Download the Most Popular Audiobooks in Fiction, Historical Most Popular

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Title: The Family

Author: completed by Carol Gino, Mario Puzo

Narrator: Philip Bosco

Format: Abridged

Length: 5 hrs and 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-22-04

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 40 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In The Family, this singular novelist transports his readers back to 15th century Rome, and reveals to us the extravagance and intrigue of the Vatican as surely as he once revealed the secrets of the Mafia. At the story's center is Rodrigo Borgia, Pope Alexander VI, a man whose lustful appetites were matched only by his consuming love of family. Surrounding him are his extraordinary children: simple, unloved Jofre; irascible, heartless Juan; beautiful, strong-willed Lucrezia; and passionate warrior Cesare, Machiavelli's friend and inspiration. Their stories constitute a symphony of human emotion and behavior, from pride to romance to jealousy to betrayal and murderous rage.

A labor of love two decades in the making, The Family marks the final triumph of one of the greatest storytellers of our time.

Critic Reviews:

"The saga is lush, full of detail, with characters who manage to be larger than life while seeming entirely realistic....The plot is appropriately epic in scope, mixing fact and fiction seamlessly." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Better than expected

I have to admit I didn't like to showtime series too much but this book was much better than I anticipated. Puzo is a great author and the narrator was excellent as well.

15th Century Godfather

The story of Pope Alexander VI and his family is truly amazing. Puzo took half a lifetime to research and write this book. Facinating look into the decatent life of one of the first crime families of the Western World. Did Puzo base the Godfather story around the characters of this story ? I THINK SO ! A must read for anyone that enjoys a rich theater experience that surrounds this period of history.

The Quick "Wrap-Up" ending hurt and Epic Effort

Even though it is mentioned in the Audible Title, I did not realize that Mario Puzo did not finish this novel himself. It was completed in 2001 by his girlfriend, after his death in 1999.

I imagine when he started this book there had been little written about the Borgias, but since this book was finished, there have been a great many books on the Borgias, and of course the Showtime series, "The Borgias", which I highly recommend.

This book did bring to light a few interesting tidbits of History of which I was not aware. For example, in the Showtime series, they wrote out the younger brother Gioffre, so I was not aware he actually existed.

Overall I recommend the book and my only criticism (and it's a fairly big one for me) is that the book had an epic feel to it and it wrapped up far too quickly and in summary form. I can only assume that is because Carol Gino simply tried to finish it the best she could. I would be curious to know when she actually took over to assess my point as a valid one or not.

The narrator did a fine job and overall a slight thumbs up.

Felt like I was there.

engaging. nice mix of history and entertainment. I don't like fiction. this is an exception

Get another perspectives on the Borgias

Where does The Family rank among all the audiobooks you???ve listened to so far?

I had read this book years ago - before the Borgias on TV and became totally intrigued with this family. So now that we've seen one season of the Borgias I wanted to revisit Mario Puzo's version to see how they compare. The details of "family" life in the late 1400's are fascinating.

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Title: Echoes

Author: Danielle Steel

Narrator: Simon Prebble

Format: Abridged

Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-22-04

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 17 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

As family and friends are swept away without a trace, Amadea is forced into hiding. Thus begins a harrowing journey of survival, first in the Nazi death camps and then as she escapes into the heart of the French resistance and finds a renewed sense of purpose. In the darkest moments of fear, Amadea will feel her mother's loving strength as the voices of lost loved ones echo powerfully in her heart. Amadea will meet an extraordinary man, British secret agent Rupert Montgomery, who will help her discover her place in an unbreakable chain between generations...between her lost family and her future.

From the elegant rituals of Europe's prewar aristocracy to the brutal desperation of Germany's death camps, Danielle Steel draws us into a vanished world, weaving an intricate tapestry of a mother's love, a daughter's courage, and the unwavering faith that sustained them, even in history's darkest hour.

Bonus Feature: Fine Things by Danielle Steel, narrated by Richard Thomas

When Bernie Fine met 5-year-old Jane O'Reilly and her mother, Liz, he thought he had found love to last a lifetime. But when Liz is stricken with cancer shortly after the birth of their first child, time becomes painfully short. Bernie meets his fate with courage and humor, and learns some of life's hard but precious lessons as he does.

Members Reviews:

Danielle Steel stepped out of the box

I have read every Danielle Steel novel and many of them twice..I did not rush to read this one because her period writings are not always accurate. I was pleasantly surprised. The book was predicatable at times but worth reading.

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Title: Mozart's Wife

Author: Juliet Waldron

Narrator: Celeste Lawson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-03-04

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 56 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Mozart's letters attest to his affection for Konstanze as well as to their powerful sexual bond. Yet the question remains: why did she never mark his grave?

Critic Reviews:

"Celeste Lawson's narration bridges this novel, which crosses historical fiction and romance....Lawson presents distinct and nuanced characters who avoid playing to the soap opera quality of the events in Mozart's life." (AudioFile)

Members Reviews:

Mozart's Wife a powerful story

I really enjoyed this book. Very seldom do we get a good look into the lives of the famous and infamous. While this was historical fiction given the known history of this couple (from their letters), the mood and activities of the rich and priviledged from this period, the morals of the times etc this story feels real. I loved some of the day to day stuff about servants, bills, parties, friends,family and the struggles of marriage. You get a great sense of the power and passion that Mozart had for his wife, music and women in general. I was surprised by some of the passionate descriptions. Overall this story made you care about its characters and the sadness of unappreciated genius and wasted love.

Fascinating and well researched

This book held my attention for the entire time--I also found myself researching items presented on the internet-- to learn more about the time period. This was my first historical fiction and I will be looking for more to listen to.

Boring romance novel

I've never actually read a "bodice-ripper" but I think this might be one. I quit listening after 4 hours but in that time there was nothing about living with Mozart's genius, how an artist works, what actions a composer takes to play and write music, etc. Surely she must have had hours and hours of listening to him play, etc. but nothing is mentioned about that--he might as well have been a plumber. Instead it's all about their sex life and her sister's sex life, their clothes (Mozart loved red jackets), and their household furnishings. You'd think with all the sex and the characters talking about sex all the time, it wouldn't be so boring, but I enjoy books for character development, plot, and learning about other ways of life and I wasn't hearing any of that in this one. True, I only listened to 4 hours of 14 and maybe it gets better, but I just couldn't take another smarmy moment. Girl With a Pearl Earring it's not!

An interesting look at a genius' life

This book provides an interesting interpretation of what Mozart's wife may have thought about her genius husband. The historical facts are all accurate, making it interesting from a historical point of view. The author does a good job at taking those facts and putting a fictional look on them. The narrator's pronounciation of the Italian is not very good. Perhaps, this is intentionally done, since Constanze was Austrian and may not have had complete authority over how to pronounce the language - we can only guess! This book is okay, certainly better than the movie Amadeus, which contains a number of historical inaccuracies and takes too much liberty in interpreting some of the facts.

Boring boring boring

Awful, dry and boring.

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Title: Double Play

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Robert B. Parker

Narrator: Robert Forster

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-28-04

Publisher: Phoenix Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 129 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

It is 1947 when Joseph Burke, ex-Marine, ex-husband, ex-somebodyis hired as a bodyguard to protect Lauren Roach, 25 and spoiled rotten. The unlikely duo becomes entangled with Burkes boyhood hero, color-barrier breaking baseball player Jackie Robinson, in a story that is both thrilling and engaging. It is in the historical character Jackie Robinson that Mr. Parker finds inspiration and Joseph Burke may find his redemption.

This is a work of fiction about a real man. Most of what Ive written Ive made up. I have, however, attempted to render Jackie Robinson accurately. As he was, or as I imagined him to be, in 1947, when I was turning 15, and he was changing the world. The rest is altogether fiction. It may be more Burkes story then Jackies story. But, without Jackie, Burke would have had no story. And neither would I. Robert B Parker.

Critic Reviews:

"This should be required reading for all aspiring storytellers....A masterful recreation of a turbulent era that's not only a great and gripping crime novel but also one of the most evocative baseball novels ever written." (Publishers Weekly)

"Deeply felt and intimately told....Fusing this chapter of sports history with a hard-boiled gangster plot and haunting recollections of his own Boston boyhood, Parker fashions a hugely entertaining fiction..." (The New York Times Book Review)

"A grand-slam combination of adventure, mystery, and sports, and an evocative but unsentimental memoir." (Forbes)

"If you only read his Spenser novels, it's easy to forget how versatile Parker can be. This story...reminded me." (Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly)

Members Reviews:

The Narrator Makes the Difference

I read this book several years ago when I first began my "Robert Parker Phase." I'm a baseball fan, so I of course enjoyed the book but it wasn't really a WOW or "this is great book" kind of book.

Robert Forster's narration absolutely makes this book both wow and great. He catches the malaise of the character in just the right way. There is almost a delayed reaction in the reading, just as if Burke was too tired and too unattached to answer. Parker's books are 99% dialogue, with a lot of he saids and she saids. You don't even notice them because the narrator does such a fine job of dropping his voice down after he says the meat of the sentence, and often even attaches emotions to the he saids and she saids.

I grew up in Mississippi before civil rights. It was very painful to hear some of the language spoken because my father talked like that as a matter of course. He was born in Selma, Alabama in 1918 and I like to think he didn't know any better, but that's no excuse. I cannot imagine the confidence and security Robinson must have possessed to put himself through what this books hints at what he must have experienced.

This book is not even five hours, and it was over way too quick. I plan to listen to it many times.

This is a character study of two very different people, but both with an honor that can't be disputed.

Five stars, yes, five.

engrossing tale of a different era in sports

Robert Parker's Spenser novels have been a favorite of mine, as have the narrators, particularly Joe Mantegna, who manages to convey the humor of the hero as well as his strength and heart.

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Title: The Surgeon's Mate

Subtitle: Aubrey/Maturin Series, Book 7

Author: Patrick O'Brian

Narrator: Tim Pigott-Smith

Format: Abridged

Length: 5 hrs and 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-01-00

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin are ordered home by dispatch vessel to bring the news of their latest victory to the government. But Maturin is a marked man for the havoc he has wrought in the French intelligence network in the New World, and the attention of two privateers soon becomes menacing. The chase that follows through the fogs and shallows of the Grand Banks is as tense, and as unexpected in its culmination, as anything O'Brian has written. This is the seventh in O'Brian's 20-volume Aubrey/Maturin series.

Don't miss the rest of the

series.

©1980 Patrick O'Brian; (P)2000 Random House, Inc.; Cover Illustration by Geoff Hunt

Critic Reviews:

"Vividly detailed 19th-century settings and dramatic tension punctuated with flashes of wry humor make O'Brian's nautical adventure a splendid treat." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

The best so far!

I've been picking titles from the Aubrey/Machurin series more or less at random from what's available at my local public library and on Audible.com. (Beware --- many of the O'Brian titles on Audible are abridged! What butchery!). This is the best yet.

The story is varied, with much more charcter development that the previous books that I have read in this series, but no less a supply of nautical detail and seafaring suspense. And there are several suprising turns in the plot. I highly recommend this book, whether or not you have read others in the series.

struggled with the narrator's interpretation

I struggled with the narrator's interpretation of the characters. returned the book and selected the alternative narrator.

The Surgeon's Mate

Another superb book from Patrick O'Brian full of rich historical detail, well drawn characters and a strong storyline. The book is beautifully read by one of the top two readers on this site, Tim Pigott-Smith (the other is Frank Muller - see A Tale of Two Cities) who effortlessly manages to weave the varied characters and story into a compelling whole. Such a pity Piggot-Smith was not chosen for the unabridged Patrick O'Brian stories also on this site.

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Title: Jacob's Ladder

Author: Donald McCaig

Narrator: Ira Claffey

Format: Abridged

Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-14-00

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 12 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

With the vivid canvas of the Civil War as a backdrop, Donald McCaig conjures a passionate and richly textured story set in the heart of America's greatest and most devastating time. On Gatewood Plantation, both blacks and whites fulfill their unforgettable destinies. Duncan Gatewood, falls in love with Maggie, a mulatto slave, who gives birth to their son, Jacob. Duncan's irate father sells Maggie and Jacob and sends Duncan to the Virginia Military Institute. From the interlocked lives of masters and slaves, and a wealth of historical detail, Jacob's Ladder examines the loves, letters, and struggles of the characters, and leads to the nightmare of the lurid anguish of the battlefields.

&$169;1998 by Donald McCaig; (P)1998 by Audio Renaissance Tapes

Members Reviews:

Has the right elements for a good story, but ....

I don't quite understand why I did not enjoy this book. It has the elements that usually keep me interested: the tumultuous era of the American Civil War, and the complex relationships between planters and slaves. But despite wanting so much to like this book I found it rather dull. The story line was predictable, as were the characters. It was a disappointment, and I could not recommend it to anyone.

It's Complicated.

This is the story of the residents of Stratford Plantation and certain of their friends, neighbors, relatives, dependents and slaves in the Civil War era, from shortly before the war, through the war, and up to the immediate aftermath of the war. Much of the story is told by Marguerite Omohundru, formerly Midge, a house servant on the plantation, who, as the daughter of a light-skinned woman and a white man has by the 1930s been passing as white for many years, to a young lady who begins the story as a researcher into the stories of former slaves for the WPA. Much of the rest of the story is evidently taken from letters from various members of the family to one another or to either the U.S. or Confederate governments.

The story is complicated. Duncan Gatewood, son of the plantation owner, begins an affair with Midge, which is discovered by his father, Samuel Gatewood. Samuel is violently opposed to any fraternizing between the races because he feels embarrassed by his fathers liaisons with his slaves. He has Midge married to one of the field hands and changes her name to Maggie. At the same time, he sends Duncan away for a while. But Maggie refuses to have anything to do with Jesse, her new husband, although he loves her. The next time Duncan comes home, there is an incident between him and Jesse, after which Duncan is banished again, Maggie is sold along with her infant son, Jacob, and Jesse eventually runs away. Shortly afterward, Duncan joins the Confederate army, thinking this the only way he can restore his honor. Eventually he persuades his brother-in-law, Catsby Byrd, to join him.

Maggie is sold to a brothel, but the nephew of the slave trader, Silas Omohundru, takes up with her again there. Eventually he becomes a blockade runner and takes her with him, first to Barbados, and then to Wilmington North Carolina. By this time she is known as Marguerite, and her ancestry is supposed to be in Barbados.

By this time the war is raging. People are dying everywhere and times are becoming hard. Jesse is caught and returned to Stratford Plantation, only to run away again.

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Title: Charleston

Author: Alexandra Ripley

Narrator: Diane Ladd

Format: Abridged

Length: 3 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-16-99

Publisher: Phoenix Books

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 14 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

This is a story of a Charleston family and the courage, love, and passion that bind them to each other and their vibrant South Carolina city. Follow this extraordinary family from the final years of the Civil War through Reconstruction to the beginnings of the ragtime era.

At the story's center is Elizabeth Tradd, who as a child witnesses the horror of war, as a young girl learns the worst that men can do, and as a woman discovers the breathtaking passion that comes to but a lucky few.

Best-selling novelist Alexandra Ripley captures an extraordinary family history of courage, commitment, and unassailable love in this unforgettable novel.

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Title: The Spirit of the Border

Author: Zane Grey

Narrator: Brian Grey

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-27-14

Publisher: Jimcin Recordings

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

This audiobook is an account of Zane Grey's ancestors' harrowing struggle to settle the West. As the Revolutionary War draws to a close, the violence on the frontier escalates. The infamous Girty brothers incite Indians to a number of massacres; but when the Village of Peace, a Christian utopian settlement is threatened, two young brothers struggle, in their own way, to save the Mission, and promote Christianity to the Natives, all the while establishing new lives on the treacherous Border of the frontier.

Members Reviews:

The Glitter Faded Over the Years

I first read this book when I was a mere lad, probably in grade school. I am sure that I was intrigued and inspired by it growing up in northeastern Indiana. have never forgotten it, so I jumped at the chance to get a free Kindle version. Reading it as an adult gave me a different experience and perspective, for I had not remembered how sappy it was in places or how it was not very flattering to Indians. I am still glad I read it again, and I would recommend it for anyone who may have read it when they were young.

Review of Spirit of the Border by ,John Lietzke

They story was great. I enjoy stories about frontier life of early Americans of the late 1700s and early 1800s. I did think the author dwelled too long on Christianity.

Such discrepancies as I did find were not such as would distract from the enjoyment of a good Zane Grey book

I found this book typical of Zane Grey's early work -- very well done. In places it may have been weak on historical fact but it was based, in part, on his family history so that may have been the problem. Such discrepancies as I did find were not such as would distract from the enjoyment of a good Zane Grey book.

The cover illustration was poor in that it did not represent anything either in the book or in the time period of the story.

I liked it in spite of the cover.

Haunting, brutal yet endearing story of love and great loss.

This is a fascinating story of frontier men and women who face challenging times as they try to establish their lives in missionary border settlements where they are trying to convert Indians to their religious beliefs and improve their lives through raising cattle and farming. Many brutal and sacrificing events take place in this wilderness territory. There are a number of hiding places revealed in the wilderness that are used as a sanctuary for young couples trying to survive being pursued by blood lusting Indians. Many noble acts of valor are depicted in the face of extreme brutality by warring Indian tribes. Vengeance and mercy are also found in this story. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

Few, if any, write better than Zane Grey,

I've enjoyed reading Zane Grey books since library days as a young boy. His writings about the western days are superb.

He has always had a special way of describing the valleys, mountains, deserts, trails, trees, forest, and lakes.

When reading one of his stories , you feel as if you were there. He is a great story teller. Leo age 80.

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Title: Pirate Trials: The Three Pirates

Subtitle: Famous Murderous Pirate Book Series 4

Author: Ken Rossignol

Narrator: Ray Montecalvo

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-03-15

Publisher: Kenneth C. Rossignol

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The intriguing story of three famous pirates in history - Scarlet Jack, Red Martin, and Blackbeard - as they terrorized a ship, and took the captain and a young family prisoner. How their lives intertwined throughout this story of swashbuckling buccaneers with romance, savagery, and the heroics of a slave makes this story originally told in the 1800s one of the best historical fiction accounts ever written.

Members Reviews:

Fascinating Story

Learning about Blackbeard, Red Martin and Scarlett Jack was so different than what I expected. Somehow I had this romanticized vision of the Pirates but now I know just how cruel and blood thirsty they were. This tells of how they captured innocent people then after years of captivity one group was offered positions as part of the crew. The story of the family that had been separated was so unexpected. This was a fictional account but it brought their behavior to the front.

Mongo was quite the character too. He was quick witted and as tricky as they come. The narration kept the story moving at a lively pace. The narrator's different voices were enjoyable. All in all it was a great tale. I am very glad I listened.

THESE PIRATES LIVE ON!

If you could sum up Pirate Trials: The Three Pirates in three words, what would they be?

engaging

entertaining

captivating

What was one of the most memorable moments of Pirate Trials: The Three Pirates?

there are so many, but i think one of the most memorable moments was during a celebratory dinner on Red Martin's ship when his 2 pirate compatriots realized they were drinking blood & NOT wine!

Have you listened to any of Ray Montecalvos other performances before? How does this one compare?

h/a

Who was the most memorable character of Pirate Trials: The Three Pirates and why?

Haidi: she seemed to have a clear head on her shoulders & could counsel as well as surprise efficiently.

Any additional comments?

i LOVED this! i would highly recommend this audiobook to anyone who loves pirate stories but doesn't have time to read like they want! this is a very captivating story & i listened to it in one afternoon. the worst part of this story? the fact that it ENDED!!! the characters, taken from history, were well-rounded & intriguing; the action thrilling & "swashbuckling"; & the voices of the characters were enchanting! an audiobook for EVERYONE'S audio library!!!

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Title: A Very Long Engagement

Author: Sebastien Japrisot

Narrator: Maggi-Meg Reed

Format: Abridged

Length: 5 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-24-04

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Set during and after the First World War, A Very Long Engagement is the tale of a young woman's search for her fiance who she believes might still be alive despite having officially been reported as "killed in the line of duty". Unable to walk since childhood, fearless Mathilde Donnay is undeterred in her quest as she scours the country for information about five wounded French soldiers who were brutally abandoned by their own troops.

A Very Long Engagement is a mystery, a love story, and an extraordinary portrait of life in France before and after the War.

Critic Reviews:

"Riveting....A fierce, elliptical novel that's both a gripping psychological thriller and highly moving meditation on the emotional consequence of war." (The New York Times)

"A classic mystery....Only the best historical fiction can make the journey into a distant time and return with a believable sense of how things really were. That Japrisot's book has done so is a mark of his great talent." (The Washington Post Book World)

"Magical....Part romance, part mystery, part history, part exploration of the dogged pursuit of the improbable, it commands attention from first to last." (The Boston Globe)

"Japrisot's eloquently easy, almost offhand style (nicely translated by Coverdale) makes even throwaway lines remarkable...and his re-creation of the nobility, futility, and horror of trench warfare is harshly beautiful." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Boring!

A dreary story indifferently read and badly translated ? No one in 1918 would have said ?When it comes to tail: go figure!?