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

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)

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.


A Guilty Thing Surprised written by Ruth Rendell performed by George Baker on Audio CD (Abridged)

A Guilty Thing Surprised written by Ruth Rendell performed by George Baker on Audio CD (Abridged)£9.99  -  £12.99

By the writer of the Wexford novels and read by George Baker

Someone must have had good reason to murder Mrs Elizabeth Nightingale on a dark September night. And as Detective Chief Inspector Wexford investigates, he discovers sinister undercurrents and dramatic secrets beneath the placid surface of the Nightingales' lives…


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)

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 ...


Rare
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Volume IV written by Edward Gibbon performed by David Timson on Audio CD (Unabridged)

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Volume IV written by Edward Gibbon performed by David Timson on Audio CD (Unabridged)£59.99

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire has always maintained its initial appeal to both the general public and scholars alike. Its sheer scale is daunting, encompassing over a millennium of history, covering not merely the Western Empire from the days of the early emperors to its extinction in AD 476, but...


The Lord of the Rings - Part 3 The Return of the King written by J.R.R. Tolkien performed by Rob Inglis on CD (Unabridged)

The Lord of the Rings - Part 3 The Return of the King written by J.R.R. Tolkien performed by Rob Inglis on CD (Unabridged)£19.99  -  £49.99

The climactic volume of the trilogy, wherein the little hobbit and his trusty companions make a terrible journey to the heart of the land of the Shadow in a final reckoning with the power of Sauron. The climactic volume of the trilogy, wherein the little hobbit and his trusty companions make a terrible journey to...


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

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)

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...


3 Hour Fixed Price Audio Transfer

3 Hour Fixed Price Audio Transfer£20.00

This is the fixed price £20 item to be used when ordering conversion of a sub 3 hour Audio Cassette or MP3 CD title. 

 


Unique
A Boy Growing Up written by Dylan Thomas performed by Emlyn Williams on Cassette (Unabridged)

A Boy Growing Up written by Dylan Thomas performed by Emlyn Williams on Cassette (Unabridged)£39.99

In the assembly of vivid and colourful pieces from the pen of Dylan Thomas is a kaleidoscope of youthful experience.


Rare
A Christmas Carol written by Charles Dickens performed by Geoffrey Palmer on Audio CD (Unabridged)

A Christmas Carol written by Charles Dickens performed by Geoffrey Palmer on Audio CD (Unabridged)£24.99  -  £29.99

When the miserly Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his old partner, Jacob Marley, he decides to change his ways - for Christmas and for ever. Marley's ghost sends down three spirits to Scrooge: Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Future.


Very Rare!
A Cool Head written by Ian Rankin performed by Peter Forbes on Audio CD (Unabridged)

A Cool Head written by Ian Rankin performed by Peter Forbes on Audio CD (Unabridged)£39.99

"My dad used to say to me, 'Try to keep a cool head and a warm heart.' At least I think it was my dad. I don't really remember him." Gravy worked in the graveyard - hence the name. He was having a normal day until his friend Benjy turned up in a car Gravy didn't recognise. Benjy had a bullet hole in his chest, but lived just long enough to ask Gravy to hide him and look after his gun. Gravy had looked after things for Benjy before, but never a gun. When Gravy looked in the car...

 

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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

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.

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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...