Download the Most Popular Audiobooks in Fiction, Historical Most Popular

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Title: Landsman

Author: Peter Charles Melman

Narrator: Daniel Oreskes

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-11-07

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In the summer of 1853, in Lafayette City, Louisiana, 11-year-old Elias Abrams loses his mother to yellow fever. Grief-stricken and alone, he becomes embroiled in the street life of New Orleans. After Elias is falsely accused of a crime, and in order to escape arrest, he enlists in the Third Louisiana Regiment, where 3,000 other Jews will ultimately fight for the Confederacy. Before long, though, Elias' past catches up with him, and he realizes that he must face his demons, or lose the woman he loves.

©2007 Peter Charles Melman; (P)2007 BBC Audiobooks America

Critic Reviews:

"At times ribald and always real, Melman creates a rich and authentic story." (Booklist)

"There is certainly no shortage of Civil War fiction; this is one of the better offerings." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

The Right Amount of History

Melman's genius is knowing the line between history and literature. Landsman is a book whose historical veracity is never in question, nor is it, like other novels which take the American Civil War as their starting point, a pedantic history lesson masquerading as a war story. The novel swings back and forth from the war -- bloody battles and grim prisoner of war camps -- to the lurid streets of New Orleans' dank gambling dens and filth-ridden whorehouses. Never overwhelming the story, the characters, or the plot, the history that Melmon knows (and knows well), becomes the stage upon which the events of the novel play out. Like all good authors who dare to write fiction in historical perspective, Melman understands that a little history goes a long way.

Additionally, like the best contemporary writing about nineteenth-century America, Melman is not afraid to show you a life lived close to the bone. The places these characters inhabit and pass through, indeed the characters themselves, have all the grime, dirt, and filth that characterized nineteenth-century life in the city, especially that of the newly emerging urban working class. They drink and smoke, whore and brawl. The portrait Melman draws of wartime New Orleans maps closely to the most recent scholarship on the city like Rich Campanella's Geography of New Orleans, Lawrence Powell's Accidental City, and Ari Kelmna's A River and It's City. (the book would pair well in American Studies classes examining the urban fabric of New Orleans or American cities in the nineteenth century).

For those interested in a good story well told, you'd do well to pick up Landsman. You won't regret it.

A suruprising must-read debut.

In a year with new works from most major authors writing today, this debut novel remains my favorite work of the year. All the sprawl of Chabon's THE YIDDISH POLICEMEN'S UNION and all the precision of McEwan's ON CHESIL BEACH in one fascinating, can't-put-it-down book. It's interesting that COLD MOUNTAIN continues to be a touchpoint for explaining this novel. It does concern a soldier in the Civil War on a journey to a woman, but where COLD MOUNTAIN (a wonderful novel, to be sure) descends into sprawl for sprawl's sake on occasion, LANDSMAN retains its locomotive-like forward thrust on every single page. Both a big-hearted romance and a taut, brutal story, this book had me riveted from the first sentence. And beyond the beautiful, pitch-perfect writing, it has one of the most disciplined narratives in recent memory.

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Title: Bless This House

Author: Norah Lofts

Narrator: Michael Tudor Barnes, Nicolette McKenzie

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-03-07

Publisher: ISIS Audio Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 34 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The house was Merravay. And its story stretched over 400 years.

Members Reviews:

Bless This House - my take

I have loved this book from the time I first read it a years ago. It has everything in it - unrequited love, hauntings, mysteries, and at last the fulfillment of everybody's wishes. Set in England, filled with unforgettable characters, events, history, and the sheer humanity of people living age by age under the same roof. Finding this book again was what made me join Audible in the first place, and i'm listening to it again, slowly and luxeriously, enjoying the audio book version as much as I enjoyed the paper book, which I eventually wore out. Take this story at face value, and let yourself follow each person, just be a part of their lives. After a time, you may start to feel, as I did, that the window seat belongs to you and no other.

