Listen to Popular Titles Audiobooks in Fiction, Historical Popular Titles

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Title: The Darkness and the Thunder

Subtitle: 1915: The Great War Series

Author: Stewart Binns

Narrator: Richard Burnip

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 31 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-15-16

Publisher: Oakhill Publishing

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The Western Front is a wasteland of barbed wire, shell craters and mud-filled trenches. Winston Churchill, searching for a solution to the stalemate, commits the Allies to a disastrous Gallipoli campaign. As men on both sides die in droves, miners and mill-workers work tirelessly for the war effort while families confront the broken bodies of returning soldiers. Nurses, soldiers, politicians, factory-workers and children - all are torn apart by war, and for husbands and sons, mothers and wives, the old way of life is vanishing.

Critic Reviews:

"Anyone with even a vague interest in Britain and the Great War should read Shadow of War." (Celia Sandys, granddaughter of Winston Churchill)

"An epic...the book on the conflict remembered this year 100 years on." (Jon Wise, Sunday Sport)

"Stewart Binns has produced a real page-turner, a truly stunning adventure story." (Alastair Campbell)

"A fascinating mix of fact, legend and fiction...this is storytelling at its best." (Daily Mail)

"Truly a book that educates while entertaining, a talent of this best-selling author." (Historical Novel Review)

Members Reviews:

Well written, interesting characters. A subject that Has ...

Well written, interesting characters. A subject that

Has been more than well covered made interesting and readable by the authors ability.

Three Stars

Volumes 3-5 never to be written so not any point in buying what will be an unfinished story

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Title: Under a Pole Star

Author: Stef Penney

Narrator: Cathleen McCarron, Thomas Judd

Format: Unabridged

Length: 20 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-03-16

Publisher: Quercus

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The Richard & Judy Book Club Pick. Shortlisted for the 2017 Costa Novel Award.

Follow the path to the freezing north. Follow your ambition. Follow your heart

Flora Mackie first crossed the Arctic Circle at the age of 12. Years later, in 1892, determination and chance lead her back to northern Greenland as a scientist at the head of a British expedition, defying the expectations of those who believe a woman has no place in that harsh world.

Geologist Jakob de Beyn was raised in Manhattan. Yearning for wider horizons, he joins a rival expedition. Jakob and Flora's paths cross. It is a fateful meeting, where passion and ambition collide and an irresistible attraction is born.

The violent extremes of the north obsess them both: perpetual night and endless day; frozen seas and coastal meadows, and the strange, maddening pull it exerts on the people trying to make their mark on its vast expanses - a pursuit of glory whose outcome will reverberate for years to come.

Critic Reviews:

"A supreme storyteller." (Sunday Times)

"One of the best novels I have read for a very long time." (Richard Madely)

"A dazzling tale of romance and survival." (Guardian)

Members Reviews:

Too long winded

A lot to enjoy here - I liked the main character Flora and loved the lyrical descriptions of the Arctic. However this book could have been reduced by a third and would be much the better for it. The same conversations take place several times which is very tiresome. Far too much and too detailed back story. Just too long. In the end I was glad to finish it.

Disappointed

I previous read and enjoyed Penny's other books, particularly the Invisible Ones which is one of my all time faves. So when I saw this read by Cathleen McCarron (who narrates Elenor Oliphant-another favourite) my hopes were high. I returned it after about 4 hours. It dragged on, the initial few chapters I liked but as it went on I lost interest more and more. I think this is a bit of a marmite book as some reviews are excellent. Penny describes thinks in lush detail and in that way, it's lovely to listen to. However I only get one credit a month and can't afford to waste it- sadly. McCarron's narration is spot on though, so it gets 3 stars.

Adventure!

What did you like most about Under a Pole Star?

The main character Flora is a brilliant creation.

What did you like best about this story?

I like the chronicle approach - building a picture of a whole human life from start to finish, I also loved the depiction of Flora's relationships with other people, particularly the Inuit people.

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

One scene near the end made me cry.

Excessively long and numerous passages of sex spoil an entertaining story well told

Such a shame! Lovely evocative passages describing the polar landscape, fascinating insights into Inuit culture, unexplained deaths and a love story running through it all. So many elements that could have made a wonderful novel. But I have never read a book with so much, such prolonged and such explicit sex. Of course it's a powerful component of the lovers' story, but a substantial edit of all of their sexual encounters wouldn't affect the reader's sympathy for or understanding of their story and would have made the novel a considerably better read for me.

I nearly gave up on this book four or five times.

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Titolo: I medici

Autore: Matteo Strukul

Narratore: Gianni Gaude

Formato: Unabridged

Durata: 12 hrs and 21 mins

Lingua: Italiano

Data di pubblicazione: 10-18-16

Editore: Audible Studios

Valutazioni: 4 su 5 su 2 voti

Categoria: Fiction, Historical

Riepilogo Editore:

Firenze, 1429. Alla morte del patriarca Giovanni de' Medici, i figli Cosimo e Lorenzo si trovano a capo di un autentico impero finanziario, ma, al tempo stesso, accerchiati da nemici giurati come Rinaldo degli Albizzi e Palla Strozzi, esponenti delle più potenti famiglie fiorentine. In modo intelligente e spregiudicato i due fratelli conquistano il potere politico, bilanciando uno spietato senso degli affari con l'amore per l'arte e la cultura. Mentre i lavori per la realizzazione della cupola di Santa Maria del Fiore procedono sotto la direzione di Filippo Brunelleschi, gli avversari di sempre continuano a tessere le loro trame.

Fra loro cè anche una donna d'infinita bellezza, ma dal fascino maledetto, capace di ghermire il cuore di un uomo. Nell'arco di quattro anni, dopo essere sfuggito a una serie di cospirazioni, alla peste e alla guerra contro Lucca, Cosimo finirà in prigione, rischiando la condanna a morte.

Fra omicidi, tradimenti e giochi di palazzo, questo romanzo narra la saga della famiglia più potente del Rinascimento, l'inizio della sua ascesa alla Signoria fiorentina, in una ridda di intrighi e colpi di scena che vedono come protagonisti capitani di ventura senza scrupoli, fatali avvelenatrici, mercenari svizzeri sanguinari...

>> Questo audiobook in edizione integrale vi è offerto in esclusiva per Audible ed è disponibile solamente in formato audio digitale.

©2016 Newton Compton Editori S.r.l. (P)2016 Audible GmbH

Recensioni dei membri:

Storia e biografia .firenze E' una città da sogno

One of the best book I have never read.for all the people who like history and biography,I suggest this wonderful book.

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Title: Roses in the Tempest

Subtitle: A Tale of Tudor England

Author: Jeri Westerson

Narrator: Jo Nelson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-13-16

Publisher: Old London Press

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

A king. A knight. A prioress. In 16th century England, Isabella Launder little realizes the twists and turns her life is about to take as she surrenders herself to a small nunnery in order to forget her unrequited love of the courtier Thomas Giffard. She must learn - along with her sisters in Christ - the true nature of faith and survival, withstanding passionate jealousies, intrigues, and the emerging threats to the Church itself as one by one the monasteries are dissolved. Inspired by the true lives of Isabella Launder and Thomas Giffard and set amid the onrushing storm of Henry VIII's break with Rome, obsession opposes faith in this tale of a wealthy knight and the last prioress of Blackladies convent.

Members Reviews:

Interesting Book, Good Narrator!

What made the experience of listening to Roses in the Tempest the most enjoyable?

I listened to the Audible version of this book. The narrator is excellent. This book is very interesting and well done, I have it on my TBR pile. I never knew that King Henry VIII abolished all monasteries and nunneries during his reign, leaving none at all. I love all of Jeri's books, and I look forward to whatever she writes about next.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Isabella Launder - she is passionate about her commitment to being a nun, and she doesn't let Thomas have his way no matter what.

What does Jo Nelson bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

She gives different voices to the characters which makes it come to life better.

If you could rename Roses in the Tempest, what would you call it?

Oh no, I wouldn't rename it. I like the book title.

Any additional comments?

I always love reading Jeri Westerson's books, or now listening to them, because I always learn something new. She not only entertains me, but educates me at the same time. Thank you, Jeri, and the narrator, for some interesting car rides - which is where I listen to my audible books!

Excellent Naration

What did you like best about Roses in the Tempest? What did you like least?

I enjoyed that this story was based on history and learned facts about Henry VIII that I never knew, and found very interesting.The love story was a bit sappy

Have you listened to any of Jo Nelsons other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is my 3rd book narrated by Jo Nelson. I really enjoy her story telling. She brings the characters alive and pulls me in immediately. Her voice is charming with a sense of humor. I admire her ability when changing characters. Her voice can change from female to male with distinct recognition. I'm never confused by which character is speaking. She's pitch perfect and a pleasure to listen to.

Do you think Roses in the Tempest needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No, I believe the ending worked for me. I would have no interest learning more about Thomas.

Cheers for "Roses in the Tempest"

What did you love best about Roses in the Tempest?

I loved being spirited back to the days of Henry VIII and Tudor England.

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Title: Yesternight

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Cat Winters

Narrator: Xe Sands

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-04-16

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 12 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

From the author of The Uninvited comes a haunting historical novel with a compelling mystery at its core.

A young child psychologist steps off a train, her destination a foggy seaside town. There she begins a journey causing her to question everything she believes about life, death, memories, and reincarnation.

In 1925 Alice Lind steps off a train in the rain-soaked coastal hamlet of Gordon Bay, Oregon. There she expects to do nothing more difficult than administer IQ tests to a group of rural schoolchildren. A trained psychologist, Alice believes mysteries of the mind can be unlocked scientifically, but now her views are about to be challenged by one curious child.

Seven-year-old Janie O'Daire is a mathematical genius, which is surprising. But what is disturbing are the stories she tells: that her name was once Violet, she grew up in Kansas decades earlier, and she drowned at age 19. Alice delves into these stories, at first believing they're no more than the product of the girl's vast imagination. But slowly Alice comes to the realization that Janie might indeed be telling a strange truth.

Alice knows the investigation may endanger her already shaky professional reputation, and as a woman in a field dominated by men she has no room for mistakes. But she is unprepared for the ways it will illuminate terrifying mysteries within her own past and, in the process, irrevocably change her life.

Members Reviews:

What an annoying voice!

The story was really engaging. It's a shame because the reader sounded like she was about to go to sleep. It was painful to listen to which is a shame because the story itself was very good.

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Title: The Magic of Youth

Subtitle: An Affair with Beauty: The Mystique of Howard Chandler Christy

Author: James Philip Head

Narrator: Pamela Almand

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-11-16

Publisher: James Philip Head

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 16 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Fame, fortune, and beautiful models - Howard Chandler Christy had them all.

Christy was the most famous American painter of the Jazz Age, a time when an elite brotherhood of New York artists dominated the publishing world. Christy had eclipsed all of them with his ''Christy Girl'', an idealized woman who redefined beauty, influenced fashion, and inspired generations of women.

The Magic of Youth is the first book in An Affair with Beauty - The Mystique of Howard Chandler Christy, a biographical trilogy of the artist's epic life as told primarily through the eyes of his second wife, Nancy, a former Cosmopolitan model once considered to be one of the most beautiful women in America. As she reflects on her life, Nancy tells of first meeting Christy in 1912 and becoming his top model. She is captivated by his irresistible charm and the glamour of his enchanting world, but discovers that things are not always what they seem and even the great Christy has scandalous secrets.

Members Reviews:

OUTSTANDING! THIS WILL MAKE A GREAT MOVIE!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Magic of Youth to be better than the print version?

The audio version brings the true, epic story of legendary painter Howard Chandler Christy to life. Although it is biographical in nature, the narrative flows like a best-selling novel, both lyrical and nostalgic. The print version is also excellent with 63 color and black and white photos and illustrations placed throughout the hardbound book. Both are of the highest quality.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Magic of Youth?

There are so many memorable scenes in the story. One such indelible event was Christy's lavish lawn party in the summer of 1912 at his mansion The Barracks where the guest of honor is the famous mystery writer Mary Roberts Rinehart. Hundreds of guests fill the Christy green in their summer finery.

Have you listened to any of Pamela Almands other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, I have not, but I will definitely do so. Her voice is pitch perfect for the narration as she channels Nancy Palmer Christy, a former Cosmopolitan model and beauty. Her voices for each of the other characters (as expressed by and through Nancy) is incomparable, if not astounding.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The most famous painter of the Jazz Age. In his quest for true beauty, he captured an era.

Any additional comments?

A book reader's must. This is destined to become a classic---a rare story where true life becomes art, and the art of life is the true story.

A fascinating memoir

I was surprised with how this memoir was put together and told. I normally don't read/listen to memoirs/biographies, but this was an compelling story. As an artist myself, I also learned to see many things through another artist's eyes. It's defenitely a book I'm going to listen to more than once!

The painter, Howard Chandler Christy's story is told by his wife Nancy, who had kept many diaries documenting her life with him. Howard Chandler Christy was obsessed with beauty and painting beautiful people. His special visual talent made him famous all over the world.

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Title: Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Victoria Cribb - translator, Sjon

Narrator: Vikas Adam

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-02-16

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 25 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The mind-bending miniature historical epic is Sjon's specialty, and Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was is no exception. But it is also Sjon's most realistic, accessible, and heartfelt work yet. It is the story of a young man on the fringes of a society that is itself at the fringes of the world - at what seems like history's most tumultuous, perhaps ultimate moment.

Mani Steinn is queer in a society in which the idea of homosexuality is beyond the furthest extreme. His city, Reykjavik in 1918, is homogeneous and isolated and seems entirely defenseless against the Spanish flu, which has already torn through Europe, Asia, and North America and is now lapping up on Iceland's shores. And if the flu doesn't do it, there's always the threat that war will spread all the way north.

And yet the outside world has also brought Icelanders cinema! And there's nothing like a dark, silent room with a film from Europe flickering on the screen to help you escape from the overwhelming threats - and adventures - of the night, to transport you, to make you feel like everything is going to be all right.

For Mani Steinn, the question is whether, at Reykjavik's darkest hour, he should retreat all the way into this imaginary world or if he should engage with the society that has so soundly rejected him.

Members Reviews:

Compelling story and performance

Fascinating tale, atmospheric, erotic -- a concise gem set in Iceland in 1918. The narrator captures every nuance. Loved it.

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Title: Wyvern

Author: A. A. Attanasio

Narrator: DW Draffin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 22 hrs and 25 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-27-16

Publisher: A.A.Attanasio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

A bold escapade with a young soul-catcher from Borneo kidnapped by pirates in 1609.

Headhunters, sorcerers, pirates, and Indian princes thrive in this adventurous, poetic tale of a young outcast in Borneo. Born in 1609, son of a native woman and a Dutch sea captain he never knew, Jaki Gefjon grows up in the jungle as a sorcerer's apprentice. Later kidnapped by pirates, he befriends his captor, Trevor Pym, notorious for his dreaded man-of-war, Wyvern. The scientific marvels on the European privateer become the young soul-catcher's passion - until he falls for Lucinda, the headstrong daughter of Pym's sworn enemy. Propelled by intrigue, pirates' battles, curses and visions, this seafaring saga takes Lucinda and Jaki from the South Seas to India - and to a bold, unforeseen destiny in the New World.

Members Reviews:

I thoroughly enjoyed it.

High adventure set in the mid 17th century. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I love this book

I love this book. I've read in three times and will read it again. What do I love about it? That we have many different fathers over a lifetime.

Five Stars

Awesome book, enthralling story. About 60-100 pages too long (wrap it up already!)

just awesome

Awesome book...

Good read

I quite couldn't put this eBook down! It was a page turner to find out what happen next to the main character. It was quite believable!

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Title: Conspiracy

Subtitle: Keane, Book 4

Author: Iain Gale

Narrator: David Timson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-05-16

Publisher: Heron Books

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Wellington has handed Keane his least favourite job: he is to get himself captured by the French, escape from captivity once in France and make his way to Paris to work undercover there. There are rumours of unrest against Napoleon's regime, and Keane's task is to work out which, if any, the British should support.

Nothing works out as planned. Keane, bereft of most of his loyal team, finds himself in an unknown, confusing political and social world. Even those contacts given to him by Wellington seem dubious, and amid the ex-Jacobites, disillusioned Americans, complex Irish and ambitious French republicans, whom can Keane trust in his own double agent role? And which of them will turn Keane over to the tumbrils?

This vivid novel not only shows the complexity of life behind the lines in any war but gives a wonderful portrait of the seething society of Paris under Bonaparte's regime.

Members Reviews:

Swashbuckling fun as usual.

Another highly enjoyable romp around the Napoleonic Wars with Captain Keane. The usual high quality brand of action, intrigue and buckles being swashed from the pen of Iain Gale.

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Title: City of Secrets

Author: Stewart ONan

Narrator: Edoardo Ballerini

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-26-16

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 28 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

From master storyteller Stewart O'Nan comes a timely moral thriller about the Jewish underground resistance in Jerusalem after the Second World War.

In 1945, with no homes to return to, Jewish refugees set out for Palestine by the tens of thousands. Those who made it were hunted as illegals by the British mandatory authorities there and relied on the underground to shelter them; taking fake names, they blended with the population, joining the wildly different factions fighting for the independence of Israel.

City of Secrets follows one survivor, Brand, as he tries to regain himself after losing everyone he's ever loved. Now driving a taxi provided - like his new identity - by the underground, he navigates the twisting streets of Jerusalem as well as the overlapping, sometimes deadly loyalties of the resistance. Alone, haunted by memories, he tries to become again the man he was before the war - honest, strong, capable of moral choices. He falls in love with Eva, a fellow survivor and member of his cell; reclaims his faith; and commits himself to the revolution, accepting secret missions that grow more and more dangerous even as he begins to suspect he's being used by their cell's dashing leader, Asher. By the time Brand understands the truth, it's too late, and the tragedy that ensues changes history.

A noirish, deeply felt novel of intrigue and identity written in O'Nan's trademark lucent style, City of Secrets asks how both despair and faith can lead us astray and what happens when, with the noblest intentions, we join movements beyond our control.

Members Reviews:

I read this before the very fine review appeared in the New York Times

I read this before the very fine review appeared in the New York Times. The book is a wonderful read and I think it equal to his best work. I recall reading Leon Uris' book Exodus two three times in high school and City of Secrets shares in major part the setting but O'Nan's is the far better book.

Good read.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book which encouraged me to do a little research on the history of Israel under the British Mandate.

Impressive, But

Vivid sense of time and place, believable characters, well crafted dialogue. But ultimately kind of dull. Canât help thinking that Joseph Kanon would have made more of this material.

A Tale of Zionist war against the British in Palestine

A unique perspective on the Jewish resistance to the British occupation of Palestine. Beautifully written.

Five Stars

Stewart O'Nan is one of my favorites and this novel does not disappoint