Audiobooks narrated by John Wood

Rediscovering America: How the National Holidays Tell an Amazing Story about Who We Are

The only book ever written in the history genre that succinctly tells the progressive and redemptive course of America as revealed in the stories behind the American holidays. Ever wonder why everyone wants to immigrate to America? Rediscovering America answers that question, and it's like no other history you have ever read. More than an account of people, dates, and events, this story is about the hidden hand of a purposeful historical development where the main actors are colorful characters, participating in an American drama of little known but remarkable events where overcoming incredible odds of failure is more unbelievable and engaging than fiction. And while each chapter is a stand-alone tale-some quite wild-about what is behind each of the American holidays, the page- and chapterturning appeal of Rediscovering America is in the narratives that link the holiday stories together, revealing an account of progress and redemption in America covering over four hundred years-never before told in a concise and readable book.

Scott S. Powell (Author), John Wood (Narrator)

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Iris Murdoch: The Sea, The Sea, A Severed Head & Something Special: A BBC Radio Collection

Full-cast dramatisations and a reading of works by Iris Murdoch, plus a bonus interview with the author herself Booker Prize-winning author Iris Murdoch is renowned for her sublime fiction, exploring themes such as art, passion, morality and human freedom. Included in this collection are adaptations of two of her finest novels and a reading of her only published short story, as well as an edition of Writers Revealed in which Murdoch discusses her ideas and beliefs. The Sea, The Sea Charles Arrowby, celebrated actor, writer and director, has retired from his London world and come to the sea to become a hermit and draft his memoirs. But the past will not let him rest... This dramatisation of Murdoch's most famous novel, which won the Booker Prize in 1978, stars John Wood as Charles and Joyce Redman as Hartley. A Severed Head When Martin Lynch-Gibbon's wife runs off with her analyst and his best friend, Palmer Anderson, the three characters attempt to behave in a civilised manner. But there is the matter of Martin's mistress and Palmer's sister to contend with - and undoubtedly the thin veneer of civilisation will crack... Iris Murdoch's blackly comic satire on analysis and amorality stars Julian Rhind-Tutt, Victoria Hamilton and Matthew Marsh. Something Special Young Irishwoman Yvonne passionately believes that there is more to life than marriage to Sam, a respectable tailor's apprentice. But a night out in Dublin forces her to confront reality... Read by Catherine Cusack. Writers Revisited: Iris Murdoch Iris Murdoch talks about faith, religion and the creative process in conversation with Rosemary Hartill.

Iris Murdoch (Author), Catherine Cusack, John Wood, Joyce Redman, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Victoria Hamilton (Narrator)

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How I Clawed My Way to the Middle

'Your job is to go out there, grab the audience by the balls, and drag them up on stage with you!' I was flabbergasted. This I understood. A language that I spoke - had spoken most of my life. It was the best acting note I ever got. John Wood grew up in working-class Melbourne; when he failed out of high school, an employment officer told him, 'You have the mind of an artist and the body of a labourer.' And so John continued to pursue his acting dreams in amateur theatre, sustaining himself by working jobs as a bricklayer, a railway clerk and even in the same abattoir as his father. When he won a scholarship to NIDA, in Sydney, it moved John into a new and at times baffling world, full of extraordinary characters. It was the start of a decades-long acting career, most famously on shows such as Rafferty's Rules and Blue Heelers, where his charm made him beloved in households across the country. His popularity was such that he was nominated for a Gold Logie nine times in a row, finally culminating in a win in 2006. How I Clawed My Way to the Middle is a beguiling memoir from one of Australia's most cherished actors on both stage and screen. Full of humility, warmth and humour, it tells of the ephemeral nature of theatre, the luminous personalities John encountered along the way, and the perilous reality of life as a professional actor in Australia.

John Wood (Author), John Wood (Narrator)

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Emigrants, The Ambros Adelwarth

Inspired by an old photograph album to investigate the life of a lost relative, a man finds himself on a journey that traverses the 20th century, leading him from an American asylum to the shores of the Dead Sea. Adapted by Edward Kemp from W G Sebald's acclaimed novel about the experiences of Jewish emigrants. Starring John Wood, Henry Goodman, Eleanor Bron, Ed Bishop, Margaret Robertson, Andrew Sachs, Cosmo Solomon, Thomas Arnold, Jasmine Hyde and Maximilian Graber. Music by Gary Yershon. Directed by Edward Kemp.

W.G. Sebald (Author), Eleanor Bron, Henry Bron, John Wood (Narrator)

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Frankenstein

Frankenstein, first published in 1818, is widely recognised as being one of the first 'science fiction' novels. Starring Michael Maloney as Frankenstein and John Wood as the Creature, this spine-tingling dramatisation perfectly conveys the book's pervasive sense of unease and dread. Victor Frankenstein, an ambitious young scientist and seeker after knowledge, considers it the pinnacle of his career when he makes a Creature in his own name. But his triumph soon turns to horror, and he is appalled when the Creature, denied a female counterpart, turns against his creator and commits a terrible crime. In a desperate attempt to destroy his creation, the scientist tracks him from Europe to the desolate North Pole, and in this bleak landscape of ice and fog, prepares to confront his nemesis...

Mary Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (Author), John Wood, Michael Maloney (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by John Wood