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Title: The Headmaster's Wager

Author: Vincent Lam

Narrator: Feodor Chin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-14-12

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 31 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

A superbly crafted, highly suspenseful, and deeply affecting debut novel about one mans loyalty to his country, his family and his heritage.

Percival Chen is the headmaster of the most respected English academy in 1960s Saigon, and he is well accustomed to bribing a forever-changing list of government officials in order to maintain the elite status of his school. Fiercely proud of his Chinese heritage, he is quick to spot the business opportunities rife in a divided country, though he also harbors a weakness for gambling haunts and the women who frequent them. He devotedly ignores all news of the fighting that swirls around him, but when his only son gets in trouble with the Vietnamese authorities, Percival faces the limits of his connections and wealth and is forced to send him away.

In the loneliness that follows, Percival finds solace in Jacqueline, a beautiful woman of mixed French and Vietnamese heritage whom he is able to confide in. But Percival's new-found happiness is precarious, and as the complexities of war encroach further into his world, he must confront the tragedy of all he has refused to see.

Graced with intriguingly flawed but wonderfully human characters moving through a richly drawn historical landscape, The Headmaster's Wager is an unforgettable story of love, betrayal and sacrifice.

Members Reviews:

Excellent Book. Different Vietnam war perspective

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

The narrator was very skilled at reading what could have been a very complicated book. He was able to keep my interest and helped me enjoy the book even more.

Have you listened to any of Feodor Chins other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

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

No. I listened over a period of weeks while driving.

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Title: River of Destiny

Author: Barbara Erskine

Narrator: Gina Peach

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-05-12

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 36 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

From the best-selling author of Times Legacy and Lady of Hay comes her thrilling new novel River of Destiny.

On the banks of the River Deben in Suffolk lies a set of barns dating back to the Anglo Saxons. Within their walls, secrets have been buried deeply. Zoe and Ken have just moved into one of the barns, ready to start a new life away from the hustle and bustle of the city. To the outside world they seem like an ordinary couple, but underneath they are growing more distant by the day. And when Zoe becomes close to local recluse, Leo, she finds her attraction to him undeniable.

Whilst farmers are ploughing the land surrounding the barns, sets of human bones are found and when the police arrive it becomes clear that the bones are much older than first suspected. From an ancient burial ground to a Victorian murder, Erskine will have you gripped to her every word as the mystery unfolds.

Members Reviews:

Romantic Entertainment With Suspense

Where does River of Destiny rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

The audiobook is an interesting and entertaining experience ... Although engaging, the book does not provoke deeper thoughts or lasting impression... It is, however, amongst the most entertaining books I have listened to so far.

What other book might you compare River of Destiny to and why?

The Book isn't as good as The Lady of Hay but is similarly structured.

Which character as performed by Gina Peach was your favorite?

I didn't really have a favourite, but I found Gina conveyed a variety of characters very effectively.

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

No, it just was good entertainment.

Spoiled by the narrator

I love Barbara Eskine and had been waiting for this for a while, but i so wish i had bought the written version. The story is excellent but this narrator ran one section into another - barely drawing breath and when you are changing time zones you really need at least a short pause in between. Often taken by surprise by scene and character changes because of this, then taking a few seconds to get back on course with the story , sometimes winding back to clarify at which point the change had happened. Reading was flat and boring. Such a shame because as always Barbara Erskine has written an excellent tale.

Barbara Erskine at her best

I love the mix of real and ghostly in Barbara Erskines books. This keeps you on your toes.

Ms Erskine never disappoints

Not read / listened to Barbara Erskine for a while, I forgot how good she was... Loved the three stories that all entwined, the characters and the narrator... definitely worth a few hours of happy escapism...

iver of Destiny

A good story plot though found at times the time shift slightly confusing would recommeand

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Title: Harlequin

Subtitle: The Grail Quest, Book 1

Author: Bernard Cornwell

Narrator: Tim Pigott-Smith

Format: Abridged

Length: 6 hrs and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-24-12

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Harlequin is the first in an epic new series, introducing a splendid hero, against the backdrop of Europe in the Hundred Years War. In the 14th century the English were just beginning to discover their national identity, and one of the strongest elements of this was the overwhelming success in battle of the English bowmen, where Englands archers crossed the Channel to lay a country to waste. Thomas of Hookton was one of those archers.

When his village is sacked by French raiders, Thomas escapes from his fathers ambition to become a wild youth who delights in the opportunities which war offers - for fighting, for revenge and for friendship. But Thomas is hounded by his conscience. He has made a promise to God to retrieve a relic stolen in the raid from Hooktons church.

The search for the relic leads him into a world where lovers become enemies; enemies become friends; and always, somewhere beyond the horizon that is smeared with the smoke of fires set by the rampaging English army, a terrible enemy awaits him. That enemy would harness the power of Christendoms greatest relic - the grail itself.

In this, the first book of a new series, Thomas begins the quest that will lead him through the fields of France, until at last the two armies face each other on a hillside near the village of Crécy.

Members Reviews:

Marvellous

As a huge fan of Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles series, I was delighted to find that the grail series is also narrated by the brilliant Tim Pigott-Smith so gave it a try. Although I generally prefer stories set in an even earlier period (the Chronicles and the Saxon series), this was utterly brilliant and I'm now going to read the books as these audiobooks are abridgments.

Tim Pigott-Smith is by far my favourite voice-actor for books of this sort - he uses a wide variety of voices and gets the dramatic reading just right.

Great story poorly told

This is one of my favourite books but I'm afraid Tim Piggott Smith doesn't have the gravitas of say Jack Hawkins and as a consequence my mind kept drifting away

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Title: Lady of No Man's Land

Author: Jeanne Williams

Narrator: Stephanie Brush

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-23-12

Publisher: Books in Motion

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Leaving Sweden for the American Frontier, 17-year-old Kirsten Mordal is determined to pursue her dream of claiming and cultivating her own homestead. She devises a plan that will enable her to explore the wild western plains, to choose a site for her future stake, and to save enough money to build a home. She befriends two men: Patrick O'Brien is a brawny Irish farmer and cattleman with a big heart. Ash Bowden, is a shrewd businessman who dreams of building orderly cities on the Plains. Which one to finally marry becomes a dilemma for Kirsten....

Members Reviews:

mild historical romance but the sweetness of the main character that was so appealing in ...

My first exposure to this story was as a condensed, Reader's Digest version. It is still a fairly interesting, mild historical romance but the sweetness of the main character that was so appealing in the condensed version is not as lovable or admirable in the full version. I didn't keep this one for my permanent collection but it was nice to meet the characters again.

Fun book

Not quite up to her other books, but I still enjoyed it. A bit forced in presentation. Read it -

Lady of No Man's Land

A wonderful book by a great writer of historical fiction! The love triangle is exciting, and the story of Kirsten's fierce desire to become a part of "wonderful America" is fantastic. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction!

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Title: On the Cold Coasts

Author: Vilborg Davidsdottir

Narrator: Angela Dawe

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-09-12

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

A horrible storm off the cold coasts of 15th-century Iceland sends the Trinity crashing to shore, with nearly no survivors. For Ragna, the teenage daughter of a respected family who is betrothed to the dashing and wealthy Thorkell, the shipwreck presents a life-changing risk she cannot resist: a handsome sailor named Michael, who is seduced by her gentle singing during his stay in the hospital, then impregnates her and promptly disappears. Thorkell cannot marry her and take in another mans son, and Ragna is left barren from a traumatic childbirth and stigmatized as a fallen woman.

A decade later, Ragna becomes a housekeeper to the new English bishop in North Iceland, where passionate and ambitious Thorkell is a priest and steward. They embark on a fervent but doomed love affair, as priests cannot marry and Ragna will not be a concubine. As sweeping as it is intimate, On the Cold Coasts is a powerful, enduring story of love and personal sacrifice.

Members Reviews:

Really good read

Any additional comments?

A really good book, well translated, we'll read and well written. The book left me wanting more and was sad to reach the end. I would read more from this author. I personally liked the fact the it was a love story without all the usual graphic sex scenes found in romance books.

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Title: Top Man with a Gun

Author: Lewis B. Patten

Narrator: Jeff Harding

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-26-12

Publisher: Isis Publishing Ltd

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

There was revenge in his heart and a price on his head. By now there were many notches on his gun notches Clay had never wanted to put there. But each gunfight had proved the terrible speed of his draw; each death had brought him closer to his quarry. The trail was very warm now. Clay knew that on the muddy street of this little town he would face the test hed spent years preparing for gunning down the only man hed ever really wanted to kill.

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Titolo: La Primula Rossa [The Scarlet Pimpernel]

Autore: Emmuska Orczy

Narratore: Silvia Cecchini

Formato: Unabridged

Durata: 7 hrs and 55 mins

Lingua: Italiano

Data di pubblicazione: 03-08-12

Editore: Collina d'oro

Valutazioni: 5 su 5 su 2 voti

Categoria: Fiction, Historical

Riepilogo Editore:

La primula rossa è un ciclo di romanzi davventura pubblicati in fascicoli. Il primo romanzo, La primula rossa, uscì in volume nel 1905. Le vicende del ciclo sono ambientate nel periodo della rivoluzione francese, durante il regime del Terrore. Nei romanzi, un personaggio enigmatico, detto appunto la Primula Roosa, a capo di una lega di inglesi, aiuta la fuga di molte famiglie aristocratiche che rischiavano la vita.

Queste opere sono considerate, tra l'altro, come antesignane del genere della letteratura di spionaggio, e il nome Primula Rossa, è diventato da allora una locuzione che indica personaggi misteriosi e inavvicinabili.La cornice musicale è la rapsodia ungherese n. 2 di Franz Liszt.

Please note: This audiobook is in Italian.

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Titel: Die Entdeckung der Langsamkeit

Autor:: Sten Nadolny

Erzähler: Sten Nadolny

Format: Unabridged

Spieldauer: 12 hrs and 57 mins

Sprache: Deutsch

Veröffentlichungsdatum: 02-09-12

Herausgeber: HörbucHHamburg HHV GmbH

Bewertung: 5 von 5 von 1 Stimmen

Kategorien: Fiction, Historical

Zusammenfassung des Herausgebers:

Der Roman erzählt das Leben des englischen Seefahrers und Nordpolforschers John Franklin (1786 - 1847), der schon als Jugendlicher an Seeschlachten teilnahm (Kopenhagen 1801, Trafalgar 1805). Sein Lebensziel war die Entdeckung der Nord-West-Passage nördlich des Nordamerikanischen Festlandes, der Verbindung von Atlantik und Pazifik. Nach zwei Arktisexpeditionen war Franklin kurzzeitig Gouverneur in Australien, bevor er auf der dritten Forschungsreise einen Schlaganfall erlitt und mit seiner Mannschaft im ewigen Eis starb.

©1983 Piper Verlag GmbH, München (P)2012 Hörbuch Hamburg HHV GmbH, Hamburg

Kritik Bewertungen:

Nadolny und sein John Franklin entdecken die Langsamkeit als menschenfreundliches Prinzip. Man könnte auch sagen: die Bedächtigkeit, den vorsichtigen Umgang mit sich selber und den Dingen.

-- Die Zeit

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Title: Attack on Pearl Harbor

Subtitle: The True Story of the Day America Entered World War II

Author: Shelley Tanaka

Narrator: Charles Carroll

Format: Unabridged

Length: 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-09-11

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

As eleven-year-old Peter Nottage stood in the yard, watching in disbelief, a group of Japanese fighter planes swooped down, spraying machine-gun fire across the water. Then the first bomb dropped - and in minutes, Kaneohe Bay was a sea of smoke and flames. To the south, at Pearl Harbor, the huge ships of the American fleet were ablaze. This was no drill. This was war! Through vivid eyewitness accounts, Attack on Pearl Harbor re-creates the dramatic moments of the unforgettable day that America entered World War II.

Members Reviews:

Almost Felt As If I Were There.. Glad I Wasn't!

This was a really good short narration of the days that led up to America entering into World War II following the attacks by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor.

The author did an excellent job on really helping me to feel as if I was actually there! (not that I wished I were there!)

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Title: The Price of a Child

Author: Lorene Cary

Narrator: Lorene Cary

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-01-11

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Lorene Cary has been praised by the American Library Association for her honest style that brings African American history to life. Ginnie Pryor finally has the chance to escape slavery - but to do so, she must leave her youngest child behind. With her new found freedom come responsibilities and a new identityas abolitionist Mercer Gray. But she cannot forget her abandoned baby boy.

Members Reviews:

Insightful portrayal of the moral landscape as the polarization of the coming civil war was developing

Challenging novel that directly addresses the racial divides in the last few years before the Civil War.

Today we have a self avowed white supremacist in the whitehouse and almost half the people think the civil war wasn't over slavery. These characters bring home the real human impact of slavery and why the civil war was a great thing not a tragedy.

I felt the white abolitionists were portrayed sympathetically but also realistically. Most were good hearted but the older ones had no sense of the cataclysm coming and had accommodated themselves to "the good fight".

The portrayal of the community and moral conflict among free blacks in Philadelphia is very interesting and I'd like to know how accurate it is....

The heroine's internal conflict over self vs fighting for the truth to get out is realistically portrayed and I was challenged by some of her insight, including on how slavery made liars of everyone. She helped me appreciate anew Frederick Douglass's great words.

Many moments of insight in the book, including how quickly her children were transformed by freedom and her own much slower transformation

The Price of a Child

Interesting read which follows the course of a runaway slave and her children. The horrors of slavery should not surprise the reader. There are many names and family members to remember. The "cost" of freedom is high for the main character as she tries to make a new life for herself amidst the loss of her child.

Sad tale of history

A well written historical saga of a time when slavery split this country like immigration does today and the conscience of a country began to evolve beyond a fear and a hate that still survives in a memory appearing even today to show us that where we've come from is not that far behind us.

Uplifting Novel

I enjoyed this read for the most part. The introduction of so many characters at once made it difficult in the beginning. Seemed to end abruptly as well. The main character found her voice and continued to grow- great lesson

One Star

4 star