Andrew Lackaday, an English orphan, was born and brought up in a French circus. He becomes a highly skilled mimic and juggler. He plies his trade all round the country in company with his assistant Elodie, a Marseillaise. The Great War comes and he excels himself as a soldier, ending up as a Brigadier General. After the war, he has no option but to return to his old profession only to find that everything has changed post war.
The book follows his changing fortunes. - Summary by Simon Evers
23 episodes
John Richard Jefferies (1848-1887) wrote of country life, natural history, and agricultural practice at a time when the industrial revolution was bringing great change to long-settled patterns of English life. In this book, a work of fiction, he aims to tell us something of "the former state of things before it passes away entirely.”
This is a gentle book with a keen eye for the beauty of the countryside, the uncultivated bonuses of plants and flowers; the antics of the birds and wild animals; and the agricultural practices, superstitions, and great generosity of the simple country folk who live on or about the Great Estate of the title. - Summary by Steven Seitel
11 episodes
„Im Nest der Zaunkönige liegt der Hauptteil des Herrenbesitzes um die Drei Gleichen, Vorberge des Thüringer Waldes bis in die Nähe von Erfurt, in einem Landstrich, wo die Dorfnamen, welche auf ‚leben‘ endigen, vorherrschen.“[4] Der Hauptsitz der Familie, die nun den spöttischen Beinamen „Reguli“, „kleine Könige“ bzw. „Zaunkönige“ trägt, wird mit Ingersleben (hier „Ingramsleben“ genannt) bei Erfurt identifiziert.
Die Erzählung setzt im Jahre 1003 auf dem Höhepunkt der Konsolidierungskämpfe Kaiser Heinrichs II. in der Abtei Hersfeld ein, deren Konvent und Abt selbst in der Nachfolgefrage verstritten sind. Dem für den Kirchendienst bestimmten Immo, der hier seine schulische Ausbildung erfährt, gelingt die Flucht aus dem Konvent, um in der Folgezeit auf kaiserlicher Seite in der Auseinandersetzung teilzunehmen
20 episodes
John and David grew up best of friends, outgoing and full of adventure. Living but miles from the sea west of Boston, right on the cusp of manhood at the end of America’s Revolutionary war, the ocean’s siren song beckoned to both. At the peak of adolescence, they struck out on foot in pursuit of their shared dream. Two days to Boston and only one day there found them aboard ship for a whirlwind of adventure beyond their wildest dreams. The next fifteen years shaped a future for the fledgling mariners that seems spun as a flaxen yarn --- were it not so historically accurate. - Summary by Tom Hirsch
22 episodes
What were the lower Mississippi River, Gulf Coast regions, and Appalachians of North America like in the earliest colonial days? Full of untamed forests, wild animals, nuts, berries, and Indians. Chateaubriand spent many years exploring the area, and this early (somewhat autobiographical) novella was inspired by his years spent with various Indian tribes, (described in his Introduction--included after the story), primarily the Natchez. Amongst these natives, as the story goes, was a blind old patriarch named Chactas, revered for his wisdom and knowledge of the affairs of life, including many years spent learning the ways of Europeans. In 1725, a Frenchman named René (Chateaubriand himself?), driven thither by his misfortunes in Europe, arrived at Louisiana. Old Chactas adopted him as a son, and slowly reveals his hardships and adventures. One such story was about Atala, a beautiful indian maiden, who had been converted by French missionaries to Christianity . . . . of their passionate attraction . . . and all the conflict and heartache that arose thereby. (Summary by Michele Fry)
9 episodes
Beau Brocade is a historical fiction set in England in the early 1700's. The hero Beau is a wanted highwayman, who takes from the rich to help the poor. - Summary by Deon Gines
38 episodes
In the London fog, two men bump into each other one night. They are immediately unnerved by their exact resemblance to each other. Jack Chilcote MP is a rising political star and John Loder a man with a thwarted ambition. The plan they jointly hatch leads to a story of high tension both politically and personally. The book has been turned into a play and four films over the years. The authoress sadly died in 1911 at the age of 36. (Summary by Simon Evers)
34 episodes
"Kangaroo" is the nickname of a character in this novel, Benjamin Cooley, who was a charismatic leader in the fascist movement of ex-soldiers who fought in the Australian army in WWII.
The story's main character is an international journalist, Richard Lovat Somers who, with his wife, comes to rent a house next door to Jack Calcott and his wife who are natural-born Australians through-and-through. Jack is in league with Kangaroo and tries to persuade Lovat to join their political movement conflicting with the Socialist political faction in the country.
Throughout this book, there is an undercurrent of vaguely defined "Generalized Love" which borders closely on homosexuality between the otherwise testosterone-saturated Australian men.
Action-wise: There are riots and gunfights; but there are also moments of great tenderness of the men for their wives. Both Jack and Lovat dearly want to become "leaders of men", but Lovat backs away when he is recruited to join in an espionage campaign against the Socialists. Another undercurrent which muddies the waters for Lovat is that he is a true British citizen and thus resented by the Australians. (Summary by williamjones)
38 episodes
La copa de rom es una breve novela que narra la venganza de un amor aparentemente correspondido pero que se ha visto envuelto en la traición, lo llamativo de esta pequeña obra es que se encuentra ambientada la época de la conquista de Napoleón Bonaparte, es decir con un ambiente de guerra (externa) entre los países de Italia y Francia, y a la vez una guerra entre dos hombres por una mujer, ésta última cuyo destino también se marca por la fatalidad. Un libro pequeño de gran contenido.
6 episodes
Taras Bulba is a romanticised historical novella by Nikolai Gogol set in Russia’s equivalent of America’s wild frontier, what is today Ukraine, a name which means something like “frontier” or “marches”. It was an ill-defined wild border land whose borders were subject to change and whose nominal rulers had allowed it to become a nuisance to them that it might also be a nuisance to the armies of their enemies and an obstacle to their advances. It was a time when men were men and sheep were scared and those men were Cossacks.
The story concerns the lives and deaths of Cossack colonel Taras Bulba and his two sons Ostap and Andriy who have just graduated from the Kiev Academy. It is a tale of bravado, derring-do, defence of the faith, chivalry, romance, honour and above all carousing. (summary by SimonSG)
12 episodes
An historical novel set in Scotland in 1736, involving a riot and surrounding drama. - Summary by Deon Gines
51 episodes
The book follows the life of Clodagh Asshlin, an Irish girl brought up with her younger sister by her spendthrift father in the wilds of the Irish countryside. When her father dies, she marries the much older friend of her father who pays off all the family’s debts. They move to Italy, where Clodagh falls in with a fast crowd where she is easily led by her naivete and youth down the wrong paths. However, eventually she sees sense and her life takes a turn for the better. - Summary by Simon Evers
48 episodes
Fiction merges with history in this novel taking place during the turbulent times of the civil war and the horrors it entailed. Holme's silly, coquettish yet kind-hearted Rose will pull you in from the start. The sweet and pious Annie, the noble Tom Carleton, the motherly widow Mrs. Simms, the young and courageous Isaac, the mischievous rebel working for the south, and the brash, uneducated Bill Baker are just a few of the unforgettable characters who grow with every chapter. This is a tale of hardships and bravery, of fears and hopes, of inconsolable grief and love which will enthrall you to the end. - Summary by Celine Major
26 episodes
