A Beginner's Guide to Audiobooks - Brainfood Audiobooks UK

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Wolf Hall written by Hilary Mantel performed by Dan Stevens on CD (Abridged)£14.99

Winner of the Man Booker Prize 2009 and read by Dan Stevens, star of TV’s Downton Abbey. Lock Cromwell in a deep dungeon in the morning,' says Thomas More, 'and when you come back that night he'll be sitting on a plush cushion eating larks' tongues, and all the gaolers will owe him money.'

A Certain Justice written by P.D. James performed by Michael Jayston on CD (Unabridged)£29.99

Venetia Aldridge QC is a distinguished barrister. When she agrees to defend Garry Ashe, accused of the brutal murder of his aunt, it is one more opportunity to triumph in her career as a criminal lawyer.

A Delicate Truth written by John le Carre performed by John le Carre on CD (Unabridged)£14.99 - £29.99

A counter-terror operation, codenamed Wildlife, is being mounted in Britain's most precious colony, Gibraltar. Its purpose: to capture and abduct a high-value jihadist arms-buyer.

Rare

A Room With a View written by E.M Forster performed by Juliet Stevenson on Audio CD (Lightly Abridged)£29.99 - £49.99

Lucy Honeychurch, accompanied by her vigilant cousin Charlotte Bartlett, makes her first foray into the world, touring Italy. Thrown into new and exhilarating situations, Lucy experiences a very different life to her usual existence in the countryside of southern England. As her horizons widen and many of her...

Rare

Bring Up The Bodies written by Hilary Mantel performed by Ben Miles on CD (Unabridged)£69.99

WINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2012 The acclaimed sequel to the Man Booker-winning Wolf Hall. By 1535 Thomas Cromwell, the blacksmith's son, is far from his humble origins. Chief Minister to Henry VIII, his fortunes have risen with those of Anne Boleyn, Henry's second wife, for whose sake Henry has...

The Capture of Cerberus and The Incident of The Dog's Ball written by Agatha Christie performed by David Suchet on Audio CD (Abridged)£9.99

Two recently-rediscovered Hercule Poirot short stories by Agatha Christie, read by David Suchet. In 2004, a remarkable archive was unearthed at Agatha Christie’s family home, Greenway - 73 of her private notebooks, filled with pencilled jottings and ideas. Hidden within this literary treasure trove were two...

Rare

The Complete Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - The Trilogy of Five written by Douglas Adams performed by Stephen Fry and Martin Freeman on CD (Unabridged)£39.99 - £69.99

The Complete Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy features all five complete and unabridged audiobooks of this much-loved 'trilogy' in a CD pack. On 12 October 1979 the most remarkable book ever to come out of the great publishing corporations of Ursa Minor (and Earth) was made available to humanity. This was ...

Very Rare!

The House at Pooh Corner written by A.A. Milne performed by Lionel Jeffries on Cassette (Abridged)£59.99

Lionel Jefferies performs seven stories from A.A. Milne's second book about those well-loved characters Pooh Bear, Christopher Robin, Piglet and all the creatures of the Hunderd Acre Wood.

Rare

The Hunt for Red October written by Tom Clancy performed by J. Charles on Audio CD (Unabridged)£39.99

The #1 New York Times bestseller that launched the phenomenal career of Tom Clancy—a gripping military thriller that introduced the world to his unforgettable hero, Jack Ryan. Somewhere under the freezing Atlantic, a Soviet sub commander has just made a fateful decision. The Red October is...

Very Rare!

The Mirror and the Light written by Hilary Mantel performed by Ben Miles on CD (Unabridged)£49.99

Listen to the long-awaited sequel to Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, the stunning conclusion to Hilary Mantel's Man Booker Prize-winning Thomas Cromwell trilogy. Read by Ben Miles, who played Thomas Cromwell in the Royal Shakespeare Company adaptation of Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies and...

Rare

The Shardlake Collection written by C.J. Sansom performed by Anton Lesser on CD (Abridged)£79.99

Follow lawyer Matthew Shardlake as he battles through mystery, murder and court intrigue in Tudor England. The C. J. Sansom Five Audiobook CD Boxset contains the first five titles in the Shardlake series: Dissolution, Dark Fire, Sovereign, Revelation and Heartstone.

Rare

Wycliffe and the House of Fear written by W.J. Burley performed by Peter Kenny on Audio CD (Unabridged)£29.99

The Kemps were a Cornish Catholic family who had held on to Kellycoryk, their family home, for almost five hundred years. But it was beginning to look as though the present century would be their last. Roger, head of the shrinking clan, was desparate to save the house and land. His second marriage, to the...

A Beginner's Guide to Audiobooks

A Very Brief Overview of the History of Audiobooks

To begin at the beginning.........

For thousands of years audiobooks or audio-books or audio books, were, for most people, the only kind of book there was. This was known as the oral tradition. Stories would be passed from generation to generation and changed over time as they were handed down. Then came writing and ultimately books. This meant that stories could be repeated over time in a pretty similar fashion. With the development of the printing press people such as you and I would be able to own the books that other wise we would have had to see in libraries. As technology developed audio recordings became possible. A great example of these early recordings is to be found here - BBUCIDACD08880 and here - BBUCIDACD08795

We even have a very rare, very early recording from 1890 of a great Shakespearean actor here - BBUCIDACD13870

As things went on we see that cylinders turned to records and records turned to tapes, also known as compact cassettes. Tapes were then superseded by Audio CDs and more recently MP3 CDs.

Audio CD, MP3 CD or Cassette

For many of us there is no choice. Access to the respective players can restrict our choices. It is important to say that just because Audio CDs came after Cassettes they are by no means perfect. So, depending on what you wish to listen to, a cassette player may be a necessary purchase.

Audio CDs

Audio CDs have the advantage of portability, compatibility with widely available players and high quality of sound.

The disadvantages of Audio CDs include the physical sensitivity to damage. Skipping can be a problem caused both by the disks and by the optical sensor used in the players to read the disks.

We currently offer a total of over 5000 audiobooks on Audio CD.

MP3 CDs

MP3 CDs started appearing from manufacturers in the middle of 2000s. The advantage of these disks is their ability to hold large amounts of audio data. This means that where one normal Audio CD can hold a maximum of 79 mins these MP3 CDs can hold up to 900 mins per disk.

The downside of this technology is that it requires a special player, or specially enabled normal CD player, to access the audio. Of course you can also play these MP3 CDs on a PC or Laptop CD/DVD drive. In fact with recent developments in Audio CD players the majority of recently manufactured players will be MP3 CD enabled. If you are in any doubt please check with the seller of the player or contact us and we will help as much as we can. We currently hold over 1000 on MP3 CD.

Cassettes

Cassettes have the advantage of Longevity, Resistance to Damage and Sufficiently high quality sound.

The disadvantages of Cassettes include deterioration over time, where over 20-30 years, sound issues can develop as the tape loses it's ability to retain magnetic information. Also tape players can damage perfectly good tapes due to mechanism wear and a lack of maintenance.

We currently offer a total of over 1700 audiobooks on Cassette.

Abridged or Unabridged

The Whole Story or The Highlights

Once you have selected your technology the next key choice is how much time do you have to listen to your book?

When every single word of the book is needed. When time is not an issue and completeness is essential then Unabridged is the only way to go.

We currently offer a over 4000 Unabridged audiobooks on Audio CD and 900 on MP3 CD and Over 1100 Unabridged audiobooks on Cassette.

When time is of the essence. When, due to other commitments or so much to get through, it is more than enough to get the book in smaller chunks then Abridged is the way to go.

We currently offer a over 1000 Abridged audiobooks on Audio CD and 10 MP3 CD and Over 500 Abridged audiobooks on Cassette.


Unabridged CDs	Abridged CDs	Unabridged MP3 CDs	Abridged MP3 CDs	Unabridged Cassettes	Abridged Cassettes

This takes us up to the present day with one, rather large, omission.

We at Brainfood Audiobooks sometimes refer to the elephant in the room as Audible, a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon, (and all it's audiobook download partners). We do hope that, as the Kindle and various other electronic books have diminished in popularity after the initial hype, Audible and the many other download providers, will reduce their vice-like control of the new audiobook marketplace and give their customers something a little more tangible for their money. Until that day we will continue to laud the wonderful virtues of real (physical) audiobooks.

So Where Do We Start?

You'll be happy to hear that you've already started! Your quest now is to select from the many 1000s of titles which one, or few, should be nearing the top of your list.

We at Brainfood Audiobooks have taken a lot of time thinking about what makes an audiobook great. In the end it is considerably more difficult than choosing a paper-based book. The relationship between the book (text) and the Performer (what we like to call the Narrator or Reader) takes us back to an experience much like that of our ancestors many thousands of years ago. Each different Performer would tell the story differently and that is so true even today. One performer can, through their use of tone and pacing, fill the whole room with different characters. Then, depending on the structure of the narrative, whether the story runs from beginning to end or keeps hoping about in time, the best Performers help the listener to make sense of what they are hearing.

After listening to audiobooks for over 30 years where do we suggest you dip your toes?

Using our experience, and many suggestions from our wonderful Customers, we compiled a list of books that have consistently appealed to a wide range of our listeners. You will find these books, with The Stamp of Genius, below.

You can rest assured that these are some of the greatest audiobooks to have ever been produced.

A book from this list is, as near as possible, guaranteed to be great!

Stamp of Genius Collection

Stamp of
Genius

Perfume - The Story of a Murderer written by Patrick Suskind performed by Sean Barrett on Cassette (Unabridged)£19.99 - £59.99

If you are interested in an atmospheric thriller of an extraordinary order - this is probably the Best Audiobook you will ever hear. A great book is transformed, by Sean Barrett, into a production of Genius! If you haven't heard it yet then you have an amazing journey before you......

Very Rare!

Vintage Stuff written by Tom Sharpe performed by Stephen Fry on Cassette (Unabridged)£89.99 - £129.99

Peregrine Roderick Clyde-Brown is a bumbling, naive and savagely dim-witted teenager, who, as his name reveals, cannot possibly be exposed to the evils of a comprehensive school. However, with his penchant for taking even the most innocent command literally, no reputable school will accept the boy...

Rare

Bleak House written by Charles Dickens performed by Sean Barrett and Teresa Gallagher on CD (Unabridged)£89.99 - £129.99

This wonderful book is read by 2 of the very best audiobook readers bar none! Sean Barrett's Chapter 1 is pure genius! Writing of this quality combined with the reading of Mr Barrett and Teresa Gallagher is an absolute must! This one is a life-long keeper!! Naxos

Stamp of
Genius

Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings written by J.R.R. Tolkien performed by BBC Full Cast Dramatisation, Ian Holm, Michael Hordern and Robert Stephens on CD (Abridged)£54.99

A Genius Performance by Ian Holm, Robert Stephens, John Le Mesurier and Peter Woodthorpe! A true breakthrough for Tolkien and the BBC! Brian Sibley's dramatisation of the fantasy epic in 1981 is an essential listen for any audiobook listener.

Stamp of
Genius

Gut - The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Underrated Organ written by Giulia Enders performed by Kate Sobey on MP3 CD (Unabridged)£19.99

Our gut is as important as our brain or heart, yet we know very little about how it works and many of us are too embarrassed to ask questions. In Gut, Giulia Enders breaks this taboo, revealing the latest science on how much our digestive system has to offer.

Stamp of
Genius

Richard III written by William Shakespeare performed by Robert Stephens, Dame Peggy Ashcroft , Jeremy Brett and Ian Holm on Cassette (Unabridged)£99.99 - £129.99

A Genius Performance by Ian Holm, Robert Stephens, Dame Peggy Ashcroft, Jeremy Brett, Michael York, Cyril Cusak and Nigel Davenport! This production of Shakespeare's classic tragedy is the best we have heard! In very short supply and only just in front of the Naxos - Kenneth Branagh production

Stamp of
Genius

Alice Through the Looking Glass written by Lewis Carroll performed by William Rushton on Cassette (Abridged)£39.99

This is a perfect example of why Brainfood Audiobooks exists! William (Willie) Rushton brings all of his comedic talent to bear on this wonderful tale. This audio set comes with a complimentary Audio CD version of this book.

Unique

The Secret History written by Donna Tartt performed by Adam Sims on Cassette (Unabridged)£48.99

A misfit at an exclusive New England college, Richard finds kindred spirits in the five eccentric students of his ancient Greek class. But his new friends have a horrific secret. When blackmail and violence threaten to blow their privileged lives apart, they drag Richard into the nightmare that engulfs them.

Stamp of
Genius

A Christmas Carol written by Charles Dickens performed by Leonard Rossiter on Cassette (Abridged)£59.99

Whether you listen to this on a dark winter's night of a sunny summer morning Leonard Rossiter's performance will take you on a journey. This is a perfect combination of text and performer. Leonard Rossiter makes this text his own and with such a quality of delivery that, if you close your eyes, you are there!

Very Rare!

The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - The Complete Trilogy in 5 Vols written by Douglas Adams performed by Douglas Adams on Cassette (Unabridged)£79.99 - £99.99

Includes The Hitch-hiker's Guide, The Resaurant at the End of the Universe, Life, The Universe and Everything, So Long and Thanks for All the Fish and Mostly Harmless! All read by the Master Himself!

Stamp of
Genius

Alice in Wonderland written by Lewis Carroll performed by William Rushton on Cassette (Abridged)£29.99

Stamp of
Genius

The Prince's Choice written by William Shakespeare performed by Prince Charles, Robert Stephens, Juliet Stevenson and Various Famous Actors on CD (Abridged)£9.99 - £24.99

This is a selection of readings from Shakespeare. Selected by HRH Prince of Wales, the cast includes Robert Stephens, Richard Briers, John Gielgud, Juliet Stevenson, Glenda Jackson, William Hurt and John Sessions. Brilliant performances by these wonderful actors!

Stamp of
Genius

Asterix in Britain written by Goscinny performed by William Rushton on Cassette (Abridged)£29.99 - £49.99

** We currently have 2 of these in stock. They BOTH come with a FREE copy of this wonderful recording on Audio CD. The Acceptable copy has been graded due to a 30 sec dropout after 15 mins of side 1. Rest assured that in the Audio CD copy, that comes FREE with this title, the audio plays perfectly **

Stamp of
Genius

The Waste Land and Four Quartets written by T.S. Eliot performed by Paul Scofield on Cassette (Unabridged)£49.99

These are masterly readings, by renowned thespian Paul Scofield, of two substantial works of poetry by T.S. Eliot. They form the core of Eliot's later work and, with Scofield's wonderful interpretation have been a regular visitor to the Brainfood Audiobooks cassette player over the last 20 years!

Rare

William Stories written by Richmal Crompton performed by Kenneth Williams on Cassette (Abridged)£29.99

Richmal Compton's Williams Stories read by Kenneth Williams on two cassettes. Side 1 The Show, Side 2 William the Invisible, Side 3 A Witch in Time, Side 4 William's Day Off. Sometimes people are made to perform certain works - this combination is exceptional!

Stamp of
Genius

An Evening with Brian Blessed - The Impossible Dream written by Brian Blessed performed by Brian Blessed on Cassette (Abridged)£19.99

One of Our Stamp of Genius audibooks! For years actor and author Brian Blessed had an impossible dream - to follow in the footsteps of his childhood hero, George Leigh Mallory, who disappeared near the summit of Mount Everest in 1924. Finally in 1990, aged 53, Brian Blessed...

Stamp of
Genius

Fairy Tales written by Terry Jones performed by Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren, Michael Hordern and Joan Greenwood on CD (Unabridged)£9.99 - £19.99

Terry Jones, Joan Greenwood, Michael Hordern, Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren and Tim Rice read of a collection of original fairy tales for 8 to 11-year-olds, written by master storyteller Terry Jones, introducing such bizarre creatures as the fly-by-night, the rainbow cat, and the wonderful cake-horse.

Stamp of
Genius

Girlfriend in a Coma written by Douglas Coupland performed by Robert Sean Leonard on Cassette (Abridged)£29.99

Girls, memory, parenting, millennial fear - all served Coupland-style. Karen, an attractive, popular student, goes into a coma one night in 1979. Whilst in it, she gives birth to a healthy baby daughter; once out of it, a mere eighteen years later, she finds herself .....

Stamp of
Genius

Love is Where it Falls written by Simon Callow performed by Simon Callow on Cassette (Abridged)£19.99 - £29.99

An account of the relationship between Simon Callow and the play agent, Peggy Ramsay. Despite an age difference of over 40 years, Peggy and Callow enjoyed an 11-year relationship conducted in meetings and passionately unbridled letters until Peggy's

Stamp of
Genius

Mind Over Medicine - Scientific Proof You Can Heal Yourself written by Dr Lissa Rankin performed by Dr Lissa Rankin on CD (Unabridged)£24.99

In clinical trials, it's called the placebo effect. But patients treated with placebos don't just feel better. It's not just 'in their heads'. They can heal their bodies by healing their thoughts. For years, pioneers in the medical community have been extolling the virtues of the mind's power to heal the body.

Stamp of
Genius

The Noonday Demon - An Atlas of Depression written by Andrew Solomon performed by Andrew Solomon on CD (Abridged)£34.99

The award-winning author of A Stone Boat offers a deeply personal look at depression in which he draws on his own battle with the illness and interviews with fellow sufferers, researchers, doctors, and others to assess the vast complexities of the disease, its causes and symptoms, available therapies ..

Rare

Titus Groan and Gormenghast written by Mervyn Peake performed by BBC Radio Dramatisation and Sting on Cassette (Abridged)£19.99

The first title of the GORMENGHAST trilogy of fantasy novels. Titus groan is born the heir to Gormenghast castle, and finds himself in a world predetermined by complex rituals that have been made obscure by the passage of time. Along the corridors of the castle, the child encounters some of the dark characters who will shape his life.

Stamp of
Genius

Why Does He Do That? - Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men written by Lundy Bancroft performed by Peter Berkrot on MP3 CD (Unabridged)£29.99

He says he loves you. So...why does he do that? You've asked yourself this question again and again. Now you have the chance to see inside the minds of angry and controlling men-and to change your life. In this groundbreaking book, a counselor who specializes in working with abusive men shows you...

Very Rare!

Why The Whales Came written by Michael Morpurgo performed by Virginia McKenna on Cassette (Unabridged)£39.99

An exciting historical adventure from War Horse author and former Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo. Gracie and her friend Daniel have always been warned to stay away from the Birdman and his side of the island. But then they find a message in the sand and discover the Birdman is not who they...

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Last One!
Very Rare!

Anne of the Island written by L.M. Montgomery performed by Tara Ward on MP3 CD (Unabridged)£29.99

New adventures lie ahead as Anne Shirley packs her bags, waves good-bye to childhood, and heads for Redmond College. With old friend Prissy Grant waiting in the bustling city of Kingsport and frivolous new pal Philippa Gordon at her side, Anne tucks her memories of rural Avonlea away and discovers life on her own terms, filled with surprises...including a marriage proposal from the worst fellow imaginable, the sale...

Last One!
Very Rare!

The Vegetarian written by Han Kang performed by Janet Song on MP3 CD (Unabridged)£39.99

An irresistibly weird and sensuous story of betrayals, transformations and social taboos. Yeong-hye and her husband are ordinary people. He is an office worker with moderate ambitions and mild manners; she is an uninspired but dutiful wife. The acceptable flatline of their marriage is interrupted when Yeong-hye, seeking a more 'plantlike' existence, decides to become a vegetarian, prompted by grotesque...

Birmingham Blitz written by Annie Murray performed by Frances Barber on Audio CD (Abridged)£9.99

The third novel in Annie Murray's "Birmingham" series. While Genie's father is away fighting in World War II, her mother has a ruinous affair which leaves her pregnant; Genie's little brother leaves, never to return; while Genie herself meets a man who then disappears to war.

Dead Simple written by Peter James performed by William Gaminara on Audio CD (Abridged)£12.99

It was meant to be a harmless stag night prank. A few hours later four of his best friends are dead and Michael Harrison has disappeared. With only three days to the wedding, Detective Superintendent Grace - a man haunted by the shadow of his own missing wife - is contacted by Michael's beautiful, distraught fiancée, Ashley Harper. Grace discovers that the one man who ought to know Michael Harrison's whereabouts...

Start Where You Are - A Guide to Compassionate Living written by Pema Chodron performed by Joanna Rotte on Audio CD (Unabridged)£29.99

Start Where You Are is an indispensable audiobook for cultivating fearlessness and awakening a compassionate heart. With insight and humor, Pema Chödrön offers guidance on how we can accept our flaws and embrace ourselves wholeheartedly as a prerequisite for developing compassion. Chödrön frames her teachings around fifty-nine traditional Tibetan Buddhist slogans (called lojong in Tibetan), such as...

Piano Not Included!

Teach Yourself - Get Started in Playing Piano written by Gillian Shepheard performed by Gillian Shepheard on Audio CD (Abridged)£14.99

This book uses a simple hands-on approach, which is very accessible and ideal for beginners. It focuses on actually learning the instrument rather than just the dry theory. Throughout the book and accompanying CD there are practical exercises which are accompanied by advice and diagrams which make this book clear and easy to follow. Taking you right from choosing your piano through to playing beautifully, this...

Last One!
Rare!

The Perfect Wife written by JP Delaney performed by Saskia Maarleveld, Graham Halstead, Euan Morton and JP Delaney on Audio CD (Unabridged)£39.99

The enthralling new psychological thriller from the best-selling author of The Girl Before.

When Abbie Cullen met Tim Scott, she was a struggling artist and he was the brilliant British cofounder of one of Silicon Valley's most successful start-ups.

Within six months, they were married. But when she promised him in her wedding vows that she would love him forever, she had no idea just how literally he would take it....

Last One!
Very Rare!

Admiral Collingwood - Nelson's Own Hero written by Max Adams performed by Dugald Bruce Lockhart on Audio CD (Unabridged)£69.99

Admiral Lord Collingwood, the eldest son of a Newcastle merchant, went to sea in 1761 at the age of thirteen. In his nearly fifty years in the Navy he rose to become a fine seaman, a master of gunnery, a battle commander the equal of his friend – and rival in love – Nelson. He was also an accomplished writer and wit, a doting father, inveterate gossip and consummate diplomat and strategist. Collingwood's service...

Very Rare!

Breakdown - Shell Shock on the Somme written by Taylor Downing performed by Gordon Griffin on Audio CD (Unabridged)£59.99 - £69.99

Paralysis. Stuttering. The shakes. Inability to stand or walk. Temporary blindness or deafness. When strange symptoms like these began appearing in men at casualty clearing sin 1915, a debate began in army and medical circles as to what it was, what had caused it and what could be done to cure it. But the numbers were never large. Then, in July 1916, with the start of the Somme battle, the incidence of shell shock...

First Frost written by James Henry performed by David Jason on Audio CD (Abridged)£9.99

Denton, 1981. Britain is in recession, the IRA is becoming increasingly active and the country's on alert for an outbreak of rabies. Detective Sergeant Jack Frost is working under his mentor and inspiration DI Bert Williams, and coping badly with his increasingly strained marriage. Probably not helped by the fact that he never goes home... Superintendent Stanley Mullett has been at Denton for only six months, and...

Rare

Proof written by Dick Francis performed by Nigel Havers and BBC Radio 4 Full Cast Drama Team on Audio CD (Full)£29.99

A BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of Dick Francis' pacey thriller starring Nigel Havers. At the annual party celebrating the success of the racing season, everything is running well to form until a runaway horsebox ploughs into the marquee, causing terrible death and destruction. A witness to the tragedy, wine merchant Tony Beach presumes it is just one of those awful accidents. But as he gets involved in the...