Audiobooks narrated by Ben Kingsley

Roy Clarke Classic BBC Radio Thrillers: The Events at Black Tor & The 17-Jewelled Shockproof Swiss-M

Two vintage thrillers, written by award-winning writer Roy Clarke and directed by Alan Ayckbourn Acclaimed radio and TV dramatist Roy Clarke is well known for his hit sitcoms Last of the Summer Wine, Open All Hours and Keeping Up Appearances. But before he came to fame, he penned two hugely entertaining six-part thriller serials - both directed by a struggling radio producer who would become one of the most renowned playwrights in the world: Alan Ayckbourn... The Events at Black Tor - When young policeman Jamie is posted to a small village in the Yorkshire Moors, he and his wife Pam are anticipating a nice, quiet life. But the arrival of a curious letter sparks a terrifying chain of events. Aided by Fr Probert, a Dominican friar, the duo come face-to face with the forces of darkness, as they investigate a sinister cult of murderous devil-worshippers... Brian Peck, Juliet Cooke and On the Buses star Bob Grant are among the cast of this spine-chilling thriller with supernatural undercurrents. The 17-Jewelled Shockproof Swiss-Made Bomb - History teacher Johnny Shields is hoping for a romantic evening, but when his date is scuppered by a mysterious man in a raincoat, he finds himself unexpectedly recruited for a dangerous Continental mission. Tasked with infiltrating a highly-organised smuggling gang, will he survive long enough to expose them? This diverting comedy-thriller was Roy Clarke's first radio play, and features Paul Temple star Peter Coke, Bob Grant, Robert Powell and Ben Kingsley. Cast and credits Written by Roy Clarke Theme music composed and played by Trevor Holroyd Produced and directed by Alan Ayckbourn The Events at Black Tor Pam - Juliet Cooke Jamie - Brian Peck Sergeant - James Beck Probert - Bob Grant Radio Voice - Heather Stoney Vicar - Robert Wallace Maggie - Ella Atkinson Coroner - Laurence Bould Brown - Colin Edwynn Man - Chris Canavan Woman - Mavis Rogerson Tramp - Harry Markham Superintendent - David Mahlowe Chief Inspector - Ronald Harvi Spider One - Douglas Fielding Spider Two/Palmer - John Nettles Spider Three - Colin Bell Dog handler - Robert Powell First broadcast BBC Radio 2, 18 April-6 May 1968 The 17-Jewelled Shockproof Swiss-Made Bomb Shields - Peter Coke Major/Leppi/Vittorio - Bob Grant Greta - Veronica Doran Doreen - Sylvia Brayshay Tadpole - Derrick Gilbert Muff/Daniels/Marco - Robert Powell Jean Hogg - Heather Stoney Alfie - Peter Stephens Vera - Elizabeth Ashton Mrs Beckett - Barbara Greenhalgh Julie - Anne Stallybrass Bruno - David Mahlowe Karl/Walter/Sergeant/Pete - Ben Kingsley Karen - Cynthia Grenville Gino - Ronald Harvi Foster - Michael Stirrup Slip - Colin Edwynn First broadcast BBC Radio 2, 18 January-5 February 1968 © 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Roy Clarke (Author), Ben Kingsley, Bob Grant, Heather Stoney, Juliet Cooke, Peter Coke, Robert Powell (Narrator)

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Grimm’s Fairy Tales

William Collins Books and Decca Records are proud to present ARGO Classics, a historic catalogue of classic fiction read by some of the world’s most renowned voices. Originally released as vinyl records, these expertly abridged and remastered stories are now available to download for the first time. Dark and mysterious, the timeless Grimm’s Fairy Tales have enchanted and inspired generations across the world. The brothers Grimm collected and edited 210 fairy and folk tales, including such beloved classics as ‘Hansel and Gretel’, ‘Rapunzel’ and ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, into an intoxicating and bewitching combination of morality, love, honour and tragedy – and much more besides. Sir Ben Kingsley and Sir Michael Hordern provide captivating, immersive readings.

The Brothers Grimm (Author), Ben Kingsley, Michael Hordern (Narrator)

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Tarzan of the Apes

When Tarzan is orphaned as a baby deep in the African jungle, he is saved from certain death when he is adopted by a she-ape. Raised as one of her own, Tarzan learns the way of the Kerchak-the tribe of great apes who rule the jungle. They teach him how to survive, to hunt, to swing through the trees, and to communicate with the other animals of the jungle. By the time he is a young man Tarzan has the courage and strength of ten men. But it is his human brain that allows him to be the King of the Apes. And Lord of the Jungle. But when his jungle domain is disturbed by the arrival of "civilized" men, Tarzan begins to wonder about his true identity.

Edgar Rice Burroughs (Author), Ben Kingsley, Simon Prebble (Narrator)

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The Butcher's Theater: A Novel

They call the ancient hills of Jerusalem thebutcher's theater. Here, upon this bloodstained stage,a faceless killer performs his violent specialty:The first to die brutally is a fifteen-year-oldgirl. She is drained of blood, then carefully bathedand shrouded in white. Precisely one week later, asecond victim is found. From the sacredWailing Wall to the monasteries where dark secretsare cloistered, from black-clad bedouin enclavesto labyrinthine midnight alleys, veteran policeinspector Daniel Sharavi and his crack team plungedeep into a city simmering with religious andpolitical passions to hunt for a murderer whosinsatiable taste for young women could destroy thedelicate balance on which Jerusalem's very survivaldepends. A brilliant novel by a master ofthe genre, a vivid look at the torturedcomplexities of a psychopath's mind, a rich evocation of acity steeped in history -- this, and more, isThe Butcher's Theater.

Jonathan Kellerman (Author), Ben Kingsley (Narrator)

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Classical Religions and Myths of the Mediterranean Basin

After the Ice Age, hunting and foraging communities evolved to a more settled, agricultural life; belief in savage animal spirits was replaced by a belief in domesticated spirits. With the invention of cuneiform and other writing systems, mythological epics emerged to explain the origins of life and the causes of death and earthly suffering. Sumeria, Persia, and Egypt were early centers for these developments. Egyptians were typically obsessed with the afterlife, emphasizing pyramids, mummies, hieroglyphs, spells, prayers, and myths (such as the death and resurrection of Isis). The sea-going Phoenicians spread their alphabet and religion around the Mediterranean, and their gods (El, Baal) especially influenced the Hebrews. When the Indo-Europeans (ancestors of the Greeks, Romans, and others) expanded beyond central Asia, these war-like peoples brought forceful and powerful gods. Their storm god was later known as Zeus (Greeks), Jupiter (Romans), Thor (Germanic tribes), and by other names as well. After Bronze Age civilization collapsed in about 1200 BCE, Greek population declined by up to ninety percent; the survivors preserved the glorious memories of the Bronze Age in myths and epic poetry. Where Homer celebrated the events of the Trojan War in the Iliad and Odyssey. Hesiod described the world's creation in his Theogony. Greeks had a flood myth and dozens of myths celebrating bronzeworking; they especially emphasized the intellect in stories about wisdom and intelligence. Art and drama dominated Greek religious devotion by exploring the glories and dilemmas of human existence. The Romans conquered Greece in 146 BCE, and they adopted or interpreted the Greek gods in typically Latin ways. The epic poet Virgil (in the Aeneid) presented a mythological past as the pre-destined antecedent of Rome's later greatness; the Romans also closely associated statecraft and religion. From within the sprawling territories of the Roman Empire would emerge the three great religions of the Western world: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Myths rely on imagination and intuition; they express fervently-held convictions about the ultimate nature of things. Myths are vehicles that capture our most profound ideals and beliefs, and they shape our standards, goals, and self-perceptions.

Dr. Jon David Solomon, Jon David Solomon (Author), Ben Kingsley (Narrator)

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Buddhism

Siddhartha Gotama, “The Great Wayshower,” lived in the sixth century BCE in the Hindu culture of an area near modern Nepal. After six years as a Hindu ascetic, Siddhartha renounced asceticism after discovering that clear-mindfulness, not the pain of ascetic practice, is the key to spiritual understanding. He sought a new kind of awareness characterized by mastery over all emotions – a sharp, clear awareness that is unswayed by self-interest. The term “Buddha” came to refer to one who has relinquished all clinging to concerns related to space and time, thus transcending individualized existence. Buddhism’s Path to Enlightenment has three aspects: Sila (morality), Samadhi (concentrated meditation), & Panna (liberating insight). Nirvana is the highest good and the ultimate goal: the key to Nirvana is within oneself, not in ritual. Karma is the accumulated sum of one’s deeds: fate is the result of these deeds throughout former lives, so each person always deserves what occurs. About two centuries after Gotama Buddha’s death in the early fifth century BCE, King Ashoka converted to Buddhism, thus solidly establishing this religion in India. However, by the ninth century CE (over 1,000 years later), Buddhism had disappeared in India, giving way to Hindu bhakti movements, Jainism, & Islam. Theravada (“teaching of the elders”) Buddhism, the most traditional form of Buddhism, migrated to Southeast Asia (what is now Burma, Thailand, and nearby countries). Mahayana (“great and grand way”) Buddhism expanded the role of the non-monk and migrated to Central Asia, Tibet, and China, though this process had begun as early as the first century CE. In China, Buddhism took two main forms: Pure Land (or Western Paradise) Buddhism, and Taoist-influenced Ch’an, later known as Zen in Japan. Entering Japan in the sixth century from Korea, Buddhism co-opted the Shinto deities (known as kami). Within Japan, Buddhism splintered into many varieties such as Shingon (“True Word”), Tendai (“Original Enlightenment”), as well as Pure Land, Zen, and Nichiren Buddhism. In the twentieth century, Japanese Buddhism, especially Zen would export its ideas to the western world. Many people have been attracted by Buddhism’s non-doctrinal and existential emphasis on meditation, insight and the search for the “beyond that is within.”

Dr. Winston King, Winston L. King (Author), Ben Kingsley (Narrator)

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The Religion of Small Societies

"Small societies" are the surviving peoples of ancient, indigenous cultures that now exist in and around modern nation-states; Eskimos, Lapps, the Dayak people of Borneo (Indonesia), and the Ainu people of northern Japan are just a few examples. Typically these are tribes of hunters, gatherers, or perhaps agricultural or pastoral peoples; most of humanity once lived in ways that resemble the ways of today's small societies. Though indigenous cultures produce little significant writing or literature, their spiritual experience is often profound. Ever-present spiritual powers are believed to manifest themselves throughout the natural world: modern scholars call this outlook animism. A hierarchy of spirits of gods culminates in a High God, who is often remote and ineffable, barely connected to everyday human experience. Ancestors are believed to exist still as the "living dead"; totemism identifies a clan with some specially related natural object or species. The shaman is a king of prophet able to undergo spiritual experiences and visions, using spiritual methods to heal the sick and functioning much like a priest, magician, and psychic. Indigenous peoples attempt to appease the gods with sacrifices; here an object or being is often burned so that its unseen essence or spirit is sent upwards to the gods. Magic (often using such familiar religious vehicles as omens, spells, oracles, etc.) is believed to manipulate the secret powers in the universe; it is relied upon especially when outcomes are unpredictable and the emotional consequences are significant. Taboos help organize society by prohibiting certain behaviors. Rights of passage promote social stability and order by formalizing such events as birth, puberty, marriage, and death. Rituals (especially fertility rituals) also express the society's beliefs and commitments in a formal, structured way. And myths relate human beings to their surrounding world. Many indigenous cultures have been consumed by colonial empires and nation-states; survivors are confronted by scientific methods and values that destroy their traditional beliefs. These peoples have been traumatized by loss of land, new diseases, technology, and warfare. Ideals and expectations change slowly

Dr. Ninian Smart, Ninian Smart, Professor Ninian Smart (Author), Ben Kingsley (Narrator)

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Shinto and Japanese New Religions

