EISENHOWER The White House Years

Newton’s biography concentrates on Ike’s presidency, with a detailed, sympathetic, mostly evenhanded account. John Mayer’s likable voice matches the book’s sympathetic tone. His pacing, inflection, and matching of sense to word all seem natural; that is, skilled in a way that escapes notice. In quotations, he modulates his tone slightly to indicate an accent or the original speaker (if well known), a common-sense approach that he usually carries off unobtrusively and well. Occasionally, he strains a bit to add color or feeling to the text, or sounds a tad folksy, but those moments are fleeting. Part of the value of this book is its level of detail, but that can also render it dry. Mayer keeps the narration enjoyable. W.M. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2012]