Download Best Sellers Audiobooks in Fiction, Historical

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Title: Princes of Ireland

Subtitle: The Dublin Saga

Author: Edward Rutherfurd

Narrator: Richard Matthews

Format: Unabridged

Length: 25 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-26-04

Publisher: Books on Tape

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 952 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

While vividly and movingly conveying the passions and struggles that shaped the character of Dublin, Rutherfurd portrays the major events in Irish history: The tribal culture of pagan Ireland; the mission of St. Patrick; the coming of the Vikings and the founding of Dublin; the glories of the great nearby monastery of Glendalough and the making of treasures like the Book of Kells; the extraordinary career of Brian Boru; and the trickery of Henry II, which gave England its first foothold in Medieval Ireland. The stage is then set for the great conflict between the English kings and the princes of Ireland, and the disastrous Irish invasion of England, which incurred the wrath of Henry VIII and where this book, the first of the two part Dublin Saga, draws to a close, as the path of Irish history takes a dramatic and irrevocable turn.

Rich, colorful and impeccably researched, The Princes of Ireland is epic entertainment spun by a master.

Critic Reviews:

"A tour de force....Breathtaking." (Orlando Sentinel)

"Rutherfurd literally personifies history." (New York Daily News)

"A richly imagined vision of history, written with genuine delight." (San Francisco Chronicle)

Members Reviews:

FANTASTIC!

I have to say that this is one of the best books I have listened to. The story is easy to follow and all of the characters are vivid. The reading is well done, easy to understand and yet maintains the flavor of Irish.

I wanted a book to help me see an over view of Irish history and this was perfect! The best part is the writer didn't drag you through graphic episodes of sex or violence. You were aware that these things were happening in Irish history, but the reader didn't have to smeared with it.

Lovely Summer Read

This novel is a series of stories tracing Irish history over a number of centuries. The stories are woven together by place and by characteristics or belongings ascribed to each family that travel down through the generations. In fact, Dublin itself is as much a character as any of the people in the stories. Although some of the human characters could have used more depth, the overall historical impact makes it well worth the time spent.

Couldn't turn the ignition off

I'd had trouble putting down Mr. Rutherford's other books (Sarum, London, New Forest), so I eagerly downloaded his latest and wasn't disappointed. His account of Irish history through the lives of fictional characters is both educational and entertaining. There is a little bit of everything, adventure, drama, love, intrigue, you name it. If anything, I found in previous books he would rush through the last century of history and so I am glad that he is devoting two volumes for Princes of Ireland. Of course, now I have to wait for the second volume!

A Classic

This book is extremely well written and masterfully narrated. I have read this author's Sarum and London, and have the hard copy of this, but chose instead to listen to it. I am glad I did as it brought the history to life for me.

If any of you readers out there want more saga's of Ireland, I would encourage you to read Trinity and Redemption by Leon Uris.

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Title: The Ionian Mission

Subtitle: Aubrey/Maturin Series, Book 8

Author: Patrick O'Brian

Narrator: Patrick Tull

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-26-04

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 846 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Shoved into a temporary command in "that rotten old Worcester," Aubrey is off to the Mediterranean to join the Royal Navy's blockade of the French port of Toulon, where he will be dispatched by Admiral Harte (unfortunately the same Admiral Harte he cuckolded years ago) on a secret mission that promises to embroil Aubrey in political conflict. His friend Stephen's help notwithstanding, Aubrey faces some of the choppiest waters of his career.

This is the eighth book in O'Brian's 20-volume Aubrey/Maturin series.

Critic Reviews:

"Splendid adventures at a stately pace." (Kirkus)

Members Reviews:

The Ionian Mission

Although this is the first of the series to hit the doldrums, it's saved by humor on several levels, and the ending.

For the audio version, Patrick Tull aids its salvation. After a slow start, Tull brings more and more dramatic presence into each successive novel. He truly hits his stride here.

Other pluses include a more thorough use of Steven's near incurable ignorance of naval matters as our window into that complex, jargon filled Age of Sail world.

Then again, if you have not already found yourself saying Top Gallants and Royals, if you please, to express the need for haste, and urging people to finish something before it's abaft - even if those phrases don't answer - then you probably have not made it this far.

Part of a bigger tale

One more of POB's books that starts off slow, real slow, and stayed there. But it's about a blockade. The most boring mission you could hope not to get. It did pick up at the end. But we all know if you are reading this review, your going to get the book anyway. Just like me. I thought it was interesting to see how politics in the Near East hasn't changed much.

The Ionian Mission

This story was less dramatic than the prior books. Mostly they were on blockade which I gather from the book is boring for the crew. I did enjoy all the extra information O'Brian provided about the ships, sailing and the Royal Navy in the early 1800's late 1790s. Patrick Tull did an fantastic job narrating the story. Felt the ending was abrupt, wish there was more follow up of what happened after the battle. But maybe that comes in the next book.

Run away to navy, the 19th century British navy

Another great sea faring adventure ! O'brian captures the listener on the first page and never lets go til the last shot is fired. Patrick Tull as always brings the story to life like no other narrator can, he is the voice of Maturin and Aubrey.

...a plucking apart, a worrying to death.

"But he had not seen a more wicked and as it were spiteful sea, with its steep, close-packed waves -- a sea that threatened not the instant annihilation of the great antarctic monsters but a plucking apart, a worrying to death."

- Patrick O'Brian, The Ionian Mission

Probably my least favorite in the series so far. It was destined to happen. Even the best instruments will see their strings get loose after a few weeks on the water. It is still lovely and has some amazing parts, but this is not the book I would hand someone to get them hooked on Aubrey/Maturin novels.

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Title: The Thirteen-Gun Salute

Subtitle: Aubrey/Maturin Series, Book 13

Author: Patrick O'Brian

Narrator: Patrick Tull

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-12-04

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 790 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The thirteenth installment of Patrick O'Brian's hugely successful Aubrey/Maturin series.

Critic Reviews:

"The best historical novels ever written." (The New York Times Book Review)

Members Reviews:

Perhaps the best one I've heard

It would be difficult to single out one Aubrey/Maturin series novel that shines above the rest, but _The Thirteen Gun Salute_ would definitely be a candidate. Perhaps it is because I have read or listened to all but one of the previous books in the series, and can therefore feel as though I know O'Brian's characters on a level of great familiarity, but I do not think so. This book represents O'Brian at the top of his game, with humor and wit at an all-time high. Patrick Tull, as always, delivers a great performance.

Great Story

Patrick Tull makes the story come alive. One feels as if they are part of the crew. When listening I could smell the sea and feel the movement of the ship. Love Stephens excitment over the wildlife and fauna of the land and sea. O'Brian's stories always take me off to read more about the time and story he is writing about. I disagree with some of the other reviewer that felt they could not distinguish between the characters in the story. I could hear the difference and he has kept the various ones consistent from book to book.

Fantastic Book - Fantastic Narration

I've been listening to audio books for close on 25 years and Patrick Tull takes the art to perhaps its highest level. When I think of Jack Aubrey, I hear Tull's booming but subtle Hampshire tones. When I think of Stephen Maturin, I hear Tull's nuanced Dublin brogue. I lose myself entirely in his characterization. The performance is only to be surpassed by O'Brian's masterful, detailed, entirely believable world created by some of the best prose since Jane Austen. Tull's reading and O'Brian's prose are a powerful cocktail, capable of suspending anyone's disbelief. I drink it often and gladly.

The best narrator at his best

I have listened with joy to every Aubrey/Maturin novel thus far and all read by Patrick Tull. The man continues his phenomenal performance in this 13th audio novel. I had the misfortune of listening to book four in the series read by an another narrator and it lost all the love I had for the characters and the series. So, then I found the book read by Mr. Tull and stuck with his narration ever since. Patrick Tull masterfully portrays each character and keeps them individual throughout the series. His Aubrey and Maturin are ideal to the image in my mind. Tull's Jack Aubrey makes Russell Crowe a pale shadow of the character.

Truth was what he could make others believe

"...for him, Truth was what he could make others believe."

- Patrick O'Brian, Thirteen-Gun Salute

"...What I meant was that if he could induce others to believe what he said, then for him the statement acquired some degree of truth, a reflection of their belief that it was true; and this reflected truth might grow stronger with time and repetition until it became conviction, indistinguishable from ordinary factual truth, or very nearly so.

The Thriteen-Gun Salute, 188

Certain O'Brian novels just make me want to soak in them. I slow down while reading just to float on the prose.

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Title: The Letter of Marque

Subtitle: Aubrey/Maturin Series, Book 12

Author: Patrick O'Brian

Narrator: Patrick Tull

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-06-04

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 833 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In The Letter of Marque, Jack is once again aboard his beloved Surprise but stripped of his post captaincy for a crime he did not commit. Bought by Stephen, the Surprise has become a privateer. Sailing into French waters, the two concoct a desperate mission which, if successful, may redeem Aubrey from his state of disgrace. A nighttime battle with an unusual climax, a jewel of great value and Stephen's fondness for opium make this segment of O'Brian's masterful series both original and profoundly exciting.

Don't miss the rest of the

series.

©1988 Patrick O'Brian; (P)2003 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic Reviews:

"The best historical novels ever written." (The New York Times Book Review)

"No writer alive can move one as O'Brian can; no one can make you laugh so loud with hilarity, whiten your knuckles with unbearable tension or choke with emotion. He is the master." (Irish Times)

Members Reviews:

Two Patricks

I have listened to all the Aubrey/Maturin books,each narrated by Patrick Tull,unabridged, and will start at the beginning to savor them all again.I tuned into CSPAN on the car radio one night and heard P. O'Brian being interviewed by Walter Cronkite.I was so taken by his intelligence ,wit and charm that I read the first novel.It was great but hearing Patrick Tull read the second one was what blew me away.I was hooked! And I never liked naval lore or historical novels before.These two Patricks collaborated to deliver hours of pleasure...seventeen books making up one huge novel.I can't imagine any narrator doing a better job of bringing the books to life.

Privateering and the Search for Redemption

I have often observed that extremely violent noise and activity go with good-fellowship and heightened spirits.

Patrick O'Brian, The Letter of Marque

Captain Aubrey has been kicked out of the Navy based on some financial speculation that he was involved in. Now, he is sailing the Surprise decked out as a privateer (under the Letter of Marque) which allows him to earn a bit more money and enjoy a bit more freedom. Captain Aubrey, however, is a man who misses the Navy and being away from the Navy is killing him. Meanwhile, Dr. Maturin has his demons to deal with (women, or one woman, and Laudanum).

This isn't the strongest book in the series (12 books in and this might be the weakest so far, but still isn't really weak or weak only relatively), but it is nice to see a different aspect of the the British Navy. Probably the most famous Privateer in history is Francis Drake. Aubrey engages in several battles at sea and is able "right" his fortune and perhaps even his name. There is a scene at the end when Dr. Maturin is under the spell of a large dose of Laudanum that while interesting is a bit weak (he dreams of balloons, and Diana). There was certainly plenty of foreshadowing of balloons to make its entrance in his dream believable, but it was just not polished enough. No. Polished isn't right. It didn't risk enough. It was a bit of a boring scene. Anyway, still a very good book -- with just a few barnacles attached.

New Life

I don't know why, but Tull has gone to town w/ the voices on this one.

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Title: The Reverse of the Medal

Subtitle: Aubrey/Maturin Series, Book 11

Author: Patrick O'Brian

Narrator: Patrick Tull

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-05-04

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 773 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Jack Aubrey is back in London after a successful mission. On the advice of an acquaintance he uses the time to invest some of his prize money. However when the investments link him to London's powerful criminal element and land him in jail it looks as if he has lost his post captaincy and the H.M.S. Surprise. It is once again up to ship's surgeon and covert agent Stephen Maturin to rescue his hapless friend.

Don't miss the rest of the

series.

©1986 Patrick O'Brian; (P)2003 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic Reviews:

"The best historical novels ever written." (The New York Times Book Review)

"No writer alive can move one as O'Brian can; no one can make you laugh so loud with hilarity, whiten your knuckles with unbearable tension or choke with emotion. He is the master." (Irish Times)

Members Reviews:

When virtue spooms before a prosperous gale

"When virtue spooms before a prosperous gale

My heaving wishes help to fill the sail"

- John Dryden, The Hind And The Panther

There is a fairly exciting cat and mouse chase in this book, but for the most part 'The Reverse of the Medal' involves another Captain Jack Aubrey financial mistake. In what I'll only describe as a mix between a classic economic espionage novel ala John le Carré and David Mamet's The Spanish Prisoner, Jack Aubrey loses about everything. At the same time, Dr. Maturin is trying to take care of his friend financially by procuring the Surprise at a Navy auction all while dealing with the absence of his mercurial wife.

Without divulging too much of the plot, let me just say that one of the final chapters of this novel actually made me cry. It wasn't sad, per se, but the tears that swell up when you witness men doing manly things to help other men. Anyway, it was beautiful and touching and worth the time.

Most Moving

Just when you thought youd had enough of this series, around the time the man hating tattooed Polynesian gals who sailed the sea looking to deprive men of their manhood with obsidian knives showed up in The Far Side of the World, and you were positively starved for some heroic naval action, you probably gave a heavy sigh when you read the description of this book. You have also probably read of Thomas Cochranes career the actual Royal Navy Captain who inspired OBrians Jack - and were wincing, knowing what was coming.

Buy this book. Read it, listen to it, find some way to insert it into your brain by any manner you prefer. Despite the pain, the anguish, and the infuriating forces aligned against Aubrey, this book has the most moving scene of the series. As one OBrian reviewer once put it, I will not say I cried, but I will not say I did not.

The doctor saves more than just Jack

In fact, the doctor saves the whole book.

The first half of the book is dreadful. I would guess that, collectively, nearly an hour is spent on "our story thus far." There's goings on between Jack and his father, along with Stephen and his intelligence people. I just couldn't get interested, and in fact, set the story aside on two occasions.

Then, near the end of the first part, it gets going, and keeps going. In perhaps the most moving chapter of the entire series, Jack finds out who is friends really are. Outstanding.

Patrick Tull is a master

I love the entire series as books.

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Title: The Far Side of the World

Subtitle: Aubrey/Maturin Series, Book 10

Author: Patrick O'Brian

Narrator: Patrick Tull

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-07-04

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 807 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The South Seas are a paradise for battle-weary Captain Jack Aubrey and ship's surgeon Stephen Maturin. But their peace is disturbed when Stephen's fancy for a peculiar marine organism lands him overboard. Acting in his usual headstrong fashion, Jack dives into the rescue, unfortunately failing to plan what will happen once they are both in the water watching the sails of the Surprise disappear in the mist.

Don't miss the rest of the

series.

©1984 Patrick O'Brian; (P)2003 Recorded Books, LLC.

Critic Reviews:

"The best historical novels ever written." (The New York Times Book Review)

"No writer alive can move one as O'Brian can; no one can make you laugh so loud with hilarity, whiten your knuckles with unbearable tension or choke with emotion. He is the master." (Irish Times)

Members Reviews:

What lies beyond is the far side of the world...

Martin was a thoroughly amiable man, a man of wide reading, but when he came to write he mounted upon a pair of stilts, unusually lofty stilts, and staggered along at a most ungracious pace, with an occasional awkward lurch into colloquialism, giving a strikingly false impression of himself.

Patrick O'Brian, The Far Side of the World

'The Far Side of the World' is driven by a fairly simple plot. It is a chase, a hunt, a sea race from Gibraltar, down around Cape Horn into the Pacific. The Surprise has been tasked with intercepting the American frigate the Norfolk as it hunts for British whalers in the Great South Sea on the Far Side of the World. The benefit of this novel's simple plot structure is it really boils the book down to what makes the series great: O'Brian's nautical prose and the relationship between Dr. Stephen Maturin and Captain Jack Aubrey.

The relationship between Maturin and Aubrey is one that captures the unique relationship that forms between some men in battle, war, etc., that seems to almost transcend relationships of blood or the liquid link of lovers. Some of the most touching parts of this novel are those lines where Captain Aubrey recognizes how his role as captain requires him to do something that will cause distress or pain to Dr. Maturin. The affection is real. It is honest. It is mature. The amazing thing is this type of love between men almost NEVER gets exposed in modern literature or art. Again, I say almost because there are example, but the great thing about this series is O'Brian lets this relationship grow and develop and adds complexities to it that are unparalleled anywhere in literature.

I also adore how these two men explore two great models* of masculinity. Captain Aubrey (to me) represents almost a Ruler form of masculinity while Doctor Maturin represents the Explorer form. These two men, with these two very distinct FORMS and WAYS of BEING men are able to interact, cooperate, resolve conflict, etc., through their linked affection, to a world at war and a world unknown. I read these novels and I believe there is nothing that Victorian rules and the Age of Enlightenment can't accomplish.

* Borrowing a bit from Clare W. Graves here.

The Far side of the World

What a great sailing story. Not much of a story about naval battles but this story give a fabulous insight into Naval life of the 1790's. The information on whaling and the tension between British and U.S. whales was great.

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Title: The Wine-Dark Sea

Subtitle: Aubrey/Maturin Series, Book 16

Author: Patrick O'Brian

Narrator: Patrick Tull

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-07-04

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 669 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

At the outset of this adventure, Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin pursue a heavy American privateer through the Great South Sea. Their ship, the

Surprise, is now also a privateer, the better to escape diplomatic complications from Stephen's mission, which is to ignite the revolutionary tinder of South America. Jack will survive a desperate open-boat journey and come face to face with his illegitimate black son; Stephen, caught up in the aftermath of his failed coup, will flee for his life into the high, frozen wastes of the Andes; and Patrick O'Brian's brilliantly detailed narrative will reuinte them at last in a breathtaking chase through storm seas and icebergs south of Cape Horn.

Don't miss the rest of the

series.

©1993 Patrick O'Brian (P)2003 Recorded Books, LLC.

Critic Reviews:

"So much better than the competition that comparisons long ago ceased to be relevant: [the Aubrey/Maturin books] are uniquely excellent." (The New York Times) "Meticulously researched and heart-stoppingly vivid." (Washington Post Book World)

Members Reviews:

Patrick Tull is the only narrator to choose

Patrick Tull reads the Aubrey/Maturin novels far better than anyone else. Buy the whole series with his voices, to bring alive each character with subtlety and vigor.

oínopa pónton

And jealous now of me, you gods, because I befriend a man, one I saved as he straddled the keel alone, when Zeus had blasted and shattered his swift ship with a bright lightning bolt, out on the wine-dark sea.

Homer, The Odyssey, Book V

So, "wine-dark sea" (or "oínopa pónton") is a phrase used quite a bit by Homer. And Homer was quite an author I guess. And he did some pretty damn good writing about boats and stuff. So, it is only natural that Patrick O'Brian would eventually get around to using the "Wine-Dark Sea" image in one of his books. In Book 16 to be specific. This book is actually book 4, of a 5-novel circumnavigation of the globe sieries within his greater 20 book (21 if you count his last unfinished novel) Aubrey-Maturin series. There is some nice sailing, and the wine-dark sea section happens to appear at a point when some volcanic activity is happening nearby (which given the location of most of Homer's sea stories, also ties the mysterious wine-dark colors together).

