Audiobooks by Andrew Martin

On the World Around Us: 25 Explorations of Britain, Past and Present

Andrew Martin reflects on Britain's customs, attitudes and social and supernatural phenomena in these six BBC Radio series Drawn from Radio 3's The Essay strand and presented by journalist and award-winning author Andrew Martin, this beguiling collection brings together his witty, Alan Bennett-esque observations on England's disappearing pastimes, rituals and beliefs. Yorkshire sees him musing on the county of his birth and upbringing, as he considers his 'Tyke' identity and the ancient rivalry between Yorkshire and Lancashire; chews over questions of class in 'God's Own County'; ponders its past and future; and recalls the coastal jaunts of his youth. In Hanging On, Martin celebrates five aspects of British life that are still with us - just, as he raises a toast to the boating pond; the ventriloquist's doll; the telephone; the milkman and sex shops. The Lost Hours memorialises the staging posts of the day that are gradually fading away, such as elevenses and the cocktail hour; while England Ejects explores the inclinations and habits that no longer seem so vital nowadays, including modesty, gentility and Sunday church-going. The Further Realm sees Martin contemplating whether he believes in ghosts; reflecting on mediaeval and modern sightings and telling tales of the undead from resonant times of the year. Finally, in The Sound and the Fury, he discusses the noises that annoy us, from piped music to public transport announcements, asking 'how do we cope with jarring sounds in our world today, and could we live without the daily cacophony?' Quirky and engaging, these delightfully entertaining essays will give you a whole new perspective on the modern world - and the world beyond. Production credits Produced by Duncan Minshull (Yorkshire, Hanging On, England Ejects, The Further Realm, The Sound and the Fury) and Karen Holden (The Lost Hours) First broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on the following dates: 23-27 January 2012 (The Sound and the Fury), 27-31 January 2014 (England Ejects), 26-30 October 2015 (The Further Realm), 17-21 April 2017 (Hanging On), 21-25 January 2019 (Yorkshire), 25-29 October 2021 (The Lost Hours) © 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Andrew Martin (Author), Andrew Martin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Steam Trains Today: Riding the Heritage Railways of Britain

After the Beeching cuts of the 1960s, many railways were 'rationalised' and gradually shut down. Rural communities were isolated without ready access to the main lines and steam trains slowly gave way to diesel and electric traction. But some people were not prepared to let the romance of train travel die. Thanks to their efforts, many of these lines passed into community ownership and are now booming with new armies of dedicated volunteers. Andrew Martin goes out to meet these enthusiasts and find out just what it is about preserved railways which makes people so devoted. From the inspiration for Thomas the Tank Engine to John Betjeman's battle against encroaching modernity, Steam Trains Today is a wonderful journey across Britain.

Andrew Martin (Author), Andrew Martin (Narrator)

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Father Paolo Baldi Mysteries: The Complete BBC Radio Crime series

The complete series 1-5 of the thrilling mystery series. On sabbatical from the Franciscan order, Father Paolo Baldi is working as a philosophy lecturer in Dublin when his life takes an unexpected turn and he finds himself helping the police to solve crimes. Along with Tina, Paolo uncovers the truth behind the killings of several rockabilly band members, a high-profile case of a police officer’s murder, as well as delving into the highly competitive world of celebrity chefs. He also exposing a rift in a community of environmental activists, enters the world of romantic poetry to solve a suspected suicide, investigates the killing of a politically-incorrect figurehead, and finds that the death of a homeless man is not as simple as it appears. Follow the priest-cum-sleuth’s thrilling adventures as he solves mysteries throughout Ireland. David Threlfall, Tina Kellegher and T.P. McKenna star in this exciting series written by Simon Brett, Bill Murphy, Andrew Martin, Martin Meenan, John Murphy and Francis Turnly in the series created by Barry Devlin.

Andrew Martin, Bill Murphy, Francis Turnly, John Murphy, Martin Meehan, Simon Brett (Author), Adrian Dunbar, Bill Nighy, David Threlfall, Geraldine James, Martin Clunes, Tina Kellegher (Narrator)

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Early Work: A Novel

Andrew Martin's serio-comic debut audiobook, Early Work, follows an aspirational author desperately seeking his muse in all the wrong places-only to find it in an adventurous woman with a unique perspective on life and love. For young writers of a certain temperament-if they haven't had such notions beaten out of them by MFA programs and the Internet-the delusion persists that great writing must be sought in what W. B. Yeats once called the "foul rag and bone shop of the heart." That's where Peter Cunningham has been looking for inspiration for his novel-that is, when he isn't teaching at the local women's prison, walking his dog, getting high, and wondering whether it's time to tie the knot with his college girlfriend, a medical student whose night shifts have become a standing rebuke to his own lack of direction. When Peter meets Leslie, a sexual adventurer taking a break from her fiancé, he gets a glimpse of what he wishes and imagines himself to be: a writer of talent and nerve. Her rag-and-bone shop may be as squalid as his own, but at least she knows her way around the shelves. Over the course of a Virginia summer, their charged, increasingly intimate friendship opens the door to difficult questions about love and literary ambition. With keen irony and a wide romantic streak, Andrew Martin's Early Work marks the debut of a writer as funny and attentive as any of his generation.

Andrew Martin (Author), Dan Bittner (Narrator)

Audiobook

Night Trains

In Night Trains, Andrew Martin attempts to relive the golden age of the great European sleeper trains by using their modern-day equivalents. This is no simple matter. The night trains have fallen on hard times, and the services are disappearing. Whether the backdrop is 3a.m. at a Turkish customs post, the sun rising over the Riviera, or the constant twilight of a Norwegian summer night, Martin rediscovers the pleasures of a continent connected by rail. By tracing the history of the sleeper trains, he reveals much of the recent history of Europe. Against this tumultuous backdrop, he experiences his own smaller dramas, as he ponders the mystery of the compartment dog, and becomes embroiled in his very own night train whodunit.

Andrew Martin (Author), Andrew Martin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Belles and Whistles: Journeys Through Time on Britain's Trains

In the heroic days of rail travel, you could dine on kippers and champagne aboard the Brighton Belle; smoke a post-prandial cigar as the Golden Arrow approached Paris, or be shaved by the Flying Scotsman's on-board barber. Everyone from schoolboys to socialites knew of these glamorous trains. Andrew Martin recreates famous train journeys by travelling aboard their nearest modern day equivalents, describing the disappearance of the extravagance and luxury.

Andrew Martin (Author), Gordon Griffin (Narrator)

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