Audiobooks narrated by Peter Wickham

The Natural History of Selborne Audiobook

Published in 1789, The Natural History of Selborne was written by Gilbert White, an English naturalist and clergyman. It comprises White's letters to fellow naturalists and friends, documenting the flora and fauna of his home town in Hampshire. The book is considered one of the earliest and most influential works of natural history in the English language. In both its parts, White meticulously observes and describes the various species of birds, animals and plants that he encounters in the countryside, recording their behaviour and habits and providing valuable insights into the wonders of nature. The Natural History of Selborne continues to be studied and admired for its detailed and vivid portrayal of the natural world.

Gilbert White (Author), Peter Wickham (Narrator)

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The Enneads: Volume 1 (1-3)

Plotinus (204/5 -270 CE), born in Lycopolis, Egypt, when it was part of the Roman Empire, was a major figure in the philosophical school later called Neoplatonism. Neoplatonists viewed reality as deriving from a single force or figure expressed as 'the One'. Two further concepts from Plotinus, 'the Intellect' and 'the Soul', are also principal features of his philosophy. These proposals led to the work of Plotinus forming a bridge between Plato and the monotheistic religions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam as well as Gnosticism. Yet Plotinus, who spoke Greek, did not actually leave a written legacy of his ideas. His work was written down and compiled by a pupil, Porphyry of Tyre (c234-c305 CE). Porphyry presented Plotinus' work in six 'Enneads', each containing nine 'Tractates' - (ennea = 'nine' in Greek), amounting to 54 treatises in all. They were originally arranged into three volumes, but in this Ukemi recording they are divided into two equal parts. The first three Enneads contained in this recording are prefaced by the fascinating biography written by Porphyry, who describes Plotinus as a highly singular figure - he declined to sit for a painter or sculptor, he wouldn't eat meat from animals reared for the table, and he 'caught philosophy at the age of 20'. The First Tractate of the First Ennead opens with 'The Animate and the Man'; subjects of other tractates include 'On Virtue', 'On True Happiness', and 'On the Primal Good and Secondary Forms of Good'. The Second Ennead opens with 'On the Cosmos or the Heavenly System' and continues with 'The Heavenly Circuit' and 'Are the Stars Causes?' The Third Ennead opens with 'Fate' and continues with two essays: 'On Providence' and then 'Our Tutelary Spirit'. Peter Wickham, in this first audiobook recording of the Enneads, presents Plotinus in a clear and steady manner.

Plotinus (Author), Peter Wickham (Narrator)

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Imperialism

Written in 1916 against the backdrop of the First World War, Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism explains the flaws and power of capitalism, which inevitably lead to monopolies, imperialism and colonialism. Lenin develops Marx's theories of political economy, which had been put forward 50 years earlier in Das Kapital. He goes on to argue that imperialism is the most advanced state of capitalism, characterised by the domination of monopolies on an international scale, with the export of capital leading to the big imperialist powers carving up the world. More than a century later, Imperialism remains highly relevant in understanding the historical background to the strategies of many of today's major nations.

Vladimir Lenin (Author), Peter Wickham (Narrator)

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Murder at the Victoria and Albert Museum

17th May 1899. Queen Victoria lays the foundation stone on the site of a new museum being built in South Kensington, which she names as The Victoria and Albert Museum. Shortly after, Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton are called to the site because the dead body of a man, Andrew Page, has been found in one of the trenches. The more Wilson and Fenton dig, the more they discover other potential motives for Page's murder, some with potentially explosive implications for the Royals and the Government. They will have to tread carefully as someone is determined that they will not uncover any more.

Jim Eldridge (Author), Peter Wickham (Narrator)

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Rural Rides

Between 1821 and 1826, the prolific writer and journalist William Cobbett travelled the countryside of the South of England on foot and horseback. Rural Rides is a fascinating account of his journeys, and depicts a way of life in transition, juxtaposing lyrical descriptions of the countryside with criticism of the poverty of agricultural workers. A man of radical politics who encouraged the rural rising of 1830, Cobbett went on to become MP for Oldham and sought to represent the interests of both industrial and agricultural workers. Above all, Rural Rides celebrates agrarian England.

William Cobbett (Author), Peter Wickham (Narrator)

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Murder at the National Gallery

London, 1897. The capital is shocked to learn that the body of a woman has been found at the National Gallery, eviscerated in a manner that recalls all too strongly the exploits of the infamous Jack the Ripper. Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton are contacted by a curator of the National Gallery for their assistance. The dead woman, an artist's model and lady of the night, had links to artist Walter Sickert who was a suspect during the Ripper's spree of killings. Scotland Yard have arrested Sickert on suspicion of this fresh murder but it is not the last. Sickert insists that he is innocent but who would want to frame him?

Jim Eldridge (Author), Peter Wickham (Narrator)

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The Life and Miracles of St Cuthbert

For centuries, St Cuthbert (c. 634-687) was the most worshipped saint in England, revered for his virtuous life and his miracles. Even centuries after his death, stories were told of his body remaining ‘incorrupt' in his tomb. What we know about his work and character comes from the records and significantly from the writings of the Venerable Bede (673-735). His Life of St Cuthbert (published in 721) was part of the tradition of hagiography, a reverential biography of a saint. Bede diligently collected accounts, both written and word of mouth, to compile his work. Probably born in Northumberland and educated by monks - initially at Melrose Abbey - Cuthbert's religious practice, unusually, encompassed activities as monk, bishop and finally hermit. The numerous reports of his piety, his virtue, his ascetism and a reputation for healing made him a respected figure in his lifetime. These were difficult political times, and he clearly had diplomatic and administrative skills as well, which led to his appointment as bishop of Lindisfarne. However, his personal monastic leanings made him unhappy to occupy such a worldly position, and after a short time he resigned. Feeling his death was imminent he retired to his cell on Inner Farne island where, after a period of illness, he died. Bede's endearing Life, written within living memory of its subject, presents an untarnished view of St Cuthbert, whose shrine in Durham Cathedral, nearly 1,400 years on, continues to attract visitors and pilgrims. Translated by J. A. Giles.

The Venerable Bede (Author), Peter Wickham (Narrator)

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Murder at Madame Tussauds

London, 1896. Madame Tussauds opens to find one of its nightwatchmen decapitated and his colleague nowhere to be found. To the police, the case seems simple: one killed the other and fled, but workers at the museum aren't convinced. Although forbidden contact by his superior officer, Scotland Yard detective John Feather secretly enlists 'The Museum Detectives' Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton to aid the police investigation. When the body of the missing nightwatchman is discovered encased within a wax figure, the case suddenly becomes more complex. With questions over rival museums, the dead men's pasts and a series of bank raids plaguing the city, Wilson and Fenton face their most intriguing and dangerous case yet.

Jim Eldridge (Author), Peter Wickham (Narrator)

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The Decline of the West: Volume 1: Form and Actuality and Volume 2: Perspectives of World History

The Decline of the West - Volume 1 published in 1917, Volume 2 in 1922 - has exercised and challenged opinion ever since. It was a huge undertaking by Oswald Spengler (1880-1936), formerly an unpublished historian and philosopher who set out to radically reconsider history - the rise and fall of world civilisations and their cultures. His primary view was to reject the established Eurocentric paradigm (ancient/classical, Medieval - and, following the Renaissance - modern) and to take a totally new perspective. First and foremost, his intention was to offer a world overview; and on that basis to present and discuss the premise that the story of the history of man followed a fundamental pattern wherever on the globe it arose. Of particular interest to him were the characteristics of the separate and distinct cultures (established through developments in science, mathematics and the arts). The major cultures he identifies are Babylonian, Egyptian, Chinese, Indian, Mesoamerican (Mayan-Aztec), classical (Greek/Roman), Arabian and Western (European and American). Spengler offered another division - three distinct phases: Magian (societies dominated by monotheism - Persian as well as Semitic religions), Apollonian (ancient Greece and Rome) and Faustian (the ‘modern Western societies' of his time). All these civilisations can be seen to emerge and decline in seasonal form depicted in terms of spring, summer, autumn, winter. Within the context of this map comes the detail. Spengler drew on his broad reading to tell the story, to make the links, to ink in the patterns. His breadth of sources and insights of observations and (strongly defined) opinions is fascinating and often persuasive but sometimes contentious. Inevitably, for such an ambitious work, it has garnered controversy since it first appeared. Certainly for a generation it was required reading. First appearing in Germany (it was finally released in one volume in 1923 and translated into other languages) its reception was coloured by the timing. Both admired and criticised, it had its base in a Germany undergoing severe economic and psychological difficulties, only to be swept aside by the rise of Nazism. Spengler rejected the racism of Nazism, but his strong attitudes (acknowledging, unapologetically, the effect of ‘imperial' individuals on history, whether through military, political or commercial activities) were often characterised as unfailingly right-wing. Not surprisingly, The Decline of the West has been in and out of fashion in the academic world, but also in its more popular appeal. However, in the dramatically changing world of the 21st century, there are resonances which are impossible to ignore. ‘The man of action is always conscienceless,' said Goethe, one of Spengler's two main mentors (the other is Nietzsche). But Spengler is unequivocal in his conclusion - as one commentator wrote, ‘Spengler's prophecy that Western Europe would lose its world hegemony has been fulfilled. Must Western culture also go under?' Spengler has been accused of pessimism, and The Decline of the West is certainly an uncompromising book to read. But in the preface he is essentially circumspect about his purpose: ‘Is there a logic of history? Is there, beyond all the casual and incalculable elements of the separate event, something that we may call a metaphysical structure of historic humanity, something that is essentially independent of outward forms - social, spiritual and political - wh

Oswald Spengler (Author), Peter Wickham (Narrator)

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The Descent of Man: The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex

First published in 1871, The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex sees Darwin apply his evolutionary theory to the human race, controversially placing apes in our family tree. The book covers a range of adjacent themes, including differences between different peoples, the dominance of women in mate choice, and the relevance of evolutionary theory to general society. After the criticism of his On the Origin of Species, Darwin was apprehensive about the possible public reception of The Descent of Man. However, there was an immediate interest in the book and it had to be reprinted within three weeks of publication, leading a relieved Darwin to remark that 'Everybody is talking about it without being shocked'.

Charles Darwin (Author), Peter Wickham (Narrator)

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The Dark Night of the Soul

At the centre of The Dark Night of the Soul (La noche oscura del alma) is a poem written by the 16th-century Spanish poet and mystic St John of the Cross. Consisting of eight stanzas, each of five lines, the poem outlines the journey in pursuit of divine union, within which the only source of light comes from the soul. This recording in English includes the poem itself and St John's two accompanying treatises (1584-5), essentially commentaries, which offer line-by-line explanations of the poem. Many modern readers have found guidance and consolation in this work.

St John Of The Cross (Author), Peter Wickham (Narrator)

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The English Constitution

Though published in 1867 when the British Empire was approaching its height, Walter Bagehot's essay 'The English Constitution' is not only one of the great political classics but is also an unquestionably relevant document for our times. Despite the passing of more than 150 years, despite huge changes in enfranchisement, in attitudes and in world order, this fascinating document prompts us to re-evaluate the process of government - wherever we live. And what is more, it is written with grace, elegance - and wit! Of course, it is a document of its time. It appeared just as the working classes of Britain were enfranchised by the Reform Act of 1867, which meant that Bagehot had to bring out another edition with an extended introduction. His comments are shrewd in some cases and will raise 21st-century eyebrows in others. Nevertheless, the body of the book remains a clear and astute look at how the famously ‘unwritten' English Constitution operates, with all its pros and its cons...a system that emerged over centuries to become a unique constitutional monarchy. The work is divided into nine chapters, including 'The Cabinet', 'The Monarchy', 'The House of Lords', 'The House of Commons', and 'Its Supposed Checks and Balances'. Overall, Bagehot (1826-1877) casts an admiring but coolly analytical eye over the whole construction. In a fascinating section, still apposite today, he compares the cabinet government of England with the presidential government of the US, pointing out that in the former, the executive and legislative functions are joined, whereas in the latter they are separated. Not surprisingly, Bagehot unequivocally prefers the former. He salutes the political temperance of English constitutional monarchy - though he acknowledges the performance of the individual on the throne can and does vary with the individual. When he refers appreciatively to his current monarch - ‘she' - one could almost be excused for thinking that he is speaking of Queen Elizabeth II! This appraisal of the English form of government, which evolved over time rather than being implanted with form and structure complete, is absorbing listening to all who are interested in the governing of societies, politics and England. This is true particularly because of the immense changes and challenges we are experiencing today. A classic commentary on its subject, it is read admirably by Peter Wickham.

Walter Bagehot (Author), Peter Wickham (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Peter Wickham