Showing results by publisher "CSA Word" in Literature & Fiction

On 18th February 1895, the Marquess of Queensberry left a visiting card at the Albemarle Club on which he had written: "To Oscar Wilde posing as a sodomite." The accusation led to a series of three trials and the imprisonment of Wilde. This compelling dramatic recreation has been carefully compiled from the original trial transcripts.

Lawrence of Arabia's seminal work charts his time with British Military Intelligence in the Levantine territories, during the wars with the Turks. The manuscript is candid and action-packed (and was entirely re-written after Lawrence lost the original manuscript whilst changing trains).

Here is the first novel of the famous Balkan Trilogy, previously successfully adapted for BBC television, starring Emma Thompson and Kenneth Brannagh. The book is perfectly suited to audio. Charting the experiences of a young couple caught up in the politics of war when living abroad, it is a compelling story of love, loss and reconciliation.

An epic literary adventure considered a classic around the world. The story centers around Edmond Dantes, a young sailor who finds himself arrested, accused of treason, and relegated to the bowls of the island fortress of Chateau d'If, all on his wedding day. The ensuing drama of his escape, revenge, and quest for the treasure of Monte Cristo is one reread by thousands every year.

An intimate, evocative, often funny, and always vital portrait of India at the peak of the British Raj. Written at the age of 22, they immediately show Kipling's natural and prodigious talent. Timeless, they can be listened to forever.

Lady Chatterley's Lover was the subject of one of the most infamous trials of the 20th century when Penguin was prosecuted under the Obscene Publications Act. However, with expert witnesses for the defence, including E.M. Forster, Penguin was acquitted and permitted to publish in 1960. The book became a best seller largely on account of explicit scenes of a sexual nature and use of four letter words.

Adela Quested travels to India with her chaperone Mrs Moore, on the premise of deciding whether to marry Mrs Moore's son Ronny Heaslop, the city magistrate. Finding her India very disappointingly English, Adela jumps at the chance the two women are given to travel to the distant Marabar caves with Aziz, a charismatic young Indian Doctor. When Adela is subjected to an attempted assault in one of the caves, Dr. Aziz is arrested and tried in court.

This wonderful collection, ideal for cat lovers and feline fanatics, brings together the best and worst of catty behaviour. Ranging from the very funny to the profound, this collection has something to please everyone - without running the risk of developing an allergy!

An original and entertaining selection of crime stories all committed on the railways. Authors include Baroness Orczy (most famous for The Scarlet Pimpernel) and Maurice Leblanc (most famous for Arsene Lupin.)

Daudet's atmospheric Letters from a Windmill, combined with Jerome K. Jerome's wonderfully idle ramblings. He was indeed the original founder of The Idler and famous for his classic novel Three Men and a Boat.

This fine collection of intelligent, unabridged short stories about intriguing, interesting and sometimes inspirational men is an audio treat for young and old, male or female. A carefully compiled anthology featuring timeless tales from classic authors including Charles Dickens, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Anton Chekhov, read by a cast of acclaimed and respected actors, including Stephen Fry, Martin Jarvis and Kerry Shale; this compilation will be enjoyed by the whole family. 

Young Julien Sorel, one of the greatest characters in European literature, tries to rise above his humble peasant origins through a combination of talent and hard work - but also seduction, deception, and hypocrisy. The story is set in 19th-century France and is filled with sex, violence, romance, and humour.

Nicholas Nickleby is at once a moving and funny novel following the fortunes and misfortunes of an impetuous and high-spirited hero. Left penniless by his father's death, and protector of his sister Kate, Nicholas Nickleby becomes a true champion of the weak. Always equal to the wild adventures thrust upon him, young Nicholas has to constantly pit himself against Ralph, his devious and unscrupulous uncle, in order to survive. Includes music extracts from Mozart's 'Clarinet Quartet in E Flat'.

Pinocchio is the best puppet story ever. Listeners will quickly be caught up in Carlo Collodi's impish creation as they are swept along at an action-packed pace. From the day when Geppetto first carves Pinocchio from a piece of wood to the final happy ending - with many exciting and dangerous adventures along the way - Pinocchio will charm and captivate. The story also has a strong moral throughout, which is as suitable for children (and adults!) today as when the original book was written.

Sheltered by the Catholic church for over 40 years, Pierre Brossard suddenly finds himself on the run when a new police investigation is opened. But someone else is after him too, and Brossard finds himself out-witting his many persuers while figuring out who they are - and whether they want him dead or alive.

Here are tales about war-time code breaking, cannibalism, and swashbuckling adventure during the times of Bonnie Prince Charlie. They vie with subtler stories, with a more intimate perspective, about the vagaries of human nature, politics, fishing, and poaching, set against the landscape of the lowland Scottish countryside where the author spent his youth.

Hugo's vibrant portrait of the characters in late 18th century Paris is a world-famous story, which has also been made into an award-winning musical. Jean Valjean, an ex-convict, tries to turn his life around for the sake of his adopted daughter, Cosette. Set in turbulent times, this reding by Michael Jayston of this classic tale is a bustling and thrilling trip for a listener through the streets and cafes of a Paris finding its feet and losing its head.

The action takes place in British India in the 1880s and 1890s against the backdrop of ‘The Great Game’, the political conflict between Russia and Britain which was played out in central Asia. In the character of Kimball O’Hara – an Irish orphan who ‘burned black as any native’ - Kipling juxtaposes East and West, embodied by a boy who can blend seamlessly into both worlds.

Here are tales of mystery, the supernatural, and the paranormal, all moulded by Robin Bailey's very smooth and rolling tones. These intriguing stories include "The Man of the Night" by Edgar Wallace, "No. 1 Branch Line: The Signalman" by Charles Dickens, "A Terribly Strange Bed" by Wilkie Collins, "Sredni Vashtar" by Saki, "The Werewolf" by Frederick Marryat, "The Mezzotint" by M.R. James, and "The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe.

No Orchids for Miss Blandish was crime author James Hadley Chase’s first novel, and an experiment in adapting American hard-boiled crime fiction by a British author. Inspired by James Cain and The Postman Always Rings Twice, it worked so well that it launched the former salesman’s writing career. He went on to write over eighty novels sold worldwide with a huge American, Asian and European following.