Bursts

The author's premise that historically significant human behaviors and actions appear in bursts finds little support in his lengthy narrative. Long stories without any seeming relationship to his thesis abound. We hear a chimera of vague science, tales of Papal ascendancy, and a tedious description of a sixteenth-century peasants' revolt. What should be a valuable educational experience turns into journey with no direction. Narrator Richard McGonagle's bass voice and bombastic manner elevate his role to more prominence than it merits. He stumbles on common scientific words and maintains an emotionless cadence. Overall, the combination of the writer's disorganization and the narrator's exaggerated delivery results in a less-than-effective production. J.A.H. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine