Practicing History

The late Barbara Tuchman departs from longer works to expound upon her experiences as a writer of history. She defines history as "an accidental, perhaps cyclical, record of human conduct." Her rigorous approach to everything she produces becomes apparent in this lengthy essay, which includes public addresses and pieces written for other publications. "I'm very conscious of the reader as a listener," she wrote, well before the advent of audiobooks. Narrator Wanda McCaddon conveys this attitude as she becomes the voice of the author, sounding credible in her command of Tuchman's prodigious vocabulary. McCaddon adds another welcome touch by exploiting her ability to give nuance and personality to prose aptly composed but needing a skillful artist to quicken it. J.A.H. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine