Audiobooks by Nicholas Shakespeare

Frame 37: The gripping political thriller from a prizewinning author

"Brought to you by Penguin. In a world of lies, proof is power John Dyer is living a quiet life when he receives a call that changes everything: an old university friend, Lia, has been killed. Decades have passed since his last heartbreaking conversation with her, but Dyer finds himself driven to investigate. What Dyer uncovers puts him in the path of a political conspiracy with one man at its heart. A man who forty years ago committed a crime witnessed by just four people. When another of the witnesses dies in suspicious circumstances, Dyer finds himself in danger of his life. To combat the forces arrayed against him, he needs incontrovertible proof – but will he find it in time? As Dyer chases his leads from Tasmania to Argentina and finally to Michigan, where it all began, he unwittingly pits himself against an adversary more powerful than he could have imagined, in a race as heartstopping as tomorrow’s headlines. PRAISE FOR NICHOLAS SHAKESPEARE: 'A remarkable contemporary thriller... A triumph' William Boyd 'An absorbing thriller with shades of John le Carré' Evening Standard 'One of our best and truest novelists' The Times 'Exciting... A page-turner' Daily Telegraph ‘Wonderfully well written... with an insidious escalation of menace, and paranoia that fairly shimmers off the pages’ Guardian © Nicholas Shakespeare 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026"

Nicholas Shakespeare (Author), David Bark-Jones (Narrator)

Audiobook

Ian Fleming: The Complete Man

"Brought to you by Penguin. A fresh portrait of the man behind James Bond, and his enduring impact, by an award-winning biographer with unprecedented access to the Fleming Archive. Ian Fleming's greatest creation, James Bond, has had an enormous impact on our culture. What Bond represents about ideas of masculinity, the British national psyche, and global politics has shifted over time, as has the interpretation of the life of his author. But Fleming himself was more mysterious and subtle than anything he wrote. His childhood with his gifted brother Peter and his extraordinary mother set the pattern for Fleming's ambition to be 'the complete man' and he would search for the means to achieve this 'completeness' all his life. Only a writer for his last twelve years, his dramatic personal life and impressive career before this put him at the heart of critical moments in world history, while also providing rich material for his fiction. A pivotal figure in the Second World War, Fleming's work on covert naval operations was hugely significant. He also acted as a vital bridge between Britain and America, pursuing this relationship into the Cold War in his later work as a journalist. Widely travelled and incredibly well-connected, from Communist Russia to his beloved Jamaica, Fleming had access to the most powerful political figures at a time of extraordinary change. Nicholas Shakespeare is one of the most gifted biographers working today. His talent for uncovering material that casts new light on his subjects is fully evident in this masterful, definitive biography. His unprecedented access to the Fleming archives and his nose for a story make this a fresh and eye-opening picture of a man who lived his life in the shadow of his famous creation. ©2023 Nicholas Shakespeare (P)2023 Penguin Audio"

Nicholas Shakespeare (Author), Jonathan Keeble (Narrator)

Audiobook

Writers on Walks: A BBC Radio 3 Collection: 30 Reflections from Exploring on Foot

"22 writers talk about their memorable excursions and the act of walking, and share their creative observations In these six series, taken from BBC Radio 3's The Essay, an array of novelists, poets, journalists and biographers chart the varied and inspiring walks they have taken around Britain and elsewhere. Here are treks taken at daybreak and after dark; in winter and in spring; in the footsteps of the past; and - in the case of Robert Macfarlane - along the ridges of the South Downs. Dawnwalks and Night Walks find Nicholas Shakespeare, Nicola Barker, Kamila Shamsie, Ian Sansom, Lucy Hughes-Hallett, Owen Sheers, Janice Galloway and John Walsh taking early morning and late-night strolls around locations ranging from their back garden and local cemetery to Manhattan, Paris, Tasmania and the Antarctic. Springwalks and Winterwalks feature Michele Roberts, Ross Raisin, John Walsh, Kirsty Gunn, Philip Hoare, Deborah Levy, Christopher Hope, Scarlett Thomas, Erica Wagner and Owen Sheers, as they sample the transforming qualities of spring and the wonders of winter. From Poland and the Languedoc to Hampstead Heath and the Yorkshire Wolds, they delight in the details of the landscape and reflect on what it means to them. Strange Strolls sees Jenn Ashworth, Michael Donkor, Stephanie Victoire, Nat Segnit and Sophie Coulombeau embarking on walks of entertaining eccentricity, revisiting favourite places including Wandsworth Bridge, the Blue Ridge mountains of Appalachia and Ibiza. And in A Five-Day Journey, Robert Macfarlane walks the length of the South Downs in monsoon rain and in sunshine, discovering its chalk trails and its ghosts. He ponders the relationship between paths and stories; explores the poet Edward Thomas' love affair with tracks; considers the concept of the Aboriginal Australian songline; re-imagines the life of artist Eric Ravilious; and contemplates the sometimes eerie relationship between walking, collecting and creation. Intimate, evocative and immersive, these 30 uplifting programmes transport us to a wealth of wonderful places, and offer fascinating personal insight into the inner worlds of our walker-writers. Production credits Produced by Duncan Minshull, Ciaran Bermingham and Tim Dee First broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on the following dates: Dawnwalks Nicholas Shakespeare 28 March 2016 Nicola Barker 29 March 2016 Kamila Shamsie 30 March 2016 Ian Sansom 31 March 2016 Lucy Hughes-Hallett 1 April 2016 Night Walks Nicholas Shakespeare 27 October 2008 Owen Sheers 28 October 2008 Janice Galloway 29 October 2008 Kamila Shamsie 30 October 2008 John Walsh 31 October 2008 Springwalks Michele Roberts in Poznan 31 March 2014 Ross Raisin in the Yorkshire Wolds 1 April 2014 John Walsh 2 April 2014 Kirsty Gunn in Sutherland 3 April 2014 Philip Hoare in Sholing 4 April 2014 Winterwalks Deborah Levy on Hampstead Heath 18 February 2013 Christopher Hope in Languedoc 19 February 2013 Scarlett Thomas 20 February 2013 Erica Wagner 21 February 2013 Owen Sheers in Poland 22 February 2013 Strange Strolls Jenn Ashworth - The Abiding Mental Riches of Preston 10 February 2020 Michael Donkor - On Westminster Bridge 11 February 2020 Stephanie Victoire - Dark Hollow Falls 12 February 2020 Nat Segnit - The Other Ibiza 13 February 2020 Sophie Coulombeau - Walking Matilda 14 February 2020 A Five-Day Journey Marking 2 November 2009 Haunting 3 November 2009 Singing 4 November 2009 Flying 5 November 2009 Collecting 6 November 2009 © 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd."

Christopher Hope, Deborah Levy, Erica Wagner, Ian Samson, Jenn Ashworth, Kamila Shamsie, Kirsty Gunn, Lucy Hughes-Hallett, Michael Donkor, Michèle Roberts, Nat Segnit, Nicholas Shakespeare, Nicola Barker, Owen Sheers, Philip Hoare, Robert MacFarlane, Ross Raisin, Scarlett Thomas, Sophie Coulombeau (Author), Various (Narrator)

Audiobook

[German] - Sturm

"Alex und Merridy wissen, was es bedeutet, schwere Schicksalsschläge zu erleiden. Er verlor seine Eltern bei einem Unfall, sie trauert um ihren verschwundenen Bruder. Die beiden treffen und verlieben sich, heiraten sogar, doch ihr inniger Kinderwunsch bleibt unerfüllt. Da tritt eines Tages wie aus dem Nichts ein junger Mensch in das Leben des Paares: der schiffbrüchige Teenager Kish. Ist er die Erfüllung von Alex' und Merridys Wunsch nach einem heilen Familienleben oder stellt sich alles als Illusion heraus?-"

Nicholas Shakespeare (Author), Bernd Geiling (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Sandpit: A sophisticated literary thriller for fans William Boyd and John Le Carré

"Brought to you by Penguin. 'A remarkable contemporary thriller – with shades of Graham Greene and Le Carré about it – but also a profound and compelling investigation of a hugely complex human predicament. Brilliantly observed, captivatingly written, grippingly narrated – a triumph' William Boyd When John Dyer returns to Oxford from Brazil with his young son, he doesn't expect to find them both in danger. Every day is the same. He drops Leandro at his smart prep school and walks to the library to research his new book. His time living on the edge as a foreign correspondent in Rio is over. But the rainy streets of this English city turn out to be just as treacherous as those he used to walk in the favelas. Leandro’s schoolmates are the children of influential people, among them an international banker, a Russian oligarch, an American CIA operative and a British spook. As they congregate round the sports field for the weekly football matches, the network of alliances and covert interests that spreads between these power brokers soon becomes clear to Dyer. But it is a chance conversation with an Iranian nuclear scientist, Rustum Marvar, father of a friend of Leandro, that sets him onto a truly precarious path. When Marvar and his son disappear, several sinister factions seem acutely interested in Marvar’s groundbreaking research at the Clarendon Lab, and what he might have told Dyer about it, given Dyer was the last person to see Marvar alive. © Nicholas Shakespeare 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020"

Nicholas Shakespeare (Author), David Bark-Jones (Narrator)

Audiobook

[German] - Boomerang - Thriller

"John le Carré trifft Dürrenmatts Physiker. Marvar, ein iranischer Atomphysiker, hat den Algorithmus für die perfekte Kernfusion gefunden. Ein Wissen, das in den richtigen Händen ein Segen, in den falschen ein Fluch ist. Dann verschwindet Marvar plötzlich, nicht ohne seinem Freund Dyer, einem Journalisten, die Formel zu vermachen. Bald darauf gerät Dyer ins Visier unterschiedlicher Gestalten."

Nicholas Shakespeare (Author), Jan Katzenberger (Narrator)

Audiobook

Six Minutes in May: How Churchill Unexpectedly Became Prime Minister

"Random House presents the audiobook edition of Six Minutes in May by Nicholas Shakespeare, read by Peter Noble. London, May 1940. Britain is under threat of invasion and Neville Chamberlain’s government is about to fall. It is hard for us to imagine the Second World War without Winston Churchill taking the helm, but in Six Minutes in May Nicholas Shakespeare shows how easily events could have gone in a different direction. It took just six minutes for MPs to cast the votes that brought down Chamberlain. Shakespeare moves from Britain’s disastrous battle in Norway, for which many blamed Churchill, on to the dramatic developments in Westminster that led to Churchill becoming Prime Minister. Uncovering fascinating new research and delving into the key players’ backgrounds, Shakespeare gives us a new perspective on this critical moment in our history. *** Selected as a 2017 Book of the Year in the Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Observer and The Economist *** ‘A gripping story of Churchill’s unlikely rise to power’ Observer ‘Totally captivating. It will stand as the best account of those extraordinary few days for very many years’ Andrew Roberts"

Nicholas Shakespeare (Author), Peter Noble (Narrator)

Audiobook

Priscilla: The Hidden Life of an Englishwoman in Wartime France

"The astonishing true story of a young woman's adventures, and misadventures, in the dangerous world of Nazi-occupied France. 'A most strange and compelling book driven by the writer's unsparing search for truth: now an optimistic hunt for a family heroine, now a study in female wiles of survival, now a portrait of one very ordinary person's frailty in the face of terrible odds.' John le Carré When Nicholas Shakespeare stumbled across a box of documents belonging to his late aunt he was completely unaware of where this discovery would take him. The Priscilla he remembered was very different from the glamorous, morally ambiguous young woman who emerged from the many love letters and journals, surrounded by suitors and living the dangerous existence of a British woman in a country controlled by the enemy. He had heard rumours that Priscilla had fought in the Resistance, but the truth turned out to be far more complicated. As he investigated his aunt's life, dark secrets emerged. Nicholas discovered the answer to the questions he'd been puzzling over: what caused the breakdown of Priscilla's marriage to a French aristocrat? Why had she been interned in a prisoner-of-war camp and how had she escaped? And who was the 'Otto' she was having a relationship with as Paris was liberated? Priscilla's story shows us the precariousness of life in occupied France, when loyalties were compromised and life could change in an instant. It gives us an intimate insight into women's lives in times of conflict and asks us to consider what we might do to survive in similar circumstances."

Nicholas Shakespeare (Author), Nicholas Shakespeare (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Dancer Upstairs

"Brought to you by Penguin. From the acclaimed author of The Sandpit, an exhilarating literary thriller about the hunt for a missing terrorist in South America. This novel explores one of the most astonishing stories in the whole history of twentieth century terrorism. Colonel Rejas was the policeman charged with the task of capturing the Peruvian guerrilla leader Ezequiel, but having been dismissed he finds the burden of silence and secrecy too heavy. On meeting Dyer, a foreign correspondent, he is moved to relate the tortuous progress of the manhunt for the first time. The Dancer Upstairs is a story reminiscent of Graham Greene and John le Carré - tense, intricate and heartbreaking. © Nicholas Shakespeare 1995 (P) Penguin Audio 2010"

Nicholas Shakespeare (Author), Nigel Graham (Narrator)

Audiobook

Snowleg

"A young Englishman goes to Cold War Leipzig for a weekend with a group of student actors and, during his brief visit beyond the Iron Curtain, falls for an East German girl who is just beginning to be aware of the horrendous way her country is governed. Her misery touches him, her love excites him, but he is too frightened to help. He spends 19 years suppressing the strength of his feelings for the girl he knew only by her nickname 'Snowleg' - until one day, with Germany by now united, he decides to go back and look for her. But who is she now, how will his having once abandoned her have affected her life, and how will he find her? Snowleg is the story of more than one sundered love, of both broken dreams and damaged families. The central figure of the novel, who grows up as an Englishman, chooses to live in Berlin. He is a senior doctor; but his life is a startling mixture of romantic, of erratic, of dissolute behaviour. For long years he nurses the secret of Snowleg and his longing for a love he had the chance to grasp but failed to take."

Nicholas Shakespeare (Author), William Gregory (Narrator)

Audiobook

Secrets of the Sea

"Following the death of his parents, eleven-year-old Alex Dove leaves his life on a farm in Tasmania for school in England. Twelve years on, he must return to Australia to deal with his inheritance. But his encounter with a young woman persuades him to stay. They marry, and he finds himself drawn into the dynamics of island life. Longing for children, they take a teenage castaway, whose presence begins to unravel their tenuously forged happiness, while at the same time offering the prospect of a much greater fulfilment..."

Nicholas Shakespeare (Author), Stan Pretty (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks by Nicholas Shakespeare

Join Our Community