George III

George III's life history unfolds like a fairy tale as Simon Prebble's soft voice transforms the text into a dramatic intrigue of jeweled crowns, castles, archbishops, and hunts on horseback. To emphasize a phrase, the narrator lowers his speech to a whisper. When the king goes mad, it is a madman's voice we hear. When the queen is worried, her words seem troubled. Thus, the biography of a king who so disliked unpunctuality, uncertainty, untidiness, and change provides plenty of plot for a story clothed in the trappings of British royalty. The combination of an exciting biography and a clever presentation produces a whole greater than its parts. J.A.H. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine