Audiobooks by William Boyd

"Brought to you by Penguin. BRITAIN'S MOST BELOVED STORYTELLER RETURNS WITH A TWISTING ADVENTURE OF OBSESSIVE LOVE AND ELEGANT ESPIONAGE . . . Gabriel Dax, travel writer and accidental spy, is back in the shadows. Unable to resist the allure of his MI6 handler, Faith Green, he has returned to a life of secrets and subterfuge. Dax is sent to Guatemala under the guise of covering a tinderbox presidential election, where the ruthless decisions of the Mafia provoke pitch-black warfare in collusion with the CIA. As political turmoil erupts, Gabriel's reluctant involvement deepens. His escape plan leads him to West Berlin, where he uncovers a chilling realization: there is a plot to assassinate magnetic young President John F. Kennedy. In a race against time, Gabriel must navigate deceit and danger, knowing that the stakes have never been higher. In The Predicament, the second novel starring accidental spy Gabriel Dax, William Boyd weaves a masterful tale of suspense, loyalty, love and the dark temptations of spy craft. © William Boyd 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

William Boyd (Author), George Blagden (Narrator)

Audiobook

[German] - Brennender Mond

"Gabriel Dax' Nächte sind kurz. Seit seiner Kindheit leidet er unter Albträumen: Erinnerungen an jene verhängnisvolle Nacht, in der seine Mutter und sein Elternhaus einem verheerenden Brand zum Opfer fielen. Seiner Schlaflosigkeit zum Trotz ist der gefeierte Reiseschriftsteller aus Chelsea auf der ganzen Welt unterwegs – einer vom Kalten Krieg zerrissenen Welt. In Zentralafrika bietet sich ihm die exklusive Gelegenheit, den ersten Ministerpräsidenten des erst seit Kurzem unabhängigen Kongo zu interviewen. Dax wittert eine große Story, doch dann verschwindet Patrice Lumumba kurz nach ihrem Gespräch spurlos. Für die britische Presse ist der afrikanische Politiker damit auf einen Schlag Schnee von gestern, stattdessen aber haben plötzlich diverse Geheimdienste Interesse an Dax' Aufzeichnungen, allen voran die mysteriöse Agentin Faith Green, deren Charme Dax bald zum Verhängnis wird. Er ahnt: Lumumba hat in dem Gespräch mehr offenbart, als so manchem lieb ist."

William Boyd (Author), Alexis Kara (Narrator)

Audiobook

Gabriel's Moon

"Brought to you by Penguin. In his most exhilarating novel yet, Britain’s greatest storyteller transports you from the vibrant streets of sixties London to the sun-soaked cobbles of Cadiz and the frosty squares of Warsaw, as an accidental spy is drawn into the shadows of espionage and obsession. Gabriel Dax is a young man haunted by the memories of a tragedy: every night, when sleep finally comes, he dreams about his childhood home in flames. His days are spent on the move as an acclaimed travel writer, capturing the changing landscapes in the grip of the Cold War. When he’s offered the chance to interview a political figure, his ambition leads him unwittingly into a web of duplicities and betrayals. As Gabriel’s reluctant initiation takes hold, he is drawn deeper into the shadows. Falling under the spell of Faith Green, an enigmatic and ruthless MI6 handler, he becomes ‘her spy’, unable to resist her demands. But amid the peril, paranoia and passion consuming Gabriel’s new covert life, it will be the revelations closer to home that change the rest of his story. . . 'Sheer, truly brilliant storytelling. He has probably written more classic books than any of his contemporaries’ Daily Telegraph ‘If it’s true escapism you’re after, William Boyd can always be relied upon to transport the reader from reality’ Vogue 'A master storyteller' Observer © William Boyd 2024 (P) Penguin Audio 2024"

William Boyd (Author), George Blagden (Narrator)

Audiobook

William Boyd: A BBC Radio Drama Collection: A Good Man in Africa, An Ice Cream War, Restless and mor

"A collection of BBC dramatisations and readings of William Boyd's award-winning novels and short stories One of Britain's foremost contemporary writers, William Boyd is renowned worldwide for his bestselling novels, which have been translated into over 30 languages. He has won numerous awards, including the Somerset Maugham Award (for A Good Man in Africa), the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize (for An Ice-Cream War) and the Costa Book Award (for Restless). Collected here are the BBC radio productions of all three acclaimed books. Starring Alan Rickman Alison Steadman and Bill Paterson, A Good Man in Africa tells the satirical story of a buffoonish diplomat's struggles in a fictional West African country. In the espionage thriller Restless, it is 1976, and Ruth discovers that her very English mother, Sally, is in fact a Russian emigré and former British spy. Eileen Atkins stars as Sally, with Fenella Woolgar as Ruth. And in An Ice-Cream War, as millions face slaughter on the Western Front, British and German colonists in East Africa try to emulate their European counterparts. Nickolas Grace and William Hootkins star in this darkly comic drama. Also included are dramatisations of three of Boyd's superb short stories. 'On the Yankee Station' is a gripping tale of revenge on an American aircraft carrier; 'The Destiny of Nathalie X' features an African filmmaker's encounter with Hollywood and its grotesque inhabitants; and in the eerie 'A Haunting', a landscape architect finds himself taken over by an unseen presence. Peter Whitman, Keith Edwards, John Sessions and Maynard Eziashi are among the star casts. We conclude with five further stories, read by Ben Miles, Jonathan Firth, Bill Nighy, Niamh Cusack and Tom Goodman-Hill. 'Adult Video' features an Oxford post-graduate who 'rewinds', 'fast forwards' and 'plays' through his life; 'Varengeville' sees a young boy go exploring and meet a painter - as his mother entertains her 'friend'; 'Lunch' reveals a diner's eventful days through his restaurant receipts and pithy comments; 'Fantasia on a Favourite Waltz' centres around a prostitute's encounter with a talented young pianist; and 'The Pigeon' takes us into the world of a sickly author facing romantic betrayal and family fissures. Cast and credits Written by William Boyd Text copyright © William Boyd 1981 (A Good Man in Africa, 'On the Yankee Station'), 1982 (An Ice Cream War), 1995 ('The Destiny of Nathalie X'), 1998 ('Varengeville'), 2000 ('A Haunting'), 2004 ('Adult Video', 'Lunch', 'Fantasia on a Favourite Waltz', 'The Pigeon'), 2006 (Restless) A Good Man in Africa Dramatised by Stephen Davis Directed by Richard Wortley First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18 March 1985 Restless Dramatised by Melissa Murray Directed by Marc Beeby First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6-17 April 2009 An Ice Cream War Dramatised by John Peacock Directed by Eoin O'Callaghan First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 19 May-16 June 1994 'On the Yankee Station' Adapted by William Boyd Directed by Richard Wortley First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9 May 1985 'The Destiny of Nathalie X' Directed by Dave Batchelor First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20 November 1998 'A Haunting' Directed by Dave Batchelor First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 28 December 2001 William Boyd - Fascination Abridged by Neville Teller Produced by Duncan Minshull First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15-19 November 2004 © 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

William Boyd (Author), Alan Rickman, Alison Steadman, Ben Miles, Bill Nighy, Bill Paterson, Eileen Atkins, Fenella Woolgar, Full Cast, Niamh Cusack, Tom Goodman-Hill (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Romantic

"Brought to you by Penguin. Soldier. Farmer. Felon. Writer. Father. Lover. One man, many lives. Born in 1799, Cashel Greville Ross experiences myriad lives: joyous and devastating, years of luck and unexpected loss. Moving from County Cork to London, from Waterloo to Zanzibar, Cashel seeks his fortune across continents in war and in peace. He faces a terrible moral choice in a village in Sri Lanka as part of the East Indian Army. He enters the world of the Romantic Poets in Pisa. In Ravenna he meets a woman who will live in his heart for the rest of his days. As he travels the world as a soldier, a farmer, a felon, a writer, a father, a lover, he experiences all the vicissitudes of life and, through the accelerating turbulence of the nineteenth century, he discovers who he truly is. This is the romance of life itself, and the beating heart of The Romantic. From one of Britain's best-loved and bestselling writers comes an intimate yet panoramic novel set across the nineteenth century. ***PRAISE FOR WILLIAM BOYD*** 'There are few reading pleasures as great as giving in to a William Boyd Novel' Sunday Times 'One of our best contemporary storytellers' Spectator 'Simply the best realistic storyteller of his generation' Sebastian Faulks © William Boyd 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022"

William Boyd (Author), Kobna Holbrook-Smith (Narrator)

Audiobook

Waiting for Sunrise

"Brought to you by Penguin. Vienna, 1913. Lysander Rief, a young English actor, sits in the waiting room of the city's preeminent psychiatrist as he anxiously ponders the particularly intimate nature of his neurosis. When the enigmatic, intensely beautiful Hettie Bull walks in, Lysander is immediately drawn to her, unaware of how destructive the consequences of their subsequent affair will be. One year later, home in London, Lysander finds himself entangled in the dangerous web of wartime intelligence - a world of sex, scandal and spies that is slowly, steadily, permeating every corner of his life... © William Boyd 2012 (P) Penguin Audio 2020"

William Boyd (Author), Jack Rowan (Narrator)

Audiobook

Armadillo

"Brought to you by Penguin. One winter morning, Lorimer Black - young, good-looking, but with a somewhat troubled expression - goes to keep a perfectly routine business appointment and finds a hanged man. A bad start to the day, by anyone's standards, and an ominous portent. For Lorimer works in the only-slightly corrupt business of financial adjusting, and he is about to learn that it is much uglier - and even more crooked - than he ever imagined. Suddenly, he's being unfairly blamed for all kinds of irregularities. Next, his life is threatened. And, lastly, he's coming to realise that the life he has led till now - the one someone wants to rub out - is one big fat lie . . . 'Marvellously paced and ingeniously plotted. A real page-turner' Observer 'A joy to read: easy to get into, addictively plotted and beautifully written' Daily Mail 'A novel that is truly comic, and, like all true comedy, also disturbing' Scotsman 'A pleasure to read' Independent on Sunday © William Boyd 1998 (P) Penguin Audio 2020"

William Boyd (Author), John Sackville (Narrator)

Audiobook

Brazzaville Beach

"Brought to you by Penguin. WINNER OF THE JAMES TAIT BLACK MEMORIAL PRIZE On Brazzaville Beach, on the edge of Africa, Hope Clearwater ponders the strange circumstances that led her to leave her husband John, and his mathematical obsessions, in England and venture to Africa to help world-renowned scientist Eugene Mallabar with his studies of wild chimps. But the more Hope studies Mallabar, the more she comes to believe that something isn't right. That behind Mallabar, and his obsessive work, there lies another, more sinister truth: one that might also help explain Hope's reasons for leaving England . . . 'A brilliant storyteller . . . a book which stretches, tantalizes and delights' Financial Times 'A most extraordinary parable about mankind. Quite unlike anything else I have read' Sunday Express 'Brilliant, daring. A gripping and compulsive story' Herald 'Hilarious and edgy' Sunday Times © William Boyd 1990 (P) Penguin Audio 2020"

William Boyd (Author), Pippa Bennett-Warner (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Blue Afternoon

