THE GREAT MUTINY India 1857

India's uprising against British rule in 1857 is a classic story of imperial arrogance and indifference to native ways, a story rich in events and historical ironies. David Case's lofty British, with its measured reserve and precise enunciation, is a constant, unintentional reminder of those very elements that most incite a subject people. Although Case is generally a fine reader for the books of this very fine popular historian, with his discerning eye for detail and judicious view of human conduct, in this one title Case's weaknesses affect his performance: a clumsiness with female and native voices, a repetitiveness of vocal rhythms, and a general evenness of tone that brings little structure or continuity to a complex, many-staged, and many-charactered story. D.A.W. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 01]