Audiobooks narrated by Nick Donovan

The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the Underworld

"The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the Underworld is an American non-fiction book by Herbert Asbury, first published in 1928 by Alfred A. Knopf. It formed the basis for Martin Scorsese's 2002 Academy Award-winning film Gangs of New York, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Cameron Diaz. In 1927, Asbury published an article in The American Mercury, titled 'The Old-Time Gangs of New York', which was ultimately incorporated into the book published the following year. Drawing on the muckraking style of the era, the author wrote based on 'legend, memory, police records, the self-aggrandizements of aging crooks, popular journalism, and solid historical research', to present an illuminating account of the gangs of old New York that ultimately gave rise to the Mafia as we know it today, from films like The Godfather. The book outlines the rise and fall of 19th century gangs in New York City, prior to the domination of the Italian-American Mafia during Prohibition in the 1920s. Focusing on the saloon halls, gambling dens, and winding alleys of the Bowery and the Five Points district of Lower Manhattan, the book evokes the destitution and violence of a turbulent era, when colorfully named criminals like 'Dandy' Johnny Dolan, William Poole (also known as 'Bill the Butcher'), and Hell-Cat Maggie lurked in the shadows, corrupt politicians like William 'Boss' Tweed run the city, and infamous gangs including the Plug Uglies, Dead Rabbits, and Bowery Boys ruled the streets. It includes a rogues' gallery of prostitutes, pimps, poisoners, pickpockets, murderers, and thieves. The book contains detailed accounts of the New York City Draft Riots of 1863. It also elaborates on numerous other criminal influences of the time, including river pirates and the corrupt political establishment, such as Tammany Hall."

Herbert Asbury (Author), Nick Donovan (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Daughter of Time

"The Daughter of Time is a 1951 detective novel by Josephine Tey, concerning a modern police officer's investigation into the alleged crimes of King Richard III of England. It was the last book Tey published in her lifetime, shortly before her death. In 1990 it was voted number one in The Top 100 Crime Novels of All Time list compiled by the British Crime Writers' Association (CWA). Plot: Scotland Yard Inspector Alan Grant (a character who also appears in five other novels by the same author) is feeling bored while confined to bed in hospital with a broken leg. Marta Hallard, an actress friend of his, suggests he should amuse himself by researching a historical mystery. She brings him some pictures of historical characters, aware of Grant's interest in human faces. He becomes intrigued by a portrait of King Richard III. He prides himself on being able to read a person's character from his appearance, and King Richard seems to him a gentle, kind and wise man. Why is everyone so sure that he was a cruel murderer? With the help of other friends and acquaintances, Grant investigates Richard's life and the case of the Princes in the Tower, testing out his theories on the doctors and nurses who attend to him. Grant spends weeks pondering historical information and documents with the help of Brent Carradine, a likable young American researcher working in the British Museum.[2] Using his detective's logic, he comes to the conclusion that the claim of Richard being a murderer is a fabrication of Tudor propaganda, as is the popular image of the King as a monstrous hunchback. CREATED: Narrated by Nick Donovan Author: Josephine Tey Date of original publication: 1951 Genre: detective novel Language : English Version : unabridged, full/complete Without subtitles"

Josephine Tey (Author), Nick Donovan (Narrator)

Audiobook

Winnie-the-Pooh

"Winnie-the-Pooh (also known as Edward Bear, Pooh Bear or simply Pooh) is a fictional anthropomorphic teddy bear created by English author A. A. Milne and English illustrator E. H. Shepard. Winnie-the-Pooh first appeared by name in a children's story commissioned by London's Evening News for Christmas Eve 1925. The character is inspired by a stuffed toy that Milne had bought for his son Christopher Robin in Harrods department store, and a bear they had viewed at London Zoo. The first collection of stories about the character is the book Winnie-the-Pooh (1926), and this was followed by The House at Pooh Corner (1928). Milne also included a poem about the bear in the children's verse book When We Were Very Young (1924) and many more in Now We Are Six (1927). All four volumes were illustrated by E. H. Shepard. The stories are set in Hundred Acre Wood, which was inspired by Five Hundred Acre Wood in Ashdown Forest in East Sussex—situated 30 miles (48 km) south of London—where the Londoner Milne's country home was located. A. A. Milne named the character Winnie-the-Pooh after a teddy bear owned by his son, Christopher Robin Milne, on whom the character Christopher Robin was based. CREATED: Narrated by Nick Donovan Author: A. A. Milne Date of original publication: 1925 Genre: children's story Language : English Version : unabridged, full/complete Without subtitles"

A. A. Milne (Author), Nick Donovan (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Great Gatsby

"The Great Gatsby is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with Jay Gatsby, the mysterious millionaire with an obsession to reunite with his former lover, Daisy Buchanan. The novel was inspired by a youthful romance Fitzgerald had with socialite Ginevra King, and the riotous parties he attended on Long Island's North Shore in 1922. Following a move to the French Riviera, Fitzgerald completed a rough draft of the novel in 1924. He submitted it to editor Maxwell Perkins, who persuaded Fitzgerald to revise the work over the following winter. After making revisions, Fitzgerald was satisfied with the text, but remained ambivalent about the book's title and considered several alternatives. Painter Francis Cugat's dust jacket art, named Celestial Eyes, greatly impressed Fitzgerald, and he incorporated its imagery into the novel. Plot: In spring 1922, Nick Carraway—a Yale alumnus from the Midwest and a World War I veteran—journeys to New York City to obtain employment as a bond salesman. He rents a bungalow in the Long Island village of West Egg, next to a luxurious estate inhabited by Jay Gatsby, an enigmatic multi-millionaire who hosts dazzling soirées yet does not partake in them... CREATED: Author: Francis Scott Fitzgerald Date of original publication: 1925 Narrated by Nick Donovan Genre: novel Language : English Version : unabridged, full/complete Without subtitles"

F. Scott Fitzgerald (Author), Nick Donovan (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Nick Donovan