O. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award © AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 99]