Audio Books on Audible

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads Mark Twain’s masterpiece, first published in 1884 with the subtitle “(Tom Sawyer’s Companion).” Told in the voice of Huck Finn himself, an uneducated, conscience-plagued adolescent of the pre-Civil War American South, the book chronicles the boy’s efforts to help Jim, a runaway slave, to freedom. “Narrator Robin Field magnificently captures the tone and rhythm of Mark Twain’s classic novel. Most challenging for any narrator is the reproduction of the dialects, dramatic emphasis, and accents that are essential to the story, which on the surface is merely a journey down the Mississippi but, in truth, explores the coming-of-age of an ‘uncivilized’ boy…. Field’s youthful tone and connection to the emotional core of the story anchor the action of the novel, creating a connection between the listener and Twain that adds an extra dimension to the pleasure of what is arguably the great American novel.” Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award —AudioFile. The unabridged reading is over eleven hours long on nine Audio CDs.

The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the English translation of the Italian classic by Carlo Collodi (Lorenzini), published in 1883. From the narrator: “As a child I always found it fascinating to compare the film or stage adaptation of a famous children’s story to the original classic. Pinocchio, for instance, was originally written as a series of individual cautionary tales, warning children not to be like the bad little puppet. This made narrating the book a special challenge: to present the stubborn naughtiness of the wooden boy, and still make him innocent and sympathetic. Of course, children’s classics also offer me the fun of playing a wider range of voices — not only humans, but animals, fairies, and giants (in this case, with the help of my friend Kathy Aughenbaugh).” The unabridged reading is nearly five hours long on four Audio CDs.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the classic novel of American childhood by Mark Twain, first published in 1876. Based on Twain’s own boyhood in Missouri, the book introduces the young hero Tom Sawyer, his beleaguered Aunt Polly, friend Huckleberry Finn, sweetheart Becky Thatcher and the villainous Injun Joe. Its success inspired bootlegs, imitations, stage, and film versions, radio and television adaptations, recordings, and comic books. Twain himself wrote the sequels Tom Sawyer Abroad (1894) and Tom Sawyer, Detective (1896) and gave Tom a featured role in his masterpiece Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884). Field has recorded many of Twain’s works, played him onstage, and written, composed, and directed his own musical adaptation of Tom Sawyer. The unabridged reading is over eight hours long on seven Audio CDS.

The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the last book by Thomas Paine (1737-1809). Born in England to Quaker parents, Paine met Benjamin Franklin, who convinced him to move to America, where he soon became a contributing editor to The Pennsylvania Magazine and an ardent supporter of American independence from England. In 1776 his pamphlet Common Sense, according to George Washington, “worked a powerful change in the minds of many men.” Washington read Paine’s The Crisis to his soldiers to encourage them during the Revolutionary War. Paine’s Rights of Man, written in defense of the French Revolution, resulted in his being tried for treason in England and imprisoned for ten months, where he wrote much of The Age of Reason, an assault on the Holy Bible — demonstrating its inconsistencies and contradictions, citing chapter and verse. However, Thomas Jefferson claimed that he shared Paine’s principles, and John Adams wrote in 1805: “I know not whether any man in the world has had more influence on its inhabitants or affairs for the last thirty years.” The unabridged reading is over eight hours long on seven Audio CDs.

Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll (Mission Audio)

Actors Robin Field and Kathy Aughenbaugh read Lewis Carroll’s classic children’s novels, first published in 1864 and 1871. Originally published under the titles Alice’s Adventures Underground and Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, these books were the work of an Oxford mathematician named Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, using the pen-name of Lewis Carroll. According to Charles H. Sylvester (editor of Journeys through Bookland): “One day … he took three of his little friends, Alice and Edith and Lorina Liddell, for a trip up the river, and on that afternoon he began telling them about Alice and her Wonderland, continuing the story on other occasions. He had no intention of making a book, but the story pleased little Alice and her sisters so well that they talked about it at home and among their grown-up friends, who finally persuaded the author to have it printed.” Note: Songs are composed by Field, although the opening poem “All in the Golden Afternoon” is missing from this recording. Both audiobooks are combined in one package. The unabridged readings are approximately seven hours long on six Audio CDs.

Andersen’s Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field read a selection of fairy tales by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875). According to Charles W. Elliot (editor of The Harvard Classics), Andersen “was the son of a poor cobbler who died when Hans was eleven…. His literary career began in 1829 with his humorous extravaganza A Journey on Foot from Holm Canal to the East Point of Amager, which was followed by plays, poems, and descriptions of travel, and in 1835 by his first novel The Improvisatore, which was an immediate success. In the same year he found his real forte in the first volume of Fairy Tales….” Note: Due to the advanced vocabulary and dramatic content of these stories, they are not recommended for the very young. The reading is nearly seven hours long on six Audio CDs. The twenty tales in this collection are:

The Ugly Duckling; The Swineherd; The Emperor’s New Clothes; The Elfin Mound; The Constant Tin Soldier; The Little Sea-Maid (Mermaid); The Red Shoes; The Wild Swans; The Nightingale; The Garden of Paradise; The Daisy; The Storks; The Darning-Needle; The Shadow; Little Ida’s Flowers; The Angel; The Flying Trunk; The Tinder-Box; The Buckwheat; The Bell

The Arabian Nights Entertainments by Jonathan Scott (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads 22 magical stories from the famous collection, as translated and edited by Dr. Jonathan Scott in 1811. First collected as early as the tenth Century under the title The Thousand and One Nights, these tales were ostensibly told one night at a time by Scheherazade, a Sultan’s wife, to avoid being killed. An Egyptian version was known circa 1450, and a French translation in 1704 by Antoine Galland, whose twelve volumes became the basis of popular English translations. Note: Due to the advanced vocabulary and dramatic content of these stories, they are not recommended for the very young. The reading is approximately nine hours long on eight Audio CDs. The stories include:

The Sultan and His Vow; The Fable of the Ass, the Ox, and the Laborer; The Story of the Merchant and the Genie; The History of the First Old Man and the Hind; The History of the Second Old Man and the Two Black Dogs; The Three Calenders, Sons of Kings, and the Five Ladies of Bagdad; The History of the First Calender; The History of the Second Calender; The History of the Envious Man and of Him Who Was Envied; The History of the Third Calender; The Story of Zobeide; The History of Amina; The Story of the Three Sisters; The Story of Aladdin, or the Wonderful Lamp; The History of Ali Baba, and of the Forty Robbers Killed by One Slave; The First Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor; The Second Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor; The Third Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor; The Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor; The Fifth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor; The Sixth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor; The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor

Aristotle: On Poetry (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the Poetics of Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle (c. 384-c. 322 B.C.), as translated by S. H. Butcher. Born in Stagira, Macedonia, the son of a physician, Aristotle studied for about twenty years at Plato’s Academy at Athens, then became the tutor of thirteen-year-old Alexander the Great. At about the age of 50 Aristotle established his own school in Athens at the Lyceum — known as the “Peripatetic” school, because he taught while walking through the public garden. He lectured and wrote on physics, metaphysics, biology, logic, psychology, rhetoric, ethics, politics, and esthetics. In this fragmentary work he discusses: imitation as the principle common to all arts; the origin and development of poetry; the elements of tragedy; a comparison of history to poetry; the necessity and primacy of plot; unity and magnitude of plot; simple and complex plots; change of fortune; reversal of the situation, recognition scenes, and scenes of suffering; evoking tragic emotions of fear and pity in the audience; proper characterization; practical rules for the tragic poet; the value of outlining the plot, using Euripides’ Iphiginia and Homer’s Odyssey as examples; two basic elements of tragedy — complication and unraveling; proper length of epic poetry and tragic drama; necessity of integrating all elements to a single purpose; why thought (or intellectual content) must follow the principles of rhetoric, and diction (the use of grammar) must follow the principles of poetry; parts of speech and grammar; poetic techniques, especially metaphor; contrast of poetry and history; answering critical objections; and why tragic drama is superior to epic poetry. The reading is just under two hours long on two Audio CDs.

The Aspern Papers by Henry James (Blackstone Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the classic novella. Set in a crumbling Venetian villa, The Aspern Papers is a novella about the heart’s romantic ambitions and the pragmatic methods we use to pursue them. An American editor arrives in Venice on a quest to acquire some unpublished letters written by his favorite Romantic poet, Jeffrey Aspern. He tracks down the mistress to whom the letters were addressed, a now elderly Miss Bordereau, and presents himself as a prospective lodger. In hopes of gaining access to the secret papers, he begins courting Miss Bordereau’s plain spinster niece, Miss Tina. As his obsessive mission leads him into increasingly unscrupulous behavior, he finds that his desire can be obtained only at the price of his honor. Written with taut suspense and brilliant insight into complex human motivations, The Aspern Papers is one of Henry James’ most acclaimed novellas. “Robin Field gives us a cold and almost prissy protagonist, capable of hero worship in the abstraction while lacking the capacity for human love.” — SoundCommentary. The unabridged reading is approximately four-and-a-half hours long on four Audio CDs.

Augustus by John Williams (Blackstone Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the award-winning novel about Rome’s first emperor, first published in 1972. John Williams (1922-1994) was born in Texas and received his PhD from the University of Missouri. In 1955 he became the director of the University of Denver’s creative writing program where he edited its Quarterly. He remained at Denver until his retirement in 1986. Through fictional letters written by such historical luminaries as Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Marcus Antonius, Cicero, and many others, Augustus tells how Octavius, nephew of Julius Caesar, is thrust into ruling the Roman Empire at the age of nineteen, and follows his political and romantic intrigues as Augustus Caesar to the end of his life. The New York Times called the book “an always engaging, psychologically convincing work of fiction.” And the book won the 1973 National Book Award for Fiction. SoundCommentary called this recording “a vast story from a vastly talented novelist read by a vastly gifted narrator.” The unabridged reading is over fourteen hours long on twelve Audio CDs.

Benjamin Franklin: His Autobiography (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the complete autobiography of American Founding Father Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790). The World Book Encyclopedia says Franklin was “a printer, author, publisher, inventor, scientist, businessman, philosopher, statesman, and diplomat,” adding that his memoir “is considered one of the best autobiographies ever written.” This reading is from The Harvard Classics, edited by Charles W. Elliot. According to Elliot: “The first five chapters … were composed in England in 1771, continued in 1784-5, and again in 1788, at which date he brought it down to 1757. After a most extraordinary series of adventures, the original form of the manuscript was finally printed by Mr. John Bigelow, and is here reproduced in recognition of its value as a picture of one of the most notable personalities of [American] Colonial times, and of its acknowledged rank as one of the great autobiographies of the world.” George Washington once wrote to Franklin: “If to be venerated for benevolence, if to be admired for talents, if to be esteemed for patriotism, if to be beloved for philanthropy, can gratify the human mind, you must have the pleasing consolation to know that you have not lived in vain.” The unabridged reading is approximately seven hours long on six Audio CDs.

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County & Other Sketches by Mark Twain (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the first book by Mark Twain (1835-1910), a collection of short humorous pieces, originally published in 1867. The great American author, lecturer, and humorist was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens and grew up in Hannibal, Missouri. Under the pen-name of Mark Twain he wrote such classics as Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, The Prince and the Pauper, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. He also wrote about his Mediterranean cruise in The Innocents Abroad, his Western adventures in Roughing It, and his steamboat piloting days in Life on the Mississippi. Critic William Dean Howells called Twain “the Lincoln of our literature.” The reading is nearly five hours long on five Audio CDs, and includes the following stories:

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County; Aurelia’s Unfortunate Young Man; A Complaint about Correspondents; Answers to Correspondents; Among the Fenians; The Story of the Bad Little Boy Who Didn’t Come to Grief; Curing a Cold; An Inquiry about Insurances; Literature in the Dry Diggings; “After” Jenkins; Lucretia Smith’s Soldier; The Killing of Julius Caesar “Localized”; An Item Which the Editor Himself Could Not Understand; Among the Spirits; Brief Biographical Sketch of George Washington; A Touching Story of George Washington’s Boyhood; A Page from a Californian Almanac; Information for the Million; The Launch of the Steamer Capital; Origin of Illustrious Men; Advice for Good Little Girls; Concerning Chambermaids; Remarkable Instances of Presence of Mind; Honored as a Curiosity in Honolulu; The Steed “Oahu”; A Strange Dream; Short and Singular Rations

A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads Robert Louis Stevenson’s children’s poems, first published in 1885. Charles H. Sylvester (in Journeys through Bookland) writes: “Robert Louis Stevenson … was born in Edinburgh. He was an only son, and most of the poems which he wrote for children show that, while his childhood was happy, it was perhaps a little lonesome; that is, most of his poems are about one child…. He knew all the time that he liked to write better than to do anything else … Some of his stories, Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and others, are exciting tales of adventure, which any boy might like to read, while his … Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and other stories are more distinctively for grown people. However, among all his writings there is little more delightful than the poems for children, which show how clearly he remembered his own boyhood.” The unabridged reading is over an hour long on one Audio CD.

Christian Science by Mark Twain (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads Twain’s book about the religion and its founder, published in 1907. According to R. Kent Rasmussen in Mark Twain A to Z, “Mark Twain had a long and deep interest in various forms of mental science. Impressed by accounts of Christian Science healings, he suspected that the religion’s tenets might be sound, but found [Mary Baker] Eddy’s writings largely incomprehensible…. It opens with a burlesque in which the narrator breaks every bone in his body in a fall off a cliff, only to be told by a ‘Christian Science doctor’ that there is nothing wrong with him. The second [part] focuses more on Eddy. On the basis of inconsistencies in writing style, it challenges her claim to have written Science and Health and criticizes her hunger for power and wealth.” The unabridged reading is nearly nine hours on seven Audio CDs.

The Civil War by Julius Caesar (Blackstone Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads Caesar’s own account of his war with Pompey the Great — the war that destroyed the five-hundred-year-old Roman Republic. Caesar the victor became Caesar the dictator. In three short books, Caesar describes how, in order to defend his honor and the freedom of both himself and the Roman people, he marched on Rome and defeated the forces of Pompey and the Senate in Italy, Spain, and Greece…. Julius Caesar was born on July 13, 100 B.C. His family, the Julii, claimed descent from the ancient kings of Rome and from the goddess Venus. Caesar rapidly carved out an impressive political career, forging an alliance with Pompey and Crassus in 60 B.C. The Civil War is Caesar’s attempt at an explanation of the war that changed the Roman world. The unabridged reading is approximately seven-and-a-half hours long on seven Audio CDs.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads Twain’s classic novel. According to R. Kent Rasmussen in Mark Twain A to Z, it is “a pioneering science fiction story about a nineteenth-century American who tries to implant modern technology and political ideas in sixth-century England. The novel falls within a rich literary tradition of reworking Arthurian legends in modern idioms — a tradition that Tennyson’s Idylls of the King revitalized in the mid-nineteenth century…. The book’s early chapters poke fun at medieval ignorance, superstition, and notions of chivalry. As the book develops, however, it evolves into a savage attack on all institutions and ideologies that support monarchy, privilege, slavery, and established churches…. Mark Twain invests its hero, Hank Morgan, with many of the traits he admired in inventors … [Morgan] uses his knowledge of a coming eclipse to stop his own execution and make people think he is a powerful magician.” The unabridged reading is approximately fourteen-and-a-half hours long on twelve Audio CDs.

The Diaries of Adam and Eve by Mark Twain (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads Twain’s collected stories about Adam and Eve. According to R. Kent Rasmussen in Mark Twain A to Z, “Mark Twain had a lifelong fascination with the Bible’s first man and woman — whose story is told in the first three chapters of Genesis…. ‘Extracts from Adam’s Diary’ (1893) and ‘Eve’s Diary’ (1905) are light and comic in tone, written for specific audiences, with little attention to religious issues…. Twain also used Adam and Eve to develop the theme that life is meaningless without companionship…. Later pieces, such as ‘That Day in Eden’ [Passage from Satan’s Diary, c. 1890] … and ‘Eve Speaks’ … [c. 1906] are pointed satires on Christian beliefs…. Twain was also interested in the moral responsibility of Adam and Eve for their fall. ‘Eve Speaks’ attempts to show that they should not have been held responsible for eating the forbidden fruit, since they had no experience and no moral sense.” The reading is nearly two hours long on two Audio CDs.

The DIM Hypothesis by Leonard Peikoff (Blackstone Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads this philosophical work by the author of The Ominous Parallels and Objectivism: The Philosophy of Ayn Rand. In this far-reaching study, Dr. Leonard Peikoff casts a penetrating light on the process of human thought and on Western culture. He identifies three methods used to integrate concrete data into a whole, as when connecting single events into a story. The first, in which data is integrated through rational means, he calls Integration. The second, which employs nonrational means, he calls Misintegration. The third is Disintegration — which is nihilism, the desire to tear things apart. Peikoff examines the power of these methods in shaping the West by using the categories to examine the culturally representative fields of literature, physics, education, and politics. His analysis illustrates how the historical trends in each field have been dominated by one of three categories not only today but during the whole progression of Western culture. Extrapolating from the historical pattern he identifies, Peikoff concludes by explaining why the lights of the West are going out — and predicts the most likely future for the United States. The unabridged reading is approximately seventeen-and-a-half hours long on fifteen Audio CDs.

Discovering America by the Actual Explorers (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the journals and letters of the great explorers who discovered America, from the first four chapters of American Historical Documents (Volume 43 of The Harvard Classics). These English translations are the most authentic documents available providing evidence of these voyages. “The Voyages to Vinland (c. 1000)” tells of the discovery of North America by Leif Ericsson as contained in The Saga of Eric the Red, translated by A. M. Reeves from the Flateyar-bok compiled by Jon Thordharson about 1387. “The Letter of Columbus Announcing His Discovery (1493)” was written to Luis de Sant Angel, Treasurer of Aragon, intended for the eyes of Ferdinand and Isabella, translated by Professors Hart and Channing. “Amerigo Vespucci’s Account of His First Voyage (1497),” published in Italian in 1505-6, is translated by “M. K.” for Quaritch’s edition, London, 1885. And “John Cabot’s Discovery of North America (1497)” contains evidence from contemporary witnesses whose information may have come from Cabot himself. The text is from the Hakluyt Society’s edition of Columbus’ journal. (Note: Not to be confused with a book of the same title by William Wheeler.) The reading is over two hours long on two Audio CDs.

The Eighth Veil by Frederick Ramsay (Blackstone Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the second in the series of Jerusalem Mysteries. (See also Holy Smoke.) In first-century Jerusalem, a murdered servant girl is found in the palace of King Herod Antipas. People are already abuzz over the brutal death of John the Baptist, and scandal is in the air. The prefect, Pontius Pilate, wants no trouble and insists on a murder investigation. But Antipas will have none of Pilate’s men in the palace, and Pilate doesn’t trust Antipas; so Pilate orders Gamaliel, the chief rabbi and head of the Sanhedrin, to do the detective work. Gamaliel, a Talmudic scholar, at first struggles until he learns more of the dead girl’s background and discovers that she was not a mere servant. Meanwhile, the fascinating histories of Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Herod, Mark Antony, and Augustus Caesar are intertwined with the investigation. And the figure of Jesus, the rabbi from Nazareth, with his ragged band of enthusiasts, moves enigmatically in the background. An “intriguing mystery, packed with historical detail.” — Kirkus Reviews. The unabridged reading is approximately nine hours long on eight Audio CDs.

Flatland by Edwin A. Abbott (Blackstone Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads this “romance of many dimensions.” With this satirical novella, English schoolmaster Edwin A. Abbott provides both a mathematical fantasy and pointed observations on the social heirarchy of Victorian culture. The narrator, A. Square, resides in the fictional two-dimensional world of Flatland. When he is visited by a sphere, he is suddenly faced with proof of the existence of three dimensions and is forced to see the limitations of his world. In a foreword to one of the many publications of this novella, noted science writer Isaac Asimov described Flatland as “the best introduction one can find into the manner of perceiving dimensions.” As such, this novella is still popular among mathematics, physics, and computer science students. “This pre-Einstein geometrical fantasy is one of the best things of its kind that has ever been written, for it is more than an ingeniously sustained fantasy: it is a social satire, with wit as sharp as the sublustrous end of a Flatland woman.” — Saturday Review. The unabridged reading is approximately four hours long on four Audio CDs.

The Gilded Age by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads Mark Twain’s first novel, subtitled A Tale of Today, co-authored by Charles Dudley Warner, and published in 1873. According to R. Kent Rasmussen in Mark Twain A to Z, “A sprawling epic with multiple story lines and dozens of characters, The Gilded Age is both a melodramatic saga of a midwestern family nearly destroyed by its faith in illusory wealth and a fierce satire about post-Civil War America. The novel skewers government and politicians, big business, and America’s obsession with getting rich. It is now best remembered for its title, which gave its name to the era that it describes.” In 1874 Gilbert Densmore adapted it for the stage. “Mark Twain then bought out Densmore’s play and revised it for a successful New York production that was soon renamed Colonel Sellers.” In 1892 Twain wrote a sequel to the novel called The American Claimant. This unabridged reading is over nineteen hours long on sixteen Audio CDs.

The Greatest Americans Series: Washington, Lincoln, & Jefferson (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads speeches, letters, and writings of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln, as published in Autobiographies (Volume 16 of The Pocket University, edited by George Iles, 1908). “GEORGE WASHINGTON: A Selection of His Letters” includes: Takes Command of the Army • Protests against Cruelty to Prisoners • Asks for Aid • A Plea for Ethan Allen • Anxiety in the Field • As to Criticisms of His Generalship • Anxiety Deepened • Perplexity and Apprehension • Receives New Powers as Commander • Courage in Defeat • Without Jealousy • The Dreadful Winter at Valley Forge • Respect for Convictions as Opposed to His Own • Magnanimity to a Captured Foe • Sympathy with a Companion in Arms • In Sore Need of Help • Congratulates Layfayette • Almost in Despair • His Suffering Army • Let Only the Truth about Himself Be Told • On the Political Perils of 1786 • On His Nomination as First President of the United States • Had No Wish to Be President • His Delight in Agriculture • A Peacemaker • On Retiring from Office • Love and Marriage. “THOMAS JEFFERSON: A Selection of His Writings” includes: How the Declaration of Independence Was Written • Against a Landed Aristocracy • Too Much Talk in Congress • A Retrospect at 57 • Regarding the Louisiana Purchase • Aristocracies Real and Unreal • Views on Education • Education for the Farmer • An Optimist at 73 • On the Character of Washington • On State Rights • As to the Judiciary. “ABRAHAM LINCOLN: A Selection of His Writings” includes: Autobiography: Ancestry • Homes in Kentucky and Indiana • Schooling • A Trip to New Orleans • Removal to Illinois • A Clerk in a Store and Mill • Enlists as a Soldier • Keeps a Store • Elected to the Illinois Legislature • Elected to Congress • His Votes in Congress Explained • Law Practice, Speeches, and Debates • Studies Law • On the Practice of Law • Why He Could Explain So Well • Habits of Composition • To an Idler • A Jeffersonian • Read as a Boy Life of Washington • On Slavery • In Response to Criticism • A Remonstrance to General Banks • A Rebuke to General Hooker • A Hint for General Hooker • Censure of General Meade after the Battle of Gettysburg • Hope in the Midst of War • Address at Gettysburg • On Negro Suffrage • Plea for a Soldier in Trouble • On Slavery and Emancipation • To a Bereaved Mother • Second Inaugural Address • A Few Hours before His Death • Plus “Fourscore and Seven Years Ago,” an original song based on the Gettysburg Address, written and performed by Field. A bonus CD presents Washington’s “Farewell Address” (as published in Volume 26 of The Warner Library, 1917), in which he offers strong warnings against the rise and influence of political parties at home and foreign entanglements abroad. The readings are over four hours long on five Audio CDs.

Grimms’ Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the fairy tales of Jakob & Wilhelm Grimm (1785-1863) (1786-1859). According to Charles W. Elliot (editor of The Harvard Classics): “The Children’s and Household Tales of the Brothers Grimm [first published in 1812 and 1815] was the first deliberate attempt to preserve in their pure form the traditional and domestic tales of the German people…. It was the aim of the collectors, carried out with great fidelity and a remarkable instinct for the truly popular, to avoid all additions, logical or artistic, to retain as far as possible the actual language of the peasants, and to eliminate all foreign and sophisticated elements….” Note: Due to the advanced vocabulary and dramatic content of these stories, they are not recommended for the very young. The reading is over eight hours long on seven Audio CDs. The tales include:

The Frog King, or Iron Henry; Our Lady’s Child; The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids; Faithful John; The Pack of Ragamuffins; Rapunzel; The Three Little Men in the Wood; The Three Spinners; Hansel and Gretel; The Fisherman and His Wife; The Valiant Little Tailor; Cinderella; Mother Holle; The Seven Ravens; Little Red-Cap; The Bremen Town-Musicians; The Girl without Hands; Clever Elsie; Thumbling; Thumbling as Journeyman; The Six Swans; Little Briar-Rose (Sleeping Beauty); Fundevogel; King Thrushbeard; Little Snow-White; Rumplestiltskin; The Three Feathers; The Golden Goose; Allerleirauh; The Wolf and the Fox; Hans in Luck; The Goose-Girl; The Peasant’s Wise Daughter; The Spirit in the Bottle; Bearskin; The Willow-Wren and the Bear; Wise Folks; The Shroud; The Two King’s Children; The Seven Swabians; One-Eye, Two-Eyes, and Three-Eyes; Snow-White and Rose-Red

Hearts Touched by Fire, Edited by Harold Holzer (Blackstone Audio)

Actor Robin Field (portraying Ulysses S. Grant) joins Joe Barrett, Traber Burns, Grover Gardner, Malcolm Hillgartner, John Pruden, and Sean Runnette to read this collection of articles on the American Civil War. In 1883, editors at the Century magazine asked, which Civil War battle was the bloodiest? The argument inspired an idea: Let readers opine by offering “a series of papers on some of the great battles of the war, to be written by officers in command on both sides.” The articles were written by generals, Union and Confederate alike, who had commanded the battles two decades before — or by the person most entitled to speak for him. The pieces presented both sides of each major battle and were fair and politics-free. Now, in honor of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, the most enduring entries from the classic four-volume series have been edited and merged into one definitive volume. Here are the best of the immortal first-person accounts of the Civil War originally published in the pages of the Century magazine more than a hundred years ago. This collection also features new year-by-year introductions by esteemed historians who cast wise modern eyes on the cataclysm that changed America. “There are few more essential books for Civil War buffs and professional historians alike. A welcome, valuable addition to the vast library devoted to the conflict.” — Kirkus Reviews. (See also Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant.) The reading is approximately 51 hours long on 42 Audio CDs.

The Heroes, or Greek Fairy Tales by Charles Kingsley (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads mythological tales from the classic book by Charles Kingsley (1819-1875), subtitled Greek Fairy Tales for My Children, published in 1856. Three heroes of Greek mythology — Perseus, Jason, and Theseus — perform impossible feats in these stories. According to Edric Vredenburg in an introduction to the book: “What with the number of his poems and novels, his historical and scientific works, and his children’s tales, it is indeed remarkable that this versatile and energetic man had time for anything else. Nevertheless these writings were but a part of a life devoted to his fellow creatures. He was a curate in 1842, and 1873 found him a Canon of Westminster and Chaplain to Queen Victoria.” Among his 28 volumes is the children’s classic Water Babies, published in 1863. Note: Due to the advanced vocabulary and dramatic content of these stories, they are not recommended for the very young. The unabridged reading is over five hours long on five Audio CDs.

Holy Smoke by Frederick Ramsay (Blackstone Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the third in the series of Jerusalem Mysteries. (See also The Eighth Veil.) “In Jerusalem, 29 AD, when Jesus was a young preacher, a badly burned body is discovered in the holy temple. At first, superstitious believers suggest that the body is that of a nonbeliever struck down by God for his arrogance. Robin Field’s intelligent narration animates an assortment of Greeks, Egyptians, Jews, and Romans (including Pontius Pilate), as well as a host of merchants, holy men, and healers. Gamaliel, the Raban of Sanhedrin, proves to be an engaging, lively character, and as the tangled plot unwinds, Field makes Gamaliel’s canny observations both credible and satisfying. Frederick Ramsay’s third Jerusalem mystery offers a fascinating glimpse into the religious and secular life of the period, and Field turns in a solid performance of this biblical-era puzzle.” — S. J. H., AudioFile. “[Field’s] female characters are convincing and the accents accurate. He maintains the fast pace of the story as Gamaliel and Loukas are in deadly peril.” — SoundCommentary. The unabridged reading is approximately eight-and-a-half hours long on seven Audio CDs.

Ideal by Ayn Rand (Blackstone Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads an early play by the author of the best-selling novels The Fountainhead (1943) and Atlas Shrugged (1957), combined with the novelization, read by Christopher Lane. Originally published as one of Three Plays by Ayn Rand (also read by Robin Field), IDEAL, written in 1934, presents a glamorous movie star who visits several of her most devoted fans to test their integrity. (See Three Plays.) The unabridged reading is approximately seven hours long on six Audio CDs.

Idolatry, Part 1: Genesis by Quent Cordair (audible.com)

Actor Robin Field reads the first book in a series. In the twilight of the Roman Empire, a sculptor struggles to keep an 800-year dream alive while honoring the love of his life and raising his adoptive son. Part I of the Idolatry series, an epic story in five parts. The unabridged reading is approximately four hours long.

Idolatry, Part 2: A New Eden by Quent Cordair (audible.com)

Actor Robin Field reads the second book in a series. Journalist Paige Keller, while recovering at a remote resort from an overseas assignment, is drawn into a community dominated by a fundamentalist church, a family of real estate developers, and a group of environmentalists, all in conflict over control of the valley’s future. She goes undercover to discover what lies beneath the church’s rituals and sacred ceremonies, but the more she learns, the deeper the valley’s mysteries and seductions become. The unabridged reading is approximately thirteen-and-a-half hours long.

The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads Mark Twain’s first full-length work, published in 1869 and subtitled The New Pilgrims’ Progress; Being Some Account of the Steamship Quaker City’s Pleasure Excursion to Europe and the Holy Land; with Descriptions of Countries, Nations, Incidents, and Adventures, as They Appeared to the Author. Based on a series of letters he was commissioned to write for San Francisco and New York newspapers, the book outsold all Twain’s other books during his lifetime. According to R. Kent Rasmussen in Mark Twain A to Z, it “pokes fun at local legends, dubious relics, paintings of the Old Masters, annoying guides, and romantic travel books — especially those about the Holy Land.” Mixing fact with exaggeration, Twain spoofs his shipmates as they explore the Azores, Gibraltar, Tangier, France, Italy, Greece, Russia, Turkey, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, Spain, and Bermuda. The unabridged reading is approximately 24 hours long on 20 Audio CDs.

Is Shakespeare Dead? by Mark Twain (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads Twain’s extended essay published as a book in 1909. According to R. Kent Rasmussen in Mark Twain A to Z, “Ostensibly an essay arguing that William Shakespeare could not have written the plays attributed to him, this … book originated in Mark Twain’s autobiographical dictations.” It served as the basis for Field’s one-man show Mark Twain and the Shakespeare Mystery, which he performed live in 2013. The unabridged reading is approximately three hours long on three Audio CDs.

Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman (Blackstone Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the final and complete collection of Walt Whitman’s classic American poems. Whitman, often called the father of free verse, was born in New York in 1819, worked as a journalist, teacher, government clerk, and volunteer nurse during the Civil War. His daring new kind of poetry was hailed by Ralph Waldo Emerson as “the most extraordinary piece of wit and wisdom that America has yet contributed.” First published in 1855, Leaves of Grass was expanded and revised throughout Whitman’s life, until this version appeared in 1892, the year of his death. AudioFile reviewed this recording, praising Field’s “pleasing voice and astute interpretations,” and concluded, “Field brings new life to Whitman’s poems with his intelligent emphasis and emotion. And when Field recites a particularly resonant phrase at just the right time, the moment can turn into song.” The unabridged reading is approximately nineteen hours long on fifteen Audio CDs.

Letters from Hawaii by Mark Twain (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads Twain’s complete, original newspaper articles about Hawaii, published by the Sacramento Union before they were edited for use in his book Roughing It. According to R. Kent Rasmussen in Mark Twain A to Z, “He sailed from San Francisco aboard the steamer Ajax…. Over the next five weeks he explored Maui and studied its sugar plantations…. [H]e traveled by foot to Kilauea volcano and Hilo… and wrote a scoop on the sinking of the clipper ship Hornet, whose survivors he met…. After returning to San Francisco, … he launched his professional lecturing career at Maguire’s Opera House, speaking on ‘Our Fellow Savages of the Sandwich Islands.’ … Over the next seven years, he lectured on Hawaii more than a hundred times in the United States and England.” The unabridged reading is over ten hours long on nine Audio CDs.

Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads Twain’s travel book. According to R. Kent Rasmussen in Mark Twain A to Z, “The book combines an embroidered memoir of the author’s apprentice steamboat pilot days with a narrative of his return to the Mississippi River 20 years later, as well as history and statistics and a hodgepodge of unrelated sketches…. Its early chapters especially are unrivaled in evoking the excitement of their time. The balance of the book presents a powerful portrait of how much both the river and its commerce could change in a few decades, as well as a savage depiction of the postwar South.” The unabridged reading is nearly nineteen hours long on sixteen Audio CDs.

McGuffey’s Eclectic Readers: Primer & First Reader, Edited by William McGuffey (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the Primer and First Reader in the series edited by William Holmes McGuffey (1800-1873). According to The Oxford Companion to Children’s Literature, these readers were “the most widely distributed American schoolbooks for at least 75 years from their first appearance in 1836. They consisted of a primer and six reading-books, graded in order of difficulty.” The Primer begins with recitations of the alphabet, introduces the simplest English words, then uses them to form brief sentences. In the First Reader “Lesson 2” introduces the famous sentence “The cat is on the mat.” Note: Both the Primer and First Reader are combined in one package. These are the Revised Editions of 1909 and 1920, suitable for 1st-3rd Grades. These recordings present every lesson in the books, whether prose or poetry. Supplementary material on proper pronunciation, definitions, articulation, inflection, accent, emphasis, poetic pauses, and gestures, along with prefaces for teachers, notes, quiz questions, and authors’ biographies have not been recorded. The readings are nearly two hours long on two Audio CDs.

McGuffey’s Eclectic Readers: Second Reader, Edited by William McGuffey (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the Second Reader in the series edited by William Holmes McGuffey (1800-1873). According to The Oxford Companion to Children’s Literature, these readers were “the most widely distributed American schoolbooks for at least 75 years from their first appearance in 1836. They consisted of a primer and six reading-books, graded in order of difficulty.” Second Reader authors include Alice Carey, George Cooper, Mary Mapes Dodge, Marian Douglas, Emily Huntington Miller, and Alfred Lord Tennyson. Note: This is the Revised Edition of 1920, suitable for 4th-5th Grades. These recordings present every lesson in the books, whether prose or poetry. Supplementary material on proper pronunciation, definitions, articulation, inflection, accent, emphasis, poetic pauses, and gestures, along with prefaces for teachers, notes, quiz questions, and authors’ biographies have not been recorded. The reading is over two hours long on two Audio CDs.

McGuffey’s Eclectic Readers: Third Reader, Edited by William McGuffey (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the Third Reader in the series edited by William Holmes McGuffey (1800-1873). According to The Oxford Companion to Children’s Literature, these readers were “the most widely distributed American schoolbooks for at least 75 years from their first appearance in 1836. They consisted of a primer and six reading-books, graded in order of difficulty.” Third Reader authors include J. G. Adams, Aesop, John Aiken, Joy Allison, Bernard Barton, Elihu Burritt, George Cooper, Julia C. R. Dorr, S. G. Goodrich, O. M. Johnson, Emily S. Oakey, Jane Taylor, Celia Thaxter, John G. Whittier, F. C. Woodworth, and William Wordsworth. Note: This is the Revised Edition of 1920, suitable for 6th-7th Grades. These recordings present every lesson in the books, whether prose or poetry — but supplementary material on proper pronunciation, definitions, articulation, inflection, accent, emphasis, poetic pauses, and gestures, along with prefaces for teachers, notes, quiz questions, and authors’ biographies have not been recorded. The reading is over three hours long on three Audio CDs.

McGuffey’s Eclectic Readers: Fourth Reader, Edited by William McGuffey (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the Fourth Reader in the series edited by William Holmes McGuffey (1800-1873). According to The Oxford Companion to Children’s Literature, these readers were “the most widely distributed American schoolbooks for at least 75 years from their first appearance in 1836. They consisted of a primer and six reading-books, graded in order of difficulty.” Fourth Reader authors include Louisa May Alcott, Thomas Bailey Aldrich, Daniel Defoe, Charles Dibdin, Mary Mapes Dodge, Marian Douglas, Charlotte Elizabeth, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Thomas Hood, Thomas Hughes, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, James Russell Lowell, Thomas Buchanan Read, Sarah Roberts, Robert Southey, Frank R. Stockton, Bayard Taylor, Celia Thaxter, John Townsend Trowbridge, John Greenleaf Whittier, and Samuel Woodworth. Note: This is the Revised Edition of 1920, suitable for 8th Grade and up. These recordings present every lesson in the books, whether prose or poetry — but supplementary material on proper pronunciation, definitions, articulation, inflection, accent, emphasis, poetic pauses, and gestures, along with prefaces for teachers, notes, quiz questions, and authors’ biographies have not been recorded. The reading is approximately six hours long on six Audio CDs.

McGuffey’s Eclectic Readers: Fifth Reader, Edited by William McGuffey (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the Fifth Reader in the series edited by William Holmes McGuffey (1800-1873). According to The Oxford Companion to Children’s Literature, these readers were “the most widely distributed American schoolbooks for at least 75 years from their first appearance in 1836. They consisted of a primer and six reading-books, graded in order of difficulty.” Fifth Reader authors include Louisa May Alcott, John James Audubon, William Cullen Bryant, James Fenimore Cooper, William Cowper, Charles Dickens, William Dimond, Oliver Goldsmith, Bret Harte, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Leigh Hunt, Washington Irving, Douglas Jerrold, Samuel Johnson, Charles Kingsley, James Sheridan Knowles, Charles Lamb, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Thomas Moore, William Shakespeare, Robert Southey, Alfred Lord Tennyson, William Makepeace Thackeray, Henry David Thoreau, Charles Dudley Warner, Daniel Webster, and John Greenleaf Whittier. Note: This is the Revised Edition of 1920, suitable for 9th Grade and up. These recordings present every lesson in the books, whether prose or poetry — but supplementary material on proper pronunciation, definitions, articulation, inflection, accent, emphasis, poetic pauses, and gestures, along with prefaces for teachers, notes, quiz questions, and authors’ biographies have not been recorded. The reading is approximately nine hours long on eight Audio CDs.

McGuffey’s Eclectic Readers: Sixth Reader, Edited by William McGuffey (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the Sixth (and final) Reader in the series edited by William Holmes McGuffey (1800-1873). The Preface declares: “Upwards of a hundred leading authors are represented,” including “a long list of selections from the best English and American literature.” Sixth Reader authors include Joseph Addison, Francis Bacon, William Blackstone, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, William Cullen Bryant, Lord Byron, Edmund Burke, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Cowper, Charles Dickens, Benjamin Disraeli, John Dryden, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Benjamin Franklin, Oliver Goldsmith, Thomas Gray, Horace Greeley, Patrick Henry, Oliver Wendell Holmes, William Dean Howells, Leigh Hunt, Washington Irving, Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Johnson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, John Milton, William Pitt, Edgar Allan Poe, Alexander Pope, John Ruskin, Walter Scott, William Shakespeare, Richard B. Sheridan, Alfred Lord Tennyson, William Makepeace Thackeray, Robert Walpole, Daniel Webster, John Greenleaf Whittier, Samuel Woodworth, and William Wordsworth. Note: This is the Revised Edition of 1921, suitable for 10th-12th grades. These recordings present every lesson in the books, whether prose or poetry — but supplementary material on proper pronunciation, definitions, articulation, inflection, accent, emphasis, poetic pauses, and gestures, along with prefaces for teachers, notes, quiz questions, and authors’ biographies have not been recorded. The reading is over twelve hours long on eleven Audio CDs.

Mother Goose: Volland Popular Edition, Edited by Eulalie Osgood Grover (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads and sings the 1915 edition. From the editor: “Mother Goose’s melodies belong to the children…. This present edition of ‘Mother Goose’ preserves the best of the verses which became so popular in England and America as to first demand their publication. It is the only truly classic edition that has been published in modern times. Not all the favorites among the nursery rhymes are here, only those that first helped to make the fame of the fictitious but no less worthy patron of childhood. May her fame and her melodies be lovingly preserved to give joy and inspiration to many future generations of little children.” The unabridged reading lasts a half hour on one Audio CD.

Mother Goose in Prose by L. Frank Baum (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the first book by the author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum (1856-1919), published in 1897. As the father of four sons, he often amused his children with stories based on nursery rhymes. He was soon persuaded to write them, and the first edition was illustrated by Maxfield Parrish. The rhymes-turned-into-stories include: Sing a Song of Sixpence • The Story of Little Boy Blue • The Cat and the Fiddle • The Black Sheep • Old King Cole • Mistress Mary • The Wond’rous Wise Man • What Jack Horner Did • The Man in the Moon • The Jolly Miller • The Little Man and His Little Gun • Hickory, Dickory, Dock • Little Bo-Peep • The Story of Tommy Tucker • Pussy-Cat Mew • How the Beggars Came to Town • Tom, the Piper’s Son • Humpty Dumpty • The Woman Who Lived in a Shoe • Little Miss Muffet • Three Wise Men of Gotham • Little Bun Rabbit. Note: These stories are suitable for all ages. The unabridged reading is nearly five hours long on four Audio CDs.

On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection by Charles Darwin (Blackstone Audio)

The Origin of Species sold out on the first day of its publication in 1859. It is the major book of the nineteenth century and one of the most readable and accessible of the great revolutionary works of the scientific imagination. Though, in fact, little read, most people know what it says — at least they think they do. This was the first mature and persuasive work to explain how species change through the process of natural selection. Upon its publication, the book began to transform attitudes about society and religion and was soon used to justify the philosophies of communists, socialists, capitalists, and even Germany’s National Socialists. But the most quoted response came from Thomas Henry Huxley, Darwin’s friend and also a reknowned naturalist, who exclaimed, “How extremely stupid not to have thought of that!” “Amazingly, 150 years after the publication of The Origin of Species, Darwin’s seminal work on the theory of evolution remains the authoritative tract on the subject.” — Library Journal. The unabridged reading is approximately 23 hours long on nineteen Audio CDs.

Perrault’s Fairy Tales by Charles Perrault (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads eight classic fairy tales by Charles Perrault. More than a hundred years before the Grimm Brothers collected fairy tales from the oral traditions of Germany, Perrault did the same thing in France. These were the first published versions of such classics as “The Sleeping Beauty,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Puss in Boots,” and “Cinderella.” Perrault became a member of the Academie francais in 1671 and wrote a variety of works in prose and verse throughout his life. His collection of French fairy tales, entitled Histories, or Tales of Past Times, with Morals (later retitled Tales of My Mother Goose) was first published in 1697. Some confusion arose, because the work was at first attributed to Perrault’s teenage son, Pierre. But further research suggests that the father actually did the writing. The book was first translated into English in 1729 by Robert Samber. The stories in this recording were translated in 1921 by A. E. Johnson, and the morals in verse in 1912 by S. R. Littlewood. Note: Due to the advanced vocabulary and dramatic content of these stories, they are not recommended for the very young. The reading is over two hours long on two Audio CDs. The eight tales are:

The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood; Little Red Riding Hood; Blue Beard; The Master Cat, or Puss in Boots; The Fairies, or Toads and Diamonds; Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper; Rickey of the Tuft; Little Tom Thumb

Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant (Blackstone Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the classic autobiography of the eighteenth American President, first published in 1885 by his friend Mark Twain. Grant (1822-1885) wrote about his boyhood in Ohio, his military training at West Point, his involvement in the Mexican War, and discussed in great detail his successes and failures as General of the Union Army during the American Civil War. The book does not cover his Presidency, his later financial problems, or his long battle with throat cancer. He died one week after the book’s completion. Author Lloyd Lewis wrote: “I have the evidence clear now, that Grant’s superb style of writing is what [General] Sherman and Mark Twain thought it — the best of any general’s since Caesar.” (See also Hearts Touched by Fire.) The unabridged reading is approximately 30 hours long on 26 Audio CDs.

Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc by Mark Twain (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads Mark Twain’s last novel, first published in 1896. Originally Twain did not intend the book to be published under his own name, as indicated by the title page: “by Sieur Louis de Conte (Her Page and Secretary) Freely Translated out of the Ancient French into Modern English from the Original Unpublished Manuscript in the National Archives of France by Jean François Alden.” But Twain and his publisher changed their minds just before printing it, partly because they knew his name would enhance sales, and partly because Twain became convinced that this was his best novel. The story is written in the voice of an eighty-year-old Frenchman, Joan’s closest friend, based almost entirely on historical fact and testimony. It dramatizes her youthful peasant life, her belief that religious spirits called her to save France from English domination, her leading the French army to success at Orleans at the age of 17, her imprisonment and trial at the hands of political and religious authorities, and her death and martyrdom at the age of 19. Field narrates in an appropriate French accent and composed an original melody for the song “L’Arbre Fée de Bourlemont.” The unabridged reading is over seventeen hours long on fifteen Audio CDs.

Pierre: or, The Ambiguities by Herman Melville (Blackstone Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads one of Melville’s last novels. Pierre Glendinning is the nineteen-year-old heir to the manor at Saddle Meadows in upstate New York. Engaged to the blonde Lucy Tartan in a match approved by his domineering mother, Pierre encounters the dark and mysterious Isabel Banford, who claims to be his half-sister, the illegitimate and orphaned child of his father and a European refugee. Driven by his magnetic attraction to Isabel, Pierre devises a remarkable scheme to preserve his father’s name, spare his mother’s grief, and give Isabel her proper share of the estate. First published in 1852, Pierre was condemned by critics of the time: “a dead failure,” “this crazy rigmarole,” and “a literary mare’s nest.” Latter-day critics, however, have recognized in the story of Melville’s idealistic young hero a corrosive satire of the sentimental gothic novel and a revolutionary foray into modernist literary techniques. The unabridged reading is approximately 20 hours long on sixteen Audio CDs.

Plato: On Love (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the “Symposium” of Ancient Greek philosopher Plato (c. 427-c. 347 B.C.) from The Dialogues of Plato, as translated by Benjamin Jowett. Plato was an Athenian, born of a distinguished family. At the age of twenty he became a disciple of Socrates, after whose death he established his own school of philosophy called the Academy, numbering among his pupils his great rival Aristotle. All of Plato’s works take the form of dialogues, in which the chief speaker is Socrates. In the “Symposium” Plato presents his idealistic, visionary, and impractical view that, to be noble, romantic love must not be of the body but of the mind, not physical but spiritual — thus establishing one of the most influential dichotomies (and false alternatives) in the history of Western thinking. Using the setting of an after-dinner conversation between philosopher Socrates, poet Agathon, physician Eryximachus, comic playwright Aristophanes, politician-general Alcibiades, and others, Plato explores several theories of love — factual, farcical, medical, mythological — including justifications for the acceptability of homosexuality in Ancient Greece. The work culminates in a tribute to the character of Socrates himself by intoxicated late-comer Alcibiades. Although plotless, the dialogue is so rich in characterization, imagery, comedy, and drama, that it has many qualities of a good play. The reading is nearly three hours long on three Audio CDs.

The Prince & the Pauper by Mark Twain (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the classic historical novel by Mark Twain, first published in 1881 with the subtitle A Tale for Young People of All Ages. Set in England in 1547, the story brings young Prince Edward into chance meeting with peasant boy Tom Canty. The two exchange clothes and identities and discover what life is really like for the other. Like Twain’s Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, this book has been adapted to stage, film, radio, and television many times. Field alternates between the proper English of the Royals to the cockney of the commoners. The unabridged reading is over eight hours long on seven Audio CDs.

Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads one of the classic plays of Ancient Greece by Aeschylus (525-456 B.C.), as translated by E. H. Plumptre. According to Charles W. Elliot (editor of The Harvard Classics), “The importance of Aeschylus in the development of the drama is immense. Before him tragedy had consisted of the chorus and one actor. By introducing a second actor, … he practically created Greek tragedy as we understand it…. Of the 70 or 80 plays which he is said to have written, only seven survive.” In Greek mythology Prometheus is a giant who steals the fire of the gods and gives it to mankind. Zeus, ruler of all the gods, punishes him by having him chained to a rocky cliff, where he is tortured by a vulture for centuries. But in this drama the significance of Prometheus is profoundly expanded. Fire becomes a metaphor for Reason. Prometheus, whose name means “forethought,” gives man his defining characteristic, his means of survival, the source of all his knowledge. The unabridged reading is over an hour long on one Audio CD.

Roughing It by Mark Twain (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads Mark Twain’s second full-length work, published in 1872, describing his actual and imaginary adventures in the American West in the 1860s. According to Guy Cardwell (editor of the Library of America edition), “His accounts of stagecoach travel, Indians, Western dress, food and customs, frontier society, the Mormons, the Chinese … are intermingled with his own experiences as a prospector, miner, journalist, boon companion, and lecturer as he traveled through Nevada, Utah, California, and even to the Hawaiian Islands…. The plot is relaxed enough to accommodate some immensely funny and quite random character sketches, animal fables, tall tales, and dramatic monologues.” The unabridged reading is approximately 20 hours long on eighteen Audio CDs.

Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits by William Shakespeare, Edited by Robin Field (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field and a full cast of actors and singers perform highlights from the plays and poems of William Shakespeare (1564-1616), regarded by many as the world’s greatest poet. However, little is known of his life. One writer said: “All that is known with any degree of certainty concerning Shakespeare is — that he was born at Stratford-on-Avon — married and had children there — went to London, where he commenced acting and wrote poems and plays — returned to Stratford, made his will, died, and was buried.” In this recording are excerpts from A Midsummer-Night’s Dream, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, Othello, King Lear, The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, Henry IV Part I, Henry IV Part II, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Henry V, The Taming of the Shrew, Richard III, Macbeth, and Henry VIII. Songs are composed by Field. The cast includes Debra Cardona, Bill Daugherty, Kathryn Grant, Lisa Hayes, Kristen Iuppenlatz, Rebecca Luker, Ilene Reid, and Sandra Shotwell. Note: The material is remastered from various sources, resulting in varying sound quality. The recording is over two hours long on two Audio CDs.

The Shepherd of the Hills by Harold Bell Wright (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the rustic American novel, first published in 1907. Written partly as a Western, partly as a mystery and ghost story, and partly as a moral lesson, it became popular enough to inspire an annual stage production in the Missouri location of the story, as well as a few film versions. Those familiar with the 1941 film starring John Wayne will note several major departures from the book. In the film Aunt Mollie is a spiteful, deranged witch, rather than a sweet, sympathetic woman; Pete is a twenty-something, fear-ridden deaf-mute, rather than a cheerful, young, slightly retarded teenager; and the book features no moonshiners and no blind woman healed by the mysterious stranger. As a simple and sentimental novel the book succeeds on its own virtues. The unabridged reading is over eight hours long on seven Audio CDs.

Sketches New and Old by Mark Twain (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads a collection of Twain’s short pieces, published in 1875. According to R. Kent Rasmussen in Mark Twain A to Z, “These include ‘Curing a Cold,’ ‘Aurelia’s Unfortunate Young Man,’ and ‘The Killing of Julius Caesar Localized.’ The book also reprints the ‘Jumping Frog’ story … from a French magazine, and Mark Twain’s excruciatingly literal English translation. Several items from New York newspapers include ‘The Facts Concerning the Recent Resignation’ and ‘A Curious Pleasure Excursion.’ About a third of the selections come from The Galaxy. These include ‘My Late Senatorial Secretaryship,’ ‘How I Edited an Agricultural Paper Once,’ and ‘Political Economy.’ Fifteen items from the Buffalo Express include ‘Journalism in Tennessee,’ ‘The Capitoline Venus,’ ‘A Medieval Romance,’ ‘A Ghost Story,’ and ‘A Curious Dream.’ Other important selections include ‘Cannibalism in the Cars,’ ‘A True Story,’ and ‘Experience of the McWilliamses with Membranous Croup.’” The unabridged reading is over twelve hours long on ten Audio CDs.

Stoner by John Williams (Blackstone Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads one of the highly respected novels by John Williams, first published in 1965. Williams (1922-1994) was born in Texas and received his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri. In 1955 he became the director of the University of Denver’s creative writing program where he edited its Quarterly. He remained at Denver until his retirement in 1986. Stoner tells the story of William Stoner, a professor of English literature at a midwestern university. The New York Times Book Review called it “a perfect novel, so well told and beautifully written, so deeply moving, that it takes your breath away.” According to AudioFile: “Robin Field fully inhabits Stoner’s character, dragging every morsel of tragedy, inevitability, and, occasionally, wiliness and joy from Williams’s understated writing. Field’s performance helps us understand that an ordinary person’s life is still grand, emotional, and worthy…. Stoner is a small miracle of a novel that is enhanced by a narrator who is a perfect match.” The unabridged reading, winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award, is approximately ten hours long on eight Audio CDs.

The Story of Civilization: Volume 1, Our Oriental Heritage by Will Durant (Blackstone Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the first volume of Will Durant’s award-winning series. In this masterful work, readers will encounter: Sumeria, birthplace of the first cities and written laws; the Egyptians, who perfected monumental architecture, medicine, and mummification; the Babylonians, who developed astronomy and physics, and planted the seeds of Western mythology; the Judeans, who preserved their culture forever in the immortal books of the Old Testament; the Persians, who ruled the largest empire in recorded history before Rome; Indian philosophy, Chinese philosophers, and Japanese samurais. Will Durant (1885-1981) was awarded the Pulitzer Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He spent over forty years writing his critically acclaimed eleven-volume series. The unabridged reading is approximately 50-and-a-half hours long on 43 Audio CDs.

Three Plays by Ayn Rand (Blackstone Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads early dramatic works by the author of the best-selling novels The Fountainhead (1943) and Atlas Shrugged (1957). NIGHT OF JANUARY 16TH is a courtroom drama, originally titled Penthouse Legend, produced in Hollywood in 1934 as Woman on Trial, and then on Broadway in 1935 under its present title. The play asks the jury to decide whether a secretary killed her employer or not (stage productions actually selected audience members to deliver the verdict from onstage). The Broadway script was revised against the author’s wishes, but this recording presents the author’s own definitive version. IDEAL, written in 1934, presents a glamorous movie star who visits several of her most devoted fans to test their integrity. (See also Ideal.) THINK TWICE is a drawing-room murder mystery in which an altruist-philanthropist is the most hated man among his closest associates.

Warning: Some editions of this recording are missing six pages of dialogue from Think Twice — the murder scene. SoundCommentary rates this recording the Best of the Best 2010, adding: “Robin Field’s reading is astonishing. If listeners were told that they were listening to a full-cast production, none would doubt it.” The reading is approximately eight hours long on seven Audio CDs.

Tom Sawyer Abroad by Mark Twain (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads Twain’s sequel (1894) to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, told by Huck Finn. According to R. Kent Rasmussen in Mark Twain A to Z, “Tom, Huck, and Jim go to St. Louis to see a balloon craft on display. While they are inside the craft, the Professor, its unstable inventor, takes off before the visitors can get off. After teaching Tom how to work the craft’s simple controls, the Professor directs the craft toward England. Somewhere over the Atlantic, he gets into a fight with Tom and falls overboard. The involuntary passengers continue the voyage and make their first landing in Africa’s Sahara Desert.” The unabridged reading is over three hours long on three Audio CDs.

Tom Sawyer, Detective by Mark Twain (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads another sequel (1896) to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, told by Huck Finn. According to R. Kent Rasmussen in Mark Twain A to Z, “Drawing on elements of a dramatic criminal trial held in Denmark in the seventeenth century, Mark Twain wrote this story to capitalize on the growing popularity of detective fiction stimulated by Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. [The novella] uses many of Mark Twain’s favorite themes: twins, switched identities, sleepwalking, a counterfeit deaf-and-dumb character, and a murder trial. The narrative interweaves several mysteries that Tom Sawyer cleverly unravels in a climactic trial.” The unabridged reading is approximately two hours long on two Audio CDs.

A Tramp Abroad by Mark Twain (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the third of Twain’s five travel books, published in 1880. According to R. Kent Rasmussen in Mark Twain A to Z, “Most of A Tramp Abroad pertains to the time Mark Twain spent in southwestern Germany and Switzerland, with a few chapters on eastern France and northern Italy. As with his other travel books, he slips in stories not integrally related to his travels. These include “Jim Baker’s Bluejay Yarn,” “The Man Who Put Up at Gadsby’s,” and a tale about Nicodemus Dodge. The book also relates many German legends, including several of Mark Twain’s own invention.” Among the six appendices is one of Twain’s funniest essays, “The Awful German Language.” The unabridged reading is approximately 20 hours long on seventeen Audio CDs.

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the classic pirate story published in 1883. Written to amuse his twelve-year-old stepson, Stevenson said it was intended merely “to be a story for boys; no need of psychology or fine writing.” The Oxford Companion to Children’s Literature states: “There is in fact plenty of both in the book, which is in a sense too good for its genre, having a degree of moral ambiguity which can disconcert child readers who are looking merely for swashbuckling adventures. [Long John] Silver, the book’s real hero, possesses a degree of courage and ingenuity not shown by the ‘good’ characters; Jim Hawkins comments almost approvingly on the ‘remarkable game’ that he plays to get his own ends.” The unabridged reading is approximately seven-and-a-half hours long on six Audio CDs.

Uncle Remus: His Songs & His Sayings by Joel Chandler Harris (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads the first collection of Brer Rabbit stories by Joel Chandler Harris (1848-1908), originally published in 1880. According to The Oxford Companion to Children’s Literature, the author “was born in Georgia and worked as a printer’s devil before being employed as a journalist on several Southern [American] newspapers.” When his Uncle Remus tales first appeared in the Constitution, he was encouraged to print them in book form, and this first collection was followed by several sequels. The first two thirds of the book contain the Brer Rabbit tales — the last third contains stories about Uncle Remus himself and his various human acquaintances. Songs are composed by Field. Note: These recordings are unabridged readings in full dialect of the original stories and songs, which occasionally use the “n” word in referring to African-American characters. The unabridged reading is nearly six hours long on five Audio CDs.

Uncle Wiggily’s Adventures/Uncle Wiggily & Mother Goose by Howard G. Garis (Mission Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads two full-length children’s classics about “the gentleman rabbit” by Howard R. Garis, published in 1912 and 1916. The first Uncle Wiggily story appeared in 1910 in the Newark Evening News. One story was read over an early form of radio called the Telephone Herald. The rabbit then appeared as a featured character in a series of children’s books by Garis called Bed Time Animal Stories about Sammie and Susie Littletail and others. But by 1912 the rabbit began to star in his own series, beginning with Uncle Wiggily’s Adventures, followed by Uncle Wiggily and Mother Goose and many others. Garis was also responsible for such children’s book series as The Daddy Series and Circus Animal Stories. He also wrote the first 35 volumes of the Tom Swift adventure books, under the pseudonym of Victor Appleton. Note: The two Uncle Wiggily books are combined in one package and are suitable for the very young. These unabridged readings are approximately eleven hours long on ten Audio CDs.

Walden & On the Duty of Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau (Blackstone Audio)

Actor Robin Field reads two classics of American literature: the full-length book Walden, or Life in the Woods, first published in 1854, and the essay “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience,” published in 1848. Harvard educated H. D. Thoreau (1817-1862) was a teacher and poet, who became part of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Transcendentalist circle. In 1845 Thoreau built a cabin near the shore of Walden Pond in rural Massachusetts, living a simple life of self-reliance, individualism, and harmony with nature. His journal served as the basis of this book. And a one-day imprisonment for refusal to pay a poll tax, in protest of America’s support of the Mexican War, inspired his essay on civil disobedience. His principles of nonviolent protest influenced such figures as Ghandi and Martin Luther King, Jr. “Narrator Robin Field’s expressiveness is excellent, his pacing fine, his understanding of the text clear. His reading of the famous, and still radical, essay on civil disobedience is direct and down-to-earth, keeping all Thoreau’s good qualities.” — AudioFile. These unabridged readings are approximately fourteen hours long on eleven Audio CDs.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Mission Audio)

Actors Robin Field and Kathy Aughenbaugh read L. Frank Baum’s greatest children’s classic, first published in 1900. Born in Chittenago, New York, in 1856, the son of an oil magnate and theater owner, Baum first worked as an actor, a journalist, a storekeeper, and a traveling salesman. His earliest published works were Mother Goose in Prose and Father Goose, and he later wrote such imaginative books as American Fairy Tales, The Master Key, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, the Magical Monarch of Mo, and Queen Zixi of Ix. But his book about a young American girl named Dorothy who is whisked to another world by a tornado was so successful that it led to a 1902 Broadway musical (written by Baum) and a classic MGM film musical (1939). He wrote thirteen sequel Oz books before he died in 1919. The unabridged reading is approximately four hours long on four Audio CDs.

Customer Reviews

ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN

“I’ve read [this book] in the past and loved it. However, Robin Field’s portrayal of the characters adds such a deeper dimension to all of them. I appreciate the character of Jim much more after hearing him come to life through [Field’s] interpretation…. This is the second book I have listened to which was narrated by [Field]. Each of the chapter numbers he announces in his own voice. Then a moment later he transitions to the dialect of multiple characters from the region. The contrast from his real voice is impressive. [He] is really a talented narrator.”

THE ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO

“While this is my introduction to Robin, I think he does the book justice with a wide array of spot-on characters and an amusing Italian accent. His Pinocchio can be hard on the ears, but that is rather due to how the character is written than the performance itself.”

THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER

“I used to not like this book, … but now with the voices thrown in … I really loved it, and it made the adventure more fun. Robin Field was perfect for this book.”

THE AGE OF REASON

“The narrator sounded like an angry man, and every time I turned it on, I had to prepare myself to be yelled at. It was very distracting, and I wouldn’t recommend this edition of the book on that premise.”

“I enjoyed listening to Robin, and at times I was scared of exactly how he spoke some parts. I thought it was brilliant.”

“I think the reader of the story was trying to guess just how frustrated Paine was with religion by adding emotional exclamation in some sentence or emotionally emphasizing a word and the end of a sentence to show how impatient he was at explaining this to religious people.”

“The narration is accurately emotional and interesting to listen to.”

“Narrator was excellent. Enjoyed very much.”

“Masterfully read. The author comes to life with the reading of Robin Field.” “Well presented by the reader.”

“The narrator sounds like he’s upset throughout the reading of the book. It distracts greatly from the contents of the text, which is excellent.”

“The narrator spoke too angrily, making the program difficult to listen to.”

“The narration was done so perfectly, you could almost believe the author was reading it to you himself.”

“Unfortunately, the narrator sounded like an angry and irritated old man.”

“Robin Field did an excellent job narrating, and you feel as if Paine were actually reading it to an audience.”

ANDERSEN’S FAIRY TALES

“Dreadful reading. It hurt the ears.”

THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENT

“This is actually my favorite version of the work, because the effects and voices are simply handled better. Robin Field displays an amazing vocal range.”

THE ASPERN PAPERS

“Robin Field’s performance is practically flawless (i.e., I think it was literally twice in this entire novella that I felt he’d emphasized the wrong word in a sentence). He’s come up with precisely the right voice and accent for the narrator — snobby, fussy, sensitive, a bit precious, slightly quavering, definitely low on testosterone — and is especially skillful in his renditions of the two female characters. One of them is very old, and Field gets her cracked voice perfectly, never overdoing it, never making us wince. His brilliant reading really pulled me out of modern-day Manhattan (even its subways) and made for an extremely pleasant four hours.”

AUGUSTUS

“If you want to experience Julia’s painful exile to Pandataria, then pick up this audiobook. The male narrator does this impersonation of Julia that is absolutely brutal…. Now I’m just stuck with this dude’s voice in my head.”

“[Field] is trying to change his diction for the various narrators. And it sounds terrible, particularly when narrating women. You should get a different narrator for this wonderful book.”

“The narrator gave an inpressive, easy-to-follow performance.”

“[Field’s] attempt at voice acting was terrible, with the majority a minor variation of feminine pubescent boy voices. Unbearable.”

“This [reader] is hard to listen to. He has a dour reading style in this book and the other I’ve listened to, Stoner. His reading is replete with distracting mannerisms, such as his affected snicker. His characters are so pat that they seem to return from past books to the current ones. Others may like his style, but he makes all writing seem flat and negative; and he distracts from the story at hand.”

“The narrator does a superb job with all characters.”

“The narrator turns it into a fascinating journey, so that I could almost visualize the scenes narrated, like watching a movie. Just a great piece of work!”

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: AUTOBIOGRAPHY

“The narration has certainly done justice to Ben’s beautiful autobiography. Highly recommended.”

“This book is easily 500 percent more enjoyable and compelling because of the incredible talents of the narrator, who truly channels Franklin in his own way and puts just the right amount of inflection and creativity into the words to make them come alive.”

“I loved Robin Field’s reading [of] the autobiography of Ulysses S. Grant. Field’s reading is smooth, well inflected, and has enough variety to give you a sense of different characters.”

“I love the narrator, as you could just picture Benjamin Franklin himself speaking.”

“The voice made me feel as if an older Benjamin were reading it to me.” “The narration made it seem as if Benjamin Franklin himself was reading it.”

“Robin Field sounds better than what I would imagine Benjamin Franklin would sound like. He reads with such feeling, it’s as though he actually lived Franklin’s life.”

“It’s a pity for such a great classic to be spoiled by this gruesome narration. It’s hard to believe the guy reading is even human! … I don’t think a computer would do such a poor job.”

A CHILD’S GARDEN OF VERSES

“The narrator makes this beautiful prose droll and boring. Who would’ve thought this possible? … Hire a narrator [who] has some enthusiasm for the material.”

THE DIARIES OF ADAM & EVE

“Unfortunately, the narrator leaves much to be desired, both in his tone and his inflections, and his attempt to convincingly portray Eve by making his voice higher-pitched, girlish, and sing-songy made the second half almost unlistenable for me.”

THE EIGHTH VEIL

“The narrator’s voice is awful, which makes the bland dialogue and weak story even worse.”

GREATEST AMERICANS: THOMAS JEFFERSON

“The narration is good, but there is an overdone reverb on the voice that I found annoying.”

GRIMMS’ FAIRY TALES

“Robin Field’s narration was the best I’ve ever heard in all of my audiobooks…. I burst out laughing so many times listening to [the] cadre of characters and voices.”

“The reader does a great job and really works hard at breaking out different voices for women, girls, children, dwarves, giants, large and small animals…. I am ecstatic to see [that he] narrates many other children’s books as well. He does a variety of voices with so much talent. His excellent narration gives a special quality to the stories, making our child want to listen to them over and over again.”

THE HEROES: GREEK FAIRY TALES

“[Field is] one of my favorite performers on Audible. Never bored of listening.”

IDEAL

“If you like Rand, worth a listen. Great performances by the readers.”

IDOLATRY, PART 1: GENESIS

“The narrator was clear and used good voices for different characters…. And the way he pronounces all the words when describing physical settings helps me get more out of the writing than if I skimmed it with my eyes, because I can let my mind draw up the settings.”

“Mr. Field’s voice is a pleasure to listen to. He changed his voice for a few characters in appropriate spots for clarity, and they weren’t overdone.”

“I loved the narration…. The voice is peaceful, nostalgic, steady, and clear. However, the narrator is able to inject emotion appropriately.”

“Absolutely riveting. I was pulled into the story and could hardly ‘put it down’ — in this case, pause the story. Highly enjoyable.”

“The pacing was professional and the enunciation clear. But the personality of his voice has the character of an older man, which I found awkward during the romantic scenes.”

IDOLATRY, PART 2: A NEW EDEN

“Mr. Field portrays with aplomb the many characters as individuals. The singing is quite a treat.”

“Do not miss the luxury of listening to the Audible version. Robin Field makes it one of the best audiobook performances I have listened to. And I have nearly 300 audiobooks in my library. This is book two in the series, so be certain to start with the first — also read by Robin.”

“Not only was Robin’s acting superb in Part II, covering a wide range of characters, but his professional singing skills were put to good use, too. We plan on submitting this performance for consideration for an audiobook award.”

THE INNOCENTS ABROAD

“The narrator adds some cheesy editorial ‘ahems’ and some other noises that I don’t think were present in the text. He also reads very slow in an attempt at a drawl.”

“Robin Field comes about as close to channeling Mark Twain as it’s possible to do in the electronic age. Contemporaries described Twain’s voice as a somewhat high-pitched drawl, and Field’s reedy voice comes close to matching that description. He delivers Twain’s observations … with mostly deadpan humor, occasionally pausing slightly for timing or not-quite-clearing-his-throat for emphasis.”

“It is a genuine channeling of Twain. Terrific pauses for ironic emphasis — you can just see Twain stroking his mustache.”

“As usual, Robin Field was a fantastic reader; he was Twain.”

“I like the story, just couldn’t listen to the narrator. Cadence bothered me, and a lot of mouth noise that was unnecessary. Disappointment.”

“Best book/narrator matchup I’ve heard in all my years listening to Audible! Story is good and typical Twain, but the narration makes it great!”

“Great performance. It really added to hearing.”

JULIUS CAESAR: THE CIVIL WAR

“Excellent reading of a classic. I chose this version because of Robin Field’s reading. Once again, he makes me feel that I’m listening to the author. I’ll be looking for more of his work.”

“Robin Field did a good job narrating the book.”

LEAVES OF GRASS

“I was skeptical when the narrator began chanting italicized portions. Once my ear was attuned, it seemed very fitting, like some ancient incantations.”

“Robin Field brought to Leaves of Grass a passion that I found accessible.” “Well enunciated, but felt the emotional delivery was flat in places.”

LETTERS FROM HAWAII

“As for Robin Field, I couldn’t stand him at first — primarily for the lip-smacking (which thankfully abated after a few minutes)…. I wasn’t about to accept Field’s interpretation of Twain’s sly humor by affecting a sort of feigned geriatric absentmindedness (Twain was 31 when he wrote Letters, after all)! Now, all that said, … I settled into the narration and didn’t mind it all that much.”

MOTHER GOOSE: VOLLAND POPULAR EDITION

“I love how many of the Mother Goose rhymes are paired with their traditional songs. My kids love to sing these, and they are also learning a valuable piece of cultural heritage as well.”

THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES

“Having it read to me was perfect. The sound and extensive reasoning by Darwin really came to life.”

“[Field] did all right.”

“The narrator left a lot to be desired, and seemed to have to force his way through the book, and did not at least sound like there was an interest on his part in the subject matter.”

