Don't Know Much About the Civil War

This book is a great place to start learning about the country's most tragic war. It is a treasure-trove of factual information about the war's people, battles and myths, but because of its structure, answers to historical questions, it is better read than heard. Narrator Dick Estell does a good job with the material, presenting each short section clearly and credibly. He makes sure we understand each point and reads in a steady, unemotional voice. Some of his mispronunciations stand out, though, and he has a truly unique way of saying "cassette." On the whole, this book is a good way to learn basic Civil War facts. R.I.G. (c) AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine

The author's contention that slavery was the cause of the war (it takes up a quarter of this work) is rather simplistic. By minimizing the many other causes of this national tragedy, Davis does a great disservice to those he wishes to inform. The arrangement is in a question-and-answer format with apparently adolescent voices asking the questions and at least two anonymous adults answering. The readers are all easy to understand and follow. Indeed, they take this often dry and occasionally cynical text farther than it deserves. M.T.F. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine