This Living Hand

Edmund Morris has written some of the most important biographies of the past 40 years, on subjects ranging from Ronald Reagan and Theodore Roosevelt to Ludwig von Beethoven. He's also written essays and articles that were thoughtful, lucid, funny, and intelligent. This collection shows off his best, and qualifies as good history and engaging writing. Morris delivers his own book, and while he interprets his words well, his voice is not a natural choice for narration. It has a gravelly, scratchy timbre that can be difficult to follow at times, especially for 10 hours, and he tends to swallow some words at the beginnings of sentences. Otherwise, he reads with feeling and paces himself well, and we get the benefit of a great author interpreting his words. That makes this book worthwhile. R.I.G. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine