LAST VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS

We all know that Columbus stumbled upon the Caribbean Islands in 1492 while looking for a westward route to China, but most of us don't know what happened after that. John McDonough's warm voice and expert reading make it a pleasure to discover. The Admiral, as he was called, actually made four voyages to the New World, and on the last of these he was shipwrecked with his crew in Jamaica for a year. Dependent on straight narration and quotes from journals, without any conversation to energize it, this could be a dry performance but decidedly isn't. With spot-on pronunciation, perfect phrasing, an ability to make hardtack and shipworms interesting, and an apparent affection for his subject, McDonough makes this a learning experience to treasure. J.B.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 06]