Showing results by narrator "John Rowe" in All Categories

Acclaimed author JG Farrell came to fame with his Empire Trilogy, exploring the collapse of British colonialism and its repercussions in three different countries. The first book in the series, Troubles, won the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize and the Lost Man Booker Prize, while the second, The Siege of Krishnapur, was awarded the Booker Prize for Fiction. Included here are three BBC Radio adaptations of the trilogy, plus an edition of Witness History exploring Farrell's tragic accidental death.

One of the most prolific playwrights of the Jacobean era, Thomas Middleton achieved great success with his cynically satirical comedies and bloodthirsty tragedies. Considered the only true rival to Shakespeare, Middleton is widely believed to have collaborated with the Bard on several plays, including Timon of Athens. This dazzling collection comprises dramatisations of his most famous works, including his two masterpieces, The Changeling and Women Beware Women.

Vampires are real. That fact has left Erin Hamilton thinking she’s headed for crazy town. Still, she can’t deny the intense emotion she experienced when Dante Gabriel bit her neck and took her blood. She’s in love, and her body responded to his bite in a way she never could have imagined. Once Dante tastes Erin’s blood, he’s addicted forever and cannot live without it. He’s heartbroken when she bans him from her life and threatens to have him arrested if he comes near her again. But neither can live without the other now, and danger is coming for them.

Four more delightful tales from one of the most entertaining storytellers of all time. Though writing in the thirteenth century, Chaucer’s wit and observation comes down undiminished through the ages, especially in this accessible modern verse translation. The stories vary considerably from the uproarious Wife of Bath’s Tale, promoting the power of women to the sober account of patient Griselda in the Clerk’s Tale.

This illuminating serial charts the transformation of the young Victoria from spirited teenager to shy young bride to celebrated ruler of Britain and ‘Mother of Europe’. But while her roles changed, her essential nature remained the same: vibrant, passionate, principled and fiercely independent. Through extracts from Victoria’s own diaries and letters, and dramatised episodes featuring the characters closest to her, we are given thrilling insight into the thoughts and feelings of the woman behind the crown - and the secrets of her mind and heart.

As the enemy’s true plans are revealed, Dante Gabriel finally finds his missing uncle under the most unexpected circumstances. Time is running out, however, and Dante must act quickly to free those imprisoned, especially when he learns what his captor has in mind for all of them. He and Erin Hamilton continue to find new secrets hiding in the Vampyre Texts, and with the help of an unlikely ally, they discover the devastation their sinister opponent has planned.

This is a story from the Canterbury Tales II: Modern Verse Translation collection.

Trevor Peacock (The Vicar of Dibley) stars as inspired chef Warwick Hedges in this comedy drama set in an idiosyncratic restaurant in the Cambridgeshire Fens. Warwick’s son, Jack, works alongside his father, which makes him permanently anxious. They are assisted by Samuel, an earthy odd-job man 'who crawled out of the slime with the eels', and Zofia the Polish waitress. Whether hosting unusual guests, dealing with flooding, fuelling father-son rivalry or moving strange stones from the edge of the Fen to his restaurant 'at his own peril', Warwick certainly keeps Mardle Fen on its toes.

Dante Gabriel needs Erin Hamilton’s blood. The hunger is all-consuming, and his health and life are in danger - and so is hers. Still, he refuses to force her to feed him. She must come to him willingly. Once she does, they will be bound for eternity. Erin feels like she’s been transported to another world. Ghosts, werewolves, and vampires are real? Even her best friend is not what she seems. Erin tries to escape this new reality by delving further into the mystery at the hospital.

Edgar Allan Poe (born Edgar Poe) was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 19th, 1809, and was orphaned at an early age. Taken in by the Allan family, his education was cut short by lack of money, and he went to the military academy West Point where he failed to become an officer.  His early literary works were poetic, but he quickly turned to prose. He worked for several magazines and journals until in January 1845, The Raven was published and became an instant classic.

