Audiobooks narrated by Hugh Kermode

1984

'Thoughtcrime was not a thing that could be concealed for ever. You might dodge successfully for a while, even for years, but sooner or later they were bound to get you.' Winston Smith works in the Ministry of Truth — or Minitrue as it is called in Newspeak — altering newspapers and reports to follow the arbitrary dictates of Big Brother’s propaganda. Beneath his outward conformity, Winston dreams of sharing his treasonable thoughts, breaking ’the locked loneliness in which one had to live’. And so he takes his first dangerous steps — writing a diary of his doubts and then falling in love with a woman of the Party, the beautiful and brave Julia. They know their love is doomed, but Julia swears ’They can make you say anything — anything — but they can’t make you believe it. They can’t get inside you.’ In Oceania, however, there is no possibility of solidarity, rebellion or love, and the Party can get anywhere. George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four was first published in 1949. This terrifying dystopia, which he created in a time of great social and political unrest, remains acutely relevant and influential to this day.

George Orwell (Author), Hugh Kermode (Narrator)

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The George Orwell Fiction Collection: 1984; Animal Farm; Burmese Days; Coming Up For Air; Keep the A

This audiobook includes unabridged recordings of George Orwell's 5 great novels: 1984; Animal Farm; Burmese Days; Coming Up For Air; and Keep the Aspidistra Flying. 1984: Winston Smith begins to rebel against Big Brother's totalitarian control and falls in love with fellow worker, Julia, but soon discovers the true price of freedom is betrayal. Animal Farm: Revolution is afoot for the animals at Manor Farm, and Mr Jones must pay the price. Burmese Days: John Flory, a white timber-merchant in 1920s Burma, sets out to untangle societal conventions and help Dr Veraswami save his reputation. Coming up for Air: In search of a simpler life, George Bowling escapes London and an impending sense of war to return to his childhood village. Keep the Aspidistra Flying: Gordon Comstock quits his advertising job to pursue the creative life in opposition to 'the money god'. Only his ever-faithful Rosemary can rouse him from the stupor and challenge his commitment to his chosen way of life. Full chapter listing: - Chapters 2 to 27: 1984 - Chapters 28 to 39: Animal Farm - Chapters 40 to 66: Burmese Days - Chapters 67 to 91: Coming up for Air - Chapters 92 to 105: Keep the Aspidistra Flying

George Orwell (Author), Hugh Kermode, Jonathan Oliver, Leighton Pugh, Roger May (Narrator)

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The George Orwell Complete Collection

This audiobook includes unabridged recordings of George Orwell's 5 great novels; 3 books of non-fiction; and 3 of his most well-renowned essays. 1984: Winston Smith begins to rebel against Big Brother's totaletarian control and falls in love with fellow worker, Julia, but soon discovers the true price of freedom is betrayal. Animal Farm: Revolution is afoot for the animals at Manor Farm, and Mr Jones must pay the price. Burmese Days: John Flory, a white timber-merchant in 1920s Burma, sets out to untangle societal conventions and help Dr Veraswami save his reputation. Coming up for Air: In search of a simpler life, George Bowling escapes London and an impending sense of war to return to his childhood village. Keep the Aspidistra Flying: Gordon Comstock quits his advertising job to pursue the creative life in opposition to 'the money god'. Only his ever-faithful Rosemary can rouse him from the stupor and challenge his commitment to his chosen way of life. Down and Out in Paris and London: Orwell recounts his London tramping exploits in Paris and London with a cast of colourful characters. The Road to Wigan Pier: Vivid descriptions of social injustice, cramped slum housing, dangerous mining conditions, squalor, hunger, and growing unemployment create a searing account of working-class life in the bleak industrial heartlands of Yorkshire and Lancashire in the 1930s. Homage to Catalonia: Having enlisted to fight for an anti-Stalinist communist party in Spain, Orwell is soon forced to flee the country and here discusses the destructive nature of Soviet communism. Politics and the English Language: A stinging criticism of the 'ugly and inaccurate' written English of Orwell's time which examines the connection between political orthodoxies and the debasement of language. Notes on Nationalism: A biting state of the nation essay which reflects on patriotism, prejudice, and power. Why I Write: George Orwell describes his personal journey to becoming a writer and offers some important motives for writing. Full chapter listing: - Chapters 2 to 27: 1984 - Chapters 28 to 39: Animal Farm - Chapters 40 to 79: Down and Out in Paris and London - Chapters 80 to 94: The Road to Wigan Pier - Chapters 95 to 121: Burmese Days - Chapters 122 to 137: Homage to Catalonia - Chapters 138 to 162: Coming Up for Air - Chapters 163 to 176: Keep the Aspidistra Flying - Chapters 177 to 179: Politics and the English Language - Chapters 180 to 182: Notes on Nationalism - Chapters 183 to 185: Why I Write

George Orwell (Author), Hugh Kermode, Jonathan Keeble, Jonathan Oliver, Leighton Pugh, Malk Williams, Peter Noble, Roger May (Narrator)

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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)

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Liberty Bound

At the end of civilisation, the remnants of society are hanging on to the edge of survival, having retreated behind walls, while prisoners roam in the wide-open space beyond. But is anybody free? Finbarl is a guard defending the walls of Athenia, fighting to keep the flame of civilisation burning. It is the only world he knows and one he’s willing to die for. But when he intervenes to protect a boy and his mother from a fellow guard, little does he realise his world is about to unravel, setting him upon a dangerous journey of betrayal, heartbreak and discovery. Liberty Bound is a fast-paced adventure novel, inspired by the past, commenting on the present and set in the future.

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

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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