ALGER HISS AND THE BATTLE FOR HISTORY

The trials of Alger Hiss for perjuries committed before the House Un-American Activities Committee in the late 1940s form the matrix for Jacoby's work. She assumes listeners already know a great deal about the politics, history, and personalities of the time, pushing her analysis beyond the scope of many general readers. Narrator Laural Merlington briskly renders the long sentences and complex phrases at a pace agreeable for most audiobooks, but the avalanche of information coming at such a speed may require occasional rests. Her neutral, disciplined approach interprets this nonchronological history with only a hint of inflection, a method preferred by many fans of nonfiction. To her credit, she has excellent diction and the ability to pronounce the vast vocabulary to near perfection. J.A.H. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2009]