Harold Robbins has 13 audiobooks on Listento.it, narrated by 14 narrators, with an average listener rating of 4.6★ across 9 ratings. The most-rated is A Stone for Danny Fisher.
Never Love a Stranger
Summary
Based on a $100 bet with his boss that he couldn't write a novel, Harold Robbins penned his first book, Never Love a Stranger. Not only did Robbins win the bet, the novel became a best seller, was adapted into the classic noir gangster film of the same name starring John Barrymore and Steve McQueen, and launched the career of one of the world's best-selling authors of all time. Never Love a Stranger, still considered one of Robbins' most powerful books, tells the story of Francis "Frankie" Kane, an orphan growing up in the dirty world of New York's Hell's Kitchen. After being kicked out of a Catholic orphanage when it is discovered that he is of Jewish descent, a confused and deeply distraught Frankie turns to a life of crime, the only life he knows, and he's good at it. Frankie quickly makes a name for himself and becomes one of New York's most dangerous men, ruling the city with an iron fist and indulging in his passion for sex, power, and the best things life has to offer - regardless of whether they're for sale. But Frankie's childhood friend, Jerry, grows to become an ambitious, tough-as-nails district attorney - determined to bring Frankie down. In Robbins' writing debut, he takes an unflinching look at the menacing New York of a bygone era when the syndicate ruled without mercy - and the world was introduced to a writer who would influence pop culture worldwide for decades to come. More than 25 New York Times best sellers later - many, like his most famous novel, The Carpetbaggers, reaching the number-one spot - and with over 750 million copies sold to date, Robbins became one of the most successful authors of all time. This is the novel that started it all - giving the world its first taste of Robbins' world of sex, corruption, and intrigue.
©2014 RosettaBooks LLC (P)2015 Audible, Inc.
A Stone for Danny Fisher
Summary
Born into a family of modest means and respectability, Danny Fisher was gradually driven downward into the world of crime, racketeering and poverty. His bitterness, his homesickness over the loss of the house in Brooklyn that was given to him for his eighth birthday, and his feud with his harsh father, pulled him one way; his natural decency and his love for a sweet Italian girl, Nellie Petito, pulled him another. Danny was a boxer--a sensational amateur and potential champion--and he might have gone straight had the fight promoters not tried to exert pressure. Nevertheless, the driving force behind Danny's actions was always his sustaining love for Nellie. In a story that is realistic and yet compassionate, Harold Robbins reveals what makes the Danny Fishers what they are.
©1979 Harold Robbins (P)2009 BBC Audio
Goodbye, Janette
Summary
A dynasty of women triumphs in the fiercely male-dominated world of high fashion amid the ruins of war. A daughter honors her mother's ultimate sacrifice - by becoming a ruthless businesswoman who will stop at nothing to raise high her family's name. Another daughter seeks to flee the toxic legacy of her family and live in peace. And both daughters have a date with destiny in a vault filled with Nazi gold...treasure that will alter the courses of both their lives.... Goodbye, Janette is a late masterpiece by Harold Robbins, America's most commercially successful and era-defining author of pulp fiction. The creator of erotic and ferocious turbocharged narratives of the soul-stricken rich and famous, Harold Robbins was in his day a close runner-up to Shakespeare and the Bible in numbers of books sold. Today his ability to create an unstoppable, mesmeric tale - someone famously said about him, "In Harold's books, the pages turn your fingers" - pushes him to the front ranks of pop novelists as new generations discover his awesome power. Epic and intimate, moving from the icy nighttime streets of the Nazi occupation to the decadent beaches of St. Tropez, from the showrooms of Manhattan to the runways of Paris, Goodbye, Janette is a hypnotically gripping, mythic family saga of the power of blood to bind, to oppress, and finally to set free. Full of the shocking U-turns and unexpected revelations that make Harold Robbins a master storyteller, Goodbye, Janette transports the listener to a chic, dreamlike world where everyone wants an all-access pass...but the penalties for staying may be severe.
©2014 RosettaBooks LLC (P)2015 Audible, Inc.
The Lonely Lady
Summary
Meet JeriLee Randall, aspiring actress, ambitious writer, and sexual powerhouse. It is this ambition that takes her away from her tiny hometown of Port Clare and sets her on a collision course with her future. Surviving on determination and seduction, she makes her way to Broadway and then on to Hollywood. The bright lights mask a deeper darkness, and JeriLee is quickly drawn into a world of greed, drugs, casting couches, and smooth-talking power players. She struggles to hold on to her honesty and the code of ethics she developed in her youth. More than anything else, she struggles to hold on to her dreams of success and stardom. It will take all her strength and cunning to escape Hollywood's death grip and beat the power elite at their own game. Harold Robbins, the author who rewrote the rules for erotic fiction, turns Hollywood on its ear in The Lonely Lady.
©2014 RosettaBooks LLC (P)2014 Audible Inc.
79 Park Avenue
Summary
From the author of The New York Times number-one best-selling novel The Carpetbaggers comes a story of a tragic love triangle between Marja Fluudjincki (aka Maryann Flood), an ambitious and sensual young woman from the slums who is forced into prostitution but reinvents herself as an elegant Park Avenue madam; Mike Keyes, a hardworking, honest man who works his way up to assistant district attorney and is the only man Marja ever loved; and Ross Drego, who introduces her to money and the gambler's world of Joker Martin, and is willing to pay any price for her. And does. 79 Park Avenue starts on the seedy streets of inner New York City and ends on luxurious Park Avenue. Over time Marja claws her way from street urchin to stripper, ultimately becoming the madam of a Mob-owned pleasure empire. Marja--now known as Maryann--provides access to the city's most exciting and sensual escorts. But when Maryann runs afoul of the law, endangering her empire and angering the Mob, she must face an ambitious prosecutor who stands to benefit by bringing down the call-girl ring. However, unbeknownst to the indefatigable ADA Mike Keyes, fate has dealt him a devastating blow. The madam he's been chasing, Maryann Flood, is none other than the love of his life who has repeatedly broken his heart, Marja Fluudjincki. Does he set aside his personal feelings for the sake of justice or fall under Maryann's seductive spell, betraying his life's work? Knowing that Maryann is unafraid to use seduction to get what she wants, will Mike fall prey to her charm and violate his solid sense of justice? Harold Robbins presents a vision of post-WWII New York that is as common now in shows like Revenge as it was then--a stark reminder that corruption, greed, and vengeance are timeless.
©2014 RosettaBooks LLC (P)2015 Audible Inc.
The Adventurers
Summary
Harold Robbins, a novelist known for steamy passion in his works, stirs up passion of a different kind in The Adventurers, a story of revolution and danger in the sultry jungles of South America. As a young boy, Diogenes Alejandro Xenos, witnesses the murder of his mother and sister by a band of marauders. As "Dax" grows to adulthood, he channels his fear and hatred into a desire for revolution, swearing revenge on those in power as he upsets the status quo. His actions make him an outlaw, living on the fringes of society in a land turned upside down with corruption. He is wanted by men and women alike-but for very different reasons. This epic tale of escape from the horrors of a third-world regime is one of Harold Robbins' most ambitious novels ever, combining his trademark sensuality with political intrigue and a globe-spanning variety of exotic locales. Lose yourself in The Adventurers.
©2014 RosettaBooks LLC (P)2014 Audible Inc.
Memories of Another Day
Summary
From the depths of the poverty-stricken West Virginia coal mines to the heights of power as one of the nation's most prominent and feared labor organizers, "Big Dan" Huggins is a hero worthy of Harold Robbins' attention. After its release in 1979, Memories of Another Day spent 24 weeks on The New York Times best sellers list, topping the list at number one and now it's available for digital download. Recognized as one of the world's most captivating storytellers, Robbins has written what is arguably the most significant book ever published about the rise of the labor unions in America. Born to a life of violence and tragedy, Dan becomes one of the most powerful and dangerous labor organizers in the country - at the expense of his personal relationships. He's a man who embraced violence, fierce ambition, lust and a deep hunger for justice even as he accumulated personal wealth, fame, and power. The novel opens at Dan's funeral, where his estranged son Jonathan is relieved by his father's death. But Jonathan is quickly thrust into his father's role and must return to his father's origins to better understand the man who shaped his past and continues to shape his future. Looking into the lives and childhoods of both father and son, Memories of Another Day gives a close look into the perks - and costs - of power. Robbins' gift for combining popular fiction with the most pertinent subjects of the twentieth century allowed him to create a snapshot in time. In this novel, Robbins creates a magnificent epic portrait of 50 years of the bitter birth and tarnished maturity of American labor. Relevant, respectful, and engaging, Memories of Another Day proves once again why Harold Robbins' books have sold more copies than almost any other American writer in history.
©2014 RosettaBooks LLC (P)2014 Audible Inc.
The Pirate
Summary
In a raging sandstorm, two men with their pregnant wives fatefully meet in the desert: Samir Al Fay, a Muslim doctor whose son will be named heir to the Prince of Beirut; and Isaiah Ben Ezra, a grizzled Jewish militant Zionist heading to the Promised Land. The women give birth - Samir's unconscious wife delivers a stillborn girl, Ben Ezra's wife dies delivering a healthy boy. Transcending their differences, Ben Ezra gives his son to Samir. Only these two men know the truth of the boy's origin, and Samir vows to raise him as his true son - naming him Badyr. Years later, Badyr - now known as "The Pirate" - has become one of the wealthiest and most powerful Arabic entrepreneurs in the Middle East. Educated in the West, Badyr is more western than Arabic - but remains grounded in his perceived heritage and distrustful of Jews. The Pirate is seemingly invincible, and with his looks, charm, and unending supply of money, no woman can resist him. But two women have power over his fate: one a long-lost love, another obsessed with the search for her missing father. However, it's not just Badyr's heart at risk. A web of political intrigue, corruption and terrorism threatens the business empire he worked to build, and he is drawn into a shadowy world of decadence, passion, and betrayal. Soon Badyr must decide whom he can trust, risking his life, family and fortune in that decision - and finds allies in the most unlikely of places, shocked by the reality he discovers. From the author of The New York Times number one best-seller The Carpetbaggers comes a compelling tale of decadence, luxury, greed, and international intrigue set against a backdrop of Middle East oil and global terrorism. The Pirate was later adapted into the star-studded CBS miniseries featuring Anne Archer, Eli Wallach, Christopher Lee, Ian McShane, Armand Assante, and more.
©2014 RosettaBooks LLC (P)2014 Audible Inc.
The Raiders
Summary
The explosive sequel to The Carpetbaggers is set in an atmosphere of wealth, decadence, and unbridled sexuality, ranging in scene from Las Vegas to Mexico City, New York, and Havana. This electrifying tale continues the Cord family saga, pitting Jonas Cord Jr. against his illegitimate son, Bat, in a struggle for control of a vast fortune.
©2014 RosettaBooks LLC (P)2015 Audible Inc.
The Inheritors
Summary
From the author of The New York Times number-one best-selling novel The Carpetbaggers comes a novel exposing the money, fame, sex, politics, and power that accompany being at the top of the entertainment industry. Based on the real lives of network executives and other high-profile personalities in the early days when television first became a viable threat to the all-powerful business of the silver screen, The Inheritors is the first in Harold Robbins' Trilogy of Greed and spent 21 weeks on The New York Times best-sellers list. Steve Gaunt, the rebellious visionary, is the head of a successful television empire, making him a hit in the ratings and with gorgeous women. Sam Benjamin, one of the last of the old motion picture tycoons, desperately wants to hold on to the power that has long been associated with the more "glamorous" part of the business - the movies. When the two combine forces, they have the potential to remake the entertainment industry - or be each other's undoing. Will their friendship fall apart when their money is on the line, or will their partnership make them even more wealthy and powerful? Entertainment is a dirty business, built by ruthless mavericks. The only rule is that nothing is real in Hollywood.
©2014 RosettaBooks LLC (P)2014 Audible Inc.
Never Leave Me
Summary
Robbins' New York is the world of big business and the men and women who make it big. Honor and decency are nothing in a city where respect is measured by the size of your expense account. And it's the city that Brad Rowan, a man on the make, hopes to conquer on his climb to the top, bringing with him the women he loves, uses, and destroys. Drawing from his own experiences in New York, Robbins vividly portrays our eternal desire for greed, desire, and blind ambition, in this timeless tale of success and struggle in the city that never sleeps.
©2014 RosettaBooks LLC (P)2014 Audible Inc.
Spellbinder
Summary
From the author of The New York Times number one best-selling novel The Carpetbaggers comes a hard-edged look at the seductive, high-stakes and often hypocritical world of religious revivalism and televangelists. Spellbinder is the story of a genuine and charismatic believer simply known as "Preacher", who returns from the foxholes and horrors of Vietnam with a simple goal: to spread the word of peace, love, and charity. He immediately attracts a following as he moves from California communes to small surfing towns. "The Church", as his mobile flock is now known, is a culture that centers as much on sex and drugs as prayers, sacraments, and salvation. Despite a growing following, The Church is bordering on broke. As they reach what is surely the end of the line in Texas, a powerful billionaire witnesses Preacher and likes what he sees. Promising a platform where Preacher can reach millions at once - not dozens - Preacher takes the leap into the new world of mass broadcasting the gospel. Before long, Preacher becomes one of the most powerful televangelists in the country, making influential friends and building a vast empire as the newest religious superstar. He finds his new success and status as "the" rock star entertainer of big-top religion intoxicating. Deep inside, however, he realizes that he's become just another "over-the-airwaves" televangelist selling everlasting salvation for an earthly price. With a burning conscience, he knows that he must make a gut-wrenching decision: preserve his empire to continue to spread the word or make the ultimate sacrifice to expose the hypocrisy that surrounds him. With five weeks on The New York Times best-sellers list, this groundbreaking Harold Robbins novel tackles the culture of televangelism and big-money churches head-on.
©2014 RosettaBooks LLC (P)2014 Audible Inc.
Dreams Die First
Summary
California in the 1960s is a time of free love and peace on Earth. But the times, they are a'changing, and Gareth Brendan is trying his best to keep up. When his wealthy, powerful uncle gives him control of an underground newspaper, Gareth finds an outlet for all the radical thoughts and ideas he's kept inside. Suddenly, he's the head of an empire of casinos and clubs, movies and magazines, surrounded by models and pimps who cater to the ultra-rich. Dreams Die First is an explosive story of one man's vision of liberated sexuality and how he turns that vision into a life of fame and fantasy. But all that power comes at a price, as a ruthless underworld syndicate seeks to topple Gareth's throne. Harold Robbins, the world's best-selling novelist, does it again in Dreams Die First, a tale of power and passion that transports listeners to another place and time.
©2014 RosettaBooks LLC (P)2014 Audible Inc.