Audiobooks by Ford Madox Ford

Book at Bedtime: A BBC Radio Collection: 10 Unmissable Classics

A bumper collection of accessible classics from the perennially popular BBC Radio 4 series This diverse, wide-ranging anthology features readings of 10 of the greatest books in the English language, taken from the BBC's Book at Bedtime and performed by a stellar cast of narrators. Here are nearly 27 hours of sensational stories, from iconic romances and humorous travelogues to pioneering Modernist masterpieces and compelling explorations of the human heart. Comprising much-loved favourites as well as neglected classics, this genre-spanning selection has something for everyone. This collection includes abridged readings of: Persuasion by Jane Austen: Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth get a second chance at love following their broken engagement seven years earlier. Read by Juliet Stevenson. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë: An orphaned young woman discovers romance when she meets the charming Mr Rochester. Read by Anne-Marie Duff. Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy: Independent Bathsheba Everdene must contend with three very different suitors all vying for her affections. Read by Douglas Hodge. Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes by Robert Louis Stevenson: Stephenson's travelogue from his 12-day hike, taken to distance himself from his love affair with a married woman. Read by Alan Cumming. The Aspern Papers by Henry James: A nameless narrator goes to Venice to persuade American poet Jeffrey Aspern's lover to let him read Aspern's letters. Read by Samuel West. Three Men on the Bummel by Jerome K. Jerome: The Three Men in a Boat return for a bicycle tour through the German Black Forest. Read by Hugh Laurie. Dubliners by James Joyce: Form-defining stories about life in Dublin at the start of the 20th century. Read by Stephen Rea. The Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford: Two couples, two marriages; both seemingly perfect. But beneath the surface lies deception and betrayal. Read by Toby Stephens. The Rector's Daughter by F.M. Mayor: Mary has spent thirty-five years taking care of others, but with the arrival Robert Herbert her quiet, ordered existence is changed forever. Read by Juliet Stevenson. Orlando by Virginia Woolf: A playful mock biography of a chameleonic historical figure, immortal and ageless, who changes sex and identity on a whim. Read by Amanda Hale. First published 1817 (Persuasion), 1847 (Jane Eyre), 1874 (Far from the Madding Crowd), 1879 (Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes), 1888 (The Aspern Papers), 1900 (Three Men on the Bummel), 1914 (Dubliners), 1915 (The Good Soldier), 1924 (The Rector's Daughter), 1928 (Orlando) © 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Charlotte Bronte, Charlotte Brontë, F.M. Mayor, Ford Madox Ford, Henry James, James Joyce, Jane Austen, Jerome K. Jerome, Robert Louis Stevenson, Thomas Hardy, Virginia Woolf (Author), Alan Cumming, Amanda Hale, Anne-Marie Duff, Douglas Hodge, Hugh Laurie, Juliet Stevenson, Samuel West, Stephen Rea, Toby Stephens (Narrator)

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The Good Soldier: A Tale of Passion

Set in the turbulent time right before World War I, this novel chronicles the tragedy of Edward Ashburnham, his seemingly perfect marriage, and his two American friends. Told through disjointed flashbacks, lies, infidelity, and acts of betrayal are revealed that eviscerate the ties that pull the friends and couples together. As events unfold, each individual must face their misgivings and bend to their own judgement. Originally titled The Saddest Story, The Good Solider is considered one of the best English-language novels of the twentieth century and continues to vex audiences with its use of literary devices such as the unreliable narrator.

Ford Madox Ford (Author), P. J. Ochlan (Narrator)

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Parade's End: Penguin Classics

Brought to you by Penguin. Consisting of four novels - Some Do Not..., No More Parades, A Man Could Stand Up and The Last Post - Parade's End is the story of Christopher Tietjens and his progress from the secure world of Edwardian England into the First World War and beyond. Both a portrait of a love triangle - between Tietjens, his beautiful and reckless wife Sylvia, and the suffragette Valentine - and a depiction of life on the Western Front, Parade's End is one of the greatest fictional works of the twentieth century. Ranging from the drawing rooms of England to the trenches of France, and moving between past and present, it is a haunting exploration of identity, loss and memory.

Ford Madox Ford (Author), Bill Nighy (Narrator)

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The Good Soldier: Penguin Classics

Brought to you by Penguin. This Penguin Classic is performed by Billy Howle, known for his roles in Dunkirk, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and On Chesil Beach. This definitive recording includes an introduction by David Bradshaw. The Dowells, a wealthy American couple, have been close friends with the Ashburnhams for years. Edward Ashburnham, a first-rate soldier, seems to be the perfect English gentleman, and Leonora his perfect wife, but beneath the surface their marriage seethes with unhappiness and deception. Our only window on the strange tangle of events surrounding Edward is provided by John Dowell, the husband he deceives. Gradually Dowell unfolds a devastating story, in which everyone's honesty is in doubt. This extraordinary novel of passion and betrayal is a masterpiece of narrative skill and emotional depth.

Ford Madox Ford (Author), Billy Howle, David Shaw-Parker (Narrator)

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Parade's End

Ford Madox Ford's tetralogy set in England during World War I is widely considered one of the best novels of the twentieth century. First published as four separate novels (Some Do Not..., No More Parades, A Man Could Stand Up, and The Last Post) between 1924 and 1928, Parade's End explores the world of the English ruling class as it descends into the chaos of war. Christopher Tietjens is an officer from a wealthy family who finds himself torn between his unfaithful socialite wife, Sylvia, and his suffragette mistress, Valentine. A profound portrait of one man's internal struggles during a time of brutal world conflict, Parade's End bears out Graham Greene's prediction that "there is no novelist of this century more likely to live than Ford Madox Ford."

Ford Madox Ford (Author), Steven Crossley (Narrator)

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The Good Soldier

The Good Soldier is a story about the complex social and sexual relationships between two couples-one English, one American-and the growing awareness of American narrator John Dowell of the intrigues and passions behind their orderly Edwardian façade. It is Dowell's attitude-his puzzlement, uncertainty, and the seemingly haphazard manner of his narration-that makes the book so powerful and mysterious. In Ford's brilliantly woven tale, nothing is quite what it seems. Despite its catalog of death, insanity, and despair, this novel has many comic moments and has inspired the work of several distinguished writers, including Graham Greene. Originally published in 1915, The Good Soldier is considered by many to be Ford Madox Ford's masterpiece. "One of the finest novels of our century."-Graham Greene

Ford Madox Ford (Author), Ralph Cosham (Narrator)

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The Fifth Queen: Books 1-3

The Fifth Queen is Ford Maddox Ford's masterful trilogy of historical fiction centered on Katharine Howard, a young girl of a proud, noble, and impoverished family who catches the jaded eye of Henry VIII and becomes his controversial fifth Queen. In this first volume, Katherine arrives at the King's court to find its dimly lit corridors vibrating with corruption and fear, as unscrupulous courtiers hungry for power maneuver for advantage. Clever, beautiful, and outspoken, Katherine soon becomes caught in a web of intrigue and romance as she fights for political and religious change. Ford saw the past as an integral part of the present experience and understanding. His sharply etched vision of the court of Henry VIII, first published in 1908, echoes aspects of Edwardian England as it explores the pervading influence of power, lies, fear, and anxiety on people's lives. 'The best historical romance of this century.''Times Literary Supplement (London)

Ford Madox Ford (Author), Ralph Cosham (Narrator)

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The Good Soldier

Ford Madox Ford (Author), Gildart Jackson (Narrator)

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The Good Soldier

Two couples, two marriages; both seemingly perfect, both falling apart. Beneath the surface gentility of the American John Dowell with his wife Florence and the landed grace of Edward and Leonora lie fictions and deceit. There are secret desires, hidden power-games, suicides and madness. Everyone is hiding something; even the narrator can't be trusted. Brilliantly inventive, tragic and ironic, The Good Soldier is one of the great novels of the twentieth century.

Ford Madox Ford (Author), Kerry Shale, Malcolm Blackmoor (Narrator)

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The Good Soldier

Ford Madox Ford (Author), Frank Muller (Narrator)

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