Download the Top 100 Audiobooks in Fiction, Historical Popular Titles

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Title: One Corpse Too Many

Subtitle: The Second Chronicle of Brother Cadfael

Author: Ellis Peters

Narrator: Stephen Thorne

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-05-11

Publisher: Hachette Audio UK

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 14 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In the summer of 1138, war between King Stephen and the Empress Maud takes brother Cadfael from the quiet world of his garden to the bloody battlefield. Not far from the safety of the Abbey walls, Shrewsbury Castle falls, leaving its 94 defenders loyal to the empress to hang as traitors. With a heavy heart, Brother Cadfael agrees to bury the dead, only to make a grisly discovery: 95 bodies lie in a row, and the extra corpse tells Cadfael that the killer is both clever and ruthless.

But one death among so many seems unimportant to all but the good Benedictine. He vows to find the truth behind disparate clues: a girl in boys' clothing, a missing treasure, and a single broken flower - the tiny bit of evidence that Cadfael believes can most easily expose a murderer's black heart....

Members Reviews:

A lovely listen!

Set in the times of king Stephen and Empress Maude and the ensuing civil war this series of books combines basic forensics and poetic language. Given that they were brutal times, there are no gory and unpleasant scenes. A mystery that highlights the ways of human beings. The good points and the bad.

A ripping yarn!

An excellent story by Ellis Peters, which contains a number of strong threads that weave together. Brother Cadfael is sagacious and crafty and a truly wonderful creation. The narration was excellent particularly for the voice of Cadfael, which has a solid worldly Welsh sound, even the female characters are well done. I hope that more of these stories are put onto audible (I think that she wrote about 20 Brother Cadfael novels), as I would love to hear more.

love this series

I love Cadfael. Watched all the tv series but the books are as always much better.

Such a good series

I read these books in the late 1970's and early to mid 1980's. They eww good then, but are even better in audio book format. I would highly recommend this recording.

medival justice.

medival justice called trial by combat. nowadays, with no more death penalty, now is the time to revive trial by combat.

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Title: The Silver Eagle

Subtitle: Forgotten Legion Chronicles 2

Author: Ben Kane

Narrator: Michael Praed

Format: Unabridged

Length: 17 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-03-11

Publisher: Random House AudioBooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The Forgotten Legion fought against almighty odds at the very edge of the known world - and lost.

Now Brennus the Gaul, Tarquinius the Etruscan soothsayer and Romulus, bastard son of a Roman nobleman, are prisoners of Parthia. They dream of escape, but in the brutal fighting which lies ahead, only two will survive.

Meanwhile, Fabiola, Romulus's twin sister, is caught up in the vicious eddies of Roman politics. Hunted by slave catchers she flees, hoping to find her lover, Brutus, bound for Alexandria with Caesar.

Ben Kane's brilliant second novel plunges his characters into a cauldron of war and terror, as Caesar and the Roman Republic hurtle towards their day of reckoning.

Members Reviews:

it keeps you coming back

U soon become tied into the story at first u may struggle with the swapping of narrative of the different characters but this just keeps u going on so

much so u listen in headphones in bed

Scarrow and Cornwell have an equal

An unusual but excellent series.

looking forward to the third book.

I fully recommend them

An interesting view on historic facts too.

99% brilliant

The word heartbeat is used to an annoying degree. other than that I loved it.

amazing second part

a amazing second part to the story had me gripped all the way through can't wait goto get my hands on the last book

Fabulous

Completely hooked and can't wait to start book 3! Wondering what the next step it for Romulus and the others

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Title: The Driver

Author: Garet Garrett

Narrator: Jeff Riggenbach

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-12-11

Publisher: Ludwig von Mises Institute

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

"Who is Henry Galt?" Here is a treasure in the history of the procapitalist novel, the story of an upstart Wall Street speculator financier, Henry Galt. He is a shadowy figure who stays out of the limelight as much as possible until he unleashes a plan that has been years in the making: he uses his extraordinary entrepreneurial talent to acquire control of a failing railroad. Through outstanding management sense, good pricing, excellent service, and overall business savvy, he outcompetes all the big names in the business, while making a fortune in the process.

Garrett has a way of illustrating just what it takes to be a businessman of this sort, and how Galt's mind alone becomes the source of a fantastic revenue stream. But his successes breed trouble. The government conspires with envious competitors to regulate him using the Sherman Antitrust Act, calling him a monopolist who is exploiting the public. This book tells the dramatic story of his success and his fight. This book was writtten in 1922, and people in the know might detect some similarity here with Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. She might have read it or it might be a coincidence. In any case, the novel is brilliant and thrilling; one that provides an excellent lesson in how entrepreneurship works. "The author, Garet Garrett (1878-1954), had the ability to make economic, financial, and management processes come alive in novel form," writes Edward Younkins. "Not only is The Driver a novel of high finance and Wall Street methods, it also paints a portrait of an efficacious and visionary man who uses reason to focus his enthusiasm on reality in his efforts to attain his goals."

Members Reviews:

Great Business Novel

This is an incredibly well written novel of business and competition. If you are a libertarian, you should read this book and rejoice in the voice of libertarian audio books, Jeff Riggenbach. It's the best business novel I have ever read.

This book is thought to be the inspiration of Atlas Shrugged, it is a very worthy book. It was written at the turn of the century, but it is still a very modern book. Also, it is accurate to business, if you read the bio of Vanderbilt, there is much parallel.

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Title: Glimpses of Truth

Subtitle: The Wycliffe Translation

Author: Jack Cavanaugh

Narrator: Virginia Leishman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-01-11

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

For peasant intellectual Thomas Torr, translating the Latin Vulgate into English with the illustrious John Wycliffe is a way to bring Gods word to all people. But the Roman Church has pronounced a death sentence on anyone possessing an English Bible, and Thomas soon faces a baptism of fire that threatens his very existence. From a simple British village to the elaborate Roman catacombs, Thomas confronts incredible adventure and shattering betrayal as he struggles to heed Gods call for him. A vivid depiction of church history, Glimpses of Truth is filled with strong characters and thrilling intrigue. Virginia Leishmans splendid narration captures the heartfelt convictions of people striving to illuminate Gods glory.

Members Reviews:

The Power of God's Words revealed

There are so many areas of history we normal folks know nothing about. I'm so enthralled with the sacrifices and the challenges overcome by the people who were charged or who took it upon themselves to keep the integrity and provide for us the accessibility of the Bible. These characters sacrificed so much to provide for us something we take advantage of every day...and shouldn't. It brought me back to a place to remember how powerful the very words of God really are. Aside from the excellent book, I love anything by Jack Cavanaugh. I was in a writing class of his years ago and have learned so much from him about character development, pace, moving a story along...he's my all time favorite author.

Glimpses of Truth is captivating!!

Glimpses of truth caused me to feel the dilemmas of the characters, the dangers they lived with, and the passion they felt for the written Word of God. I felt the wonderful transforming power of one scripture in the characters lives. The Hope it gave them to endure.

Made me wonder why I don't cherish that Power today.....hmmmm

Great read!

Great read!

Glimpses of Truth

Jack Cavanaugh is one of the best Christian historical fiction writers I have ever read. He is true to the historical information of the period he writes about and his fiction is believable. This is a great book about the truth when the Wycliffe version of the Bible was being printed and those who were involved in printing or other work on the Bible faced persecution to the point of execution.

Five Stars

Great read

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Title: Torpedo Run

Author: Douglas Reeman

Narrator: David Rintoul

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 07-14-11

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

It was in 1943. On the Black Sea, the Russians were fighting a desperate battle to regain control. But the Russians one real weakness was on the water: whatever they did, the Germans did it better and the daring hit-and-run tactics of the E-boats plagued them. At last the British agreed to send them a small flotilla of motor torpedo boats under the command of John Devane. Devane had been in the Navy since the outbreak of war. More than a veteran, he was a survivor - and the two rarely went together in the savage war of MTBs. Given command in short notice, Devane soon learned that, even against the vast and raging background of the Eastern Front, war could still be a personal duel between individuals.

Members Reviews:

Narration was monotonous.

There was little variations in the characters.

I struggled to finish it but he did get excited at the proper times.

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Title: Wolf of the Plains

Author: Conn Iggulden

Narrator: Jason Isaacs

Format: Abridged

Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-13-11

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 39 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The first of a major new four book series on Genghis Khan, from the author of the number one bestselling Emperor series.

Read by Jason Isaacs star of the BBC Drama CASE HISTORIES. Bonus feature: Includes an exclusive Q&A session between Conn Iggulden and Jason Isaacs.

'I am the land and the bones of the hills. I am the winter. 'Temujin, the second son of the khan of the Wolves tribe, was only eleven when his father died in an ambush. His family were thrown out of the tribe and left alone, without food or shelter, to starve to death on the harsh Mongolian plains. It was a rough introduction to his life, to a sudden adult world, but Temujin survived, learning to combat natural and human threats. A man, a small family, without a tribe was always at risk but he gathered other outsiders to him, creating a new tribal identity. It was during some of his worst times that the image of uniting the warring tribes and bringing the silver people together came to him. He will become the khan of the sea of grass, Genghis.

Critic Reviews:

"I felt as if a blockbuster movie was unfolding before me and a blockbuster movie will surely emerge from this. Read the book before Hollywood takes it over." (Daily Express)

"Stirring stuff." (Mail on Sunday)

"This is energetic, competent stuff; Iggulden knows his material and his audience." (Independent)

Members Reviews:

Brilliant book!!

I can't give it 5 stars as it is abridged and a shortened version of the full book. A master class in story telling. Performance was very good as well. Would recommend.

Excellent series

Would you listen to Wolf of the Plains again? Why?

I was fascinated by the whole series and will listen to again

What did you like best about this story?

as a schoolboy history was the dullest lesson but this series brings the whole thing to life as they gallop over the plains

Have you listened to any of Jason Isaacss other performances? How does this one compare?

Jason is a very good narrator its so good to be without American narrators who in general spoil the stories

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

no crying or laughing just totally interesting

Any additional comments?

Keep em coming Conn Iggulden

wolf of the plains (life of gengis khan bk 1)

i have the series of gengis khan but this audible book (narrated by jason issacs) listening was pure joy...just like watching a film...he even pronounces

the names correctly!! the mood is set perfectly.

i listened while driving + ended up at the wrong place! soo believable, looking forward to the rest of the series x

Gripping story from start to finish.

I really enjoyed the story and it was brilliantly read. I would thoroughly recommend this book if you are interested in stories with epic battles and strong characters. There is action at every turn and at no point did the story lose monentum.

Excellent abridged version

Ive read the book (prob best thing ive ever read) and this is an amazing shorter version of it.

Nothing important is left out, and the narration by Jason Isaacs is amazing. His voice suits this story fantastically well

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Title: Children and Fire

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Ursula Hegi

Narrator: Ursula Hegi

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-06-11

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 19 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The fourth novel in the Burgdorf Cycle.

Though more than 15 years have passed since Ursula Hegi's Stones from the River captivated critics and readers alike, it retains its popularity, is on academic reading lists, and continues to be adopted by book groups.

Also set in Burgdorf, Germany, Hegi's Children and Fire tells the story of a single day that will forever transform the lives of the townspeople. At the core of this remarkable novel is the question of how one teacher - gifted and joyful, passionate and inventive - can become seduced by propaganda during the early months of Hitler's regime and encourage her 10-year-old students to join the Hitler-Jugend with its hikes and songs and bonfires. Membership, she believes, will be a step toward better schools, better apprenticeships.

How can a woman we admire choose a direction we don't admire? So much has changed for the teacher, Thekla Jansen, and the people of Burgdorf in the year since the parliament building burned. Thekla's lover, Emil Hesping, is sure the Nazis did it to frame the communists. But Thekla believes what she hears on the radio, that the communists set the fire, and she's willing to relinquish some of her freedoms to keep her teaching position. She has always taken her moral courage for granted, but when each silent agreement chips away at that courage, she knows she must reclaim it.

Hegi funnels pivotal moments in history through the experiences of individual characters: Thekla's mother, who works as a housekeeper for a Jewish family; her employers, Michel and Ilse Abramowitz; Thekla's mentally ill father; Trudi Montag and her father, Leo Montag; Frulein Siderova, midwife to the dying; and the students who adore their young teacher. As Ursula Hegi writes along that edge where sorrow and bliss meet, she shows us how one society - educated, cultural, compassionate - can slip into a reality thats fabricated by propaganda and controlled by fear, how a surge of national unity can be manipulated into the dehumanization of a perceived enemy and the justification of torture and murder.

Gorgeously rendered and emotionally taut, Children and Fire confirms Ursula Hegi's position as one of the most distinguished writers of her generation.

Critic Reviews:

"This novel is a lyrically written, emotionally powerful portrayal of a brilliant teacher battling the tragic effects of one man's hubris that shattered not only a town but the entire world." (Library Journal)

Members Reviews:

Thoughtful and moving literary fiction

The publisher's summary more than adequately explains the setting of the novel. I simply want to recommend this novel and its narration, done by the author herself. It is warm, intimate, and deliberate. The German accent is not difficult, but rather gives a flavor to the reading that enhances the experience of listening. As a teacher, I found the relationship of the protagonist to her students to be remarkably insightful. The canvas of the novel is brush-stroked with the complexities of human relationships, whether it be parents to children, one teacher to another, among the villagers, or among the children themselves, and the author explores the ambiguous question of when compromise is a virtuous sacrifice, and when it becomes a moral failing.

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Title: Kahn & Engelmann

Author: Hans Eichner, Jean M. Snook (translator)

Narrator: Charles Bice

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 06-03-11

Publisher: Iambik Audio Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 21 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

A best seller in Germany and Austria, the English translation of Kahn & Engelmann was published to great critical acclaim. The novel tells the story of a Jewish family from rural Hungary; their immigration to Vienna in the great days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire; their loves, business ventures, and failings; and their eventual tragic destruction. Narrated by one of the characters, Peter Engelmann, who wishes only to forget his past, this highly original novel recreates a vanished Vienna with salty humor and humanity. In a voice which is appealing without being sentimental, Peter describes his escape from the Nazis through snowy woods, his attempts to start a new life in England and Canada, and his decision to immigrate to Israel.

Written by an eminent scholar, himself a survivor of Nazism, Kahn & Engelmann is both an entertaining novel and a major work of Holocaust literature.

Critic Reviews:

"[This book] sits well among other books describing this period by authors such as Thomas Mann or Stefan Zweig." (A Common Reader)

Members Reviews:

Surprisingly decent

Audiobooks that sell for such a low price are usually public domain texts, poorly produced. That's why I was pleasantly surprised by this one. It's quite a good book and a very decent reading. The story, a sort of family saga, is the story of Austro-Hungarian Jews, mostly from the early 1900s to the second world war. It is told (and translated) with much skill and elegance, and is overall very convincing and quite moving at points. Definitely a recommended audiobook.

About the narrator: as I said, Charles Bice does a decent enough job, and much better than the sort of reading you normally expect for this price. There was one thing which bothered me, though. This book naturally contains quite a few words and phrases in Hebrew, Yiddish and German, and Bice clearly doesn't know any of these languages. As someone who does, I found some of his mispronunciations, even of extremely basic vocabulary, a little jarring, though it didn't detract from my overall enjoyment. Another thing is that he starts the first person narration in a sort of "generic Central European" accent, but at some point seems to drop it and reads in a plain American accent. I wish he had done that from the beginning. But, again, these are minor issues and unless you happen to be a native speaker of any of these language you probably wouldn't notice them.

Very BORING!!!

I thought this would a great book to listen but I came to fined out that is a very boring book. The narrator voice was terrible.... my gosh! he sounds like a robot. Don't your money, your credit or your time..this book will be returned!!!

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Title: Come Again No More

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Jack Todd

Narrator: James Jenner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-15-11

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Author Jack Todd won the Mavis Gallant Prize for Non-Fiction, the Quebec Writers Federation First Book Prize, and was a finalist for the Governor Generals Award for Non-Fiction. In Come Again No More, the Paint family suffers during the Great Depression. Despite his great wealth, Eli Paint is unhappy. When events leave him struggling for his life, Eli must closely examine the decisions hes made separating him from his daughter. Now, Eli has a chance for redemption through his granddaughterbut will he make the most of it?

Members Reviews:

Follow up to Sun going Down.

I liked it that the author stayed true to the characters following Sun going Down as the years progressed. I recommend anyone to read these in progression to obtain the full meaning and passion of the characters.

Five Stars

Everything was excellent, I was very pleased with this item.

Page Turner!

Great sequel book. Do yourself a favor & start with Sun Going Down. You will appreciate this book even more.

Three Stars

good story some history

Depressing

Guess one should be depressed about a book with the Great Depression at it's core. Bought this book because I am familiar with the area it occurs. A fast easy read--some larger than life characters & a story that jumps all over the place!

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Title: Mr. Chartwell

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Rebecca Hunt

Narrator: Susan Duerden

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-08-11

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 12 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

July 1964. Chartwell House, Kent: Winston Churchill wakes at dawn. There's a dark, mute "presence" in the room that focuses on him with rapt concentration.

It's Mr. Chartwell.

Soon after, in London, Esther Hammerhans, a librarian at the House of Commons, goes to answer the door to her new lodger. Through the glass she sees a vast silhouette the size of a mattress.

It's Mr. Chartwell.

Charismatic, dangerously seductive, Mr. Chartwell unites the eminent statesman at the end of his career and the vulnerable young woman. But can they withstand Mr. Chartwell's strange, powerful charms and his stranglehold on their lives? Can they even explain who or what he is and why he has come to visit?

In this utterly original, moving, funny, and exuberant novel, Rebecca Hunt explores how two unlikely lives collide as Mr. Chartwell's motives are revealed to be far darker and deeper than they at first seem.

Editorial Reviews:

Winston Churchill famously referred to his depression as a black dog and, in her debut novel, Rebecca Hunt brings this black dog to life. The listener meets Mr. Chartwell or Black Pat, as he arrives at the door of Esther, a young widow, to become her lodger in 1964 Britain. The listener is also privy to Churchills struggles and conversations with the same Black Pat. The novel follows the two characters as they both approach important days in their lives Churchill as he marches towards his retirement after an illustrious career and Esther as she faces a sad anniversary.

Actor and veteran narrator Susan Duerden brilliantly performs the novel. She brings a simmering intensity to her performance that is perfect as the tension builds. She seamlessly switches among the characters and is equally strong performing both the female and male characters. Duerdens interpretation of the material makes for a compelling listen.

Mr. Chartwell is an original and well-written book. Hunt thoughtfully examines depression, conveying its seductive qualities and the life-long battles people wage with it. Churchill becomes a very real and engaging character with the inclusion of historical and personal details, such as the fact that many other members of his family dealt with and were lost to depression. Hunt shines as she sympathetically relates Black Pats persistent and powerful torture. She adds bits of humor to temper the serious subject matter that make the novel easier to digest.

Mr. Chartwell is an example of a love it or hate it listen. The necessity of suspension of disbelief and lots of dialogue may be off-putting for some. Fans, however, will love the cleverness and the mix of metaphor, wit, and history. It would make a very interesting pick for book clubs. Overall, though not for everyone, Mr. Chartwell is a unique and smart novel that is flawlessly performed.

Critic Reviews:

[A] marvellously original, tender and funny debut novel . . . Rebecca Hunt proves herself to be a gifted writer who has no need of fictional realism to deliver profound truths. (The Daily Mail)

Extraordinary . . . Owing to Hunts robust, intelligent style and the ingenuity and compassion with which she deals with her story, [Mr. Chartwell] is very good indeed. (The Daily Telegraph (London))

Moving . . . Hunt treats her heavy themes with a light, intelligent touch and writes with a distinctive blend of humour, restraint and insight.