Dante Gabriel begins to understand the changes occurring in him as the Vampyre Texts release more clues, but can he learn to voluntarily control the power he now wields? Before he can find out for certain, he must truly have faith in his abilities. Others’ lives depend on it. Erin Hamilton has seen things that have changed her life forever, but she refuses to go aboveground when Dante asks her to. She’s in this with him for the long haul, and she’ll stay by his side to make sure he gets the sustenance he needs. Danger or not, her place is with him.

Two boys out sledging in their local park find the body of an old woman in the snow. Who is she? How did she come to be there? Over 10 episodes, we meet people she has encountered, members of her family and her friends, all of whom give us clues about what has led the woman to this place. On our journey to understanding the woman's story, we encounter a series of relationships which combine to form a moving account of modern life and loves.

Dante Gabriel has developed some abilities never before seen in a vampire his age. Without Erin Hamilton, he’d be on the brink of insanity, but she’s always there, always willing to give him what he needs, and he’s determined to keep her safe from the vampires who want her. His questions are still unanswered, and he considers turning to an evil source for results. Erin trusts Dante completely but still seeks outside help to keep the vampires away. Another dream leaves her more frantic to solve the mystery of the disappearing women and help Dante find what he’s looking for.

Now that Dante Gabriel recognizes the blood bond Erin Hamilton has formed with him, he has unwound a little. Still, he must find a way to convince her that she must complete the bond for both their sakes. Vampires are rapidly dying out, and humans have long considered them nothing more than a myth. How can he make her understand?

Dante Gabriel is angry. Someone has violated the woman whose scent has left him emotionally paralyzed, and he’s become unhinged. He vows to protect Erin Hamilton - mostly from himself. Erin has other ideas. She’s determined to figure out the strange man who keeps leaving her aroused and unsatisfied. When she pushes Dante for answers, he goes looking for them himself. What he uncovers could put Erin in mortal danger, with him as her only salvation.

Erin Hamilton and Dante Gabriel are living together and are more in love than ever, but the mysteries surrounding them continue to evolve. When two more women go missing - Dante’s sister and Erin’s best friend - they dive in more deeply, recruiting Erin’s brother to help. Despite his quest for information, Dante resists falling prey to his former captor’s drive to control his mind. As more changes come to light, he relies on his own strength and his love for Erin to keep himself in check. But the darkness following him is determined to manifest, and its source is a surprise.

Once bonded, never broken. Those words from the ancient Vampyre Texts are what keep Dante Gabriel going. He refuses to glamour Erin Hamilton into giving him her blood. He loves her, and he wants a true blood bond with her, not a forced one that is easily broken. Though she tries, Erin finds she can’t resist Dante. When he comes for her, she always submits willingly, despite her best intentions.

Vampires can’t levitate. At least that’s what Dante Gabriel always thought, until he finds himself floating above his bed along with his lover, Erin Hamilton. As he continues to exhibit unusual powers, more memories from his time in captivity surface, leaving him fearing what he might have done while imprisoned. When a new and unexpected temptation arises, he finds himself unable to resist. Erin aches for Dante and wants more than anything for him to find peace.

Darkness tempts Dante Gabriel at every corner, and he struggles to maintain the control he was never taught when he came of age. His ghost father, his cousin, and the voodoo priestess under Claiborne Bridge continue to help, even as he descends further toward madness. Erin Hamilton is more in love than ever. She doesn’t fear Dante, even when he’s not himself, and she’s willing to do anything to put an end to his suffering and to find her best friend and the others. An unexpected visitor who arrives with a valuable gift could be the key.

Erin Hamilton follows Dante Gabriel back into hell - the underground compound where he was held for a decade - to confront the woman who held him captive. Finally unmasked, she seems to hold Dante under her influence. Erin has faith in Dante’s strength and determination, though, especially when the mysterious Vampyre Texts reveal their first secret. Dante struggles to regain his control, even as he grows stronger and the darkness rises within him. He’ll let his captor think she commands him as long as it serves his purpose....