Listen to Popular Titles Audiobooks in Fiction, Historical Popular Titles

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Title: Cassada

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: James Salter

Narrator: Marc Vietor

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-25-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

James Salter revisits his second novel, The Arm of Flesh, making extensive changes and rewriting many portions entirely. The resulting work Cassada combines the untamed vision of a young military pilot with the clarity and power of a masterful writer. James Salter is one of America's greatest prose stylists. His first two novels, The Hunters and The Arm of Flesh, are legendary in military circles for their descriptions of aerial combat. A former Air Force pilot who flew F-86 fighters in Korea, Salter writes with matchless insight about the terror and exhilaration of a pilot in wartime.

The lives of officers in an Air Force squadron in occupied Europe encompass the contradictions of military experience and the men's response to a young newcomer, bright and ambitious, whose fate is to be an emblem of their own. In Cassada , Salter captures the strange comradeship of loneliness, trust, and alienation among military men ready to sacrifice all in the name of duty and pride.

One of America's greatest prose stylists, James Salter is often praised by literary listeners for the clear, shimmering surface of his writing. His first two novels, The Hunters and The Arm of Flesh, are also known in military circles, where his descriptions of flying and combat are legendary. A former Air Force pilot who flew F-86 fighters in Korea, Salter writes with matchless insight about the terror and exhilaration that accompany a pilot in wartime.

In returning to The Arm of Flesh forty years after writing it, Salter has identified structural weaknesses that have caused him to reconsider his second novel altogether. He is now engaged in a complete reworking of the narrative, an all-but-new novel entitled Cassada. The lives of officers in an Air Force squadron in occupied Europe - Captains Isbell and Wickenden, Lieutenants Sisse, Godchaux, Grace, and others - encompass the contradictions of military experience and in particular the response to a young newcomer, bright and ambitious, whose fate is to be an emblem of their own.

Members Reviews:

Freeze-dried camaraderie and flights of ennui.

Have read three books by Salter. This was the most aimless. Intent was to characterize squadron life, fellow pilots and officers. But there was little depth or empathy to his revelations. Just predictable anecdotes and stereotypes. Even flying narratives were dreary, perhaps because of postwar Europe tedium.

Amazing descriptive prowess

Amazing descriptive prowess. Salter seems to have free access to the deepest thoughts and unexpressed motivations of

military pilots. The compelling pull of decision making and dramatic consequences add humanity to the exploration of why

men risk their lives flying airplanes. I enjoyed sharing the cockpit with these guys for a little while.

It does play out true to life in that life takes its own sweet way of playing out

Does not fit any of the "Predictable, Some twists, Full of surprises" categories. It does play out true to life in that life takes its own sweet way of playing out. Each of will meet our end in some fashion.

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Title: Patriots of Treason

Author: David Thomas Roberts

Narrator: Kelly Klaas

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-05-13

Publisher: David Thomas Roberts

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 17 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Tea anyone? After decades of erosion of the U.S. Constitution, the United States is faced with a major constitutional crisis not seen since the Civil War. A president and his administration filled with scandals and plagued by economic woes surprisingly wins re-election to a second term largely based on an "October Surprise" and the promise of redistribution of the nation's wealth. The night he is re-elected, an assassination attempt throws America into chaos, resulting in riots, food shortages and violence across the country. When it is discovered the assassin has ties to the Tea Party, the administration sees its opportunity to quash its political opposition and launch a diabolical conspiracy to hide the truth of the assassin's real motives. The President and his minions attempt to keep the lid on the conspiracy by any means necessary, including issuing unconstitutional executive orders.

Jack-booted federal agents are ordered to raid private citizens' homes to eradicate the Tea Party once and for all. After an ordinary citizen in Texas, a founder of a local Tea Party, is terrorized and held without due process, the governor of Texas dispatches iconic Texas legend Pops Younger to rescue him. The entire country becomes riveted in the suspense of the high-stakes chess game that pits the State of Texas and the Texas Rangers against the administration and the ATF that escalates to unprecedented proportions. An exciting and fast-paced political thriller, Patriots of Treason presents a very realistic 'what if' scenario that will keep you on the edge of your seat, regardless of your political persuasion.

Members Reviews:

Timely Political Thriller.

This is a timely thriller full of interesting political tidbits and a clear message: Dont mess with Texas! My rating 4.25.

A liberal President, running for re-election on a platform that includes restriction of gun rights and redistribution of wealth, survives a late race assassination attempt. The investigation reveals that the assassin, of Muslim decent, was a student from Texas who was writing a thesis on the Tea Party. Washington leaders, spear-headed by the Attorney General, cover-up the Muslim connection and declare the assassination attempt was a conspiracy by Tea Party members. Federal enforcers move in to disarm Texas citizens and to capture and imprison Tea Party members without arrest warrants, phone calls or hearings. The federal authorities justify their actions claiming the Tea Party members are terrorists under The Patriot Act and therefore have no rights.

The Texas Governor takes issue with the violation of the rights of his state citizens. The Texas Rangers are called in to rescue a Tea Party member who was arrested in the presence of his wife and children and whose house was bulldozed to get to a gun safe he refused to open. The rescue triggers escalating hostilities between the Federal Government and Texas that result in Texas voting on secession.

The public masses are divided in their loyalties with several states sympathizing with Texas and others rallying behind the federal restrictions. One man, with inside knowledge of the facts hidden by the Justice department, strives to find a way to get the true facts out to the public to stop the unbridled corruption and chain of violence based on lies.

This story moves at a good pace with a lot of suspense and tension.

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Title: Hunting with Gods

Subtitle: The Merlin Prophecy, Book 3

Author: M. K. Hume

Narrator: Steven Crossley

Format: Unabridged

Length: 19 hrs and 57 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-14-13

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 39 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

A talented healer, Merlin has traveled extensively, becoming a trusted advisor to rulers and kings the world over. But when Merlin finds his way back to Britain, he comes under the attention of the brutal war leader Uther Pendragon. Uther wants Merlin to use his powers for evil to help him conquer women and kingdoms alike, but when Merlin protests, the insatiable Uther threatens to eliminate anyone close to him, and thousands of lives are at risk.

In the final book of the Merlin trilogy, Merlins personal morality is challenged like never before and he must decide whether sacrificing his sense of what is right for the good of an entire people is something he can bring himself to do. For fans of Diana Gabaldon and Bernard Cornwell, M.K. Hume skillfully weaves history with fiction and entertains readers with plot twists and captivating battle scenes, successfully transporting them into the turbulent Dark Ages. Full of action-packed fights and passionate romance, Hunting with Gods reimagines the legend of Merlin in thrilling and fascinating ways.

Members Reviews:

Story stays with you after the book is over

Would you listen to Hunting with Gods again? Why?

Yes I would listen again; the travels, the trials and triumphs of the group made for an amazing journey. Such a compelling story that made the reader feel as if they were on the journey.

What other book might you compare Hunting with Gods to and why?

I would compare this to Company of Liars because it contains the same sort of journey of trials and hardships.

What does Steven Crossley bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

Steven Crossley is a master of narration and he gives you the emotion of each character that you could not get from just reading.

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

Not anything especially moving but it flowed so well that you did not want the story to end.

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Title: Uneasy Lies the Crown

Subtitle: A Novel of Owain Glyndwr

Author: N. Gemini Sasson

Narrator: Kyle McCarley

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 49 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-21-13

Publisher: Gemini Sasson-Brickson

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 45 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

This is the story of Owain Glyndwr, the last Welsh Prince of Wales. In the year 1399, Welsh nobleman Owain Glyndwr is living out a peaceful gentleman's life in the Dee Valley of Wales with his wife Margaret and their eleven children. But when Henry of Bolingbroke usurps the throne of England from his cousin Richard II, that tranquility is forever shattered.

What starts as a feud with a neighboring English lord over a strip of land evolves into something greater - a fight for the very independence of Wales. After a harrowing encounter on the misty slopes of Cadair Idris, the English knight Harry Hotspur offers Owain a pact he cannot resist.

Peace, however, comes with a heavy price. As tragedies mount and temptations loom, Owain questions whether he can fulfill the prophecies and lead his people to freedom without destroying those around him. For centuries, the bards have sung of King Arthur's return, but is this reluctant warrior prince the answer to those prophecies?

Members Reviews:

Great Historical Fiction - Very sad story

This was a very detailed section of history that I hadn't read much about. Very engaging but very sad story. The narrator was excellent.

Amazing history!

An incredible tale! As a reader of Tudor history, I was fascinated by how the subject of this books life was so closely tied to the lords, ladies and even kings I have so enjoyed reading & learning about. The narrator's voice and accent pulled me back through the centuries; to those times and places. A totally enjoyable read for any lover of history.

Loved this book!

Great characters and story line! I hope this author has more books coming to audible soon.

Disappointed

Why did they choose a Scot with a thick accent to read a book about Wales??? He did not manage a convincing Welsh accent for any character. The story was well researched. It deserved better treatment.

dramatized history lesson

I had high hopes for this book, it's in an era I love and Glyndwr is such a neat historical figure. It wasn't that this book was bad, so much as not really a novel. It follow the entire life and career for Glyndwr (and many of the other important figures associated with him) in the book by means of single chapter long snippets. Sometimes there's years and half a kingdom distance between the snippets, sometimes they follow more like novel chapters. Anyway, because it jumps around characters and covers so much of the man's life, I found it hard to really get a sense of character. The author tried to put in the character development and emotional conflicts, but it just didn't work for me. The narrator did a good job, but lots of the dialogue was spoken significantly quieter than the narrative bits, making listening kind of difficult.

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Title: A Spider in the Cup

Subtitle: The Joe Sandilands Murder, Book 11

Author: Barbara Cleverly

Narrator: Steven Crossley

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-20-13

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 24 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

At dawn one morning in 1933, an amateur dowsing team digging the banks of the Thames for precious metals unearths the body of a young woman with a missing toe and a priceless gold coin in her mouth.

The case falls on Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard Joe Sandilands turf, but hes been given another assignment - and a very high-profile one. London is hosting a historic global economic conference to try to solve the global Depression, and political tensions are running very high, as very influential participants are starting to take positions allied with or staunchly against the rapidly militarizing Germany. Sandilands job is to protect and keep an eye on the visiting American senator Cornelius Kingstone, right-hand man to President Roosevelt, throughout the conference.

When a strange set of coincidences links the river bank body to the senator, Joe realizes his assignment is much bigger than hed thought, and that Senator Kingstone is caught up in a very dangerous game - one that might cost not just one but thousands of lives.

Members Reviews:

Narrator ruined this book.

Would you try another book from Barbara Cleverly and/or Steven Crossley?

I am completing the series by reading the last book, but probably would not have if Steven Crossley was narrating. He was not a good match for the central character, Joe Sandilands,

What could Barbara Cleverly have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

This plot line was murky and too unrealistic to satisfy. There was a lot of unhelpful padding. The detailed asides and descriptions did little to shed light on the characters or the political climate as in other books in this series. The author may be out of steam and lacking fresh ideas for new challenges for Joe Sandilands. This book dropped Dorcas altogether while hinting at her reappearance, but the lack of continuity felt forced.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The range of different voices was distracting, not a positive. I felt the narrator was too cartoonish for this series particularly his over-the-top cockney accent for the Julia character and his accent for Lydia that made her sound silly. His voice for Sandilands veered off into a high pitch that was quite distracting. His exaggerated variations made it more difficult to follow the arc of the story. He would be better suited for more broadly humorous fare.

Any additional comments?

The low-keyed and nuanced performances of Tony Wale, Simon Prebble and Andrew Wincott are a much better fit for this series.

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Titel: Wölfe

Autor:: Hilary Mantel

Erzähler: Frank Stöckle

Format: Unabridged

Spieldauer: 25 hrs and 10 mins

Sprache: Deutsch

Veröffentlichungsdatum: 06-21-13

Herausgeber: Audiobuch Verlag OHG

Bewertung: 5 von 5 von 1 Stimmen

Kategorien: Fiction, Historical

Zusammenfassung des Herausgebers:

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Kritik Bewertungen:

Ein Wunder von einem Roman.

-- FAZ

Ein preisgekröntes Meisterwerk (...). Eine Sensation (...). Hilary Mantel schreibt schnörkellos, präzise und findet immer wieder überraschend poetische Bilder.

-- BRIGITTE

Wölfe unterstreicht, dass literarische Meisterwerke auch vor historischer Kulisse funktionieren (...) große Kunst - ein Highlight des Bücherherbstes.

-- BUCHJOURNAL

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Title: John Saturnall's Feast

Author: Lawrence Norfolk

Narrator: Alex Bloch

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-04-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 12 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

A beautiful, rich and sensuous historical novel, John Saturnalls Feast tells the story of a young orphan who becomes a kitchen boy at a manor house, and rises through the ranks to become the greatest Cook of his generation. It is a story of food, star-crossed lovers, ancient myths and one boys rise from outcast to hero.

Orphaned when his mother dies of starvation, having been cast out of her village as a witch, John is taken in at the kitchens at Buckland Manor, where he quickly rises from kitchen-boy to Cook, and is known for his uniquely keen palate and natural cooking ability. However, he quickly gets on the wrong side of Lady Lucretia, the aristocratic daughter of the Lord of the Manor. In order to inherit the estate, Lucretia must wed, but her fianc is an arrogant buffoon. When Lucretia takes on a vow of hunger until her father calls off her engagement to her insipid husband-to-be, it falls to John to try to cook her delicious foods that might tempt her to break her fast.

Reminiscent of Wolf Hall and Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, John Saturnalls Feast is a brilliant work and a delight for all the senses.

Members Reviews:

Mixed!

My go-to book blog raved about this book, and I enjoyed some aspects of it, but overall I found it uneven. The story can't really decide if it's fantasy, historical fiction, love story, or allegory, and that indecision shows. The reader also has an odd pattern of intonation, so that sometimes he'll pause as if he's at the end of a sentence, only to continue with what is clearly (grammatically, at least), a modifying phrase or clause. Since I haven't seen the text, that could be Norfolk's writing pattern (I know, for example, that the Hunger Games trilogy is riddled with unnecessarily fragmented sentences), but judging from the overall flow of the narrative, I'm blaming the reader. So: it's absorbing, but as time goes on, I came to like it less. It promises a great deal, but doesn't deliver fully on those promises.

Nice premise, poor plot

The plot between the characters ranged from generally uninteresting to aggravating when dealing with female sexuality. This narrative relies on the trope of rape or attempted rape of a woman facilitating immediate consensual sex. It's overused in genre fiction but no less gross for that fact. The main female character also spends her life fantasizing over romantic poetry written by her father, which is unnerving. Overall, the description of 17th century cooking was great, a really interesting basis, and the reason I gave this book 3 stars. The story built around the kitchen was unremarkable in many ways and bizarre and unsettling in others.

Good voice acting.

Narrator had a slow steady pace, but I like it. Very good regional accents, made it very real for me.

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Title: White Seed

Subtitle: The Untold Story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke

Author: Paul Clayton

Narrator: Lee Harpster

Format: Unabridged

Length: 18 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-21-13

Publisher: Paul Clayton

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 31 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

A fully-realized historical thriller in the tradition of James Clavell's Shogun and Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth.

One of the most haunting mysteries in American history - The Lost Colony of Roanoke - comes roaring back to life in White Seed, with a compelling cast of characters, including Maggie Hagger, indentured Irish serving girl, a victim of rape and intimidation; Manteo, Croatoan interpreter for the English, inhabitant of two worlds, belonging to neither; John White, ineffective Governor, painter, dreamer, father and grandfather; Captain Stafford, brave and disciplined, but cruel soldier; and Powhatan, shrewd Tidewater warlord who wages a stealthy war against the colonists.

Members Reviews:

An interesting piece of history

This is not brilliant writing but it's a good story and told well enough. The questions of what happened in Roanoke has always fascinated me. of course it's speculative, but it's interesting.

Can't get past the narration

The mystery of Roanoke is fascinating and I was excited when I saw the description of this book.

Not sure if it is a good book or not. I simply can not get past the narration! It is read with all the inflection and drama you might hear at the library any Saturday morning when it is story time for the kiddies. Irritating. The frequent mispronunciation of common words is jarring. I'm 8 hours into it, ashamed that I have wasted this much time and giving it up.

If you really want to explore this - get the paper book, not this audible.

This is THE WORST narrator I've ever listened to

Would you try another book from Paul Clayton and/or Lee Harpster?

I might try another book from Paul Clayton but would not ever again listen to another audio book narrated by Lee Harpster

Would you be willing to try another book from Paul Clayton? Why or why not?

I would possibly try another book, but while it was interesting to read the historical account of Roanoke, the characters were so one dimensional. There were so many points where I thought the writer would delve further into a character's background, but he really only ever scratched the surface. I might have enjoyed this book more were it not for the narration.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

It's an absolute shame how terrible this narrator's performance was. I should have returned this book, but I kept with it because I was really interested in how the story turned out. Throughout out the book, he routinely mispronounced so many words (striated, anemic, gaol, raucous, mottled, tallow, cupboard, inexplicably, among many, many other words), that you could almost make a game out of it. It actually even started to be kind of funny, to a certain point, when I wasn't cringing inside. How an editor could have let this be published as an audiobook like this is a complete mystery. Aside from the hundreds of pronunciation errors, the stye of narration was terrible. Every woman sounded like a shrew! The narrator used such a shrill voice that he made every single female character unlikeable. Regardless of what they were saying, he made them really sound like women on the verge of hysteria.

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Title: Distant Star

Author: Roberto Bolano

Narrator: Walter Krochmal

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-13-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 25 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

A chilling novel about the nightmare of a corrupt and brutal dictatorship.

The star of Roberto Bolano's hair-raising novel Distant Star is Alberto Ruiz-Tagle, an air force pilot who exploits the 1973 coup to launch his own version of the New Chilean Poetry, a multimedia enterprise involving sky-writing, poetry, torture, and photo exhibitions.

For our unnamed narrator, who first encounters this "star" in a college poetry workshop, Ruiz-Tagle becomes the silent hand behind every evil act in the darkness of Pinochet's regime. The narrator, unable to stop himself, tries to track Ruiz-Tagle down, and sees signs of his activity over and over again. A corrosive, mocking humor sparkles within Bolano's darkest visions of Chile under Pinochet. In Bolano's world there's a big graveyard and there's a big graveyard laugh. (He once described his novel By Night in Chile as "a tale of terror, a situation comedy, and a combination pastoral-gothic novel.")

Many Chilean authors have written about the "bloody events of the early Pinochet years, the abductions and murders," Richard Eder commented in The New York Times: "None has done it in so dark and glittering a fashion as Roberto Bolano."

Members Reviews:

Omg

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

This book is a rough read, unless you're into poetry don't read it

What was one of the most memorable moments of Distant Star?

All the evil

What about Walter Krochmals performance did you like?

He got the voices correct and the translation was good, I preferred this to the Spanish version.

Could you see Distant Star being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

NO

Any additional comments?

Like poetry before you read this!! And know the poets of Russian history!! WW1!!

Probably better on paper.

Easy to miss important details if carrying out other tasks while listening. Otherwise the story is layered and well written.

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Title: The Pillow Book of the Flower Samurai

Author: Barbara Lazar

Narrator: Meg Kuboto

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-24-13

Publisher: Headline Digital

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

I am Kozaisho: Fifth daughter, Woman-For-Play, teller of stories, lover, wife and Flower Samurai. In the rich, dazzling, brutal world of twelfth century Japan, one young girl begins her epic journey, from the warmth of family to the Village of Outcasts. Marked out by an auspicious omen, she is trained in the ancient warrior arts of the samurai. But it is through the power of storytelling that she learns to fight her fate, twisting her life onto a path even she could not have imagined...

Members Reviews:

Disappointing

I was disappointed with this book. I was excited at the prospect of listening to another story set in historical Japan and being transported to a different time and place after listening to the excellent "The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet", but this book doesn't compare. The story is one dimensional, and everything is spelled out - the author doesn't let you work out what the protagonist's emotions are, she just tells you. I found I really didn't care about what was happening to Kozaisho - I wasn't engaged at all. So while it describes Japanese society at that time, and is interesting from that respect, it is not a "page turner".

Lovely title, awful book

Would you try another book written by Barbara Lazar or narrated by Meg Kuboto?

I will be highly unlikely to read another book by Barbara Lazar, although Meg Kuboto was a good narrator.

Has The Pillow Book of the Flower Samurai put you off other books in this genre?

I've never come across another book quite like it, so no.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

There was nothing wrong with the narration. It was very good.

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

Disgust, followed by disappointment with the author for such an enduring torrent of child abuse. You can't give it a pretty title and pretend it's a fairy tale. It's not. It's unrelentingly grim.

Any additional comments?

First of all a child is sold into slavery by her own family and becomes subject to physical torture and neglect. Later she is forced into child prostitution and then she begins a (graphic) sexual relationship with another child who has suffered the same. In the middle of all this she receives training to become a samurai. The samurai bits were quite good and were the reason I continued as long as I did, but I gave up after a few hours. I had hoped it would get better. It started off quite well, but... no, you can't make a fairy tale out of child abuse. I don't think Barbara Lazar has experienced child abuse, or knows anyone who has. If she had, she wouldn't have written this book, in my opinion. If this is a reflection of Japan at the time then it is a reflection of an utterly sadistic, cruel culture. Why anyone would find it interesting or entertaining is beyond me.

A gripping listen

Anyone who has studied Japanese history will enjoy this book. It is set before, and concludes towards the end of the Genpei war. This was the war that saw the samurai rise to the governance of Japan.