D-Day

Atkinson has adapted his adult book THE GUNS AT LAST LIGHT for young readers, and narrator Jason Culp's authoritative tone works well for this audience. It's no easy task to cover the events critical to the end of WWII. The story of the Normandy Invasion has an extensive cast--from Churchill to Rommel--a plethora of dramatic events transpiring in multiple countries, and astounding statistics like the 301,000 Allied vehicles gathered for the invasion and the 3,000 tons of maps. Culp assumes accents successfully and reads dramatically. Atkinson's research is thorough, his writing suspenseful. Still, covering each event fully creates a narrative so jam-packed with details that, despite the best efforts of author and narrator, the audio is sometimes overwhelming. It may work better on the page, where pictures provide relief and chapters give more clarity. S.W. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine