Caesar and Christ

Durant's history of Rome and early Christianity, though dated in some aspects (it was published in 1944), is solid and well written--and narrator Grover Gardner's easy professionalism does it justice. His voice can be a bit harsh but is otherwise admirably strong and clear. He varies intonation by matching the sense of the text without falling into repetitive patterns, and with his effortlessly perfect pacing, his narration flows like conversation, but not too informally. His pronunciation of Latin is careful and generally good (including occasional spellings of words that might be unclear). His is a self-effacing art that hides art; his reading is a demonstration of how to narrate intelligent nonfiction without effort or obtrusive mannerism, allowing the text to shine, never dull or repetitious, but consistently listenable and enjoyable. W.M. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine