A Beginner's Guide to Audiobooks - Brainfood Audiobooks UK

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Wessex Tales written by Thomas Hardy performed by Neville Jason on CD (Unabridged)£39.99

Wessex Tales, a collection of short stories including The Three Strangers, The Withered Arm and The Distracted Preacher, deal with a number of timeless themes seen so often in Hardy's work, including marriage, class, revenge and disappointed love.

Why Didn't They Ask Evans? written by Agatha Christie performed by Jenny Funnell on CD (Abridged)£4.99 - £9.99

While playing an erratic round of golf, Bobby Jones slices his ball over the edge of a cliff. His ball is lost, but on the rocks below he finds the crumpled body of a dying man. With his final breath the man opens his eyes and says, 'Why didn't they ask Evans?' Haunted by these words, Bobby and his vivacious...

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.

Rare

A Civil Contract written by Georgette Heyer performed by Phyllida Nash on CD (Unabridged)£34.99 - £39.99

Adam Deveril, the new Viscount Lynton and a hero at Salamanca, returns from the Peninsula War to find his family on the brink of ruin and the broad acres of his ancestral home mortgaged to the hilt. It is Lord Oversley, father of Adam's first love, who tactfully introduces him to Mr Jonathan Chaleigh, a City man of...

Coroner's Pidgin written by Margery Allingham performed by Philip Franks on CD (Abridged)£9.99 - £19.99

A Genius Performance by Philip Franks! Campion returns from three years work for the War Office in Europe to find that Lugg, his manservant, has brought him an unusual gift: the black silk nightdress-clad body of a dead woman, an apparent suicide. Wanting only to get away to a well-deserved rest, Campion...

Evil Under the Sun written by Agatha Christie performed by David Timson on CD (Abridged)£4.99 - £6.99

It was not unusual to find the beautiful bronzed body of the sun-loving Arlena Stuart stretched out on a beach, face down. Only, on this occasion, there was no sun...she had been strangled. Ever since Arlena's arrival at the resort, Hercule Poirot had detected sexual tension in the seaside air. But could ...

Fawlty Towers - Vintage Beeb written by John Cleese and Connie Booth performed by John Cleese, Prunella Scales, Connie Booth and Andrew Sachs on Audio CD (Abridged)£4.99

This disk features the soundtrack from 2 TV programmes - Mrs Richards featuring Joan Sanderson - The second episode is The Hotel Inspectors featuring Bernard Cribbins.

Morse's Greatest Mystery and Other Stories written by Colin Dexter performed by Kevin Whately on CD (Abridged)£14.99

Morse had solved so many mysteries in his life. Was he now, he wondered, beginning to glimpse the solution to the greatest mystery of them all? How can the discovery of a short story by a beautiful Oxford graduate lead Chief Inspector Morse to her murderer? What awaits Morse and Lewis in Room 231 of the...

Saints of The Shadow Bible written by Ian Rankin performed by James Macpherson on Audio CD (Unabridged)£9.99 - £19.99

Sunday Times number-one best seller Ian Rankin returns with his gripping new Rebus novel. Unabridged edition featuring a bonus interview with Ian Rankin and James MacPherson. Rebus is back on the force, albeit with a demotion and a chip on his shoulder. A 30-year-old case is being reopened, and Rebus' team from back then is suspected of foul play. With Malcolm Fox as the investigating officer, are the past and present about to collide in a shocking and...

Sparkling Cyanide written by Agatha Christie performed by Nigel Anthony on CD (Abridged)£4.99 - £6.99

Six people sit down to dinner at a table laid for seven. In front of the empty place is a sprig of rosemary - in solemn memory of Rosemary Barton who died at the same table exactly one year previously. No one present on that fateful night would ever forget the woman's face, contorted beyond recognition - or ....

The Moonstone written by Wilkie Collins performed by Peter Jeffrey on MP3 CD (Unabridged)£29.99 - £39.99

The Moonstone, a priceless Indian diamond which had been brought to England as spoils of war, is given to Rachel Verrinder on her eighteenth birthday. That very night, the stone is stolen. Suspicion then falls on a hunchbacked housemaid, on Rachel's cousin Franklin Blake, on a troupe of mysterious Indian jugglers, and on Rachel herself.

The Seven Dials Mystery written by Agatha Christie performed by Jenny Funnell on CD (Abridged)£3.99 - £6.99

When a practical joke played on Gerry Wade involving alarm clocks turns out to be murder the case is taken up by Lady 'Bundle' Brent and Jimmy Thesiger. Trying to work out the significance of the seven clocks found at the murder scene, they come across the Seven Dials Club.

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)£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)£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)£99.99

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)£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)£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)£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)£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)£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)£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)£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)£29.99

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)£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)£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 **

Very Rare!

The Secret History written by Donna Tartt performed by Robert Sean Leonard on Cassette (Abridged)£149.99

Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of thinking and living that is a world away from the humdrum existence of their contemporaries. Performed with exceptional color by Robert Sean Leonard!

Stamp of
Genius

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)£19.99

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)£49.99 - £69.99

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)£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)£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)£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)£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)£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)£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)£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)£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...

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Boule de Suif and Other Stories written by Guy de Maupassant performed by Clive Francis and Tony Britton on Cassette (Unabridged)£59.99

**** Now Includes a FREE Audio Transfer onto Audio CD **** Throughout these unabridged short stories Maupassant examines the vices and passions of ordinary people with great insight. BOULE DE SUIF is a shocking depiction of bourgeois hypocrisy, while the other stories explore avarice, adultery, marriage, prostitution,murder and war. Included are: BOULE DE SUIF THE JEWELS THE HAND A RUSE THE SIGNAL THE DEVIL

D-Day Despatches written by BBC Radio Archive performed by Robin Duff, Chester Wilmot, Colin Wills and Richard Dimbleby on CD (Abridged)£9.99

This programme focuses on the largest sea-borne invasion in modern history and one of the world's most tightly kept secrets. It brings together despatches from the BBC War Correspondents who brought up-to-the-minute, graphic descriptions of the events to the listening public. This is a unique collection, a chance to hear history in the making: the day and the hour of D-Day June 1944.

Angela's Ashes written by Frank McCourt performed by Frank McCourt on CD (Abridged)£9.99

"When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I managed to survive at all. It was, of course, a miserable childhood: the happy childhood is hardly worth your while. Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood, and worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood." So begins the luminous memoir of Frank McCourt, born in Depression-era Brooklyn to recent Irish immigrants and...

Last One!
Very Rare!

As The Earth Turns Silver written by Alison Wong performed by Heather Bolton on Audio CD (Unabridged)£39.99

From the late nineteenth century to the 1920's, from Kwangtung, China to Wellington and Dunedin and the Battlefields of the Western Front - a story of two families.Yung faces a new land that does not welcome the Chinese. Alone, Katherine struggles to raise her children and find her place in the world.In a climate of hostility towards the foreign newcomers, Katherine and Yung embark on a poignant and far-reaching love affair.

Last One!
Very Rare!

Crime and Punishment written by Fyodor Dostoevsky performed by Anton Lesser, Poppy Miller, Penny Downie and Barnaby Kay on Audio CD (Full)£59.99

"For those who have vision and the courage to follow it, there is no law and no crime and no punishment, only a revaluation of all values." So declares Rodya Raskolnikov the young Russian intellectual living in ugly poverty. In order to eat, he is forced to pawn precious possessions for a few roubles to the greedy "cockroach", Alyona. If he kills her, Rodya argues, he commits no crime: rather he will rid the world of...

Last One!
Rare!

Fate written by Amanda Hocking performed by Hannah Friedman on Audio CD (Unabridged)£39.99

Fate - the second installment in the My Blood Approves series... Alice Bonham thinks she''s finally found a balance in her life between the supernatural and real life with her brother Milo. Jack - her sorta vampire boyfriend - keeps her at arm''s length to keep her safe. As for his brother Peter... she''s not sure where he''s at, or what he wants with her. Worse still, she''s not even sure what she wants with Peter.

Last One!
Rare!

Flutter written by Amanda Hocking performed by Hannah Friedman on Audio CD (Unabridged)£29.99

Flutter - the third book in the My Blood Approves series... Being undead doesn't make life any easier for Alice Bonham. Her younger brother's love life is heating up, while hers is... more complicated. Mae is falling apart, her best friend, Jane, is addicted to vampire bites, and if Alice doesn't get her bloodlust under control, someone will end up dead. Alice volunteers for a rescue mission with Ezra. But going up against a...

Last One!
Very Rare!

Hero at the Fall written by Alwyn Hamilton performed by Soneela Nankani on Audio CD (Unabridged)£39.99

Once, in the desert country of Miraji, there was a Sultan without an heir. The heir had been killed by his own brother, the treacherous Rebel Prince, who was consumed by jealousy and sought the throne for himself. Or so it was said by some. There were others who said that the Rebel Prince was not a traitor but a hero...In the final battle for the throne, Amani must fight for everything she believes in, but with...

Last One!
Rare!

How the Irish Saved Civilization written by Thomas Cahill performed by Donal Donnelly on Audio CD (Unabridged)£39.99

Shamelessly engaging, effortlessly scholarly, utterly refreshing history of the Irish soul and its huge contribution to Western culture' Thomas Keneally Ireland played the central role in maintaining European culture when the dark ages settled on Europe in the fifth century: as Rome was sacked by Visigoths and its empire collapsed, Ireland became 'the isle of saints and scholars' that enabled the classical and religious...

Kill Alex Cross written by James Patterson performed by Andre Braugher and Zach Grenier on CD (Abridged)£7.99

Detective Alex Cross is one of the first on the scene of the biggest case he's ever been part of. The President's son and daughter have been abducted from their school - an impossible crime, but somehow the kidnapper has done it.

Lifeless written by Mark Billingham performed by Robert Glenister on CD (Abridged)£9.99

To his friends, his foes and even to himself it looks as though Tom Thorne's career is on the skids. On his last case he had seriously over-stepped the mark, and now gardening leave has been suggested and all he has to tend is a window box. So when it appears someone is targeting London's homeless ....