Download the Top 100 Audiobooks in Fiction, Historical

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Title: The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane

Author: Robert E. Howard

Narrator: Paul Boehmer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-13-10

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 274 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

With Conan the Cimmerian, Robert E. Howard created more than the greatest action hero of the twentieth century---he also launched a genre that came to be known as sword and sorcery. But Conan was not the first archetypal adventurer to spring from Howard's fertile imagination. He was...a strange blending of Puritan and Cavalier, with a touch of the ancient philosopher, and more than a touch of the pagan.... A hunger in his soul drove him on and on, an urge to right all wrongs, protect all weaker things.... Wayward and restless as the wind, he was consistent in only one respect---he was true to his ideals of justice and right. Such was Solomon Kane.

Collected in this volume are all of the stories that make up the thrilling saga of the dour and deadly Puritan: "Skulls in the Stars," "The Right Hand of Doom," "Red Shadows," "Rattle of Bones," "The Castle of the Devil," "Death's Black Riders," "The Moon of Skulls," "The One Black Stain," "The Blue Flame of Vengeance," "The Hills of the Dead," "Hawk of Basti," "The Return of Sir Richard Grenville," "Wings in the Night," "The Footfalls Within," "The Children of Asshur," and "Solomon Kane's Homecoming."

Members Reviews:

Well Done

The savage tales of Solomon Kane is, in my humble opinion, Robert E. Howards' best work. The reading by Paul Boehmer is excellent and does not diminish the work in any way.

Just as real and absorbing as I remember.

This is just a very preliminary review. I have only immersed myself in the first couple of stories. I just wanted to mention right away how fantastic these stories are. I first met Solomon Kane when I was young by reading comic versions of some of his adventures. I also read some of the original stories, but never close to all of them. Through all these years, he has stuck in my mind as a striking, powerful and steadfast person. He made much more of an impression on me than Conan. The new movie was much, much better than I thought it would be (they really got Solomon Kane right) so I wanted to get to know him again.

So, these stories are fantastic like always. Very well written and so real that to experience them is like watching it happening. They are very supernatural, of course, but in a real way and Solomon is always looking for real solutions and not just the latest stone or cryptic potion to deal with what is going on. The morality is Christian based (he is a Puritan after all), in a universal truth way. Solomon's strength is derived from his courage, and adherence to the right as much as it is his physical strength and prowess. While there might be some talk of god, so far, no preachy stuff about salvation and so on.

I also want to mention the narrator. He is fantastic. He makes me feel like he is as excited by the stories as we are. He has a dramatic, clear way of speaking that really draws you into what is going on.

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Title: The Foundling

Author: Georgette Heyer

Narrator: Phyllida Nash

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-01-09

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 426 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The shy young Duke of Sale has never known his parents. Instead, his Grace Adolphus Gillespie Vernon Ware, or Gilly for short, has endured 24 years of rigorous mollycoddling from his uncle and his valet.

But his natural diffidence conceals a rebellious spirit. So when Gilly hears of Belinda, the beautiful foundling who appears to be blackmailing his cousin, he absconds with glee. Only he has no sooner entered his new and dangerous world than he is plunged into a frenzy of intrigue, kidnap, and adventure.

Members Reviews:

Excellent fun!!!!!!!!!!!

One of my very favorite recordings of a Heyer book! The central characters are sweet and capable, the many side characters are totally engaging, their dialog is sharp, and the situations they face become more and more knotted until all unravels completely in a delightful ending. Great fun, and Phyllida Nash is simply the best reader of Heyer books there is.

Rollicking Adventure

Phylida Nash is such a skilled reader who colours every character so brilliantly that it is a pleasure to listen to her.

This particular Georgette Heyer is a very funny adventure with a delightfully ditzy 'blonde', a young man learning to be bold and independent, without losing his gentle character, and a budding unexpected romance. I highly enjoyed the twists and turns of the plot and the calm saneness of the not so beautiful romantic heroine.

Vintage Heyer

Deliciously silly with a few extra twists that help the characters come alive - with a lot more class distinction than usual, as the Hero becomes a Man, and everyone else adjusts. Narrated well.

a joy to listen to, great narration

One of the things I love about books by Georgette Heyer is the different types of heroes and heroines. This book has that, with the very shy duke who would never be the lead character in any typical romance. Her books make you believe in the average person. I love this plot, the scrapes that he gets into, the incredibly ditzy foundling, the transformation of the duke and therefore of his romance. Loved it from start to finish. And I have yet to hear narration by this author that was not first rate. Always love her work. Highly recommend this one.

A Unique Story for Heyer

I love G. Heyer's historical romances and mysteries. She is a good writer and her historical fiction is very accurate since she was an amateur historian. Many of the publications she refers to in her books, she actually owned. She could read Middle English and Middle French (I do good just reading modern English - Chaucer had to be translated for me to understand it.)

Readers who prefer the cotton candy of modern authors most likely will be bored with the meat & potatoes of an older style of writing.

The idioms and phrases of the time period will seem awkward and foreign at first, but hang in there, by the third chapter you will be thoroughly enjoying it and incorporating some of the lingo into your own vocabulary.

Delightfully no porn! I highly recommend this book to those with college level or higher reading skills.

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Title: Pope Joan

Author: Donna Woolfolk Cross

Narrator: Barbara Rosenblat

Format: Unabridged

Length: 19 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-24-09

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 503 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Now in this riveting novel, Donna Woolfolk Cross paints a sweeping portrait of an unforgettable heroine who struggles against restrictions her soul cannot accept.

Brilliant and talented, young Joan rebels against medieval social strictures forbidding women to learn. When her brother is brutally killed during a Viking attack, Joan takes up his cloak - and his identity - and enters the monastery of Fulda. As Brother John Anglicus, Joan distinguishes herself as a great scholar and healer. Eventually, she is drawn to Rome, where she becomes enmeshed in a dangerous web of love, passion, and politics.

Triumphing over appalling odds, she finally attains the highest office in Christendom - wielding a power greater than any woman before or since. But such power always comes at a price....

Critic Reviews:

"Whether or not one believes in Joan as Pope, this is a compelling story, filled with all kinds of lore: the brutishness of the Dark Ages, Vatican intrigue, politics and favoritism and most of all, the place of women in the Church and in the world." (Amazon.com review)"In this colorful, richly imagined novel, Cross ably inspires a suspension of disbelief, pulling off the improbable feat of writing a romance starring a pregnant pope." (

Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

WOW!!!

This book is wonderfully written. The performance was just so great. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Lady Pope

Pope Joan is a very good book. I couldn't stop listening to it, and after I finished- I thought more about the carichtors. After a very shocking trauma, Joan chose to live in 2 worlds: One in which she is almost a man, a priest who does many almost unbelievable things. In the other, she is a woman who does the most womanly things. The only link between her 2 worlds is her love to Jerald. If you are in the search for a provoking and enjoyable listening, I recommend you to buy this book.

Silly Woman!

Donna Cross leaves no cliche uncoined in this overlong and faintly ridiculous attempt at the legend of a medieval female pope. There are numerous anachronisms, and the turgid prose, predictable plot make it very difficult for Barbara Rosenblat to give it a convincing reading. After her exceptional reading of the Amelia Peabody novels, I had hoped for much more from her. The yawn factor was very high for me with this book. I'm being generous with 3 stars.

exceptional in historical content and storyline

this author was exceptional in historical content accuracy and storyline. It was clear to see that much investigation and historical background had been researched in order to complete this entertaining and well-written book.

Fabulous and interesting story

Could she have been pope. Most certainly! This is very thought provoking. The Catholic Church offers much good....except in the treatment of women at the top: it is time to let reason rule tradition. I can see this book as great mini series....Netflix take note. This would be a winner! By the way, I loved the readers voice. I could sit for hours letter her tell me stories.

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Title: EMPEROR: The Gods of War, Book 4 (Unabridged)

Author: Conn Iggulden

Narrator: Paul Blake

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-15-09

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 284 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The fourth volume in the acclaimed Emperor series, in which Conn Iggulden interweaves history and adventure to recreate the astonishing life of Julius Caesar - an epic tale of ambition and rivalry, bravery and betrayal.

©2006 Conn Iggulden; (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Members Reviews:

Good story, fair story teller

Caesar's story is compelling. The narrator is a little stiff, the pronunciation of names sounds contrived.

So brilliant, that it saddened

Would you listen to EMPEROR: The Gods of War, Book 4 (Unabridged) again? Why?

