Barbarians

Good morning! A very quick posting with regard to the release today of Stephen P. Kershaw's book, Barbarians, which I have recorded as an audio book. I will come back to add more to this update, but as time is very tight, I'll be brief now and say, here are some details:

'And now what will become of us without barbarians?

Those people were a sort of solution.' 

(Waiting for the Barbarians - C. P. Cavafy)

History is written by the victors, and Rome had some very eloquent historians. Those the Romans regarded as barbarians left few records of their own, but they had a tremendous impact on the Roman imagination. Resisting from outside Rome's borders or rebelling from within, they emerge vividly in Rome's historical tradition, and left a significant footprint in archaeology.

Rome's history, as written by the Romans, follows a remarkable trajectory from its origins as a tiny village of refugees from a conflict zone to a dominant superpower, before being transformed into the medieval and Byzantine worlds. But throughout this history, Rome faced significant resistance and rebellion from peoples whom it regarded as barbarians.

Gibbon saw the Roman Empire as one of the highest points of human achievement destroyed by barbarian invaders: Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Goths, Vandals, Huns, Picts and Scots. To others, as Rome was ravaged, new life was infused into an expiring Italy. Gibbon's 'decline and fall' has been reappraised as transformation, through religious and cultural revolution.

Based both on ancient historical writings and modern archaeological research, this new history takes a fresh look at the Roman Empire, through the personalities and lives of key opponents of Rome's rise, dominance and fall - or transformation. These include: Brennus, the Gaul who sacked Rome; the Plebs, those barbarous insiders and internal resistors; Hannibal; Viriathus, the Iberian shepherd and skilled guerilla; Jugurtha and the struggle to free Africa; the Germanic threat from the Cimbri and the Teutones; Spartacus, the gladiator; Vercingetorix and rebellion in Gaul; Cleopatra; Boudicca, the Queen of the Iceni and the scourge of Rome; the Great Jewish Revolt; Alaric the Goth and the Sack of Rome; Attila the Hun, 'Born to Shake the Nations'; and the Vandals and the fall of Rome.

           

Written by Stephen P. Kershaw, Produced by Neil Gardner & Narrated by John Banks

                                                       

  Length: 13 hours - 31 minutes

©2019 Stephen P. Kershaw (P)2019 Audible, Ltd

...all for now; more just as soon as it happens!

And so, to the final release for this week, (although, strictly speaking, 'Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work' is not officially available until tomorrow); an extensively researched biography of Charles de Gaulle, published by Penguin. My fingers are crossed with this audio book; it's long (35 hours - 19 minutes) and unsurprisingly, includes a fair bit of French and hopefully, my French pronunciation will pass muster.

Here are some details:

A Certain Idea of France

The Life of Charles de Gaulle

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of A Certain Idea of France by Julian Jackson, read by John Banks.


In six weeks in 1940, France was overrun by German troops and surrendered. One junior French general, refusing to accept defeat, made his way to England. On 18 June he spoke to his compatriots over the BBC, urging them to rally to him in London. At that moment, Charles de Gaulle entered into history.

For the rest of the war, de Gaulle frequently bit the hand that fed him. He insisted on being treated as the true embodiment of France, and quarrelled violently with Churchill and Roosevelt. But through sheer force of personality and bloody-mindedness he managed to have France recognised as one of the victorious Allies.

For 10 years after 1958 he was President of France's Fifth Republic, which he created and which endures to this day. His pursuit of 'a certain idea of France' challenged American hegemony, took France out of NATO and twice vetoed British entry into the European Community. His controversial decolonisation of Algeria brought France to the brink of civil war and provoked several assassination attempts.

Julian Jackson's magnificent biography reveals this the life of this titanic figure as never before. No previous biography has depicted his paradoxes so vividly. Much of French politics since his death has been about his legacy, and he remains by far the greatest French leader since Napoleon.

 Produced by Neil Gardner and Narrated by John Banks

Length: 35 hours - 19 minutes

©2019 Julian Jackson (P)2019 Penguin Audio

 

...all for now; more just as soon as it happens! 

