Showing titles in Classics

The greatest classic of angling literature and a unique celebration of the English countryside, Izaak Walton's The Compleat Angler was originally published in 1653. No book, apart from the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer, has been more often reprinted. As a treatise on the art of fishing it has never wholly been superseded.

The Diary of Samuel Pepys is one of the most entertaining documents in English history. Written between 1660 and 1669, as Pepys was establishing himself as a key administrator in the naval office, it is an intimate portrait of life in 17th-century England covering his professional and personal activities, including, famously, his love of music, theatre, food, wine and his peccadilloes.

The Second World War has finally ended and so begins a new era of freedom and opportunity for the Cazalet family in Casting Off, the fourth novel in Elizabeth Jane Howard's magnificent Cazalet Chronicles. Read by Indira Varma (Game of Thrones, Luther and Oedipus at The Old Vic). Includes a new...

In true Dickensian fashion, The Old Curiosity Shop offers a humorous yet devastating depiction of both the most honourable and most corrupt members of 19th-century English society. Hailed by Queen Victoria as being ‘interesting and cleverly written', The Old Curiosity Shop introduces listeners to the uniquely colourful characters of Nell Trent, her young friend, Kit, her doting grandfather and the evil moneylender to whom they all fall prey, Daniel Quilp.

The rivalry between two of the dominant city states of Ancient Greece, Athens and Sparta, erupted into a war lasting nearly 30 years and was to have a dramatic effect on the balance of power in the area. Between 431 and 404 BCE, the two cities battled it out on land and sea, aided by their...

Murasaki Shikibu, born into the middle ranks of the aristocracy during the Heian period (794-1185 CE), wrote The Tale of Genji, widely considered the world's first novel, during the early years of the 11th century. Expansive, compelling, and sophisticated in its representation of ethical concerns and aesthetic ideals, Murasaki's tale came to occupy a central place in Japan's remarkable history of artistic achievement and is now recognized as a masterpiece of world literature.

Jim and Della are a poor couple, struggling to make ends meet. When the holidays roll around, Jim decides to sell his most prized possession to give his beloved the gift of her dreams. Della does the same for Jim, much to the surprise of the other. O. Henry's classic tale of sacrifice and true love rings in this wonderful season of hope and happiness in an unforgettable way.

Swashbuckling classic adventure, with an updated twist placing Milady in the role of narrator. Young D'Artagnan arrives in Paris to join the King's elite guards but almost immediately finds he is duelling with some of the very men he has come to swear allegiance to - Porthos, Athos and Aramis, inseparable friends: the Three Musketeers. Soon part of their close band, D'Artagnan's loyalty to his new allies puts him in the deadly path of Cardinal Richlieu's machinations.

From the sumptuous private drawing rooms of 18th-century Paris to the decadent estates and chateaus of the French countryside, La Marquise de Merteuil and Le Vicomte de Valmont hatch a long-distance plan of vengeance and seduction. Valmont is determined to conquer the famously pious Madame de Tourvel, whose husband is abroad on business. However, Merteuil has other plans.

The H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society is delighted to present this all-new audiobook recording featuring all of Poe's tales and poems (and even his novel and play). Following on the success of our critically-acclaimed audiobook of The Complete Works of H.P. Lovecraft, here narrators Andrew Leman and Sean Branney perform this diverse assortment of amazing tales and poems.

Reissue of the classic tale of adventure and the dark secrets of a lost city in the Brazilian jungle, from the acclaimed master of action and suspense. THE LOST CITY Hamilton knows the way to the ruins deep in the Brazilian jungle – and the secret they hold. The millionaire who calls himself...

Brought to you by Penguin. ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS BOOKS AND WINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE FOR LITERATURE 'Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice' Gabriel García Márquez's...

The People of the Abyss (1903) is a book by Jack London about life in the East End of London in 1902. He wrote this first-hand account after living in the East End (including the Whitechapel District) for several weeks, sometimes staying in workhouses or sleeping on the streets. In his attempt to understand the working-class of this deprived area of London the author stayed as a lodger with a poor family. The conditions he experienced and wrote about were the same as those endured by an estimated 500,000 of the contemporary London poor.

Clive Merrison stars as the enduringly popular sleuth with Michael Williams as Watson in this collection of stories from the unique, fully dramatised BBC Radio 4 canon. In these eight intriguing tales, Holmes and Watson solve cases that range from the suspicious to the downright strange. They...

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Christmas Pudding by Nancy Mitford, read by Kristin Atherton. The formidable fox-hunting obsessed Lady Bobbin has put together a Christmas house party at Compton Bobbin, including her rebellious daughter Philadelphia, the girl's pompous suitor, a couple...

Maisie is an innocent six year-old, torn between her divorced parents, pathetically isolated yet tragically involved.

Brought to you by Penguin. This Penguin Classic is performed by Indira Varma, who has starred in Luther and Game of Thrones. This definitive recording includes an introduction by Vivien Jones. When Elizabeth Bennet first meets eligible bachelor Fitzwilliam Darcy, she thinks him arrogant and...

Erstmals 1945 erschienen, zählt Farm der Tiere zu George Orwells bekanntesten und einflussreichsten Werken – eine politische Satire, deren Schärfe bis heute nachwirkt. Die Tiere auf der Farm von Mr. Jones haben genug. Sie werden ausgebeutet, schlecht behandelt und um die Früchte ihrer Arbeit gebracht. Also erheben sie sich, vertreiben ihren Besitzer und wollen eine neue Ordnung schaffen – gegründet auf Freiheit, Gerechtigkeit und Gleichheit.

Deeply distressed at thought of his singularly money-minded family circling around his inevitable death bed, when Old Martin Chuzzlewit comes across a young and kindly orphan girl, he immediately decides to take her into his employment. Offering her a comfortable living in exchange for her care and protection, Martin rests easy in the knowledge that her comfort will last only as long as he does; upon his death, Mary the orphan will find herself on the cold and dirty streets from whence she came.

Young orphan and heir David Balfour is victimized by his miserly Uncle Ebenezer, who has him kidnapped and sold into slavery on a ship bound for the Carolinas. But a shipwreck frees David, who then meets David Break, a Scotsman returning from political exile. Together, they witness a murder, and when suspicion falls on them, they undertake a dangerous journey across the Scottish Highlands.