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Precipice

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Precipice

By: Robert Harris
Narrated by: Samuel West
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING AUTHOR

Summer 1914. A world on the brink of catastrophe.

In London, 26-year-old Venetia Stanley – aristocratic, clever, bored, reckless – is having a love affair with the Prime Minister, H. H. Asquith, a man more than twice her age. He writes to her obsessively, sharing the most sensitive matters of state.

As Asquith reluctantly leads the country into war with Germany, a young intelligence officer is assigned to investigate a leak of top secret documents – and suddenly what was a sexual intrigue becomes a matter of national security that will alter the course of political history.

Seamlessly weaving fact and fiction in a way that no writer does better, Precipice is the thrilling new novel from Robert Harris.

‘A riveting tale of politics, war and erotic obsession’ Sunday Times

'Harris writes with a skill and ingenuity that few other novelists can match' Financial Times

©2024 Robert Harris (P)2024 Penguin Audio

 20th Century Espionage Historical Historical Fiction Spies & Politics Suspense Thriller & Suspense World War I Exciting War

Critic reviews

I’m not fond of the word masterpiece, but this is a masterpiece (Nigella Lawson)
Gripping drama (Jake Kerridge)
Brilliantly blurring fact and fiction, Sunday Times bestselling author Robert Harris is back in full force
Fans of this hugely popular author should lap up this tale that mixes fact with fiction, as is his trademark
'A beautifully crafted novel . . . a dexterous blend of the political and the personal . . . Precipice is Robert Harris's 16th novel, and there hasn’t been a dud among them' (Allan Massie)
Precipice hones in on those vital summer days when Britain hovered on the brink of war, before plunging into the abyss that arguably destroyed European civilisation
Robert Harris is one of those authors you know you can rely on. His 16th novel, Precipice, is no exception
Robert Harris is a sort of genius . . . I am knocked out by the assurance of his portrait of a time, a relationship, and the perils to which Britain’s leader exposed himself amidst a supreme historic catastrophe. The book is yet another triumph for the author (Max Hastings)
Few have mastered the alchemy of the popular historical novel quite like Harris
Rollicking . . . Harris’s best book since Conclave
All stars
Most relevant
As expected, Harris crafts a captivating tale, weaving fictional characters around real ones and world events. The wording of Asquith’s letters beggar belief - more what you’d expect of an angst-risen teenager than a 60+ year old Prime Minister. Harris, however, is a reliable writer and assures the reader that they are verbatim.
The interweaving of global issues, together with the clashes and betrayals of personalities involved makes for excellent listening. I finished this in a couple of days - highly recommended 👍

Astonishing part of history I wasn’t aware of…

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I learnt more about the circumstance surrounding WWI than any A level history lesson I sat through. The recklessness of HH Asquith is absolutely phenomenal. He puts a teenage-like infatuation way in front of any obligation to the country as its Prime Minister.
In fact, the whole class divide is no more apparent than the casual way in which official documents are just thrown out of the window or sent through the post with no security - that assumption that anyone who isn’t of their social standing has anything of consequence to offer/say.
I found the excruciating one-way obsession to be fascinating to read. Venetia must have felt swamped and suffocated by the bombardment of letters and attention, yet at a loss on how to extricate herself.
The casual way that the establishment recruited and sent to the slaughter so many men,young and old. Only worrying about casualties when their own officer-class relatives were involved.
The novel trips along at Robert Harris’ usual pace. Impeccably researched and put together for our total entertainment
Highly recommended

Historical faction at its best

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Audible at it's very best. Superbly Written and Perfectly Narrated.
Together this author and narrator take the listener into the most fascinating tale of love and romance through the letters of British PM (Asquith) and his aristocratic lover (Venitia Stanley). Set in the years between 1914-1916 against the backdrop of WW 1 the story is so well constructed and performed that I lost myself among the characters and events and in the feeling of the times. It was so absorbing that I didn't want it to end. I really couldn't praise this work highly enough and recommend it without reservation.

Beyond Brilliant!

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An amazing book, beautifully narrated. I often just had to sit down and stop doing anything else. It was riveting all the way though. Highly recommended.

One of the best audio books I have heard

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I have recently started reading or listening to Robert Harris' novels and am quickly becoming a fan. He has the knack of weaving a historical event into a gripping tale. This book was no exception. Although he acknowledges that some of it is pure speculation, there is much that is factual, of which I was totally unaware.

Samuel West reads this beautifully, modulating his voice to suit each character, but in a way that is seamless and natural. I think there was only one word in the entire book that I noticed as a mispronunciation, not something I can say about most readers.

I ended up doing extra gardening and household chores, just to find out what happened in the end. Bravo!

Fascinating tale, beautifully read

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