Get Popular Authors Audiobooks in Fiction, Historical Best Sellers

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Title: People of the Mesa: A Novel of Native America

Author: Ardath Mayhar

Narrator: Erik Davies

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-23-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Chosen in his youth to be the "One Who Smells the Wind" for his Anasazi clan, Uhtatse becomes a part of every element on the mesa where his people have built their pueblos. As he meets with traders from distant lands, he learns of their unusual ways of living, and begins sending his mind outward, searching for the enemies from the plains that he knows are waiting to kill them. Then a time comes when he finally senses peril, and he tries to persuade the Elders - without success - to relocate their dwellings to the safety of the caves. Only when the cruel Tsununni attack do the Ahye-tum-datsehe begin their great labor of building their homes and complexes in the cliffside caves that are now known as Mesa Verde.

Members Reviews:

Anasazi -- Saving an Ancient Civilization

This is the author's reconstruction of the life of the Anasazi cliff dwellers of the Southwestern United States, based on clues and artifacts discovered by archaeologists about this mysterious culture that thrived before the Pueblo Indians and before the arrival of the Europeans. Little factual detail is known about the Anasazi.

This historical fiction attempts to bring to life the character and culture of the Anasazi. The author portrays the mystical life of these people, connected spiritually to their environment, under pressure from invaders from the north and the south. The story deals with the development of the cliff dwellings as a defence against these periodic waves of attack from other native American populations in the prehistory of the North American continent.

The story is told through the eyes and thoughts of a seer of the tribe, called He Who Dreams the Past. A person of this name in each generation is responsible for mystically and factually knowing their history and projecting where the future will take them. He can also see current events through mystical out-of-body views of the surrounding countryside.

His skills are complemented by a woman with a similar role, named She Who Sees the Future. Together with others of the clan who have special gifts, the Anasazi people are guided and protected. But they still have to have warrior skills and defensive cunning to take advantage of their seers' knowledge of the enemy and their movements.

One of the goals of He Who Dreams the Past is to convince the various families of their people of the need to move into the hill caves that have been previously prepared and which are now being extended and new living areas prepared.

The plains people are more vulnerable, but some believe the attacks their people knew in previous generations will not occur again. But attacks do come, and the story portrays the changes that are coming about in the Anasazi culture due to the new challenges and opportunities.

Fiction that echoes history

The story is located in the Mesas of present day Colorado and Utah, an area I roamed as a child and youth. The story rings true to me. As I read it, I could see in my mind the locations described. For anybody who is interested in the early Hopi people, often misnamed the "Anasazi," or who just love a good story, well-told, I recommend this book.

A little too "unga-bunga"

Even though this story dosen't stack up to "Voice of the Eagle", it still is a good light read.

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Title: Sacred Hunger

Author: Barry Unsworth

Narrator: David Rintoul

Format: Unabridged

Length: 22 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-21-12

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

1752, the Liverpool Merchant sets sail from Merseyside. A slaver, she is bound for Africa to buy men and transport them in chains across the Atlantic. But aboard ship disease thrives in the cramped hold, killing men and eating into profit. Captain Thurso insists on throwing the sick overboard, to the horror of Matthew Paris, ship's surgeon, who determines to prevent such barbarity. Meanwhile, back home, Erasmus Kemp, cousin of Paris and son of the Liverpool Merchant's owner, finds his fortune hanging in the balance: dependent on the success or failure of a single voyage....

Members Reviews:

Superb

This book takes a while to get in to but if you persevere you will be rewarded with remarkable writing,great narration and a wonderful story. I nearly gave up after 3 or 4 hours listening but I am delighted now that I didn't. One of the best audiobooks I have listened to.

Excellent story, superb narration.

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

Yes, I would recommend this book because the story is gripping, as well as historically very interesting. The narrator is excellent, as he always is.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Sacred Hunger?

Just so many good moments - probably the descriptions of life for a slave in the galleys

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The description of life in the jungle for the survivors.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The death of one of the main characters quite early on.

Any additional comments?

David Rintoul is a superb narrator, well worth looking for other books he covers.

Top notch historical fiction

I think that this is a great novel, which is significantly enhanced by the narration. I can't fault it - I enjoyed it as much as Wolf Hall.

Brilliantly narrated

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

Yes I would definitely recommend this. Fascinating historical novel.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Sacred Hunger?

The realisation of what had happened to the people on board the Liverpool Merchant.

Have you listened to any of David Rintouls other performances? How does this one compare?

I've always admired him as an actor - the best Mr Darcy! I haven't listened to any other books but will definitely look out for more.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

A shameful past.

Any additional comments?

A worthy Booker winner.

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Title: That Deadman Dance

Author: Kim Scott

Narrator: Humphrey Bower

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-03-12

Publisher: Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Bobby Wabalanginy never learned fear, not until he was pretty well a grown man. Sure, he grew up doing the Dead Man Dance - those stiff movements, those jerking limbs as if hed learned it from their very own selves; but with him it was a dance of life, a lively dance for people to do together

Told through the eyes of black and white, young and old, That Deadman Dance is a story about a fledgling Western Australian community in the early 1800s known as the friendly frontier. Poetic, warm-hearted and bold, it is a story which shows that first contact did not have to lead to war. It is a story for our times.

Members Reviews:

Even H. Bower couldn't make this one interesting

What disappointed you about That Deadman Dance?

The story was hard work. Hard to follow and retain even a small amount of interest.

Would you ever listen to anything by Kim Scott again?

Unlikely, unless I was convinced from a thousand reviews that it was worthwhile.

What three words best describe Humphrey Bowers voice?

Great for narration

What character would you cut from That Deadman Dance?

All of them

Any additional comments?

Disappointing. I bought this book because it had won an Australian literary award. I should have known awards don't necessarily mean the book suits my taste.

fantastic

The sense of time, place and loss in this novel made me shivver.

Very well done.

A beautiful story.

I took a while too get into this story, but it improved. It was a heart breaking and informative and had a great reverence for the Indigenous Australian people.

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Title: Dizzy City

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Nicholas Griffin

Narrator: Peter Bishop

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-29-11

Publisher: steerforth press l.l.c.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 37 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The year is 1916, Europe is at war, and American industrialists are getting rich. Englishman Benedict Cramb deserts the trench warfare of northern France and stows away on an outbound transatlantic ship. When the ship docks in New York City, a place untouched and largely unaware of the horrors of war, he realizes that this is the place to reinvent himself.

Ben soon falls under the sway of the urbane and mysterious Julius McAteer, who sees in Ben his chance to finely hone the tools of someone who can master the art of the con. They concoct a ruse, pick their mark - a blustering Midwestern cattleman named Henry Jergens - and the game is afoot.

In the process, Ben falls in love with the beguiling actress Katherine Howells, who in turn is connected to even more men of vast means. But the further Ben follows the money in New York, the closer he moves back to the war in Europe and his shattering experiences there.

This compellng novel is rich in historical detail and filled with suspense, romance and adventure.

Critic Reviews:

"Nicholas Griffin has made historical fiction his literary playground... [and] 1916 Manhattan proves especially fertile ground.... Griffin writes with authority on his chosen subjects, and even though he employs enough point-of-view shifts to give an unintended meaning to his books title, the effect works, raising the question: Who is conning, and who is being conned?" (Time Out New York)

"Told through the various perspectives of Ben, Henry, and Katherine, the story takes on layers of complexity, as do the characters. Griffin also mixes historical events into the plot to keep the reader riveted and guessing until the very end." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

Lost in Manhattan

There were some very good things about this book. It started really strongly and evoked the horrors of life in the trenches very well. This standard was maintained through the hero's recovery from war wounds and on through his trip as a stowaway to New York City.

After this, the story floundered. Unfortunately, I struggled to keep track of the plot from this point. I did listen on to the end, and it had its moments, but overall it was a disappointment given its initial promise.

The narrator was unsuited to the job. The hero was a working class Cockney, and most other characters were American, but he delivered the whole narration in a middle class English accent. This didn't help my understanding of the story, and definitely didn't breathe any life into it. I honestly think I could have done a better job myself.

I also found the big explosion in Manhattan at the end quite bizarre. It was somehow meant to show that the war had come to America, but it didn't really work for me and I just thought the story had lost its way.

Beautiful language, intriguing story

One of the most beautifully written novels I've heard/read in a while. Evocative language and shifting perspective make Dizzy City an intriguing novel.

Narator

What would have made Dizzy City better?

The worst ever, could not finish listening to the book.

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Title: Edge of Honor

Author: Gilbert Morris

Narrator: Ed Sala

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-28-11

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Best-selling inspirational author Gilbert Morris creates absorbing historical novels filled with authentic details and true-to-life situations. With this unforgettable story of redemption and honor, he demonstrates that good can be found anywhereeven in the aftermath of Civil War destruction. Quentin Laribee has a bright future as a surgeon in New York City. Not only is he considered one of the best, he plans to marry beautiful Irene Chambers. But he is sent to southern battlegrounds where he accidently kills an enemy soldier in the act of surrendering. Stricken with guilt, he heads to Alabama in search of the dead mans family. As Quentin struggles to save the soldiers widow from financial ruin, he discovers his good intentions cause a whole new set of problems. The power of forgiveness and faith come alive with narrator Ed Salas compelling performance.

Members Reviews:

Out Standing

I loved this book, did not want it to end. Enjoy the narrator also

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Title: Paris Noire

Author: Francine Thomas Howard

Narrator: Madisun Leigh

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-20-11

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Paris, 1944: the city steams in the summer heat, bristling with anticipation of its impending liberation. It marks the beginning of the end of a devastating war and the beginning of a year like no other for Marie-Therese Brillard and her children, Colette and Christophe. They first came to Paris from Martinique in 1928, among the immigrants of color who flocked to France in the 1920s and 30s. They settled in Montmartre, a vibrant neighborhood teeming with musicians, writers, and artists, and began the arduous task of building a new life in a new land. The rigors of World War II only added to the adversity beneath which Marie-Therese struggled. Its culmination should offer her relief, and yet.

When Colette and Christophe are swept up in the jubilation following the Nazis departure, each embarks upon a passionate love affair that Marie-Therese fears will cost them their dreamsor their lives. Twenty-year-old Colette begins a dalliance with a white Frenchman, a romance forbidden for the quadroon child of an immigrant. Her older brother, Christophe, becomes the lover of the beautiful wife of a French freedom fighter, a relationship Marie-Therese suspects can only end in heartache and bloodshed. Adding yet another complication is the man she calls Monsieur Lieutenant, the handsome black soldier whose mere presence intrigues Marie-Therese as no man has before.

Set against the turbulent backdrop of wartime France, Paris Noire is a dramatic and engrossing novel that brings to vivid life the remarkable people once relegated to the fringes of history.

Members Reviews:

Total Waste of Time and Money

Not the worst book but one of the worst performances. Madisun Leigh sounds like a man and the dialog is really terrible...never could quite get a grip on the characters relationships to one another or the story. Pointless.

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Title: The Blue Afternoon

Author: William Boyd

Narrator: Lorelei King

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-09-11

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Winner of the Sunday Express Book of the Year Award.

Los Angeles, 1936. Kay Fischer, a young ambitious architect, is shadowed by Salvador Carriscant, an enigmatic stranger claiming to be her father. Within weeks of their first meeting, Kay will join him for an extraordinary journey into the old mans past, initially in search of a murderer, but finally in celebration of a glorious, undying love.

Members Reviews:

The Blue Afternoon

Another cracking good story from William Boyd. Each book has a different and novel theme; where does he keep getting these tales from? One thing they have in common is that the reader is quickly captivated. Lorelei King narrates this book very well and the listener is easily involved.

A strange and complex story

The story starts with Kay, a talented young architect living in Los Angeles in the 1930's. She has been cheated by her ex partner and maintains a complicated relationship with her ex husband. She is sharp and feisty and if this was a film, reminded me of the sort of woman who would have been played by Barbara Stanwyck or Bette Davis. She meets a stranger claiming to be her father and against her better judgement embarks on an adventure with him to investigate the mysteries of his past. From then on the story turns into the tale of Salvador Carriscant, a surgeon living in Manila in the early part of the 20th century. At this point Kay turns into the narrator of the story which is a bit of a loss because we lose sight of her fascinating character. Salvador's story however does make up for this. Life in an exotic colonial community is vividly portrayed and there are fascinating sub plots about rival surgeons, murder and experiments in flight. This tale doesn't provide easy or obvious answers. Instead you are left with a strong sense of what is really important in life and the enduring quality of love.

I do hope this title appears again in the Audible catalogue as I personally found it a very rewarding experience.

marvellous tale

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

another wonderful tale

What does Lorelei King bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you had only read the book?

Lorelei King is the best narrator imaginable for any American book. She reads slowly and with great care, never a slip. Beautiful reading of different voices too. 100%

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

oh yes,

Any additional comments?

Like all William Boyd's books this is marvellous. Always a different type of story set in different places and times, always a really good read.

confusing story

Would you listen to The Blue Afternoon again? Why?

I might, if I run out of other books, in an attempt to make sense of it

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I didn't get parts of the story. I always felt that I was on the brink of getting it, but parts of it didn't make sense to me. I had the feeling that threads were started at the beginning that were never fully wrapped up, new threads were introduced I didn't understand where came from and I never really got the connection between them.

The book contained some great stories, I just think they could maybe have been better stories if told separately?

Epic, intriguing and engrossing story

I've read/listened to several of the author's books and am impressed by the divergent range of subjects he uses as props for his novels.

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Title: Poison

Author: Kathryn Harrison

Narrator: Barbara Caruso

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-17-11

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 18 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In this richly textured historical novel, best-selling author Kathryn Harrison spins a mesmerizing tale of forbidden passion and terrifying superstition in 17th-century Spain. As the Spanish Inquisition conducts its ruthless reign of terror, the lives of two womenone, the free spirited daughter of a poor silk farmer; the other, the French princess doomed to marry the deformed King of Spainunravel like the cocoons of silkworms. A nationally acclaimed writer of exquisite talents, Kathryn Harrison will leave you breathless.

Members Reviews:

Brilliant!

Harrison's writing is masterful, Caruso's narration is spot on and the subject, the time of Spain's Inquisition, is fascinating (but not really for the faint of heart ) I couldn't stop listening

Poison keeps interest

Gives and insight to life in Spain and the "remedies" and beliefs in Spain during those times

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Title: Fast Copy

Author: Dan Jenkins

Narrator: Richard Poe

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-14-11

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 2 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In 1935 Betsy Throckmortons father lures her from a New York job with Time magazine back to Claybelle, Texas, with the promise that she can be the editor of his Claybelle Standard-Times. Betsy brings along her husband, Ted Winton, an easterner and Yale graduate to whom she is constantly explaining Texas. Ted will run Ben Throckmortons radio station, KVAT, where Booty and Them Others sing in rivalry with the better known WBAP Light Crust Doughboys.

In Texas, its the middle of the Depression and the Drought. And Prohibition is barely over, liquor still a controversy. Every city has its hobo camp, and Claybelle has the Star of Hope Mission. But it is also the time of new oil money, high living, infidelity, and tangled love triangles. Betsy and Ted chain-smoke and drink often and long, they wouldnt miss a Paschal High School or TCU football game, they party at the Casino on Jacksboro Highway, and dine at Claybelles Shadylawn Country Club.

Betsy is a serious journalist though, and she sets out to change the paper, clashing with the managing editor when she claims international not state news belongs on page one. She clashes with the columnists when she tries to sharpen their leads.

The Texas Murder Machine becomes her big story, when she suspects that Texas Rangers may be killing innocent young men to collect rewards offered by the Texas Bankers Association. Betsys journalistic determination leads to a personal tragedy that changes her life forever - and makes her a determined, relentless newswoman.

Members Reviews:

History, Crime, Love, Journalism, Football, and a Texas Heroine

Fast Copy is Dan Jenkinsâ sixth novel. It might be considered a standalone, since there are no sightings of Billy Clyde Puckett, Shake Tiller, Barbara Jane (or Big Ed) Bookman, T. J. Lambert or the rest of the gang in DJâs universe. It is different from the usual DJ novel and different in other ways as well. First, it is set in 1935 with a 1987 epilogue. It contains enough historical events to be considered a historical novel, the principal event being the national-championship-at-stake contretemps between SMU and TCU with the latter being represented by #45, Slinginâ Sammy Baugh.

The novel also has crime elements. The protagonist is Betsy Throckmorton, the daughter of a successful media man (newspaper/radio station) from just outside Fort Worth. Betsy has graduated from Barnard and is working in New York. When she has the opportunity to return to Texas and take over her fatherâs newspaper (her Yale husband taking over his radio station), she embraces it. In the course of her work she discovers that someone is killing putative bank robbers in return for $5,000 rewards from the local bankers. The bank robbers are actually impoverished victims of the Depression who are set up for murder.

While the subject matter is at points serious the overall tone of the novel is not. This is pure Dan Jenkins, with a cast of Texas characters, Texas expressions, Texas culture, lore and craziness. The names alone are worth the price of the novel and DJ rattles them off like Homer enumerating ships.

Ultimately this is a novel about journalism and the ink-stained wretches who make it so special. Dan Jenkins knows all of these worlds intimately and he describes them with heartfelt love and side-splitting humor. He is, as a matter of fact, very expert in describing the world of the Depression.

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Title: Yankee Bride - Rebel Bride, Book 5

Author: Jane Peart

Narrator: Renee Raudman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-08-11

Publisher: Zondervan

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

For some reason at just that moment, Garnet glanced up at the house and thought she saw a shadowy figure standing at the window of the downstairs master bedroom in the wing Malcolm shared with Rose. With a little clutching sensations, Garnet wondered if Rose had seen her talking with Malcolm and if she minded that Garnet's had been the last farewell. Garnet shrugged and walked back into the garden. What difference did it make one way or the other? Malcolm belonged to Rose in a way he could never belong to her. All she had of Malcolm were memories of by-gone days. Suddenly she remembered Malcolm's parting words: 'Comfort Rose if you can, and be kind to her and little Jonathan.' Garnet gave her head a careless toss as if casting off such tiresome requests. Rose and Jonathan were not her responsibility! And she had no intention of taking them on, in spite of what Malcolm had asked. Besides, there were plenty of servants to care for Jonathan, and Rose seemed content enough with her endless Bible reading and piano playing and walks in the woods. It is not any concern of mine, Garnet assured herself. 'I have enough to do just taking care of myself!'

Yankee Bride and Rebel Bride is set against the turbulent backdrop of the Civil War South, and chronicles the life of Garnet Cameron, whose plan to marry the man of her dreams, Malcolm Montrose, is thwarted when he chooses a Northern bride. On the rebound, Garnet married Malcolm's brother, thus entwining the lives of all four at Montclair, the magnificent ancestral Montrose family home.

Members Reviews:

started slow

the book started out very slow and boring with lots of descriptions clothing furniture trees grounds gardens ect but you have to listen because interjected in the boring are snippets of story you have to know so that when you get to the middle and it starts moving you know how you got there it was good and moved fast after the middle