Japan has so many religious traditions that it has been called a "living museum of religious traditions." Buddhism (originally from India) passed through China and Korea before entering Japan about 500 CE. Also at about this time Confucianism and Daoism (also called Taoism) were transmitted to Japan, where they were accepted primarily as philosophical and ethical ideas. Christianity first came to Japan in 1549, but its following has always remained very small. The oldest religious tradition in Japan is Shinto, a distinctive, highly diverse religion born of the culture and experience of the Japanese people. Shinto literally means "way of the kami." Kami refers to "the sacred," and there are countless kami manifested in natural forms (mountains, waterfalls, trees, rocks, etc.), in human forms, and even in human ancestors. Shinto has no founder, no explicit teachings or doctrines, and no universal claims. Shinto also is not exclusive; a Japanese individual may worship at a Shinto shrine yet also affirm the beliefs of Buddhism or folk religion. Worship at Shinto shrines occurs during annual festivals or at a personal time of need for prayer. Shrine enhances are marked by a sacred archway called a torii; the two most important shrine buildings are the sanctuary (honden) and the hall of worship (haiden). The most important written records of Shinto belief are the Kojiki (712 CE) and the Nihon Shoki (720 CE); influential figures of Shinto history include the fourteenth-century pilgrim Saka and the eighteenth-century scholar Motoori. In the last two centuries, many new religions have appeared in Japan; some examples are Kurozumikyo (1814), Tenrikyo (1838), Konkokyo (1859) and Hommon Butsuryuko (1857). Such new religions (as opposed to reforms) are marked by five key features: their founder, message, following, practices, and organization. State Shinto became Japan's official religion after 1868, but was disestablished after Japan's surrender in World War II (1945). Japan has since had a formal separation of church and state, with significant consequences for Japanese politics, society, and religious life.

Byron Earhart, Dr. Bryan Earhart (Author), Ben Kingsley (Narrator)

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Protestant Christianity

Protestant Christianity began in the early 16th century as a reform movement directed against Roman Catholic doctrines and practices. Early leaders such as Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, and John Calvin laid out the movement's foundational principles, including the conviction that salvation is by god's grace alone, that the Bible is the sole authority of faith and practice, and that the church is a "priesthood of all believers." Four distinct forms soon arose within Protestantism. Lutheranism would predominate in Germany, Scandinavia, and the Baltic countries. The Reformed churches included Presbyterians, Congregationalists, English-speaking Baptists, and a variety of ethnic Reformed churches in such countries as Switzerland, France, and the Netherlands. Among the radical extensions of the initial reforming movements were theocrats, spiritualists, anti-Trinitarians, and Anabaptists. And the Anglican church was established by England's Henry VIII in the wake of a dispute with the Catholic Church. The influential Puritan movement emerged around 1570 within the Anglican tradition. In the 17th century the Pietists objected to the increasingly doctrinaire character of contemporary Protestantism: they advocated a more intense and intimate relationship with God. In the 18th century, the Enlightenment invigorated interests in natural religion and in morality as the heart of religion; its objection to ceremonies, mystery and ecclesiastical authority formed much of the basis for modern liberal Protestantism. A Protestant evangelical revival (including Wesleyanism and the "great awakening") emphasized religious conversion, personal and social effort, renewed attention to the authority of the Bible, and a conviction that the doctrine of the atonement stands at the center of the Christian message. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Protestant Christianity spread world-wide. Ecumenical efforts have brought many groups into close working relationships and produced unions of churches, though disagreements continue. The term Protestantism thus has become a broad umbrella for a variety of beliefs and institutions that retain some connection with the past as they express renewed forms of religious vitality in the present.

Dale A. Johnson, Dr. Dale Johnson (Author), Ben Kingsley (Narrator)

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Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christianity

Christianity arose within the social and spiritual dislocation of the Roman Empire. Jesus, perceived by authorities as a threat to public stability, was executed in about 30 CE; his crucifixion and belief in his resurrection became a defining symbol for a worldwide Christian religion. The Christian New Testament was written from about 50-150 CE; from 150 to 410, the church fathers defined Christian belief against the protests of various "heretical" movements. In 312, the future Roman emperor Constantine became a Christian; by 392 Christianity was the official religion of the Roman Empire. In 410, Rome fell and the divided Roman Empire led to the division of the Church. Communion between these churches was broken in 863; formal separation came with the Schism of 1054. Orthodox means "true belief"; Catholic means "universal"; each church claimed unrivaled legitimacy. The Orthodox Church is a loose federation of national churches, each under a patriarch; the Roman Catholic Church is a single, hierarchically-structured church with the Pope at its head. Both churches have an episcopal structure (i.e. bishops), celebrate mass with the Last Supper, share virtually the same canon of scriptures, and affirm declarations of the early church councils. Roman Catholics reacted to Muslim conquests in the Middle East and Asia Minor by launching the Crusades (1095-1270); soon they turned against the Orthodox Church by sacking Constantinople in 1204. In the centuries after Constantinople fell again to Muslims in 1453, the center of Orthodoxy moved north to Russia. The Roman Catholic Church also was torn apart by the Protestant Reformation, which began in 1517. The Council of Trent (1545-63) began the Counter Reformation. Many Christians have long dreamed of a unified church; Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant Christians in the 20th century have looked for ways to emphasize their common beliefs. The Second Vatican Council of 1962 has been especially influential in laying the foundation for more positive relationships among various Christian faiths - and with non-Christians as well.

Dr. Jean Porter, Jean Porter (Author), Ben Kingsley (Narrator)

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Native Religions of the Americas

Forty thousand years ago, Siberians traversed the Bering Strait to enter the Western Hemisphere. The emigration to America occurred in three waves: the Amerind (ca.40,000 BCE), the Na Dene (ca.7000 BCE), and the Eskimo/Aleut (ca. 3000 BCE). Tribes were organized in linguistic families such as the Algonkian and Athapascan in North America; the most concentrated population occurred in Central and South America. In these cultures spirits were understood to guide the primary activities and events of human life (including hunting, fishing, sex, puberty, disease, and death). Characteristic features of Native American religion included the master of the animals, a protective spirit of a species or all animals. Shamans (ecstatic medicine men) used supernatural powers to cure the sick. Totemism was a mysterious religious bond between human clan and guardian animals. There was mostly a high god and many atmospheric gods, such as the gods of thunder and wind. The Earth Mother was understood to work silently, influencing everything on the face of the earth. The culture hero (e.g. the raven, coyote, blue jay, and others) appeared as a trickster, who also introduced humankind to cultural institutions. Most North American hunting cultures did not have creation myths, though the earth-diver myth was an exception. Foraging societies held first fruit rituals, and hunters were careful to treat slain animals with deference so that they might return to life nearby. Native cultures became more agricultural sometime after about 3000 BCE, and the thanksgiving rituals of hunting cultures now became more associated with planting, sprouting, sowing, and harvesting. Myths and rituals included the Star Husband Tale, the Dream-Guessing Rite, the Corn Maiden myth, and sacred tobacco-smoking rituals. Societies in Meso-America (Central America and Peru) tended to be theocratic, hierarchical, and authoritarian and they featured a massive sacrificial system. Many of the influences spread to the southern portions of North America in the pre-Classic period (1000 BCE to 200 CE). The Classic period (200 CE to 900 CE) saw growth and vitality among Mayans and others; the post-Classic-period (ca. 1300 CE) included the founding of the Aztec empire. This era was soon followed by dramatic losses and retrenchment throughout the Americas in the face of European expansionism and imperialism.

Dr. Ake Hultkranz, åke Hultkrantz (Author), Ben Kingsley (Narrator)

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Judaism

Judaism is more than a religion; it is a civilization including a people, a language, unique laws, a system of ethics, custom, a homeland, and a theology. Judaism focuses on the proper and righteous life in this world; Jews worship one God, who is just and merciful, and they obey a wide-ranging and vigorous moral law centered around the Torah. Themes of Jewish life include family, study, morality, and community. Moses led the Jews from Egypt to the "Promised Land" of Canaan; they became a strong unified nation in the 10th century BCE. The kingdom soon split into Judah and Israel; Israel was conquered by Assyria (722 BCE), and Judah by the Babylonians (586 BCE). The Jews returned from Babylonian exile in 520 BCE, only to experience centuries of oppression (and often persecution) by Persians, Greeks, Syrians, Romans, and others. Rome destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 CE, with great loss of life. The local synagogue and the rabbi now became the focus of Jewish life. For eighteen centuries, Jews lived as a minority - often a persecuted minority - mostly in nations dominated by Christians and Muslims. Jews clung to their law and customs, longing for restoration as a unified culture. In the 19th century, Jews were emancipated. Reform Judaism wanted to liberalize Jewish life and reconcile it with the conditions of local culture; the Orthodox Jews insisted on strict adherence to traditional laws and beliefs. In the United States, Conservative Judaism, Reconstructionism, and Secular Humanistic Judaism arose. From the late 19th century Jews struggled to reestablish their ancient homeland. Then in World War II came the Holocaust, which saw the murder of six million Jews in Europe. In its wake, the State of Israel was established in 1948.

Dr. Geoffrey Wigoder, Geoffrey Wigoder (Author), Ben Kingsley (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Ben Kingsley