THE BATTLE OF THE CRATER

An African-American unit's training for a dangerous Civil War battle is seen through the eyes of an artist who is a close friend of President Lincoln. The novel draws on the real-life writings of Garland White, who recruited fellow African-Americans for the Union Army. William Dufris reads with a soft-spoken weariness that conveys the misery of war. In battle scenes his voice speeds up, becoming tense to reflect the chaos of gunfire, blood, and bodies. His character voices are so natural that the production sounds like it has a full cast at times. Although the novel doesn't glorify war, admiration for the heroism on the battlefield is always present in the writing. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2012]