Showing results by narrator "Derek" in All Categories

Deeply distressed at thought of his singularly money-minded family circling around his inevitable death bed, when Old Martin Chuzzlewit comes across a young and kindly orphan girl, he immediately decides to take her into his employment. Offering her a comfortable living in exchange for her care and protection, Martin rests easy in the knowledge that her comfort will last only as long as he does; upon his death, Mary the orphan will find herself on the cold and dirty streets from whence she came.

The Sleepwalkers is historian Christopher Clark's riveting account of the explosive beginnings of World War I. Drawing on new scholarship, Clark offers a fresh look at World War I, focusing not on the battles and atrocities of the war itself but on the complex events and relationships that led a group of well-meaning leaders into brutal conflict.

After years of fighting abroad, Ian MacDonald comes home to find his clan in peril. To save his kin, he must right the wrongs from his past... and claim the bride he's long resisted. As a young lass, Sìleas depended on Ian to play her knight in shining armor. Five years later, Sìleas has grown from an awkward girl into an independent beauty who knows she deserves better than the reluctant husband who preferred war to his wife. Now this devilishly handsome Highlander is finally falling in love. He wants Sìleas - and he won't take no for an answer....

With a language disappearing every two weeks and neologisms springing up almost daily, an understanding of the origins and currency of language has never seemed more relevant. In this charming volume, a narrative history written explicitly for a young audience, expert linguist David Crystal proves why the story of language deserves retelling. From the first words of an infant to the peculiar modern dialect of text messaging, A Little Book of Language ranges widely, revealing language's myriad intricacies and quirks.

AI has acquired startling new language capabilities in just the past few years. Driven by rapid advances in deep learning, language AI systems are able to write and understand text better than ever before. This trend is enabling new features, products, and entire industries. With this book, listeners will learn practical tools and concepts they need to use these capabilities today.

The Starship Atlantis takes you on an unforgettable journey through the extraordinary. From alien civilizations and rogue AI to desperate missions on the brink of collapse, these stories will transport you across the stars into the heart of the unknown. This anthology features six never-before-published novellas and short stories, plus two exclusive bonus tales.

For years, I’ve toed the fine line between wanting women to fill the empty spaces of my life and not letting them get close enough to know I struggle with my time overseas. Thankfully, one woman I don’t have to worry about finding that tricky balance with is our new office admin. Even if she hadn’t dropped me with a knee between my legs, making me choke on a donut all before I met her, I wouldn’t want anything to do with Chloe Whitlock. Not only would she rather remain unaware of the world’s harshness by keeping her nose in a book, but she’s also too bubbly.

As the Nazis conquer Europe, Jewish teen Max and his parents flee persecution in Germany for Holland, where Max finds true friends and a life-altering romance. But when Hitler invades in 1940, Max must escape to Chicago, leaving his parents and friends behind. When he learns of his parents' deportation and murder, Max immediately enlists in the US Army. After basic training he is sent to Camp Ritchie, Maryland, where he is trained in interrogation and counterintelligence.

When second son Alexander Valentine loses his brother to an assassin's arrow, he discovers that his family protects an ancient secret and reluctantly finds himself at the center of the final battle of a war that was supposed to have ended 2,000 years ago.

Combined into one volume, this is the definitive collection of Tolkien’s five acclaimed modern classic ‘fairie’ tales in the vein of The Hobbit, read by Derek Jacobi. The five tales are written with the same skill, quality and charm that made The Hobbit a classic. Largely overlooked...

Zander is in an auction house for the sole purpose of getting someone to sign a contract. He doesn't have any interest in owning a blood slave—until he lays eyes on Max. That, he must have. Max is there for reasons of his own, mostly desperate reasons, and he's braced himself for a year of hell, which doesn't seem to be forthcoming. Someone needs to explain to this vampire that he's supposed to use Max, not spoil him. Zander doesn't seem to get it.

Dating to the ninth century BC, Homer’s timeless poem still vividly conveys the horror and heroism of men and gods wrestling with towering emotions and battling amidst devastation and destruction, as it moves inexorably to the wrenching, tragic conclusion of the Trojan War. Renowned...

Sir Derek Jacobi reads a collection of tales from the master of ghost stories, M. R. James, whose stories have for many years inspired the BBC's A Ghost Story for Christmas TV adaptations. M. R. James was described as "a man who, in company with Sheridan le Fanu, is the best ghost-story writer England has ever produced".

Here are four of Hans Christian Andersen’s best-loved short stories, specially adapted for young children and read by some of Britain’s most well-known actors. The Emperor’s New Clothes: An emperor is promised a special suit of clothes by a pair of tailors. The Little Mermaid: A beautiful mermaid falls in love with a prince. The Fir Tree: A little fir tree is desperate to grow up and be like the other trees in the forest.

Silas Marner is a selfless member of a tight Calvinist sect who's been framed for stealing the congregation's funds. Expelled from his community, he retreats to the rustic hamlet of Raveloe to spend the remainder of his life as a misanthropic hermit, devoted only to the fortune he amasses as a linen weaver. But when his gold is taken, Silas also feels robbed of what's left of his humanity. Then, one snowy New Year's Eve, an orphan girl comes in out of the storm and changes him forever.

Three strangers chosen by the gods. A castle-servant who can bend fire and light to his will. A musician whose song can soothe even the wildest of hearts. And a nobleman with the gods' own luck. Three strangers gifted with powers beyond that of normal mortals stand against the armies of shadow. But there are other gods, other powers lurking in the darkness, and they, too, will find their champions. Hunted by mortal and immortal enemies alike, Alesh and his companions flee south to the Ferinan lands.

My name is Sheena May, and everything has changed. All my secrets are out, and now I'm a hostage again. Trapped in a concrete box surrounded by the very magical objects my life depends upon, I have to find a way to outsmart the witches who betrayed us and get back to the men I love. Caught up in power plays, twisted games, and a hatred that spans centuries, I cling to an unlikely lifeline: the enigmatic fae who visits my dreams.

Hanuman is an outstanding scholar, a fearless warrior, and the ideal lieutenant: intelligent, totally committed to his master, selfless and humble. Born into the Vanar tribe, a clan of the upa-devatas (demi-deities), he represents the four best-known divine attributes akhand brahmacharya...

My name is Sheena May, and I'm done running. Insidious yellow eyes lock onto the secrets of my magic, and my former best friend shows up with a bombshell that could ruin us all, leaving me to figure out if I'm really the weapon my enemies think I am.

Valshara has fallen, and the forces of Angraal are advancing. For the first time, human and elf must shed blood as one, in order to stem the tide of evil. But new hope has arisen. From across the Western Abyss, a people long forgotten have returned. However, hope comes at its own price. Gewey must choose between his bond of love, and his duty to the world he is struggling to save.