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Title: Brideshead Revisited (Dramatised)

Author: Evelyn Waugh

Narrator: full cast

Format: Original Recording

Length: 3 hrs and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-28-06

Publisher: BBC Worldwide Limited

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Evelyn Waugh's stunning, tragi-comic novel of the lives, loves, and mores of the English aristocracy. The action moves between 1923 and 1944, to tell the story of Charles Ryder and his infatuation with the decadent Sebastian Flyte.

© and (P)2003 BBC Worldwide Ltd.

Members Reviews:

Fabulous rendition

Easy to follow as characters were easily identified - I love the story which I found had unusual aspects for its genre and location in time.

Excellent

Full cast performance excellent and greatly enhanced my enjoyment. Will listen again. Diction and expressiveness well conveyed. I look forward to another similar. Having previously read the book was helpful.

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Title: Human Traces

Author: Sebastian Faulks

Narrator: Samuel West

Format: Abridged

Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-07-05

Publisher: Random House AudioBooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Thomas's sister Sonia becomes the pivotal figure in the volatile relationship between the two men, which threatens to explode with the arrival in their Austrian sanatorium of an enigmatic patient, Fraulein Katharina von A, whose illness epitomises all that divides them.

As the concerns of the old century fade and the first World War divides Europe, the novel rises to a climax in which the value of what it means to be alive seems to hang in the balance.

This is Sebastian Faulks's most ambitious novel yet, with scenes of emotional power recalling his most celebrated work, yet set here on an even larger scale. Moving and challenging in equal measure, Human Traces explores the question of what kind of beings men and women really are.

Members Reviews:

Good account of kind attempts to heal/understand

Mostly humdrum style of writing faithfully narrated.

Interesting theory near end about the origins of psychosis

Superb

Moving, intricate story about the human condition, beautifully read. Thank you Sebastian, than you Samuel.

Amazing

Sebastian Faulks is my favourite author and this book is equally as wonderful as his others. The psychology aspects of it make it amazing for any social science fan.

For insomniacs

I'm afraid I just couldn't get to the end of this one, despie many many attempts. I just kept falling asleep. Was it the story, or the narrator? I'm not sure. I might try the printed version to be sure, but I don't think this was one of Faulks' best.

Aural Mogodon

I downloaded this audio book In an attempt to get through it for a book club. The best comment I can make is that I now own an instant cure for insomnia. An emperors new clothes of a story.

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Title: Stolen from Gypsies

Author: Noble Smith

Narrator: Frederick Davidson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-06-05

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 73 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The unusual hero is British nobleman Ambrogio Smythe, a rich but comical hypochondriac. Obsessed by childhood memories of Gypsies, the frail but determined Ambrogio leaves his ancestral estate in Warwickshire and makes his way to Italy during the Napoleonic Wars. Finding himself happily marooned in Tuscany, Ambrogio meets a wandering storyteller who spins him a magical yarn about a Gypsy babe kidnapped by a demon. Ambrogio buys a shred of parchment as evidence and begins to write his own florid version of the saga, vowing one day to publish it in high style.

With a sure hand, the author takes us back and forth from Ambrogio's Italian abode to "The Gypsy's Tale" in a rousing adventure full of action and insight.

Critic Reviews:

"Full of bawdy humor and slapstick comedy....A parody of medieval romance literature. Smith's novel will delight and entertain." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

hilarious

do not waste one minute thinking about this one! you'll have your moneys worth in the first 20 minutes! this is absolutely one of the best productions i have ever heard! Nobel and Frederick are a spectacular combination!

fantastic listen

Imagine Shakespearean plots mixed with Monty Python humor, sprinkle in a touch of Faust and Fractured Fairy Tales all combine into a hilarious tale-within-a-tale, and you'll have Stolen From Gypsies. Well told, well written, well performed and well worth your listen!

I hated this book

I was unable to listen to more then an hour of this book. It's just written in a slow, drawn out manner. I'd ask for my credits back if I could.

stolen from the gypsies

yuck. This book isn't particularly funny, and it's hard to understand where it's going. It features a very self-indulgent character who evidently thinks that he is writing a witty ditty about the adult exploits of a baby stolen from the Gypsies. The writing is crud and this book is a dud. Don't waste your money.

a high level of wit

This will not appeal to the beer and footballer mentality, but to a higher intellect. The story is full of laugh out loud wit and suttle humour, brought to life and given more substance by Fredericks brilliant narration.

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Title: The Mauritius Command

Subtitle: Aubrey-Maturin, Book 4

Author: Patrick O'Brian

Narrator: Robert Hardy

Format: Abridged

Length: 2 hrs and 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-16-05

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Based on the actual campaign in the Indian Ocean in 1810, The Mauritius Command is a gripping evocation in authentic detail of naval life of the period.

Critic Reviews:

"The Mauritius Command is outstanding." (Observer)

"Exciting news for Mr O'Brian's growing number of fans that his clever stories of Napoleonic seafaring are available as abridged audiobooks. Better still, they're read by salty dog Robert Hardy." (Evening Standard)

Members Reviews:

The Mauritus Command

Gripping story line. Read by a master storyteller

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Title: H.M.S. Surprise

Subtitle: Aubrey-Maturin, Book 3

Author: Patrick O'Brian

Narrator: Robert Hardy

Format: Abridged

Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-16-05

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 9 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

H.M.S. Surprise follows the variable fortunes of Captain Jack Aubrey's career in Nelson's navy as he attempts to hold his ground against admirals, colleagues, and the enemy, accepting a commission to convey a British ambassador to the East Indies. The voyage takes him and his friend Stephen Maturin to the strange sights and smells of the Indian subcontinent, and through the archipelago of spice island where the French have a near-overwhelming local superiority.

© Patrick O'Brian; (P)1997 HarperCollins UK

Critic Reviews:

"I don't see that anyone could wish for anything better than Mr. O'Brian's sea stories." (Sunday Times)

Members Reviews:

Why abridged?

I bought this version by mistake. If you're an O'Brian fan avoid this like the plague. Where are the unabridged versions? The Americans have them.

Robert Hardy is the best voice for Jack Aubrey

The only pity is that these are abridged versions. Otherwise they are perfect. Very much recommend.

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Title: The Last Boat to Cadiz

Author: Barnaby Conrad

Narrator: Grover Gardner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-10-04

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 18 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Amid the chaos, a man like no other makes his way south through France and into Spain. No one will stand in his way and live. Only idealistic young Wilson Tripp, American vice consul in the city of Seville, stands to discover the man's true identity and the stunning threat he poses, that is, if Wilson Tripp can survive.

Said Barnaby Conrad, "It is hard to explain how colorful, exciting, and occasionally dangerous 'neutral' Spain was in that era; the closest thing I can compare it to would be to the film Casablanca, with its Nazi villains, American heroes, beautiful women, and spies. And intrigue, always intrigue. In this book, I've done my best to recreate 24 hours in 1945 in Seville at the very end of the war. Most of the names and incidents are fictitious, but the setting is my Andalucia, as authentic as I can reproduce it after so many decades."

Critic Reviews:

"Conrad...serves up a tasty snack." (Library Journal)

"[A] highly entertaining thriller." (Chicago Tribune)

Members Reviews:

Thriller Diller!

Five minutes ago I finished reading "Last Boat to Cadiz" by Barnaby Conrad. It's a book of the same genre as "The Da Vinci Code," a favorite genre I call, "The Book You Can't Put Down."

Mr. Conrad seizes the reader's interest on page one and doesn't let go until page 250. His story takes place in the latter days of WWII. Germany's Third Reich is crumbling, Hitler's suicide has been reported, his chief henchmen are all dead or captured.

All except one. This high-level fugitive is trying to make his way out of France, across Spain to Cadiz, where he hopes to escape via German submarine to South America.

The book's hero, Wilson Tripp, is a Vice Consul working in Seville. Early in the book his path crosses that of the Nazi escapee, and he is forced at gunpoint to assist in the escape. He soon finds himself on the Cayetana, a grubby 40-foot boat carrying a mixed bag of passengers down the Guadalquivir River to Cadiz. As you, too, board the Cayetana with this doomed group, your heart will start pumping overtime. It won't quit till the ride ends.

Most of the action takes place in Andalucia, an area of southern Spain the author knows intimately. Like his hero, Mr. Conrad was a wartime Vice Consul in Seville. His love of Spain and his powers to describe its beauty and dignity give breadth to the book and provide a fascinating backdrop against which the speeding twists of the narrative take place.

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Title: Masterpiece Marriage

Author: Gina Welborn

Narrator: Kristin Kalbli

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-18-15

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

After a flood damages the looms at Zenus Danes Philadelphia textile mill and the bank demands loan payment, Zenus turns to his aunt for help repurposing his textiles. Trouble is...his aunt has already been hired by the lovely yet secretive Englishwoman Mary Varrs. Eager to acquire his aunts quilt patterns, Zenus attends the summer Quilting Bee, a social event his aunt has uniquely designed with the secret purpose of finding Zenus a wife. However Zenus only has eyes for Mary, but Mary has no such desire for him. Though his aunt is determined to design a masterpiece marriage, both Zenus and Mary will have to overcome their stubborn ways. Can he realize that love requires stepping out of his routine? And will she recognize that following her heart doesnt mean sacrificing her ambition?

Members Reviews:

Five Stars

Good book.

This Quilts of Love Series has been fun to read.

Good Book

Masterpiece Is Right!

I absolutely love time pieces and Masterpiece Marriage was the perfect writing to settle my addiction for now. The Quilts of Love series is all written by different authors, and I have really enjoyed getting to read such engaging pieces of writing. In this particular book the year is 1891 and follows the story of Zenus Dane. After his textile factory has been extremely damaged from a flood and collapsed roof, his cousin Sean comes to the rescue with some assistance. So much of the fabric is ruined that Zenus had no idea what he was going to do to salvage all of his losses. His business was doomed until Zenus decides that he needs to go and visit his Aunt Priscilla. He needs an idea that will save him from all of his financial losses and his hopes are that she will create a quilt that is so unique that he can market it to get back what all he would have lost by not being able to sell the fabric in whole. The catch is that he and his Aunt have not been on speaking terms for a whole now. When Mary Varrs, his Aunt's neighbor, is introduced to Zenus she is in the midst of quilting with other women. Aunt Priscilla is not one to be messed with as she is a strong character but there is way more love there than readers may think. Her past experiences are what makes her the way that she is and you have to respect her.

This story was not what I was expecting at all with all of the in touch moments with the characters instead of solely focusing on the time period and the quilting that took place in it. I loved all of the interactions that took place between Mary and Zenus. Their relationship is one that is easy to follow. Women were definitely treated differently in this time period and so woman's suffrage is addressed. All of the positive and negative sides of this time for women are shared. I really enjoyed reading about it because all that you tend to hear in the history books is the shortened and watered down version of what a woman's life were really like. My wheels were definitely turning as I read all of the scenes and the character's actions and emotions. I was so busy in my head comparing the way women have it now and the way that women were treated and talked to back in 1891. The characters had me laughing and relating with them so much and I was sad to see this book end. The ending left me wanting more and I can not wait to read more of the books in the Quilts of Love Series.

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Title: Master of War

Author: David Gilman

Narrator: Daniel Philpott

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 44 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-24-14

Publisher: Lamplight Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

England, 1346. For Thomas Blackstone the choice is easy - dance on the end of a rope for a murder he did not commit, or join the king's invasion. As he fights his way across northern France, Blackstone learns the brutal lessons of war. Vastly outnumbered, Edward III's army will finally confront the armoured might of the French nobility on the field of Crécy. It is a battle that will change the history of warfare.

Critic Reviews:

"I see flashes of brilliance that surpass Bernard Cornwell" (The BookBag)

"Page turning novel... a gritty book sparing nothing in its descriptions of the realities of Medieval warfare" (Daily Mail)

Members Reviews:

Part one is good.

I am a History graduate (although now that is long ago) and wanted to get into this series.

Having just finished and re-listened to the Aubrey Maturin series (narrated by Ric Jerom) I would admit that is a very hard act to follow, but wanted to learn more about the Hundred Years war.

Upto Crecy the book is almost exciting, but the performance is terrible. The reader sounds as if he is reading it for the first time, the emphasis is random, sentences disjointed and the only saving grace is his skill with accents. I kept having to think "That is not how I would have read that...".

Then the book drifts into a totally boring love story with the improbable hero mixing in noble society and the war fades into the background for a dozen chapters.

I may finish this, but there is no way I will go near the second one, and that is not entirely the fault of the production.

great story detail

enjoyed this very much of Bernard Cornwell genre great plot line way of wording enjoyed it , now going to download next in series.

Just a fantastic story

A real feel good cannot stop listening to adventure. Narrated wonderfully as usual. I downloaded the 2nd book in the series halfway through the first book

Fantastic

I've read the book, the audio version is new to me, must say, I loved it.

Not great

Any additional comments?

Not much of a plot to this, although I only got a third of the way through it before I gave up. Doesn't compare well to other historical fiction writers such as Conn Iggulden.

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Title: To Taste the Wine

Author: Fern Michaels

Narrator: Anne Flosnik

Format: Abridged

Length: 5 hrs and 14 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-17-11

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Since she was a young girl, Chelsea Myles has performed with her uncle Cosmos theater troupe, entertaining Londons roughest crowds while Cosmo picks customers pockets. Fate has given her no other means of surviving. Until one night, a robbery goes awry and Chelsea is left holding a fortune in gold - enough to buy her passage to Australia, and the chance of a new life.On board the vessel bound for New South Wales, Chelsea meets charismatic Quaid Tanner, whos returning to his vineyard in Sydney. Their affair is as brief as it is blissful, for Quaid holds a secret that must keep them apart. But beneath the endless skies of this bold new land, two passionate hearts will defy the odds and overcome every obstacle to find a way back to each other....

Members Reviews:

Not what I expected...

I listened to this as an unabridged audio book. With Fern Michaels, I expect a small-town-romance type story. I was not prepared for the rape or the sexual and physical abuse in this one. The narrator did a good job.

This was interesting. Sometimes the story was drawn out. Other times it rolled right along. The twist of the Identity of the mal

It took me time to get I to the story but it was good. What people will do to fulfill a dream is surprising

I really enjoyed the book but then I usually like all of ...

I already did a review. I really enjoyed the book but then I usually like all of Fern Michaels' books.

Nothing great, but OK

I enjoyed this book. It wasn't anything "heavy" nor was it a "can't wait to get back to it" story. The characters were a little superficial so I didn't care what happened to them. Hmmm...maybe I should have given this a two-star. No, I think I'll save the two-star for the book I started to read, "Fancy Dancer". More on that in another review. If you are looking for some light reading to wind down for the day or something to read while on vacation, check this out.

To Taste the Wine

As usual, Fern Michaels makes the story leap off the pages.

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Title: The Storyteller's Bracelet

Author: Smoky Zeidel

Narrator: Johnnie C. Hayes

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 20 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-22-16

Publisher: Thomas-Jacob Publishing, LLC

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

It is the late 1800s, and a shameful time in American history. The US Government has mandated native tribes send their young people to Indian schools where they are stripped of their native heritage by people they think of as The Others.

Otter and Sun Song are members of The Tribe, and betrothed to be married when they turn 18. But when they are sent east to school, Otter, renamed Gideon, tries to adapt, while Sun Song does not, resulting in brutal attacks from the school headmaster. Gideon, thinking Sun Song has spurned him, turns for comfort to Wendy Thatcher, the daughter of a wealthy school patron, beginning a forbidden affair of the heart.

But the Spirits have different plans for Gideon and Sun Song. You are both child and mother of The Original People, Sun Song is told. When it is right, you will be safe once more. What follows is a harrowing journey through time and the Five Worlds of the Desert Southwest tribes.

Members Reviews:

Beautiful Creation Retelling of the Native people

Author Smoky Zeidel has lovingly and beautifully captured what none of us will ever understand. The Native American people in the late 1800's were treated so badly by the white people. What they thought was a good thing, was the most horrible and detrimental thing they could ever do to the tribes of the people who lived on this land. I have native American blood running in my veins.

My Native American heritage goes back several generations, but it is there. It just so happens that I am in college right now. I am currently taking a World Mythology class. We are discussing creation stories. We just recently touched on the Native American stories. I was so enthralled by the Five worlds. The Spider Woman was so different than so many other cultures. I happen to absolutely love spiders, so this really meant a lot to me. When I came across author Smoky Zeidel and her book "The Storyteller's Bracelet", I had to "read" it on audible. I am so glad I did. I love how the author retold this creation story and included the Native ways as she did. I feel she did it a lot of justice. My thanks to her and the beautiful story. If you are not familiar with this history, I urge you to listen.

Thank you Smoky!!!