Good morning! Having just returned from a thoroughly enjoyable time with the Games Workshop gang, recording a couple of audio dramas, it seems fitting somehow to mention the latest Black Library release, which I'm very much looking forward to hearing.

NB: This is a pre-order title, available to download from 21 Sep 2019.

For reasons unknown to me, my Tweet of a few days ago, mentioning Belisarius Cawl for the first time, elicited an extraordinary response, which suggests there's a strong interest in the story/character. I can only hope, as always, that my audio book version doesn't disappoint!

Here are some details, again, with some stunning art work:

Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work

An Adeptus Mechanicus audio book

In the wake of the Great Rift, Belisarius Cawl turns his attention to the abandoned world of Sotha. Once home to the Scythes of the Emperor, it also hides a long-buried secret… and an ancient evil.

Belisarius Cawl, Archmagos Dominus of the Adeptus Mechanicus is the most brilliant mind alive. For 10,000 years he has furthered the cause of mankind, working under the aegis of the Emperor and Lord Commander Roboute Guilliman to prevent the inexorable march of the alien and the traitor. Many call him heretic, but all must recognise the magnitude of his achievements, for who else but he was entrusted to create a new generation of Space Marines? Who else but the great Belisarius Cawl could even accomplish such a task?

Now, in the wake of the Great Rift and the Indomitus Crusade, his ambitions bring him to the long-dead world of Sotha, once home to the Scythes of the Emperor, now a barren wasteland devoured by the vile Tyranids. Accompanied by Tetrarch Felix and his elite warriors, it is here that Cawl believes the lynchpin of his mysterious Great Work lies.

But uncovering it is a near impossible task, one in which the Archmagos must overcome an ancient evil that threatens to extinguish the last hope of humanity.

Written by Guy Haley, Produced by Kylia Whitehead & Narrated by John Banks

Length: 11 hous - 11 minutes

...all for now; more just as soon as it happens!

Realmslayer II

When, I wonder, does 'news' become 'old news'? Perhaps if something is still being spoken about, it still qualifies as 'news'. Hopefully, people are still talking about last weekend's long anticipated release of the multi-episode audio drama 'Realmslayer: Blood of The Old World', once again, featuring the extraordinary 'life-force' that is Mr Brian Blessed, who is, once again, playing Gotrek Gurnisson.

Without further ado, here are details of the new story, along with some incredible art work by Johan Grenier who deserves huge credit for making the whole package look so amazing:

Realmslayer: Blood of the Old World

A Gotrek Gurnisson Story

In the strange worlds of the Mortal Realms, Gotrek Gurnisson craves one thing above all: purpose. When he discovers a being who might lead him to it, he will stop at nothing to find them – but old enemies seek the same prize…

Gotrek Gurnisson was once the greatest Slayer of the Old World, meeting his doom in the great cataclysms of the End Times. The heroic duardin stepped forth into the Realm of Chaos to fight the daemons gnawing at the world's ending and satisfy his death oath, leaving behind his companion Felix Jaeger. Now, he finds himself in a strange new realm where gods walk the earth and dark forces are ascendant.

Within the endless forests of Ghyran, Gotrek learns of a being with the power to guide him to what he craves above all else: a destiny, and a purpose worthy of his legend. What he seeks is a prize more terrible than any he could have imagined, fought over since the dawn of time by powers beyond even his indomitable strength. Nor is he the only scion of the Old World to be drawn by its promise, and Gotrek will have to overcome the greatest nemesis of his past if he is to claim his future.

Part 1: Armour of Winter
Part 2: The Everlasting Oath
Part 3: The Silver Tower
Part 4: The Last Gate

Performed by:

 Grace Andrews, John Banks, Brian Blessed, Andrew Fettes, Kelly Hotten, Matthew Hunt, 

Jonathan Keeble, Penelope Rawlins, Richard Reed and Joe Shire 

Written by David Guymer & Produced by Matt Renshaw 

We recorded these stories in London late February - early March this year and what fun it was! Whenever I'm given the opportunity to play a Skaven, a slightly evil, always twinkly sensation manifests itself and I can barely contain my excitement.

In this production, not only did I get the chance to play a Skaven (image at right) - the wonderfully named 'Steamclaw', but also a fabulously louche 'Nurgling', Algur Threefingers along with Xer’ger’ael, The Master Rune & a laconic Gaoler, as well as a number of un-credited minor characters. 

I've recently received my contributor copy of Blood of The Old World and so far, I'm enjoying it very much indeed. David Guymer has written a fabulous story and a grateful bunch of actors can be heard to be having great fun bringing his characters to life. If you decide to give it a listen, I hope you will enjoy it all too!

...all for now; more just as soon as it happens!

The House of Niccolò

Good morning! Over the past year or so, I've occasionally alluded to the project which was 'The House of Niccolò', details of which appear below. Recording of the first of the series, 'Niccolo Rising', began on 26th June 2018 and the final book, 'Gemini', was completed on 8th October. 

During that 'busy' fifteen week period, I recorded the eight books of Niccolo, together with three other audio books and a further three audio dramas. That kind of recording schedule is punishing indeed and there was precious little time to prep the Niccolo books. The reality of such a schedule meant that prep had to be done the night before recording; so after a full day in the studio, my evenings, nights - and early mornings! - were taken up by reading and marking up for the following day's work. I remember hearing the milkman arrive one morning as I was still prepping and thinking to myself, that within a few hours, I'd be back in the studio and really ought to get some sleep before then - prepped or not!

The scheduling meant that we had to record all eight books in as short a time as possible in order to meet the publishing deadline, which was set for the 11th November. Editing, proofing and any required pick-ups also had to be done well before that date to ensure there would be no delay to the hugely complex production process. 

I'm sure you can imagine how much pressure producer Neil Gardner and I were under to meet the deadline, particularly given my other recording commitments (three other audio books and three audio dramas) and the fact that the Niccolo books are not an 'easy read'; they are complicated, densely written, require voice characterisation from all over the 15th century world (Bruges, Venice, Florence, Geneva, and the Hanseatic League; Burgundy, Flanders, Poland and Muscovy; Iceland; the Iberian Peninsula and Madeira; the Black Sea cities of Trebizond and Caffa; Persia; the Mediterranean islands of Cyprus and Rhodes; Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula; and West Africa, Timbuktu and the Sahara.) ...and are very long! 

Total running time for the eight volume series comes in at a hefty 215 hours; the equivalent of 20 or so 'standard' length audio books and features 1,473 named characters...

After such a huge effort to complete recording, I can only express a sense of 'disappointment', that for reasons unknown and completely out of my control, actual publication did not occur on 11th November 2018, but instead, on 5th September 2019. 

I recently met someone from The Dorothy Dunnett Society, who invited me to speak and 'perform' extracts from the books at next April's convention in Edinburgh. Of course, I'm flattered to have been asked, though for a number of practical reasons, I have declined the offer. Instead, I have agreed to write a short article for the Society's 'Whispering Gallery' magazine, set for December publication. 

Here is a link to the Society's web site should you wish to know more about the series: The Dorothy Dunnett Society and here are details of the audio books, now available to download:

The time is the 15th century, when intrepid merchants became the new knighthood of Europe. Among them, none is bolder or more cunning than Nicholas vander Poele of Bruges, the good-natured dyers apprentice who schemes and swashbuckles his way to the helm of a mercantile empire.

 

The House of Niccolò

 

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Niccolo Rising by Dorothy Dunnett, read by John Banks.

Niccolo Rising, book one of the series, finds us in Bruges, 1460. Street smart, brilliant at figures, adept at the subtleties of diplomacy and the well-timed untruth, Dunnett's hero rises from wastrel to prodigy in a breathless adventure that wins him the love of the strongest woman in Bruges and the hatred of two powerful enemies.

Niccolo Rising combines history, adventure and high romance in the tradition stretching from Alexandre Dumas to Mary Renault.

 Length: 23 hrs and 28 mins 

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of The Spring of the Ram by Dorothy Dunnett, read by John Banks.


In 1461, the mysterious, enigmatic Nicholas is in Florence. Backed by none other than Cosimo de'Medici, he will sail the Black Sea to Trebizond, last outpost of Byzantium, and the last jewel missing from the crown of the Ottoman Empire. But trouble lies ahead.

Nicholas's step-daughter - at the tender age of 13 - has eloped with his rival in trade: a Machiavellian Genoese who races ahead of Nicholas, sowing disaster at every port. And time is of the essence: Trebizond may fall to the Turks at any moment.

Crackling with wit, breathtakingly paced, The Spring of the Ram is a pyrotechnic blend of scholarship and narrative shimmering with the scents, sounds, colors and combustible emotions of the 15th century.

Length: 23 hrs and 55 mins  

 

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Race of Scorpions by Dorothy Dunnett, read by John Banks.

This is the third book in the House of Niccolo series. 

Set in 15th-century Cyprus, this novel continues the saga of Nicholas van der Poel, international mercenary who started out as a dyer's apprentice, as he plays for the highest stakes with the greatest superpowers in Europe.

 
Length: 26 hrs and 54 mins

 

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Scales of Gold by Dorothy Dunnett, read by John Banks.

The year 1464 finds our hero Nicholas in Venice. Plagued by enemies bent on dissolving his assets and smearing his character, he sets sail for Africa, legendary location of the Fountain of Youth and the source of gold in such abundance that men prefer to barter in shells. He will discover the charms of the beautiful Gelis - a woman whose passion for Nicholas is rivalled only by her desire to punish him for his role in her sister's death.

Erotic and lush with detail, Scales of Gold embraces the complexity of the Renaissance, where mercantile adventure couples with more personal quests behind the silken curtains of the Age of Discovery.

Length: 24 hrs and 22 mins 

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of The Unicorn Hunt, by Dorothy Dunnett, read by John Banks.

The fifth title in the House of Niccolo sequence, re-creating the perilous world of trade, war and banking in Renaissance Europe.

Niccolo has returned to Venice from Africa - richer, wiser yet ever unpredictable. He journeys to Scotland, closer at hand to the secrets of his birth.

 

Length: 29 hrs and 20 mins

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of To Lie with Lions by Dorothy Dunnett, read by John Banks.

Merchant-banker Nicholas de Fleury, having wrested his infant son from the boy's formidable mother, pauses en route to the land of golden light to set in train a deception that will ensnar nations in the triumphant ruin of his enemies. 

This is volume six in the House of Niccolo.

Length: 28 hrs and 29 mins

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Caprice and Rondo by Dorothy Dunnett, read by John Banks.

January 1474, in the deep cold of an ice-bound Danzig: a man is spending a frivolous winter not facing up to his responsibilities.... 

It is the merchant Niccolo, diviner, soldier, banker to kings; shunned by all who know him after revelations of his murderous mischief-making. But his talents are too great to be squandered, and a subtle political dance ensues as rivals in Poland, Venice, and Persia bid for his services in trade and war and diplomacy. Niccolo has lost his family, but he will discover a new purpose in life....

 Length: 26 hrs and 41 mins

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Gemini by Dorothy Dunnett, read by John Banks.

Gemini represents the final appearance of Nicholas de Fleury, who opened this series as a carefree, clumsy 18-year-old apprentice in Flanders. Now he is in his 30s. The culmination of this amazing series sees Niccolo face his toughest battle yet, against an enemy who will tax every skill he has acquired over the course of the last few years....

 Length: 31 hrs and 47 mins


 

* * * * *

Should you wish to invest both time and money in this series, you might also wish to look at the two volumes of 'The Dorothy Dunnett Companion', written by Elspeth Morrison, which provide "... an encyclopaedic guide to the world Dorothy Dunnett describes, illuminating the tapestry of fact and allusion, of historial personages and places, events and politics, literary references and music that colour her books. It covers both her "Lymond" sequence, which explores the intricacies of 16th-century history, and the "House of Niccolo" series, set in the 15th-century world of trade and war and banking."

As usual, Audible has attached 5 minute samples taken from each of the audio books as an 'appetiser' should you wish to get a pre-purchase 'flavour' of the stories. For reasons unknown, the samples selected from books 4 to 8 are identical and are in fact, taken from Judith Wilt's lengthy introduction to the novels rather than extracts from Dunnett's narrative; an odd decision I think!

...all for now; more just as soon as it happens!