Audiobooks narrated by Finlay Robertson

Lethal Shot: A Royal Marine Commando in Action

Rob Driscoll, former sergeant with 42 Commando, Royal Marines, served tours in Iraq, Kuwait and Kosovo. A born leader of fighting men, he also endured three tours in Afghanistan. The third of those will go down in history as one of the UK military's darkest hours, for it marked the first time a British serviceman has been tried for a murder on the battlefield since the Second World War. That man was 'Marine A', Sergeant Alexander Blackman, Rob Driscoll's friend and fellow NCO in 42 Commando, and on the day in question they were commanding patrols within a few hundred yards of each other. Few men know what really went on that day in Helmand Province. Rob Driscoll is one, and, like Blackman, knew only too well the privations and frustrations of fighting an ubiquitous and tenacious enemy without sufficient resources and support. Yet Lethal Shot is more than a compelling insight into one of the most controversial and divisive cases in recent military history. It is a clear-eyed account of life on active service with the Royal Marines, of incursions into war-torn countries where chaos and anarchy ruled - and of men risking their lives daily only too often to find that they would not be backed up by politicians at home. In charting its author's career as a Royal Marine Commando, it unflinchingly demonstrates the real-life horrors of engaging at close quarters with enemies such as the Taliban. Rob Driscoll received a Mention in Despatches for his last tour of 'Afghan', the citation reading: 'He never bows to fatigue or danger and there is no doubt that his remarkable acts of selflessness saved a number of lives for which he deserves significant formal recognition.'

Rob Driscoll, Robert Driscoll (Author), Finlay Robertson (Narrator)

Audiobook

We Met in December

Prepare to fall head over heels. The perfect book for fans of Josie Silver, Richard Curtis, and anyone who ever fell in love with the wrong person... 'Gorgeously festive and romantic' Rosie Walsh, bestselling author of The Man Who Didn't Call What if you couldn't get away from the one who got away? This December, unlucky-in-love Jess is following her dream and moving to Notting Hill. On the first night in her new house-share she meets Alex, the guy in the room next door. They don't kiss under the mistletoe, but there's still a spark that leaves Jess imagining how they might spend the year together - never mind the house rule against dating... But when Jess returns from her Christmas holiday, she finds Alex has started seeing Emma, who lives on the floor above them. Now Jess faces a year of bumping into the man of her dreams - and, apparently, the woman of his. Jess is determined to move on and spend the year falling in love with London, not Alex - but what if her heart has other ideas? Everyone is falling for We Met in December... 'Bridget Jones meets Love Actually - the PERFECT Christmas story and I loved, loved, loved it' Cathy Bramley 'Like putting on your favourite Christmas jumper: cosy, heartwarming and gorgeously romantic' Holly Martin 'A perfect festive hug of a book. It's packed with brilliant characters, beautiful settings, warm humour and a love story guaranteed to steal your heart. I absolutely adored this clever, wonderful story. Get ready to meet your new favourite author!' Miranda Dickinson 'Just what everyone needs right now - a gorgeously warm and uplifting story full of romance' Alex Brown

Rosie Curtis (Author), Finlay Robertson, Jessica Preddy (Narrator)

Audiobook

Impact: Reshaping capitalism to drive real change

WHAT KIND OF WORLD DO WE WANT TO LIVE IN? Envisage a world where inequality is shrinking, where natural resources are regenerated, and people can benefit from shared prosperity. In IMPACT, Sir Ronald Cohen proposes a new theory about how the Impact Revolution will enable us to achieve systemic social and environmental improvement. Impact investing is about creating a chain reaction. One that brings innovation to the stakeholders whose engagement is crucial to tackling massive social and environmental challenges at scale. One that changes the mindset and behavior of investors, philanthropists, entrepreneurs, social organizations, big business, governments and the general public and places impact at the center of our decision-making. The Impact Revolution is already transforming the way we think about social responsibility, business models and investment. It is beginning to change our economies, turning them into powerful engines that drive capital to achieve impact alongside profit. We can already see it marking the twenty-first century as much as the tech revolution marked the twentieth. Billions of people's lives depend on the success of the Impact Revolution. There has never been a more tangible opportunity.

Ronald Cohen, Sir Ronald Cohen (Author), Finlay Robertson, Ronald Cohen, Sir Ronald Cohen (Narrator)

Audiobook

People Like Her

'Breathlessly fast, brilliantly original' Clare Mackintosh 'Social media has never been so dark or so compelling' Samantha Downing People like Emmy Jackson. They always have. Especially online, where she is Instagram sensation Mamabare, famous for always telling the unvarnished truth about modern parenthood. But Emmy isn’t as honest as she’d like the fans to believe. She may think she has her followers fooled, but someone out there knows the truth and plans to make her pay. Because people like her have no idea what pain careless words can cause. Because people like her need to learn what it feels like to lose everything. A smart and thrilling debut that delves into the darkest aspects of influencer culture, Ellery Lloyd’s People Like Her is about what you risk losing when you don’t know who’s watching . . .

