Soldier

Narrator Coleen Marlo's soft, almost serene, voice may seem incongruous and appeared to this reviewer to possibly be an attempt to echo author DeYoung's voice. Marlo's delivery has a certain detachment in reading the many events in Powell's life. DeYoung goes to great lengths to establish Powell as being "non-ideological" and "pragmatic." Indeed, one hears this so much as to conclude that "pragmatism" is Powell's ideological framework. Much of the work focuses on the events of the past six years. Marlo rarely renders a unique voice for dialogue; one that stands out is an attempt at a Jamaican accent. Her attempts at military acronyms sometimes fall short but do not detract from an overall solid performance. M.T.F. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine


No one epitomizes the American dream more than Colin Powell, the son of immigrants who rose to the highest levels of government through his own talent and hard work. Yet as a black man in America, Powell did not escape the sting of racism. But the overarching theme of this biography of Powell is learning from experience--especially his tours of duty in Vietnam and his early tenure as a White House staff member. Roscoe Orman is solid as the reader. His tone is even, without being reverential or bombastic. His reading is easy to listen to and makes the material flow. The abridgment is choppy in the early portions. For example, the author discusses a blind date Powell went on, and in what seems the same paragraph, Powell heads to Vietnam for the first time. It's smoother for the later years, especially during his time as Secretary of State. Orman gives a good presentation of DeYoung's biography. R.C.G. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine