Audiobooks narrated by Ben Miles

A Memoir of My Former Self: A Life in Writing

A Memoir of My Former Self reveals the shape of Hilary Mantel's life in her own dazzling words, narrated by a prestigious cast of actors and notable literary figures connected to Hilary's work. From her unique childhood to her all-consuming fascination with Thomas Cromwell that grew into the Wolf Hall Trilogy, Hilary Mantel had a celebrated career as a novelist. Alongside this, she long contributed to newspapers and journals, unspooling stories from her own life and illuminating the world as she found it. This strand of Hilary's writing was an integral part of how she thought of herself. 'Ink is a generative fluid,' she explains. 'If you don't mean your words to breed consequences, don't write at all.' A Memoir of My Former Self collects the finest of this writing over four decades. Mantel's subjects are wide-ranging. She discusses nationalism and her own sense of belonging; our dream life flopping into our conscious life; the mythic legacy of Princess Diana; the many themes that feed into her novels - revolutionary France, psychics, Tudor England - and other novelists, from Jane Austen to V. S. Naipaul. She writes about her father and the man who replaced him; she writes fiercely and heartbreakingly about the battles with her health she endured as a young woman, and the stifling years she found herself living in Saudi Arabia. Here, too, is a selection of her film reviews - from When Harry Met Sally to RoboCop - and, published for the first time, her stunning Reith Lectures, which explore the process of art bringing history and the dead back to life. Compelling, often very funny, always luminous, it is essential listening from one of our greatest writers. Voiced by Ben Miles, Lydia Leonard and Aurora Dawson-Hunte; all of whom have featured in stage adaptions of Hilary's work. With contributions from actress Jane Wymark, narrator of Hilary's memoir Giving up the Ghost. Readings from authors Anne Enright; the first Laureate for Irish Fiction and winner of the 2007 Booker Prize, and Sarah Waters; British Book Award Author of the Year and two-time Booker Prize nominee. Joining the cast are Hilary's long-time literary agent Bill Hamilton and her publisher for nearly twenty years, Nicholas Pearson. 'A smart, deft, meticulous, thoughtful writer, with such a grasp of the dark and spidery corners of human nature' - Margaret Atwood

Hilary Mantel (Author), Anne Enright, Aurora Dawson Hunte, Ben Miles, Bill Hamilton, Jane Wymark, Lydia Leonard, Nicholas Pearson, Sarah Waters (Narrator)

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The Evelyn Waugh BBC Radio Drama Collection: Decline and Fall, Brideshead Revisited and other full-c

Evelyn Waugh is one of the pre-eminent English novelists of the 20th Century. This collection comprises six of his finest works, dramatised by award-winning writer Jeremy Front. Decline and Fall Paul Pennyfeather, an earnest, scholarly Oxford student, knows nothing of 1920's high-life – until one night he encounters The Bollinger Club... This darkly comic romp set in the early Jazz Age stars Kieran Hodgson, John Sessions, Emilia Fox and Tom Hollander. Brideshead Revisited During the Second World War, a disillusioned Captain Charles Ryder finds himself posted to Brideshead Castle: the scene of the happiest years of his life and the beginnings of his friendship with Sebastian Flyte. A classic tale of life, love and a forgotten era, starring Ben Miles, Jamie Bamber, Anne-Marie Duff and Toby Jones. Scoop Hapless journalist William Boot is mistakenly sent to report on a war in Africa, where he finds love and ends up in the middle of a revolution... Waugh’s celebrated satire of newspaper life stars Rory Kinnear and Tim McInnerny. Sword of Honour (The Waugh Trilogy) This three-part dramatisation of Waugh’s satirical masterpiece follows the comic adventures of Guy Crouchbank during World War II. In Men at Arms, Guy is scarred by a broken marriage and searching for a purpose to live. When war breaks out, he feels he may have at last found a cause worth fighting for. Officers and Gentlemen sees Guy sent home in disgrace following a misbegotten raid in Dakar. But his next posting takes him somewhere totally unexpected… In Unconditional Surrender, Guy is beginning to lose his idealism about the war – but his military career is revived with selection for a mission to Italy. Winner of Best Audio Drama (Adaptation) at the 2014 BBC Audio Drama Awards, this moving trilogy stars Paul Ready as Guy with Tim McInnerny as the Narrator, Tim Pigott-Smith as Brigadier Ritchie-Hook, Lee Ingleby as Trimmer and Lydia Leonard as Virginia. Text copyright © Evelyn Waugh 1928 (Decline and Fall), 1938 (Scoop), 1945 (Brideshead Revisited), 1952 (Men at Arms), 1955 (Officers and Gentlemen), 1961 (Unconditional Surrender). All rights reserved. Dramatised by Jeremy Front First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 27 October-10 November 2013

Evelyn Waugh, Jeremy Front (Author), Anne-Marie Duff, Ben Miles, Emilia Fox, Kieran Hodgson, Paul Ready, Rory Kinnear, Tim Mcinnerny, Toby Jones, Tom Hollander (Narrator)

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Bring Up the Bodies

Listen to the exciting new rendition of Bring Up the Bodies, read by Ben Miles who was personally cast by the author and played Thomas Cromwell in the Royal Shakespeare Company adaptation of Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies. With an historic win for Bring Up the Bodies, the second book in the gripping Thomas Cromwell Trilogy, Hilary Mantel becomes the first British author to be awarded two Man Booker Prizes. Winner of the Man Booker Prize. Winner of the Costa Book of the Year. By 1535 Thomas Cromwell is Chief Minister to Henry VIII, his fortunes having risen with those of Anne Boleyn, the king's new wife. But Anne has failed to give the king an heir, and Cromwell watches as Henry falls for plain Jane Seymour. Cromwell must find a solution that will satisfy Henry, safeguard the nation and secure his own career. But neither minister nor king will emerge unscathed from the bloody theatre of Anne's final days. An astounding literary accomplishment, Bring Up the Bodies is the story of this most terrifying moment of history, by one of our greatest living novelists. 'Simply exceptional...I envy anyone who hasn't yet read it.' DAILY MAIL 'A gripping story of tumbling fury and terror.' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY

Hilary Mantel (Author), Ben Miles (Narrator)

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Wolf Hall

Listen to the exciting new rendition of Wolf Hall, read by Ben Miles who was personally cast by the author and played Thomas Cromwell in the Royal Shakespeare Company adaptation of Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies. The winner of the Man Booker Prize and captivating first book in the Thomas Cromwell trilogy. Winner of the Man Booker Prize. Shortlisted for the Orange Prize. Shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award. England, the 1520s. Henry VIII is on the throne, but has no heir. Cardinal Wolsey is his chief advisor, charged with securing the divorce the pope refuses to grant. Into this atmosphere of distrust and need comes Thomas Cromwell, first as Wolsey's clerk, and later his successor. Cromwell is a wholly original man: the son of a brutal blacksmith, a political genius, a briber, a charmer, a bully, a man with a delicate and deadly expertise in manipulating people and events. Ruthless in pursuit of his own interests, he is as ambitious in his wider politics as he is for himself. His reforming agenda is carried out in the grip of a self-interested parliament and a king who fluctuates between romantic passions and murderous rages. From one of our finest living writers, Wolf Hall is that very rare thing: a truly great English novel, one that explores the intersection of individual psychology and wider politics. With a vast array of characters, and richly overflowing with incident, it peels back history to show us Tudor England as a half-made society, moulding itself with great passion and suffering and courage. 'Dizzyingly, dazzlingly good.' DAILY MAIL 'Our most brilliant English writer.' GUARDIAN Shortlisted for the Golden Man Booker Prize.

Hilary Mantel (Author), Ben Miles (Narrator)

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The Edith Wharton BBC Radio Drama Collection

BBC radio productions of classic works by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edith Wharton – plus two bonus documentaries American author Edith Wharton is renowned for her merciless satires of marriage and money, set in the upper-class milieu into which she was born. Included here are a superb selection of her novels, short stories and plays, recorded for BBC Radio – as well as two programmes exploring her life and work. The House of Mirth – Bewitching socialite Lily Bart is hunting for a wealthy husband – but time is running out… Starring June Barrie, Carole Mowlam and Keith Alexander. Madame de Treymes – John Durham's fight for the woman he loves sparks a confrontation with a powerful and devious French family. Starring Anna Massey and Philip Voss. The Reef – Jodhi May, Sian Thomas and Ben Miles star in Edith Wharton’s neglected classic following the complicated love lives of four Americans in France. The Age of Innocence – Recently engaged Newland Archer is drawn to his fiancee's cousin, the exotic, independent Countess Ellen Olenska. Starring Eleanor Bron, Ryan McCluskey and Susan Lynch. The Custom of the Country– Beautiful Undine Spragg arrives in New York, setting her sights on Ralph Marvell. But will he live up to her expectations? Starring Rebecca Night, Dan Stevens and Tom Hollander. Ethan Frome – Trapped in an unhappy marriage, Ethan Frome becomes obsessed with his wife's cousin. Dominic Mafham, Jessica Raine and Laurel Lefkow star in this tragic love story set in rural Massachusetts. The Shadow of a Doubt – Former nurse Kate Derwent carries a terrible secret. Phoebe Fox, Francesca Annis and Paul Ready star in this newly-discovered play from 1901. Great Lives: Edith Wharton – Naomi Wolf joins presenter Matthew Paris to talk about Wharton and her work. In Our Time: Edith Wharton – Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Wharton’s novels of America’s Gilded Age. First published 1901 (The Shadow of a Doubt), 1903 (‘The Dilettante’), 1905 (The House of Mirth), 1907 (Madame de Treymes), 1910 (‘Afterward’), 1911 (Ethan Frome), 1912 (The Reef), 1913 (The Custom of the Country), 1920 (The Age of Innocence) Cast and credits Written by Edith Wharton The House of Mirth Narrator – June Barrie Lily Bart – Carole Mowlam Lawrence Selden – Keith Alexander Simon Rosedale – Alexander John Mrs Bertha Dorset – Anne-Marie Davies Judy Trenor – Roberta Hamond Mr Hudson Bart/Van Allstyne– Barry Dennen Mrs Hudson Bart – Jennie Lee Poleworth – Haydn Andrews Percy Gryce – Arril Johnson George Dorset – Paul Maxwell Jack Stepney – Stuart Milligan Carry Fisher – Zhivila Roche Gwen Van Osburgh – Jean Baird Gus Trenor – John Church Gerty Farish – Celia Bannerman Mrs Van Osburgh – Tucker McGuire Mrs Haffen – Thomasine Heiner Mrs Peniston – Margot Lawrence Grace Stepney – Kate Lock Mrs Wellington Bry – Pat Field Ned Silverton/Mr Wellington Bry – Graham Faulkner Lord Hubert – Anthony Hyde Duchess – Pauline Letts Mattie Gormer – Jayne Lloyd Miss Kilroy/Nettie – Judith Morse Miss Haines/Kathleen – Janene Possell Dramatised by Eileen Cullen Directed by Brian Miller First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 21 March-18 April 1981 Madame de Treymes Narrator – Valerie Sarruf Christiane de Treymes – Anna Massey John Durham – Philip Voss Fanny de Malrive – Gwen Humble Mrs Humble – Auriol Smith Nanny – Jane Whittenshaw Katey – Tara Dominick Bessie Boykin – Elizabeth Kelly Elmer Boykin – James Greene Dramatised by John Peacock Directed by Jane Morgan First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 7 September 1990 The Reef Narrator – Sian Thomas George Darrow – Ben Miles Anna – Teresa Gallagher Sophie – Jodhi May Owen – Julian Ovenden Adelaide/Laura – Debora Weston Dramatised by Penny Leicester Produced by Di Speirs First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 27 June-8 July 2005 The Age of Innocence Newland – Ryan McCluskey Ellen– Susan Lynch May – Kellie Bright Catherine – Eleanor Bron Augusta – Lorelei King Adeline – Barbara Barnes Jane– Sarah Goldberg Sillerton – Kerry Shale Julius – Conrad Nelson Lawrence – Martin T Sherman Medora – Margaret Robertson Ned – John Guerrasio Dramatised by Jane Rogers Produced by Nadia Molinari First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6-13 January 2008 The Custom of the Country Undine Spragg – Rebecca Night Mrs Spragg – Barbara Barnes Mrs Heeny – Lorelei King Abner Spragg/Popple – Jonathan Keeble Peter Van Degen – William Houston Mr Dagonet – Paul McCleary Laura Fairford/Princess Estradina – Provence Maydew Elmer Moffatt – Tom Hollander Ralph Marvell – Dan Stevens Mabel Lipscombe – Tessa Nicholson Clare Van Degen – Lucy Gaskell Raymond de Chelles – Joseph Kloska Marquise de Chelles – Olwen May Paul – Daniel Rogers Dramatised by Jane Rogers Produced by Nadia Molinari First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 3-17 January 2010 Ethan Frome Ethan Frome – Dominic Mafham Mattie – Jessica Raine Zeena – Laurel Lefkow Denis Eady –Christopher Webster Post Mistress – Adjoa Andoh Andrew Hale – Paul Moriarty Edith Wharton – Fenella Woolgar Jotham Powell – Adam Billington Denis Eady – Christopher Webster Widow Homan – Victoria Inez Hardy Mrs Hale – Tracy Wiles Dramatised by Lin Coghlan Produced by Sally Avens First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 16-20 January 2012 The Shadow of a Doubt Kate Derwent – Phoebe Fox John Derwent – Paul Ready Sylvia Derwent – Rosie Boore Lord Osterleigh – David Horovitch Lady Uske – Francesca Annis Dr Carruthers – Don Gilet Clodagh Nevil – Alexandra Constantinidi Bobby Mazaret – Cameron Percival Footman – Lewis Bray Mrs Fullerton – Emma Handy Introduced by Laura Rattray, Reader in American Studies, University of Glasgow Dramatised by Melissa Murray Directed by Emma Harding First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 28 October 2018 Great Lives: Edith Wharton Presented by Matthew Paris With Naomi Wolf, Janet Beer and Avril Horner Produced by Jolyon Jenkins First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 25 September 2012 In Our Time: Edith Wharton Presented by Melvyn Bragg With Dame Hermione Lee, Bridget Bennett and Laura Rattray Produced by Simon Tillotson First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 4 October 2018

Edith Wharton (Author), Anna Massey, Ben Miles, Dan Stevens, Don Gilet, Eleanor Bron, Jessica Raine, Sian Thomas, Tom Hollander (Narrator)

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The Mirror and the Light

Listen to the long-awaited sequel to Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, the stunning conclusion to Hilary Mantel's Man Booker Prize-winning Thomas Cromwell trilogy. Read by Ben Miles, who played Thomas Cromwell in the Royal Shakespeare Company adaptation of Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies, and was personally cast by the author. This edition includes a bonus conversation between Ben Miles and Hilary Mantel. 'If you cannot speak truth at a beheading, when can you speak it?' England, May 1536. Anne Boleyn is dead, decapitated in the space of a heartbeat by a hired French executioner. As her remains are bundled into oblivion, Thomas Cromwell breakfasts with the victors. The blacksmith's son from Putney emerges from the spring's bloodbath to continue his climb to power and wealth, while his formidable master, Henry VIII, settles to short-lived happiness with his third queen. Cromwell is a man with only his wits to rely on; he has no great family to back him, no private army. Despite rebellion at home, traitors plotting abroad and the threat of invasion testing Henry's regime to breaking point, Cromwell's robust imagination sees a new country in the mirror of the future. But can a nation, or a person, shed the past like a skin? Do the dead continually unbury themselves? What will you do, the Spanish ambassador asks Cromwell, when the king turns on you, as sooner or later he turns on everyone close to him? With The Mirror and the Light, Hilary Mantel brings to a triumphant close the trilogy she began with Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. She traces the final years of Thomas Cromwell, the boy from nowhere who climbs to the heights of power, offering a defining portrait of predator and prey, of a ferocious contest between present and past, between royal will and a common man's vision: of a modern nation making itself through conflict, passion and courage.

Hilary Mantel (Author), Ben Miles (Narrator)

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The Daniel Defoe BBC Radio Drama Collection: Robinson Crusoe, Moll Flanders & A Journal of the Plagu

Three lively retellings of Daniel Defoe's classic novels, plus two bonus programmes about his extraordinary life and far-reaching influence. Robinson Crusoe and his Farther Adventures An imaginative blend of the famous castaway tale and its lesser-known sequel, this thrilling drama sees Crusoe setting sail for the far north. Facing danger in the Siberian wastes, he keeps terror at bay by telling his companions campfire tales of his many adventures on his beloved island. Starring Tim McInnerney as Crusoe. Moll Flanders When Daniel Defoe meets Elizabeth Atkins in Newgate jail, she recounts her stranger-than-fiction story of a rags-to-riches life that took her from prostitution to prosperity - but culminated in destitution. Inspired, Defoe mixes fact and fiction to re-invent her as one of his most engaging characters: Moll Flanders. Starring Ben Miles as Defoe and Jessica Hynes as Elizabeth Atkins. A Journal of the Plague Year Writing a fictional journal of the Great Plague of 1665, Defoe soon comes to be haunted by the characters he is conjuring. Starring Ben Miles as Defoe. This exciting new collection of reinvented tales will also include two bonus programmes about Daniel Defoe himself: Defoe: Merchant, Writer, Convict, Spy by Philip Palmer - A biographical drama about Defoe's life, starring Ben Miles as Defoe and Niamh Cusack as his wife Mary. Defoe: The Facts and Fictions - A documentary by Mark Lawson, exploring the far-reaching influence of the pioneering author.

