MAGNOLIA GROVE

History is filled with the stories of prominent individuals who were lauded in their day, only to drop off the radar screen when they died. Such was the fate of Alabamian Hobson, who was one of THE heroes of the Spanish-American War, a "Progressive" congressman, and a man of ideas that were years ahead of their time concerning civil rights, woman's suffrage, and the menace of Japan to America's interests in the Pacific. This complicated and often contradictory man is given some of his due in this biography. Cullen's narration is creditable. His baritone voice is crisp and precise, with clear enunciation and smooth, steady pacing. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 02]