No

Who was your favorite character and why?

Marcus, Julius,octavian

What does Paul Blake bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

His accent was much different from the previous narrator and his prounciation gave me a new different perspective to the names like Cabrera Gaditicus

If you could take any character from EMPEROR: The Gods of War, Book 4 (Unabridged) out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Marcus, I was sad to realize that he will betray Julius and try talk him out of it...Julius could have achieved much more if he was on the side...or may take Julius to talk him to treat and appease Marcus as much he swayed the people.

Any additional comments?

Looking forward to get my credits renewed tomorrow to get the next book...

Deeply satisfying

A satisfying end to a marvelous series. While one knows, of course, how Caesar meets his end, the story as told here was so believable and compelling it doesn't disappoint.

Emperor Series

Easy and exciting listening. Five years ago I read the series and now find myself listening to the story with the same level of interest. The reader's outstanding performance adds an additional dimension to the overall experience.

Awesome

I have enjoyed this series of books tremendously. The author is one of a kind! I recommend everybody to check it out.

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Title: Down and Out in Paris and London

Author: George Orwell

Narrator: Frederick Davidson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-23-09

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 198 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

A socialist who believed that the lower classes were the wellspring of world reform, Orwell actually went to live among them in England and on the continent. His novel draws on his experiences of this world, from the bottom of the echelon in the kitchens of posh French restaurants to the free lodging houses, tramps, and street people of London. In the tales of both cities, we learn some sobering truths about poverty and society.

Critic Reviews:

"Genuine, unexaggerated, and intelligent." - (New Republic)

"The most lucid portrait of poverty in the English language...combines good narrative with wit, humor, and honest realism." (The Nation)

"Excellent...a model of the realistic approach." (New York Times Book Review)

Members Reviews:

The King of Boldness, Clearness, and Audacity

George Orwell is one of those writers who you THINK you know when you read his couple, well known, books in your adolescence. Later, when older, you discover that 9/10 of his writing was submerged and hidden from your younger, more innocent self. The more of Orwell's nonfiction I read, the more I love his boldness, clearness, and audacity. Orwell's confidence in his writing is apparent even in his earlier works. Down and Out doesn't make me want to tramp, but it did teach me a couple tricks just incase.

Colorful and desperate. Humouros and tragic.

Would you listen to Down and Out in Paris and London again? Why?

Yes. I have read the book a few times and I like the first part read in a french accent from french characters. It really brings the characters to life.

What did you like best about this story?

The characters in the Hotels and the French Quarter the protagonist lives and works among. Madame F the landlord, Boris's optimism and friendship to the protagonist, Charlie's drunken speeches, Rocolle the cat eating miser, the snobby waiters that enjoy spending their customer's money on their food and drink by proxy, the lazy Siberian waiter that insults his boss in order to get fired half way thru the day at every job because they have to pay him him for the entire day (he has so much cheek), Mario (George's boss) that is more like a machine at work than a man, but fair minded. The height of meal rushes everyone is "swearing oaths" to one another, floors covered with garbage, employees stealing food and liquor--so well described how a hotel restaurant is ran. England: The Spike where the spinster in blue is giving the homeless men tea and a bun and she asks one man when was the last time he talked to his Lord Jesus. The man was over come with shame. A red nosed man jumped up and cried out the Lords name to draw attention away from the embarrassed man. The red nosed man had this act down, likely from prison. The spinster won't let the men leave until hymns are sung. The red nose man passes out the hymn books like from a deck of cards and spouts off the names of lucky hands only the men can hear as they each get a book--bringing something bearable to this contempt every christian charity makes these men go thru to get a few pieces of bread and a cup of tea. Reminds me of the old saying "sing for your supper." The filthy and crowded lodges that make the insect infested hotel rooms in Paris seem like luxury.

What about Frederick Davidsons performance did you like?

He was a bit stuffy as the protagonist.

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Title: The Apothecary's Daughter

Author: Julie Klassen

Narrator: Davina Porter

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-16-09

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 372 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

After enjoying London's sophisticated society and the attentions of wealthy suitors, Lilly returns home to help her ailing dad. Determined to resurrect his apothecary business, Lilly labors tirelessly - praying her family's secrets and her rivals' schemes won't cloud her future.

Critic Reviews:

"...an emotionally compelling and quietly powerful tale." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

A well told tale

This book was a sweet story with characters that grew in complexity throughout the tale. For a few days, I escaped into the garden, and the shop, and the village. A couple of characters were developed, and left hanging, as one situation was minimalized too simply after having so much time and concern devoted to it throughout the book,but over all, I really enjoyed this book.

A really sweet story

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

Yes because anything read by Davina Porter is better than reading it myself. I love to listen to her-

What did you like best about this story?

My favorite thing about this story is that you didn't know who Lily was going to end up with. Often the reader knows fairly early who will end up together and the rest of the story is about their ups and downs. I liked that this was Lily's story and she wasn't sure who she wanted until the very end. I also like how you see Lily's growth and maturity throughout the book as well as the ending. It is very satisfying and not all tired up with a ' happily ever after' bow-it isn't tragic but it is realistic.

What does Davina Porter bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

Her accents and her voice-AMAZING. I love her northern England accents almost as well as her Scottish ones. Her narration and interpretations of books increases the quality of the story immensely. I will listen to anything she narrates and am trying to listen to all of her books.

Any additional comments?

I don't know why I can't edit my 'overall' score- it should be 5 stars, I just didn't catch the mistake until I previewed my review. I think it is a 5 star book in every category.

Great on audio

Wonderful narration and this title is probably best on audio. Interesting characters and plot and lots of little historical tidbit "gifts" to the reader/listener. I think it would be a little slower and too much narrative for a regular-read book. Great for audio because you could listen to this several times and still enjoy it. The reader should think of this as a romantic historical not a historical romance. Has a literary feel to it. It was obvious that Ms. Klassen put a tremendous amount of work into this book.

Wonderful

This was a delightful listen; the plot was not perdictable; the reader was excellent; I learned a lot about that era--especially women and the apothecary. Would recommend highly.

wonderful!

Where does The Apothecary's Daughter rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

Great book; author masterfully described the inner workings of the human soul. I cried few times while listening - characters seem to be so real, their emotional pain so intimately familiar, so genuine. This story re-invigorates faith in devotion of a true friendship, commitment and love. I disagree with others that note this book is intended for Christian audiences.

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Title: The Quiet American

Author: Graham Greene

Narrator: Joseph Porter

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-03-09

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 311 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Fowler's mistress, a beautiful native girl, creates a catalyst for jealousy and competition between the men and a cultural clash resulting in bloodshed and deep misgivings.

Written in 1955, prior to the Vietnam conflict, The Quiet American foreshadows the events leading up to the Vietnam War. Questions surrounding the moral ambiguity of the involvement of the United States in foreign countries are as relevant today as they were 50 years ago.

Critic Reviews:

"There has been no novel of any political scope about Vietnam since Graham Greene wrote The Quiet American." (Harper's)

"Greene is a superb storyteller. He evokes the most actual streets, the most vivid skies, and individuals who can have a lacerating reality as they search the labyrinth of their lives." (Newsweek)

Members Reviews:

Terrible narrator nearly derails Greene novel.

Because Audible asks us about performance, I feel that I should bring it up. But first, because of a recent trip to Viet Nam, I decided to get and listen to this book. The story, itself, is remarkable and very prescient regarding American impending tragic and misguided involvement into Southeast Asia. But at it's heart, "The Quiet American" is a tale of two dissimilar men and their love for a beautiful Vietnamese woman. One man is an older British newspaperman saddled with a wife back in England. The other is a young, naive, low level, diplomat from Boston. The bonds, these two forge in friendship and rivalry, whether in a Saigon dance club or in the heat of battle, takes up the majority of this book.

Unfortunately, Joseph Porter, fails miserably on all accounts in his narrating. Aside from his stilted readings of prose that is both beautiful and exciting, his accents, age and sex differentiation's are atrocious. His Englishmen seem to all come from some strange middle-class. Fowler, the stories narrator, is a mid-fifties hard drinking and smoking Londoner and yet he sounds like bland radio personality. Pyle his rival and friend is even worse, sounding like a late forties mid-westerner with an sixth grade reading level. All the other characters just sound canned-spaggetti versions of real people.

Seriously, forget listening and read the book.

Audilble please redo this classic and terrific story with a much better voice.

I just could not listen to this narrator

with his silly attempts at an American accent and overly stilted British one. The story is a good one.

unbearable

This reader is unbearable, could only stand it for an hour. Listen to a sample before you buy this one.

Bostonian With a Southern Twang...kinda

While the story was intriguing enough, the narration was a great distraction. The attempt at an American accent (that should have been Bostonian but came across as a bad Southern accent) was poor to be generous. If you want to know what the American accent sounded like, watch Young Frankenstein and listen to the character "Inspector Kemp." It was to say the least very distracting, bordering on annoying.

Bad Narrator

I had to read this book for a U.S. History course in college. I got through a good portion of the book by reading - but decided to buy the audiobook as listening is much more convienent. After 5 minutes of listening I had to turn it off. The narrator is so unlively and boring that it made the book unbearable.

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Title: The Color of Lightning

Author: Paulette Jiles

Narrator: Jack Garrett

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-31-09

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 157 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Samuel Hammond follows a different road west. A Quaker whose fortune is destroyed by a capricious act of an inscrutable God, he has resigned himself to the role the Deity has chosen for him. As a new agent for the Office of Indian Affairs, it is Hammond's goal to ferret out corruption and win justice for the noble natives now in his charge. But the proud, stubborn people refuse to cease their raids, free their prisoners, and accept the farming implements and lifestyle the white man would foist upon them, adding fuel to smoldering tensions that threaten to turn a man of peace, faith, and reason onto a course of terrible retribution.

A soaring work of the imagination based on oral histories of the post - Civil War years in North Texas, Paulette Jiles's The Color of Lightning is at once an intimate look into the hearts and hopes of tragically flawed human beings and a courageous reexamination of a dark American ...

Editorial Reviews:

Is anyone not fascinated by cases of captives who lived among Indians and escaped to tell about it? This novel opens with a Kiowa raid on settlers in northern Texas in the 1870s. So convincingly does Jiles imagine her characters - Indian, white, and black - and compellingly tell their stories that it comes as a surprise that much here is based on real people and events. Jack Garrett's performance is stellar. Three different races - men, women, and children - come vividly to life, their personalities distinct even though their stories are separated from ours by more than a century. It's a sweeping tale, never dry or fact-bound, and Garrett's sympathetic attention and unflagging skill are a perfect match for Jiles's marvelous invention.

Members Reviews:

Not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Color of Lightning to be better than the print version?

Did not read the print. Learned to enjoy audio books when I drove an 18 wheeler. Still use them to multitask.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Britt Johnson. Oh to have someone love me that much/

Which character as performed by Jack Garrett was your favorite?

Britt Johnson.

Any additional comments?

Do not read at the dinner table.

A DIFFERENT "COWBOYS AND INDIANS WESTERN"

This is not a typical tale of cowboys and Indians, but a well written look at at the period of the great American expansion into the west. When major social shifts occur, a period of of time between the ending of one era and the start of the next is created. These periods of tension and unrest often raise hard questions about the changes intended to solve problems. Jiles raises some questions about the goals of the Civil War and of the countrys western expansion.

Her characters are well developed. Britt, a legally free Black man whose wife Mary and children are taken during a Commanche and Kiowa Indian raid and an Agent of the Indian Affairs Agency, Samuel, from an old Quaker family Back East.

When free Coloreds, Indians who are required to live on reservations, Comancheros from New Mexico and south of the Rio Grande, and mixed race people from the interbreeding among captives and captors of all races are thrown together in a time of unrest, strong ethnic, religious and political emotions, Jiles gives us a bit of the history of North Texas.

Samuel devoutly defends and tries to live his Quaker faith in non-violence.

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Title: These Old Shades

Author: Georgette Heyer

Narrator: Cornelius Garrett

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-18-09

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 721 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Society believes the worst of Justin Alastair, the notorious Duke of Avon who is clearly proud of his Sobriquet, Satanas. It is he who buys Leon body and soul from a scoundrel in a Paris backstreet.

©2002 Georgette Heyer; (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Members Reviews:

The epitome of romance

Set before the French Revolution, an English duke rescues a French "guttersnipe", with murky plans for his(?) future, but the brat turns the duke's plans on him -- Cinderella with a touch of Romeo and Juliet. This has always been my favorite Georgette Heyer book, and I love them all. "Devil's Cub" is the sequel, set in the next generation.

LOVE Georgette Heyer...but the reader...!

Having discovered Georgette Heyer's books more than 30 years ago and enjoyed reading and rereading many of them since then; I was thrilled to discover them in audio. So far I have listened to three Heyer books from Audible and...well, it has been a mixed bag. These Old Shades has been a difficult listen. Perhaps it is because my own imagination has developed a strong vocal idea of what certain characters should sound like. So I found myself gritting my teeth to get through this audio. As an example, the main character Justin is shrill, grating, and very "old" sounding. As if Justin was a man of 60 rather than a man of 40. Accents were a strange mish mash which didn't match the locations of the characters. For example, the story opens in France and characters have British accents. Leon the waif rescued by Justin, has a French accent but her brother sounds like a working class Brit. Details like this can really make or break a audio rendering. So while I still love Georgette Heyer, I really wish that this story had a different reader.

great story, stylized narration

The narration for this book and for Devil's Cub, with a different narrator but the same style, is very stylized and "mannered." It does suit the books but it takes a little getting used to. The narration is imitating the speech of a 1700s fop. It's nasal and drawling. I think it lends atmosphere, but even though I really enjoyed the listen, I couldn't listen for hours and hours as I can for more natural narrators.

Loved it!!!!!

I love Georgette Heyer books and this is one of her best. I hope audible continues adding more of her books.

Disappointing characterisation

I have enjoyed other books read by Cornelius Garrett, so what possessed him to provide the Hero with the voice of a deaf, very elderly man in this one. Quite spoilt the story for me, and put me off buying any other books narrated by him.

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Title: Sashenka

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Simon Montefiore

Narrator: Anne Flosnik

Format: Unabridged

Length: 19 hrs and 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-10-08

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 69 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In the best-selling tradition of

Dr. Zhivago,

Sophie's Choice, and

The Island, this is an epic story of revolution, passion, and betrayal - and one woman whose extraordinary secret lies hidden for half a century.

©2008 Simon Montefiore (P)2008 Tantor

Members Reviews:

Fascinating Historical Thriller About A Dark Time

I was pleasantly surprised by the suspense in this historical novel. Despite its relatively slow start, the story held my interest and filled in a missing chunk of what life must have been like for those enthralled by the Bolshevik philosophy that drove the Russian revolution and steered a nation through the dark waters of Stalin's macabre reign. The characterizations are strong, and Sashenka lingers as a haunting figure long after the author's last sentences fade to silence. The reader of this audiobook version is truly excellent--a true artist who brings the novel to full and vibrant life. I hope you enjoy this novel as much as I did.

Historical Novel That Touches Your Soul...

Great story! From the inception to self-destruction of infamous Soviet Union the book unveils many tragedies from the eyes of young, naive and idealistic heroine. Sashenka takes you on a life journey through the most depressing, though captivating time of Russian history. While listening to the book reader would truly experience that miserable existence under the iron boot of the Soviet cabal. Having firsthand knowledge of the subject I will attest, it is portrayed with finest accuracy. The writer reveals this dark period in all its malice. After the novel, you will understand what Russian people have endured for almost a century and ultimately still paying for. The readers voice illustrate the general mood and fear people lived under; the feeling lingers long time after you are finished listening. My only regret is that almost all of the names and places are butchered beyond recognition, unfortunately it includes the title. So don't try to flaunt your Russian pronunciation with any native speakers after the book. But you can certainly flaunt your intellectual understanding of that era.

Intriguing

This was an interesting book, but not until the 3rd section. I found it a little confusing as far as listening to a book goes because of all of the similar names. Maybe it would have been better to read the hard copy and would probably be better the 2nd time. Unfortunately, this story was very slow starting and I found myself bored at the beginning. I am very glad that I forced myself to finish it because the end is redeeming.

Sashenka

I have never written a review before but this book required it. It is a fascinating historical novel about Russia from the revolution to the 1970's. I have "read" a lot of books about Russia and this book fills a gap in Russian historical novels. The story line was a page turner (if you can do that on an IPod.) The narrator was fantastic and made me feel that the real people were there talking to me.

Amazing

It was great. Amazing. Incredible. I want to come back to this book in a few months and revisit the magnificent writing that enthralled me. This story evoked all kinds of emotions from me: sadness, joy, anxiety, fear. I can't wait to share this book with others.