Showing results by narrator "Andrew Sachs" in All Categories

A thoroughly modern tale of politics, spin-doctoring, and media manipulation. As the harsh wind holds the Greek fleet trapped in the straits at Aulis, frustration and political impotence turn into a desire for the blood of a young and innocent woman - blood that will appease the gods and allow the troops to set sail. And when Iphigeneia, Agamemnon's beloved daughter, is brought to the coast under false pretences, it looks as if the ships will soon be on their way.

Thurstan, a young Norman and would-be Knight at the Court of King Roger in Palermo, has been in love since boyhood with Lady Alicia, now returned a widow from the Holy Land. Thurstan soon finds himself caught in a tangle of plots.

Comissario Brunetti meets Franca Marinello, the wife of a prosperous Venetian businessman. He's charmed - perhaps too charmed, suggests his wife Paola - by her love of Virgil and Cicero, but shocked by her appearance. A few days later, Brunetti is visited by Carabinieri Maggior Filippo Guarino from the nearby city of Marghera. As part of a wider investigation into Mafia takeovers of businesses in the region, Guarino wants information about the owner of a trucking company who has been found murdered.

One day the Fat Fairy turns up at Thomas Top's house to grant him a birthday wish. Thomas can't think what to ask for, so he wishes he could fly. That's how Thomas goes from being just an ordinary boy whom no one notices to being the most popular boy in the school. But it makes him sad that grown-ups can't see the wonderful things he can do.

These ghostly tales will appeal to ghastly kids with a taste for the grim and the gruesome. There's the story of Nigel who loves killing spiders - until they come back to haunt him. There's theiving Terry who's taught a nasty lesson by A. Phantom Esq. And the two litle boys who spend a night in a haunted cottage, with dire consequences.

Set in 1482, Victor Hugo's powerful novel of imagination, caprice, and fantasy is a meditation on love, fate, architecture, and politics, as well as a compelling recreation of the medieval world at the dawn of the modern age. In a brilliant reworking of the tale of Beauty and the Beast, Hugo creates a host of unforgettable characters, amongst them Quasimodo, the hunchback of the title, hopelessly in love with the gypsy girl Esmeralda; satanic priest Claude Frollo; Clopin Trouillefou, king of the beggars; and Louis XI.

Captain, Ladybird and Herbert – two Shire horses and a Suffolk Punch – are not pleased when Jenny, a retired seaside donkey, arrives at the Old Horses' Home. It's supposed to be a home for horses, and they don't want to share their field with a common little donkey. Then rustlers are spotted in the area: thieves who like nothing better than to steal horses and ship them abroad – to be made into horse pie! Can Jenny and her friends save the huge heavy horses?

When Billy Pickles' dad leaves home to live in New York, he gives Billy a moneybox. Billy's not sure where to put the money, and not sure why his dad has left.

Corduroy Mansions, Pimlico is an oasis of old-fashioned civilisation, its inhabitants considerate and peace-loving. But beneath the polite exterior seismic change is stirring. Barbara Ragg makes an eye-popping discovery about her stolid Scottish suitor’s past, while Oedipus Snark – newly appointed and tirelessly self-interested Government Minister – has a close encounter in Switzerland that leaves him a new man all together.

Seven entertaining audio readings of best-loved children’s springtime stories for children of three years and over to enjoy over Easter! This audio download is a heritage-rich collection showcasing some of the best-loved characters in children’s literature. Compiled by HarperCollins Children’s Books, it features popular stories by John Bond, Nick Butterworth, Judith Kerr, David Walliams and Rob Biddulph.

Hezekiah is a very hairy camel. He lives a quiet life in his enclosure at the zoo and seems to be the only animal without a friend. So Hezekiah decides to escape, and breaks into a safari park! There he meets another hairy character – and finally makes a friend.

Farmer Skint and his family have fallen on hard times at Woebegone Farm until their goose lays a golden egg. With the birth of Joy the Golden Goose, the fortune of the Skint family begins to change. But what will happen when people find out about their golden-feathered friend? How long can they keep Joy a secret?

Having lost her husband and only child to the war in Afghanistan, a young woman turns to an Irish couple for hope in the form of a miracle. But dark forces are at work, and the price to pay for salvation may be too much to bear.

Snail on board! Siegfried loves to explore. One day his explorations take him on a big adventure – from his home in the grass, to the airport, on to an aeroplane and all the way to America! There he makes some very important friends, Mr Ambassador and Mr President, finds a new home in a sandwich box – and also meets the lovely Peggy Sue ...Another magical, funny story from the master of animal tales, Dick King-Smith.

Jules Verne’s career as a novelist began in 1863, when he struck a new vein in fiction—stories that combined popular science and exploration. In Around the World in Eighty Days, Phileas Fogg rashly bets his companions £20,000 that he can travel around the entire globe in just eighty days—and he is determined not to lose. Breaking the well-established routine of his daily life, the reserved Englishman immediately sets off for Dover, accompanied by his hot-blooded French manservant, Passepartout.

Frank Delaney's language based panel quiz game series revolves around the English language. This upbeat, fun word battle sees a host of well-known contributors battling to say the word first. The series is filmed in front of a live audience at a wide range of literary festivals in the UK and live in the BBC Studios.

Alexander McCall Smith is a storyteller par excellence and the master of the serial novel form. Not content with the runaway success of the 44 Scotland Street novels he has established a second series, Corduroy Mansions, of which The Dog Who Came in from the Cold is the second volume. McCall Smith treats his characters as old friends, dropping in for a chat with them and to see what they’re up to.

Muriel, the Catlady, lives alone with just her feline friends for company. When a new kitten is born, it soon becomes clear it is no ordinary cat. Vicky is a kitten with a very regal character, and strangely enough, was born on the very day that Queen Victoria died.

'If only that horrible cat didn't live here!' When Beaumont Robinson, an inquisitive young mouse, is nearly killed by the cat, his family decide there is only one thing to do. They must emigrate! And so they all set out on a midnight adventure to find a new house."

Frank is a funny chick. Unlike all his brothers and sisters, he wants to dabble about in the lovely duck pond, splashing himself with water. Most of all, he wants to learn to swim. Can Jemima, the farmer’s daughter, find a way to help Frank? All he thinks about are webbed feet, waterproof feathers, and the cool water of the pond. So when Frank takes a dip and nearly drowns, his mood turns foul. Luckily, he gets a little human help - in the form of a man-made wet suit and a pair of flippers - and soon he’s the speediest bird in the water.