Anyway, there was some interesting sections dealing with South American politics, and Andes hiking. Some of my favorite new characters are the two little girls rescued from a South Asian island that was decimated with small-pox. They have attached themselves to Dr. Maturin and become a lovely feature on the Surprise. I'm starting to get that feeling one gets towards the last couple days of an amazing vacation. You still enjoy the country, beach, mountains, etc., but there is a sense of impending dread that this all will end too soon. One day, I'll reach to the table next to my bed and there won't be a new O'Brian novel to read.

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Title: Sharpe's Eagle

Subtitle: Book VIII of the Sharpe Series

Author: Bernard Cornwell

Narrator: Frederick Davidson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-24-01

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 621 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Here is one of those rare novels, the first in an epic series, that completely transports the listener to an unforgettable time and place in history. At Talavera in July of 1809, Captain Richard Sharpe, bold, professional, and ruthless, prepares to lead his men against the armies of Napoleon into what will be the bloodiest battle of the war. Sharpe has earned his captaincy, but there are others, such as the foppish Lieutenant Gibbons and his uncle, Colonel Henry Simmerson, who have bought their commissions despite their incompetence. After their cowardly loss of the regiment's colors, their resentment toward the upstart Sharpe turns to treachery, and Sharpe must battle his way through sword fights and bloody warfare to redeem the honor of his regiment.

Don't forget to check out the rest of Bernard Cornwell's

series.

©1981 by Rifleman Productions; (P)1995 by Blackstone Audiodbooks

Critic Reviews:

"Consistently exciting....These are wonderful novels!" (Stephen King)

Members Reviews:

Great and you don't have to have read the others

One of the wonderful features of the Sharp's novel is that any one is a stand alone. Cornwell writes the best historical fiction around. Not only does he include lots of backround but he is a master of creating swashbuckling characters and great situations.

The rendition of the book was excellent, the characters were 100% in place and believable.

Rent any of the Sharp's books and you won't be dissapointed!

A giant ditto

"Sharpe's Eagle" was a fascinating book. The action scenes were read just right to keep the flow moving and the characterizations fit throughout the reading. I'm hooked. Off to get more of Sharpe and see what other problems he runs into as the war goes on.

By the way, the historical accuracy also helped make the book believable.

I loved all of Bernard Cornwell Sharpe's books

Great fun, lots of adventure, some history. I liked all of Bernard Cornwell Sharpe's books so much that I was deeply depressed when I finished the last one available at audible. More Please!

Sharpe's Eagle- Great Listening Experience

I purchased this book as a first attempt at historical fiction. I found it difficult to find a good place to stop listening. I enjoy historical fiction and this one contains enough historical detail to keep it interesting just from that point of view. In addition, it has a very compelling plot and enough interesting characters to keep the listener engaged through out the telling of this story. I would recommend listening to this series in order if possible. The first available is Sharpe's Rifles. Start there and see what you think.

Engrossing!

This was a great story. It was superbly written with plenty of action, but also with great context, background and a description of the time and place that made me feel I was there. It was genuinely hard to stop listening, and after my long commute I often found myself wishing I was not yet at my destination. The reading was outstanding.

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Title: Norse Mythology

Author: Neil Gaiman

Narrator: Neil Gaiman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-24-17

Publisher: Audible Studios for Bloomsbury

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 114 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The great Norse myths are woven into the fabric of our storytelling - from Tolkien, Alan Garner and Rosemary Sutcliff to Game of Thrones and Marvel Comics. They are also an inspiration for Neil Gaiman's own award-bedecked, best-selling fiction. Now he reaches back through time to the original source stories in a thrilling and vivid rendition of the great Norse tales. Gaiman's gods are thoroughly alive - irascible, visceral, playful and passionate - and the tales carry us from the beginning of everything to Ragnarök and the twilight of the gods. Galvanised by Gaiman's prose, Thor, Loki, Odin and Freya are irresistible forces for modern listeners, and the crackling, brilliant writing demands to be heard around an open fire on a freezing, starlit night.

