Dugard, Martin. The last voyage of Columbus: being the epic tale of the great captain's fourth expedition, including accounts of swordfight, mutiny, shipwreck, gold, war, hurricane, and discovery.

DUGARD, Martin. The last voyage of Columbus: being the epic tale of the great captain's fourth expedition, including accounts of swordfight, mutiny, shipwreck, gold, war, hurricane, and discovery. Read by Simon Jones. Abridged. 5 cds. No time listed. Time Warner Audiobooks. 2005. 1-5948-3067-3. $29.98. Cardboard; content, author, reader notes. SA

This swash-buckling biography opens in 1500 with Christopher Columbus in chains. He had completed three voyages: the first was for discovery; the second was for colonization; and the third was for expansion. Still, he had not found the passage to India; jealousy, political intrigue, and personal attacks plagued the Italian explorer. When his ships landed at Hispaniola on his third voyage, an over-zealous emissary from Spain threw him in prison for mismanagement of the colony and Columbus was returned to Spain in chains. His incarceration was a mistake and the sovereigns provided him with ships for a fourth voyage. Dugard's text and Jones's narration combine to provide a spellbinding excursion into the early history of "The New World."

Jones reads in an almost conspiratorial tone, as if to let the listener in on the secret of Columbus's fourth voyage. Slight changes in his voice suggest different emotions and the seriousness of any situation is never lost. Sound effects enhance the final voyage. Mainly for fans of the action/adventure genre. Prof. John E. Boyd, Jenkintown, PA

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.