How To Get a Full Audiobook of any Book in Fiction, Historical

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Title: The Last Empress

Author: Anchee Min

Narrator: Alexandra O'Karma

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-05-08

Publisher: Whole Story Audiobooks

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Moving from the intimacy of the concubine quarters into the spotlight of the world stage, Orchid makes a dramatic metamorphosis from a strong-willed young woman to a wise political leader, who must not only face the perilous condition of her fading empire but also a series of devastating personal losses. Yearning to step aside yet growing constantly into her role, only she can hold the nation's rival factions together.

Members Reviews:

Bad narration.....

Would you try another book written by Anchee Min or narrated by Alexandra O'Karma?

I like Anchee Min and will buy the paperback...can't listen to this book...the narration is so bad....such a pity another wasted credit....but I'm to blame I should have listened to the sample before purchasing.

A Brilliant Insight

A brilliant insight into the mind of "The Last Empress" who talks to the listener about events that took place of which we know too little about. The little that we do know has only previously been presented to us from a solely European point of view. As our relationships with China and Chinese people become more pervasive it is invaluable to appreciate a Chinese perspective of the traumatic period of Chinese history and the destruction wrought by the self interest of Western powers in the face of a collective Chinese naivety. Maybe the Chinese remember only too well how poorly they fared diplomatically during this period. They may have learnt lessons from the suffering of Empress Orchid and the Ch'ing Dynasty and are ensuring that they don't make the same mistakes in their modern day relationships with the West.

It is possible to imagine all of this from listening to this book. At first I didn't think that the monologue would keep my attention but the way the story unfolds is captivating. The events that are described become more and more traumatic and momentous. The Empress communicates a compelling sense of amazement, bewilderment and disbelief as despite her remarkable efforts, she can't prevent her world from collapsing in around her.

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Title: The Mark of the Angel

Author: Nancy Huston

Narrator: Richard Aspel

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-01-07

Publisher: Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

But when Raphael sends Saffie on an errand to the Jewish ghetto, where she meets András, a Hungarian instrument maker, each of their lives will be altered in startling and unexpected ways. As Saffie learns to feel again, her long buried memories, coupled with the inexorable flow of historical forces beyond anyone's control, create a tableau of epic tragedy.

The Mark of the Angel is a mesmerizing novel of love, betrayal, and the ironies of history.

Critic Reviews:

"Once she establishes her story's central ironies, the narrative achieves a relentless velocity....The Mark of an Angel won the French Prix des Lectrices d'ELLE and the Prix des Librairies in Canada." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Best written book I have read in a long while.

The story is very good and the characters feel real, but what sets this book apart is the style in which it is written.

The narrator's voice weaves expertly between story-teller and omniscent observer.

There is one moment in particular - I will not spoil it by saying which - where this is done absolutely perfectly.

It has been a long time since I've read a book where I noticed, and yet didn't find abrasive, the author's voice. Just the opposite, in fact.

A Mesmerizing Tale of Psychosis

This was a book that kept me interested from the very beginning. Perhaps it has something to do with the author's style which shares a remarkable similarity with Milan Kundera's, who happens to be one of my favorite writers. Or, maybe it has to do with the Rue de Seine, in which much of the book takes place, and, where I have spent a lot of time over the years. Huston's way of telling this story about a young German woman's life in the aftermath of WWII is highly unusual and also reminds us of the terrible consequences of a cataclysm of this magnitude. Very few works deal with the absolute terror and madness that war inflicts on its survivors. The particular way the author works out the story of Saffie is truly a work of profound intelligence that should get its rightful recognition amongst late 20th century fiction. Congratulations, Nancy Huston. Not only are you lovely to look at, you are a very good writer.

An Original & Remarkable Story

This author is from France. The book was such a bestseller there that it was translated for the States. Need I say more? While I was in New York City in August 2000 I read in the NY Times Book Review about this book. It primarily appealed to me because of the review written by Arthur Golden, author of MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA. I had just finished his book. Arthur Golden wrote that this book was "Compelling and highly original...You many never read a novel crafted with more wonder and mystery." I would agree with that except for Arthur Goldens' book MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA which deserves the same review. Anyway, that was all it took for me to jot down the title and buy the book at the nearest bookstore. (Normally, I'd have bought it at amazon.com...but I was anxious.) The Mark of the Angel is simply a love story that takes place during the late 1950s, early 1960s in Paris France. There's an unexpected tragedy at the end. There are underlying historic tragic events written in between.

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Title: Portrait of an Unknown Woman

Author: Vanora Bennett

Narrator: Lucy Scott

Format: Unabridged

Length: 17 hrs and 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-26-07

Publisher: Oakhill Publishing Ltd

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Meg Griggs, a foster daughter of More, attracts the attention of two people, one of them being Holbein. She marries one - but loves the other.

Critic Reviews:

"Bennett constructs lush backdrops and costumes, and has impeccable historical sense. She luminously shades in an ambiguous period with lavish strokes of humanity, unbridled passion and mystery." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Fascinating and complex

A fictionalized account of the family life of Sir Thomas More, particularly centered on his foster daughter Meg Giggs, during the turbulent and dangerous years when Sir Thomas defied King Henry VIII over The Divorce. The dynamics of this fascinating family are captured by two family portraits, done a few years apart, by Hans Holbein, and his viewpoint as a discerning outsider and observer is central to the novel. (By the way, if your image of Sir Thomas More was formed by "A Man For All Seasons", then be prepared for a shock. No kindly, wise humanist here, but a self-flagellating zealot with a penchant for burnings.) Meg is an interesting, well-drawn character. I thoroughly believed her growing anger, resentment and confusion as she begins, with the help of Holbein and her own superlative humanist education, to view with clarity the events swirling around her and her family. Without giving away the ending, I was less convinced by the decision she ultimately makes about her marriage to her duplicitous husband, John. Just a tip - it is very helpful in understanding the novel's lengthy descriptions of Holbein's portraits of the More family, and how and why Holbein structured them a certain way, if the reader finds images of the family portraits on the internet. They are easy to find if one googles More family Holbein. The reader does a lovely job - clear, pleasant and emotive.

Lush Tudor Fiction

Portrait of an unknown woman, begins with Hans Holbein arriving to paint the family of Sir Thomas More. Meg Griggs is a ward of Sir Thomas and the beginning is told in the first person through her eyes. She is a bit of a lonely figure having watched her siblings married and start families of their own, but she has always been in love with the family Tutor, John Clement. And so the stage is set, so to speak.

The novel is a meandering tale, and not short of historical detail, and the author brings the period to life, enabling the listener to 'see' the story unfold easily. Slowly we come to realize that many things and events are not as they seem, and many surprises become apparent along the way. The character of Holbein is particularly well drawn, especially towards the final chapters.

My only complaint about this novel is that there is perhaps too much historical detail. Sometimes less is more. It's as if the author is letting us see how much she knows. Also the story switches frequently between first and third person the whole way through. I feel the story would have flowed better being told one way or the other. That said, I did get used to it after a while.

The story is narrated by Lucy Scott, who does an excellent job. I knew exactly which character was speaking just by the changes in her voice. Again, Hans Holbein was brilliantly done.

If you are interested in historical fiction, with a few twists and turns, and a gentle love story thrown in, do not hesitate. I will certainly be looking up other titles by Vanorra Bennett.

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Title: The Season

Author: Charlotte Bingham

Narrator: Judy Bennett Simon

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-14-06

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Portia and Emily meet to launch their daughters on an unsuspecting society for the London Season of 1913. Both are determined that their offspring will catch the eye of their friend May's son, a future duke.

©2001 Charlotte Bingham; (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Members Reviews:

Dissapointing Season

Would you try another book from Charlotte Bingham and/or Judy Bennett Simon?

What a disspointment - I have become a hardened Charlotte Bingham fan until this book. I loved the story in the beginning but then quickly became bored. It just went on & on with nothing happening very quickly ant too much detail.

Judy Bennett Simon read it brilliantly but I gave up after only an hour into the second half of the book!

Would you ever listen to anything by Charlotte Bingham again?

Yes

What does Judy Bennett Simon bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

She brings all the characters alive

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

Disappoinment and sadness for wasting the time trying to enjoy it.

Any additional comments?

Not much else to say

The Season

A fabulous portrayal of the Edwardian era made so much more interesting by the narrator Judy Bennett, who brought every character to life. I have listened to this book so many times and never tire of it.

Gets too bogged down at times

The reader has a lovely speaking voice and reads very well, but the story, unfortunately, drags a bit in places. I just wish that the author would leave out much of the background behind most of the individual stories and just get on with the actual season for the young ladies instead. Would've been better to have been abridged in this case

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Title: Shields of Pride

Author: Elizabeth Chadwick

Narrator: Jonathan Oliver

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-05-06

Publisher: Oakhill Publishing Ltd

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Unable to inherit his father's title, Joscelin de Gael, the beloved bastard son of William Ironheart, is serving Henry II when he encounters the lady Linnet de Montsorrel. On her husband's death, Linnet is bestowed on Joscelin as a reward for his loyalty. While Joscelin's half-brothers plot to overthrow their own father, revelations of past loves and family secrets threaten Linnet and Joscelin's relationship. This is a thrilling novel of bitter family conflict, turbulent with the sounds, scents, and violence of the 12th century.

©1994 Susan E Hicks; (P)2006 Oakhill Publishing Ltd

Critic Reviews:

"Well written and exciting." (The Times)

Members Reviews:

Absolutely superb

Would you consider the audio edition of Shields of Pride to be better than the print version?

Haven't read the book but thoroughly enjoyed listening.

Jonathan Oliver brought the characters to life and the accents were excellent.

What other book might you compare Shields of Pride to and why?

None.............this book is unique

Any additional comments?

I am now a dyed in the wool Elizabeth Chadwick fan.

A wonderful surprise

I absolutely loved this book. I bought it on a gamble after listening to a sample and I was caught at once by the author's easy-to-read and engaging style. The story is gripping and the characters well developed and highly believable. The narrator is excellent too. Highly recommended!

boring voice

narration was boring and I struggled to keep with the story made me fall asleep

Sheilda of pride

Elizabeth Chadwick brings the characters of this book alive and you can feel the empathy she has with her characters as the book journeys through Medievil Englands Kings and the hold over there people.

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Title: The Coin of Carthage

Author: Bryher

Narrator: Nadia May

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 31 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-10-06

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Brilliantly evoking the world of the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War, Bryher creates a common man's view of the greatest struggle in which ancient Rome engaged through the lives of two Greek traders.

Critic Reviews:

"The thick dust of history and change that hides the people of the Roman Empire from us, acts for Bryher like a dark tunnel intensifying the brilliant scene beyond." (Christian Science Monitor)

Members Reviews:

mundane tale

This is a book that should never have been published. It lacks a strong story line. The narrative is trite. There is no action, no moral, and no insight. With no clear purpose, the editor should have sent the manuscript back to the author. Sad business this.

disappointing

This book is one in which the author tries to weave the life stories of various individuals into the scenery and time of anchient Rome and Carthage. The main characters in various preposterous situations keep running into each other and thus interweaving their experiences of the time. This is a fine book for primary school entertainment, but grossly lacking any depth or insight into the times. A very superficial and disappointing waste of valuable time, unfortunately.

If only Alan Furst or John La Carre had written a book on this time in history.

Finally, the recording would repeatedly skip back by 5-10 seconds, this occurred numerous times and was in the recording itself. Thus, adding insult to drudgery and tedious frustration.

A truly bad book

What disappointed you about The Coin of Carthage?

If you're looking for a story set during the Punic Wars and weaving the plot into the times, look elsewhere. This is a quintessentially boring story about lifeless characters that could have been set on any farm during any time period.

Has The Coin of Carthage turned you off from other books in this genre?

No connection to the era, no scholarship, no plot or character development, no action.

Which character as performed by Nadia May was your favorite?

None

What character would you cut from The Coin of Carthage?

The entire book. It's not of publishable quality.

Any additional comments?

Nothing remotely interesting, let alone exciting.

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Title: The Greatest Knight

Subtitle: The Story of William Marshal

Author: Elizabeth Chadwick

Narrator: Robert Powell

Format: Abridged

Length: 5 hrs and 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-16-06

Publisher: Hachette Audio UK

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

An exciting medieval historical about William Marshal, probably the greatest knight of the Middle Ages.

©2005 Elizabeth Chadwick; (P)2006 Time Warner AudioBooks

Critic Reviews:

"The best writer of medieval fiction currently around." (Historical Novel Review)

"Elizabeth Chadwick knows exactly how to write convincing and compelling historical fiction." (Marina Oliver)

Members Reviews:

Dulcet tones

This is the first historical genre novel I have listened to and the fact that Robert Powell was reading it was one reason for choosing it.I just love his dulcet tones and the way he portrays the characters. Now I have found out what I have been missing in Elizabeth Chadwicks stories. Superb reading and a great story.

Lovely relaxing way to wind down at the end of the day.

A good read

This book is just a good, solid read if you like fictionalised biography. The author has done her homework and produced a vivid biography of one of the most fascinating figures of the high Middle Ages. William Marshall rose to prominence through his knightly prowess, which was unparallelled: it was said that he was never defeated. Even more remarkably, he won, and retained, universal respect through his integrity, courage and judgment. Even those who opposed his political position seem to have held him in high personal esteem. Because of these qualities of character, he held high office under no less than four kings, including serving as protector during the minority of Henry III. If there is a criticism to be made, it is that Marshall's character is a bit flat (can anyone really be this good, all the time?) but this book gives a vivid and enjoyable picture of an extraordinary man who played a unique role in the history of England during the early Angevin empire. Robert Powell's voice is very pleasant, and he reads with good pace and emphasis. Altogether an enjoyable listen.

Can be read a bit like a news report at times

Can be read a bit like a news report at times, but the story itself is very well written and very interesting.

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Title: Orphans of the Storm

Author: Katie Flynn

Narrator: Lesley Sharp

Format: Abridged

Length: 2 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-15-06

Publisher: Random House AudioBooks

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Very soon, however, their paths diverge. Nancy marries an Australian stockman and goes to live in the Outback, while Jess marries a Liverpudlian. Their lives couldn't be more different.

When the second World War is declared, Nancy's son Pete joins the Royal Air Force and comes to England, promising his mother that he will visit her old friend. In the thick of the May blitz, with half of Liverpool demolished and thousands dead, Pete arrives in the city to find Jess's home destroyed and her daughter, Debbie, missing. Pete decides that whatever the cost, he must find her.

From the rigours of the Australian Outback to war-ravaged Liverpool, Debbie and Pete are drawn together, and torn apart.

Critic Reviews:

"A heartwarming story of love and loss." (Woman's Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Good plot but thin character description

The plot of this book is very exciting, and it is a real page-turner - hard to put down. However, I feel that you never get under the skin of the characters and really understand them or care for them. I feel the book is a okay read, but not among the best that this author has written. I feel that it could have been so much better if the characters and the reasons for their decisions and actions and change of minds were better explained and made more believable. However, if you like the WW2 genre, I think it is worth a read.

Another good book by Katie Flynn

Jess and Nancy are two girls who meet while working as nurses in France. At the end of the war, Nancy decides that she is going to marry a man in Australian, while Jess marry and stays in Liverpool. But though the years the two women keep in touch though letter. Now World War 2 has broken out Nancy's oldest Pete has come to England to fight. And he meets Debbie now all grown up. But a series has misunderstanding will keep them apart till the end of the war.

"Orphans of the Storm" is another good by Katie Flynn. As always Ms. Flynn gives the reader good and rich characters. I only I didn't get it five stars is that it seem to drag in some places

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Title: Fan-Tan

Author: Marlon Brando, Donald Cammell

Narrator: Simon Vance

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-03-06

Publisher: Tantor Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 19 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Anatole "Annie" Doultry is in his early 50s, with an imposing physical presence and a reputation to match. In 1927, he is serving six months in a hellish Hong Kong prison where, on a whim, he saves the life of a Chinese prisoner.

The prisoner's employer happens to be Madame Lai Choi San. Beautiful, ruthless, and shrewd, she is one of the most notorious gangsters in Asia. When Annie gets out of prison, Madame Lai thanks him with an offer of inconceivable wealth if he will join her in the biggest act of piracy the world has ever seen. Madame Lai is a seductive and powerful ally, but Annie is about to discover that she can be an even more powerful, and dangerous, enemy.

With his longtime collaborator, screenwriter and director Donald Cammell, Brando worked on this story for years. He's left us with a rollicking, swashbuckling, delectable romp of a novel, the last surprise from an ever-surprising legend.

Critic Reviews:

"Readers will be swinging from the rigging along with the rest of the pirates in this rollicking high-seas saga." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Brando writes a Sexy Asian Pirate Novel

I read this book a couple of months ago, and liked it. It's got sex, suspense, some light moments, and a main sea-faring character resembling that of Brando in Missouri Breaks--made about the time as this book was written. The Hong Kong pirate setting and exotic Chinese women would have made for an intriguing movie, but how to film that pornographic final scene!

Brando, by the way, was quite literate--highly self-educated courtesy of the NY Library and some 4000 books in his personal collection. He did have some help with a co-author in the writing part of this book, but the plot and characters are undoubtedly his creation.

Anybody for fan tan? Hong Kong-style gambling.

NOT A "FAN"

Great cover art. Period. The rest is BEYOND CRAP.

The book flunks -- although I was pleased with the book's excellent condition and its quick delivery

Certain passages are quite good (as to the quality of writing), but most of the book cannot be thought of as anything great. This low rating is not the fault of the distributor of the book, who sent it promptly. The book's condition is excellent.

From The Mind Of My Favorite Pirate...I mean...Actor...

I am not really much of a fiction reader, but I had to read "Fan-Tan" since the story came from the mind of Marlon Brando, himself.

It is sad that both men who originally participated in bringing this story to fruition, Marlon Brando and Donald Cammell, are no longer with us. But, how grateful I am for such works that are part of the legacy of wonderful artists such as they both obviously were. And, how grateful I am that David Thomson did such a wonderful job in completing this novel so that it could be made available to us.

Although fiction is not my favorite kind of reading, I enjoyed "Fan-Tan" so much with its intriguing plot and its twists and turns. I found myself looking forward, page by page, to what would come next.

The book is well-paced and full of intrigue. I enjoyed its unique and eccentric characters, including that of Annie Doultry - a character Brando might have played. The book's content is imaginative and downright spicy in some parts. I found the sexual "escapades" interesting, edgy, daring, and surprising.

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Title: The Girl at the Lion d'Or

Author: Sebastian Faulks

Narrator: Samuel West

Format: Abridged

Length: 5 hrs and 38 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-17-05

Publisher: Random House AudioBooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

A beautifully controlled and powerful story of love and conscience, will, and desire which begins when a mysterious young girl arrives to take up a post at the seedy Hotel du Lion d'Or in a small French town in the mid-1930s.

©1989 Sebastian Faulks; (P)2002 Random House Audiobooks

Members Reviews:

Really cool

I bought this book for two reasons. The strongest draw being Samuel West as narrator. He never disappoints me, he is a fantastic reader and does a fantastic job with this book. The other reason I bought it was I was intriguied. A lot of people around me told me Faulks really wasn't a great writer etc and I wanted to see if they were right. So from the brief synopsis this seemed to me out of all his books the one I would like the most.

I found that it was a well constructed and engaging story, obviously brought alive by West's reading, and I am glad to have bought it. It is well worth reading - the growing relationship between the two main protaganists builds with delicate suspense and tension that it makes it irresistable to listen to. I recommend to anyone who enjoys a complicated romance story.