One Nation Under God

James Moore provides an account of prayer in America from the period of early settlement to the present and discusses prayers from a variety of religious groups, including Catholic, Jews, and Native Americans. Moore examines prayers used both in public settings and those used by individuals for personal reasons. Lee Leoncavallo narrates the work in a gentle, avuncular manner. Moore treats the prayers respectfully, whatever their tradition, and, with his serious and thoughtful delivery, Leoncavallo sounds like a kindly older clergyman. While the reading is not particularly exciting, that may be due to the text itself rather than Leoncavallo's abilities. M.L.C. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine


This is one of those books that really benefit from an audio presentation. James P. Moore, Jr.'s, explanation of prayer's importance in American history is often persuasive, but it is such a rich topic that it's easy to imagine reading only a bit of it at a time. Moore's own delivery is moderately enlivening, but what ensures that this book touches listeners is the inclusion of prayers from many traditions. These are read, whispered, and chanted by an array of voices, all of whom treat the prayers reverently. The voices make listening a spiritual act, rather than just an intellectual one. G.T.B. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine