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London
- Narrated by: Andrew Wincott
- Length: 49 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Historical Fiction
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Summary
A wonderful, epic story that tells the history of the greatest city in the world, from Roman times to the present day. From the author of Paris, Sarum and New York.
London has perhaps the most remarkable history of any city in the world. Now its story has a unique voice. In this epic novel, Edward Rutherfurd takes the listener on a magnificent journey across 16 centuries, from the days of the Romans to the Victorian engineers of Tower Bridge and the dockland development of the modern day.
Through the lives and adventures of his colourful cast of characters, he brings all the richness of London's past unforgettably to life.
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What listeners say about London
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Performance
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- ms
- 13-03-18
Excellent
wonderful tale of London brilliant story telling great history believable characters and nice balance of happy and sad.. more by this author please and superb narrator who always makes the difference
27 people found this helpful
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- Roslyn Adams
- 19-03-18
Wonderful
I'm not going to ramble on about this book. Thoroughly enjoyable especially if you have an interest in history. Well narrated and a pleasure to listen to.
16 people found this helpful
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- Jody
- 27-04-18
The Perfect Book
I have read this book many times and have anxiously awaited its release on Audible, so when I finally saw it I here I purchased it straight away.
It’s beautiful.
It immerses you in ways you’ll never imagine.
If you’re even slightly interested in the History of London I highly recommend it.
Each of the Author’s books are wonderful and never fail to keep you interested from start to finish.
You won’t regret buying this for even one minute.
12 people found this helpful
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- Dwiver
- 04-05-18
Disappointed with narration
I think the idea of leading people through the history of London through various stories is really good. I learned a lot and it was good to relate modern features of London to history.
My only reservation was the narration. When a character was speaking or thinking the narrator used an intense whisper that became increasingly annoying. I didn’t finish the book because I couldn’t listen to it anymore.
I will try again because the story was good and I found it really interesting.
10 people found this helpful
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- Kirstine
- 17-05-18
A tour de force of historical fiction
This is an epic sweep of over 2000 years of British history brought to life by following the lives of fictional families across the generations. I enjoyed every one of the over 48 hours of recording narrated with verve and skill by Andrew Wincott whose voice will be familiar to those who listen to the Archers as he plays Adam Macy.
6 people found this helpful
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- jeremy shelton
- 29-03-18
my favourite book yet
I had been looking for an audio version of this book for ages, and when it appeared it was an instant purchase. each chapter is like a book in itself. you get attached to the characters in each one. it only gets slightly less enjoyable when it comes to the conversations about taxes and politics but these are necessary for an understanding of the social and political climate of the age in question. the narrator is excellent and I can't find any fault in the performance. I'd recommend this book as a must buy for anyone interested in historical fiction. And especially if you live in or near London. It'll make you look at your surroundings in a whole new light. five stars all the way!
19 people found this helpful
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- Victoria
- 11-10-19
A great, long listen
Just finished listening to London for the first time, but I know it will be a repeat feature in my audible library. Other reviews have criticised the audible narration and character development of this work, and this almost put me off. The narrator has a lovely, calm voice perfect for a historical epic which did not fail to hold my attention. While the length of time allocated to each character’s story is understandably less than say a single novel dedicated to one time this did not detract from my enjoyment. It felt almost like a long sequence of interconnected short stories and a history documentary combined into one which is perfect if you’re looking to learn a bit more about London’s history and looking for some easy listening. Strongly recommend this book.
5 people found this helpful
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- adam200982
- 23-07-18
An epic tale of the nation's capital
Edward Rutherford delivers a epic tale of the birth of london. Following the lives of 5 families Rutherford combines historical facts with master story telling to deliver a brilliant piece of work that will grip you from start to finish
3 people found this helpful
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- Jude Flaherty
- 23-06-18
History of London from its beginnings in 48 hours.
This book starts slowly, but quickly grabs you and although you are told that the family trees it describes are fictitious, you want to know what happens next. Although the stories are engaging, it is the plethora of dates, events and the consequences of history on the lives of people like you and me which makes this book exceptional.
3 people found this helpful
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- Paul MacIntyre
- 26-05-20
Cliche and ignorant
A tedious book with every cliche one would assume from historical fiction. Predictable and painfully old-fashioned. The book is also full of misogyny... Rutherford only know how to write about a woman through the lusty eyes of his male characters.
2 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 30-03-21
Another excellent way to spend a week!
If you like Follett you’ll like Rutherford. I love these long historical novels. Knowing that there are dishes of hours left in the story fills me with joy. Looking forward to his next book!