The Official Blurb
The sequel to Plague Ship, Voodoo Planet finds the Solar Queen banned from trade and starting her supposed quiet two-year stint as an interstellar mail carrier. But instead her crew accepts a visit to the safari planet of Khatka, where they find themselves caught in a battle between the forces of reason and the powers of Khatka’s mind-controlling wizard.
My Review
For start you cant go wrong listening to this story if you like classic Sci Fi. Nortons's stories are always fun and action driven, and of course once again we have the fabulous Mark Nelson doing the reading. Mark favours us with a lot of Sci Fi readings and they are always excellent.
There's not a lot more I can add to the official blurb storywise except to say it was fun and enjoyable story with science vs magic. Excellent stuff.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
Download it Librivox
List to the first chapter
Saturday, 29 November 2008
Thursday, 27 November 2008
The Loss of the S.S. Titanic
The Official Blurb
This is a 1st hand account written by a survivor of the Titanic about that fateful night and the events leading up to it as well as the events that followed its sinking.
My Review
What have here is the carefully written account of a survivor who approaches his subject with clarity and without the expected amount of passion. He relates stories of his aquaintances onboard before the accident and often remarks on how sad it is that the person just described did not survive.
After relating his own escape he details the events that took place on the Carpathia and on reaching land. Quite dispassionately almost as if he was simply observing rather than being a participant.
Then he goes on to relate the state of safety in ship building and what could and should be done to make ships safer for the passengers and even offers some suggestions on general maritime safety at sea.
I found the story engaging but the suggestions for ship safety and maritime operating procedures a little dull. I was deeply interested to hear the story of an actual survivor and once the immediate survival story was over I found my interest wavering.
I would reccommend that any "fan" of the Titanic (fan?) take a listen to this book. It is extremely well read and my lack of personal interest at the end is no reflection on the reader. It's free, so you have nothing to lose by my taking a listen!
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3
Total Score 5/9
Download it Librivox
List to the first chapter
This is a 1st hand account written by a survivor of the Titanic about that fateful night and the events leading up to it as well as the events that followed its sinking.
My Review
What have here is the carefully written account of a survivor who approaches his subject with clarity and without the expected amount of passion. He relates stories of his aquaintances onboard before the accident and often remarks on how sad it is that the person just described did not survive.
After relating his own escape he details the events that took place on the Carpathia and on reaching land. Quite dispassionately almost as if he was simply observing rather than being a participant.
Then he goes on to relate the state of safety in ship building and what could and should be done to make ships safer for the passengers and even offers some suggestions on general maritime safety at sea.
I found the story engaging but the suggestions for ship safety and maritime operating procedures a little dull. I was deeply interested to hear the story of an actual survivor and once the immediate survival story was over I found my interest wavering.
I would reccommend that any "fan" of the Titanic (fan?) take a listen to this book. It is extremely well read and my lack of personal interest at the end is no reflection on the reader. It's free, so you have nothing to lose by my taking a listen!
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 1/3
Total Score 5/9
Download it Librivox
List to the first chapter
Wednesday, 26 November 2008
Reminiscences of Captain Gronow
The Official Blurb
A collection of memoirs about the Peninsular War, the Battle of Waterloo, and society and personalities of Regency London and 19th century Paris, by a sometime Grenadier Guards officer, unsuccessful parliamentarian, and dandy. Gronow displays social attitudes of the day which would now be regarded as unacceptable, but is a clever raconteur who brings to life both the horrors of war and the gaiety of high society.
My Review
My ongoing interest in wargaming has for many years spurred my interest in all things of the Napoleonic period, and so this audio book came to my attention because it included the eye-attracting words "Waterloo" and "Penninsular".
There is not a single story running through this narrative, it is rather an series of anecdotes, genuine reminiscences of the life and times. These are not limited to war time memories but also capture events and people before and after the war. We hear of the socialites, the gambling houses, young men ruined, brave mean dueling, and the ridiculous lengths a man in love will put himself through!
We also have the war memories interleaved with other the other stories.
I was gluded to this audio book. The insight into another time totally absorbed me and the stories were thought provoking, humerous and interesting by turns.
Add to this the fact that the reader is of outstanding quality. I kept thinking that I was listening to a BBC history broadcast!
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 7/9
Get it from Librivox
Get the first chapter.
A collection of memoirs about the Peninsular War, the Battle of Waterloo, and society and personalities of Regency London and 19th century Paris, by a sometime Grenadier Guards officer, unsuccessful parliamentarian, and dandy. Gronow displays social attitudes of the day which would now be regarded as unacceptable, but is a clever raconteur who brings to life both the horrors of war and the gaiety of high society.
My Review
My ongoing interest in wargaming has for many years spurred my interest in all things of the Napoleonic period, and so this audio book came to my attention because it included the eye-attracting words "Waterloo" and "Penninsular".
There is not a single story running through this narrative, it is rather an series of anecdotes, genuine reminiscences of the life and times. These are not limited to war time memories but also capture events and people before and after the war. We hear of the socialites, the gambling houses, young men ruined, brave mean dueling, and the ridiculous lengths a man in love will put himself through!
We also have the war memories interleaved with other the other stories.
I was gluded to this audio book. The insight into another time totally absorbed me and the stories were thought provoking, humerous and interesting by turns.
Add to this the fact that the reader is of outstanding quality. I kept thinking that I was listening to a BBC history broadcast!
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 7/9
Get it from Librivox
Get the first chapter.
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Fast in the Ice
The Official Blurb
At the age of 16 Ballantyne went to Canada and was six years in the service of the Hudson’s Bay Company. His rule in writing, being in every case, was to write as far as possible from personal knowledge of the scenes he described.
In this book he details the lives of the crew as they must overwinter in the frozen north including their meetings with Eskimos and bears and their struggles with disease. This is a realistic account of what life was like for the explorers of the Arctic.
My Review
A while back I was blown away by Shackletons account of his exploits at the pole, and that lingering awe is what drew me to this story. We have the recorded account of a captain and his crew as they become locked in by the ice. It's a very interesting read/listen you get to hear about the practicalities of the physical environment the men build and the social and mental stresses they go through just trying to survive.
We also hear about their escapades with Bears and the occasional interaction with the indiginous people. The story as told is mildly engaging and kept me hooked right to the end.
As a bonus the reader is excellent and delivers the reading in a delightful bouncy tone that brings the text alive.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
Get it from Librivox
Get the first chapter.
At the age of 16 Ballantyne went to Canada and was six years in the service of the Hudson’s Bay Company. His rule in writing, being in every case, was to write as far as possible from personal knowledge of the scenes he described.
In this book he details the lives of the crew as they must overwinter in the frozen north including their meetings with Eskimos and bears and their struggles with disease. This is a realistic account of what life was like for the explorers of the Arctic.
My Review
A while back I was blown away by Shackletons account of his exploits at the pole, and that lingering awe is what drew me to this story. We have the recorded account of a captain and his crew as they become locked in by the ice. It's a very interesting read/listen you get to hear about the practicalities of the physical environment the men build and the social and mental stresses they go through just trying to survive.
We also hear about their escapades with Bears and the occasional interaction with the indiginous people. The story as told is mildly engaging and kept me hooked right to the end.
As a bonus the reader is excellent and delivers the reading in a delightful bouncy tone that brings the text alive.
Reading 2/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 6/9
Get it from Librivox
Get the first chapter.
Friday, 7 November 2008
Around the World in 72 Days
The Official Blurb
This is a true account by American woman journalist who, in 1889, set out to see whether she could beat the fictional journey in Jules Verne’s 1873 novel, Around the World in Eighty Days. Wearing one dress and carrying one handbag, Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman (pen name “Nellie Bly”), reported her travels back to avid readers in America.
My Review
This is the second Nellie Bly story/journalistic novel I've listened to and I must admit to be being just as delighted with this one as the last.
The story itself is very journalistic and of its day, that is, rather than hearing about all of the trials and tribulations we rather get to hear about Nellie's impressions of the exotic things she sees and finds and the feminine focus thereon. In a modern equivalent we would hear about the stuggle at immigration, the danger from rebels and what have you.
So the tone of this narrative is very bouyant and upbeat but does lack a little in "grit". It also has a bit of a mystery! Who was the other woman doing the round the world trip?
All in all a good listen, as the narrator/reader pitches just the right reading for this upbeat work.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 7/9
Get it from Librivox
Get the first chapter.
This is a true account by American woman journalist who, in 1889, set out to see whether she could beat the fictional journey in Jules Verne’s 1873 novel, Around the World in Eighty Days. Wearing one dress and carrying one handbag, Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman (pen name “Nellie Bly”), reported her travels back to avid readers in America.
My Review
This is the second Nellie Bly story/journalistic novel I've listened to and I must admit to be being just as delighted with this one as the last.
The story itself is very journalistic and of its day, that is, rather than hearing about all of the trials and tribulations we rather get to hear about Nellie's impressions of the exotic things she sees and finds and the feminine focus thereon. In a modern equivalent we would hear about the stuggle at immigration, the danger from rebels and what have you.
So the tone of this narrative is very bouyant and upbeat but does lack a little in "grit". It also has a bit of a mystery! Who was the other woman doing the round the world trip?
All in all a good listen, as the narrator/reader pitches just the right reading for this upbeat work.
Reading 3/3
Production 2/3
Story 2/3
Total Score 7/9
Get it from Librivox
Get the first chapter.
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