MIAMI BABYLON Crime, Wealth, and Power--A Dispatch from the Beach

Gerald Posner’s history of Florida starts with the Mariel boat lift of 1980, a diaspora of Cubans seeking asylum in the U.S. Those 125,000 refugees changed the state’s culture forever and may have cast the deciding votes that brought victory to George W. Bush in 2000. The author focuses on the roots of crime and power in the state, going back over a century to discover their raison d’être. Narrator Alan Sklar’s baritone voice does not fade into the background as those of more taciturn readers, but his control of the language allows him to master the story in every savory and unsavory detail. For such a long audiobook, he selects just the right rhythm to keep the delivery fresh and captivating. J.A.H. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2010]