Ellery Lloyd (Author), Anna Bentinck, Finlay Robertson, Nathalie Buscombe (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Inner Level: How More Equal Societies Reduce Stress, Restore Sanity and Improve Everyone's Wellb

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of The Inner Level by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett, read by Finlay Robertson. Why is the incidence of mental illness in the UK twice that in Germany? Why are Americans three times more likely than the Dutch to develop gambling problems? Why is child well-being so much worse in New Zealand than Japan? As this groundbreaking study demonstrates, the answer to all these hinges on inequality. In The Spirit Level Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett put inequality at the centre of public debate by showing conclusively that less-equal societies fare worse than more equal ones across everything from education to life expectancy. The Inner Level now explains how inequality affects us individually, how it alters how we think, feel and behave. It sets out the overwhelming evidence that material inequalities have powerful psychological effects: when the gap between rich and poor increases, so does the tendency to defi ne and value ourselves and others in terms of superiority and inferiority. A deep well of data and analysis is drawn upon to empirically show, for example, that low social status is associated with elevated levels of stress, and how rates of anxiety and depression are intimately related to the inequality which makes that status paramount. Wilkinson and Pickett describe how these responses to hierarchies evolved, and why the impacts of inequality on us are so severe. In doing so, they challenge the conception that humans are innately competitive and self-interested. They undermine, too, the idea that inequality is the product of 'natural' differences in individual ability. This book sheds new light on many of the most urgent problems facing societies today, but it is not just an index of our ills. It demonstrates that societies based on fundamental equalities, sharing and reciprocity generate much higher levels of well-being, and lays out the path towards them.

Kate Pickett, Richard Wilkinson (Author), Finlay Robertson (Narrator)

Audiobook

We Were Warriors: A powerful and moving story of courage under fire

'An adrenalin-fuelled, gritty story of heroism on the frontline in Afghanistan.' - Andy McNab The rounds were single shot from the same two enemy positions, trying to pick me off. They were kicking up the dirt around me. Then all hell broke loose as the gunship's Gatling vomited ammo right over my head. The sound was deafening. It was now or never. I got up and ran. A captain in the 29 Commando regiment, Johnny Mercer served in the army for twelve years. On his third tour of Afghanistan he was a Joint Fires Controller, with the high-pressure job of bringing down artillery and air strikes in close proximity to his own troops. Based in an area of northern Helmand that was riddled with Taliban leaders, he walked into danger with every patrol, determined to protect them. Then one morning, in brutal close quarter combat, everything changed . . . In We Were Warriors Johnny takes us from his commando training to the heat, blood and chaos of battle. With brutal honesty, he describes what it is like to risk your life every day, pushing through the fear that follows watching your friends die. He took the fight back to the enemy with a relentless efficiency that came at a high personal cost. Back in the UK, seeing the inadequate care available for veterans and their families, he was inspired to run for Parliament in the hope he could improve their plight. Unflinching, action-packed and laced with wry humour, We Were Warriors is a compelling read.

Johnny Mercer (Author), Finlay Robertson (Narrator)

Audiobook

Clear Bright Future: A Radical Defence of the Human Being

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Clear Bright Future by Paul Mason, read by Finlay Robertson. Our world order is under pressure as never before. From new authoritarian regimes in the US, Turkey and Russia, to the imminent break-up of the European Union and a social media awash with intolerance, things look set to fall apart just as abruptly as the Soviet Union did some thirty years ago. How did we get here, and what do we do now? In this searching new exploration of our crisis, Paul Mason argues that at its heart lies an attack on the idea of humanity itself. As the free-market system reduced us to two-dimensional consumers, genetics has stripped us of our belief in humans as agents of change. And now the dystopian forces of the authoritarian right are pushing the world towards a pre-modern understanding of the human being: one that aims to destroy the very concept of universal human rights, and create a new world in which we are biologically destined to form hierarchies based on ethnicity and gender, and to obey the demands of religious conformity. If these forces are not stopped, Mason warns, we will relive something even worse than the 1930s. In response, he demands a radical defence of the human being: a reinvention of humanism; a re-assertion of the universality of human rights; and a struggle for a society where biologically determined hierarchies are abolished. We have the power to imagine and design a better system. We must, Mason concludes, reach deep into the history and experience of resistance in order to be our own saviours.

Paul Mason (Author), Finlay Robertson (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Perpetual Astonishment of Jonathon Fairfax

When Jonathon Fairfax accidentally helps a murderer bump off Sarah Morecambe, the secretary of a senior politician, he sets off a chain of events that astonishes him. Jonathon is wrong-footed by even the most everyday things, so he's particularly startled to find himself caught up in a conspiracy that goes right to the heart of government. Teaming up with a suave private investigator, a glamorous grannie and the probable love of his life, Jonathon must confront his greatest fears - including talking to girls and balaclava-clad killers - and answer some very difficult questions. Who murdered Sarah Morecambe? What is the strange secret that unites the entire British government? And what exactly does it feel like to kiss a real-life woman? With its naïve, reluctant hero and wry look at life, The Perpetual Astonishment of Jonathon Fairfax has been compared to books by Douglas Adams, Carl Hiaasen and PG Wodehouse. 'You can't help being tickled' - The Guardian 'Not many books make me laugh out loud, but The Perpetual Astonishment of Jonathon Fairfax is one of them... A comic gem' - Stylist magazine 'Shevlin was rightly picked up by the literary agency that represents the likes of David Nicholls' - Metro newspaper

Christopher Shevlin (Author), Finlay Robertson (Narrator)

Audiobook

Royals

Devastating and dazzling, Royals is the story of an unlikely friendship set against the intoxicating colour and headiness of 1980s London. Radio 2 Book Club Pick. July, 1981. London. Shy, working-class Steven finds solace in beauty. Eighteen years old, he dreams of being a fashion designer. He's also gay, maybe - he hasn't decided yet. There's a lot Steven isn't sure about, like whether he hates himself or thinks he's amazing. When he ends up in hospital after being brutally attacked by his father, he meets Jasmine, an heiress. Intoxicating, anarchic, fabulous Jasmine. Fuelled by their shared love of fashion, a friendship blossoms and soon, Steven finds himself swept into her hedonistic world, wholly beguiled. However, underneath the glitter and the frivolity, darkness lies. Devastating, dazzling, queer and radical, Royals is a love story between unlikely friends from completely different worlds. It's about the power of art to transform lives and the power of families to destroy them. It's about working out who you are and what you want. It's a tale of giddy happiness, crushing lows and, ultimately, the fragility of lives lived too fast. 'Honest, provocative and disarmingly funny' GUARDIAN 'Charming, witty and touching, an Eighties Breakfast at Tiffany's' DAVID NICHOLLS 'Dazzling ... I'm incoherent with love for it' MARIAN KEYES 'Elegant, sexy, tender, wild ... A beautiful, beautiful book' EMMA JANE UNSWORTH, author of ANIMALS

Emma Forrest (Author), Finlay Robertson (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Burning Kingdoms (The Smoke Thieves Book 3)

Brought to you by Penguin. The final book in the acclaimed Smoke Thieves trilogy by bestselling author Sally Green. As war spreads like wildfire, the Smoke Thieves face their greatest challenges yet. With her father tightening his grip on the Northern Plateau, Catherine sends her loyal bodyguard Ambrose into the dragon's den on a desperate mission to disrupt the supply of smoke. In Calidor, Edyon and March face a future divided while, trapped in the demon world, Tash wrestles with the price of her past. But as the battle for the human kingdoms reaches its climax, the demon realm reveals a final, terrible secret. One with the power to change the course of the war - and history - forever. © Sally Green 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

Sally Green (Author), Charlie Anson, Daniel Weyman, Finlay Robertson, Jodhi May, Kristin Atherton, Roy Mcmillan (Narrator)

Audiobook

Max Verstappen: The Inside Track on a Formula One Star

The first English-language biography of Formula 1's hottest new talent, Dutchman Max Verstappen Few drivers have ever shaken up Formula 1 in quite the same way as Verstappen. Already the youngest competitor in F1 history, having made his breakthrough in 2015 aged just 17, his debut race for Red Bull at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix saw him become the youngest driver ever to win a race, achieve a podium finish or even lead a lap. As sports journalist James Gray deftly shows, as son of F1 legend Jos and elite-level kart driver Sophie Kumpen, Max was destined to be a racing driver. And since that headline-grabbing debut, he has continued to make an indelible impression on the sport, courting criticism and plaudits in equal measure. Published on the eve of the first Dutch Grand Prix for 36 years, Gray's biography seeks to understand the outspoken nature and aggressive driving style that make Verstappen a must-watch before, during and after races, and why his Dutch fans, who turn up to cheer him on in their orange-clad droves, are quite so fanatical.

James Gray (Author), Finlay Robertson (Narrator)

Audiobook

Miss You: A Novel

"If ever a couple was ‘meant to be,’ it’s Tess and Gus. This is such a witty, poignant, and uplifting story of two lives crisscrossing over the years, with near miss after near miss. . . . I couldn’t put it down."—Sophie Kinsella A wryly romantic debut novel with echoes of One Day that asks, what if you just walked by the love of your life, but didn’t even know it? "TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE." Tess can’t get the motto from her mother’s kitchen knickknack out of her head, even though she’s in Florence on an idyllic vacation before starting university in London. Gus is also visiting Florence, on a holiday with his parents seven months after tragedy shattered their lives. Headed to medical school in London, he’s trying to be a dutiful son but longs to escape and discover who he really is. A chance meeting brings these eighteen-year-olds together for a brief moment—the first of many times their paths will crisscross as time passes and their lives diverge from those they’d envisioned. Over the course of the next sixteen years, Tess and Gus will face very different challenges and choices. Separated by distance and circumstance, the possibility of these two connecting once more seems slight. But while fate can separate two people, it can also bring them back together again. . .

Kate Eberlen (Author), Anna Acton, Finlay Robertson (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Finlay Robertson