HOW TO FEED A DICTATOR Saddam Hussein, Idi Amin, Enver Hoxha, Fidel Castro, and Pol Pot Through the Eyes of Their Cooks

Recording this audiobook presented a challenge: how to differentiate the voice of the author from the subjects, the chefs of five infamous dictators--Saddam Hussein, Idi Amin, Enver Hoxha, Fidel Castro, and Pol Pot? The decision to share the narrating duties among three talented performers elevates the listening experience. Michael Crouch handles the journalistic perspective of the author's voice; his delivery matches the investigative tone needed to parse the horrors of the dictators' reigns. Peter Francis James uses his clear, deep voice and straightforward delivery for the male chefs, and Maggi-Meg Reed expertly narrates as Pol Pot's cook (who still fervently believes in her leader) in an almost conspiratorial tone. This audiobook provides insights into the different cultures' foodways and the autocrats' personalities. A.D.M. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2020]