THE FORTUNES OF AFRICA A 5000-Year History of Wealth, Greed, and Endeavor

Narrator Kevin Stillwell delivers Meredith's extensive work--not so much a history of Africa per se as a history of its relations with Europe. Stillwell deserves special credit for care in weighing the meaning of sentences and working to make them clear through emphasis and emotional weight. He also exhibits good pacing and unflagging energy. But the audiobook is marred by mispronunciations. Stillwell seems to feel his way among its complex names and specialized terms, but even simple words are mispronounced, sometimes to the point of confusion to the listener. Even the mispronunciations aren't consistent; pronunciations can change in the space of sentences. The frequent, sometimes jarring errors make the audiobook difficult to enjoy. Stillwell deserved better publisher support. W.M. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2020]