Simply The Best Audiobooks in Fiction, Historical to Download

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Purposes of Love

Author: Mary Renault

Narrator: Kate Rawson

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-01-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Vivian, a student nurse, chose her profession as a challenge, both to her spirit and to her permanently exhausted body; Mic immerses himself in his work at the hospital to ward off the emotional wounds of an unhappy childhood. Through Jan, Viv's beloved older brother, they meet, and their friendship turns into a secret romance. Secret because, if discovered, it would cost them their jobs.

Despite the discipline and rigid hierarchy imposed by the hospital, their passion takes root, but between them hangs the tantalising and enigmatic shadow of Jan.

Members Reviews:

Thought Provoking

Mary Renault drew upon personal experience as a nurse trained at Oxford's Radcliffe Infirmary, and as, a woman torn by a deeply abiding love for her same sex partner. Her written words express her deep convictions, perhaps not favorable at the time of her first inventive debut novel.

The year was 1930. Britain and Europe were reeling from the after effects of WWI. Demanding jobs, over-bearing bosses, little pay and meager living conditions threw unlikely partners together. Vivian never truly understood why her charismatic, scientist brother, Jan, seemed to be devoid of feeling. He was sought after. But, all his relationships, though many and varied, were easily dropped. Vivian envied his independence, the treks around the world, varied relationships, and most of all, their estranged apartness.

Mic had been one of the most recent conquests, and drops. Vivian holds to her romantic illusions, and delusions, with her same sex partner. Suddenly, she is confronted with mixed feelings and emotions about the way she responds to Mic. They are drawn together because of Jan. They care for one another. Or do they? Are they both just suffering from Jan's rejecting callousness?

This is an amazing, thoughtfully provocative, debut novel written by Mary Renault, who continued in her love for writing and communicating for many years. In 1948, she won an MGM prize, then she emigrated to South Africa. Her amazing books have astounded readers the world over. Mary dared to go where few women ventured, at a time when everyone wanted to be adventurous, but few were willing to suffer the consequences of broad minded pursuits. Bravo! Her searching introspection was perfectly, and tastefully, handled well. Early works are often the most revealing. Hunt for and enjoy Mary Renaults' work.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Spider of Sarajevo

Author: Robert Wilton

Narrator: Daniel Philpott

Format: Unabridged

Length: 15 hrs and 14 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-01-14

Publisher: Oakhill Publishing

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Summer 1914: Europe is on the brink. As Britains enemies grow stronger, the Comptroller - General must confront the man with whom he has struggled for a generation - a man he knows only as the Spider.

In a desperate gamble, he sends four agents out across the continent, on a mission they do not understand ... The future of British intelligence - of the British Empire - is in their hands. Not all of them will return. Unique and resourceful, hunted and deceived, they have embarked on a journey that will climax in the town of Sarajevo on the 28th of June 1914.

Critic Reviews:

"The Spider of Sarajevo is a tour de force of delicate, intricate, glorious spy craft... The depth of passion and intellect shines from the page... If you only read one novel about the Great War this year, make it this one." (M.C. Scott)

"Robert Wilton is one of the smartest novelists we have. A touch of Conrad, more than a dash of Buchan... and a daring prose style that can set you blinking and thinking. Simply brilliant." (John Lawton)

Members Reviews:

Impossible to follow as audible book

This book involves 4 different spies recruited by the British pre WWI. Although the writing is good, the settings interesting from Istanbul to Ireland, it is one of theose books that is a tough listen. The author changes characters several times per chapter. One minute your in Berlin and seconds later you are in Albania. This is a read versus a listen.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Dead Man's Tale

Author: Ellery Queen

Narrator: Mark Peckham

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 56 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-21-14

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

When Barney Street, the fixer, was in Holland in World War II, his life had been saved by a German soldier.

Now Barney is dead and his two million dollar estate is left entirely to the soldier who saved him, Milo Hacha. But that fortune comes with a death sentence, for Barney's widow, Estelle, won't rest until she gets back everything that is rightfully hers.

She sends Steve Longacre, once one of Barney's boys, to Europe to find Hacha, trailing him from Holland to Switzerland, to Vienna, and finally to Prague. Longacre has Hacha on the run, fleeing love, money, and a velvet-lined coffin...

Members Reviews:

Not the deception I was expecting.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Not really. It wasn't wasted, since I listen at work, but if I'd known certain things going in, I wouldn't have bothered with this one. It's not an Ellery Queen Mystery. It's an "Ellery Queen" spy thriller.By that I mean, it wasn't written by the same people who did the original Ellery Queen stories. It was written by someone else who was writing under the Ellery Queen house name. Several Authors did this, but they wrote mysteries as far as I know. This was not a mystery. There were twists and intrigue, but nothing of whodunit kind.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I can't say any made much of impression. There weren't really any good guys. Everyone was a criminal in some form. If pressed, I'd go with Theresa, who was at least true to her specific moral weaknesses.

What about Mark Peckhams performance did you like?

He gave a good performance. There wasn't a lot of variation in many of the characters, but that was true for the print version of them as well.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

It depends. This was a spy thriller set in Europe. If I saw a trailer for a new Sherlock Holmes movie but got to the theater and found it was really a Victorian version of "The Bourne Identity," I'd probably be miffed. If I went in expecting the Victorian Era Bourne, then it would have been pretty good.Ellery Queen's name on the cover carries a certain expectation. Be it the early works with the challenge to the reader, or the later stories where he goes off to Hollywood or up to Wrightsville, an Ellery Queen book is a mystery above all else.Except this one.

Any additional comments?

I tried to grade the story on it's own merit, but may have been a little harsh. I spent so long waiting for the mystery to develop that I got a little snotty when it didn't. It's not a bad story if you're into stories about hit men darting back and forth across the Iron Curtain on a job to makes sure someone reported to be dead really is. I'm really not.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The King and the Slave

Author: Tim Leach

Narrator: Barnaby Edwards

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs

Language: English

Release date: 11-20-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Ten years after the fall of Babylon, Cyrus's army is on the march again. His slave Croesus, no longer a young man, accompanies him as always, as does the king's son and heir Cambyses, who has inherited none of his father's diplomacy or charisma and all of his vanity and violence.

When the warriors of Persia are unexpectedly crushed in battle Cyrus is put to death, and Cambyses assumes the throne. Croesus, once a king himself, is called upon to guide the young man; but the young man cannot be guided, and after taking offence at an insult by an Egyptian ruler, Cambyses takes the full force of his father's empire to Africa for bloody and brutal vengeance...

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Devil's Pact

Author: James Holland

Narrator: David Thorpe

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-06-14

Publisher: Random House Audiobooks

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

July, 1943.With North Africa secured, the Allies launch an invasion of Sicily, and the 2nd Battalion, Kings Own Yorkshire Rangers are in the van of the assault on the Italian beaches. But promotion to Company Commander has brought him fresh trouble for Jack Tanner.

Not only has his new Battalion Commander decided to make his life as difficult as possible, they soon find themselves battling against some of the toughest, most determined troops in the Wehrmacht.In the bitter fighting that follows, Tanner witnesses a new reality.

Rule books are thrown away. Previously outlaws, the Sicilian mafia are now supposedly fighting on the side of the Allies, but instead are making the lives of ordinary Italians a misery.

As Tanner and his crew battle their way across the battle-scorched islands, it becomes clear that it is not just the Mafia who are playing dirty. In the quest to force Italy out of the war, brutal choices have been made and in the process the difference between right and wrong has become horribly blurred.Forced to question the cause for which they have fought so long, Tanner and his trusted sidekick, Sykes, find themselves embroiled in a deeply personal fight, in which they have to use all their resolve, skill and experience if they are to stand any chance of survival

Members Reviews:

Great read

a really good listen , it's action all the way with a high moral ending.

hoping there will be more Tannner tails to come

Soooooo Disapointed

Why did you change narrator it took over 60% into the book before he got the rhythm spoiled a jolly good yarn

Q

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The White Russian

Author: Vanora Bennett

Narrator: Laurel Lefkow

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-06-14

Publisher: Oakhill Publishing

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Evie, a rebellious young American, leaves New York in search of art and adventure in jazz-age Paris, where her grandmother lives. But on arrival, her grandmothers sudden death leaves Evie compelled to carry out her dying wish: to find a man from her past called Zhenya.

The quest leads Evie deep into the heart of the Russian émigré community of Paris. With Jean, a liberal Russian writer by her side, Evie finally seems to have found the passion and excitement shes yearned for. But is she any nearer to discovering the identity of the mysterious Zhenya, or the heartbreak of her grandmothers past?

Members Reviews:

Easy Reading

Predictable plot. Easy reading.

brilliant book about white Russians in Paris

Great book, nice reading. Highly recommend it to anybody with knowledge of Russian culture . Would buy more from Vanora Bennett

Boring

Boring, struggled through the book just to finish, the last few chapters finally caught my interest, but not enough to change my mind about this book. I wish the book had an introduction telling the story of the Russians in Paris, not at the end.

If you love Russian history

It is 1937. Evie is given an opportunity to study in Europe, funded by her Grandmother, whom she doesnât know. Her strained relationship with her mother, and her new sense of freedom, send her to Paris toÂreconnect with her Grandmother, but tragedy strikes, and her Grandmother falls ill and passes away, leaving Evie with a scribbled note she must decipher.

Iâll say up front that I did not finish this book. I got about 130 pages in before I decided to stop. I started skimming through it well before that. There was one chapter just before I stopped that caught my attention and made me read word for word, feeling sympathy for the character in the scene (not Evie), but the next chapter was back to skimming.

Nothing interesting happens in the first 100 pages. Itâs mostly backstory, atmosphere, and scenery. I wasnât able to form a connection to any of the characters, which makes it hard to want to see what happens to them next.

I just didnât connect with this story. It wasnât for me at all. If you love Russian history, or stories with the feel of The Great Gatsby, this might be for you.

HISTORICAL MYSTERY ROMANCE

1937 Paris is inundated with displaced Russian emigrants perplexed between longing for home and the hope of a future. War is on the horizon and the Russians are unable to let go of the past.

With some real historical figures to lend authenticity to this tale of intrigue Ms. Bennett has crafted a splendid story of love - lost and new - as well as adventure and suspense.

Evie, the main character, has a difficult and distant relationship with her mother. After graduation from college she travels, on a whim, from New York to Paris to meet the bohemian grandmother she never had the chance to know. She arrives too late. Her grandmother has suffered a stroke and by the next day she has died.

"Why had she come all the way across the world to visit a family member, yet knew so little about the grandmother who'd died that she'd been reduced to driving around Paris at night, asking strangers questions about names scribbled on bits of paper?" (Pg.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Petticoat Men

Author: Barbara Ewing

Narrator: Barbara Ewing

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-06-14

Publisher: Lamplight Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The Victorian gossipmongers called them The Petticoat Men. But to Mattie Stacey, they are Freddie and Ernest, her gentlemen lodgers. She admires their sparkling gowns, and laughs at their stories of attending society balls dressed up as the glamorous 'Fanny' and 'Stella'.

But one fateful night Fanny and Stella are arrested. Outraged, Mattie is determined to save her friends and expose the establishment's hypocrisy

Critic Reviews:

Ewing is an accomplished storyteller, who puts the pleasure of her readers first (INDEPENDENT)

Members Reviews:

Upstairs, downstairs with a twist

Curious story line that went from the poorest (humblest) to richest. Attempts to deliver slices of life across several layers.

An unexpected treasure

Barbara Ewing's reading grows on you , as does this interesting story of a true historical event, from the point of view of the landlady and her family of two 'petticoat men' and their trial in the 1800's. the story gathers pace and characters develop as the story goes on.

Excellent Reading by Barbara Ewing

I am in touch with Barbara Ewing, one of my favourite actresses who now writes very good historical books.

This book is about the true "Petticoat Men" who actually went around Victorian Society functions dressed as women. They were arrested

and after a long arduous court case - they were not convicted and

we're allowed to go free. This was an extraordinary judgement for

the Victorians were morally right and strict about sexuality etc.

Barbara's work is a very good argument and she makes a thoroughly good narrator who captures her audience with her vocal changes for the different characters in the book. This is a complex story and not one for listening all in one go. I applaud Barbara and hope that we have more

of her work narrated by her into audiobooks.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: A Loving Family

Author: Dilly Court

Narrator: Penelope Freeman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-06-14

Publisher: Random House Audiobooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

She longed to be reunited with her family. The compelling new novel from the Sunday Times top ten best-selling author of The Workhouse Girl.

Eleven-year-old Stella Barry is forced into service when her family find themselves living hand-to-mouth. Leaving her mother and younger brother and sister behind, Stella goes to a big country house outside London. When she returns home one Sunday, she discovers they have disappeared. Thrown out of their lodgings, no one knows where they have gone.

Seven years later it looks likely Stella will soon become Cook. But circumstances compel her to flee with no references and only a few personal possessions to her name.She has never forgotten her loving family and is determined to find out what happened to them once and for all.

Members Reviews:

Delightful listen!

Another great story of how a girl regains her lost family and makes good - this is a superb listen with great characters and wonderful depiction of the times they lived. Thank you Dilly Court.

Very good.

I enjoyed this audio book very much. I hope to listen to more by this author

A great story with good historical references

My last 5 books have been by Dilly Court and I am just about to search for my next. I am so glad I discovered her. This is the first time I have heard this narrator and I thought that she would not be as good as Annie Aldington but Penelope Freeman was excellent.

a loving family

this was a good story and read very well. it had lots of twist and turns in it so it kept you wanting to get to the next bit.

