12 Strong

Dennis Boutsikaris's strong American accent suits this story of U.S. entanglement in Afghanistan after 9/11, written by a member of the Special Forces. Boutsikaris's clear and brisk tone, at times somewhat biting, also fits Stanton's analysis of how the Taliban reclaimed Afghanistan. The quick pace of the narration allows the listener to feel some of the exhaustion the soldiers are experiencing throughout the seemingly endless military incursions with the Taliban. Even though this material is now somewhat dated, Boutsikaris manages to keep the chapters fresh with the tension of the action and the details of the Afghan landscape and people. M.R. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine