Audiobooks narrated by Timothy West

A History Of Britain: Volume 1: At The Edge Of The World? 3000BC - AD 1603

To look back at the past is to understand the present. In this vivid account of over 4,000 years of British history Simon Schama takes us on an epic journey which encompasses the very beginnings of the nation’s identity, when the first settlers landed on Orkney. From the successes and failures of the monarchy to the daily life of a Roman soldier stationed on Hadrian’s Wall, Schama gives a vivid, fascinating account of the many different stories and struggles that lie behind the growth of our island nation. Simon Schama’s hugely successful BBC 2 series has shown him to be one of our most original and exciting historians. Timothy West’s abridged reading of the book accompanying the series, introduced by Schama himself reading his own Preface, bears further testimony to his extraordinary gift for story-telling. 'Schama is a giant, a great thinking-machine and a golden lyricist as well' - Mail on Sunday.

Simon Schama (Author), Timothy West (Narrator)

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A History Of Britain: Volume 2 - The British Wars 1603-1776

Timothy West reads the second volume of Simon Schama’s compelling chronicle of the British Isles. The British wars began on the morning of 23 July 1637, heralding two hundred years of battles waged within and away from our isles. Most would be driven by religious or political conviction, as Republicans and Royalists, Catholics and Protestants, Tories and Whigs, and colonialists and natives vied for supremacy. Of those battles not fought on home territory, a great number took place across Europe, America, India and also at sea. Schama’s examination of this turbulent period reveals how the British people eventually united in imperial enterprise, forming what he calls ‘Britannia Incorporated’. The story of that change evokes the memory of such enduringly influential people as Oliver Cromwell, as well as lesser known but equally extraordinary individuals. A story of revolution and reaction, progress and catastrophe, this is a vivid account of two centuries which changed Britain.

Simon Schama (Author), Timothy West (Narrator)

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A History Of Britain: Volume 3 - The Fate of Empire 1776-2000

Award-winning historian Simon Schama concludes his monumental three-volume history of Britain. Here he illuminates the period from 1776 to 2000 through a variety of historical themes, including Victorian advances in technology and industry, women’s increasing role in society, and the burgeoning British Empire which promised civilisation and material betterment for all. This volume also looks at key characters from the period, including Wordsworth, Burke, Queen Victoria, Churchill and Orwell, whilst examining some lesser-known lives, such as Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, the first woman doctor, and Mary Seacole, a Jamaican nurse in the Crimea. Finally Schama reflects on the overwhelming presence of the past in the 20th century, and the struggle of our leaders to find a way of making a different national future.

Simon Schama (Author), Timothy West (Narrator)

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Barchester Towers

First, a warning: If you haven't read any Trollope, start with The Warden; it's the first in a series of which Barchester is second. Next, a rather shocking warning: Trollope may be as addictive as a soap opera. It has plenty of the right ingredients-archly drawn characters and plots that enmesh the listener in the daily ups and downs of those characters' lives. Of course, the great crevasse that divides your average daytime soap from Barchester Towers is the elegance and skill of the writer and the witty invention from which he draws his charming and classic fantasies.

Anthony Trollope (Author), Margaret Hilton, Timothy West (Narrator)

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BBC Radio Shakespeare: A Collection of Four History Plays

Four full-cast BBC Radio productions of Shakespeare's finest history plays Introduced by Sir Richard Eyre, these four iconic productions, featuring star casts, bring Shakespeare's gripping histories to life in all their rich complexity. Henry IV, Part One Young Prince Hal struggles with his responsibilities as heir to the throne, preferring the company of the dissolute Falstaff. But when England is threatened with rebellion, will he do his duty? Father and son Julian Glover and Jamie Glover star as King Henry and Prince Hal, with Timothy West as Falstaff. Henry IV, Part Two The realm is still in danger, and the King is dying. It is time for Prince Hal to fulfil his royal destiny - but what will become of his old friend, Falstaff? Starring Julian Glover, Jamie Glover and Timothy West. Richard II This lyrically tragic history encompasses themes of nobility and kingship, as King Richard is brought to his own destruction - but was he justly punished for his excesses, or a misunderstood victim? Samuel West stars as Richard II, with Joss Ackland as John of Gaunt and Damian Lewis as Bolingbroke. Pericles Featuring world music and a multicultural cast, this timeless tale with a contemporary twist features tyrants, incest, murder, young love, and a great hero cruelly separated from his wife and daughter. Will he ever see them again? Benjamin Zephaniah stars as the narrator, Gower.

William Shakespeare (Author), Benjamin Zephaniah, Full Cast, Jamie Glover, Julian Glover, Samuel West, Timothy West (Narrator)

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Beatrix Potter Complete Tales

The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter are now available as a downloadable, digital audiobook, complete and unabridged! The twenty-three tales in this set have never lost their popularity, and sell in their millions all over the world. Meet again the famous characters that children love and adore... PETER RABBIT, SQUIRREL NUTKIN, THE FLOPSY BUNNIES, MRS TIGGY-WINKLE, TOM KITTEN, JEREMY FISHER, JEMIMA PUDDLE-DUCK and many more. These stories are beautifully brought to life by a talented cast of readers, including Gary Bond, Michael Hordern, Rosemary Leach, Janet Maw, Patricia Routledge and Timothy West.

Beatrix Potter (Author), Gary Bond, Janet Maw, Michael Hordern, Patricia Routledge, Rosemary Leach, Timothy West (Narrator)

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Beren and Lúthien

Painstakingly restored from Tolkien’s manuscripts and presented for the first time as a continuous and standalone story, the epic tale of Beren and Lúthien will reunite fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with Elves and Men, Dwarves and Orcs and the rich landscape unique to Tolkien’s Middle-earth. The tale of Beren and Lúthien was, or became, an essential element in the evolution of The Silmarillion, the myths and legends of the First Age of the World conceived by J.R.R. Tolkien. Returning from France and the battle of the Somme at the end of 1916, he wrote the tale in the following year. Essential to the story, and never changed, is the fate that shadowed the love of Beren and Lúthien: for Beren was a mortal man, but Lúthien was an immortal Elf. Her father, a great Elvish lord, in deep opposition to Beren, imposed on him an impossible task that he must perform before he might wed Lúthien. This is the kernel of the legend; and it leads to the supremely heroic attempt of Beren and Lúthien together to rob the greatest of all evil beings, Melkor, called Morgoth, the Black Enemy, of a Silmaril. In this book Christopher Tolkien has attempted to extract the story of Beren and Lúthien from the comprehensive work in which it was embedded; but that story was itself changing as it developed new associations within the larger history. To show something of the process whereby this legend of Middle-earth evolved over the years, he has told the story in his father's own words by giving, first, its original form, and then passages in prose and verse from later texts that illustrate the narrative as it changed. Presented together for the first time on audio, they reveal aspects of the story, both in event and in narrative immediacy, that were afterwards lost.

J. R. R. Tolkien (Author), Samuel West, Timothy West (Narrator)

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Chronicle I

The Chronicle is an epic anthology of the most interesting and revealing diaries and journals written during the last 500 years, providing a fascinating and intriguing record of life as witnessed by some history's most colourful characters. From Samuel Pepys to Alan Bennett, Dorothy Wordsworth to Barbara Castle and Oliver Cromwell to Evelyn Waugh. The Chronicleis one of the most ambitious productions ever commissioned as an audiobook. It contains 120,000 words from over 150 diarists and letter writers, and is performed by an outstanding cast of 30 actors in a dramatised setting with music and soundtrack, with a combined total running time of just under 12 hours. Available in four parts. Arranged in the form of a calendar, it is a daily record of British life from 1st January to 31st December, and provides a vivid and entertaining portrait of the life and times in which the writers lived. Narrated by Joss Ackland; Jenny Agutter; James Bolam; Tony Britton; Charles Dance; Eleanor Bron; Maureen Lipman; John Sessions; Robert Powell; Donald Sinden; Imogen Stubbs; David Suchet; Harriet Walter; Timothy West; plus full supporting cast.

Various Artists, Various Artists (Author), Charles Dance, David Suchet, Donald Sinden, Eleanor Bron, Harriet Walter, Imogen Stubbs, James Bolam, James Bolam, Jenny Agutter, John L. Sessions, John Sessions, Joss Ackland, Maureen Lipman, Robert Powell, Timothy West, Tony Britton (Narrator)

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Chronicle II

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Chronicle III

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Chronicle IV

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Henry IV Part 2 (BBC Radio Shakespeare)

Jamie Glover stars as Prince Hal with Timothy West as Falstaff in the second part of Shakespeare's stirring tale of war and honour. BBC Radio has a unique heritage when it comes to Shakespeare. Since 1923, when the newly formed company broadcast its first full-length play, generations of actors and producers have honed and perfected the craft of making Shakespeare to be heard. In the acclaimed BBC Radio Shakespeare series, each play is introduced by Richard Eyre, former Director of the Royal National Theatre. Revitalised, original and comprehensive, this is Shakespeare for the new millennium.

William Shakespeare (Author), Full Cast, Jamie Glover, Julian Glover, Prunella Scales, Timothy West (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Timothy West