Download the Popular Authors Audiobooks in Fiction, Historical

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Title: The Bloody Ground: Battle of Antietam, 1862

Subtitle: The Starbuck Chronicles: Volume Four

Author: Bernard Cornwell

Narrator: Ed Sala

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-21-11

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 84 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Critically acclaimed author Bernard Cornwells Nathaniel Starbuck Chronicles have been hailed by The Washington Times as the best thing to hit Civil War fiction since Michael Shaara's The Killer Angels.

Nate is given command of a battalion of undesirable soldiersincluding deserters and murderers and sent to join the action at Antietam Creek. There, during the bloodiest single day of the entire war, Nate and his men must find the courage to survive the brutal horrors of combat.

Members Reviews:

Excellent!

Any additional comments?

Great read. Strong story, good character development and solid plot - all placed seamlessly and full of detail into historical context. Excellent narration is the cherry on top. A great way to obtain a riveting first-person account (albeit fictionalized) of the Civil War. This is the first Starbuck book that've I've read, and I definitely plan to pick up the other three.

Another Great Story From Cornwell

The last of the Starbuck Chronicles lives up to all my expectations. This is Cornwell at his best; the story is gripping, bloody and full of action. Cornwell continues to develop the Starbuck character as he builds on previous volumes; we say goodbye to some characters (unexpectedly) and hello to others.

My only criticism of this series is that it ends here. Cornwell dropped this series in favor of the lucrative Sharpe series. The chronicle is unfinished and from Starbucks point of view there remains some unfinished business. We can only hope that Cornwell someday returns to complete the series.

Ed Sala provided a very good performance that certainly matched the narration of previous volumes.

WHY?

Why was this offered to the public for sale? I have over 200 titles in my collection from Audible and this is the first I could not finish. I am a huge fan of Mr. Cornwell's work but this production is not worthy of either the author or the reader. It sounds as if Mr. Sala was seriously ill at the time of production. Very sad.

Star buck

Loved it easy to listen to great story I I I I will e try another

Starbuck Rides Again

Would you consider the audio edition of The Bloody Ground: Battle of Antietam, 1862 to be better than the print version?

I consider this audio version of The Bloody Ground: Battle of Antietam 1862 to be better than the printed version as the narrator brings the character's to life, reading in a measured way that hold's the listener's attention.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character is Starbuck but he is run close by the reformed Colonel Swynyard who proves a most effective leader and Belvedere Delaney who shows an unusual caring nature when tending to wounded men during the final battle.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

I most enjoyed Starbuck's revenge on Captain Dennison and Sergeant Case following the failed attempt to kill Starbuck. They certainly got their just deserts!

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

This is a book I have enjoyed on an evening when walking my Beagle. Listening outside, particularly in the countryside, brings the book even more to life for me.

Any additional comments?

This book is part of a great series which I have enjoyed and look forward to listening to more of Starbuck's adventures.

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Title: When Passion Rules

Author: Johanna Lindsey

Narrator: Rosalyn Landor

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-14-11

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 383 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Forced to flee Napoleons rampaging army on the continent, orphaned Alana Farmer and her eccentric guardian make a new home for themselves in London. There, Alana enjoys every privilege a daughter of the nobility could hope for, plus an education fit for a queen. Now, on the eve of her debut into London Society, she learns the shocking secret of her birthright. Can it be true? Is she really the lost princess of the European kingdom of Lubinia? Persuaded by her guardian to return to their homeland to quell a bloody revolt, Alana finds herself in an isolated, mountainous country whose customs strike her as medieval!

With controversy and intrigue brewing around the beautiful newcomer, Christoph Becker, the captain of the palace guards, arrests Alana on suspicion that she is either a wily imposter or a seductive spy working for the shadowy figures determined to depose the king. No stranger himself to seduction, Christoph uses every means at his disposal to draw the truth from his alluring prisoner, even if he must lay his own life on the line to protect her from harm. Now, as a fiery passion flares between Alana and the man who has wrongly imprisoned her, the fate of a nation rests in their hands and on their hearts.

In each of her dazzling best sellers, Johanna Lindseys mastery of historical romance (Entertainment Weekly) shines stronger than ever!

Members Reviews:

Well Passion did rule

This is a book that moves fast and has a good story line. Great book for a rainy day. Narration was great.

Excellent!!

Where does When Passion Rules rank among all the audiobooks you???ve listened to so far?

Johanna Lindsey has written another wonderful story with some twists and turns. Rosalyn Landor as always is excellent in telling of the story. I got caught up in the story wanting it to continue. If you enjoy Ms. Lindsey's Mallory stories you will enjoy this book.

Unexpected twists and turns.

Really liked the book. Plot twists and turns. A bit saucy for younger readers. Good reader used reasonable accent.

WORTH IT

Enjoyable and entertaining story. Kept me interested with it's intrigue, secrets, and light humor. I enjoy listening to these stories to get a feel for history and there customs. If you enjoy listening to these types of stories, then you will enjoy this one. I did.

A fairytale for adults...

This story had all the elements of a fairytale: a princess, a plot to kill her, a knight that comes to her rescue and a Happily Ever After. Add lots of sexual innuendo and passionate lovemaking and you have a fairytale for adults. It was a really good book full of romance and adventure.

The narration was excellent as all works by Rosalyn Landor are. This is definitely worth a credit if you enjoy historical romances.

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Title: Death of a Nationalist

Author: Rebeca Pawel

Narrator: Elizabeth Klett

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-21-11

Publisher: Iambik

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Madrid 1939. Carlos Tejada Alonso y Lean is a Sergeant in the Guardia Civil, a rank rare for a man not yet 30, but Tejada is an unusual recruit. The bitter civil war between the Nationalists and the Republicans has interrupted his legal studies in Salamanca. Second son of a conservative Southern family of landowners, he is an enthusiast for the Catholic Franquista cause, a dedicated, and now triumphant, Nationalist.

This war has drawn international attention. In a dress rehearsal for World War II, fascists support the Nationalists, while communists have come to the aid of the Republicans. Atrocities have devastated both sides. It is at this moment, when the Republicans have surrendered, and the Guardia Civil has begun to impose order in the ruins of Madrid, that Tejada finds the body of his best friend, a hero of the siege of Toledo, shot to death on a street named Amor de Dios. Naturally, a Red is suspected. And it is easy for Tejada to assume that the woman caught kneeling over the body is the killer. But when his doubts are aroused, he cannot help seeking justice.

Critic Reviews:

"[Pawel] turns the clock back to 1939 and Madrids tumultuous past.... An intriguing juxtaposition of the political and the personal." (Kirkus Reviews)

Members Reviews:

Spain under the first Franco years

A credible mystery, told through the lives of a nationalist (a Madrid policeman in the pro-fascist government that defeated Republican Spain during the Spanish Civil War '36-'39) and a former republican soldier in hiding after war's end. Taking place immediately before the beginning of WWII, the story is interesting enough for the mystery and the conflicts -- both political and emotional

-- in and between the characters, but especially so for the insight into the experience of life under Spanish fascism.

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Title: The Darkening Sea

Author: Alexander Kent

Narrator: Michael Jayston

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-04-11

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 47 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Returning to England after the dramatic capture of Martinique, Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Bolitho attains an all too brief respite from war and politics. But the shadow of a new conflict already darkens the horizon. The old enemy, France, forges an uneasy alliance with America - threatening the safety of British trade routes. Although ordered immediately to the Indian Ocean, Bolithos thoughts are of his own - and the Navys - past. Both Nelson and Collingwood died in their countrys service. For the Navys newest Admiral, is there life beyond the sea itself?

Members Reviews:

highly recommend this book

i read the entire series and really enjoyed it. now to listen to it on audible it comes to life.

Please List In Sequence!

The Book is great but please, please let the listener know the order in which a series needs to be listened to. Kent just writes books, great books if you like his genre but it is essential you listen to them in sequence. Would it be too hard to ask???

DARKENING PLOTS

MORE OF WHAT YOU WANT FROM KENT..........HIGHLY ADDICTIVE PERIOD ADVENTURE. CHARLES DICKENS WOULD BE PROUD OF THESE CHARACTERS.. MERRY OLDE ENGLAND WITH ALL IT'S VICES AND INTRIGUE.

I WISH AUDIBLE HAD THE WHOLE SERIES.OH WELL,DON'T FORGET RECORDED BOOKS BY CS FORESTER/HORATIO HORNBLOWER AS WELL AS PATRICK O'BRIAN.SAME GENRE ,DIFFERENT PERSONALITY.

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Title: The Tudor Secret

Subtitle: The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles, Book 1

Author: C. W. Gortner

Narrator: Steve West

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-14-11

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 376 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The era of the Tudors was one of danger, intrigue, conspiracy, and, above all, spies.

The summer of 1553 is a time of danger and deceit. Brendan Prescott, an orphan, has been reared in the household of the powerful Dudley family. Brought to court, Prescott finds himself sent on an illicit mission to the kings brilliant but enigmatic sister, Princess Elizabeth. But Brendan is soon compelled to work as a double agent by Elizabeths protector, William Cecil, who promises in exchange to help him unravel the secret of his own mysterious past.

A dark plot swirls around Elizabeths quest to discover the truth about the ominous disappearance of her seriously ill brother, King EdwardVI. With only a bold stable boy and an audacious lady-in-waiting at his side, Brendan plunges into a ruthless gambit of half-truths, lies, and murder.

Filled with the intrigue and pageantry of Tudor England, The Tudor Secret is the first book in the Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles.

Critic Reviews:

"Gortner handles action with aplomb, adding a riveting, fast-paced thriller to the crowded genre of Tudor fiction." (

Publishers Weekly)

"An exciting, vividly rendered story of intrigue and espionage." (

Booklist)

Members Reviews:

English History

I've always been fascinated by Henry the 8th and the period after his death. The enmity between the church of England and the Catholics has been the subject of much writing and I've read some. If you are ignorant, this might not be the book for you. If, as I am, you're a history buff, go for it.

While reading, I learned quite a bit about this period since much of the book is based on fact, all but the main character. It's a wonderful story, if a bit confusing with all the Lords, Dutchesses etc. If you read it, I would use some reference material (I confess I used Wikipedia) to keep the folks straight.

Plots and counter plots abound and make for a really enjoyable narrative.

Gack

Beautiful narration of a totally implausible story. Little understanding of the social norms and behaviors of the day.

Not historical fiction

I like historical fiction but this ho hum book doesn't fall into that category. Yes, it takes place during Elizabethan times and yes, The Princesses Mary and Elizabeth actually lived . My problem is with the main charaacter being fictional and the situation which the book revolves around is too. It's a nice light romantic read but I didn't learn anything from it.

Fun Listen Full of Historical Tidbits

Although this is fiction, much of it is historically correct, and I found myself mesmerized by the manners and ways of the English Tudors. Politics have been corrupt from the beginning of time . . . and yet, a thread of the good and honorable also persisted. The conflict between Protestants and Catholics during this period in history is particularly interesting to me, and that this would be such a point of contention regarding who sat on the throne of England is surprising. The narration is just right, carrying the listener away to a distant time and land of knights, kings, and queens . . . and dungeons with evil doers lurking around every corner. . . an almost fairy tale existence . . .

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Title: This Side of Brightness

Author: Colum McCann

Narrator: Joe Barrett

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 02-06-11

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 60 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

From the author of Songdogs, a magnificent work of imagination and history set in the tunnels of New York City. In the early years of the century, Nathan Walker leaves his native Georgia for New York City and the most dangerous job in America. A sandhog, he burrows beneath the East River, digging the tunnel that will carry trains from Brooklyn to Manhattan.

Above ground, the sandhogs - black, white, Irish, Italian - keep their distance from each other until a spectacular accident welds a bond between Walker and his fellow diggers, a bond that will bless and curse the next three generations.

Years later, Treefrog, a homeless man driven below by a shameful secret, endures a punishing winter in his subway nest. In tones ranging from bleak to disturbingly funny, Treefrog recounts his strategies of survival: killing rats, scavenging for discarded soda cans, washing in the snow. Between Nathan Walker and Treefrog stretch 70 years of ill-fated loves and unintended crimes.

In a triumph of plotting, the two stories fuse to form a tale of family, race, and redemption that is as bold and fabulous as New York City itself. In This Side of Brightness, Colum McCann confirms his place in the front ranks of modern writers.

Editorial Reviews:

In the wake of the huge critical success garnered by Colum McCanns seventh novel, Let the Great World Spin, there has been an uptick of interest in his earlier works, particularly including his third novel, This Side of Brightness. This novel displays the seedlings of many techniques that McCann would later develop into the text that won him a National Book Award, including most notably the interlocking stories of an intergenerational narrative. A tragedy woven out of the compelling literal underground of New York City, the novel gives clear evidence that recognition of McCanns talent is overdue.

Voicing this testament to human sorrow and the possibility for redemption is two-time Audie Award finalist Joe Barrett. Barretts natural huskiness seeps into the fabric of the text, and he delivers an utterly credible portrayal of each branch of Nathan Walkers sad family tree. Nathan left the South to dig subway tunnels, and when one of these tunnels inevitably collapses, Nathans lot is cast with an Irishmans widow. This primary thread is pulled closer and closer to the other main story, which involves Treefrog, a man who lives in an abandoned subway tunnel. Barretts performance of Treefrog is especially solid, by turns pitifully frozen and achingly funny.

As the family line becomes clear, disaster hacks off one branch at a time. The fear of interracial coupling, the downward spiral of drug and alcohol addiction, and the trauma of child abuse all rear their ugly heads, reshaping these interdependent lives with all the fury of a runaway train. McCann marches inexorably toward Nathan Walkers own death, the question of whether obsessive compulsive Treefrog can manage a life above ground hanging in the balance. Barrett manages to give distinctive voice to each of four generations, reaching across race and class to produce a wonderfully melancholy portrait of 70 years worth of life touched by the New York City subway system. This is a must-listen not just for fans of McCanns later work, but also for anybody who rides the train.

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Title: The Husband Trap

Author: Tracy Anne Warren

Narrator: Bianca Amato

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-02-10

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1479 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Winner of a RITA, a National Readers Choice Award, the HOLT Medallion, and the Golden Quill, New York Times best-selling author Tracy Anne Warren is among the most acclaimed and popular Regency romance storytellers. In The Husband Trap, the reserved Lady Violet Brantford agrees to swap identities with her vivacious sister. Before she knows it, shes married to the Duke of Raeburn, who finds himself pleasantly surprised with his charming new wife.

Members Reviews:

Passionate and emotional narration...

This is the perfect example of how vital a good narrator is to an audiobook. This was an amazing experience!! Bianca Amato took me on an emotional journey through the life of Violet. I truly felt the nerves and paranoia of Violet on her wedding date. Her constant worry of being discovered. The all consuming love and passion she felt for Adrian. The devastation and heartbreak when he found out about the lies. I was Violet every minute of this story, that's how good this narrator is. So good in fact that I will skip the next book because I don't think there's salvation for the evil selfish wench of Jeanette and I don't really care if she gets a happily ever after. I will immediate start listening to the story about Kit and Eliza (The Husband Trap) that sounds very promising.

Yes the story is implausible. Twins that switch identities because the one that is getting married doesn't want to and the other one happens to be secretly in love with the groom from the moment she laid eyes on him. But the narration is so good that it takes you through a vivid emotional journey and turns a good story into an unforgettable experience. Absolutely worth a credit!!

WONDERFUL BOOK!

I am a LOVER of history fiction novels of this time period, but of late have stop reading them because they are often cookie cutter and just "drag" you along for a ride you KNOW where it is going to end up. The only reason I gave this a change is the awards that it received. I have to admit I do not know what RITA is, but plan to look up, so that I might find other novels of this magnitude.

This is BY FAR the best history fiction novel I have read in recent history (no pun intended). It was well written. It was well narrated. Its plot was wonderful. The characters are so well developed, I feel like I know them on a personal basis. The only thing it was lacking was ... NOTHING!

Loveable Story

Okay, so the premise of this book is that identical twins trade places at the alter and no one, not even their immediate family, notices the switch before, during, or after the ceremony. So of course the basic premise of this book is a bit unbelievable, and therefore problematic. But if you can manage to get over thatwhich I didyou will really enjoy this story. One of the things I love about this book is that throughout it, the heroine, Violet, manages to put on a brave face while constantly dealing with insecurities. What woman can't identify with that? If you're looking for a fun, light, entertaining read this may be the perfect book for you. I'm definitely planning on getting the other books in the series.

Tracy Anne Warren is a wonderful writer, and Bianca Amato did an excellent job as narrator.

Loved It

I absolutely love these books.

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Title: The Distant Hours

Author: Kate Morton

Narrator: Caroline Lee

Format: Unabridged

Length: 22 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-23-10

Publisher: Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 147 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Edie Burchill and her mother have never been close, but when a long lost letter arrives with the return address of Milderhurst Castle, Kent, printed on its envelope, Edie begins to suspect that her mothers emotional distance masks an old secret. Evacuated from London as a 13-year-old girl, Edies mother is chosen by the mysterious Juniper Blythe, and taken to live at Milderhurst Castle with the Blythe family.

Fifty years later, Edie too is drawn to Milderhurst and the eccentric Sisters Blythe. Old ladies now, the three still live together, the twins nursing Juniper, whose abandonment by her fiancé in 1941 plunged her into madness. Inside the decaying castle, Edie begins to unravel her mothers past. But there are other secrets hidden in the stones of Milderhurst Castle, and Edie is about to learn more than she expected. The truth of what happened in the distant hours has been waiting a long time for someone to find it.

Members Reviews:

Not enough hours .....

What can I say? I have read all of Kate Morton that you have to offer and now feel a need for more. She is a brilliant story teller and the book, as usual, is narrated magnificintly.

A bit disappointing, but not a lost cause

What did you like best about The Distant Hours? What did you like least?

The concept of the story was what initially enticed me to chose The Distant Hours. I love anything to do with books, castles, and dark family secrets. I have read Morton's The Forgotten Garden and really enjoyed it so I thought I would give another one a go and this book has such great reviews, how could I go wrong! However, this audio book fell a little flat for me. Like I said, conceptually this is a great story. It is entertaining and it kept me guessing the whole way through. What I didn't enjoy though was that Morton drags some parts of the story on for ages! I really wish she had cut down the parts about Milderhurst Castle during the war and maybe spent more time focusing on either Eddie's life, or the relationship between Raymond Blythe and his daughter Juniper. There is way too much unnecessary information pumped into the middle of the book and I had a hard time keeping interested in the story. The other thing that bothers me about The Distant Hours is the random sub-plots that do nothing to add to the essential story and feel like empty fillings instead of essential plot elements. One example being the hinted-at lesbian relationship between Percy and Lucy. It just seemed so random to me, as if Morton was just trying to throw in obscure elements for the sake of another plot twist. The book already has enough interesting plot twist to not need trivial ones.

On the good side of things, I thought that the characters were all fairly well developed (except for Seraphina). I like it when an author can actually make me shout out loud and shake my fist at characters out of anger when they do something irritating (such as when Percy stops Seraphina from pursuing her dreams of leaving the castle).

Any additional comments?

Overall a good concept and a decent enough performance, but very boring at times and some of the plot twists seem a bit forced. If someone is interested in getting into Kate Morton's books, I think I would recommend The Forgotten Garden first over The Distant Hours.

Fabulous Story!

This book is super duper long ...... which for me, is a huge plus with an audio book.

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Title: Stand into Danger

Author: Alexander Kent

Narrator: Michael Jayston

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-02-10

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 174 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Despatched on a secret mission, the company of a 28-gun frigate must face the hazards of conspiracy, treason, and piracy. And recently appointed third lieutenant Richard Bolitho must learn to accept his new responsibilities as a King's officer.

Members Reviews:

A "must have" for British naval fiction!!!!

What did you love best about Stand into Danger?

Michael Jayston's performance is outstanding. His "accent" adds to the British flavor and is easily understood by Americans. Really sounded as if he enjoyed reading the novel because he brings all the characters to life. Well done! Kent's plot, sub-plots, characters (both major and minor) are excellent. What a joy to listen to.!.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Plot development builds to a climax, as usual, but Kent adds more and more pieces in such an interesting way that there are no dull spots. I found myself just as interested in the main plot as I was in the minor characters development and sub-plots. Excellent.

What does Michael Jayston bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

His accent is distinctly British and easily understood by all English speaking peoples.

If you could rename Stand into Danger, what would you call it?

If it wasn't called Stand into Danger I would title the book: "Treasure Hunt, and Death".

Any additional comments?

Really a wonderful Audible book. I wish the entire series were available.

A Patrick O'Brian Rival?

As a great Patrick O'Brian fan I am excited to find the offerings of Alexander Kent on Audible. This is a good yarn from a talented writer who obviously knows this genre, that of the late 18th and early 19th centuries English naval service. Since this is the first of these books I've read, I look forward to listening to more of Kent's work. One slight problem I see is that there are 30 Richard Bolitho novels in this collection and only nine are presently available from Audible. Also, Audible said a couple of months ago it was going to number selections in series so they would be easier to read in order. This has not been done yet, so it's necessary to find the correct order elsewhere. It's also unknown whether more of the Kent-Bolitho saga is to be recorded and sold through Audible. I'd prefer to plow through a series such as this without having to go back and read new additions out of sequnce later. So the big question is what is happening with the other 21 novels in this series from Audible???

The New Master of Naval Fiction

Alexander Kent's Bolitho saga carries on the legacy of other fine authors such as C.S. Forester. As a former Royal Naval officer, Kent brings a keen understanding of life aboard ship and the challenges of command. Stand Into Danger is the story of a young officer (Richard Bolitho) who has to learn, first hand, about those challenges and the dangers that accompany them.

For Royal Navy junkies only.

What did you like best about Stand into Danger? What did you like least?

Very good characters. The book moved too slow then it all seemed to wrap up at once.

Was Stand into Danger worth the listening time?

Yes, the narration and story line was worth the time. I wouldn't miss my wedding to hear the ending but i could see myself being late to work.

Any additional comments?

Don't buy this book if your looking for something to fill the O brien void in your life.

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Title: The Jewel in the Crown

Subtitle: The Raj Quartet, Book 1

Author: Paul Scott

Narrator: Richard Brown

Format: Unabridged

Length: 22 hrs and 40 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-11-10

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 55 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The first volume in Paul Scott's historical tour-de-force opens in 1942 as the British fear both Japanese invasion and Indian demands for self-rule. In the Mayapore gardens, Daphne Manners, daughter of the provincial governor, leaves her Indian lover, who will soon be arrested for her alleged rape.

Critic Reviews:

An artful triumph...[The Jewel in the Crown] goes forward with considerable power and urgency....Besides storytelling, Mr. Scott uses his remarkable techniques to portray a place and a time, a society and its social arrangements, that are now history. (The New Yorker)

Members Reviews:

Superb writing, subverted by spiritless narration

If you don't already know this wonderful quartet of novels, you have a treat in store. Splendid richness of historical setting and character. Paul Scott's writing is strong enough to overcome almost any flaws in narration. But he deserves better than this. The narrator speaks clearly enough, but his emotional range is often little wider than that of a talking clock, and all the characters have the same voice. Several days' worth of listening to his performance is a qualified pleasure. So, check the sample audio before you spend your eight credits. Let's hope that a narrator more sympathetic to the drama will take this great task on.

Breaking All My Rules

I am a book editor, and I'm forever reminding my clients to show and not tell their story. I tell them to inhabit a point-of-view character rather than be an omniscient observer, a literary technique that is out of vogue. I instruct them that all narrative must come from within the story rather than outside it, from the storyteller.

Paul Scott's novel tells the story a majority of the time, the point of view is not consistent, and the narrator is often the voice. Listening to this book should have irritated the heck out of me, but it didn't. I loved it.

Scott writes beautifully, and he includes unusual, telling details. Sometimes he breaks a moment down into tiny increments, which allowed me to draw a distinct picture in my mind of what was transpiring.

Richard Brown delivers an outstanding performance. His voice is that of a highly educated Brit, but he nailed the characters from India. Their dialogue never sounded singsong. He was adept at not spilling over the accents into the narrative or, when two characters, a Brit and and Indian, were talking to each other, he always delineated them. The accents didn't bleed into each other (as they are doing now, in Volume II, with a different narrator).

My attention never lagged. I really enjoyed this listening experience, and I am committed to listening to all the volumes in the Raj Quartet.

Be sure to listen to sample first

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Different narrator.

Would you be willing to try another one of Richard Browns performances?

No.

Any additional comments?

The narration was not easy on my ear, I had to stop listening. The most valuable comment I can make is to listen to a sample before you buy, and make sure that you like the voice. I thought it took a lot away from the story, and made it all seem emotionally the same. It's a great set of novels, but a better reader would help a lot.