PRESENT AT THE CREATION My Years In the State Department

This massive book is the mother of all State Department memoirs. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1970, it details the critical period from 1941-1953, when WWII and post-war policies were being formed, then were buffeted by Cold War storms. It’s jam-packed with facts and anecdotes that would be fascinating to anyone interested in national policy. Fascinating, that is, if not for Arthur Addison’s somnolent narration. Addison has a pleasant enough voice, deep and rich, but he is so concerned with each syllable that the book doesn’t flow. He’s not comfortable enough with the material to emphasize key points or vary his tone, so what we get is a narration of words, not ideas. R.I.G. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 01]