Beric the Briton

A Story of the Roman Invasion

By: George Alfred Henty

Narrated by: Jim Hodges

Bring history back to life through Jim Hodges' historically accurate, exciting, and edifying audio recordings.

Beric, a boy chief of a British tribe, takes a prominent part in the insurrection against Rome under Queen Boadicea. These efforts are useless against the mighty Roman army. For a short time, Beric and his companions continue the fight but are ultimately defeated and taken as prisoners to Rome. Through the eyes of Beric, the listener learns of life in AD 61 Rome, the gladiatorial schools, the great fire, and life in Nero's court. This classic work will shed light upon an event much neglected in history today.

The Henty Historical Novel Collection, written by George Henty in the 1800s, covers many time periods in history throughout the world. In this collection you will learn history, geography, and vocabulary while also discovering hero characters for your children to emulate.

Public Domain (P)2004 Jim Hodges Productions

Nice Story

The narrator is excellent at voices even woman’s. The story is about a Brit who becomes a gladiator under Nero and is an uplifting tale of hope and peace

Engaging storyline!

Much of that part of history seems veiled in shadow and unknown. I enjoyed this story because I don't know much about the history of that era / part of the world. It's historical fiction, so the outcome isn't very plausible. But on the whole I really enjoyed it. Enjoyed learning more about the Britons and Rome. I struggle with Jim Hodges as a reader, but you just have to give it a chance and once you're into the story you forget about the narration.

One of the Best of G. A. Henry’s Stories

A well though out story that provides hours of adventure, suspense, and historical knowledge. Jim Hodges delivers the narration with superb style which makes for a delightful experience.

An exciting an empire sprawling story

This was an enjoyable tale, it rivals that of some of Henty’s other works I have listened to including The cat of Bubastes and The young Carthaginian.

Enjoyable but use caution

I learned a great deal about Roman occupied Britain, which was my goal. There is also a great deal of information on Rome and Nero. Readers will recognize the typical Henty flow and plot structure.
There is one, brief scene, however, that is quite disturbing. A British native sees a black person for the first time and is quite candid in expressing his opinions. While this passage may accurately represent the prejudices of the time, I would strongly suggest caution in exposing children to it. (The character first compares the black man to an animal, then swears that if his wife ever gave birth to a baby looking like that, he would kill it.) It made me so sick to hear that, that I had to put the book down for a while.