Medal of Honor

by Mike Wallace

From AudioFile Mike Wallace profiles the lives of several Medal of Honor winners from the time of its creation through the Vietnam War. The stories were researched by Allan Mikaelian but chosen by Wallace. There are a number of small factual errors that do not, overall, take away from the work. However, in his introductory and concluding comments, Wallace spends quite a bit of time discussing the Vietnam War and his legal conflict with General Westmoreland. Most of this has no real relevance to the Medal of Honor and seems self-serving. All of the stories--telling of the only woman to earn the honor, the Kentucky marksman who took out several dozen Germans in WWI, and others--show us something of what courage, self-sacrifice, and duty are made of. The performances of Wallace and the three different narrators are well done. Wallace is a skilled professional. The others perform their stories with versatility and enthusiasm. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine Product Description The Congressional Medal of Honor is Americas highest military award. In this remarkable work, the first of its kind, acclaimed 60 Minutes reporter Mike Wallace looks at the lives of the recipients of the medal and explores what it is that drove them to go so far above and beyond the call of duty. Wallace examines not only their extraordinary feats in battle (plunging into heavy fire, throwing themselves on live grenades, attacking enemy regiments single-handed), but also their lives before and after. Throughout the book, and particularly in his moving introduction, he meditates on the meaning of courage and shows what we can learn from the lives of those who perform amazing acts of selflessness and bravery. From Publishers Weekly In this lively account, Mikaelian traces the history of the Medal of Honor, the highest military distinction awarded in the United States, and the lives of several of those who have earned it in the years since it was established by President Lincoln during the Civil War. He focuses not only on their heroic feats, but also on what became of them in the wake of their deeds and the honor the medal earned them. This recording is augmented by readings by Wallace, who tells of his own wartime experiences and supplies historical context with the same timbre and excellent gift for timing and dramatic buildup that many will recognize from his work on 60 Minutes. The stories themselves are read by a rotation of three other readers, although Chase, Culp and McLarty have very similar voices and approaches. While their performances get the job done, they somewhat pale when juxtaposed with that of Wallace, and their tone and style occasionally bring to mind educational films from high school history class. The production that accompanies them is pronounced, but not over the top. It doesn't include bugle calls or the muffled clap of cavalry, but it doesn't shy away from the occasional drum roll or a few bars of "When Johnny Came Marching Home," either. Above all, though, the engrossing stories themselves will keep listeners engaged if not fascinated. Based on the Hyperion hardcover.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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