Explorers in a hot-air balloon land on an island, figuring that they must be the only inhabitants. However, they discover a bullet inside a wounded animal--one which must have been fired within the previous three months. The men propose to build a canoe so they can survey the island in search of other human life. Many adventures follow, one after another. They find a large chest filled with provisions and tools. Setting off in search of who might have left the chest, the travelers make their way through the Mercy River to the sea. During their trek, the men find remnants of the balloon they arrived in. Back at camp (Granite House) they find their ladder to the house has been removed--by invading orangutans. Soon the animals are defeated, except for one, whom they tame to become a house servant. The men construct a bridge over the river. They protect their abode by surrounding it on all sides with water. They undertake projects to make their colony habitable and comfortable. They create a hydraulic lift to replace the ladder. They build a seagoing boat for further exploration. Eventually they discover another human on Tabor Island, bringing him back to their now-well-stocked colony. (Bill Boerst)
In other translations this book is part of "The Mysterious Island"
20 episodes
A crack American flying troop has been sent to France, where they await further instructions. They are concerned that their extensive talents will not be put to good use in the war. Major Cowan introduces Lt. McGee as the British instructor for the crew. It turns out the Brit is actually an American, born in the U.S., even though his parents were British. McGee and Larkin are flying partners. Out on a mission, McGee spots a small enemy plane in a searchlight, probably intent on dropping flares to mark targets for bombers. He drives in for the attack successfully, as the enemy plane zooms earthward in flames. During another flight to Epernay, a fellow pilot, Siddons, fades back to a previous stop. McGee and Larkin suspect Siddons of aiding the enemy. Von Herzmann is preparing German pilots to fight Americans. Larkin and McGee defeat the enemy and force a retreat. In another battle, McGee must crash-land, where he passes out due to injuries. He spends weeks recovering in a hospital. When he is discharged, he cannot find his squadron. After diligent searching, he shows up at his old base. At the end, it is revealed that Siddons is not at all what he was suspected of being--in fact, the opposite. (Bill Boerst)
26 episodes
One of the first horror novels, it tells the story of Melmoth, who sells his soul so he could have an extended life. Throughout the novel, he wanders around the world in search of someone who would replace him and lift his curse. It is known for its many sub-plots, the true horror it makes one feel, and its criticism of the Catholic church. This is certainly one of the most important books of all times, quoted in countless other works, and praised by authors and critics alike. - Summary by Wikipedia and Stav Nisser.
55 episodes
This story is set during the reign of King Henry VII. Peter Brome is a poor man and without a father, and is in love with Margaret the dark-eyed daughter of John Castell, the kindly and wealthy merchant who has taken care of him and raised him. Through a series of unfortunate events Peter has just killed a soldier, through self defense it is true, however, the blood of the Spanish ambassador's men demands to be repaid. Now another man pursues fair Margaret the all powerful Marquis d'Aguilar of Spain, who is traveling in England upon a secret mission for the Inquisition. Much more than love hangs in the balance. (Summary by fiddlesticks)
26 episodes
A famed archeologist, an aging doctor, and a young army engineer set out across the African desert on a great adventure. Professor Higgs is in search of new archeological discoveries, Dr. Adams seeks to rescue his kidnapped son, and Captain Orme wants to forget an unhappy love affair. Maqueda, Daughter of Kings, ruler of the Abati, enlists their aid to destroy the sacred idol of a neighboring tribe with promises to help the doctor rescue his son. However, the idol is a second great sphinx, carved out of a mountain. In their quest they can expect little help from the weak and cowardly Abati. The road is fraught with danger, wild beasts, valiant enemies, and traitorous allies, but their greatest danger is a beautiful woman whom it is death to love.
- Summary by Anfinwen
20 episodes
Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh is the first in the series of Doctor Syn novels by Russell Thorndike and inspired a Disney movie called the Scarecrow of Romney Marsh starring Patrick Patrick McGoohan. In this story we are introduced to the complex Christopher Syn, the kindly vicar of the little town of Dymchurch. Dr Syn seems pleasant, but is he much more than he seems? Although published first, this book is the last of the series chronologically. The town is located near the Romney Marsh, an ideal location for smuggling operations. Captain Howard Collyer, a revenue agent for the crown, arrives on the scene convinced that he can find and capture the smugglers that must be active in the area. The locals deny any knowledge of any smuggling operations, but warn of mysterious bands of witches and glowing demons that ride fire-breathing horses roam the marsh. Can this straight forward navy captain survive these supernatural foes as he investigates Romney Marsh and the disturbing events that begin to happen in Dymchurch? - Summary by Brett Downey
39 episodes
Rosemary Sample, an airplane stewardess, meets a mysterious dark lady on a flight to Salt Lake City. The plane is forced down overnight by a snowstorm. The passengers spend the night in a Hunting Lodge. In the morning, the dark lady finds her bag missing. It contains important papers that may mean the life or death of thousands of people in the small town of Happy Vale. - Summary by Dawn Larsen
25 episodes
This novel is set during the English Civil War and the Commonwealth. It is comprised of real events, along with fictional ones. If you are looking for an adventure novel with romance and mystery, please look no further. This is Scott at his finest. - Summary by Stav Nisser.
41 episodes
Scheherazade oder Schehersad, die Tochter eines Wesirs, heiratete den König / Sultan, der die Angewohnheit hatte, seine Ehefrauen am ersten Tag nach der Hochzeit köpfen zu lassen. Schehersad jedoch begann ihm Geschichten zu erzählen, die am Ende der Nacht den Ausgang offen ließen und den Sultan dazu brachten, wenn er den Fortgang der Geschichte erfahren wollte, von einer Enthauptung abzusehen. Nach 1001 Nächten gestanden sich beide ihre Liebe und lebten glücklich bis .... (Zusammenfassung von Bernd Ungerer)
39 episodes
Arrgh and Shiver Me Timbers! Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver! This is Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale as made into a play for The Punch and Judy Theatre Company in 1915. - Summary by ToddHW
Cast list:
Jim Hawkins: Rachel
Mrs Hawkins: Jennifer Fournier
Dr Livesey: Kristin Gjerløw
Squire Trelawney: ToddHW
Captain Smollett : Maria Kasper
Hunter: David Lawrence
Joyce: Elizabeth Travers
Gray: Andrew Travers
Bill Bones The Captain: Beth Thomas
Black Dog: MaryAnnS
Pew: Ray Kasper
Long John Silver: Adele de Pignerolles
Captain Flint (parrot): Beth Thomas
Morgan: Esther ben Simonides
Anderson: Aaron M. Lebowitz
George Merry: Lydia
Israel Hands: Khaghbboommm
Dirk: Maggie Travers
O'Brien: Maria Kasper
Arrow: TriciaG
Dick: Beth Thomas
Ben Gunn: John Burlinson
Man: Allen Kelly
Another Man: Charlotte Duckett
Stage Directions: TriciaG
Edited and Coordinated by: ToddHW
4 episodes
Science fiction is a genre encompassing imaginative works that take place in this world or that of the author’s creation where anything is possible. The only rules are those set forth by the author. The speculative nature of the genre inspires thought and plants seeds that have led to advances in science. The genre can spark an interest in the sciences and is cited as the impetus for the career choice of many scientists. It is a playing field to explore social perspectives, predictions of the future, and engage in adventures unbound into the richness of the human mind.
20 episodes
The Mysteries of London was a best-selling novel in mid-Victorian England, published in four volumes. This is the second volume. Initially serialized in weekly installments, they were the forerunners of today's soap operas. Known as "Penny Dreadfuls", they had no claim to literary brilliance but offered readers entertainment and excitement in the form of vice, poverty, wealth, virtue, mystery and scandal in every combination and reached a mass audience. - Summary by Lynne Thompson
126 episodes
Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to move from Transylvania to England so he may find new blood and spread the undead curse, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor Abraham Van Helsing. Although Stoker did not invent the vampire, he defined its modern form, and the novel has spawned numerous theatrical, film and television interpretations. - Summary by wikipedia
27 episodes
It's 1914 London, and it's Waldo and Lucinda's wedding day. Unfortunately, Lucinda is nowhere to be found. A messenger boy brings Lucinda's note to her mother - ‘I can’t do it, Mother. So I’ve gone.’ There seems to be some suspicion that an Italian gentleman was somehow involved. The search for Lucinda is interrupted by the First World War, and it's not until the end of the war that she is finally located and her story unfolds. - Summary by Nick Bulka
27 episodes
Mysterious old Captain Coffin not only has a wild story about a Honduran island where treasure lies, he has a map. But they must be wary because it also holds “a poison that kills a man and keeps him fresh as paint”. Nothing can hold Harry back from tagging along and meeting up with murder, intrigue, a collection of colorful characters, and a vociferous parrot. - Summary by Amy Gramour
34 episodes
A young Easterner, Hollis, a newspaper reporter, arrives in a small western town, to inherit his father’s ranch and his newspaper. He discovers that the town and the entire county are controlled by an unscrupulous cattleman, Dunlavey. This guy is a law unto himself, stealing cattle from his neighbors, who are powerless to defend themselves because he also owns the local sheriff. Can Hollis overcome these obstacles and insure that the county is run by the rule of law? (Summary by Richard Kilmer)
31 episodes
A charming rogue, a stolen birthright, unrequited love, mutiny on the high seas, with a backdrop of 17th century England and the Spanish Main, make for another historical romance from George Gibbs. - Summary by Donald Cummings
16 episodes
"The Rulers of the Lakes" is a complete story, but it is also the third volume of the French and Indian War Series, following "The Hunters of the Hills" and "The Shadow of the North." Robert Lennox, Tayoga, Willet, and all the important characters in the earlier romances reappear. - Summary by the Foreword
22 episodes
Tämä on Jonathan Swiftin kirjoittama ja Samuli Suomalaisen kääntämä versio kirjasta "Gulliverin matkat kaukaisilla mailla". Se on suunnattu nuorille ja sisältää vain kaksi ensimmäistä osaa, kun täydessä versiossa osia on neljä. Ensimmäisessä osassa Gulliver-niminen matkamies haaksirikkoutuu mini-ihmisten asuttamaan maahan, jonka nimi on Lilliput. Toisessa osassa hän puolestaan joutuu seikkailuihin jättiläisten valtakuntaan Brobdingnagiin. Etenkin ensimmäisistä osista tehtyjen lasten kuvakirjojen myötä Gulliverin retket mielletään usein lastensaduksi, mutta se on alun perin tarkoitettu satiiriksi hallitsijoista, politiikasta ja ihmisluonnosta. - Summary by Harri Tapani Ylilammi
17 episodes
From Banjo Paterson, bush poet and favorite son of Australia, here is a collection of colorful stories from Australia that offer a window into the past and the culture of the region. - Summary by A. Gramour
19 episodes
Mr. Crosby is a high-ranking official known to be often entrusted with secret government missions. But when he finds himself in Valencia, that's entirely an accident and has nothing to do with any such mission at all. But his reputation does not allow him to simply leave a region riddled with conflicts, and so, a spy attaches himself to Crosby. On a small boat with only one another for company, things can quickly get complicated. - Summary by Carolin
2 episodes
The heart of a stallion; the heart of a man; the heart of a woman. Three valiant, authentic, and determined souls cross each others' paths, and the sparks fly. We'll leave it to you to find out what kind of sparks. (Summary by Tony Oliva)
22 episodes
Machines are infallible. Humans are not. The crew of The Ambassador knew their ship could not possibly fail, but what of themselves? And how could they defend against an unknown enemy with unknown motives and superhuman abilities, intent on driving each one of them beyond his own personal breaking point? - Summary by Summary by Peter Eastman
7 episodes
Science fiction is a genre encompassing imaginative works that take place in this world or that of the author’s creation where anything is possible. The only rules are those set forth by the author. The speculative nature of the genre inspires thought and plants seeds that have led to advances in science. The genre can spark an interest in the sciences and is cited as the impetus for the career choice of many scientists. It is a playing field to explore social perspectives, predictions of the future, and engage in adventures unbound into the richness of the human mind. - Summary by Amy Gramour
20 episodes
After working several years in foreign affairs, and after winning and then losing a fortune, Rupert Tremorne is stranded in Nagasaki, at the end of his wits and in some debt. His only chance is to take the post as private secretary to the Millionaire Mr Hemster, and to sail on with him on his yacht. Sailing around Asia is big adventure for anyone, but it is a special one for Tremorne, because besides Mr Hemster and his staff, there are the beautiful Miss Gertrude Hemster and her companion Hilda Stretton on board. And suddenly, Tremorne has his hands full with those two ladies... - Summary by Carolin
25 episodes
A ruthless squire becomes obsessed with a younger woman and conspires against her lover, George Fielding, so that the squire can win her. With the squire's financial pressure turned up on his family, George goes to Australia to earn money enough to marry his girl. In the meantime, a young man named Tom Robinson is sent to prison for stealing. For his somewhat minor offense, he suffers severe mistreatment in prison. "It Is Never Too Late to Mend" was written in the 1850s to shed light on abuses in British prison discipline and the treatment of criminals, but is also an adventure yarn set in the gold fields of Australia. (Summary by TriciaG)
84 episodes
Gil Blas is born in misery to a stablehand and a chambermaid of Santillana in Cantabria, and is educated by his uncle. He leaves Oviedo at the age of seventeen to attend the University of Salamanca. His bright future is suddenly interrupted when he is forced to help robbers along the route and is faced with jail. He becomes a valet and, over the course of several years, is able to observe many different classes of society, both lay and clerical. Because of his occupation, he meets many disreputable people and is able to adjust to many situations, thanks to his adaptability and quick wit.He finally finds himself at the court as a favorite of the king and secretary to the prime minister. Working his way up though hard work and intelligence, Gil is able to retire to a castle to enjoy a fortune and a hard-earned honest life.
138 episodes
Penny Parker is a teen-aged sleuth and amateur reporter with an uncanny knack for uncovering and solving unusual, sometimes bizarre mysteries. The only daughter of widower Anthony Parker, publisher of the "Riverview Star," Penny has been raised to be self-sufficient, outspoken, innovative, and extraordinarily tenacious. Her cheerful, chatty manner belies a shrewd and keenly observant mind. Penny was the creation of Mildred A. Wirt, who was also the author of the original Nancy Drew series (under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene). Wirt became frustrated when she was pushed to "tone down" Nancy Drew and make her less independent and daring. With Penny Parker, Wirt had a freer hand and received full credit. Wirt once said, " 'I always thought Penny Parker was a better Nancy Drew than Nancy is." In HOOFBEATS ON THE TURNPIKE, Penny is drawn to a remote hill community by a tantalizing tale of a headless horseman who ranges the countryside at night. While investigating the bizarre tale, Penny and her best friend Louise Siddell encounter a quirky array of hill folk, including a feisty "granny woman" who is at war with a wealthy landowner. The headless horseman seems to be targeting the landowner, who has ignored repeated warnings that the dam he owns is unsafe. The tale takes an unusually serious turn when the dam breaks, flooding the community. Trapped by the flood, Penny heroically does what she can to help the community and to get the story out to the world. - Summary by Cheryl Adam
25 episodes
In W.H. Hudson’s first novel, an Englishman wandering on horseback across the pampas finds adventure and romance in Uruguay. The full title became: “The Purple Land: Being the Narrative of One Richard Lamb's Adventures in The Banda Oriental, in South America, as Told By Himself”. In the preface to "The Sun Also Rises", President Teddy Roosevelt said that everyone should read "The Purple Land."- Summary by A. Gramour
31 episodes
George Alfred Henty was an English newspaper correspondent who became a prolific author of, predominantly, adventure stories for boys. Most were based on true historical events. In this volume, published posthumously, we are presented with thirteen signature stories taken from within his novels. We are taken to India, to Canada, aboard a plague ship and back to Hannibal's army. We confront the Chinese, the Black Death and numerous brushes with death in these gripping tales, which give us a taste of Henty's storytelling mastery. - Summary by Lynne Thompson
13 episodes
Quote:
"In the following pages I have told the story of that body of adventurers who, from 1822 to 1829, opened the way for the expansion of our nation beyond the Missouri. I have made Jedediah Smith the central figure of my story, for of all explorers of the Great West he was in many ways the most remarkable, though, heretofore, our school children have not even heard his name. In order to give the student a sense of the continuity of history, I have begun my narrative with a brief account of the movement across the Alleghenies and down the Ohio River after the Revolutionary War; and I have suggested the relation of westward expansion in America to the whole race movement from the beginning."
(from the preface)
22 episodes
The Curse of Capistrano is the first work to feature the fictional character Zorro (the Spanish word for "fox"). The story was later republished under the name The Mark of Zorro. The outlaw Zorro is Public Enemy #1 in southern California during the period of Mexican rule. But he's not a bad guy, really - he fights for justice for the oppressed. And when he meets the lovely Lolita, daughter of Don Pedro, who is on the governor's bad side, he has even more reason to fight. But she's being wooed by the rich and influential but wimpy Don Diego... - Summary by TriciaGCast List:Narrator: Christine LehmanDon Diego Vega / Zorro: Tomas PeterSergeant Pedro Gonzales: Larry WilsonLandlord: Jason in Panama Don Carlos Pulido, Corporal, A Man, Soldier, Assistant, Courier: Nick BulkaDoña Catalina Pulido: TriciaGSeñorita Lolita Pulido: Adele de PignerollesLandlord: Jason in PanamaDon Alejandro Vega: Roger MelinFray Felipe, Gentleman of Age, Dispensero, Tipsy Caballero: Phil SchempfMagistrado, Jailer: Zames CurranCaptain Ramon: jasonlohrSpokesman of the Caballeros: Chuck WilliamsonGovernor: Scotty SmithAnother Caballero: AnttiV & ElijahServant, Dealer in Hides, Third Caballero, Man: ToddHWSergeant, Guard: ShastaNative: Esther ben SimonidesAudio edited by TriciaGProof-listened by TriciaG & Joy M.
40 episodes
This is a collection of 22 stories of action and adventure. We follow the narrators as they escape pirates and cannibals, overcome natural disasters, and are attacked by wild animals. Cunning plans are executed and daring escapes are accomplished, all in the particular style of the 19th century adventure story. Thomas Knox was an author who had travelled around the world by the time he wrote the stories in this volume, and who was no stranger to any of the geographic areas in which he set his stories. - Summary by Carolin
22 episodes
A series of U.S. Civil War adventures or incidents experienced and enhanced (or created) by humorist George W. Peck. Peck was at times a writer, newspaper publisher and politician. He had a wry sense of humor and sympathy for underdogs. ( Arnold Banner)
27 episodes
Los Viajes de Gulliver pertenece al género fantástico y es unn serie de viajes imaginarios, que leídos en profundidad, constituye una de las mejores sátiras que se han escrito. Swift escribió los Viajes de Gulliver, desde la experiencia de Swift con los Tories y sus conflictos con los Whigs, estas disputas fueron la causa para escribir libros que burlando la opinión religiosa, gubernamental o popular, ponían en evidencia los diferentes puntos de vista entre ellos y con él mismo.La obra relata los cuatro viajes por mar, realizados por un médico de abordo llamado Lemuel Gulliver. A través de Gullliver, J.Swift en sus cuatro viajes por diferentes países, representa cada uno, una parte corrupta de Inglaterra. Swift critica al gobierno, la sociedad, la ciencia y la religión. No solamente hace crítica de las costumbres de cada país, sino que además se burla del hombre ingenuo, quien tiene la incapacidad para figurarse el doble sentido de las cosas. Summary by Phileas Fogg
36 episodes
Frank L. Baum, author of the Oz books, delivers an engaging story for all ages. Orissa Kane works in order to provide for her family. Her mother is blind, while her brother devotes his time to his invention, a flying machine. Everything changes when he brakes his leg and Orissa decides to continue developing the machine. This fascinating and relatable book explores the early days of aviation, and the changing role of women. Frank L. Baum chose to publish this book under the name Edith Van Dime. - Summary by Stav Nisser.
27 episodes
H. Rider Haggard (author of King Solomon's Mines the Allan Quatermain Series, and many more) and Andrew Lang (author of, among others, the rainbow coloured fairytale books) collaborate to lend their talent to one of the most fascinating and well known stories of all times. Odysseus returns home from the war, but does not find the peace and quiet which he craves. His home is ravaged, and his wife Penelope is dead. He comunicates with an old flame, the beautiful Helen of Troy, who sends him to his ultimate and defining last journey. Read about his adventures, and what might have been, in this beautiful novel by two of Britian's best Vctorian novelists. - Summary by Stav Nisser and Wikipedia.
28 episodes
Esta es la primera historia del legendario detective Sherlock Holmes y de su amigo, el doctor Watson, un cirujano militar que regresa a Londres luego de su participación en la guerra de Afganistán. Watson y Holmes se mudan al famoso 221B Baker Street, donde Watson se enfrenta a las excentricidades de Holmes y a su mágica habilidad para la deducción. En esta oportunidad Holmes es llamado para resolver un extraño asesinato: una casa desierta, un cadáver sin heridas, una misteriosa frase escrita con sangre en la pared, dos oficiales de Scotland Yard que no tienen pistas... - Summary by Phileas Fogg
15 episodes
In the present [1908] collection those [stories] have been brought together which are concerned with the grotesque and with the terrible—such tales as might well be read “round the fire” upon a winter’s night. This would be my ideal atmosphere for such stories, if an author might choose his time and place as an artist does the light and hanging of his picture. However, if they have the good fortune to give pleasure to any one, at any time or place, their author will be very satisfied. Summary by Book Preface
18 episodes
"Edmond Dantès" the Sequel to Alexander Dumas' masterpiece, "The Count of Monte-Cristo," is a novel that will delight, entertain and instruct all who read it. It has wonderful fascination, absorbing interest and rare merit, combined with remarkable power, amazing ingenuity and thorough originality. In it the narrative is taken up immediately at the close of "The Count of Monte-Cristo," and continued in a style of exceeding cleverness. There is a terrible volcanic tempest on the Mediterranean, in which Monte-Cristo and Haydée are wrecked, a vivid picture of the French Revolution of 1848 is given and the love affair of Zuleika and Giovanni Massetti is recounted in a manner unsurpassed for novelty and excitement. The central figure is Edmond Dantès, and about him are grouped Mercédès, Eugénie Danglars, Louise d'Armilly, Valentine de Villefort, Espérance (the son of Monte-Cristo), Benedetto, Albert de Morcerf, Maximilian Morrel, Ali and the other old friends of "Monte-Cristo" readers, as well as numerous political leaders famous in French history, namely, Lamartine, Ledru Rollin, Louis Blanc, Armand Marrast, Flocon, Albert and others. Thiers, Guizot, Odillon Barrot, General Lamoricière, General Bugeaud and other noted historical characters are introduced, as well as Lucien Debray, Château-Renaud, Beauchamp, etc. - Summary by the Publishers.
33 episodes
This book brings together eleven stories, each a case of intrigue where more is going on than seems at first. - Summary by A. Gramour
28 episodes
The Mystery of the Chinese Ring is an exotic adventure story and is set in locations such as Burma and China, with the historical and political ramifications which applied to the mid Twentieth Century and still ring true in the early 21st Century. What is the purpose of the ring? What is the significance of the letter “K”? Why the interest in a sixteen year old boy going to visit a relative in Burma? Why are family dynasties so important, and why the secrecy concerning their survival?
This is an audiobook that will find eager listeners from the ages of about ten to octogenarians, male and female, and also those enjoying adventure stories with many twists and turns. The author, Andy Adams, was a well known writer of cowboy books which are thought to be the best in that genre, and his Biff Brewster books, of which he wrote three, are likewise highly regarded. As the main hero is aged sixteen, this story will find resonances in all those that are young in heart, and is an entertaining book in its own right. - Summary by Peter thomlinson
22 episodes
The Ravenspurs have for generations resided quietly in prosperity and comfort at their seaside castle. But the clan is suddenly besieged with strange happenings which are dwindling the population of the family to only a few which remain, and those few find themselves in fear of becoming the very last of the powerful family if the cause of their untimely deaths and disappearances is not uncovered soon. It will take a great deal of detective work and a touch of travel to help unravel the mystery of the Ravenspurs. (Roger Melin)
58 episodes
An adventure tale set in the North Woods. Stane, a former convict in England, has established a lonely life as a trapper in the north woods. While visiting a trading post, he encounters Ainley whom he had known when they were both students. Stane had been wrongly convicted of a crime and had always thought Ainley was somehow connected with his conviction. Also at the post were two women, Miskodeed, a beautiful Indian maiden, and Helen, the niece of a high company official. Helen disappears. Ainley searches for her. She is rescued by Stane. Follow the adventures of these characters in an riveting tale set in the snowy North woods. (Summary by Richard Kilmer)
24 episodes
As young Lord Hadley and his companion Edward Dudley travel along a dark, coastal road, they encounter a young girl pinioned by a fallen wall. They rescue her and alert her father, stationed on the cliff-top, apparently watching for something or someone, before continuing their journey to the home of Sir Arthur Adelon. What was the girl doing out alone at night? What was her father's business on the cliff? Who is the sinister-looking stranger that young Edgar Adelon spots at the home of his beloved? And does Dudley have a chance with the beautiful heiress Eda, or have her affections been won by his wealthy patron? As tensions rise between Lord and tutor, tragedy strikes and the harsh reality of the penal system is laid bare. With the backdrop of political unrest and the growing Chartist movement, this tale has intrigue, romance and passion.
46 episodes
Writing under the pseudonym, Geoffrey Crayon, Washington Irving chronicled his travels through Europe in the early 1820’s. He wrote of people he met, places he saw and stories he was told. In fact, much of the work is recounting tales told to him by those with exotic adventures that were waiting to be shared. “Tales of a Traveler” is broken up into four separate parts or “Books,” as Irving called them. The final book is almost a post-script to “Knickerbocker’s History of New York” as he tells stories and describes Manhattan Island and nearby lands as they were almost two hundred years ago. This rough land, still mostly wilderness, had the fingerprints of the early Dutch colonists evident throughout. (Greg Giordano)
To Nancy, whose determination and faith brought her through our darkest hour.
39 episodes
Edward Henry Machin, whose rise from humble beginnings to prosperity was told in 'The Card', leads a comfortable life in the English Midlands 'Five Towns'. Yet when he unexpectedly gains three hundred and forty-one pounds in a speculation on rubber shares, he realises that he doesn't 'feel so jolly, after all'. After a visit to the local music hall, he decides that a change is in order. He takes the morning train to London, where adventures in the theatrical world await. 'The Old Adam' was also published under the title, 'The Regent'. (Phil Benson)
10 episodes
Mystery adventure, fiction ( Peter Thomlinson). This is a very exciting and gripping story set in the jungles of Brazil and Venezuela, and the quest for the famous El Dorado gold. Incidents with dangerous wild animals, not to mention encounters with head hunters and other native tribes, plus some black magic hocus-pocus all add to the suspense. Double dealing and threats as well as actual confrontations all make life difficult for our brave heroes, and often cause the expedition problems which slows down the quest for the yellow gold. This is a good geography lesson also, and readers will learn about all those huge rivers that flow through these regions, including the huge River Amazon.
20 episodes
Gold! Opium! Love! Murder! Revenge! Prairie intrigue at its best:
Prudence helps her mother run a ranch in southern Manitoba. Her brother has been hunting gold in the Yukon, but he returns home penniless and troubled, and accompanied by a bad-tempered 3-legged husky. Leslie, her fiance, is a Customs Officer hot on the trail of a canoe paddling opium smuggler. When a loved one is murdered, Prudence vows to avenge the bloody deed, at any cost. - Summary by Lisa Reichert
20 episodes
In the unsettled years of England's War of the Roses, where a man stood on the issue of kingship could make his fortune... or end his life. Dick Shelton, a nobly-born lad, is on the cusp of manhood, and he is thrust bodily into this stew where allegiances shift under one's feet. Circumstances cause him to fall in with a gentlemaiden in boy's disguise. Until he learns of the deception, Dick is unaware that the young lady is an heiress whom his guardian Sir Daniel had kidnapped. And the introduction of an outlaw with a penchant for putting black arrows into the bodies of the men who had wronged him affords Dick a worrying hint - that Sir Daniel might have been the man that had murdered Dick's father! - Summary by Mark F. Smith
33 episodes
