Audiobooks narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith

NATHAN TREEVES is dead, murdered by the Master of Mordew, his remains used to create the powerful occult weapon known as the Tinderbox. His companions, scattered, are making for Malarkoi - the city of the Mistress, the Master's most powerful enemy. Hoping to find welcome there, or at least safety, they find neither... and instead become embroiled in a life and death struggle against assassins, demi-gods, and the cunning plans of the Mistress. Only Sirius, Nathan's faithful dog, has not forgotten the boy. Bent on revenge, he returns to the shattered remains of Mordew, newly deformed into an impossible mountain, swarming with monsters. He senses something in the Manse at its pinnacle – the Master is there, grieving the loss of his manservant, Bellows – and in the ruins of the slums he finds a power capable of destroying his foe, if only he has the strength to use it.

Alex Pheby (Author), Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Journey of Humanity: The Origins of Wealth and Inequality

A landmark account of our journey from the dawn of human existence to the present - with vital lessons for our future. What are the keys to human progress? In the last two hundred years, stunning advances in health, wealth and lifespan have fundamentally transformed the experience of being human, at least for some. But this was no accident of history. Drawing on a lifetime's investigation, Oded Galor identifies the universal forces behind this change, and so unlocks the mystery of human development. Galor's breakthrough vision upends many assumptions. The game-changing revolution of recent centuries was not industrialisation but mass education; not the era of child labour but the end of it. New technology can enhance living standards - but it has done so only by reducing family size and spurring greater gender equality. Meanwhile, differing levels of diversity, stemming from patterns of human migration tens of thousands of years ago, have been as powerful in determining the fate of nations as colonialism or geography. How did Europe soar ahead of previously more advanced civilisations such as China and the Ottoman Empire? Why have workers' revolutions succeeded in agricultural but not industrialised nations? How have soil types affected gender relations and coast lines entrepreneurialism? Why are Bolivia's challenges the opposite of Ethiopia's? Is continued growth compatible with tackling the climate crisis? Making astounding connections across continents and millennia, The Journey of Humanity answers all these questions and more in a bold and captivating narrative that reframes our understanding of human history. Its transformative and ultimately hopeful vision contains the keys not only to the thriving of our species but to our survival.

Oded Galor (Author), Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Greatest Raid: St Nazaire, 1942: The Heroic Story of Operation Chariot

Brought to you by Penguin. FROM THE AUTHOR OF BRIDGE OF SPIES: A dramatic and colourful new account of the most daring British commando raid of World War Two In the darkest months of the Second World War, Churchill approved what seemed to many like a suicide mission. Under orders to attack the St Nazaire U-boat base on the Atlantic seaboard, British commandos undertook 'the greatest raid of all', turning an old destroyer into a live bomb and using it to ram the gates of a Nazi stronghold. Five Victoria Crosses were awarded -- more than in any similar operation. Drawing on official documents, interviews, unknown accounts and the astonished reactions of French civilians and German forces, The Greatest Raid recreates in cinematic detail the hours in which the 'Charioteers' fought and died, from Lt Gerard Brett, the curator at the V & A, to 'Bertie' Burtinshaw, who went into battle humming There'll Always be an England, and from Lt Stuart Chant, who set the fuses with 90 seconds to escape, to the epic solo reconnaissance of the legendary Times journalist Capt Micky Burn. Unearthing the untold human stories of Operation Chariot, Bridge of Spies author Giles Whittell reveals it to be a fundamentally misconceived raid whose impact and legacy was secured by astonishing bravery. © Giles Whittell 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

Giles Whittell (Author), Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Narrator)

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The Complete Earthsea Series & The Left Hand of Darkness: 3 BBC Radio full cast dramatisations

The dazzling BBC Radio adaptations of Ursula K. Le Guin's famous fantasy saga and her ground-breaking science fiction masterpiece - plus bonus material Ursula K. Le Guin was one of the most revered and influential writers of the 20th Century. Her 'Earthsea' books have sold millions of copies and been translated into numerous languages, while her trailblazing novel The Left Hand of Darkness was a landmark in feminist science fiction and ranks among the greatest SF novels of all time. This BBC collection brings together the magical radio retellings of both these seminal classics. Set on an immense archipelago where magic is a part of life, Earthsea tells the stories of Ged, a young, reckless wizard, and Tenar, taken from her home as a child to become Arha, guardian priestess of the ominous Tombs of Atuan. Meeting for the first time deep within the tombs, their destinies become intertwined, and they unite to bring peace to their troubled world. Years later, their paths have diverged - but when Ged returns to Tenar's island on a dragon's back, they are caught up in an epic battle for the future of Earthsea itself. Starring James McArdle, Shaun Dooley and Robert Glenister as Ged, and Aysha Kala, Vineeta Rishi and Nina Wadia as Tenar with Toby Jones and Noma Dumezweni. The Left Hand of Darkness takes place on an alien world in the grip of an Ice Age. Genly Ai has been sent from Earth on a mission to persuade Gethen to join a planetary union, the Ekumen. But his task is fraught with difficulty. For this is a world whose people have no fixed gender, and Genly's encounters with the natives are marked by mutual incomprehension and mistrust. In coming to terms with their otherness and their sameness Genly must let go of his fixed ideas about identity, and embark on a dangerous journey across the snow plains with his only ally, First Minister Estraven. The stakes are high to save a world from war. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith stars as Genly, with Lesley Sharp as Estraven. Also included Ursula Le Guin at 85, in which novelist Naomi Alderman interviews Le Guin, with contributions from Neil Gaiman, David Mitchell and Karen Joy Fowler. Production credits Written by Ursula K.Le Guin Adapted by Judith Adams Earthsea Ged - James McArdle/Shaun Dooley/Robert Glenister Tenar - Aysha Kala/Vineeta Rishi/Nina Wadia Young Ged - Kasper Hilton-Hille Young Tenar - Nishi Malde Ogion - Paul Hilton/Michael Bertenshaw Manan - Zubin Varla Cob - Toby Jones Nilgu - Noma Dumezweni Other Cast: Souad Faress, David Hounslow, Adam Thomas-Wright, Mark Edel-Hunt, Jessica Turner, Lucy Hutchinson, Stephen Critchlow, Sam Dale, Ayesha Antoine, Richard Linnell, Jack Kane, David Acton, Chris Pavlo, Will Featherstone, Jude Akudwudike, Laura Elphinstone, Rosie Boore, Elizabeth Counsell, John Lightbody, Ryan Early, Stephen Hogan, Sean Murray, Emma Handy, Lauren Cornelius, Kerry Gooderson, Ryan Whittle, Steven Robertson, Joseph Ayre, Narinder Samra, Tom Vanson, Sabrina Sandhu Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko Original music by Jon Nicholls. Sound design by Caleb Knightley. First broadcast BBC Radio 4 Extra, 27 April-5 May 2015 (Series 1), 15-22 October 2018 (Series 2) The Left Hand of Darkness Genly Ai - Kobna Holdbrook-Smith Estraven - Lesley Sharp Argaven - Toby Jones Other Cast: Louise Brealey, Noma Dumezweni, Ruth Gemmell, Adjoa Andoh, Stephen Critchlow, David Acton, David Hounslow, Rhiannon Neads, Sam Dale, Ayesha Antoine Directed by Allegra McIlroy. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12-19 April 2015 Ursula Le Guin at 85 Presented by Naomi Alderman With Ursula K. Le Guin, David Mitchell, Neil Gaiman and Karen Joy Fowler Reader: Ayesha Antoine Produced by Allegra McIlroy. First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9 April 2015 ©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Ursula.K.Le Guin (Author), Adjoa Andoh, Full Cast, James Mcardle, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Lesley Sharp, Noma Dumezweni, Robert Glenister, Sam Dale, Toby Jones (Narrator)

Audiobook

Mordew

Welcome to Mordew - the first in a fantastic new trilogy from the Wellcome Book Prize-shortlisted writer, Alex Pheby. God lies defeated, his corpse hidden in the catacombs beneath Mordew. On the surface, the streets of this the sea-battered city are slick with the Living Mud and the half-formed, short-lived creatures it spawns - creatures that die and are swept down from the Merchant Quarter by the brooms of the workers and relentless rains, where they rot in the slums. There, a young boy called Nathan Treeves lives with his parents, eking out a meagre existence by picking treasures from the Living Mud - until one day his mother, desperate and starving, sells him to the mysterious Master of Mordew. The Master derives his power from feeding on the corpse of God. But Nathan, despite his fear and lowly station, has his own strength - and it is greater than the Master has ever known. Great enough to destroy everything the Master has built. If only Nathan can discover how to use it. So it is that the Master begins to scheme against him - and Nathan has to fight his way through the betrayals, secrets, and vendettas of the city where God was murdered, and darkness reigns... Experience this critically acclaimed masterpiece, perfect for fans of Philip Pullman and Ben Aaronovitch. 'Brilliant... Extraordinary... An extravagant and unnerving marvel.' The Guardian 'Beautifully rendered... Immersive, tense, full of action.' The Irish Times 'A treat... The world of Alex Pheby's fourth novel is dizzying... a beguiling splicing of Dickensian social satire and rackety steampunk fantasy. Written with combustible verve.' The Spectator 'Weird and wonderful, bleak and beautiful... [Mordew] is an extraordinarily vivid piece of world-building.' The Sunday Express 'A blend of Great Expectations and Gormenghast, with a cliffhanger ending that hints at a dynamic sequel.' Literary Review 'There are books that, the moment you enter their world, you know you are dealing with something special. ... Mordew reminded me of what it was that drew me to the Fantasy genre in the first place, that feeling of reading Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast novels, M. John Harrison's Viriconium stories, China Mieville's Bas Lag series. Here is Fantasy with a profound sense of the uncanny, Fantasy unafraid to embrace the grotesque and the strange, Fantasy that pushes at the edges of its metafictional relationship to the reader.' -- The Fantasy Hive 'Shades of Gormenghast... but with a wild magic all of its own.' -- The i, Summer fiction picks 'The corruption of power, and the consequences of inequality, are sharply played out in [this] nightmarish world... Beautifully rendered... Immersive, tense, full of action... [Mordew] may well prove to be a significant addition to the genre.' Sean Hewitt, The Irish Times 'Pheby infuses the pages with a crackling, animating magic. Charismatic... delicious... There are even hints of dragons. A serious book, for serious people.' Big Issue

Alex Pheby (Author), Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Puffin Book of Big Dreams

Brought to you by Puffin. Stories to spark your imagination - a celebratory collection of stories, poems and illustrations to mark Puffin's 80th birthday. Perfect bedtime listening, this wonderful anthology features brand new stories and poems from well-loved and exciting new Puffin authors. Plus, rediscover carefully curated extracts from Puffin's classic family favourites! And with quotes and motivational pieces from brilliantly inspiring leaders, scientists and actors on their own big dreams there is something magical for everyone to enjoy.

Puffin (Author), Christopher Gebauer, Gemma Whelan, Katie Leung, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Narrator)

Audiobook

Ladybird Stories for Car Journeys

Brought to you by Ladybird. A collection of original audio stories for little adventurers and bold travellers. These new stories are especially written for families to listen to in the car, at the airport, on the train or while they are on their way to their next adventure! This edition is filled with creative and engaging sound effects and is the perfect travel companion for little listeners everywhere. Narrated by award-winning voice actor Kobna Holdbrook-Smith and Katie leung, best known for her portrayal of Cho Chang in the Harry Potter films. This audiobook is aimed at children aged 4+, for family listening and learning and development for young minds. Other audiobooks in the Ladybird Audio Original series include Ladybird Stories for Rainy Days, I'm Ready for Big School and the Ladybird Audio Adventures (P) Penguin Audio 2020

Ladybird (Author), Katie Leung, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Narrator)

Audiobook

That Reminds Me

Brought to you by Penguin. 'Heartbreaking, important and original.' Christie Watson, author of THE LANGUAGE OF KINDNESS 'Derek Owusu's writing is honest, moving, delicate, but tough. Once you lock on to his words, it is hard to break eye contact. A beautiful meditation on childhood, coming of age, the now, and the media. This work is heartfelt.' Benjamin Zephaniah 'Honest and beautiful.' Guy Gunaratne, author of IN OUR MAD AND FURIOUS CITY 'When writing is this honest, it soars. What an incredible use of language and truth.' Yrsa Daley-Ward Anansi, your four gifts raised to nyame granted you no power over the stories I tell... This is the story of K. K is sent into care before a year marks his birth. He grows up in fields and woods, and he is happy, he thinks. When K is eleven, the city reclaims him. He returns to an unknown mother and a part-time father, trading the fields for flats and a community that is alien to him. Slowly, he finds friends. Eventually, he finds love. He learns how to navigate the city. But as he grows, he begins to realise that he needs more than the city can provide. He is a man made of pieces. Pieces that are slowly breaking apart That Reminds Me is the story of one young man, from birth to adulthood, told in fragments of memory. It explores questions of identity, belonging, addiction, sexuality, violence, family and religion. It is a deeply moving and completely original work of literature from one of the brightest British writers of today.

Derek Owusu (Author), Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Trial: Penguin Classics

Brought to you by Penguin. This Penguin Classic is performed by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, winner of the 2019 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical. A terrifying psychological trip into the life of one Joseph K., an ordinary man who wakes up one day to find himself accused of a crime he did not commit, a crime whose nature is never revealed to him. Once arrested, he is released, but must report to court on a regular basis - an event that proves maddening, as nothing is ever resolved. As he grows more uncertain of his fate, his personal life - including work at a bank and his relations with his landlady and a young woman who lives next door - becomes increasingly unpredictable. As K. tries to gain control, he succeeds only in accelerating his own excruciating downward spiral.

Franz Kafka (Author), Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Old Drift

Random House presents the audiobook edition of The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell, read by Adjoa Andoh, Richard E. Grant and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith. Electrifying, playful, ambitious, brilliant - a Zambian debut novel that follows three generations of three families, telling the story of a nation, and of the grand sweep of time 'It's difficult to think of another novel that is at once so sweepingly ambitious and so intricately patterned, delivering the pleasures of saga and poetry in equal measure. The Old Drift is an endlessly innovative, voraciously brilliant book, and Namwali Serpell is among the most distinctive and exciting writers to emerge in years.' Garth Greenwell On the banks of the Zambezi River, a few miles from the majestic Victoria Falls, there was once a colonial settlement called The Old Drift. Here begins the epic story of a small African nation, told by a mysterious swarm-like chorus that calls itself man's greatest nemesis. The tale? A playful panorama of history, fairytale, romance and science fiction. The moral? To err is human. In 1904, in a smoky room at the hotel across the river, an Old Drifter named Percy M. Clark, foggy with fever, makes a mistake that entangles the fates of an Italian hotelier and an African busboy. This sets off a cycle of unwitting retribution between three Zambian families (black, white, brown) as they collide and converge over the course of the century, into the present and beyond. As the generations pass, their lives - their triumphs, errors, losses and hopes - form a symphony about what it means to be human. From a woman covered with hair and another plagued with endless tears, to forbidden love affairs and fiery political ones, to homegrown technological marvels like Afronauts, microdrones and viral vaccines - this gripping, unforgettable novel sweeps over the years and the globe, subverting expectations along the way. Exploding with colour and energy, The Old Drift is a testament to our yearning to create and cross borders, and a meditation on the slow, grand passage of time.

Namwali Serpell (Author), Adjoa Andoh, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Richard E. Grant (Narrator)

Audiobook

Girl, Balancing & Other Stories

Random House presents the audiobook edition of Girl, Balancing & Other Stories, by Helen Dunmore, read by Emilia Fox, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith and Juliet Stevenson. Haunting, uplifting, beautiful: the final work from Helen Dunmore Helen Dunmore passed away in June 2017, leaving behind this remarkable collection of short stories. With her trademark imagination and gift for making history human, she explores the fragile ties between passion, love, family, friendship and grief, often through people facing turning points in their lives: A girl alone, stretching her meagre budget to feed herself, becomes aware that the young man who has come to see her may not be as friendly as he seems. Two women from very different backgrounds enjoy an unusual night out, finding solace in laughter and an unexpected friendship. A young man picks up his infant son and goes outside into a starlit night as he makes a decision that will inform the rest of his life. A woman imprisoned for her religion examines her faith in a seemingly literal and quietly original way. This brilliant collection of Helen Dunmore's short fiction, replete with her penetrating insight into the human condition, is certain to delight and move all her listeners.

Helen Dunmore (Author), Emilia Fox, Juliet Stevenson, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Furthest Station: A PC Grant Novella

A stunning PC Peter Grant novella continues this bestselling series with commuting ghosts, a kidnapping, and a superb new London mystery! Read by audio bestseller Kobna Holdbrook-Smith There's something going bump on the Metropolitan line and Sergeant Jaget Kumar knows exactly who to call. It's PC Peter Grant's speciality . . . Only it's more than going 'bump'. Traumatised travellers have been reporting strange encounters on their morning commute, with strangely dressed people trying to deliver an urgent message. Stranger still, despite calling the police themselves, within a few minutes the commuters have already forgotten the encounter - making the follow up interviews rather difficult. So with a little help from Abigail and Toby the ghost hunting dog, Peter and Jaget are heading out on a ghost hunting expedition. Because finding the ghost and deciphering their urgent message might just be a matter of life and death. Read by Kobna Holdbrook - Smith (p) 2017 Orion Publishing Group

Ben Aaronovitch (Author), Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith