ABRAHAM The World's First (But Certainly Not Last) Jewish Lawyer

Mel Foster narrates Dershowitz's study of legal interactions, negotiations, and even anti-Semitism during biblical times. The first half of the audiobook focuses on biblical stories and interpretations that echo Talmudic arguments. The second half examines Jews and legal cases over the past 200 years. Foster's narration is unemotional. But his Hebrew and Yiddish accents are Americanized and jarringly pronounced. And many of the jokes fall flat from his poor accent, phrasing, and intonation. The author's first-person reminiscences of cases he defended across the globe sound dry and long-winded in Foster's narration. Nonetheless, Dershowitz's legal perspective on stories about Abraham and Moses and descriptions of "Jews on trial" are interesting overall. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2016]