WASHINGTON BURNING How a Frenchman's Vision of Our Nation's Capital Survived Congress, the Founding Fathers, and the Invading British Army

Standiford's account of the early years of Washington, DC—and America—blends history with biography of the major players, primarily architect Pierre Charles L'Enfant. It also includes pleasant traces of gossip and speculation about what might have happened in certain circumstances. For the most part, Michael Prichard's narration fits all of these purposes well. His pace changes to match the subject matter, his voice is confident, even resonant, and his tone is friendly. However, despite Prichard's extensive experience, L'Enfant's accent gives him trouble in the selections of letters written by him. Sometimes the accent sounds French, but sometimes it wavers through a range of indeterminate foreign accents. Fortunately, this is a minor weakness. G.T.B. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2008]