Crossing the Lines: A Novel - Hardcover

Melvyn Bragg has written several works of non-fiction (as well as his bestselling novels) including Speak for England, an oral history of the twentieth century; Rich, a biography of Richard Burton; and On Giants’ Shoulders, a history of science based on his BBC radio series. He was born in 1939 and educated at Oxford where he read history. He is controller of Arts at LWT and presi- dent of the National Campaign for the Arts. In 1998 he was made a life peer. He lives in London and Cumbria.

The third in Melvyn Bragg's series, set in the 1950s in Britain, focuses on Joe Richardson, a teenager who begins the book as a schoolboy and ends it a student at Oxford. In between, Joe experiences everything from love to political consciousness to the realiz-ation that his parents, who are dealing with middle age, have their own bag-gage. Mark McGann reads with flair and subtlety. McGann has a wonderful voice, and he transitions well from the angst Joe feels when experiencing his first love to the maturity and judgment Joe exhibits in dealing with more complex situations. Bragg is not particularly well known in the United States; perhaps this title will bring him some well-deserved recognition. D.J.S. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine