The Beleaguered City: The Vicksburg Campaign, December 1862-July 1863 (Modern Library)
Novelist Foote's credentials as a Civil War historian are impeccable, and this account of one of the war's pivotal campaigns displays the flair for turning complex events into a story that made The Civil War: A Narrative (Vol. 3, Audio Reviews, LJ 5/15/91) a modern classic. Choosing Foote to narrate his own work might seem like a good notion, considering his success as a charming conversationalist in the popular Ken Burns film The Civil War. Unfortunately, reading from text, even his own, is a craft Foote has not mastered. Despite obvious affection for his subject and the suitability of his gentle Southern drawl for this chronicle of men who, like General McClernand, attempted to forge a path from the bayous to the White House, Foote is too subdued and monotonous to do justice to the vitality of his account. The program is further flawed by distasteful drum cadences that seem more appropriate for a military funeral. The charming photo of a pipe-smoking Foote on the package promises more than it delivers. Not recommended.?Barbara Mann, Adelphi Univ., Garden City, N.Y.Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.