Goliath

Alan Cumming enthusiastically narrates the continuing airship adventures of Prince Alek, heir to Austria, and Midship(wo)man Deryn/Dylan Sharp as they fly from Istanbul to New York, intent on stopping WWI. Stops in Siberia, Japan, California, and Mexico afford ample opportunity to deploy a range of accents, and Cumming is remarkably skillful at alternating between Deryn's Scots brogue and Alek's German accent in rapid dialogue. A questionable Transylvanian singsong voice for Nikola Tesla is a comic reminder that these adventures are over the top and the listener should just hang on for the ride. Their time aboard the LEVIATHAN has ended, but Westerfeld hints that it's not the last we've seen of the duo. One hopes that the engaging Cumming will continue to soar with them. M.M.O. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

Jonathan Davis delivers an admirable narration of this historical look at monopolies and political power. He faced no easy task--this audiobook is long and serious, with little levity or dialogue to create an easier performance path. Stoller's text gives Davis narrow lanes in which to maneuver, but he packs in enough tonal variation and emphasis to keep the listener engaged. Stoller's work has a definite leftist point of view, and some listeners may believe his take on monopoly/anti-monopoly history to be somewhat myopic. Still, this is an important, neglected history, and Stoller's stories of former behemoths like Alcoa and A&P (yes, the food store chain) are fascinating. A worthwhile listen, especially for wonks. G.S. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine