The oldest long poem in Old English, written about 1000 A.D., Beowulf tells the story of a great warrior in Southern Scandinavia in both youth and maturity. The monster Grendel terrorises the Scyldings of Hrothgar's Danish Kingdom until Beowulf defeats him. As a result he has to face her enraged mother. Beowulf dies after a battle against a fierce dragon. The tale is powerfully performed here by Crawford Logan in a lively modern translation from the original West Saxon dialect. A new verse translation by Benedict Flynn.
Dante's vision The Divine Comedy has profoundly affected every generation since it first appeared in the early fourteenth century. Here is a brief account of his life, compiled from various sources (including his first biographer, Boccaccio) by Benedict Flynn, whose new translation of the Comedy on Naxos AudioBooks, read by Heathcote Williams, has been widely acclaimed. It sets the known facts of Dante's life against the turmoil of the times, and puts the very personal nature of his poetry into perspective.
The popularity of Robin Hood endures for ever. In this bright re-telling for audiobook by Benedict Flynn, complete with sound effects, Robin Hood steals from the rich and gives to the poor, faces and overcomes the Sheriff of Nottingham, is supported by Little John and Alan a'Dale, and meets Maid Marian. But the drama and the danger are ever present, and sadness is not far away.
Three key stories from the mists of Irish legend retold by Benedict Flynn, with atmospheric music and sound effects. Enter a mysterious world where the line between the fantastical and the real is blurred mortals and immortals live strange entwined lives and nature and high magic exist side by side.
These stories are about how, many years ago, Arthur the once and future King of England, set out to save his country from the troubles that plagued it, aided by the brave knights of his Round Table, and the most famous sword in the world, Excalibur; how Merlin the wizard fought against the wicked Morgana le Fay's enchantments, and how Arthur loved and lost the beautiful Guinevere, his Queen.
The Adventures of Odysseus is the story of what happened after the Trojan War when Odysseus, the most cunning of all the Greek heroes, left Troy and made his way back to his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus. It was first told by a poet named Homer nearly three thousand years ago and is retold in this new version especially for younger listeners.
There was once a time, nearly four thousand years ago, when the tall towers of a city called Troy reached gleaming into the sky; when its proud king fought against an invading army in a desperate siege. The Tale of Troy was so important to the ancient Greeks that its author, Homer, became a kind of hero. Long after his death artists, thinkers and ordinary people still look to his tale for inspiration. This exciting version of the famous story is retold especially for eight- to thirteen-year-olds.
