Audiobooks narrated by Hugh Kermode

These Isles: A People’s History of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales

"An inventive new look at the entwined histories of Britain and Ireland’s nations – and the people who have called them home. Acclaimed author and journalist Brian Groom reveals the colourful and often-contested history of the Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Normans and others who have occupied these islands, along with their culture, languages and passions. Packed with surprise and insight, These Isles explores the role of religion, the British Empire, international diasporas and internal migration, gender relations and war in a nuanced and entertaining narrative. With forays into popular culture, sport, music, language, literature and art, These Isles stretches from 800,000-year-old footprints on a Norfolk beach to the changing fortunes of the early twenty-first century. It offers a uniquely rich and kaleidoscopic vision of the shared stories of people across Britain and Ireland – past and present."

Brian Groom (Author), Hugh Kermode (Narrator)

Audiobook

Why Nobody Understands Quantum Physics: The bestselling guide to our universe

"This audiobook includes forewords read by the authors, Frank Verstraete and Céline Broeckaert. The International Bestseller 'Ambitious . . . pleasingly full of cutting-edge topics - New Scientist 'A physics book unlike any other. The scope, depth and artistry are breathtaking' - John Preskill, theoretical physicist and Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics at Caltech Quantum physics is the cornerstone of our world. Yet, at the same time, it's one of the hardest subjects for ordinary mortals to grasp. In Why Nobody Understands Quantum Physics, a husband-and-wife team - renowned physicist Frank Verstraete and writer Céline Broeckaert - demystifies this essential branch of science. Together, they unravel the reasons the universe behaves in its weird ways - and just why it's so important to understand them. In this book, you will discover: - How symmetry governs the universe. - The untold stories of pioneering women in quantum science. - How quantum principles power our gadgets and lives. - The real essence behind quantum puzzles and discoveries. Part-history and part-popular science, Why Nobody Understands Quantum Physics serves as a bridge between the complex world of quantum physics and the curious mind, simplifying without diluting and enlightening without overwhelming. 'Entertaining, unorthodox and highly readable' - Professor Ian Stewart, bestselling co-author of The Science of Discworld 'A delightful book for all those who do not speak the language of mathematics but are curious about the most beautiful of theories and their impact on our lives' - Barbara Terhal, theoretical physicist"

Céline Broeckaert, Frank Verstraete (Author), Céline Broeckaert, Frank Verstraete, Hugh Kermode (Narrator)

Audiobook

Farewell Mr Puffin: A small boat voyage to Iceland

"Bloomsbury presents Farewell Mr Puffin by Paul Heiney, read by Hugh Kermode. It would be hard to imagine a more thoughtful, intelligent and companionable person to go to sea with than Paul Heiney.' Bill Bryson 'High comedy on the high seas. Informative and warm and freezing. It's quite a combination.' Griff Rhys Jones The writer and broadcaster Paul Heiney set sail from the east coast of England bound for Iceland, propelled by a desire to breathe the cool, clear air of the high latitudes, and to follow in the wake of generations of sailors who have made this often treacherous journey since the 13th century. In almost every harbour he tripped over maritime history and anecdote, and came face to face with his own past as he sailed north along his childhood coastline of east Yorkshire towards the Arctic Circle. But there was one major thing missing from this voyage – the sight of puffins. They are remarkable birds, uplifting as a ray of sunshine after a storm. To see them and share their waters was also part of Heiney’s ambition. Imagine then his disappointment when, first, no puffins appeared off the Farne Islands, then none to be seen on puffin hotspots like Orkney. When he failed to see puffins on Iceland, Heiney still held out the hope that he would see the 'joker of the seas'. With inspiring travel writing, social and maritime history, and good-humoured reflections on his sailing journey, Heiney brings us this delightful book – a love letter to the puffin, to Iceland and the north, and to the pure pleasure of being at sea. C 2021 Paul Heiney P 2021 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC"

Paul Heiney (Author), Hugh Kermode (Narrator)

Audiobook

Post Mortem: Elliot Rook, QC: Book 2

"Bloomsbury presents Post Mortem by Gary Bell, read by Hugh Kermode. Can Rook keep his criminal past a secret when facing the most dangerous case of his life? Thirteen men have died in a London prison. Barrister Elliot Rook QC, who risks losing everything if his secret criminal past is revealed, must defend Charli Meadows, the vulnerable single mother accused of smuggling the deadly tainted drugs inside. But just as Rook becomes suspicious of those closest to Charli, a note arrives at his flat – threatening violence if the trial is not called off. While Rook battles to defend Charli and protect himself, his young protégé Zara Barnes is fighting for her livelihood. In a few short weeks, only one tenancy at the legal chambers will be available to the ever-multiplying mass of pupils. Determined to make it hers, Zara takes on her biggest solo case yet. But will her gamble pay off? Praise for the Elliot Rook QC series: '[A] thriller I found hard to put down' – Observer 'Slick and wonderfully paced, I was hooked from the opening pages. One of the best legal thrillers I have read recently, it reminded me of early Grisham’ – AMW Books Blog 'A brilliant read' – A. N. Wilson, Tablet P 2020 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC C 2020 Gary Bell"

Gary Bell (Author), Hugh Kermode (Narrator)

Audiobook

Myths & Legends

"Discover the world's greatest myths and legends - from Greek mythology to Norse mythology - in this comprehensive guide. What did Japanese mythology say about the beginning of the Universe? How did Oedipus become the classic tragic hero in Greek mythology? Who brought about the origin of death in Maori mythology? Combining vivid retellings of famous legends with over 1,000 illustrations of characters, famous artworks, and artefacts, Myths and Legends makes it easier than ever before to understand the stories that are central to every culture. Delve into the well-known tales of the ancient Greeks, which hold the key to such phrases as 'Achilles' heel', as well as the lesser-known but richly colourful myths of Africa and the Americas. Explore global ideas such as fate and fortune, and the Underworld, and find out about the key characters - heroes, tricksters, and gods - that make up each myth system. Filled with the cultural and religious meanings behind each legend, and the influence they have had both in their own time and in today's world, this book is a must-have for all mythology enthusiasts. © 2019 Philip Wilkinson © 2020 DK Audio"

Philip Wilkinson (Author), Hugh Kermode (Narrator)

Audiobook

Liberty Bound: A dystopian adventure at the end of civilisation

"Society has turned on its head. The ‘free’ hide behind fortifications and the ‘imprisoned’ roam the wild, barren land beyond. Finbarl-apcula guards the town of Athenia, an oasis in a parched, sparsely populated world. He keeps the citizens safe, ensures those who break the draconian laws lose their freedom, and protects what he prizes above all else: civilisation. When Finbarl is made to lie to help convict a mother he once rescued from a bully, it delivers the first crack in his unquestionable faith in the system. As further lies and corruption are exposed, Finbarl’s world crumbles, allowing him to finally see that ‘prison walls’ exist everywhere, within himself, throughout society and in the very landscape he calls home. No one is free and the civilisation he was willing to die for is at the root of the problem. Finbarl begins a thrilling adventure of twists, rebellion, danger, discovery and tragedy to break the bonds imprisoning a world, himself and the future. Will he find what he really treasures most: true freedom? In creating a dangerous but exciting ‘inverse’ world, where the true meaning of freedom is explored and challenged, Wrey invites the reader to consider how their own society, and the individuals within, are inhibited and restricted by ‘walls’ through fear and ignorance. Speculative fiction to inspire you to think again about the world of today. A book for our time. A 2021 Readers' Favorite International Book Award winner. Finalist in the 2020 Wishing Shelf Book Awards for adult fiction. Winner of the International Review of Books Gold Award, a Readers' Favorites 5 Star Review Award, a HugeOrange Editor's Pick Winner Award, a Literary Titan Silver Award."

Nathaniel M Wrey (Author), Hugh Kermode (Narrator)

Audiobook

Beyond Reasonable Doubt

"Bloomsbury presents Beyond Reasonable Doubt by Gary Bell, read by Hugh Kermode. LONGLISTED FOR THE CWA GOLD DAGGER AWARD 2020 The start of a thrilling new legal series, perfect for fans of Robert Galbraith and The Secret Barrister, written by an acclaimed QC. Elliot Rook QC is one of the greatest barristers of his generation. He is also a complete fraud. Elliot Rook is the epitome of a highly successful, old Etonian QC. Or so everyone believes. In fact, he is an ex-petty criminal with a past that he has spent decades keeping secret. Until now… An unidentified young woman of Middle Eastern origin has been found murdered on the outskirts of Rook’s home town. Billy Barber – a violent football hooligan and white-supremacist – is accused of her murder. Barber insists that Rook must defend him. If Rook refuses, Barber will expose him, bringing crashing to the ground the life and career that Rook has spent his life building. The truth is there for the finding. But at what cost?"

Gary Bell (Author), Hugh Kermode (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Pit-Prop Syndicate

"From the Collins Crime Club archive, the third standalone novel by Freeman Wills Crofts, dubbed ‘The King of Detective Story Writers’. Seymour Merriman’s holiday in France comes to an abrupt halt when his motorcycle starts leaking petrol. Following a lorry to find fuel, he discovers that it belongs to an English company making timber pit-props for coal mines back home. His suspicions of illegal activity are aroused when he sees the exact same lorry with a different number plate – and confirmed later with the shocking discovery of a body. What began as amateur detective work ends up as a job for Inspector Willis of Scotland Yard, a job requiring tenacity, ingenuity and guile . . . Freeman Wills Crofts’ transition from civil engineer on the Irish railways to world-renowned master of the detective mystery began with The Cask when he was fully 40 years old; but it was his third novel, the baffling The Pit-Prop Syndicate, that was singled out by his editors in 1930 as the first for inclusion in Collins’ prestigious new series of reprints ‘for crime connoisseurs’. This Detective Club classic is introduced by John Curran, author of The Hooded Gunman, and includes the bonus of an exclusive short story by Crofts, ‘Danger in Shroude Valley’."

Freeman Wills Crofts (Author), Hugh Kermode (Narrator)

Audiobook

Death In Shanghai

"Shanghai, 1928. The body of a blonde is washed up on the Beach of Dead Babies, in the heart of the smog-filled city. Seemingly a suicide, a closer inspection reveals a darker motive: the corpse has been weighed down, it’s lower half mutilated…and the Chinese character for ‘justice’ carved into the chest. The moment Inspector Danilov lays eyes on the dismembered body, he realises that he has an exceptional case on his hands. And when the first body is followed by another, and another, each displaying a new, bloody message, he has no option but face the truth. He is dealing with the worst kind of criminal; someone determined, twisted…and vengeful. Someone who must be caught….whatever the cost. Death in Shanghai is the first novel in M J Lee’s Inspector Danilov series, perfect for fans of Philip Kerr."

M. J. Lee (Author), Hugh Kermode (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Terror

"The sensational novel which launched Collins’ Detective Story Club in 1929 was by Edgar Wallace, who wrote more crime stories in the 1920s, and more films, than any other author. This new edition of The Terror, with its original jacket artwork, also includes another classic Wallace text, White Face. A dangerous gang of criminals is imprisoned after a daring robbery, although the ringleader who masterminded the crime disappears with the loot. Finally released after ten years behind bars, they are out for vengeance on the man who betrayed them, and the trail leads to a lonely house haunted by organ music and the spectre of a hooded figure who prowls its dark corridors. The Terror began life as a stage play, then a film, and finally the book that began Collins’ Detective Story Club in July 1929. This new edition also includes White Face, the other crime novel Wallace adapted from one of his own plays. A doctor finds a man murdered in a seedy part of London. The police suspect a notorious master of disguise known as ‘White Face’, and the doctor enlists a reporter to help him track down and unmask the elusive killer."

Edgar Wallace (Author), Hugh Kermode (Narrator)

Audiobook

Our Land at War

"A rich account of the impact of the Second World War on the lives of people living in the farms and villages of Britain. On the outbreak of war, the countryside was invaded by service personnel and evacuee children by the thousand; land was taken arbitrarily for airfields, training grounds and firing ranges, and whole communities were evicted. Prisoner-of-war camps brought captured enemy soldiers to close quarters, and as horses gave way to tractors and combines farmers were burdened with aggressive new restrictions on what they could and could not grow. Land Girls and Lumber Jills worked in fields and forests. Food – or the lack of it – was a major preoccupation and rationing strictly enforced. And although rabbits were poached, apples scrumped and mushrooms gathered, there was still not enough to eat. Drawing from diaries, letters, books, official records and interviews, Duff Hart Davis revisits rural Britain to describe how ordinary people survived the war years. He tells of houses turned over to military use such as Bletchley and RAF Medmenham as well as those that became schools, notably Chatsworth in Derbyshire. Combining both hardship and farce, the book examines the profound changes war brought to Britain’s countryside: from the Home Guard, struggling with the provision of ludicrous equipment, to the role of the XII Corps Observation Unit. whose task was to enlarge rabbit warrens and badger setts into bunkers for harassing the enemy in the event of a German invasion; to the unexpected tenderness shown by many to German and Italian prisoners-of-war at work on the land. Fascinating, sad and at times hilarious, this warm-hearted book tells great stories – and casts new light on Britain during the war."

Duff Hart-Davis (Author), Hugh Kermode (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Hugh Kermode

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