George, Nicholas and Wilhelm

Although elegant in both its writing and production, this book's transition to audio poses the hurdle of "name overdose" for listeners. In Queen Victoria's family alone there were several Victorias and Georges, and the queen insisted that all her grandsons be named Albert. Add these names to the multiple Alexanders and Williams of the Russian and German relatives, and one's brain is in chaos by the third chapter. British narrator Rosalyn Landor speaks with a sovereign dignity befitting her historic subjects. Even when she inflects her voice to imitate children or foreigners, an aristocratic haughtiness remains. Landor speaks the author's vast vocabulary with a comfort sure to intimidate many listeners who may wish they had a dictionary next to them in the car or at the gym. J.A.H. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine