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Title: The Barbary Pirates

Subtitle: An Ethan Gage Adventure

Author: William Dietrich

Narrator: William Dufris

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-30-10

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 65 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

As dazzling and action packed as the best novels of James Rollins, George MacDonald Fraser, and Steve Berry, The Barbary Pirates will have listeners cheering for William Dietrich and his dashing hero, Ethan Gage!

Swashbuckling American explorer and ladies' man Ethan Gage has seen his fair share of danger, having braved the sands of Egypt, the perils of the Atlantic Ocean, and the harsh wilderness of early America. Once more, he finds himself in a desperate race, this time with the Barbary Pirates, a powerful band of Muslim outlaws from North Africa. Also after Ethan is his nemesis and former lover, Aurora Somerset, member of a dangerous sect called the Egyptian Rite. The prize is the Mirror of Archimedes, an ancient superweapon that, according to legend, once burned a Roman fleet with its power. In 1802, this death ray could tip the balance of power in the Mediterranean, and Ethan must stop the pirates from using it against the American, English, and French fleets.

From the salons and brothels of the Palais Royal of Paris, where the quest for information about his lost love Astiza involves real-life scientists and engineers - including inventor Robert Fulton - Ethan must travel at Napoleon's behest to the canals of Venice, the caves of Santorini, the dungeons of Tripoli, and finally to treachery on the high seas in the Mediterranean.

Can Ethan rescue Astiza without betraying the cause of his own United States? Can he save the two-year-old son he only recently discovered he had without allowing the Egyptian Rite to finally dominate the world? And when the sun rises on the Mirror of Archimedes, will everything Ethan cares about be set afire?

Delivering the fast-paced adventure, uncanny wit, and compelling historical excitement that readers have come to expect from the masterful William Dietrich, The Barbary Pirates is Ethan Gage at his winningest, most hilarious, and most death defying.

Members Reviews:

Difficult to listen to.

I have tried to listen to this story several times. I cannot stand the narrator so consequently, I cannot comment on the story. The only audible book I have not enjoyed.

Unbelievable fun

If you are listening to these books, by now you will know what you are going to get. Totally unbelievable swashbuckling fun. Adventure to the max! Ethan Gage is a sort of unlikely hero who is trying to reform his ways and has picked up some skills along the way. Historical figures are portrayed nicely and much of what is portrayed in this book actually happened, possibly as William Dietrich has described. William Dufris is the best narrator of these books thus far. I listened to this book in one sitting on a long drive from Melbourne to Sydney and was not left wanting for a minute.

This is a sequel.

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

Getting my money back will make this a 5 star listening experience for me.

Has The Barbary Pirates turned you off from other books in this genre?

I'll never read another book by this author.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Non descript mediocre performance

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

anger

Any additional comments?

Horrible dime novel not worth turning into an audiobook

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Title: The Lotus Eaters

Author: Tatjana Soli

Narrator: Kirsten Potter

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-30-10

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 527 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

It's 1975 and the North Vietnamese army is poised to roll into Saigon. As the city falls into chaos, two lovers make their way across the city to escape to a new life. Helen Adams, an American photojournalist, must take leave of a devastated country she has come to love. Nguyen Pran Linh, the man who loves her, must deal with his own conflicted loyalties. As they race through the streets, they play out a drama of love and betrayal that began 12 years before. Their mentor, the larger-than-life war correspondent Sam Darrow, was once Helens infuriating lover and fiercest competitor, as well as Linhs secret keeper, protector, and truest friend. As the sun sets on their life in Saigon, Helen and Linh struggle against both their inner demons and the ghosts of the past, illuminating the horrors of war, the dangers of obsession, and the redemptive power of love.

Critic Reviews:

"The novel is steeped in history, yet gorgeous sensory details enliven the prose.35 years after the fall of Saigon, Solis entrancing debut brings you close enough to feel a part of it." (

People magazine)

Members Reviews:

Best book I've read yet this year

I love novels about Asia, especially about the fall-out from European colonialism -- novels set in Asia or written by Asians. I was very disappointed by Chang-Rae Lee's "The Surrendered" but Soli's book just leaves me wanting more. I want to enter into the world of her characters, as enthralled with them and their Viet Nam as they are with the war that surrounds them. I listened to this book as an audio recording and left many things undone in the days that it took me to listen to all of it.

"The Lotus Eaters" is extraordinarily well-written, from the lyricism of the individual sentences to the taught construction of the story, beginning near the end, then going back ten years to tell the middle of the story, and finishing when Saigon falls in 1975. I knew, from the first chapters, that Helen would fall in love with Linh, that they would be wretched apart at the end of the war, that she would stay behind in Saigon without him. But the middle of the story was compelling nonetheless, to learn how Helen grew into her own as a war reporter and how she fell in love with two men, who both represented some aspect of the Viet Nam war. We have Sam Darrow, the American photojournalist who has become addicted to the thrill of the battle and is oblivious to almost everything outside his viewfinder; and then there's Linh -- for me, the more mysterious and compelling figure -- a Vietnamese poet and spy who loves Helen for long years before his love is returned. Love between a White woman and an Asian man is not frequently explored in literature or art, making this book unusual in that the love affair between the Americans Helen and Darrow is a precursor to the central romance of the book, that of Helen and Linh. The improbability of their love -- as improbable as anything good coming out of war -- makes for one of the most compelling romance stories I have ever read.

Beautifully written...and read

After reading numerous glowing reviews for this book I was curious...but also apprehensive because I'm not a fan of "Vietnam war books". However, this book entranced me from the first page to the last. Soli does an exceptional job crafting complex and compelling characters.

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Title: The King's Commission

Author: Dewey Lambdin

Narrator: John Lee

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-09-10

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 293 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Fresh from duty on the frigate Desperate in her fight with the French Capricieuse off St. Kitts, Midshipman Alan Lewrie passes his examination board for lieutenancy and finds himself commissioned first officer of the brig o'war Shrike. There's time for some dalliance with the fair sex, and then Lieutenant Lewrie must be off to patrol the North American coast and attempt to bring the Muskogees and Seminoles onto the British side against the American rebels (dalliance with an Indian maiden is just part of the mission). Then it's back to the Caribbean, to sail beside Captain Horatio Nelson in the Battle for Turks Island.

Naval officer and rogue Alan Lewrie is a man of his times and a hero for all times. His equals are Hornblower, Aubrey, and Maturin - sailors beloved by readers and listeners all over the world.

Critic Reviews:

"Fast-moving. . . A hugely likable hero, a huge cast of sharply drawn supporting characters: there's nothing missing. Wonderful stuff." (Kirkus Reviews)

Members Reviews:

Great naval historical

Any additional comments?

What a nice surprise! I have been looking for a new historical series for some time and this one is a hit. I bought and listened to the second in the series immediately after finishing this one and downloaded the next 2 in the series. Of course...John Lee is usually very good but he was great in this one.

Part of a terrific series

Would you consider the audio edition of The King's Commission to be better than the print version?

I think the narrated version is excellent

Who was your favorite character and why?

Alan Lewrie because it is his story.

Which scene was your favorite?

Any of the scenes at sea.

Any additional comments?

I am half way through the series by now and each time I finish a book I cannot wait to get the next one.

Hornblower with more humor.

Lots of good historical naval detail, a much more rascally and less obviously heroic main character than Sir Horatio, a bit more like Richard Sharpe with sails and an anchor. VERY well performed and Lambdin is seldom boring.

Great listening on a long drive.

The King's Commission

This is my first book by Dewey Lambdin. I love sailing stories of the 1700's so I am surprised I had not discovered this author before this. The action was fast and the march in the swamps of Florida had me scratching insect bites. The only thing I did not like about the book was all the sex and going from women to women every time Alan was on land. John Lee did a great job narrating the book. Excellent English accents. An added plus was Lord Nelson in the story.

Great story. Another awesome adventure.

Great book, really painted Native Americans in a rare light. I wish mister John Lee didn't try to voice southern characters. Being from the South, I find his attempt degrading and all southern characters come off as idiots.

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Title: Wishin' and Hopin'

Subtitle: A Christmas Story

Author: Wally Lamb

Narrator: Wally Lamb

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-10-09

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 239 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Back in his beloved fictional town of Three Rivers, Connecticut, with a new cast of endearing characters, Wally Lamb takes his listeners straight into the halls of St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parochial School - where Mother Filomina's word is law and goody-two-shoes Rosalie Twerski is sure to be minding everyone's business.

But grammar and arithmetic move to the back burner this holiday season with the sudden arrivals of substitute teacher Madame Frechette, straight from Québec, and feisty Russian student Zhenya Kapakova. While Felix learns the meaning of French kissing, cultural misunderstanding, and tableaux vivants, Wishin' and Hopin' barrels toward one outrageous Christmas.

From the Funicello family's bus-station lunch counter to the elementary school playground (with an uproarious stop at the Pillsbury Bake-Off), Wishin' and Hopin' is a vivid slice of 1960s life, a wise and witty holiday tale that celebrates where we've been - and how far we've come.

Editorial Reviews:

Wally Lamb narrates this grand slice of American life circa 1964 in the words of 10-year-old Felix Funicello. Adding to the joy, he focuses on one memorable Christmas. Felix is a fifth grader at St. Aloysius Catholic School in New London, Connecticut. Lamb as narrator is glorious; the large Funicello family is warm and distinctive while Felix's fiesty Russian classmate, Zhenya, is hilarious with her mispronunciations of which "bezball" for "baseball" is but one example. As Felix, Lamb speaks kid English and often adds breathless additions or asides to his narrative. Most boisterous is the school's live Christmas tableau during which things go merrily awry. His standout is Felix's Quebecois substitute teacher with her distinctive French laugh. Many listeners will undoubtedly add this treat

Critic Reviews:

"Charming....Full of pop-culture references of the day. This will have broad appeal." (Library Journal)

Members Reviews:

Pleasant surprise

I've read several novels by Wally Lamb, and while I loved them, they were more serious and heavy in theme and presentation. This was such a delightful surprise. It simply demonstrates how versatile a writer Lamb is.

I guess this is a combination coming of age and Christmas comedy. Felix Funicello, who is distantly related to Annette Funicello--of Mickey Mouse, etc, fame, is still a bit of an innocent when the story takes place. His peers are beginning to get a bit more informed and sophisticated, so part of the amusement comes from realizing we were all, at some point in our lives, caught between being in the know, and sort of out of it at the same time. Felix attempts to act as though he understands things still a bit over his head, while often not really getting all the innuendoes of things said around him. But the plot is so funny! When the nun who is his teacher has a nervous breakdown in class, she is replaced by a sexy French-speaking lay teacher in a catholic school in the 60's, and the scene is set for lots of laughing. The end of the book is just laugh out loud hilarious.

The narration was pitch perfect, the story was great, so don't be put off by the short length of the book. Worth every bit of the credit, and then some! I loved it!

Laughing Out Loud

I was pleasantly surprised by this little book...I haven't read any of Wally Lamb's others.

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Title: Calico Captive

Author: Elizabeth George Speare

Narrator: C.M. Hébert

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 11-04-09

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 36 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

She endures a harrowing march north to what she imagines may be a life of slavery. But when they reach Montreal, a sudden twist of fortune brings Miriam to the acquaintance of the prominent Du Quesne family. The Du Quesnes introduce her to a life of luxury that she never could have imagined, and compel her to the most important decision of her life. Based on the actual narrative diary published in 1907, Calico Captive skillfully re-enacts an absorbing facet of history.

Critic Reviews:

"The constant shifts of locale and situation present narrator Hébert with an excellent showcase for her range of talents....But the very best part is the realistic, almost insider's, view of early American war, class structure, and prejudice." (AudioFile)

"Vital and vivid, this short novel based on the actual captivity of a pre-Revolutionary girl of Charlestown, New Hampshire, presents American history with force and verve." (Kirkus Reviews)

Members Reviews:

Exciting-- unexpected twists-- ended too abruptly

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes- it is exciting! Gives a glimpse into the life of captives-- shows how different personalities rise to meet daunting situations

Which scene was your favorite?

the scene where Susannah gets her children back

Any additional comments?

The story was thought provoking and enjoyable--- but the ending was so abrupt that it made you wonder if the writer had left it unfinished for a while-- and then came back to the story just wanting to 'get it done and published, already!"

Excellent

Good book and good narration voice. The voice was easy to understand and moderate in variations in sounds. We felt it wasn't over or under done. The book wasn't as interesting to us as Witch of Blackbird Pond, but it was good.

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Title: A World Lost

Author: Wendell Berry

Narrator: Michael Kramer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-07-09

Publisher: christianaudio.com

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 36 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

It is the summer of 1944, and nine-year-old Andy Catlett is engrossed in the wide easy countryside near Port William, Kentucky. But sadness, loss, and mystery invade Andy's world on a hot July afternoon when his Uncle Andrew is murdered.

©2008 Wendell Berry; (P)2009 christianaudio.com

Critic Reviews:

"Berry shows us the psychic costs of misplaced family pride and social rigidity, and yet he also celebrates the benevolent blessing of familial love. This is simple, soul-satisfying storytelling, augmented by understated humor and quiet insight." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Highly recommended book to you!

Stunning! Vintage Wendell Berry! A must read. 5 Stars! Buy this book from your independent bookseller!

Rev. Stephen York

Maine

loved it

Great story, easy to follow. excellent narration. My first from Wendell Berry but definitely not my last. I hope there's more Narrated by Micheal Kramer

Thoroughly beautiful

I liked the southern accent of the narrator, it suited the pace of the author. The sort of book that can only be a book because it is too beautiful and imagined to be anything but a story told to another. I felt like I was there despite growing up in Australia and never having been to the southern American states.

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Title: Blood's a Rover

Author: James Ellroy

Narrator: Craig Wasson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 26 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-22-09

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 167 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Dwight Holly is J. Edgar Hoover's pet strong-arm goon, implementing Hoover's racist designs and obsessed with a leftist shadow figure named Joan Rosen Klein. Wayne Tedrow - ex-cop and heroin runner - is building a mob gambling mecca in the Dominican Republic and quickly becoming radicalized. Don Crutchfield is a window-peeping kid private-eye within tantalizing reach of right-wing assassins, left-wing revolutionaries and the powermongers of an incendiary era. Their lives collide in pursuit of the Red Goddess Joan - and each of them will pay "a dear and savage price to live History."

Political noir as only James Ellroy can write it - our recent past razed and fully reconstructed - Blood's A Rover is a novel of astonishing depth and scope, a massive tale of corruption and retribution, of ideals at war and the extremity of love. It is the largest and greatest work of fiction from an American master.

Critic Reviews:

"Ellroy concludes the scorching trilogy begun with 1995's American Tabloid with a crushing bravura performance. As ever, his sentences are gems of concision.... It's impossible not to read Blood's A Rover with a sense of awe . . . It's a stunning and crazy book that could only have been written by the premier lunatic of American letters." (Publishers Weekly)

"Ellroy calls this third leg of 'The Underworld USA Trilogy' an historical romance, but it's also very much a gangster novel, a political novel, a tragic-comedy, a poignant love story - and remarkably entertaining no matter how you slice it.... You won't easily put it down." (Kirkus Reviews)

Members Reviews:

An all-around masterpiece

LA Confidential and the Black Dahlia had long ago made me a James Ellroy movie fan. This book made me an Ellroy literature fan, and I have now gone back and listened to his other recorded books. The movies, as good as they are, can't do his writing justice. A unique, compelling voice meets an unbounded imagination. No wonder Michael Connelly finds ways to pay homage to Ellroy in his books. And Craig Wasson's reading is a spot-on, magnificent rendering of myriad characters. The entire production is a masterpiece.

Magnificent.

Magnificent. Brings Cold Six Thousand to a proper conclusion. Ellroy loves Beethoven, but this is Mahler. It is certainly not for everyone, but for those it is for... wow.

Ellroy is a magician

The Cold Six Thousand was killer good. This is even better. The man doesn't just write, he's like a dog who bites you and then the whole world changes. You'll see.

Superb narration

Craig Wasson once again superbly narrates James Ellroy. A perfect match of narrator to writer's style. And Ellroy's trilogy -- American Tabloid, Cold Six Thousand, and now Bloods A Rover -- in its wonderfully twisted fiction, is probably the closest to the "truth" we are going to get of American political history 1950 to mid-'70s. Certainly resonates in the current environment.

Hypnotic

An enthralling read-not for the queasy, or easily shocked. I've enjoyed all of Ellroy's period thrillers, and he's out done himself this time. The only criticism I have is that you'll find yourself rewinding to listen to certain parts again- there's so much information. Craig Wasson did an excellent job with the different accents and sexes.

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Title: Far Bright Star

Author: Robert Olmstead

Narrator: Ed Sala

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-28-09

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In 1916, aging cavalryman Napoleon Childs leads an expedition into Mexico to capture Pancho Villa and bring him to justice. But Childs' troops are wiped out, and he is left to die alone in the Mexican desert.

©2009 Robert Olmstead; (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic Reviews:

"Far Bright Star makes the reader bleed with the characters and sweat with the intensity of the sun. ... Olmstead writes with a gritty style as sparse as the landscape itself." (Washington Post)

"Terrifying and abruptly beautiful, the new novel gleams with a masculine intensity; it is hard to read and hard to put down. ... Like Cormac McCarthy and Stephen Crane, Olmstead mourns the joke that violence makes of nobility." (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

"Mystical overtones reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy at his best enlighten the prose, which is tautly written and laced with tension. ... Verbal precision and historical accuracy combine with a poetic distillation of a tragic event presented in solidly captivating reading experience that haunts the mind long after the final page is turned." (Dallas Morning News)

Members Reviews:

Chihuahua 1916

I have always been interested in the expeditionary force to Mexico. This book was a brilliant 'felt I was there' essay. Very evocative descriptions and subtle meanings. Has all the personal interactions of personality anyone who ever served in the army will recognize. But in the end the parts were better than the whole.

Five Stars

Great story! Great writer! Fairly brutal in spots in you're squeamish. Reminded me of Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian.

Fierce, Splendid, Unforgettable

How did I get so lucky as to come across this novel? I did not know what pleasure I was in for. Tight, powerful, spare prose that knocked me under--I didn't want to come up for air. I just wanted to read--slowly savoring each syllable. Bravo, bravo for a masterpiece.

Olmstead takes right there in mountains and deserts of Mexico ...

Olmstead takes right there in mountains and deserts of Mexico. Beautify written. I would say it is a page turner.

Five Stars

Real country music

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Titel: Der Name der Rose

Autor:: Umberto Eco

Erzähler: Gert Heidenreich

Format: Unabridged

Spieldauer: 26 hrs and 17 mins

Sprache: Deutsch

Veröffentlichungsdatum: 07-27-09

Herausgeber: Der Hörverlag

Bewertung: 4.5 von 5 von 21 Stimmen

Kategorien: Fiction, Historical

Zusammenfassung des Herausgebers:

Gert Heidenreich führt mit seiner Lesung souverän durch diesen historischen Krimi, in dem jede Silbe, jede Betonung, jeder Nachklang seinen unverzichtbaren Platz hat.

Mitglieder Bewertungen:

Meisterwerk, meisterhaft gelesen..

Inacreditavelmente mais real que a própria História com a qual esta ficço se entretece; espantosamente triste; intelectualmente instigante; genialmente narrado.

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Title: Rose Cottage

Author: Mary Stewart

Narrator: Samantha Eggar

Format: Abridged

Length: 3 hrs and 14 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-02-09

Publisher: Phoenix Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 73 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Determined to uncover the truth, Kate seeks the help of childhood friends and neighbors. Her quest leads her along a trail of family bitterness, jealousy and revenge- and into an exploration of her own past. Along the way she finds true happiness in her humble beginnings and discovers romance where she least expects it.

Members Reviews:

A beautiful classic

I was seeking another of Mary Stewart's stories, Thornyhold (which I am sincerely hoping arrives in audiobook form!) and picked up this novel. It is very like Thornyhold in the lovely simplicity of the story. There is something truly magical about how Mary Stewart can craft such compelling stories and yet offer them up in such a delicate manner, with just enough information to offer a depth to the characters without overloading them to the point of causing baggage. It is a very rare skill, and it is beautifully shown here. The story isn't complex, and if you are looking for deep intrigue you won't find it here, but it is a lovely listen and so very enjoyable.

The narration suited the story perfectly!

Easy listening Mary Stewart.

Would you consider the audio edition of Rose Cottage to be better than the print version?

No, I do not consider the audio edition of Rose Cottage better than the print. For me, it is just more convenient as an audio book. Mary Stewart is a long time favorite and I enjoy an easy read (or listen) that warms the heart and reduces rather than makes stress.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Expected.

What does Samantha Eggar bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

A familiarity, as if you know the characters personally.

If you could take any character from Rose Cottage out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Lady Brandon, because older people have so much more life experience to share.

Any additional comments?

Mary Stewart is always a good read.

Well written

A good story, well written, well spoken. Nothing GREAT about it, but not bad at all. Good time filler.

Lovely Village Tale

I love Mary Stewart she is a wonderful storyteller and mood creator. The narrator... Fabulous!!

fairly light

This may have suffered from being abridged (which I hadn't noticed when I ordered it), but the story here, although pleasant, was very slight, with the plot turns quite obvious.

I've read a few of Mary Stewart's books and this wasn't really up to the same level as some of her other romantic thrillers.

The accents that the narrator gave the character were quite peculiar. It's set in County Durham (one character works in Sunderland and another is staying near Bishop Auckland), but most of the accents seem vaguely Scottish or Irish. That apart, it's well read.