Daniel Defoe, Philip Palmer (Author), , Ben Miles, Jessica Hynes, Niamh Cusack, Tim Mcinnerny (Narrator)

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The Pallisers: 12 BBC Radio 4 full cast dramatisations

A sweeping radio saga of political intrigue, love affairs, financial wrangles and murder, based on the books by Anthony Trollope, creator of The Barchester Chronicles This epic drama follows several generations of the Palliser dynasty, as they navigate the twists and turns of political and high society in Victorian England. Wealthy aristocrat and politician Plantagenet Palliser and beautiful, spirited Lady Glencora.embark on an arranged marriage, despite her passion for the dashing but debt-ridden Burgo Fitzgerald. As her husband rises through the ranks of government, she becomes a faithful wife and mother - but her children face the same fateful choice between love and duty. Meanwhile, young Irish barrister Phineas Finn is introduced to the temptations of London life when he wins a seat in Parliament. He catches the eye of several society ladies, but fails to win their hearts. Rumours about his love life threaten his political career - and worse trouble is in store for him... Based on the six Palliser novels by Anthony Trollope, this captivating adaptation stars Ben Miles as Plantagenet, Sophie Thompson as Glencora, Conleth Hill as Phineas and David Troughton as the Narrator, with a star cast including Bertie Carvel, Juliet Stevenson, Greg Wise and Rachael Stirling.

Anthony Trollope (Author), , Ben Miles, David Troughton, Full Cast, Sophie Thompson (Narrator)

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The Middle

Clare is the golden middle sister in a family headed by a formidable matriarch, Luca. Clare meets and quickly marries Martin, who falls just as much in love with her fun, sparky family. But Martin makes a mistake and sets in train a series of events which brings the family to its knees. Starring Emma Cunniffe, Ben Miles, Anna Madeley, Eve Matheson, Paola Dionisotti, Nigel Pilkington, Baxter Willis, John Biggins, Piers Wehner and Melissa Advani. Written by Amelia Bullmore. Directed by Mary Peate.

Amelia Bullmore (Author), Anna Madley, Ben Miles, Emma Cunniffe, Full Cast, Nigel Pilkington (Narrator)

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Juliet, Naked

The unabridged, downloadable audiobook of Nick Hornby's touching tale Juliet, Naked, read by Jennifer Wiltsie, Bill Irwin and Ben Miles. Annie's put fifteen years into safe, slightly obsessive Duncan, and now she's like her money back, please. It's time to move on. But she lives in Gooleness, the north's answer to a question nobody asked. Is she really going to find real, proper, fell-it-deep-down-in-your-boots love on a damp and windy seafront? Or perhaps she should follow her heart and pursue Tucker, the reclusive American rock star, who keeps emailing her his smart advice. But between Annie and her second chance lie a few obstacles. There's Malcolm, the world's most judgemental therapist, and Barnesy, the north's most extrovert dancer. There's what men and women will do and won't do for love. And, of course, there's Tucker. . . Hilarious and tender, this bestselling novel will move you in ways both profound and surprising. It's Nick Hornby at his brilliant best. If you like David Nicholls, David Sedaris and Jonathan Coe you will love this book. 'Hornby's best novel to date' Spectator 'Sharply funny, touching' Daily Telegraph 'Pitch-perfect' Observer Nick Hornby has captivated readers and achieved wide critical acclaim for his comic, well-observed novels About a Boy, How to be Good, A Long Way Down (shortlisted for the Whitbread Award), Slam and High Fidelity. His three works of non-fiction, 31 Songs (shortlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award), Fever Pitch (winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award) and The Complete Polysyllabic Spree are also available from Penguin.

Nick Hornby (Author), Ben Miles, Bill Irwin, Jennifer Wiltsie (Narrator)

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Brideshead Revisited

In 1944 Captain Charles Ryder travels with a company of soldiers to Brideshead. He has been there before, and the great house serves as a potent reminder of the decadent, stylish lifestyle now destroyed by the austerity of the Second World War. Charles' mind travels back twenty years to when he was a student at Oxford, in thrall to the captivating, tragic Sebastian Flyte. This friendship leads to his involvement with Sebastian's aristocratic Catholic family - in particular Julia, the eldest Flyte daughter - and has far-reaching effects on his life. Ben Miles stars as Charles Ryder with Jamie Bamber as Sebastian in this full-cast dramatisation, which also features Eleanor Bron and Edward Petherbridge.

Evelyn Waugh (Author), Ben Miles, Full Cast, Jamie Bamber (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Ben Miles