Comedy, Satire & Parody Audiobooks | Literature

Hidden Histories: 100 Wild Stories You Never Learned in History Class

"Discover the little known facts about some of the world's greatest historical icons. We all know what was written in the history books. There are some stories we've heard a hundred times-but often our understanding of these events and people is narrow. Have you ever wondered about the lesser known details that influenced major events and figures behind-the-scenes? This hilarious compendium of fascinating facts and dizzying what-ifs will delight and shock history buffs and trivia lovers alike. From Abraham Lincoln's wrestling champ background to the day Napoleon was attacked by a horde of hungry rabbits, this book will give you a new perspective. Including: - Walt Disney gave his housekeeper Disney stock every year on her birthday and Christmas. By the time she retired, she was a multi-millionaire. - Charlie Chaplin entered a lookalike contest as a joke…and got 20th place. - Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Company, convinced Thomas Edison's son to collect Edison's last breath in a test tube. It is on display at The Henry Ford Museum in Detroit. - Before Galileo Galilei was buried, three of his fingers and a tooth were removed from his body by his admirers. The body parts are on display at the Museo Galileo in Florence, Italy. From ancient civilization to modern times, history is full of mysterious and downright bizarre circumstances. With these crazy and compelling facts, Hidden Histories will change your view of history"

Tim Rayborn (Author), Tom Parks (Narrator)

Audiobook

When the Cranes Fly South

"Brought to you by Penguin. Shortlisted for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize 2025 The most moving book of the year about the power of human connection. A book to love, and share. Bo lives a quiet existence in his small rural village in the north of Sweden. He is elderly and his days are punctuated by visits from his care team and his son. Fortunately, he still has his rich memories, phone calls with his best friend Ture, and his beloved dog Sixten for company. Only now his son is insisting the dog must be taken away. The very same son that Bo is wanting to mend his relationship with before his time is up. The threat of losing Sixten stirs up a whirlwind of emotions and makes Bo determined to resist and find his voice. An instant number one bestseller in Sweden and winner of the Swedish Book of the Year, When the Cranes Fly South is a profoundly moving and life-affirming novel about one man’s desire to preserve his autonomy, the multitude of stories contained within a life, and the big things for which we have no words. 'The kind of book you give to someone when you’re really trying to say “I’ve been thinking about you” but don’t know how.' Fredrik Backman, bestselling author of A Man Called Ove 'A magical reading experience; among the most moving things I’ve ever read' No.1 internationally bestselling author Camilla Läckberg 'A book that will echo in your soul' Garth Stein, bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain NUMBER ONE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE SWEDISH BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD © Lisa Ridzén 2024 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Lisa Ridzén (Author), Ifan Huw Dafydd (Narrator)

Audiobook

Objects of Desire

"Brought to you by Penguin. Hugo Hunter was the most celebrated gay novelist of the 20th century. He published two masterpieces, securing his place alongside the dazzling literary greats of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, and rubbing shoulders with everyone from Truman Capote to James Baldwin, Gore Vidal and George Orwell. But after decades of fame and excess, just as New York City enters the 1980s and awakes to the coming horror of AIDS, Hugo finds himself running out of money. Out of nowhere, he receives an extraordinary lifeline: an offer from his longtime publisher. Two million dollars, for a memoir and a new novel. The money will solve all his problems – except for one thing. Hugo Hunter is an imposter. He stole both of his novels. Now, how far will he go to produce a third? Deliciously vicious and darkly funny, OBJECTS OF DESIRE features an astonishing cast of 20th century glitterati. It is at once a colourful glimpse into the scandalous lives of the cultural elite, and a tense, gripping story of betrayal, backstabbing and literary fraud. 'Razor-sharp and deeply unsettling while being endlessly entertaining. A triumph.' JENNIE GODFREY, author of THE LIST OF SUSPICIOUS THINGS 'A delicious, literary feast. A wickedly funny and sharply relevant novel of duplicity and betrayal with a glittering cast of literary greats.' ANNA MAZZOLA, author of THE BOOK OF SECRETS 'A masterful novel, OBJECTS OF DESIRE is utterly irresistible; it’s dark and wickedly fun. One of my favourite books of the year so far.' FLORA CARR, author of THE TOWER 'A biting, unflinching study of art and deceit . . . Neil Blackmore has achieved his best work yet.' ANNIE GARTHWAITE, author of CECILY © Neil Blackmore 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Neil Blackmore (Author), Rufus Wright (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Fate of Others: Stories

"A new collection of short stories examining the extraordinary shades of ordinary life, from the prize-winning fiction writer Richard Bausch ("A master of the short story' -The New York Times Book Review) In these twelve new stories, Richard Bausch explores the passions of men and women facing unexpected circumstances and the complications of modern life and love. In the novella "Donnaiolo," for instance, the parents of a young divorcée who has returned from Italy and a failed marriage must deal with the completely different, and unappealing, person she has become. In "Isolation," a happily married woman who has conceived an unexpected passion for another man learns, in lockdown during the pandemic, that this man-into whose life Bausch also gives us a window-has become ill with Covid. In a second novella, "Broken House," an elderly Catholic man recalls his part in the destruction of an old farmhouse by altar boys who believed a monk had given them permission to destroy it-while also portraying his lifelong fascination with one of the boys, a gifted artist who has carried a secret for decades about the church they both wanted to serve as priests. And in still another story, "The Widow's Tale," a woman whose recently killed husband repeatedly visits her younger sister in dreams attends a séance. Throughout The Fate of Others, Bausch once again exposes the virtues and flaws of his characters, reminding us, as the best stories do, of ourselves and people we know, and the lives we lead."

Richard Bausch (Author), Fred Sanders, Kirsten Potter, Lee Osorio (Narrator)

Audiobook

Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass: How I Went 77 Years Without Growing Up

"America's most beloved wiseass finally tells his life story with all the humor you'd expect from a man who made a career out of making fun of pretty much everything. How does the son of a Presbyterian minister wind up winning a Pulitzer Prize for writing a wildly inaccurate newspaper column read by millions of people? In Class Clown, Dave Barry takes us on a hilarious ride, starting with a childhood largely spent throwing rocks for entertainment—there was no internet—and preparing for nuclear war by hiding under a classroom desk. After literally getting elected class clown in high school, he went to college, where, as an English major, he read snippets of great literature when he was not busy playing in a rock band (it was the sixties). He began his journalism career at a small-town Pennsylvania newspaper where he learned the most important rule of local journalism: never confuse a goose with a duck. His journey then took a detour into the business world, where as a writing consultant he spent years trying, with limited success, to get corporate folks to, for God's sake, get the point. Somehow from there he wound up as a humor columnist for The Miami Herald, where his boss was a wild man who encouraged him to write about anything that struck him as amusing and to never worry about alienating anyone. His columns were not popular with everyone: He managed to alienate a vast army of Neil Diamond fans, and the entire state of Indiana. But he also developed a loyal following of readers who alerted him to the threat of exploding toilets, not to mention the fire hazards posed by strawberry pop-tarts and Rollerblade Barbie, which he demonstrated to the nation on the David Letterman show. He led his readers on a crusade against telemarketers that ultimately caused the national telemarketers association to stop answering its own phones because it was getting—irony alert—too many unwanted calls. He has also run for president multiple times, although so far without success. He became a book author and joined a literary rock band, which was not good at playing music but did once perform with Bruce Springsteen, who sang backup to Dave. As for his literary merits, Dave writes: "I'll never have the critical acclaim of, say, Marcel Proust. But was Marcel Proust ever on Carson? Did he ever steal a hotel sign for Oprah?" Class Clown isn't just a memoir; it's a vibrant celebration of a life rich with humor, absurdity, joy, and sadness. Dave says the most important wisdom imparted by his Midwestern parents was never to take anything too seriously. This laughter-filled book is proof that he learned that lesson well."

Dave Barry (Author), Dave Barry (Narrator)

Audiobook

Sir Lenny Henry: A BBC Radio Drama Collection: Four Full-Cast Plays & Lenny Henry’s Rogues Gallery

"A quartet of original radio plays and nine darkly comic tales by Sir Lenny Henry Sir Lenny Henry has had a long and successful career as a comedian, impressionist, actor and presenter. Having starred in several plays in the West End and on radio, he was inspired to complete an MA in screenwriting and in 2011 penned his first radio drama, Corrinne Come Back and Gone, which opens this collection. He continued his writing career with three more Radio 4 plays and nine episodes of his comic monologue series Lenny Henry’s Rogues Gallery. Collected here for the first time, listen to these poignant and humorous original dramas, featuring an all-star cast including Frances Barber, Clare Perkins, Nadine Marshall, Claire Benedict, Tyrone Huggins, George Fouracres, Peter Bankolé and Lenny Henry himself. Corrinne Come Back and Gone – When Corrinne Jackson receives a letter from her daughter, inviting her to return to Jamaica after twenty years, she is overjoyed. Two decades ago, she left her abusive husband and fled to the UK, leaving her children behind. Now he is dead, and there’s a chance to set things right… Miss You Still – Grief-stricken after losing his wife and daughter, Midlands bus driver Charlie has shut himself off from the world. Then his colleague Joyce reaches out, sending her teenage daughter to help him. But the last thing 16-year-old Roxanne wants on her hands is a smelly old man who hears voices… A moving, funny story with a touch of the supernatural. Amsterdam – Taking her boyfriend and difficult teenage sons on a bonding trip to the Dutch capital, Juliet is hoping it will be a family weekend to remember. However, it’s not long before things start to go pear-shaped… In Vino Veritas – Reverend Marcus Campbell is a popular, charismatic pastor. His huge congregation adore him, and he’s about to do a deal with an American cable network that will see him preaching to an even bigger audience. But has success made him lose sight of his true purpose? Lenny Henry’s Rogues Gallery – Comprising two series and a Christmas Special, this anthology of genre-bending comic monologues, written by Lenny Henry, all have a twist in the tale. Among the characters telling their unusual stories are a blind man who experiences a modern-day miracle, an American GI who embarks on a life-changing relationship, a family butcher whose son is a musical prodigy, and a frustrated artist with a robot butler… Cast and credits Written by Lenny Henry Corrinne Come Back and Gone Starring Claire Benedict, Doña Croll, Nadine Marshall, Clare Perkins, Petra Letang, Alex Lanipekun and Leah Ocran Produced and directed by Claire Grove Miss You Still Starring Lenny Henry, Clare Perkins, Bunmi Mojekwu, Amit Shah, Alex Lanipekun and Tranae Sinclair Produced and directed by Claire Grove Amsterdam Starring Frances Barber, Tyrone Huggins, Lee Hodge, Jack Loxton, James Lailey, Ewan Bailey, Scarlett Brookes, Adie Allen, Anne Bunting, Marc Beeby and Shuming Chen Directed by Mary Peate In Vino Veritas Starring Lenny Henry, Nadine Marshall, John Bradley, Peter Bankolé, Martina Laird, McKell David, Sean Murray, Lewis Bray, Cameron Percival, Liam Lau Fernandez, Elizabeth Counsell, Emma Handy, Ryan Whittle and Jeanette Percival Directed by Mary Peate Lenny Henry’s Rogues Gallery Performed by Lenny Henry, Monica Dolan, Tanya Moodie and George Fouracres Produced by Sam Michell © 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

Lenny Henry (Author), Clare Perkins, Frances Barber, Full Cast, George Fouracres, Lenny Henry, Nadine Marshall (Narrator)

Audiobook

One Person Found This Helpful: Series 2 plus a Christmas Special: A BBC Radio 4 Comedy Panel Game

