Showing results by narrator "David Timson" in All Categories

Some 250 years after its first publication, Gibbon's Decline and Fall is still regarded as one of the greatest histories in Western literature. He reports on more than 1,000 years of an empire which extended from the most northern and western parts of Europe to deep into Asia and Africa and covers not only events but also the cultural and religious developments that effected change during that time.

Edgar Wallace was a bestselling author, journalist, playwright and film director, and the creator of King Kong. A prolific writer and celebrity superstar, he was thought to be responsible for a quarter of all new books read in Britain by the late 1920s. Presented here are full-cast adaptations of four of his classic crime novels, readings of four short detective stories, and vintage recording of Wallace reading one of his own stories. Tying them all together is linking commentary from Edgar Wallace: The Man Who Wrote Too Much?, a documentary celebration of his life.

Beginning at the end of Augustus' reign, Tacitus's Annals examines the rules of the Roman emperors from Tiberius to Nero (though Caligula's books are lost to us). Their dramas and scandals are brought fully under the spotlight, as Tacitus presents a catalog of their murders, atrocities, sexual improprieties, and other vices in no unsparing terms. Debauched, cruel, and paranoid, they are portrayed as being on the verge of madness. Their wars and battles, such as the war with the Parthians, are also described with the same scrutinizing intensity.

A Swedish crime writer as thrilling as Mankell, a detective as compelling as Wallander . . . Håkan Nesser's third title in the Van Veeteren series is the dark and compelling The Return. An unmissable hospital appointment is looming for Inspector Van Veeteren when a corpse is found rolled in a...

The Roman historian Tacitus was a successful politician who eventually became governor of the province of Asia. He is thought to have died around AD 120 and benefitted from the patronage of the Flavian emperors. The Histories, of which only just over four out of 14 books survive, covers the years following the assassination of the Emperor Nero: Rome was plunged into further civil war with the Year of the Four Emperors (AD 69), which culminated in the accession of Vespasian, the first of the Flavians.

This remarkable poem, dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I, was Spenser's finest achievement. The first epic poem in modern English, The Faerie Queene combines dramatic narratives of chivalrous adventure with exquisite and picturesque episodes of pageantry. At the same time, Spenser is expounding a deeply-felt allegory of the eternal struggle between Truth and Error....

Julius Caesar is one of the most famous figures of the ancient Roman world. A skillful general and leading politician of the late Roman Republic, he secured a 10-year proconsular command in the province of Gaul, during which he accumulated both wealth and power. A core text in the teaching of Latin in schools, The Gallic War gives a unique insight into this remarkable man, as well as military strategy and practice of the day.

The Horus Heresy is a civil war on a scale the likes of which the galaxy has never seen before. After the Great Crusade united the disparate worlds of humanity, the very warriors who made it possible turned on each other and tore it apart. As word of Horus's treachery spreads to fully half of the Legiones Astartes, Terra looks to the remaining loyalist Space Marines to defend the Imperium.

When Chief Inspector Van Veeteren is reluctantly drawn from his holiday, he finds himself entwined in an investigation of two murders before the culprit strikes again. Håkan Nesser's Borkmann's Point is the gripping second novel in the compelling Van Veeteren series. Borkmann's rule was hardly...

Wellington has handed Keane his least favourite job: he is to get himself captured by the French, escape from captivity once in France and make his way to Paris to work undercover there. There are rumours of unrest against Napoleon's regime, and Keane's task is to work out which, if any, the British should support. Nothing works out as planned. Keane, bereft of most of his loyal team, finds himself in an unknown, confusing political and social world.

Step into the bustling streets of Victorian London with Sketches by Boz: The Complete Collection, which includes Volume 1, 2, and 3 of Sketches by Boz, where Charles Dickens brings the city’s diverse characters, neighborhoods, and daily life to vivid, unforgettable life. From the grimy alleys to the grandest ballrooms, this collection of sketches captures the essence of the people and places Dickens encountered, offering a sharp yet affectionate portrait of a society in flux.

In this ancient picaresque adventure, Lucius, an insatiably curious young man, finds himself transformed into a donkey after his fascination with black magic and witchcraft goes awry. While trapped in his new body, he becomes the property of thieves, farmers, cooks, soldiers and priests, and observes the hypocrisy and ineptitude of Imperial Roman society.

The Trial and the Death of Socrates gives a powerful first-hand account of the end of one of the greatest figures in history. In Apology, Socrates defends himself before the Athenian court against charges of corrupting youth. Phaedo is the account of the actual last words and moments of Socrates. Tom Griffith presents these with scene-setting introductions to the historical situation in this new translation.

Charles Dickens: The Travel Collection contains all of Charles Dickens' major published travelogues. Journeying through Italy, America, France, and London, we get a glimpse into nineteenth century European and American culture, as well as a deeper insight into Dickens and his life. Also included here are 12 stories from Sketches by Boz which detail London life during Dickens' life, showcasing his uncanny ability to capture the best and worst of life, and giving us an unparalleled insight into mid-century London.

The Sign of Four is the second story by Conan Doyle about the exploits of Sherlock Holmes. From the moment Mary Morstan tells Holmes about the mysterious disappearance of her father and the yearly gift of a pearl from an unknown benefactor, Holmes and his companion Watson are involved in an exotic tale of stolen treasure, secret oaths and murder, culminating in a breath-taking chase down the Thames. Holmes is on top form, and Watson falls in love.

Further adventures by the master of observation and deduction, as faithfully recounted by his companion and greatest admirer, Dr Watson. The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans, The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax and The Adventure of the Dying Detective are among the stories. David Timson's award-winning performances continue with this series.

While the war rages on across the galaxy, for many on the Throneworld of Terra it exists only in hearsay. But in the course of her daily duties, humble adept Katanoh Tallery discovers evidence of a conspiracy within the monolithic Administratum - surely, this can only be the precursor to a traitor attack on the Solar System itself? Fleeing into the shadows, she soon finds herself at the mercy of the mysterious Knight Errant Nathaniel Garro. Will this stalwart defender of mankind be her saviour, or her executioner?

The Iberian Peninsula, 1809. French troops led by one of Napoleon's best generals are amassing on the border. Wellington's outnumbered force and his unreliable Spanish allies need to pick off the smaller French units if they are to stand their ground. For that they need information: accurate intelligence on numbers, arms, and whereabouts. That's where Captain Keane and his company of reformed scouting officers are invaluable tools--despite being unpopular with the regular soldiers.

The Uncommercial Traveller is the persona of Dickens for this collection of semi-autobiographical sketches. A kind of Victorian blogger, he is funny and affecting by turns as he recounts what he sees and wonders at its meaning. Whether laying bare ‘a wilderness of dirt, rags, and hunger’ or musing on the ‘moodiness’ of tom-cats; recounting Mr Indignation Cocker’s sherry bill or simply taking us by the hand as he goes about his ‘no-business’ in London and further afield, he brings the warmth, compassion and fleet-footed wit that infuse his novels.

David Timson talks about the relationship between Samuel Johnson and James Boswell - how they met, their unlikely friendship, and extensive conversations - and the composition of Boswell's The Life of Samuel Johnson, one of the greatest biographies in the history of world literature.