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King of the Vagabonds

Book Two of The Baroque Cycle

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King of the Vagabonds

By: Neal Stephenson
Narrated by: Neal Stephenson (introduction), Simon Prebble, Kevin Pariseau
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About this listen

A chronicle of the breathtaking exploits of “Half-Cocked Jack” Shaftoe – London street urchin turned legendary swashbuckling adventurer – risking life and limb for fortune and love while slowly maddening from the pox – and Eliza, rescued by Jack from a Turkish harem to become spy, confidante, and pawn of royals in order to reinvent a contentious continent through the newborn power of finance.

The Baroque Cycle, Neal Stephenson’s award-winning series, spans the late 17th and early 18th centuries, combining history, adventure, science, invention, piracy, and alchemy into one sweeping tale. It is a gloriously rich, entertaining, and endlessly inventive historical epic populated by the likes of Isaac Newton, William of Orange, Benjamin Franklin, and King Louis XIV, along with some of the most inventive literary characters in modern fiction.

Audible’s complete and unabridged presentation of The Baroque Cycle was produced in cooperation with Neal Stephenson. Each volume includes an exclusive introduction read by the author.

Listen to more titles in the Baroque Cycle.©2003 Neal Stephenson (P)2010 Audible, Inc. Action & Adventure Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Science Fiction Adventure Royalty

Critic reviews

"Most tales of 'olde' times are replete with castles, robed lords and ladies, and handsome men on horseback. But what about the wretches they pass on the side of the road as they go off to a lively joust? is about those men, the poor, the grifters, whose names are lost to history—the vagabonds. Stephenson's novel tells their story, with the able help of storyteller Simon Prebble. Prebble's witty banter is perfect as the voice of Jack, a knave who is out to prove that even a lowborn can succeed in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Europe. Prebble even does a great job with the historical characters such as Isaac Newton, Ben Franklin, and others. Equal parts action and adventure, along with a healthy dose of humor, make this a great listen." ( AudioFile)
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Not my favourite of the works but whatever you don don't miss any of them out!!

I just never tire of listening to this entire series. I loved Neal Stephenson's Sci-Fi and was unsure about starting on this epic series but I must have listened the whole thing through 3 times now and it just never gets tired. The ways the story runs take a little getting used to but once you are in the swing it is an absolute joy. Do the whole set. Wonderful

Book Two...

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Find here the rawness and stench of low life in the 17th century. Some great scenes, horrible events jostling with the bizzare and humorous.

Very funny and creative.

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Stephenson likes ideas, adventure and smart dialogue. In the first volume we got a lot of the history of science at the expense of plot. Having set the scene this volume swings into action from the outset with the introduction of Jack and Eliza, who take us on a brilliantly conceived romp across the Europe of the early 18th century. Not sure this would work if you haven't listened to volume one but if you have reached this far the thing really seems to click into gear.

A deeply smart swashbuckler

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Yes, interesting in parts, but a big let down after Book 1. Neal Stephenson is undobtedly quite brilliant but the whole Jack Shaftoe thing seemed frivilous, disjointed and (often) boring. I think that I was expecting The Barouqe Cycle to be some kind of Magnus Opus, and Book 1 was certainly a good start, but now I'm wondering what Book 3 will bring. However, I'm strangely drawn to completing the series for fear of missing something extraordinary.

Edit: Having completed, and enjoyed, Odalisque (Book 3) I decided to go back and have another listen to Books 1 &2 now that I was familiar with the main characters. Time well spent as the overall picture / timeframe became much clearer and Vagabonds definitely became more relevant to the overall story.

Not a Patch on Quicksilver

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This was a lot of fun. I could have done without the songs during the hallucinations, but otherwise this was a treat.

Lots of fun. Hope he ties it all together in Act 3

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