Members Reviews:

Simply superb

I loved it. Mythology is fascinating enough, but is at another level thanks to Gaiman's obvious love for it.

Must read for mythology lovers!

the beautiful narrative really brings the characters to life! recommend listening for kids and adults!

Wonderful stories

The stories are told so well and Neil Gaimans narration is excellent. I cant think of a good reason not to listen to this again.

Norse Mythology overview at its best

Neil Gaiman managed a near impossible task in creating a view of Norse Mythology that I could understand. Since I did not grow up in the UK or Ireland, it was very confusing, until he retold the stories is a way that seems to follow a chronological structure.

Teaching by story telling - the way it ought to be done all the time.

Thanks Neil.

Excellent

I loved this, these myths do especially well as and audio book. Mr. Gaiman's faithful rendition of the myths are really good. I am glad i bought this.

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Title: The Winthrop Woman

Author: Anya Seton

Narrator: Corrie James

Format: Unabridged

Length: 27 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-21-14

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 240 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In 1631 Elizabeth Winthrop, newly widowed with an infant daughter, set sail for the New World. Against a background of rigidity and conformity she dared to befriend Anne Hutchinson at the moment of her banishment from the Massachusetts Bay Colony; dared to challenge a determined army captain bent on the massacre of her friends, the Siwanoy Indians; and, above all, dared to love a man as her heart and her whole being commanded. And so, as a response to this almost unmatched courage and vitality, Governor John Winthrop came to refer to this woman in the historical records of the time as his "unregenerate niece".

Anya Seton's riveting historical novel portrays the fortitude, humiliation, and ultimate triumph of the Winthrop woman, who believed in a concept of happiness transcending that of her own day.

Critic Reviews:

"The Winthrop Woman is that rare literary accomplishment-living history. Really good fictionalized history [like this] often gives closer reality to a period than do factual records." (Chicago Tribune )

Members Reviews:

Historical Fiction that Aged Very Well

Anya Seton's historical fiction seems to age very well. I read Green Darkness many years ago and it remains one of my all time favorites, in my favorite genre. I listened to Katherine several years back and became impressed with Ms. Seton's talent once again.

The Winthrop woman tells the story of Elizabeth Winthrop, the daughter-in-law/niece of John Winthrop, a strict Puritan and a founding governor of the Massachusetts Colony in the first half of the 17th Century. While Elizabeth actually existed, and due to her relationship to John Winthrop whose life was well documented, we know many of the "facts" of her life - her parentage, her move to the new world, her marriages - we don't have the knowledge of the details of her life like we do Elizabeth I or Marie Antoinette. In many ways she was a "nobody" and the details of their lives seldom survive. But somehow, in a time when women were definitely "background" and men made history, there are a few incidences in her life that stood out at the time and have survived. These set her apart from the thousands of faceless women who lived her same life.

Ms. Seton took the few facts at hand and built a readable romance novel. If that is all it was, I would say this was an adequate book. But she then added layers of facts about the time Elizabeth lived and the larger than life historical figures she knew and created a strong work of historical fiction. She breathed life and sympathy into historical figures that are typically seen as caricatures or cardboard cutouts of real people. Especially John Winthrop. She made a man historically portrayed as cold and unlikeable, into a man with flaws who constantly doubted himself and struggled to live the life he preached. We will never know how accurate her interpretation of the man was, but by making him more human, it mad me more curious to learn more of the truth about the man. This is what elevated my overall rating of the book.

Elizabeth Winthrop lived and survived in a critical period of history. The mere fact that she survived and thrived an adventure that most who attempted it did not, makes her worthy of remembering.