"Brought to you by Penguin. WINNER OF THE SUNDAY EXPRESS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD A quest for secrets in the blue afternoon . . . Los Angeles, 1936. Kay Fischer, a young and ambitious architect, is being followed by an old man. When confronted, he explains that his name is Salvador Carriscant - and that he is her father. In a matter of weeks Kay will join Salvador on an extraordinary journey as they delve back into his past to not only learn the truth behind her own birth, but also to discover the whereabouts of a woman long thought dead - and to uncover the identity of a killer. 'Achingly memorable' The Times 'The finest storyteller of his generation' Daily Telegraph 'An extraordinary story' John Mortimer, Sunday Telegraph, Books of the Year 'Terrific' Jeremy Paxman, Independent, Books of the Year 'Richly entertaining' Independent 'A brilliant achievement' Time Out © William Boyd 1993 (P) Penguin Audio 2020"

William Boyd (Author), Kate Handford (Narrator)

Audiobook

Sweet Caress

"Brought to you by Penguin. Amory's first memory is of her father doing a handstand. She has memories of him returning on leave during the First World War. But his absences, both actual and emotional, are what she chiefly remembers. It is her photographer uncle Greville who supplies the emotional bond she needs, and, when he gives her a camera and some rudimentary lessons in photography, unleashes a passion that will irrevocably shape her future. A spell at boarding school ends abruptly and Amory begins an apprenticeship with Greville in London, living in his flat in Kensington, earning two pounds a week photographing socialites for fashionable magazines. But Amory is hungry for more and her search for life, love and artistic expression will take her to the demi monde of Berlin of the late 1920s, to New York of the 1930s, to the Blackshirt riots in London and to France in the Second World War where she becomes one of the first women war photographers. Her desire for experience will lead Amory to further wars, to lovers, husbands and children as she continues to pursue her dreams and battle her demons. In this enthralling story of a life fully lived, William Boyd has created a sweeping panorama of some of the most defining moments of modern history, told through the camera lens of one unforgettable woman, Amory Clay. It is his greatest achievement to date. © William Boyd 2015 (P) Penguin Audio 2020"

William Boyd (Author), Juliet Stevenson (Narrator)

Audiobook

Trio

"Brought to you by Penguin. A producer. A novelist. An actress. It is summer in 1968, the year of the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy. There are riots in Paris and the Vietnam War is out of control. While the world is reeling our three characters are involved in making a Swingin' Sixties movie in sunny Brighton. All are leading secret lives. Elfrida is drowning her writer's block in vodka; Talbot, coping with the daily dysfuntion of making a film, is hiding something in a secret apartment; and the glamorous Anny is wondering why the CIA is suddenly so interested in her. But the show must go on and, as it does, the trio's private worlds begin to take over their public ones. Pressures build inexorably - someone's going to crack. Or maybe they all will. From one of Britain's best loved writers comes an exhilarating, tender novel that asks the vital questions: what makes life worth living? And what do you do if you find it isn't? PRAISE FOR WILLIAM BOYD 'The ultimate in immersive fiction . . . magnificent' Sunday Times 'A finely judged performance: a deft and resonant alchemy of fact and fiction, of literary myth and imagination' Guardian on Love is Blind 'William Boyd has probably written more classic books than any of his contemporaries' Daily Telegraph 'Simply the best realistic storyteller of his generation' Sebastian Faulks © William Boyd 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020"

William Boyd (Author), Hannah Arterton (Narrator)

Audiobook

Ordinary Thunderstorms

"Brought to you by Penguin. One May evening in London, as a result of a chance encounter and a split-second decision, the young climatologist Adam Kindred loses everything - home, job, reputation, passport, credit cards, money - never to get them back. With the police and a hit man in merciless pursuit, Adam has no choice but to go underground, joining the ranks of the disappeared, struggling to understand how his life has unravelled so spectacularly. His journey of discovery will take him along the Thames from Chelsea to the sink estates of the East End. On the way he encounters aristocrats, priests, prostitutes and a policewoman - but will he ever find himself again? © William Boyd 2009 (P) Penguin Audio 2020"

William Boyd (Author), John Heffernan (Narrator)

Audiobook