THE SECOND WORLD WAR

Sean Barrett delivers this well-written, comprehensive history of WWII with intelligence and deftness. He narrates as smoothly as if he’s conversing but with expression and emphasis that keep the text clear. His tone is serious, perhaps somewhat melancholy, and he “acts” or emotes only on the rare occasions the book calls for it. His pronunciation of words, names, and even whole sentences in a range of languages, including Russian, is excellent and always convincing. His accents—provided for phrases as short as two words—are also fine, including the sometimes difficult American accent. In a few places he seems to lose energy, but even then his fine natural pacing doesn’t lag. History buffs will find this compelling program, even at this length, hard to set aside. W.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2013]