Audiobooks narrated by Roy McMillan

A History of England in 25 Poems Audiobook

"Brought to you by Penguin. A delightful, thoughtful and original new way to understand England's history This is the history of England told in a new way: glimpsed through twenty-five remarkable poems written down between the eighth century and today, which connect us directly with the nation’s past, and the experiences, emotions and imaginations of those who lived it. These poems open windows onto wildly different worlds – from the public to the intimate, from the witty to the savage, from the playful to the wistful. They take us onto battlefields, inside royal courts, down coal mines and below stairs in great houses. Their creators, witnesses to events from the Great Fire of London to the Miners’ Strike, range from the famous to the forgotten, yet each invites us into an immersive encounter with their own time. A History of England in 25 Poems is a portal to the past; a constant companion, filled with vivid voices and surprising stories alongside familiar landmarks, and language that speaks in new ways on each reading. Catherine Clarke’s knowledge and passion take us inside the words and the moments they capture, with thoughtful insights, humour and new perspectives on how the nation has dreamed itself into existence – and who gets to tell England’s story. 'Catherine Clarke traces centuries of English thought and poetry, from the time of Beowulf to the protests written in the wake of Brexit. She weaves together the personal and the public with stories... an excellent, all-encompassing read.' - The Idler © Catherine Clarke 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Catherine Clarke (Author), Catherine Clarke, Juanita Cox, Roy McMillan (Narrator)

Audiobook

Testimony Of Light: An extraordinary message of life after death

"Brought to you by Penguin. When Frances Banks died her friend Helen Greaves was by her side. Then, one evening, some three weeks after Frances' death, Helen sensed her presence. This extraordinary encounter marked the beginning of contact between them from either side of the veil. 'Testimony of Light' is based on the communications that Helen received telepathically from Frances. The scripts have been authenticated by those who knew them both and who were familiar with their individual writing styles. Moving and inspiring, this book is a testament to the enduring power of their friendship and offers an important message to us all - that the death of the body is but a gentle passing to a much freer and fuller life. 'Never have we read such a spontaneous, simple, direct, happy and instructive series of scripts from 'the other side'' Science of Thought Review 'A glass of spiritual champagne' - Churches Fellowship News © Helen Greaves 1969 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Helen Greaves (Author), Candida Gubbins, Patience Tomlinson, Roy McMillan (Narrator)

Audiobook

Menagerie Manor

"Brought to you by Penguin. A classic Gerald Durrell title reissued by Penguin to celebrate the centenary of his birth The Manor of the title is Les Augrès Manor in Trinity, Jersey. Inside, we find a remarkable collection of pen portraits of some of the creatures of Gerald Durrell's Zoo. We also discover some of the timeless lessons Durrell learned about making real and sustaining his childhood ambition of having his own zoo - and why conservation matters more than ever. 'This book is a certain joy' New Statesman 'Animals come close to being Durrell's best friends. . . . He writes about them with style, verve, and humour' Time © Gerald Durrell 1964 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Gerald Durrell (Author), Anne Dover, Julian Wadham, Roy McMillan (Narrator)

Audiobook

Reignclowd Palace

"Brought to you by Penguin. Evnie Treedle makes magical things and for the last few years she has been selling them in magical knickknacks shop, the Magpie Nest. But everything changes when one day Evnie’s crafting abilities catch the attention of the nearby Reignclowd Palace. She is asked to become their resident spellsmith… the original spellsmith suddenly ill under mysterious circumstances. Evnie is soon put to work making and mending magical objects. Yet, problems start to appear when she realises there’s much more at stake than friendship or romance; a dragon looms over the kingdom looking for a soul to devour, and it’s eyes are set on their princess. 'Once you’ve entered the world of the artist Philippa Rice, you’ll never want to leave' Charlotte Runcie, The Telegraph 'Rice is immensely talented and versatile who works with sculpture and textiles and collage, and that smorgasbord of knowledge transmutes into her work' Zainab Akhtar - Comics & Cola © Philippa Rice 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Philippa Rice (Author), Anna Burnett, Roy McMillan (Narrator)

Audiobook

Dragonborn

"Brought to you by Puffin. Become the impossible . . . The electric new fantasy series for fans of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief and Impossible Creatures, perfect for readers aged 9-12. Life is no fun for Alex Evans. Ever since her dad's death, her overprotective mother has smothered her with unbreakable rules and unspoken fears. When the frustration inside Alex finally gets too big to bear, it rushes to the surface. And flames spill from her mouth. Because Alex is a dragon. One of the many who live among us, unless something awakens their true nature. Led by the mighty Oliphos to the legendary island of Skralla, Alex must now train alongside fierce, frightening dragon children, if she is to unlock the power of her birthright. But other dragons are rising too. Drak Midna, the greatest dragon of all, is preparing a war against the human world, and Alex has to be good enough for this fight, or we all will burn . . . © Struan Murray 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Struan Murray (Author), Clare Corbett, Roy McMillan (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Einstein Vendetta: Hitler, Mussolini, and a true story of murder

"Brought to you by Penguin. From the Sunday Times bestselling author of HANNS AND RUDOLF, THE HOUSE BY THE LAKE and BLOOD ON THE PAGE, pre-order the gripping story of an unsolved murder which took place against the extraordinary background of Nazi-occupied Florence during World War Two . . . Italy, Summer 1944 A unit of German soldiers arrives at a villa near Florence. Villa Il Focardo is home to Robert Einstein, cousin to the most famous scientist in the world, Albert Einstein – a prominent enemy of the Nazi regime. Having renounced his German citizenship a decade earlier, Albert’s safely in America, well beyond Hitler’s reach. The same is not true for his cousin. Twelve hours after arriving, the soldiers have vanished – and a family is dead. This crime – and what happened next – still haunts those who survived. Who ordered it? Who was involved? And why did they get away with it? This is the untold story of the Einstein vendetta. Praise for Thomas Harding: Hanns and Rudolf 'A gripping thriller, an unspeakable crime, an essential history' John le Carré 'Thomas Harding has shed intriguing new light on the strange poison of Nazism, and one of its most lethal practitioners... Meticulously researched and deeply felt' Ben Macintyre, Times Book of the Week 'Fascinating and moving...This is a remarkable book, which deserves a wide readership' Max Hastings, Sunday Times The House by the Lake 'A passionate memoir about Germany' Neil MacGregor, author of A History of the World in 100 Objects and Germany: Memories of a Nation 'I loved this book. I admire the elegance of it, the hope, the honesty and the generousness with which every resident is given his or her place. It has made me think about our individual parts in the bigger story, and the coming and going-ness of things. It is a book that will stay with me for a very long time' Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry 'A superb portrait of twentieth century Germany seen through the prism of a house which was lived in, and lost, by five different families. A remarkable book' Tom Holland, author of Rubicon © Thomas Harding 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Thomas Harding (Author), Roy McMillan (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Curious Life of the Cuckoo

"Brought to you by Penguin. Is there any bird more mysterious than the cuckoo? It is invariably heard, and not seen. And if seen, it is mistaken for a sharp-winged hawk. The female cuckoo - by a trick that borders on alchemy - is able to disguise its egg as another's. In Greek myth the god Zeus assumed the form of a cuckoo to seduce Hera. But we forgive the cuckoo its con-artistry, because it is the true herald of spring. It is the bird that uplifts our wintered hearts, with that first two-note 'cuk-koo' unmistakable as it sounds across the country. In The Curious Life of the Cuckoo, John Lewis-Stempel explains one of nature's greatest enigmas in vivid, lyrical prose, and celebrates this iconic bird. ‘Britain's finest living nature writer’ – The Times © John Lewis-Stempel 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

John Lewis-Stempel (Author), Roy McMillan (Narrator)

Audiobook

Designing Terry Pratchett’s Discworld

"Brought to you by Penguin. 'It's still magic, even if you know how it's done' SIR TERRY PRATCHETT Designing Terry Pratchett's Discworld takes readers behind the scenes of the amazing partnership between Sir Terry Pratchett and artist Paul Kidby. It shows how the Discworld was brought to visual life - from the earliest sketches to the final magnificent masterpieces - and how Terry and Paul absorbed influences from art and pop culture, fusing them into the Discworld landscape. Whilst Terry was the undisputed creative fountainhead, for three decades Paul has been the artistic force taking the people, places and piece of man-eating luggage from Terry's ever-fertile imagination right into our world. Designing Terry Pratchett's Discworld also outlines the images that we never got to see - the early covers of the great unwritten novels, taken from the world before their time. This is a unique insight into one of the great literary partnerships, packed full of hitherto unseen art and the real stories behind it. © Paul Kidby 2024 (P) Penguin Audio 2024"

Paul Kidby (Author), Colin Morgan, Roy McMillan (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Proof of My Innocence

"Brought to you by Penguin. Post-university life doesn’t suit Phyl. Time passes slowly, living with her parents and working a zero-hours contract at Heathrow Airport, while her budding plans of becoming a writer are going nowhere. That is, until family friend Chris comes to stay. He’s been investigating a radical think tank, founded at Cambridge University in the 1980s, that’s been scheming to push the British government in an ever more extreme direction. When he follows this story to a conference in a rambling old hotel deep in the Cotswolds, events take a bizarre and sinister turn. Soon he is caught up in a world of cryptic clues, secret passages and, eventually, murder. In the end, despite the efforts of a suitably eccentric detective, it falls to Phyl herself – ably assisted by Chris’s outspoken adopted daughter Rashida - to look for answers to the fatal mystery. But will they lie in contemporary politics, or in a literary enigma that is almost forty years old? 'A brilliant, shrewd, satirical novel – gimlet-eyed, funny, very clever and a searchingly profound look at the state of this strange country of ours' William Boyd 'My comfort read: anything by Jonathan Coe' Bob Mortimer 'Coe shows an understanding of this country that goes beyond what most cabinet ministers can muster . . . he is a master of satire but pokes fun subtly, without ever being cruel, biting or blatant . . . his light, funny writing makes you feel better' Evening Standard 'A novelist who gains in range and reputation with every book' Pat Barker 'Please, God … if there’s a next life, let me write as well as Jonathan Coe' Anthony Bourdain 'Probably the best English novelist of his generation' Nick Hornby ©2024 Jonathan Coe (P)2024 Penguin Audio"

Jonathan Coe (Author), Alana Maria, Charlotte Worthing, Mark Stobbart, Roy McMillan, Sam Woolf (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Sliver of Darkness

"Brought to you by Penguin. A HAUNTING SHORT STORY COLLECTION FROM THE QUEEN OF CHILLERS, C. J. TUDOR . . . This Halloween prepare to be terrified with C. J. Tudor's first collection of short stories. Featuring eleven twisted tales of the macabre, including: The Lion at the Gate in which a strange piece of graffiti leads to a terrifying encounter for four school friends . . . Butterfly Island which tells the story of a group of survivors who wash up on a deserted island and make a horrifying discovery . . . Gloria where a cold-hearted killer encounters a strange young girl at a motorway service station with unexpected consequences . . . Praise for C. J. Tudor: 'If you like my stuff you'll like this' Stephen King 'C. J. Tudor is terrific. I can't wait to see what she does next' Harlan Coben 'Britain's female Stephen King' Daily Mail 'A mesmerizingly chilling and atmospheric page-turner' J.P. Delaney 'Her books have the ability to simultaneously make you unable to stop reading while wishing you could bury the book somewhere deep underground where it can't be found. Compelling and haunting' Sunday Express 'Some writers have it, and some don't. C. J. Tudor has it big time' Lee Child 'A dark star is born' A. J. Finn © C. J. Tudor 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022"

C.J. Tudor (Author), Adam Sims, C.J. Tudor, Dakota Blue Richards, Richard Armitage, Richie Campbell, Roy McMillan (Narrator)

Audiobook

Speeches of Note: A celebration of the old, new and unspoken

"Random House presents the audiobook edition of Speeches of Note by Shaun Usher, compèred by Richard Cordery, and with speeches read by a variety of narrators. SPEECHES OF NOTE: seventy-five extraordinary ways to step into someone else’s shoes. From Shaun Usher, the author of the international bestseller LETTERS OF NOTE, comes an obsessively curated, richly illustrated and sumptuously produced collection of speeches from throughout the ages. Discover speeches that altered the course of history, like NELSON MANDELA’s on the day he became South Africa’s first black President, and outpourings of much-needed change, such as the impassioned, impromptu appeal for women’s rights from SOJOURNER TRUTH, an African-American woman born into slavery. Expect the gloriously unexpected, as KERMIT THE FROG takes to the podium, and celebrate lives well-lived, including TILDA SWINTON’s tribute to ‘every alien’s favourite cousin’, DAVID BOWIE. While some speeches are heard by millions, some remain unspoken: the secret draft prepared for QUEEN ELIZABETH II during a military exercise for World War III, and PRESIDENT NIXON’s chilling public announcement should NEIL ARMSTRONG and BUZZ ALDRIN become stranded on the Moon. Surprising, inspiring and shocking; moving, comforting and enlightening. Read by Laura Aikman, Shenoa Allen, Kristin Atherton, Taj Atwal, Kirsty Besterman, Kieran Bew, Mhari Black, Panti Bliss, Louise Brealey, Leo Burnett, Nick Cave, Richard Cordery, Elliot Cowan, Severn Cullis-Suzuki, Ryan Ford Iosco, Fiona Hampton, Richard Hughes, Matthew Jacobs Morgan, Geraldine James, Paul Keating, Robert F Kennedy, Angus King, Liz Kingsman, Mitch Landrieu, Ursula le Guin, Donovan Livingstone, Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki, Roy McMillan, Carla Mendonca, Ako Mitchell, Edward Murrow, Shirin Neshat, Amaka Okafor, Daniel O'Meara, Yeonmi Park, Jackie Robinson, Nicholas Rowe, Dan Russell, Clifford Samuel, Natalie Simpson, Adora Svitak, Justin Trudeau, Elie Wiesel, Maurice Williamson, Laura Aikman, Shenoa Allen, Kristin Atherton, Taj Atwal, Kirsty Besterman, Kieran Bew, Mhari Black, Panti Bliss, Louise Brealey, Leo Burnett, Nick Cave, Richard Cordery, Elliot Cowan, Severn Cullis-Suzuki, Ryan Ford Iosco, Fiona Hampton, Richard Hughes, Matthew Jacobs Morgan, Geraldine James, Paul Keating, Robert F Kennedy, Angus King, Liz Kingsman, Mitch Landrieu, Ursula le Guin, Donovan Livingstone, Nelson Mandela, Roy McMillan, Carla Mendonca, Ako Mitchell, EdwardMurrow, Shirin Neshat, Amaka Okafor, Daniel O'Meara, Yeonmi Park Source: Take Care of Your Artists, World Economic Forum, Switzerland, 2014"

Shaun Usher (Author), Adora Svitak, Ako Mitchell, Amaka Okafor, Angus King, Carla Mendonca, Clifford Samuel, Dan Russell, Daniel O'Meara, Donovan Livingstone, Edward Murrow, Elie Wiesel, Elliot Cowan, Fiona Hampton, Geraldine James, Jackie Robinson, Justin Trudeau, Kieran Bew, Kirsty Besterman, Kristin Atherton, Laura Aikman, Leo Burnett, Liz Kingsman, Louise Brealey, Matthew Jacobs Morgan, Maurice Williamson, Mhari Black, Mitch Landrieu, Natalie Simpson, Nelson Mandela, Nicholas Rowe, Nick Cave, Panti Bliss, Paul Keating, Richard Cordery, Richard Hughes, Robert F Kennedy, Roy McMillan, Ryan Ford Iosco, Severn Cullis-Suzuki, Shenoa Allen, Shirin Neshat, Taj Atwal, Ursula le Guin, Yeonmi Park (Narrator)

Audiobook

Athelstan (Penguin Monarchs): The Making of England

"Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Athelstan: The Making of England by Tom Holland, read by Roy McMillan. The formation of England happened against the odds - the division of the country into rival kingdoms, the assaults of the Vikings, the precarious position of the island on the edge of the known world. But King Alfred ensured the survival of Wessex, his son Eadweard expanded it, and his grandson Æthelstan finally united Mercia and Wessex, conquered Northumbria and became Rex totius Britanniae. Tom Holland recounts this extraordinarily exciting story with relish and drama. We meet the great figures of the age, including Alfred and his daughter Æthelflæd, 'Lady of the Mercians', who brought Æthelstan up at the Mercian court. At the end of the book we understand the often confusing history of the Anglo-Saxon kings better than ever before."

Tom Holland (Author), Roy McMillan (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks Narrated by Roy McMillan