PEARL HARBOR

This is another instance when the book (this time the audiobook) is superior to the movie. That's because even though the book is obviously devoid of the multimillion-dollar visuals found in the movie, Barrett Whitener's performance is marked by explicit imagery. (Still, having seen the movie first, one can't help picturing Ben Affleck in the starring role.) Here is the whole Pearl Harbor attack story with a love triangle as a backdrop. Whitener delivers a professional and exciting performance as we follow two friends through boyhood, flight training, the attack, and finally, the famous Doolittle raid on Tokyo. Come to think of it, it's better to have seen the movie first because Whitener's clear and precise reading makes the audio a pleasant surprise. A.L.H. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 02]