"Frank Skinner hosts the second series and a Christmas special of the show based on online reviews as he and his all-star panel celebrate the good, the bad & the baffling Everyone has an online life, and when the great British public put pen to keyboard to leave a review, they almost always write something hilarious. And our all-star panel have to work out just what they were reviewing – and maybe contribute a few reviews of their own... and more... So if you’re the person who went on Trip Advisor to review Ben Nevis as “Very steep and too high”, this show salutes you! In episode one, Frank & the team find out what you think about googling, goggling, groping, gropping and the correct way to punch yourself in the face. With guests Laura Smyth, Sunil Patel, Simon Evans and Kyrah Gray In episode two, we discover what you, the public, said about about ball pits and the KGB, and find out who hasn’t been to the dentist for forty years. With guests Angela Barnes, Finlay Christie, Catherine Bohart and Rajiv Karia In the third episode, Frank & the team discuss the best place to put a forget-me-not and the worst place to put a floof. With guests Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Simon Evans, Daliso Chaponda and Ania Magliano In episode four, Frank & the team discover how to poke an egg, sleep with a fish and fill a hamper with paté. With guests Ian Smith, Lou Sanders, Chloe Petts and Marcus Brigstocke In the fifth episode, Frank & the team find out what happens when Abba take a shower, when All Saints sell a T-shirt, and when you hear Russell Crowe sing. With guests Sara Barron, Pierre Novellie, Simon Evans and Harriet Kemsley And in the final episode of the series, Frank & his guests – Marjolein Robertson, Phil Wang, Dee Allum and Simon Evans - discover the latest views on the Epic of Gilgamesh and which part of the tiger not to eat. In the 2024 Christmas Special, Frank asks the teams which traditional panto features an animatronic dinosaur, the worst present they’ve ever received, and whether the one-star write-up “bit claggy, made me feel sick” is a review of some stuffing or Love Actually Production credits Hosted by Frank Skinner Devised by Jason Hazeley and Simon Evans with the producer David Tyler Written by Frank Skinner, Catherine Brinkworth, Sarah Dempster, Jason Hazeley, Rajiv Karia, Karl Minns, Katie Sayer & Peter Tellouche A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4 First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 25 Dec 2024 (Xmas Special), 3 March - 7 April 2025 (series 2) (C)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

David Tyler, Jason Hazeley, Simon Evans (Author), Frank Skinner, Various (Narrator)

Audiobook

Shalash the Iraqi

"Populated by a cast of imagined con artists, holy fools, drag queens, and partisans—as well as some very factual politicians, priests, and generals—this novel started life as a pseudonymous blog written 'live' by 'Shalash' during and after the Second Iraq War. Shalash the Iraqi is here presented in its first authorized translation, with the blessing and commentary of 'Shalash' himself. The second US invasion of Iraq began in the spring of 2003. By the autumn of 2005, though the Saddam Hussein regime had reached its bloody end, ordinary Iraqis were seeing little improvement in their daily lives. Their country was 'free,' but to many it seemed free mainly to become a mire of sectarian violence, corruption, confusion, and fear. In the midst of this turmoil, a hero arose—or, rather, a jester. In a country where electricity was only intermittently available, a series of blog posts began to appear at a soon-to-be-defunct website and took Baghdad by storm. Individual entries were printed out and passed around for months, until the pages were nearly shredded. Where neither computers nor printers were available, the posts were retold aloud, then passed along at second- and third-hand. What could inspire such devotion? Signed 'Shalash the Iraqi,' the posts proved to be nothing less than portions of a madcap serial novel thumbing its nose at Iraq's new normal."

Shalash (Author), Neil Shah (Narrator)

Audiobook

T2 Trainspotting

"Brought to you by Penguin. Now a major film directed by Danny Boyle reuniting the cast of Trainspotting Years on from Trainspotting Sick Boy is back in Edinburgh after a long spell in London. Having failed spectacularly as a hustler, pimp, husband, father and businessman, Sick Boy taps into an opportunity which to him represents one last throw of the dice. However, to realise his ambitions within the Adult industries, Sick Boy must team up with old pal and fellow exile Mark Renton. Still scheming, still scamming, Sick Boy and Renton soon find out that they have unresolved issues to address concerning the unhinged Begbie, the troubled, drug-addled Spud, but, most of all, with each other. T2 Trainspotting was previously published as Porno. © Irvine Welsh 2002 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Irvine Welsh (Author), Tam Dean Burn Burn (Narrator)

Audiobook

Hearing with Hegley: The Complete Series 1-3: A BBC Radio Comedy Series

"The hilarious poet laureate of alternative comedy delights audiences around the UK Listen and laugh as John Hegley, the hilarious and haphazard poet laureate of alternative comedy, entertains audiences with his unique book of verse. This collection has the complete three series of this not-to-be-missed listening treat. Recorded in front of live audiences across the UK, including locations such as the Cheltenham Literary Festival and Aldeburgh Poetry Festival, Hegley presents tales of the Tate, a jumble sale and an armadillo, poems dedicated to Bonfire Night and not waving, songs about glasses, plus a surreal adventure in a Tardis-like kennel. The joyous possibilities of flannel, fennel and funnel are also investigated. Settle down and listen as the nation's second favourite comic poet asks, 'How long is your dog?', and discovers that sometimes a poem doesn't necessarily want to be a poem. Joined by a host of guests including radio DJs Mark Radcliffe and Mark Riley, comedian Tony Curtis and with musical accompaniment from Nigel Piper and the Popticians this is a listening gem. John Hegley is a hugely popular voice on BBC Radio. An established author, Hegley is most famous for his children’s book Stanley's Stick, as well as numerous comic poetry collections, such as Peace, Love and Potatoes. He has produced ten books of verse and prose pieces, two CDs and one mug, and he performs live in venues all over the UK. Cast and credits Written by John Hegley Produced by Phil Clarke and Nigel Piper Music by Nigel Piper and the Popticians Series 1 With Nigel Piper, Keith Moore, Susan Norton, Andrew Bailey, Roy O’Shea and Tony Curtis First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 30th Oct - 11th Dec 1996 Series 2 With Nigel Piper, Keith Moore, Susan Norton and Andrew Bailey First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26th Aug - 14th Oct 1998 Series 3 With Nigel Piper, Simon Munnery, Andrew Bailey, Arnold Brown, Keith Moore, Christopher Logue, Mark Radcliffe and Mark Riley First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2nd Feb - 22nd Mar 2000 ©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

John Hegley (Author), John Hegley (Narrator)

Audiobook

Avalanche: Stories

"'Things used to be easier, but even in those carefree days, the rules were in place for a reason. And that reason is: so we can all agree. So we can all have the same standard applied across the board. So there is no special treatment, which no one should receive. This is why we need the rules.' The stories in Avalanche combine humor with an earnest examination and indictment of white entitlement, guilt, shame, and disorientation in the wake of waking up to the reality of racism. Focusing on the perspective of white, cis, straight, and mostly middle-aged and middle-class characters, this collection shines a light on the obliviousness of white privilege, the violence of polite, quiet racism hiding just under the surface of mundane, everyday situations, and the anguished flailing of 'well-intentioned white ladies' desperate to confirm their essential goodness at all costs. Westhead writes with compassion and empathy for both her frustrating and frustrated white protagonists and the racialized characters who encounter them, and uses humor not to comfortably distance white readers from the harmful behavior of her self-absorbed protagonists, but to pull them in close to recognize—and reckon with—those familiar parts of themselves, and to become more aware of the insidious systems of white supremacy at work behind the scenes. Bonus material: This audiobook includes the Acknowledgments as supplemental material in printable PDF format."

Jessica Westhead (Author), Jessica Westhead (Narrator)

Audiobook

Fart Proudly: Writings of Benjamin Franklin You Never Read in School

"Meet Benjamin Franklin as you've never met him before . . . This hilarious collection includes the Founding Father's satirical writings on farting, adultery, and other irreverent subjects you won't find in your history books. A mention of flatulence might conjure up images of bratty high school boys or lowbrow comics. But one of the most eloquent-and least expected-commentators on the subject is Benjamin Franklin. The writings in Fart Proudly reveal the rogue who lived peaceably within the philosopher and statesman. Included are "The Letter to a Royal Academy"; "On Choosing a Mistress"; "Rules on Making Oneself Disagreeable"; and other jibes. Franklin's irrepressible wit found an outlet in perpetrating hoaxes, attacking marriage and other sacred cows, and skewering the English Parliament. Reminding us of the humorous, irreverent side of this American icon, these essays endure as both hilarious satire and a timely reminder of the importance of a free press."

Benjamin Franklin (Author), Stewart Sinclair (Narrator)

Audiobook

Comedy, Satire & Parody Audiobooks in Literature