Fantastic Story-tear jerker

Would you consider the audio edition of A Loving Family to be better than the print version?

I don't like print versions of anything especially this because as you listen to the story it takes you in your mind into the story, you can almost see what's happening.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Loving Family?

When Stella met the gentleman that helped her as a child and then turned out to continue helping her as she grew older in different positions.

Which character as performed by Penelope Freeman was your favourite?

The young chap that you imagined looked very much younger and looked shorter in height than he actually was but very helpful even if he couldn't accomplish what was being asked of him.

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

When we found out that Kit was a man not a woman and also that he refused to get a job to keep his sister and look after her.

Any additional comments?

A must listen and be prepared to have a hanky to hand.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Judy the Big Hearted Heroine

Author: Gwyn Charlett

Narrator: Stevie Zimmerman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-31-14

Publisher: Sounds good - Audio books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In this incredible true story, Judy, the heroine of the book narrates her own version of her life. Her amazing life started precariously as a young pup living rough on the streets of Shanghai where any food and comfort was in short supply. She had the great good fortune to be rescued from the streets by a young Chinese girl called Lee Ming and a few days later a chance meeting with some British sailors visiting her dog pound changed her life for ever. Judy tells us of her early idyllic, carefree years as a dog mascot aboard the British Gun Boat HMS Gnat, life was good for Judy until Japanese aggression in China spilled out to full blown war in Asia and the Pacific. Judy's many adventures include nearly drowning after falling into the river from the deck the HMS Gnat - Being bombed and sunk while on board HMS Grasshopper - Surviving a 200 mile forced march through jungle - On top of all that she went on to survive three brutal years in various Japanese POW camps In 1946 Judy arrived in Great Britain and was awarded the Dicken Medal which is the highest bravery award for animals. It is a truly inspirational story, I hope you enjoy it.

Members Reviews:

Excellent audio book.

Where does Judy the Big Hearted Heroine rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

I have read the book and this audio version really brings the story to life.

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

This is a short story that will be easily listened to in one sitting.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Liberty's Trail

Subtitle: Liberty Mercer Western, Book 1

Author: Steve Hayes

Narrator: Jack Randolph Smith

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 27 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-09-14

Publisher: Mr. D H Whitehead

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

When word came through that two of the infamous Wallace brothers had been spotted in Indian Territory, Liberty Mercer, only the second woman ever to become a Deputy US Marshal, rode out to arrest them. But things didn't quite go according to plan and Liberty soon found herself left to die in the desert.

Fortunately, rescue came in the unlikely shape of a young girl named Clementina, who was on the run herself from a brutal stepmother who just so happened to be the matriarch of the Wallace gang.

Now, with the help of a railroad detective who's also after the outlaws, Liberty is determined to recapture the brothers and deliver them to Guthrie, where they'll be tried and hung.

But Ma Wallace and her clan are determined to kill them before that happens, and it's up to Liberty to prove to her detractors that she's worthy of being a lawman!

Originally published under the title Lady Colt

Members Reviews:

YOU AIN'T STRINGING ME ALONG

IT'S EASY TO FLATTER A GIRL WHEN THERE'S A STORM COMING

Before I jump on to this with both feet, let me tell you what I liked about it. LET'S MAKE SOME DUST. The lead character is a woman. She is a smart and tough and has to put up with a lot of crap, being a female deputy marshal. She takes her job seriously. In the right hands I can easily see how this character could make for a great western series. She is not perfect or some super hero, she does make mistakes.

SHE HATED ME FROM THE GIDDY UP

Like in most bad westerns, most things seem to fall into the laps of the main characters. Liberty is left for dead in the desert by the bad guys. Just before she dies a young girl appears and saves her life. This young girl just happens to be the sister of the bad guys and she just happens to hate them and wants them killed for killing her dad. She ends up being the soul reasons the bad guys get caught, cause she knows all of their hide outs and what they are going to do and when they are going to do it. Westerns and old Sci-Fi seem to suffer from this bad writing, turning people off on the genre and making them turn to other books. A big shame, since when written well, these books can be so entertaining and you can learn from them. In one scene this woman holds a shotgun in each hand on a fellow. Has this writer ever held a shotgun? Holding one usually takes two hands for the biggest ruffian. I will not be reading anymore books by Steve Hayes or David Whitehead.

WHO GAVE YOU THE REINS?

To make matters worse, the narrator is awful. You want to make sure and listen to the sample. I will listen to this narrator again, WHEN THE FIRES OF HELL BURN OUT.