Historical Fiction Audiobooks | Fiction & Literature

Gunpowder, treason and a plot to destroy the British Empire… 'An explosive re-imagining … rich and memorable' STACEY THOMAS, author of The Revels 1770. Delphine lives in the shadows of London: a secret, vibrant world of smugglers, courtesans and small rebellions. Four years ago, she escaped enslavement at great personal cost. Now, she must help her brother Vincent do the same. While Britain’s highest court fails to administer justice for Vincent, little rebellions are no longer enough. What’s needed is a big, explosive plot – one that will strike at the heart of the transatlantic slave trade. But can one Black woman, one fuse and one match bring down an Empire? An incendiary alternative history, Remember, Remember is a gripping story of conscience, conspiracy, queer identity and courage in the face of injustice.

Elle Machray (Author), Jessica Hayles, TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

Daughters of Fire

The sweeping new novel from the bestselling author of Hiding from the Light and Whispers in the Sand switches between Roman Britain and the present day where history dramatically impacts on the lives of three women. The Romans are landing in Britannia… Cartimandua, the young woman destined to rule the great Brigantes tribe, watches the invaders come ever closer. Her life has always been a maelstrom of love, conflict and revenge, but it only becomes more turbulent and complicated with power. Her political skills are threatened by her personal choices, and Cartimandua finds she has made formidable enemies on all sides as she faces a decision which will change the futures of all around her. In the present day, historian Viv Lloyd Rees has immersed herself in the legends surrounding the Celtic queen. Viv struggles to hide her visions of Cartimandua and her conviction that they are real. But her obsession becomes more persistent when she finds an ancient brooch that carries a curse. Bitter rivalries and overwhelming passions are reawakened as past envelops present and Viv finds herself in the greatest danger of her life. Readers LOVE Barbara Erskine: ‘Atmospheric’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Enthralling’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Spellbinding’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Another fabulous read from the mistress of the genre’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Immensely and deeply immersive fiction’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I loved every minute’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An exceptional writer of great books’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘You can rely on this author to keep you wanting more’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A joy to read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Captivating and engrossing’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Barbara Erskine (Author), Ffion Aynsley (Narrator)

Audiobook

Medea: A brand-new spellbinding and gripping mythical retelling for 2024

Brought to you by Penguin. From an unmissable new voice comes the powerful and epic story of mythology's darkest heroine. Shunned. Persecuted. Tormented. Medea longs for a different life. Since childhood, she has been separated from her sister, shunned by her mother, and persecuted and tormented by her brother and father. All because of a unique and dangerous talent: witchcraft. Fierce. Powerful. Sorceress. But when a dashing young hero, Jason, arrives to claim the famed Golden Fleece that her father fiercely protects, Medea sees her opportunity for escape. Her offer to help Jason overcome the trials set by her father sets in motion a journey that will test every ounce of her strength, magic and loyalty; a journey that will see her battle monsters, dethrone kings and fall in love. When faced with the ultimate betrayal, Medea is driven to an act of desperation so brutal it rips apart the lives of everyone involved... ©2024 Rosie Hewlett (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Rosie Hewlett (Author), Kristin Atherton, TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Song Over Miskwaa Rapids: A Novel

When a rock is dislodged from its slope by mischievous ancestors, the past rises to meet the present, and Half-Dime Hill gives up a gruesome secret it has kept for half a century. Some people of Mozhay Point have theories about what happened; others know-and the discovery stirs memories long buried, reviving a terrible story yet to be told. Returning to the fictional Ojibwe reservation in northern Minnesota she deftly mapped in her award-winning books, Linda LeGarde Grover reveals traumas old and new as Margie Robineau, in the midst of a fight to keep her family's land, uncovers events connected to a long-ago escape plan across the Canadian border, and the burial of not one crime but two. While Margie is piecing the facts together, Dale Ann is confronted by her own secrets and the truth that the long ago and the now, the vital and the departed are all indelibly linked. As the past returns to haunt those involved, Margie prepares her statement for the tribal government, defending her family's land from a casino development and sorting the truths of Half-Dime Hill from the facts that remain there. Throughout the narrative, a chorus of spirit women gather to reminisce, reflect, and speculate, spinning the threads of family, myth, history, and humor. Grover weaves together an intimate and complex novel of a place and its people.

Linda Legarde Grover (Author), Lanecia Edmonds (Narrator)

Audiobook

Nemesis

Brought to you by Penguin. It's the sweltering summer of 1944, and Newark is in the grip of a terrifying epidemic. Decent, athletic twenty-three year old playground director Bucky Cantor is devoted to his charges and ashamed with himself because his weak eyes have excluded him from serving in the war alongside his contemporaries. As polio begins to ravage Bucky's playground - child by helpless child - Roth leads us through every emotion such a pestilence can breed: the fear, the panic, the anger, the bewilderment, the suffering and the pain. 'The genius of Philip Roth...back at his imperious best in this heartbreaking tale... The eloquence of Roth's storytelling makes Nemesis one of his most haunting works' Daily Mail 'Cantor is one of Roth's best creations and the atmosphere of terror is masterfully fashioned' Sunday Telegraph 'Very fine, very unsettling' Douglas Kennedy, The Times ©2010 Philip Roth (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Philip Roth (Author), Dennis Boutsikaris, TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

Eve Of Ides: An Audioplay Of Caesar And Brutus

Step into the gripping world of intrigue and betrayal with 'Eve Of Ides,' an immersive audio drama that delves into the untold story behind the night preceding Julius Caesar's fateful assassination. Join Caesar, Brutus, and Antony at a feast where secrets are unveiled, and destinies are sealed. March 14, 44 BC. Elected Dictator of Rome, Caesar is about to embark on a new war in the East to avenge an old friend. With just one meeting of the Senate standing between him and his foes, Caesar attends a farewell dinner. Unknown to him, several of the guests are plotting to end his life. Among them is Brutus, who is deeply conflicted about the plan, struggling with both morality and mortality. As the tension rises, Antony poses the question of the best way to meet one's end. Caesar's poignant response, 'What does it matter, so long as it's quick?' sets the stage for a journey that intertwines history with Shakespeare, delving into the unexplored relationships between the key players of the age – Caesar, Brutus, and Antony. 'Eve Of Ides' brings history to life, captivating audiences with a riveting narrative. Featuring stellar performances by Edward Gero as Caesar, Robert Kauzlaric as Brutus, and David Blixt as Mark Antony, supported by an exceptional cast including Ian Geers, John Lepard, Sam Hubbard, and Janice L Blixt. Directed by the talented Robert Kauzlaric, this audio drama promises an unforgettable journey into the heart of power, politics, and the human condition. Don't miss the chance to experience history in its most vivid and dramatic form!

David Blixt (Author), David Blixt, Edward Gero, Ian Geers, Janice L Blixt, John Lepard, Robert Kauzlaric, Sam Hubbard (Narrator)

Audiobook

Īnangahua Gold

This historical novel, told in two stories 20 twenty years apart, explores the relationships that unfold on the West Coast of Te Wai Pounamu New Zealand, in the mid-19th century, as isolated, difficult to access parts of the country are entered by European explorers guided by local Maori. Set in the 19th Century, it plaits together as a flax-root narrative prose and poetic imagery to tell a timeless love story. It links people with the natural environment, and blends languages, cultures, shared endeavour and compassion in a vivid multi-cultural epiphany of life in Aotearoa-New Zealand. - John Weir Kathleen Gallagher is a poet, playwright, filmmaker and novelist. She received the New Zealand Playwrights Award in 1993, and the Sonja Davies Peace Award in 2004 for the film Tau Te Mauri Breath Of Peace. She has authored three collections of poetry, 16 plays, six feature films, and two novels.

Kathleen Gallagher (Author), Kathleen Gallagher, Stephanie Frewen (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Woman of Pleasure

'Irrefutable and beautiful' New York Times 'Only Kiyoko Murata can convey this world' YOKO OGAWA, author of The Memory Police, Yomiuri Shibun The year is 1903, and tenacious and spirited Aoi Ichi is sold to the most exclusive brothel in Kumamoto, Japan, becoming the protégée of Shinonome, the oiran, or the highest-ranking courtesan. Through Shinonome's teachings, fifteen-year-old Ichi begins to understand the intertwined power of sex and money. Education for a courtesan extends beyond the art of seduction, and as Ichi is taught to read and write she develops a voice that refuses to be dampened by the brothel's rigid hierarchy. Outside the cloistered world of the red-light district, rumours of local worker strikes grow, and as the seasons change in Kumamoto, Ichi, Shinonome and their fellow courtesans begin to wonder how they might redistribute the power and wealth of the brothels among themselves. Critically acclaimed veteran writer Kiyoko Murata creates in stunning detail the harsh yet vibrant lives of women in a red-light district at the turn of the twentieth century. Based on real-life events, A Woman of Pleasure is a testament to the bonds between women and the power of owning one's language and freedom.

Kiyoko Murata (Author), Susan Momoko Hingley (Narrator)

Audiobook

Hotel Portofino: Lovers and Liars: A MAJOR ITV DRAMA

Romance, intrigue, and dangerous ambitions combine to create the perfect escape: welcome to the beautiful Hotel Portofino on the magical Italian Riviera. ***NOW A MAJOR TV DRAMA*** It is the summer of 1927 and Hotel Portofino is prospering under Bella's stewardship. As the season begins, Bella is keenly looking forward to her son Lucian's imminent arrival and the chance to discuss with him her plans to convert the hotel's basement into a spa. But then Bella's husband Cecil turns up unannounced, Over the course of several hot weeks in the middle of the Italian summer, Bella is forced to confront the reality of her relationship with Cecil and to decide to what extent she is prepared to go against social convention to get what she wants. As she welcomes her guests, old and new, an anonymous visit from a travel guide inspector threatens to make or break the hotel's future. Enjoy a new season at Hotel Portofino, a heady historical drama set during the 1920s. Perfect for fans of Downton Abbey and The Durrells.

J. P O’connell (Author), Esther Wane, TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

[Russian] - Помещичья Россия

Этот текст был опубликован под названием «Старые усадьбы. Очерки русского искусства и быта» больше ста лет назад - в 1910 году. Последующие десятилетия катком прошлись по помещичьей России. Из остатков былого великолепия, которое ещё застал автор, сохранилось немногое — что-то разрушено, что-то перестроено, но что-то в последнее время и возрождается. Мы не будем рассказывать, сохранилась или нет та или иная усадьба к 20-м годам XXI века и в каком она состоянии, да и от комментариев текста того давнего издания воздержимся. Просто будем слушать Николая Николаевича Врангеля — поэта и историка искусств, который летом 1909 года объехал 25 помещичьих усадеб по всей России и написал эту статью. Содержание: Несколько слов от студии АРДИС Помещичья Россия Усадьбы и их обитатели Убранство комнат и любимые предметы Искусство крепостных В былое время Развал Остатки прошлого

николай врангель (Author), наталья домерецкая (Narrator)

Audiobook

Retribution

The moment the SAM 7 missile left its launch tube, the political solution to end the Rhodesian bush war faltered. After thirteen long years, the brutal bush war had escalated as the protagonists crystallised their opposing beliefs drawing the country and its people towards the precipice of despair. Compassion, decency and sentimentality had no place there. The innocent civilians caught in the middle were the true victims. A premeditated act of terrorism, taking only a few minutes to execute, brought down a civilian passenger plane. It triggered a series of dramatic and fateful events for retribution to be exacted on the guerrilla forces. But to what end?

John Frame (Author), John Delino Ziegler Jr. (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Robe: A BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisation

A full-cast dramatisation of the bestselling Biblical adventure story by Lloyd C. Douglas Weary of governing, the half-crazed Emperor Tiberius retreats to Capri, leaving his loathsome stepson, Prince Gaius, in charge of an increasingly corrupt Rome. Few dare speak out against him – so when young tribune Marcellus Gallio insults him at a banquet, he is sent away on a punishment posting to a remote hill-fort in Palestine. On arrival, he is invited to take a detachment of legionaries to Jerusalem, to help keep order during Passover. But once in the city, he finds himself officiating at the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. To blot out the horror, he gets drunk and takes part in a dice game, where he wins Christ’s robe – but the garment affects him strangely, and he suffers a complete nervous collapse. Accompanied by his faithful slave Demetrius, Marcellus sets out on a journey, hoping to heal his mind and learn more about the man he was ordered to crucify. But will he put himself and everyone he cares about in danger...? Meanwhile, Marcellus’ childhood sweetheart Diana has rushed to Capri to plead with Tiberius to send him back home. But the Emperor has his own plans for his beautiful granddaughter, and will not let her leave. Caught up in a madman’s manoeuvrings, can she escape to freedom? And what fate awaits her if she does? One of the most popular novels of the 1940s, The Robe was No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list for a year, and in 1953, it was made into an Oscar-winning movie starring Richard Burton and Jean Simmons. Adapted for radio in 1987, this epic tale of love, faith and redemption won the Silver Sony Award for Best Dramatisation, and stars Edward de Souza as the Narrator, Anton Lesser as Marcellus, Stuart Organ as Demetrius, Helena Breck as Diana and Annette Crosbie as Empress Julia. Written by Lloyd C. Douglas Dramatised by David Buck ‘Miriam’s Song’ composed by David Timson Directed by Martin Jenkins Cast Narrator/Tiberius – Edward de Souza Marcellus Gallio – Anton Lesser Senator Gallio – Bernard Hepton Demetrius – Stuart Organ Diana – Helena Breck Tuscus – Brian Hewlett Quintus – Christian Rodska Lucia – Susie Brann Tertia – Deborah Makepeace Prince Gaius – Keith Drinkel Marcipor – Manning Wilson Boy – Elizabeth Lindsay Cornelia – Pauline Letts Captain Manius – Sean Arnold Sextus – Henry Stamper Paulus – David Buck Melas – Timothy Bateson Pontius Pilate – John Castle Paula – Rachel Gurney Pilate’s aide/Second soldier – Steven Harrold Dion/Centurion/Groom – Brian Hewlett Chamberlain – Alan Dudley Theodosia – Sue Broomfield Benjamin – Cyril Shaps Justus – John Bennett Philip – Alkis Constantouris Stephanos – David Timson Benyosef – Cyril Luckham Simon Peter/Captain – Anthony Jackson Trader/Prisoner – Tim Reynolds Warder/Drunken soldier/First soldier/Caligula – Jonathan Tafler Miriam – Karen Ascoe Reuben – Clive Swift Naomi – Linda Polan Guard/Sentry – Kim Wall Empress Julia – Annette Crosbie Atreus/Driver/Slave – David Goodland Serving girl – Elaine Claxton Overseer/Sentry – Richard Durden Antonia – Jennifer Piercey Woman/Salome – Sheila Grant Sarpedon – David March First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12 April-17 May 1987 © 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Lloyd C. Douglas (Author), Annette Crosbie, Anton Lesser, Edward De Souza, Full Cast, Helena Breck, Stuart Organ (Narrator)

Audiobook

Historical Fiction Audiobooks in Fiction & Literature