THE WALLACE: SCOTLAND'S GREATEST HERO

Long before Mel Gibson and Braveheart, there was Nigel Tranter, the prolific chronicler of Scots history. This tale of William Wallace, who fought heroically for his nation's independence in the late thirteenth century, is one in a series from Novelsound, a small Scottish publisher that specializes in Tranter's works. The chronology is occasionally hard to follow in this abridgment, though the liner notes include a helpful summary of the action. Michael Elder's handling of the voices and accents is confident and powerfully dramatic. The battle scenes, in particular, are gruesomely compelling, and the final scene of Wallace's trial and execution is a memorable performance. D.B. © AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 99]