POPE JOHN PAUL II

Born in 1920, Karol Wojtyla worked in factories and quarries while secretly studying for the priesthood in his native Poland during WWII. Historian Szulc renders a secular approach to the Pontiff's life. The solid, dry biography includes brief histories of both the Roman Catholic Church and the twentieth century. The narration is appropriately humble. Sommer's unremarkable voice and pacing support Szulc's objectivity. The production suffers from uneven recording levels on the first three sides. This problem becomes less evident on later tapes. D.W.K. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT 95]