Norah Lofts Rules!

With all due respect to two of the previous reviewers of Bless This House, if you don't like a Norah Lofts story you don't know what a good story is. If you like historical fiction and would like to time travel you can't beat Ms. Lofts stories. I highly recommend any of her books.

Great narration for one of my favorite books!

What did you love best about Bless This House?

Everything. The rich historical detail, complex characters. The unpredictability of the plot. A good old-fashioned read.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Bless This House?

When you realize that events from the first part of the story, in the 1400s, are coming back to have repercussions centuries later--and that you the reader know what's going on while the characters don't.

Have you listened to any of Michael Tudor Barnes and Nicolette McKenzie s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Wonderful!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes!

Any additional comments?

I think the readers who don't enjoy this book are probably young or accustomed to "new" books. Norah Lofts is the type of read that I miss--getting into the heads of many, many characters rather than only one main first-person character. Lush prose. A narrative story instead of sparse action and dialogue.

Mostly Unpleasant

Somehow the title led me to think that it would be full of blessings. It is mostly a saga of frustration, missed opportunities and bitterness, generation after generation. The blessings take hundreds of years to arrive.

Thought it was slow!

I felt like this book would never end. I didn't care for it.

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Title: Promise and Honor

Author: Kim Murphy

Narrator: Dianna Dorman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-21-06

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 19 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Lieutenant Samuel Prescott, a soldier of honor and John's comrade from before the war, fights for the Union. As opposing forces move into Virginia, Sam clashes with Wil on more than the battlefield when both men fall in love with Amanda.

Torn by grief and loyalty, Amanda struggles with the harsh reality that her way of life has been altered forever by the growing storm.

Critic Reviews:

"The historical detail is fascinating. The pathos and danger are heartrendingly real." (Word Museum Reviews)

"A sweeping saga, written evenhandedly with both emotion and strength...compelling romantic drama from the first page to the last....One of those novels that are so easy to pick up and so difficult to put down." (Midwest Book Review)

Members Reviews:

Enjoyed this book

I enjoyed this book. I love books of love and war during the Civil War period. The characters are strong and the author paints a vivid picture of them. It was interesting to see which of the men's attention Amanda would choose in the end. One weak point in the story for me was the very little interaction between Amanda and the little girl, Rebecca. I also found it somewhat unrealistic that the soldier Tucker could live day and night among the male troops and keep her true identity a secret. I do like the story of a woman in the military fighting for her country. I found it very believable that a woman would feel compelled to joing the Army to help support her Mom after her Dad passed away. Desperate times require desperate measures. I came to like her character and loved her devotion to her superior officer and her ability to do her job well. Good read!

Incredible story of hardship and love. Hated reading about the horror of war

I never write reviews, but I had to with this one. Incredible story of hardship and love. Hated reading about the horror of war, but knew it was part of the story and a necessary evil. If you like period stories with some romance, don't miss this one! Another of my favorite stories is "these is my words" by Nancy Turner. It's also phenomenal. But make sure you have a tissue ready.....don't miss these books!

Civil war

In the midst of terrible battles, Captain Sam discovers a young soldier that is a girl, fighting as a boy so her mother can collect her wages...& her pension, if necessary. Amanda lost her husband, & has two men, one from either side, in love with her. Which will she choose?

Much More Than A Love Story

Let me start off by saying, "I do not read love stories." After having said that, I will say, "But I read this one." If this is considered a love story, so be it.

It is a great Civil War novel and will be enjoyed also by general readers of all interests.

This book holds your interest from the very first page, till the last. It is a beautiful picture of a horrible time. It blends history with human emotion on a level that will keep you coming back for more.

In the next few moments, I will be starting "Honor and Glory", which is the 2nd. book in Kim Murphy's trilogy.

What a gifted author!

Wonderful book

This is the first book I have read by Kim Murphy. I am now a fan. Her characters absolutely come to life and grab your attention from page one. I cannot wait to read the remaining books of this trilogy.

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Title: Imperium

Subtitle: A Novel of Ancient Rome

Author: Robert Harris

Narrator: Oliver Ford Davies

Format: Abridged

Length: 6 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-15-06

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 29 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Of all the great figures of the Roman world, none was more fascinating or charismatic than Cicero. And Tiro, the inventor of shorthand and author of numerous books, including a celebrated biography of his master (which was lost in the Dark Ages), was always by his side.

Compellingly written in Tiro's voice, Imperium is the re-creation of his vanished masterpiece, recounting in vivid detail the story of Cicero's quest for glory, as he competed with some of the most powerful and intimidating figures of his or any other age: Pompey, Caesar, Crassus, and the many other powerful Romans who changed history.

Robert Harris, the master of innovative historical fiction, lures us into a violent, treacherous world of Roman politics at once exotically different from and yet startlingly similar to our own.

Critic Reviews:

"Entertaining and enlightening." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Brilliantly done

This is a wonderful book for anyone who enjoys historical fiction. I think the author brilliantly executes the idea of Cicero's slave remembering the early career of the young Cicero. It is great history, combined with courtroom drama and interesting characters. The narrator is flawless.

This is intended to be the first part of a trilogy. I only the same narrator is used and eagerly await the next two installments.

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Title: Dark Angels

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Karleen Koen

Narrator: Rosalyn Landor

Format: Abridged

Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-07-06

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

But since the Restoration, old political alliances have frayed, and there are whispers that the king is moving to divorce his barren queen. Alice is devoted to the queen, and so sets out to discover who might be making sinister plans. She learns of shocking betrayals throughout court, and meets a man that she may be falling in love with. Secret plots are at play, and war is on the horizon, but will it be with the Dutch or the French? And has King Charles himself betrayed his country for greed?

Unforgettable in its dramatic force, Dark Angels, the long-awaited prequel to Through a Glass Darkly, is a feast of a novel that sparkles with all the passion, extravagance, danger, and scandal of 17th century England.

Critic Reviews:

"Koen blends history, mystery, and romance to craft a historical romance that will delight fans of the genre." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Great read from a gifted author

This author is just terrific. I had read her other books in the series and thought they were well written. She plots well, develops her characters and doesn't try to make the characters go out of character just to finish out a plot line. Her attention to detail is good but not overwhelming where your reading speed drops done and you feel like the plot stops, but instead she allows you to read like a movie is playing in your head. Absolutely delightful writer. I wish she would continue the series somehow.

Enjoyable but could have been better

I would have loved this story if the sexual content (not much was really graphic, but it was still there) and violence hadn't been portrayed so prominently. I'm not sure how much of that was really necessary to the story line. Also I didn't much care for the main character, although she wasn't totally despicable.

Having said that, otherwise I enjoyed the book very much. I've not read much fiction, or non-fiction, from this time period (Charles II of England) so this was a good introduction. I've ordered another book in the series (I think) with the hopes that since it was written earlier, perhaps the language will be a bit more discreet.

1670, about ten years after Charles II came back . . .

. . . from exile, his sister Henriette, married to Franceâs King Louisâ brother, returns to England to visit her brother. Accompanying her is her English maid of honor Alice Verney, daughter of Sir Thomas Verney, both exceedingly ambitious and somewhat unscrupulous by American egalitarian standards. Yet we must judge them by the values of the time. Alice is pretty. Vivacious. Witty. And practical. Yet her heart betrays her practicality when as she conspires to have Lord Balmoral fall in love with her, she falls in love herself with the lover of her best French friend, the stunningly beautiful Renee de Keroualle, who King Charles chooses for mistress. Conspiracies. Surprises. Betrayals. A merry, tragic, touching romance, and we are in sustained suspense throughout.

Three book saga worth reading despite the awkward writing style - I would give 4 1/2 stars if I could

Since I purchased and read all three books in chronological order, this one was first. I am writing the review after finishing all three books, so it is difficult to see them as individual books as they do flow together well.

I can only give it 4 stars because I found the writing style difficult to follow at times.

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Title: The Expected One

Author: Kathleen McGowan

Narrator: Linda Emond

Format: Abridged

Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-03-06

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 80 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Two thousand years ago, Mary Magdalene hid a set of scrolls in the French Pyrenees; the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, her version of the life of Jesus and the events of the New Testament. Protected by supernatural forces, these sacred scrolls could be uncovered only by a special seeker, one who fulfills the ancient prophecy of L'Attendu, the Expected One.

As Maureen becomes immersed in the mystical lore of L'Attendu, the eerie prophecy of the Expected One casts a shadow over her life and work, and a long-buried family secret comes to light. Maureen's extraordinary journey takes her from the dusty streets of Jerusalem to the cathedrals of Paris to the rocky foothills of southwest France. To search for the scrolls, she must unravel clues that link history's great artistic masters, dynasties, and scientific minds. Ultimately, she comes face-to-face with Jesus Christ, Mary Magdalene, and a love triangle that changed the course of history in a deeply moving and powerful new gospel...the greatest story never told.

Critic Reviews:

"[A] much-heralded debut." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Brought Tears to My Eyes

This is probably one of the few audiobooks that brought tears to my eyes. I normally choose unabrigded versions and but since I wasn't sure I would like it I got the abridged version then later the unabridged version.

It is along the lines of Da Vinci Code but told more like a drama than a thriller. The abridged version is a good choice for those who like things more fast paced and I personally prefered this version.

The reader is overall quite good especially in the beginning, but later I think has a problem switching between the several different accents required. She sounds almost like the middle eastern accent she uses in the beginning in parts when she has to portray a french accent.

Not your book if you believe the Bible.

What did you like best about The Expected One? What did you like least?

I liked that there was some mention of Jesus. I was disturbed by the rest.

Has The Expected One turned you off from other books in this genre?

Pretty much.

What does Linda Emond bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

She was the best part. I will get other books narrated by her. She was fantastic. I was repelled by the story but loved listening to her.

Did The Expected One inspire you to do anything?

Yes, stop listening to fiction about the life of Christ.

Any additional comments?

I guess I should have expected it to be way out there but since Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John's testimonies were a mirror of each other, I wanted it to be a female aspect of what they had said.

a difficult review to write

The book is presented as a novel. However, the basic concepts underlying it are those encountered in the DaVinci Code (a novel) and Holy Blood, Holy Grail, (non-fiction) in which Mary Magdalene is viewed as the wife of Jesus. Then the author provides an afterward in which she affirms her fundamental belief that the basic ideas she talks about in the book are true. I am not about to speak to the underlying concept the author presents. That is beyond my pay grade. Since she publishes the book as a novel, I will consider it as a novel.

Many of the characters in the book are frustratingly one dimensional. They come on the scene, say their lines and are gone. They never emerge as real people, even when they are playing critical roles.

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Title: Articles of War

Author: Nick Arvin

Narrator: J.D. Cullum

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-07-06

Publisher: HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 16 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

"The boy they called Heck arrived at Omaha Beach in August 1944. Soon he would be sent to the front...." George Tilson, an 18-year-old Iowa farm boy, is nicknamed Heck because he won't curse. Other than that, he's a typical soldier, willing to do his duty without much fuss or musing about grand goals.

During his first horrific exposure to combat, Heck discovers a dark truth about himself: He is a coward. Shamed by his fear and tortured by the never-ending physical dangers around him, he struggles to survive, to live up to the ideal of the American fighting man, and to make sense of his feelings for a young French refugee. As the stark reality of combat and the knowledge that he could cease to exist at any moment presses in on him, he makes a series of choices that would be rational in every human situation except war.

Writing with remorseless clarity in a starkly minimalist style, Arvin draws you into the unimaginable fear, violence, and chaos of the war zone, and creates one of the most disturbing and unforgettable accounts of a soldier's life ever written.

Critic Reviews:

"Arvin's first novel is an elegant, understated testament to the stoicism, accidental cowardice, and occasional heroics of men under fire." (Publishers Weekly)

Contact me for any questions: [email protected]

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Title: A Star Called Henry

Author: Roddy Doyle

Narrator: Roddy Doyle

Format: Abridged

Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-18-06

Publisher: Random House AudioBooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

An historical novel like none before it, A Star Called Henry marks a new chapter in Roddy Doyle's writing. It is a vastly more ambitious book than any he has written before. A subversive look behind the legends of Irish republicanism, at its centre a passionate love story, this is a triumphant work of fiction.

Critic Reviews:

"This is a radical departure for Doyle, and a stunning success." (Amazon.co.uk)

Members Reviews:

Love Roddy Doyle Books

Loved it as a hard back and have re read and listened to it many times since. Fantastically entertaining although the narration isn't always the best.

Excellent story and narration

Listened with partner and home educated teenager (eek, lots of underage sex!) during the period of the centenary of the Easter Rising. The writing is excellent, like swift poetry, as is Roddy's telling, which regularly went into snippets of song and kept the humour deadpan. I also appreciated, towards the end of the story, the critique of the modern Irish culture yet to come, which took this period of hope and desperation and turned it into something many involved would have cringed at. I was at a commemorative event for the Rising recently when the local mayor ascertained that the leaders of the Rising would have been proud of Ireland as it stands. I doubt it somehow, particularly for those with the harder line Socialist outlook.... Thousands of homeless children and yet so many empty houses and entire empty estates while the government and banks manufacture a mini property bubble, 'the great oil and gas giveaway', the few refugees let in kept in institutions, etc, etc. Personally I see Connolly spinning in his grave.

I very rarely read or listen to fiction but I loved this. Recommend.

Fantastic but abridged

This is a great book read by Roddy Doyle himself. My only complaint is the book is slightly abridged.

5 Stars! Amazing

What a story! and brilliantly narrated by the author himself. I would thoroughly recommend this audiobook. The story is captivating and the characters are life size.

Stimulating and educating

The story begins implausibly with a one-legged bouncer but it soon takes off and becomes an exciting story of a young man whose early years are marked by poverty and exclusion. Later he becomes a rebelious hero. Roddy Doyle has gone to a lot of trouble to ensure the historical accuracy of the story.

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Title: The Legend of the Wandering King

Author: Laura Gallego Garcia

Narrator: Patrick Fraley

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 44 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-15-05

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 18 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Inspired by the true story of a real prince of pre-Islamic Arabia, The Legend of the Wandering King is an original historical fantasy and an utterly thrilling adventure.

This text was translated by Dan Bellm.

Critic Reviews:

"This beautiful symmetrical tale of the possibility of redemption, of fate vs. free will, of the necessity of heart in art, will enthrall readers young and old." (Kirkus)

Members Reviews:

Wonderful Book

I thought I was buying the Spanish version, but apparently I can't read as well as I thought. This story is very well written, organized, and put together. Garcia includes only what's necessary, keeping the story short, but very rich and fulfilling. Some parts are less than realistic and you have to put disbelief on hold to enjoy some characters, but for the most part it's enthralling. Definitely read this, especially if you're also a poet.

Five Stars

Beautiful edition, excelent condition.

Amazing book written by a 24 year old

This story shows such wisdom and understanding that it is beyond description, and to think that the author published it when she's only 24 years old! (According to Wikipedia) She is like a Jane Austen! This is one of the few books that makes you feel like your eyes are opened and you finally are seeing humanity in its flawed glory for the first time. The beauty of the Arabian kings and deserts and people -- it is like Arabian nights, but more modern, more in depth, and more amazing! I have read mountains of young adult books, and this one is one of those very few who knocks me off my seat! Wow!

I am learning Spanish right now, and I'm getting the Spanish version to study it!

This is a really easy book to read

This is a really easy book to read. While reading this book you can feel like if you are there next to the wondering king as you read. Would give it five starts but i felt like if the end was a little to predictible, but that is just my opinion. It is a book that you can read in a day or two, it took me 4 days to read it and I'm a slow reader. Highly recommend it.

Wandering king delivers a stunning story about redemption

The Legend of the wandering King is certainly a treat for the senses. The story amply describes the life of a very conceited and self-confident prince name Walid, who proceeds to hold a poetry contest at the command of his father when he wishes to go to Ukaz to express his love of poetry through these means. He is beaten by a man named Hammad, whose poetry greatly overcomes Walid and swaying the crowd and judges with his poetry. The prince holds the contest two more times before finally giving up and appoints Hammad master of the archives. His first task is to put the vast archives back into order. From there `King' Walid grows angry at the news that Hammad has completed his task in reorganizing the archives. In another way to make Hammad suffer, he orders the now older man to create a carpet containing the entire human race. From there Walid's world crumbles around him as he begins to regret the atrocious deeds against Hammad. The book is quiet short but gives out plentiful description of Walid's life after the fall of his kingdom and his exploits through the desert as he strives to regain the carpet Hammad created.

The storyline is well thought out, as you try to figure out Walid's true purpose every time he meets Hammad's sons with every detour he makes.

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Title: Hussein

Subtitle: An Entertainment

Author: Patrick O'Brian

Narrator: John Lee

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-29-04

Publisher: Books on Tape

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 35 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The story is about a young mahout, or elephant handler, his childhood and life in India, and his relationship and adventures with elephants. As a boy, Hussein falls in love with a beautiful and elusive girl, Sashiya, and arranges for another of her suitors to be murdered with a fakir's curse. The dead man's relatives vow vengeance. Hussein escapes and his adventures begin: snake-charming, sword-fighting, spying, stealing a fortune, and returning triumphantly to claim his bride. All of this is set against an evocatively exotic India, full of bazaars, temples, and beautiful women, despite the fact that O'Brian had never been to the East when he wrote the story.

Critic Reviews:

"A gorgeous entertainment." (The New York Times)

"Readable and gripping." (Kirkus Reviews)

"Here fully thirty years before Master and Commander...is the unmistakable texture of O'Brian's fiction:...the immersion in another world, full of local color, the delight in a specialized vocabulary, the relish of male camaraderie, travel, treasure, and fighting." (The Evening Standard)

Members Reviews:

Full of wonder!

The story is entertaining and filled with interesting facts and anecdotes about elephants and the mahouts who handle them. It perhaps foreshadows O'Brian's later writing, but the similarity ends there. It's a long, involved, whopping good tale. The wonder is that it was one of his earliest books, the first fiction published by the centuries old Oxford Press, and the fact that he never set foot in India before he wrote the book. Read it for the story, it's worth it. Read it also for a glimpse into the early development of the craft of a writer.

a great yarn

This is a tale--in the true storyteller's tradition. It is full of adventure, coincidence,

fierce passion, strange and wonderful beasts,

narrow escapes and clever tricks.

The narration is what one always gets from John Lee, superb voicing and perfect diction.

This book is a lot of fun to listen to, and

reminiscent of an earlier time, when novels were meant to be sheer entertainment.

Delightful Story

This is a delightful story about a young boy growing up in India. When the story opens, he is just a child learning how to handle elephants. He soon falls in love with a beautiful young lady, and his passion for her sends him on a great adventure through India.

This is story telling at it's best and the narration is perfect. It will keep you engaged throughout and sometimes make you gasp. I am sure anyone would enjoy this tale.