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Terry Pratchett

Dragons have invaded Crumbling Castle, and all of King Arthur’s knights are either on holiday or visiting their grannies. It’s a disaster!

Luckily, there’s a spare suit of armour and a very small boy called Ralph who’s willing to fill it. Together with Fortnight the Friday knight and Fossfiddle the wizard, Ralph sets out to defeat the fearsome fire-breathers.

But there's a teeny weeny surprise in store . . .

A beautiful collection of short stories by master storyteller Sir Terry Pratchett, featuring dragons, dinosaurs, cavemen and car races!

Publication date: 11th September 2014
Read by Julian Rhind-Tutt
Unabridged


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Dragons At Crumbling Castle by Terry Pratchett (Audiobook extract) Read by Julian Rhind-Tutt

In which our heroes get maudlin but nostalgically happy talking about the amazing legacy of one of the finest authors' who will live in our lifetimes. 

W1S1 71 - Dead Trees - Terry Pratchett

Radio Drama

The complete collection of landmark BBC Radio dramas of Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe mysteries.

Philip Marlowe is the archetypal noir detective: wisecracking and world-weary, hardboiled yet honourable. This volume includes all eight dramatisations of Raymond Chandler's groundbreaking crime novels featuring his iconic hero.

The Big Sleep Marlowe is consulted by a wealthy family man with two big problems: his children.

Farewell My Lovely Marlowe's search for an ex-con's ex-girlfriend leads him into danger.

The High Window When rare gold coin is stolen from her collection, Mrs Murdoch hires Philip Marlowe to find it.

The Lady in the Lake Businessman Derace Kingsley hires Marlowe to find his estranged wife Crystal.

The Little Sister Commissioned to find Orfamay Quest's missing brother, Marlowe is drawn into the glamorous film world of Hollywood.

The Long Goodbye Marlowe befriends a drunk named Terry Lennox, but comes to regret doing him a favour.

Playback Hired to follow the mysterious Betty Mayfield, Marlowe soon finds that he is being tailed too...

Poodle Springs Newly-married Marlowe puts his bride aside to look for a gambler on the run.

Starring Toby Stephens as Philip Marlowe, these stylish, suspenseful dramatisations – full of witty, ironic dialogue and colourful characters – bring the beautiful, corrupt world of California in the '40s and '50s to luminous life. Duration: 11 hours approx.

Raymond Chandler: The BBC Radio Drama Collection

Harry Enfield stars as the eponymous detective in two full-cast radio dramatisations of Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently novels.

Dirk Gently has an unshakeable faith in the interconnectedness of all things, but his Holistic Detective Agency mainly succeeds in tracking down missing cats – until he becomes embroiled in two surreal, supernatural cases that will test his belief to the limits...

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency When an old friend starts behaving strangely, Dirk is drawn into a murder investigation involving quantum physics, an Electric Monk and a four-billion-year-old mystery that must be solved if the human race is to avoid immediate extinction.

The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul Fallen on hard times, the psychic sleuth is reading palms in a tent, dressed as an old gypsy woman. But the discovery of a headless body in a sealed room plunges Dirk into a mystery involving a goblin, a giant eagle and several Norse gods…

Directed for BBC Radio 4 by Dirk Maggs (chosen by Douglas Adams to conclude the award-winning The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy), these fantastically entertaining comedy sci-fi dramas star Harry Enfield as Dirk Gently, with Olivia Colman, Billy Boyd, Andrew Sachs, John Fortune, Peter Davison, Jan Ravens, Susan Sheridan, Jim Carter and many more.

These CDs contain over 90 minutes of additional unbroadcast material. Duration: 7 hrs approx.


Read more at https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/1112900/dirk-gently-the-bbc-radio-collection/#j2FRioIIuS6mq7Ux.99

BBC Radio Drama, Dirk Gently- The BBC Radio Collection (audiobook extract)by Douglas Adams

Kris Marshall (My Family) stars in this BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of the famous diarist's account of the aftermath of the Great Fire of London.

Following on from the acclaimed radio dramatisation of Pepys' complete diaries, this further instalment of his chronicles focuses on events following the cataclysmic inferno that destroyed much of the capital four hundred years ago.

When the Great Fire of 1666 was finally extinguished, little remained of London but smouldering rubble. Samuel Pepys witnessed firsthand the impact it had on the city and its people, and would be haunted by what he had seen for the rest of his life. Thousands of homes and many key buildings had been destroyed or damaged, including St Paul's Cathedral.

Now aged 70, in poor health, and living with his servant Will in Clapham, Pepys remembers the devastation. He recalls burying his prize Parmesan to keep it safe, standing in Moorfield among the homeless as London burned, going out in his carriage to look at the ruins, and viewing the plans for the new city that would rise from the ashes – its centrepiece a magnificent cathedral that would be hailed as a masterpiece.

Starring Kris Marshall as Samuel Pepys, this entertaining and enlightening adaptation by Hattie Naylor vividly conjures up the sights and sounds of Pepys' world. Duration: 1 hour 15 mins approx.

Read more at https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/1111729/the-diary-of-samuel-pepys-pepys-and-the-rebuilding-of-london/#vr2cxk1Wr66qgL9P.99

BBC Radio Drama, Samuel Pepys: After The Fire (audiobook extract)

Part 2 of 2 |  Bioshock: A Radio Drama by Spencer Richardson

BioShock- A Radio Drama - Pt.  2

Stephen Mangan and Claire Skinner star in all four series of the popular BBC Radio 4 comedy drama. Bill and Bella meet for lunch once a month and talk about everything - except how much they love each other. 

Duration: 4 hours 40 mins approx.

Read more at https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/1114105/lunch-complete-series-1-4/#Hcqopry07LFYVSIY.99

Lunch, Complete Series 1-4 (Extract from BBC Radio 4 Comedy Drama)

Random House presents the audiobook edition of Father Christmas's Fake Beard by Terry Pratchett, read by Julian Rhind-Tutt.

Have you ever wanted Christmas to be different?

Turkey and carols, presents and crackers - they all start to feel a bit . . . samey.

How about a huge exploding mince pie, a pet abominable snowman, or a very helpful partridge in a pear tree? What if Father Christmas went to work at a zoo, or caused chaos in a toy store, or was even arrested for burglary!?

Dive into the fantastically funny world of Terry Pratchett, for a festive treat like no other. These ten stories will have you laughing, gasping and crying (with laughter) - you'll never see Christmas in the same way again.


Read more at https://www.penguin.co.uk/puffin/books/1114666/father-christmas-s-fake-beard/#OIyFoCmS4WYOkL1k.99

Father Christmas's Fake Beard by Terry Pratchett (Audiobook Extract)Read by Julian Rhind-Tutt

A collection of the full-cast BBC Radio dramatisations of novels by Terry Pratchett, with star-studded casts including Martin Jarvis, Sheila Hancock, Anton Lesser, Philip Jackson, Alex Jennings and Mark Heap.  

Now being published for the very first time, the adaptations in this collection are: 

Mort: Hopeless young peasant Mort is hired as an apprentice to Death. It's a dream job - until he discovers that it can be a killer on his love life....

Wyrd Sisters: Three witches meet on a blasted heath. A king is cruelly murdered, a child heir and the crown of the kingdom are both missing. But Granny Weatherwax finds that meddling in royal politics is a lot more complicated than certain playwrights would have you believe....

Guards! Guards!: In Ankh-Morpork, the Elucidated Brethren of Ebon Night have turned their hands to magic. When Zebbo Mooty is mysteriously vaporised in an alley, Captain Vimes knows it's time to act.   

Eric: When precocious young Eric Thursley summons a demon from the loathsome pit to fulfil his every wish, he certainly gets what he asked for. Just...not exactly what he asked for. That's the problem with wishes.  

Small Gods: On the Discworld, Gods are as numerous as herring roe, all elbowing for space at the top. In such a competitive environment, you need an acolyte, and fast....

Night Watch: Living in the past is hard. Dying in the past is incredibly easy. Commander Sam Vimes of the City Watch is back in his own rough, tough past, and he has a job to do.  

In addition to these Discworld novels, this collection will also include a full-cast dramatisation of Only You Can Save Mankind, from the Johnny Maxwell series. As an alien fleet crosses his computer screen, Johnny prepares to blow the ScreeWee into a million pieces....

Terry Pratchett: BBC Radio Drama Collection - Guards! Guards! extract

The complete canon of the Brontë sisters' classic novels, dramatised by best-selling author Rachel Joyce

'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte Brontë

Orphan Jane falls in love with the enigmatic Rochester, but he is concealing a dark secret.

'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Brontë

On the bleak Yorkshire moors, Heathcliff and Cathy’s elemental passion runs wild – but their obsession has devastating consequences.

'Agnes Grey' by Anne Brontë

Determined to make her way in the world, penniless young Agnes Grey becomes a governess.

'The Tenant of Wildfell Hall' by Anne Brontë

Gentleman farmer Gilbert Markham is powerfully drawn to Helen Graham, the mysterious resident of Wildfell Hall.

'Shirley' by Charlotte Brontë

A poignant tale of friendship, romantic entanglements and turbulent times, set in Yorkshire in 1811.

'Villette' by Charlotte Brontë

Leaving England to teach in Villette, Lucy Snowe experiences the pangs of unrequited love.

'The Professor' by Charlotte Brontë

As a teacher at a boarding-school in Belgium, William Crimsworth encounters trouble and true love.

Adapted by Rachel Joyce, these radio dramas boast star casts including Ellie Kendrick, Amanda Hale, Tom Burke, Lesley Sharp, Paul Venables, Robert Lonsdale, Anna Maxwell Martin, Ben Batt and Chloe Pirrie. 

Also included is a one-hour bonus programme featuring Rachel Joyce in conversation with producer Tracey Neale.

The Bronte BBC Radio Drama Collection - extract from Wuthering Heights

Shortlisted for the 2018 Man Booker International Prize From Booker Prize-winner and literary phenomenon Han Kang, a lyrical and disquieting exploration of personal grief, written through the prism of the color white While on a writer's residency, a nameless narrator wanders the twin white worlds of the blank page and snowy Warsaw. THE WHITE BOOK becomes a meditation on the color white, as well as a fictional journey inspired by an older sister who died in her mother's arms, a few hours old. The narrator grapples with the tragedy that has haunted her family, an event she colors in stark white--breast milk, swaddling bands, the baby's rice cake-colored skin--and, from here, visits all that glows in her memory: from a white dog to sugar cubes. As the writer reckons with the enormity of her sister's death, Han Kang's trademark frank and chilling prose is softened by retrospection, introspection, and a deep sense of resilience and love. THE WHITE BOOK--ultimately a letter from Kang to her sister--offers powerful philosophy and personal psychology on the tenacity and fragility of the human spirit, and our attempts to graft new life from the ashes of destruction.

The White Book by Han Kang, read by Jennifer Kim

From the New York Times bestselling author of A Higher Call comes the riveting World War II story of an American tank gunner&rsquo;s journey into the heart of the Third Reich, where he will meet destiny in an iconic armor duel&mdash;and forge an enduring bond with his enemy. When Clarence Smoyer is assigned to the gunner&rsquo;s seat of his Sherman tank, his crewmates discover that the gentle giant from Pennsylvania has a hidden talent: He&rsquo;s a natural-born shooter. At first, Clarence and his fellow crews in the legendary 3rd Armored Division&mdash;&ldquo;Spearhead&rdquo;&mdash;thought their tanks were invincible. Then they met the German Panther, with a gun so murderous it could shoot through one Sherman and into the next. Soon a pattern emerged: The lead tank always gets hit. After Clarence sees his friends cut down breaching the West Wall and holding the line in the Battle of the Bulge, he and his crew are given a weapon with the power to avenge their fallen brothers: the Pershing, a state-of-the-art &ldquo;super tank,&rdquo; one of twenty in the European theater. But with it comes a harrowing new responsibility: Now they will spearhead every attack. That&rsquo;s how Clarence, the corporal from coal country, finds himself leading the U.S. Army into its largest urban battle of the European war, the fight for Cologne, the &ldquo;Fortress City&rdquo; of Germany. Battling through the ruins, Clarence will engage the fearsome Panther in a duel immortalized by an army cameraman. And he will square off with Gustav Schaefer, a teenager behind the trigger in a Panzer IV tank, whose crew has been sent on a suicide mission to stop the Americans. As Clarence and Gustav trade fire down a long boulevard, they are taken by surprise by a tragic mistake of war. What happens next will haunt Clarence to the modern day, drawing him back to Cologne to do the unthinkable: to face his enemy, one last time.

Spearhead by Adam Makos, read by Johnathan McClain

In book three of the series, twelve-year-old Will Wilder is back to protect the town of Perilous Falls after he's given a talisman with a lock of Samson's hair. But a new dark demon will force family secrets to be revealed, friendships to be tested, and Will's strength to be pushed to the limit. Will Wilder yearns to join the Perilous Falls Middle School football team. But he was never big enough or strong enough to make the cut, until he comes in contact with a talisman containing the fabled locks of Samson. But using the Amulet of Power attracts dark forces to Perilous Falls like moths to a flame. Suddenly, hunched creatures are shadowing people around town, graves are being disturbed, the music of a mysterious DJ lulls half of Perilous Falls into a stupor, and to top it all off, Will is convinced that a teammate may be a demon himself! As he tries to identify the demon before it causes untold havoc, Wilder family secrets will be unlocked, the limits of physical strength and the power of friendship are tested--and Will might even score a touchdown or two.

Will Wilder #3: The Amulet of Power by Raymond Arroyo, read by Raymond Arroyo

Originally produced as a one-act play starring Grace Experience and K.K. Glick, Wingspan is the story of a young flight attendant with a fear of flying, who is about to work her first transatlantic trip. When a veteran co-worker tries to help her through the turbulent crossing, she discovers that a fear of flying is the least of the young woman's secrets. The two actresses who starred in the play will also narrate this audio original.

Wingspan by Chris Bohjalian, read by Grace Experience, K.K. Glick, Chris Bohjalian, Various

On today’s show our guest is the holistic psychologist, Dr. Todd Pressman - author of Destiny By Design and several other important books discussing emotional intelligence and A Course In Miracles. We discussed the various ways to conquer and harness fear, as well as the concept of achieving fulfillment in our lifetimes.&nbsp; Points discussed:  How to find a deeper sense of fulfillment How to transcend fear by understanding it How to turn fear into fullness

How To Turn Fear Into Fulfillment with Dr Todd Pressman

The Count of Monte Cristo is a 4-part dramatisation by Sebastian Baczkiewicz of Alexandre Dumas' novel, to be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 from Sunday 25th November. This extract features Jane Lapotaire, Iain Glen, Amber Rose Revah and Zubin Varla. With music by David Tobin and Jeff Meegan. Directed by Jeremy Mortimer and Sasha Yevtushenko.

The Count of Monte Cristo - Trail BBC Radio Drama

Penguin Books publishes blockbusting, prize-winning, celebrated, controversial, heart-warming, thought-provoking and inspiring books by a range of authors from Ali Smith to Zadie Smith, Jeremy Clarkson to Jeremy Paxman and Jamie Oliver to Oliver Goldsmith.

Terry Pratchett: BBC Radio Drama Collection - Guards! Guards! extract

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