House of War

Carroll combines a history of the Pentagon with a memoir of his family life, which touches on his feelings about war, his experiences with religion, and his relationship with his father, an Air Force general. Excellent research and skilled writing have produced an interesting study of how U.S. military leaders have influenced the history of the world. Robertson Dean's precise diction and unhurried pace make for a comfortable and pleasant listening experience. Dean's deep, booming voice and his resounding tone create an aura compatible with the story of a young priest-in-training who finds himself in conflict over the juxtaposition of war and peace during his early years. J.A.H (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

August 7, 2006
Carroll would make a perfect NPR morning-show host, his sensitive, low, smooth voice the perfect background noise for sleepy yuppies getting ready for work. Reading his own book, a study of the Pentagon's outsize influence on postwar American life, Carroll is soothing and inoffensive. His reading is so uninflected that it veers on indistinctness or narcolepsy. Early-morning drivers should probably avoid listening to Carroll, for fear of being lulled into sleep. And yet, careful attention reveals a fine, subtle reading. Carroll lets his words speak for themselves, avoiding underlining or emphasizing specific words or phrases in his text. For some readers, that might be a recipe for being driven crazy; for others, it will allow for an uninfluenced reading of the text, whereby readers can listen as they might read—picking out their own points of emphasis. A little more emotion, though, probably wouldn't have hurt. Simultaneous release with the Houghton Mifflin hardcover (Reviews, Apr. 10).