The Official Blurb
The Sea Hawk is a novel by Rafael Sabatini, originally published in 1915. The story is set in the late 16th century, and concerns a Cornish sea-faring gentleman, Sir Oliver Tressilian, who is villainously betrayed by a jealous brother. After being forced to serve as a slave on a Spanish galley, Sir Oliver is liberated by Barbary pirates. He joins the pirates under the name “Sakr-el-Bahr”, the hawk of the sea, and swears vengeance against his brother.
My Review
Simply put, I enjoyed this. I downloaded it without reading the official blurb, expecting it to be a history of the British sailor known as "the Sea Hawk". Nope, I got that wrong.
What we have here is a story of the sea, betrayal and love. In the tradition of these older books we have the set up, the recovery, the chance for revenge, and the endgame. The story is not your hyper paced modern adventure but rather a steady series of events that explore the characters and their motivations.
I was enthralled by the story slipping an episode of this story between every other podcast I've been listening to, and was happily satisfied by the ending.
Well worth listening to. A little word of warning, there is a bit of noise on this recording, not hiss, more of a hum. It's not on all of the episodes and is easily ignored.
Reading 2/3
Production 1/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 5/9
This book is available from Librivox.
There is an Audio Promo for this book.
Monday, 30 June 2008
Saturday, 21 June 2008
The First Battle of Bull Run
The Official Blurb
General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard was one of the senior commanders of Southern forces during the Civil War. It was he who initiated the hostilities by opening fire on Ft. Sumter in Charleston harbor, in April, 1861.
In July of that year, having taken command of the Confederate Army of the Potomac, he triumphed in the first serious clash of the war, at Manassas, Virginia. His army, aided by reinforcements from Johnston’s army in the Shenandoah Valley, routed a Federal army under General McDowell. Had it been his army instead that routed, it is possible the Civil War might have ended that same year, as the path to Richmond would have been wide open.
This is his account of the battle, including the strategic situation leading up to it. As an afterward, he added a very revealing appraisal of the relations between him and Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and the reasons why, in his opinion, the South failed to win its war of secession.
My Review
I have an interest in the American Civil War going back many years and so when I noticed this non fiction book on Librivox I rushed home to download it. To my delight I found that it was read by one of my favourite Librivox readers, Mark Smith.
The book was well paced, with the General leading us though the run up to the battle and into the events of the battle itself. I found it very interesting and satisfying to hear the details and concerns of a General who was actually there in the middle of the action.
My only disapointment with the book was that it was so short. These military memoirs often are.
If you have any interest in the American Civil War, then this book is a must read(listen) and due to it being a short one, you no excuse not to!
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 8/9
This book is available from Librivox
There is an Audio Promo for this book.
General Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard was one of the senior commanders of Southern forces during the Civil War. It was he who initiated the hostilities by opening fire on Ft. Sumter in Charleston harbor, in April, 1861.
In July of that year, having taken command of the Confederate Army of the Potomac, he triumphed in the first serious clash of the war, at Manassas, Virginia. His army, aided by reinforcements from Johnston’s army in the Shenandoah Valley, routed a Federal army under General McDowell. Had it been his army instead that routed, it is possible the Civil War might have ended that same year, as the path to Richmond would have been wide open.
This is his account of the battle, including the strategic situation leading up to it. As an afterward, he added a very revealing appraisal of the relations between him and Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and the reasons why, in his opinion, the South failed to win its war of secession.
My Review
I have an interest in the American Civil War going back many years and so when I noticed this non fiction book on Librivox I rushed home to download it. To my delight I found that it was read by one of my favourite Librivox readers, Mark Smith.
The book was well paced, with the General leading us though the run up to the battle and into the events of the battle itself. I found it very interesting and satisfying to hear the details and concerns of a General who was actually there in the middle of the action.
My only disapointment with the book was that it was so short. These military memoirs often are.
If you have any interest in the American Civil War, then this book is a must read(listen) and due to it being a short one, you no excuse not to!
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 8/9
This book is available from Librivox
There is an Audio Promo for this book.
Tuesday, 17 June 2008
7th Son Book 2 : Deceit
The Official Blurb
As 7th Son: Book Two - Deceit begins, the Beta clones are demoralized, reeling from their loss ... and about to learn that John Alpha's plans are far from over.
To prevent the next phase of Alpha's plan, John, Kilroy2.0, and the others must unearth more dark secrets about the government project from which they were spawned. They will experience the horrors of betrayal, and race cross-country to track John Alpha.
And they will finally realize the scope of Alpha's wrath -- the bloodshed the clones have witnessed is merely a prelude to the world-rending destruction to come. Unless they can stop it first.
Deceit is the second novel in J.C. Hutchins' 7th Son thriller trilogy.
My Review
I was wowed by the first book in the trilogy. I was blown away by the second! In this sequel the action gets ramped up, the tension increases. We learnt about the clones in the first book, in this one we learn to like them. The depth of thier characters really come to the fore and makes every tense minute more real.
The audio production in this version has notched up a step as well. The author has overdubbed his voice so you can hear thoughts as conversations continue. Excellently done. He had used editors brush to create literally breath taking moments and he has even learnt to use silence which is a tough trick.
Each chapter is delivered and most end with a cliff hanger that leave you drooling.
Yep, I liked it... a lot.
Reading 3/3
Production 3/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 9/9
This book is available from Podiobooks
As 7th Son: Book Two - Deceit begins, the Beta clones are demoralized, reeling from their loss ... and about to learn that John Alpha's plans are far from over.
To prevent the next phase of Alpha's plan, John, Kilroy2.0, and the others must unearth more dark secrets about the government project from which they were spawned. They will experience the horrors of betrayal, and race cross-country to track John Alpha.
And they will finally realize the scope of Alpha's wrath -- the bloodshed the clones have witnessed is merely a prelude to the world-rending destruction to come. Unless they can stop it first.
Deceit is the second novel in J.C. Hutchins' 7th Son thriller trilogy.
My Review
I was wowed by the first book in the trilogy. I was blown away by the second! In this sequel the action gets ramped up, the tension increases. We learnt about the clones in the first book, in this one we learn to like them. The depth of thier characters really come to the fore and makes every tense minute more real.
The audio production in this version has notched up a step as well. The author has overdubbed his voice so you can hear thoughts as conversations continue. Excellently done. He had used editors brush to create literally breath taking moments and he has even learnt to use silence which is a tough trick.
Each chapter is delivered and most end with a cliff hanger that leave you drooling.
Yep, I liked it... a lot.
Reading 3/3
Production 3/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 9/9
This book is available from Podiobooks
Friday, 13 June 2008
The Rookie
The Official Blurb
"The Rookie" is set amongst a lethal pro football league 700 years in the future. Aliens play positions based on physiology, creating receivers that jump 25 feet into the air, linemen that bench-press 1,200 pounds, and linebackers that -- literally -- want to eat you. Organized crime runs every franchise, games are fixed and rival players are assasinated.
Follow the story of Quentin Barnes, a 19-year-old quarterback prodigy that has been raised all his life to hate, and kill, those aliens. Quentin must deal with his racism and learn to lead, or hell wind up just another stat in the column marked "killed on the field."
My Review
What we have here is a high SciFi story blended with equal parts of "The Godfather" and the best sports movie you ever watched. It's a high action story and I dont just mean sports action. From early on the listener is drawn into the worlds of the future by the characters who leap to life with their personal stories that let us know how harsh their version of the future is.
The lead character starts as a talented racist ( towards alien races ) thrown into a sports team made up predominently of aliens. This gives us an amusing situation which the author never fails to bring into sharp focus.
The story as you might expect from a sports story builds through the entire story towards a climatic bloodthirsty sports ending.
The story includes lots of violence and blood and not all of it the aliens so be warned this isn't one you want to share with the kids.
Scott Sigler the author has excelled himself in producing this his 3rd audio book. As well as using the voices he has so succesfully used before, he has expanded into excellently applied sound effects. He's managed to bring the worlds of his invention to life with a sound so rich that other audio books literally pale by comparison, even his other audio books.
In Summary, I loved this book.
Reading 3/3
Production 3/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 9/9
Available from Podiobooks.
"The Rookie" is set amongst a lethal pro football league 700 years in the future. Aliens play positions based on physiology, creating receivers that jump 25 feet into the air, linemen that bench-press 1,200 pounds, and linebackers that -- literally -- want to eat you. Organized crime runs every franchise, games are fixed and rival players are assasinated.
Follow the story of Quentin Barnes, a 19-year-old quarterback prodigy that has been raised all his life to hate, and kill, those aliens. Quentin must deal with his racism and learn to lead, or hell wind up just another stat in the column marked "killed on the field."
My Review
What we have here is a high SciFi story blended with equal parts of "The Godfather" and the best sports movie you ever watched. It's a high action story and I dont just mean sports action. From early on the listener is drawn into the worlds of the future by the characters who leap to life with their personal stories that let us know how harsh their version of the future is.
The lead character starts as a talented racist ( towards alien races ) thrown into a sports team made up predominently of aliens. This gives us an amusing situation which the author never fails to bring into sharp focus.
The story as you might expect from a sports story builds through the entire story towards a climatic bloodthirsty sports ending.
The story includes lots of violence and blood and not all of it the aliens so be warned this isn't one you want to share with the kids.
Scott Sigler the author has excelled himself in producing this his 3rd audio book. As well as using the voices he has so succesfully used before, he has expanded into excellently applied sound effects. He's managed to bring the worlds of his invention to life with a sound so rich that other audio books literally pale by comparison, even his other audio books.
In Summary, I loved this book.
Reading 3/3
Production 3/3
Story 3/3
Total Score 9/9
Available from Podiobooks.
Thursday, 12 June 2008
The Murders in the Rue Morgue
The Official Blurb
The Murders in the Rue Morgue” is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe in 1841. Poe referred to it as a “tale of ratiocination” featuring the brilliant deductions of C. Auguste Dupin; it is today regarded as one of the first detective stories and is almost certainly the first locked room mystery.
My Review
Hmmmmm... Despite this short story being read by one of my favourite Librivox readers I was still disapointed.
The first half of the first chapter/section is a rather long and slow lead up to introducting the investigative character. Frankly I was about to give up on the story as being too boring, when the story started.
I'm a Sherlock Holmes fan so the idea of listening to the first "Locked Room Mystery" appealed to me. However towards the end of the story as the clues started to fit together and the who and the how became clear I was disapointed.
I am glad I listened to it, because of its vintage and standing, and the reader is an absolute delight on the ears. Shame about the story!
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3
Total Score 6/9
Available from Librivox.
There is also an Audio Promo for this book.
The Murders in the Rue Morgue” is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe in 1841. Poe referred to it as a “tale of ratiocination” featuring the brilliant deductions of C. Auguste Dupin; it is today regarded as one of the first detective stories and is almost certainly the first locked room mystery.
My Review
Hmmmmm... Despite this short story being read by one of my favourite Librivox readers I was still disapointed.
The first half of the first chapter/section is a rather long and slow lead up to introducting the investigative character. Frankly I was about to give up on the story as being too boring, when the story started.
I'm a Sherlock Holmes fan so the idea of listening to the first "Locked Room Mystery" appealed to me. However towards the end of the story as the clues started to fit together and the who and the how became clear I was disapointed.
I am glad I listened to it, because of its vintage and standing, and the reader is an absolute delight on the ears. Shame about the story!
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3
Total Score 6/9
Available from Librivox.
There is also an Audio Promo for this book.
Wednesday, 11 June 2008
The Master of the World
The Official Blurb
Chief Inspector Strock gets the tough cases. When a volcano suddenly appears to threaten mountain towns of North Carolina amid the non-volcanic Blue Ridge Mountains, Strock is posted to determine the danger. When an automobile race in Wisconsin is interrupted by the unexpected appearance of a vehicle traveling at multiples of the top speed of the entrants, Strock is consulted. When an odd-shaped boat is sighted moving at impossible speeds off the New England coast, Stock and his boss begin to wonder if the incidents are related. And when Strock gets a hand-lettered note warning him to abandon his investigation, on pain of death, he is intrigued rather than deterred.
Set in a period when gasoline engines were in their infancy and automobiles were rare, and when even Chief Inspectors had to engage a carriage and horses to move about, the appearance of a vehicle that can move at astounding speeds on land, on water - and as later revealed, underwater and through the air - marks a technological advance far beyond the reach of nations. It is technology invented by and for the sole benefit of a man who styles himself (with some justification) “The Master of the World.”
My Review
This book is apparently a sequel, I only found that out after having listened to it and I can assure you that it is entirely self contained and you do not have to read/listened to the prequel.
As the blurb suggests we have an investigation within the story, the lead character is trying to find the cause of various strange events. We follow the lead characters through his failures and successes.
This story by Jules Verne is not so much an adventure as a slow paced investigation into the unusual by a ploding investigator. There are one or two very brief moments of a speedier pace but thats all.
All in all, it was a pleasant enough story but the plot was extremly thin.
The reading is by Mark Smith, one of the excellent readers and Librivox.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3
Total Score 6/9
Available from Librivox
There is also an Audio Promo for this book.
Chief Inspector Strock gets the tough cases. When a volcano suddenly appears to threaten mountain towns of North Carolina amid the non-volcanic Blue Ridge Mountains, Strock is posted to determine the danger. When an automobile race in Wisconsin is interrupted by the unexpected appearance of a vehicle traveling at multiples of the top speed of the entrants, Strock is consulted. When an odd-shaped boat is sighted moving at impossible speeds off the New England coast, Stock and his boss begin to wonder if the incidents are related. And when Strock gets a hand-lettered note warning him to abandon his investigation, on pain of death, he is intrigued rather than deterred.
Set in a period when gasoline engines were in their infancy and automobiles were rare, and when even Chief Inspectors had to engage a carriage and horses to move about, the appearance of a vehicle that can move at astounding speeds on land, on water - and as later revealed, underwater and through the air - marks a technological advance far beyond the reach of nations. It is technology invented by and for the sole benefit of a man who styles himself (with some justification) “The Master of the World.”
My Review
This book is apparently a sequel, I only found that out after having listened to it and I can assure you that it is entirely self contained and you do not have to read/listened to the prequel.
As the blurb suggests we have an investigation within the story, the lead character is trying to find the cause of various strange events. We follow the lead characters through his failures and successes.
This story by Jules Verne is not so much an adventure as a slow paced investigation into the unusual by a ploding investigator. There are one or two very brief moments of a speedier pace but thats all.
All in all, it was a pleasant enough story but the plot was extremly thin.
The reading is by Mark Smith, one of the excellent readers and Librivox.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3
Total Score 6/9
Available from Librivox
There is also an Audio Promo for this book.
Saturday, 7 June 2008
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
The Official Blurb
Come and hear the strange tail of The Boss Hank Morgan, a modern day (at the time of publication) Connecticut Yankee who inexplicably finds himself transported to the court of the legendary King Arthur (as the title of the book implies). Hank, or simply, The Boss, as he comes to be most frequently known, quickly uses his modern day knowledge and education to pass himself off as a great magician, to get himself out of all sorts of surprising, (and frequently amusing) situations, as well as to advance the technological and cultural status of the nation in which he finds himself.
My Review
I like many others I'm familiar with the story through the Bing Crosby film of the same name. It was the happy memories of that film and the "Busy doing nothing" song that drew me towards this title.
What we have is a rather too long for its content story. The reading runs for 13+ hours and the animated and spirited reading just couldn't save the story for me. The reader gives his all and is very good, yet as stated the rather pointless rambling of the author who makes verbose points through the prose , only to contradict it later rapidly loses sympathy for the main character "the boss".
When the story is moving it is interesting and amusing. It doesnt cause belly laughs but rather causes a small grin to slide over your face.
Overall I found it a bit of a drag as I was constantly fearing another long expostalation of opinions and expressions that the character didn't believe in. There was a little noise on the recording but nothing that would upset the avid listener.
The film was better.
Reading 3/3
Production 1/3
Story 1/3
Total Score 5/9
Available from Librivox
Come and hear the strange tail of The Boss Hank Morgan, a modern day (at the time of publication) Connecticut Yankee who inexplicably finds himself transported to the court of the legendary King Arthur (as the title of the book implies). Hank, or simply, The Boss, as he comes to be most frequently known, quickly uses his modern day knowledge and education to pass himself off as a great magician, to get himself out of all sorts of surprising, (and frequently amusing) situations, as well as to advance the technological and cultural status of the nation in which he finds himself.
My Review
I like many others I'm familiar with the story through the Bing Crosby film of the same name. It was the happy memories of that film and the "Busy doing nothing" song that drew me towards this title.
What we have is a rather too long for its content story. The reading runs for 13+ hours and the animated and spirited reading just couldn't save the story for me. The reader gives his all and is very good, yet as stated the rather pointless rambling of the author who makes verbose points through the prose , only to contradict it later rapidly loses sympathy for the main character "the boss".
When the story is moving it is interesting and amusing. It doesnt cause belly laughs but rather causes a small grin to slide over your face.
Overall I found it a bit of a drag as I was constantly fearing another long expostalation of opinions and expressions that the character didn't believe in. There was a little noise on the recording but nothing that would upset the avid listener.
The film was better.
Reading 3/3
Production 1/3
Story 1/3
Total Score 5/9
Available from Librivox
Thursday, 5 June 2008
Oomphel in the Sky
The Official Blurb
Natives of the distant planet of Kwannon believe that their world is about to end, and in preparing for the apocalypse, may be unnecessarily bringing about their own demise. The planetary government can’t overcome its own bureaucracy to help them, and the military is overwhelmed. Can a single newsman change the course of a whole people, and save their world?
My Review
What we have here is an absolutly classical bit of SciFi. Our heros are interacting with the native primatives of the planet and trying to help them out, yet the total lack of shared culture gets in the way.
This is not an exciting space adventure type story, but rather a more thoughtful and slower paced investigation of the issues. A few exciting things do happen and you might even find your self a little anxious about the outcome.
In short if your a SciFi fan, you'll find this an amusing pasttime, but not a rip roaring yarn. If your a fan of Mark Nelson's readings, then your'll enjoy this quality reading.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 7/9
Available from Librivox
Natives of the distant planet of Kwannon believe that their world is about to end, and in preparing for the apocalypse, may be unnecessarily bringing about their own demise. The planetary government can’t overcome its own bureaucracy to help them, and the military is overwhelmed. Can a single newsman change the course of a whole people, and save their world?
My Review
What we have here is an absolutly classical bit of SciFi. Our heros are interacting with the native primatives of the planet and trying to help them out, yet the total lack of shared culture gets in the way.
This is not an exciting space adventure type story, but rather a more thoughtful and slower paced investigation of the issues. A few exciting things do happen and you might even find your self a little anxious about the outcome.
In short if your a SciFi fan, you'll find this an amusing pasttime, but not a rip roaring yarn. If your a fan of Mark Nelson's readings, then your'll enjoy this quality reading.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 7/9
Available from Librivox
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