Anton Lesser has narrated 42 audiobooks on Listento.it by 37 authors, with an average listener rating of 4.7★ across 1,019 ratings. The most-rated is The Clan of the Cave Bear.
Victorian London
Summary
Like her previous books, this book is the result of the author's passionate interest in the realities of everyday life, and the conditions in which most people lived, so often left out of history books. This period of mid-Victorian London encompasses a huge range of subjects: Victoria's wedding and the place of the royals in popular esteem; how the very poor lived, the underworld, prostitution, crime, prisons and transportation; the public utilities, Bazalgette on sewers and road design, Chadwick on pollution and sanitation; private charities, Peabody, Burdett Coutts, and workhouses; new terraced housing and transport, trains, omnibuses, and the Underground; furniture and decor; families and the position of women; the prosperous middle classes and their new shops, e.g. Peter Jones, Harrods; entertaining and servants, food and drink; unlimited liability and bankruptcy; the rich, the marriage market, taxes and anti-semitism; the Empire, recruitment and press-gangs. The period begins with the closing of the Fleet and Marshalsea prisons and ends with the first (steam-operated) Underground trains and the first Gilbert & Sullivan. All the splendours and horrors of Victorian life will be vividly recalled.
©2005 Liza Picard (P)2005 Orion Publishing Group Ltd.
The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo & The Lady of Camellias
Summary
A BBC Radio collection bringing together much loved works by Alexandre Dumas and Alexandre Dumas fils, starring Ruth Wilson, Dan Stevens and Timothy Spall.
The Three Musketeers: Alexandre Dumas' immortal swashbuckling epic in which d'Artagnan dices with death and meets Athos, Porthos and Aramis - the king's musketeers. Starring Jamie Glover, Robert Glenister, Timothy Spall and Anton Lesser.
The Count of Monte Cristo: Edmond Dantès has a charmed life - about to be promoted to Captain, and engaged to the beautiful Mercédès. But Marseilles in 1815 is a dangerous place, and he is accused of treason and sentenced to solitary confinement in the notorious Chateau D'If. Starring Iain Glen, Jane Laporaire and Toby Jones.
The Lady of the Camellias: Written by Alexandre Dumas fils, the son of Alexandre Dumas, this is the deliciously dramatic story of Marguerite Gautier - the Parisian courtesan who goes on a journey through worldliness, love, renunciation and atonement - thanks to the love of young Armand Duval. Starring Ruth Wilson and Dan Stevens.
©2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
Cat O' Nine Tales
Summary
Cat O'Nine Tales is the fifth collection of irresistible short stories from the master storyteller. Ingeniously plotted, with richly drawn characters and Jeffrey Archer's trademark unexpected conclusions, some of these 13 stories were inspired by the two years he spent in prison, including the story of a company chairman who tries to poison his wife while on a trip to St. Petersburg - with unexpected consequences. "The Red King" is a tale about a con man who discovers that an English Lord requires one more chess piece to complete a set that would be worth a fortune. In another tale of deception, "The Commissioner", a Bombay con artist ends up in the morgue, after he uses the police chief as bait in his latest scam. "The Perfect Murder" reveals how a convict manages to remove an old enemy while he's locked up in jail, and then set up two prison officers as his alibi. In "Charity Begins at Home", an accountant realizes he has achieved nothing in his life, and sets out to make a fortune before he retires. And then there is Archer's favorite, "In the Eye of the Beholder", in which a handsome star athlete falls in love with a 300-pound woman...who happens to be the ninth richest woman in Italy.
©2007 Jeffrey Archer (P)2007 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers LLC
Venus In Copper
Summary
In the heyday of the Roman Empire, a small accounting error has left Marcus Didius Falco sharing a cell with a large rat. But the Empire's most hard-done-by investigator is finally bailed out, and promptly accepts a commission to help a family of freed slaves fend off a professional bribe.... A third instalment of the Marcus Didius Falco mysteries set in first century Rome, starring Anton Lesser.
©2006 BBC Audiobooks Ltd (P)2014 Audible, Inc.
Spiritual Verses
Summary
Rumi's Spiritual Verses is the greatest mystical poem in Islamic culture - and of all time. Rumi examines our human separation from reality, love, and truth. He shows how love - neither erotic nor sentimental but divine, by which the universe is held together - enlightens ignorance and dissolves suffering. The first book of the Masnavi is the key to the whole work: It takes off from simple, amusing tales into realms unimaginable, but wholly familiar to the human heart.
©2007 Naxos AudioBooks Ltd. (P)2007 Naxos AudioBooks Ltd.
Caesar!
Summary
Nine BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramas by Mike Walker, chronicling Rome’s greatest rulers.
Drawing on historical sources including Suetonius’ ‘Lives of the Caesars’, Mike Walker’s compelling drama cycle follows the story of the leaders of Rome, from Julius Caesar’s ascension to power to the collapse of the Roman Empire in the West in AD 475.
Meeting at Formiae - Julius Caesar secretly seeks senate leaders Cicero and Cato’s support to shake up the rule of Rome. Stars David Troughton as Caesar, Anton Lesser as Cicero and Stephen Critchlow as Cato.
The Arena - As Julius’ appointed heir, young Octavian uses his legendary political skills to outwit enemies and rule Rome. Starring Adam Levy as Octavian.
Peeling Figs for Julius - His name is now a byword for depravity, but growing up in Tiberius’ court, how evil was Emperor Caligula? Stars David Tennant as Caligula and Neil Dudgeon as Cassius Chaerea.
The Best of Mothers - The murderous tale of Emperor Nero and his interfering mother, Agrippina. Jonathan Forbes stars as Nero, with Frances Barber as Agrippina the Younger.
The Glass Ball Game - The story of Emperor Hadrian and his relationship with Antinous, who died in mysterious circumstances. Starring Jonathan Hyde as Hadrian and Andrew Garfield as Antinous.
Citizens in a Great City - Young Commodus buckles under the expectations put upon him by his father, the philosopher/emperor Marcus Aurelius. And Septimus Severus is called on to save the Empire from anarchy. Jim Sturgess stars as Commodus, with Ronald Pickup as Marcus Aurelius and Ray Fearon as Septimus Severus.
Empress in the West - as the Roman Empire begins to fall apart, Victoria Poppea sees an opportunity to wield the power that her gender has always denied her. Stars Barbara Flynn as Victoria and Sam Troughton as Victorinus.
The Maker of All Things - Constantine and Crispus are father and son - but can this indivisible bond survive politics? Sam Dale stars as Constantine the Great, with Joseph Kloska as Crispus.
Empire Without End - With the Empire in the West under attack from Attila the Hun’s forces, an unlikely coalition of kingmakers selects the last Roman emperor. Starring Tom Hiddleston as Romulus Augustus.
©2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
A Sentimental Journey
Summary
Published just months before his death in 1768, A Sentimental Journey is Sterne's lightly fictionalised account of his own European travels. And being Sterne, it is more about digressions, misunderstandings, and risqué jokes than the places he visits. Narrated by the (apparently) innocent Parson Yorick, who appeared in Sterne's other masterpiece, Tristram Shandy, it is full of anecdote and incident, and is far more about the people than the landscapes on the road from Calais. Despite the title, any sentimentality is offset by the elegance of the writing, the engaging companionship of Yorick himself, and the constant, playful surprises. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
Public Domain (P)2010 Naxos Audiobooks
Shadows in Bronze
Summary
Anton Lesser and Anna Madeley star in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Lindsey Davis's second best-selling Falco novel featuring the Roman detective.
Rome, AD 71. Against his better judgement, Marcus Didius Falco secretly disposes of a decayed corpse for the Emperor Vespasian, then heads for the beautiful Bay of Naples with his friend Petronius. He conveniently forgets to mention to his companion that this will be no holiday. They have been sent to investigate the murderous members of a failed coup, now sunning themselves in luxurious villas and on fancy yachts in Neapolis, Capreae, and Pompeii. The idyllic seaside location fails to help his doomed romance with Helena Justina, whom Falco met and courted so stormily in The Silver Pigs. The deeper he probes, the more it seems that Helena is inextricably connected to the elite plotters, in ways that the smitten Falco cannot bear to contemplate.
©2014 Audible, Inc. (P)2014 Audible, Inc.
The M. R. James BBC Radio Collection
Summary
Spine-tingling stories by M. R. James, plus a chilling original drama and two bonus programmes about his life and work. M. R. James was the master of the uncanny. His classic supernatural stories have haunted readers and listeners for over a century and been adapted countless times for radio, TV and film. This collection features dramatisations of 12 of his most popular stories – The Mezzotint, Casting the Runes, The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral, A Warning to the Curious, Rats, Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come To You, My Lad, The Tractate Middoth, Lost Hearts, The Rose Garden, Number 13, Martin’s Close and Count Magnus. Among the star-studded casts are Mark Gatiss, Derek Jacobi, James D’Arcy, Anton Lesser, Julian Rhind-Tutt and Donald Wolfit. Also included are a trio of readings by Benjamin Whitrow: Canon Alberic’s Scrapbook, A School Story and The Haunted Dolls’ House. Neil Brand’s disturbing drama The Haunting of M. R. James, starring Mark Gatiss and Fenella Woolgar, sees horrific events from James’s own stories echoed in reality. The life of M. R. James is discussed by Muriel Gray and Christopher Frayling in an episode of biography series Great Lives, presented by Humphrey Carpenter. Finally, in a fascinating documentary – The Ghosts of M.R. James – Michell Raper examines the author’s life and work, with readings from several of his stories. Running Order: The Mezzotint Casting the Runes The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral A Warning to the Curious Rats Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come To You, My Lad The Tractate Middoth Lost Hearts The Rose Garden Number 13 Canon Alberic's Scrapbook A School Story The Haunted Doll's House Martin's Close Count Magnus The Haunting of M. R. James Great Lives: M. R. James The Ghosts of M. R. James
©2019 M. R. James (P)2019 Penguin Audio
The Stuarts
Summary
Eleven BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramas telling the stories of Mary Queen of Scots and the Stuart royals. Under the Stuarts, Britain entered the modern world. But with great change came turmoil, and for 111 years, the Stuart monarchs faced dynastic struggles, religious conflict, the rise of parliamentary democracy - and civil war. These dramas chart that turbulent epoch through its royal family, from Mary, Queen of Scots to the ‘last Stuart’, Bonnie Prince Charlie’s daughter Charlotte. It Came In with a Lass - 1561. Arriving in mist-shrouded Scotland, Queen Mary must quickly distinguish her friends from her enemies. Starring Jeany Spark as Mary. To Make the Plough Go Before the Horse - James I’s life and reign told through his relationships, from his first love, Esme, to his last favourite, George Villiers. Starring Bill Paterson as James I and VI. A World of Fools and Knaves - Henrietta Maria, Charles I's Catholic queen, watches her husband fail to keep hold of the reins of government. Starring Julian Rhind-Tutt as Charles I. This War Without an Enemy - Only on the morning of his execution can Charles I begin to understand the events that brought him to to the scaffold. Starring Julian Rhind-Tutt as Charles I. Charles II, Part One: Through the World in Various Fortune - When news of Oliver Cromwell's death reaches Brussels, the exiled Charles II plots his return. Starring Jamie Parker as Charles II. Charles II, Part Two: The Long Lease of Pleasant Days - Charles II plots to confound parliamentary reformers and secure the throne for his brother. Starring Pip Torrens as Charles II. James II: The Storms of this Deceitful World - 1688. After just four years as King, James II flees England in the Glorious Revolution. How did it all go so wrong? Starring James Fleet as James II. William III and Mary II: To Have and to Hold - Dutch William marries his Stuart cousin for reasons of politics, not passion - but their partnership proves crucial when it comes to ruling England. Starring Mark Edel-Hunt as William III and Elaine Cassidy as Mary. Queen Anne: Myself Alone - Queen Anne must abandon long-held allegiances to command parliament’s loyalty and rule with authority. Starring Fenella Woolgar as Queen Anne. Bonnie Prince Charlie: Who Dares to Be Free - Charles Edward Stuart, the ‘Young Pretender’, risks everything for the Stuart name. Starring Blake Ritson as Charles. Charlotte Stuart: The Last Stuart - Is Charlotte Stuart as driven as her predecessors, or the last victim of the Stuart curse? Starring Kate O’Flynn as Charlotte. Produced and directed by Jessica Dromgoole, Sasha Yevtushenko, Marc Beeby and Gemma Jenkins.
©2019 BBC Worldwide Ltd (P)2019 BBC Worldwide Ltd
Paradise Regained
Summary
In Paradise Regained, Satan again is on the prowl, having successfully tempted Adam and Eve, and forced their departure from the Garden of Eden. Here he sets out to tempt again, this time Jesus himself, as he comes to the end of his 40 days in the desert. The magisterial poetry of Milton enriches the encounter and, while not matching the greatness achieved in Paradise Lost, provides drama and depth.
©2005 Naxos Audiobooks (P)2005 Naxos Audiobooks
Tristram Shandy
Summary
Laurence Sterne’s most famous novel is a biting satire of literary conventions and contemporary 18th-century values. Renowned for its parody of established narrative techniques, Tristram Shandy is commonly regarded as the forerunner of avant-garde fiction. Tristram’s characteristic digressions on a whole range of unlikely subjects (including battle strategy and noses!) are endlessly surprising and make this one of Britain’s greatest comic achievements. A cast of strange characters populate this strangest of novels: gentle Uncle Toby, sarcastic Walter, and of course, the pompous, garrulous Tristram himself. This edition is read by Anton Lesser in a tour de force performance. Please note: In print, Tristram Shandy is filled with visual, typographical, and compositing jokes - pages that are completely blank, pages that are completely black, misplaced chapters or chapters consisting only of their title, squiggly lines to indicate waving a stick, and much more besides. This audiobook tries in a variety of ways to match Sterne's invention with aural equivalents. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
Public Domain (P)2009 Naxos Audiobooks
Hardy: The Mayor of Casterbridge
Summary
Michael Henchard, drunk at a country fair, sells his wife and baby daughter for five guineas. The following day, in despair and remorse, he forswears alcohol and sets out to redeem himself. In time, he becomes a respected merchant and eventually the mayor of the town. But Fate is not to be so easily appeased, and Henchard finds his past actions resonate through and destroy his plans for the future. One of the greatest novels in the English language, The Mayor of Casterbridge sees Thomas Hardy at his best, bringing landscape and richly imagined characters to life, and setting the hope of love against the forces of Providence.
Public Domain (P)2010 Naxos Audiobook
Waiting for the Boatman
Summary
The painter Mario Minniti has travelled to Naples to seek out his old friend and former mentor Caravaggio. But on arrival, the great painter is nowhere to be found. In a bid to find him, Mario retraces Caravaggio's last known movements. His search reveals a life lived dangerously. Starring David Tennant as Mario Minniti, with Anton Lesser, Peter Hamilton, Joe Dempsie, Tracy Wiles and Harry Livingstone. Written by Stephen Wakelam. Directed by Sasha Yevtushenko. Editor: Colin Guthrie. Studio Managers: Colin Guthrie, Keith Graham, Alison Craig. Production Coordinator: Nicole Fitzpatrick.
©2012 Stephen Wakelam (P)2012 AudioGO Ltd
Tsar
Summary
Eleven compelling BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramas telling the stories of the Russian tsars. Broadcast to mark the centenary of the Russian Revolution, this extraordinary drama cycle by Mike Walker comprises 11 ambitious plays spanning over 400 years, exploring the lives of Russia’s key rulers from Ivan the Terrible to Vladimir Putin. Ivan the Terrible: Absolute Power - the rise and fearsome reign of the first Tsar of All Russia. Starring David Threlfall as Ivan IV. Boris Godunov: Ghosts - did Boris Godunov have Ivan the Terrible's son killed? And what happened when the murdered boy came back from the dead - leading an army? Starring Shaun Dooley as Boris Godunov. Peter the Great: The Gamblers - Moscow, 1682 and two joint tsars rule: one, Ivan, is feeble-minded and the other is Peter, a child of 10 years old. Starring Will Howard as Peter. Peter the Great: Queen of Spades - distracted by his new capital, St Petersburg, and wife Catherine, Peter ignores his opponents: until his own son Alexei declares his colours. Starring Elliot Cowan as Peter. Catherine the Great: Husbands, Lovers and Sons - did Catherine foresee the consequences of staging a coup d'état against her husband the Tsar? Or did she want him dead from the start? Starring Samantha Spiro as Catherine II. Alexander I: Into the Woods - the story of the reluctant Tsar who took on the greatest threat Russia had ever faced - Napoleon Bonaparte - and won. Starring Joel MacCormack as Alexander I. Alexander II: The People’s Will - revolutionary terrorist cell The People’s Will is determined to assassinate the Tsar. But in the struggle between autocracy and socialism, there can be only one winner. Starring Joseph Millson as Alexander. Nikolai II: Three Hundred Years - in 1913, the Romanov dynasty celebrated 300 years on the Russian throne. But a mere four years later, Tsar Nikolai II was forced to abdicate. Starring Raymond Coulthard as Nikolai II. Lenin: Tears - as the Soviet era begins, Lenin joins the provisional government, but soon becomes set on seizing complete power for his Bolsheviks. Starring Paul Ritter as Lenin. Joseph Stalin: The Last Bolshevik - in 1941, the Soviet Union was invaded by the Nazis - and Joseph Stalin retired to his dacha, seemingly defeated.... Starring Brian McCardie as Stalin. The Shield and the Sword - thirteen interconnected stories about the enigmatic Russian President, Vladimir Putin. Starring Nicholas Murchie as VV. Written by Mike Walker. Produced and directed by Sasha Yevtushenko and Alison Hindell.
©2018 BBC Worldwide Ltd (P)2018 BBC Worldwide Ltd
From Shakespeare - With Love (The Best of Sonnets)
Summary
Shakespeare's Sonnets, one of the most remarkable collections of poetry, was first published in 1609, 400 years ago by Mr Thomas Thorpe. Naxos AudioBooks marks the occasion with a selection of 80 of the finest, read by leading actors. The selection includes famous ones such as 'Shall I compare thee to a summer's day' as well as lesser well-known sonnets though of equally fine stature.
©2009 Naxos Audiobooks (P)2009 Naxos Audiobooks
The Old Testament (Unabridged Selections)
Summary
Here are the greatest and best-loved stories from the Old Testament of the Bible, stories which can be read as much for their human, literary, and historical appeal as for their religious meaning. The selection ranges from childhood favorites like David and Goliath, to key moments in Jewish history (such as Exodus), and also includes some of the finest poetry in the Old Testament (the Song of Solomon, for example). PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
(P)1996 NAXOS AudioBooks Ltd.; ©1996 NAXOS AudioBooks Ltd.
Classic Poems for Boys
Summary
Classic Poems for Boys comprises a delightfully varied set of over 20 poems for 5- to 10-year olds. From rousing favorites like Felicia Dorothea Hemans’ "Casabianca" and John Keats’ "A Song About Myself", to dreamy, thoughtful poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Rudyard Kipling, this is a collection to be treasured.
Public Domain (P)2012 Naxos AudioBooks
Aesop's Fables
Summary
How can the Tortoise run faster than the Hare? What happens when the dog growls at its image? Or when the Country Mouse goes to supper with the Town Mouse? These wonderful stories have delighted adults and children for centuries, with their witty observations on animals and humans too. The stories are told with the enduring magic of a master story-teller, and set against the bright sounds of Vivaldi's Four Seasons and sound effects.
Public Domain (P)2000 Naxos Audiobooks
The Riddle Of The Sands
Summary
Riddle of the Sands is set during the long suspicious years leading up to the First World War and is a classic of spy fiction.
©2008 BBC Audiobooks Ltd (P)2014 Audible, Inc.