Historical Adventures

The Pillars of the Earth: The Kingsbridge Novels, Book 1

• UNABRIDGED (41 hrs)
• By Ken Follett
• Narrated By John Lee

The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known... of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect - a man divided in his soul... of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame... and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state, and brother against brother.

World Without End: The Kingsbridge Novels, Book 2

• UNABRIDGED (45 hrs and 38 mins)
• By Ken Follett
• Narrated By John Lee
• Whispersync for Voice-ready

On the day after Halloween, in the year 1327, four children slip away from the cathedral city of Kingsbridge. They are a thief, a bully, a boy genius, and a girl who wants to be a doctor. In the forest they see two men killed. As adults, their lives will be braided together by ambition, love, greed and revenge. They will see prosperity and famine, plague and war.

Day of the Caesars: Eagles of the Empire, Book 16

• UNABRIDGED (15 hrs)
• By Simon Scarrow
• Narrated By To Be Announced

AD 55. The Emperor Claudius is dead. Nero rules. His half-brother Britannicus has also laid claim to the throne. A bloody power struggle is underway. All Prefect Cato and Centurion Macro want is a simple army life, fighting with their brave and loyal men. But Cato has caught the eye of rival factions determined to get him on their side. To survive, Cato must play a cunning game and enlist the help of the one man in the empire he can trust: Macro.

Viper's Blood: Master of War, Book 4

• UNABRIDGED (17 hrs and 22 mins)
• By David Gilman
• Narrated By Colin Mace
• Whispersync for Voice-ready

England, 1346. For Thomas Blackstone the choice is easy - dance on the end of a rope for a murder he did not commit, or join the king's invasion. As he fights his way across Northern France, Blackstone learns the brutal lessons of war. Vastly outnumbered, Edward III's army will finally confront the armoured might of the French nobility on the field of Crécy. It is a battle that will change the history of warfare.

A Sparrow Falls: Courtney, Book 3

• ABRIDGED (6 hrs and 6 mins)
• By Wilbur Smith
• Narrated By Tim Pigott-Smith

From the trenches of France, General Sean Courtney comes back to fame, fortune, and a seat in the government. Mark Anders, the courageous young South African whom he has come to regard as his own son, returns to nothing, his grandfather murdered, his property seized by an unknown company. At the bottom of the mystery is Sean's son Dirk, the jealous, violent, and power-crazed genius whose all-consuming hatred can only end in blood.

The Legion: Eagles of the Empire, Book 10

• UNABRIDGED (13 hrs and 18 mins)
• By Simon Scarrow
• Narrated By Jonathan Keeble

The Legion is the action-packed tenth novel in Simon Scarrow's best-selling Eagles of the Empire series. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell and Conn Iggulden. Egypt, AD 49. Cato, one of the youngest Prefects of the Roman army, and Centurion Macro have a tough posting: to track down and destroy a gang of former gladiators who have turned to piracy. Driven by vengeance, these hardened brutes have been defiling temples, sinking Roman ships, and slaughtering men, women and children.

The Flame Bearer: The Last Kingdom Series, Book 10

• UNABRIDGED (10 hrs and 19 mins)
• By Bernard Cornwell
• Narrated By Matt Bates
• Whispersync for Voice-ready

The brand-new novel in Bernard Cornwell's number one best-selling series on the making of England and the fate of his great hero, Uhtred of Bebbanburg. BBC2's major TV show The Last Kingdom is based on the first two novels in the series. From the day it was stolen from me, I had dreamed of recapturing Bebbanburg. The great fort was built on a rock that was almost an island; it was massive, it could be approached only on land by a single narrow track - and it was mine.

Birds of Prey: Courtney 3, Book 1

• ABRIDGED (3 hrs and 41 mins)
• By Wilbur Smith
• Narrated By Martin Shaw

It is 1667, and the mighty naval war between the Dutch and the English still rages. Sir Francis Courteney and his son Hal, in their fighting caravel, are on patrol off southern Africa, lying in wait for a treasure-laden galleon of the Dutch East India Company that is returning from the Orient. They have a letter from Charles II sanctioning them to hunt down and capture enemy ships "beyond the line".

Onslaught: The Centurions II

• UNABRIDGED (14 hrs and 39 mins)
• By Anthony Riches
• Narrated By Mark Noble
• Whispersync for Voice-ready

The author of the best-selling Empire sequence continues his new epic of the uprising of the Batavi in AD 88. The Rhine frontier has exploded into all-out war. Summoned back to their homeland by their new leader, Kivilaz, the Batavi cohorts, so recently proud soldiers of Rome, find their lands transformed. All Roman influences have vanished after a battle in which two legions were humbled by the rebels, then chased away to lick their wounds in their fortress, the Old Camp.

Gallows Thief

• UNABRIDGED (11 hrs and 3 mins)
• By Bernard Cornwell
• Narrated By Jonathan Keeble

1820s Britain: after the wars with France, when unemployment was high and soldiers could be paid off, when the government was desperately afraid of social unrest, any crime was drastically punished and thousands were hung. But one could petition the King and an investigation might ensue…The man in the dark cell in Newgate Prison was due to hang in a week. He had been found guilty of murdering the aristocrat whose portrait he was painting.

Post Captain: Aubrey-Maturin Series, Book 2

• UNABRIDGED (18 hrs and 40 mins)
• By Patrick O'Brian
• Narrated By Ric Jerrom
• Whispersync for Voice-ready

This tale begins with Jack Aubrey arriving home from his exploits in the Mediterranean to find England at peace following the Treaty of Amiens. He and his friend Stephen Maturin, surgeon and secret agent, begin to live the lives of country gentlemen, hunting, entertaining, and enjoying amorous adventures. Their comfortable existence, however, is cut short when Jack is overnight reduced to a pauper with enough debts to keep him in prison for life. He flees to the continent to seek refuge.

Flying Colours

• UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 8 mins)
• By C. S. Forester
• Narrated By Christian Rodska

Hornblower becomes a national hero when he escapes a French firing squad. But the 'Terror of the Mediterranean' becomes Europe's most wanted man, forced to fight alone for England - and liberty.

EMPEROR: The Gods of War, Book 4 (Unabridged)

• UNABRIDGED (15 hrs and 21 mins)
• By Conn Iggulden
• Narrated By Paul Blake
• Whispersync for Voice-ready

The fourth volume in the acclaimed Emperor series, in which Conn Iggulden interweaves history and adventure to recreate the astonishing life of Julius Caesar - an epic tale of ambition and rivalry, bravery and betrayal.

Empire of Silver

• UNABRIDGED (13 hrs and 36 mins)
• By Conn Iggulden
• Narrated By Stephen Thorne
• Whispersync for Voice-ready

The eagerly awaited 4th novel in the bestselling Conqueror series, continuing the life and adventures of the mighty Khan dynasty. Genghis Khan is dead, but his legend and his legacy live on. His son Ogedai has built a white city on a great plain and made a capital for the new nation. Now the armies have gathered to see which of Genghis' sons has the strength to be khan.

River God: Ancient Egyptian, Book 1

• ABRIDGED (5 hrs and 46 mins)
• By Wilbur Smith
• Narrated By Robert Powell

Danger surounds all those who oppose the ruling elite. But Taita, a wise and formidably gifted enunch slave, begins the dangerous journey towards his glorious dream: to restore the majesty of the Pharaoh of Pharaohs on the glittering banks of the nile.

H.M.S. Surprise: Aubrey-Maturin Series, Book 3

• UNABRIDGED (15 hrs and 5 mins)
• By Patrick O'Brian
• Narrated By Ric Jerrom
• Whispersync for Voice-ready

H.M.S. Surprise, the third in O'Brian's acclaimed Aubrey-Maturin series, follows the variable fortunes of Captain Jack Aubrey's career in Nelson's navy, as he attempts to hold his ground against admirals, colleagues, and the enemy, and accepts a commission to convey a British ambassador to the East Indies. The voyage leads him and his friend Stephen Maturin to the strange sights and smells of the Indian subcontinent, and through the archipelago of Spice Islands where the French have a near-overwhelming local superiority.

The Generals: Wellington and Napoleon 2

• UNABRIDGED (21 hrs and 15 mins)
• By Simon Scarrow
• Narrated By Jonathan Keeble
• Whispersync for Voice-ready

The Generals is the compelling second novel in Simon Scarrow's best-selling Wellington and Napoleon quartet. In the turbulent aftermath of the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte stands accused of treachery and corruption. His reputation is saved by his skill in leading his men to victory in Italy and Egypt. But then he must restore order in France and find peace or victory over her enemies: England and Arthur Wellesley (the future Duke of Wellington).

The Pale Horseman: The Last Kingdom Series, Book 2

• ABRIDGED (5 hrs and 35 mins)
• By Bernard Cornwell
• Narrated By Jamie Glover

The Pale Horseman is the compelling sequel to the best-selling The Last Kingdom. Uhtred, Northumbrian born, raised a Viking and now married to a Saxon, is already a formidable figure and warrior. But at 20 he is still arrogant, pagan, and headstrong, so not a comfortable ally for the thoughtful, pious Alfred. But these two, with Alfred's family and a few of Uhtred's companions, are apparently all that remains of the Wessex leadership after a disastrous truce.

The Gladiator: Eagles of the Empire, Book 9

• UNABRIDGED (13 hrs and 35 mins)
• By Simon Scarrow
• Narrated By Jonathan Keeble
• Whispersync for Voice-ready

The Gladiator is the compelling ninth novel in Simon Scarrow's best-selling Eagles of the Empire series. A must read for fans of Bernard Cornwell. While centurions Macro and Cato are returning to Rome from a harrowing campaign against the Parthians, their transport ship is almost capsized by a tidal wave. They barely make it to the port of Matala in Crete where they are stunned to find a devastated town. An earthquake has struck the island, destroying its cities and killing thousands.

Hannibal: Enemy of Rome: Hannibal 1

• UNABRIDGED (19 hrs and 40 mins)
• By Ben Kane
• Narrated By Michael Praed
• Whispersync for Voice-ready

In the First Punic War, the Roman legions defeated and humiliated Carthage, their only serious rival for power in the Mediterranean. Now a brilliant young Carthaginian general, called Hannibal, is out for revenge. Caught up in the maelstrom are two young boys, Hanno, the son of a distinguished soldier and confidant of Hannibal, and Quintus, son of a Roman equestrian and landowner. A disastrous adventure will see Hanno sold into slavery and bought by Quintus's father.

Onslaught: The Centurions II

• UNABRIDGED (14 hrs and 39 mins)
• By Anthony Riches
• Narrated By Mark Noble
• Whispersync for Voice-ready

The author of the best-selling Empire sequence continues his new epic of the uprising of the Batavi in AD 88. The Rhine frontier has exploded into all-out war. Summoned back to their homeland by their new leader, Kivilaz, the Batavi cohorts, so recently proud soldiers of Rome, find their lands transformed. All Roman influences have vanished after a battle in which two legions were humbled by the rebels, then chased away to lick their wounds in their fortress, the Old Camp.

The Wild Bunch

• UNABRIDGED (7 hrs and 52 mins)
• By Dane Coolidge
• Narrated By Robert G. Slade

When a dangerous encounter sees Ab Meadows mistaken for train-robbing Butch Brennan, Meadows must convince Sheriff Baca he isn't Brennan, even though he carries stolen gold and is riding Brennan's horse....

Wanted Men

• UNABRIDGED (5 hrs and 38 mins)
• By Walt Coburn
• Narrated By Robert G. Slade
• Whispersync for Voice-ready

In this Western duo, there is one million dollars' worth of gold bullion to be found, and a youth lands himself in a dangerous web of double-crossing between lawmen and outlaws.

The Man Who Would Be King

• UNABRIDGED (1 hr and 21 mins)
• By Rudyard Kipling
• Narrated By Felbrigg Napoleon Herriot
• Whispersync for Voice-ready

Two adventurers approach a journalist looking for help, they want plans, maps, and information about the mysterious Kafiristan. They have an audacious plan to carve themselves a kingdom in its mountainous terrain. Two men, versus an entire nation.

The White Bird

• UNABRIDGED (6 hrs and 53 mins)
• By Lauran Paine
• Narrated By Jeff Harding

Though elderly buffalo hunter Sam Sloan doesn't know it when he sets out on his quest for a spirit vision and a final resting place, something is drawing him towards a fateful meeting - a meeting with his destiny.

The Legend of Sotoju Mountain

• UNABRIDGED (6 hrs and 44 mins)
• By Will Henry
• Narrated By Jeff Harding

In the title story of this trio, a young brave must find and defeat Mato Sapa, the giant black grizzly bear of Sotoju Mountain, whilst small bands of Oglala Sioux are heading to Canada, and the Apache Kid must rescue his beloved Apache maiden.

Sword of State: The Wielding

• UNABRIDGED (8 hrs and 54 mins)
• By Richard Woodman
• Narrated By Peter Noble
• Whispersync for Voice-ready

1659. Lord General George Monck has set up camp on the Scottish border with his loyal army. He has plans to retire, to spend the rest of his years on his estates with his wife, Anne, and son, Kit. But the changing political climate forces him to march his army south to the capital. In the Rump of the Long Parliament, the case is being made for an end to the Commonwealth and for the Restoration of the Monarchy. When the Monarchy is restored, there is never a quiet moment for Monck.

The Voyage of the James Caird

• UNABRIDGED (51 mins)
• By Ernest Shackleton
• Narrated By Cathy Dobson

Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (1874 - 1922) was a polar explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic. 'The Voyage of the James Caird' is the story of Shackleton's 1916 failed attempt at a crossing of Antarctica from sea to sea via the pole. The expedition turned to disaster when Shackleton's ship, Endurance, became trapped in pack ice and was slowly crushed. The crew escaped by camping on the sea ice until it disintegrated, then by launching the lifeboats to reach Elephant Island.