ON CHINA

It’s easy to forget that 40 years ago, China was a somewhat isolated country with no interest in reaching out to the rest of the world. Kissinger was an architect of the policy that helped China become the nation it is today. Narrator Nicholas Hormann’s voice doesn’t move very much from a recitation of the facts, but that works within the context of Kissinger’s words. Hormann succeeds because the story doesn’t need any embellishments such as attempts on his part at vocalizing Mao Zedong or Richard Nixon. He varies his tone to move the book forward, and his diction and pacing allow us to reflect on what he’s reading without getting lost in the details. At over 20 hours, there are plenty of details. R.I.G. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2011]