Audiobooks narrated by David Holt

The British Imagination: A History of Ideas from Elizabeth I to Elizabeth II

"Before the 16th century Britain was a small, out-of-the-way backwater, lagging far behind other global powers in terms of power and innovation. This all changed when Queen Elizabeth I was crowned. During her reign, creative and intellectual life flourished as never before, and Britain became one of the leading nations of 'the West'. It has remained a major power ever since. What happened in the last five hundred years to bring about this change, and to maintain it? And what can it tell us about the unique nature of British identity and exceptionalism today? The British Imagination is a masterful journey through 500 years of history, from Shakespeare to Woolf, the Royal Society to the industrial revolution, and from the first New World colonies to the empire that by the 1920s had colonised a quarter of the world. The key tenets of British history, Peter Watson argues, are religion, empirical science, commerce and empire. Breathtaking in scope, covering everything from astronomy to geology, philosophy to literature, The British Imagination is a spellbinding tour of the most influential ideas - and the extraordinary people - who made Britain what it is today. "

Peter Watson (Author), David Holt (Narrator)

Audiobook

C.S. Forester: The African Queen, The Gun and more: 5 Full Cast Dramatisations of iconic novels

"Full cast BBC Radio productions of five of C. S. Forester’s classic novels Most famous for his Hornblower series, iconic writer C. S. Forester tells tales of adventure like no other. This BBC radio collection features modern adaptations of five of his acclaimed novels, including The African Queen (famously adapted as an Oscar-winning film starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn) and The Gun, which was turned into the hit Hollywood movie The Pride and the Passion. The African Queen – East Africa, 1915. When missionary Rose Sayer’s brother dies and the German army invade their village, she finds herself thrown together with cowardly Cockney Charlie Allnut in his rickety steam-powered boat, The African Queen. Together, they brave German attacks, rapids, malaria and mechanical mishaps – but can they survive each other’s company? This radio dramatisation goes back to the novel, reinstating Forester's original ending and giving Charlie his Cockney identity back. Samantha Bond stars as Rose, with Toby Jones as Charlie. London Noir – Based on early novels by C. S. Forester, these three psychological thrillers take crime writing in a new direction by portraying ordinary, desperate people engaging in monstrous acts. Set in the 1920s, Payment Deferred centres around a bank clerk who commits a heinous crime to get out of debt, while Plain Murder sees three ad men plotting the ‘perfect murder’. And in The Pursued, it is 1935, and an elderly lady becomes obsessed with revenge when her daughter is found dead. Greg Wise narrates these chilling dramas, with casts including Sam Dale, Bryan Dick and Sophie Thompson. The Gun – This masterful historical drama tells the story of a massive 18-pounder gun that falls into the hands of Spanish partisans during the Peninsular War. Dragged across the mountains and plains of Spain, it becomes a potent symbol of pride and resistance – and changes the lives of those who fight each other to the death to gain control of it. Scott Arthur and Matthew Grevelle star in this gripping tale of guerrilla warfare. Text copyright C. S. Forester 1926 (Payment Deferred), 1930 (Plain Murder), 1933 (The Gun), 1935 (The African Queen, The Pursued) Cast and credits Written by C. S. Forester The African Queen Featuring Samantha Bond, Toby Jones, Stephen Critchlow, Mark Edel-Hunt, David Acton Adapted by Paul Mendelson Produced and directed by David Ian Neville Music composed and played by Gary C. Newman London Noir Dramatised by Paul Mendelson Produced and directed by David Ian Neville Music composed by Gary C. Newman Clarinet: Samantha Baldwin Payment Deferred Featuring Greg Wise, Sam Dale, Rebecca Lacey, Teresa Gallagher, Nick Underwood, David Thorpe, Sam Cummings, Emily Dolbear Plain Murder Featuring Greg Wise, Bryan Dick, Susie Riddell, Crawford Logan, David Seddon, Christopher Webster, David Holt, Cassie Layton, Imogen Barnes The Pursued Featuring Greg Wise, Sophie Thompson, Ben Crowe, Tessa Peake-Jones, Richard Lumsden, Carl Prekopp, Charlie Abbit, Cassie Layton The Gun Featuring Scott Arthur, Matthew Gravelle, Keiron Self, Don Gilet, Kevin Doyle Dramatised by Mike Walker Produced by Polly Thomas © 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd"

C.S. Forester (Author), Carl Prekopp, Christopher Webster, Crawford Logan, David Holt, David Seddon, Don Gilet, Full Cast, Greg Wise, Kevin Doyle, Kieron Self, Matthew Gravelle, Rebecca Lacey, Richard Lumsden, Samantha Bond, Sophie Thompson, Teresa Gallagher, Tessa Peake-Jones, Toby Jones (Narrator)

Audiobook

George Harrison: The Reluctant Beatle

"From the author of the million-copy selling Shout!: The Beatles in Their Generation and the bestselling John Lennon: The Life comes a revealing portrait of George Harrison, the most undervalued and mysterious Beatle. Despite being hailed as one of the best guitarists of his era, George Harrison, particularly in his early decades, battled feelings of inferiority. He was often the butt of jokes from his bandmates owing to his lower-class background and, typically, was allowed to contribute only one or two songs per Beatles album out of the dozens he wrote. Now, acclaimed Beatles biographer Philip Norman examines Harrison through the lens of his numerous self-contradictions. Compared to songwriting luminaries John Lennon and Paul McCartney he was considered a minor talent, yet he composed such masterpieces as 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' and 'Here Comes the Sun', and his solo debut album All Things Must Pass achieved enormous success, appearing on many lists of the 100 best rock albums ever. Modern music critics place him in the pantheon of Sixties guitar gods alongside Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards and Jimmy Page. Harrison railed against the material world yet wrote the first pop song complaining about income tax. He spent years lovingly restoring his Friar Park estate as a spiritual journey, but quickly mortgaged the property to help rescue a film project that would be widely banned as sacrilegious, Monty Python's Life of Brian. Harrison could be fiercely jealous, but not only did he stay friends with Eric Clapton when Clapton fell in love with Harrison's wife, Pattie Boyd, the two men grew even closer after Clapton walked away with her. Unprecedented in scope and filled with numerous colour photos, this rich biography captures George Harrison at his most multi-faceted: devoted friend, loyal son, master guitar-player, brilliant songwriter, cocaine addict, serial philanderer, global philanthropist, student of Indian mysticism, self-deprecating comedian and, ultimately, iconic artist and man beloved by millions. "

Philip Norman (Author), David Holt (Narrator)

Audiobook

This Sceptred Isle Collection 2: 1702 - 1901: The Classic BBC Radio History

"The final five volumes from the landmark BBC radio series This Sceptred Isle. Christopher Lee's epic history tells the story of Britain from the Romans to the death of Victoria. This collection includes the original volumes 6-10: 1702-1760: The First British EmpireThe reign of George I; Britain's first Prime Minister, Robert Walpole, and the first rendition of Rule Britannia. 1760-1792: The Age of Revolution The Industrial Revolution begins; America declares independence and France is rocked by social and politicalupheaval. 1792-1815: Nelson, Wellington and Napoleon War in Europe; the introduction of Income Tax; and England is victorious in the Battle of Trafalgar. 1815-1837: Regency and Reform The Prince of Wales becomes George IV; Sir Robert Peel creates the Metropolitan Police and slavery is abolished in the British Empire. 1837-1901: The Age of Victoria Victoria's 64-year reign encompasses huge social changes; Britain expands her empire and the Labour Party is founded. Narrated by Anna Massey, with extracts from Sir Winston Churchill's A History of the English-speaking Peoples read by Peter Jeffrey, this is the definitive radio account of the events and personalities that have shaped our nation. Duration: 14 hours approx."

Christopher Lee (Author), Anna Massey, Brett Usher, David Holt, Denys Hawthorne, Keith Drinkel, Patrick Reinhardt, Peter Jeffrey, Sean Baker, Various (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Wisdom of Bees: What the Hive Can Teach Business about Leadership, Efficiency, and Growth

"Penguin presents the audiobook edition of The Wisdom of Bees by Michael O'Malley, read by David Holt. 'It seemed to me that the bees were working on the very same kinds of problems we are trying to solve. How can large, diverse groups work together harmoniously and productively? Perhaps we could take what the bees do so well and apply it to our institutions.' When Michael O'Malley first took up beekeeping he thought it would be a nice hobby to share with his son. But he noticed that bees not only work together to achieve a common goal but, in the process, create a remarkably productive organization, like a miniature but incredibly successful business. O'Malley also realized that bees can teach managers a lot, identifying 25 powerful insights such as: * Distribute authority: the queen bee delegates relentlessly and worker bees make daily decisions * Keep it simple: bees exchange only relevant information * Protect the future: when a lucrative vein of nectar is discovered, the entire colony doesn't rush off to mine it Blending practical advice with interesting facts about the hive, The Wisdom of Bees is a useful and entertaining audio guide for any manager looking to get the most out of his or her organization. Published as part of the Penguin Portfolio series of business audiobooks."

Michael O'Malley (Author), David Holt (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by David Holt

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