“Not exactly easy to listen to, and I found my attention wandering during the narration.”

“I should have sampled before buying, because the narrator is perhaps the single most boring reader possible for this material…. it’s made nearly unbearable by a narrator who brings no life to evolution and Darwin.”

“I’ve read the book as well and enjoyed the Audible version more. Narrator is very good.”

“Beautifully written and narrated…. The narrator does an excellent job — it felt that Darwin himself was speaking to me.”

“I was almost turned off of audiobooks because of just how unabridged this book is and how dry the performance is (though it would definitely be tough to read this in an exciting way).”

PERSONAL MEMOIRS OF ULYSSES S. GRANT

“It never got boring to me, and it’s amazing to listen to Grant writing in the first person about things that happened 150 years ago.”

“I enjoyed [Field] immensely.”

“Robin Field is the perfect narrator, who manages not to sound like one. He is General Grant, and before long you’ll start to think of him as a wise, modest, practical man who celebrated his victories, admits his shortcomings, and generously gives credit where it’s due.”

“Read by Robin Field in a clear and engaging style.”

“Better listen than I expected…. The narration was spot-on.”

“It is so much more entertaining than I expected…. Highly recommend it!”

“The writing and reading went together seamlessly. It felt as if I was listening to Grant tell his own story. I haven’t listened to other performances by Field, but I will be!”

“The more I listened to this memoir, the more my respect for this great man grew…. The narration of this book by Robin Field was excellent.”

“The narrator was absolutely perfect to present the small physical stature of Mr. Grant and his shyness.”

“I have to say that I love this narrator. He really sounds as I imagine Grant’s voice would sound. The reading is direct, low-key, and perfectly in tune with the plain style of the writing…. The reader really conveys the subtext of the memoir …”

“The reading of this very long work was a major accomplishment in its own right…. He did a good job, and I never tired of his voice.”

“Robin Field is the perfect narrator. I forgot that there was a narrator. His laconic, midwestern, understated style is perfect. At first it seems like he might be too low-key, but he’s not. His inflections are varied and perfect. He never, ever sounds like he is thinking about something else.”

What does Robin Field bring to the story … ? “Grant’s dry sense of humor.”

“I couldn’t stand the delivery of this book. Terrible choice of narrator. He seemed to end every sentence with a condescending tone. Maybe it was just me. I couldn’t finish it.”

“I was surprised and gratified with Grant’s subtle humor and dry wit. It made him all the more human. I’m glad I listened!”

“The narrator succeeded in making me feel I was listening to Grant himself. An acid test, I’d say.” “This is so well told and narrated, I could imagine all that happened in the places I know.”

“I will listen attentively to the whole again. It is well written and well read.”

“Robin Field was magnificent. I can just imagine this is how Grant’s voice must have sounded.”

“The performance was well done.”

“Reader does a great job of making Grant come alive to the listener.”

“High, squeaky voice just grated on my ears. I could hardly stand to listen to him. I would think that when getting a narrator for a memoir, you would want to get a person who would sound like (or in this case, what you would like him to sound like). I would like a deeper voice.”

“The writing was dry at times, though the performance by Robin Field was very well done. I could almost image U. S. Grant telling his story.”

“The narration is clear but sadly flat and does little justice to the work.” “Robin did a good job with the material.”

“Honest, thoughtful, and modest memoir of a towering historical figure. The narration effectively communicates this. Altogether first rate.”

“The audio version was like sitting with Grant on his porch as he recalls what he saw and felt during his life.”

“It is not the voice I would have put to Grant. I would like to have had a deeper, more powerful voice.”

“The narrator performed well, considering the length of Grant’s memoirs.”

“I am glad for the effort placed in recording this noble general’s last words. But I am very disappointed in the choice of narrator. Although he did a fair rendering, it seems that no consideration was given for what Grant’s voice might have sounded like …”

PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS OF JOAN OF ARC

“Robin Field’s narration is excellent. He’s one of the first-rate narrators of Twain…. He provides a slight French accent for the novel’s narrator, which I don’t think was necessary, but didn’t mind.”

“The narrator takes a little getting used to. It’s clearly a badly faked French accent for the character telling the story, and the feminine version he uses for Joan is even worse. It’s almost something out of Monty Python. That said, Robin Field does play it straight, and once you get used to the vocals, the power of the story will pull you in.”

“The narration is not bad, but it is a little stilted.”

“I literally could not stop listening to this…. The story’s performance is captivating. I was there right along with her clerks.”

“I loved the narration…. His character voices were fine.”

THE PRINCE & THE PAUPER

“Excellent narration!! As you are listening, you tend to forget that you are listening to one person narrate and not to a company of actors. Robin Field does a masterful job with all the character’s voices, consistent with their personalities and ranks.”

PROMETHEUS BOUND

“Robin Field appears to be doing all the voices in this production. Given that, it’s more dramatic than might be expected: he’s acting out the play, not simply reading it. If Field were less skillful, it could be dismissed as a vanity production…. In a couple of scenes the voices are close enough together that it’s difficult to tell immediately who’s speaking.”

“Narration was fine, but with only one person playing all parts it was not, at times, easy to distinguish who was speaking … When music was provided as accompaniment for the choruses, they became difficult to hear clearly. The music was cheesy and distracting.”

“I like Greek myths and drama, but this was hard to follow, due to the fact that the one guy does all the stage directions and all the characters, so there is no differentiation, nothing to signal a new character, and so the speeches all blend together.”

ROUGHING IT

“It is read with intelligence and a very good insight into Twain’s language…. Twain’s brilliant observation and ability to describe everything that happens to them with humor and consummate language skills is enhanced by Robin Field’s excellent reading.”

THE SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS

“The narrator was a bit slow …”

“The performance of the reader was so good, I was experiencing the book as new again!” “Clearly narrated. Really enjoyed.”

“Robin Field is a wonderfully gifted reader, who makes the story come alive!”

“Very well read.”

SKETCHES NEW & OLD

“Robin Field is one of a handful of narrators … who can almost always be trusted with Mark Twain…. There are brief banjo riffs between each piece, and one sketch that includes a drunken piano-player/singer in full sail.”

STONER

“Well interpreted by reader Robin Field.”

“Incredible story with almost perfect narration. The problem for me was that Robin Field uses the same cadence for every line that isn’t being spoken by a character, and for a few that are…. His voice, though, is utterly hypnotic, and once I got past that rhythm issue, each time I started listening, I got pulled in and didn’t want to turn it off. Listening to this audiobook felt like listening to what my grandfather must have sounded like as a young man.”

“The narrator, Robin Field, is spot-on perfect for this book. Great, great stuff.”

“I listened to it in one sitting … It was hard to listen to the book because of the emotional involvement and empathy I felt towards the protagonist.”

“[Field] has a laconic delivery that is perfectly suited for this story.”

“The main character never piqued my interest, though I labored through the whole book for something to make the listen worthwhile.”

“As for the narrator, he made the events come alive, and at times I felt as if I were alive in the early part of the last century while being transfixed by the story and the storyteller.”

“The narration by Robin Field is also wonderful. He has a voice which seems to be naturally ‘set’ most of the time in the minor key — which is perfect for this book. However, at other times where an outburst of anger or other emotion is called for, he conveys that in a way that is all the more shocking, having listened to the almost melancholic tone of the rest of the reading.”

“The narrator’s clipped and deliberate style may be responsible for my lukewarm response to this title.” “For at least the last half of the book I was drawn to listening to the book whenever I could.”

“[Field] did a good job articulating the author/protagonist’s calm, plain narrative dotted with exquisite agonies when he first experiences ‘love’ not until he was middle-aged.”

“Robin Field did a fine job of narrating.”

“The narrator is perfect, and he reads with a subtle dignity that matches the character and the novel.”

“I’d listen to the book over and over again, if I didn’t think it would make me weep in public places. The reader stands back and lets the book do its job.”

“The story is well written and well read, and engages the listener with its poetic, melancholy charm.”

“I have listened to almost 200 books this year, and this one soared up to the top of my list. It is, indeed, a masterpiece!”

“Mousy male voice, like I would expect of a younger Stoner.”

“Robin Field does a fine reading of the audiobook, though perhaps the quality of his voice is too good at expressing sensitive fatigue.”

“Robin Field did an excellent job reading. Would look for him again.”

“A good reading of a bad book.”

“Reader wasn’t very good, and maybe that’s why the story became boring!”

“The audio is read well, and you do get an immersion experience for the life and times during first half of 20th century in a small college town in middle America (Columbus, Missouri.)”

“I read it first. Listened afterwards. Now I want to read it again.”

“The narrator made it a part of my life, rather than a story of a fiction hero. It was breathtaking, and I would recommend this audiobook to everyone who is interested in real literature.”

“Stoner to me is easy to listen to and follow, while still being sweeping.”

“The reader is just outstanding.”

“Perfect reader for an amazingly solemn tale. Five-out-of-five must listen.”

“I liked this book a lot! Beautiful reader, too.”

“Wow. I want to get the print edition now.”

“Robin Field’s narration was spot-on perfection.”

“Perfect narration. One of the best Audible books I’ve listened to.”

“The narrator was excellent and the perfect voice for this book!”

“Not a favorite, but worthy of a listen.”

“The narrator’s monotone goes along with the mood of the book — but did not enhance it.”

“Great narration. Great story,”

“I felt as if I was right there with Stoner whilst he went through the minor ups and downs in this book.”

“The narration was well done. It felt appropriate to both the era and geography. Also, its ‘toned-down’ nature complemented the writing style.”

“This audio version is so well done that the print version couldn’t have been better…. I was in my car when [Stoner] was dying and had to pull over because I couldn’t stop crying.”

“Looking forward to listening again.”

“I found myself never wanting to miss a sentence, rewinding at times and turning it off, if I could not give it my full attention. With some audiobooks there are missed parts that I personally will push on through without concern for what was missed, but I was very drawn to this story and the protagonist.”

“Great read (listen).”

“[It] left me wanting to return to this audiobook each time I had to put it down until I finally finished it…. a very worthwhile audiobook, in my opinion.”

“The amazingly perfect voice of Robin Field added so much to my listening experience.”

“I thought I would hate this book, based on the content, but the delivery and the crispness of each human subject that is introduced has that sort of magic that few books have.”

“The narrator has no off moments and brings it alive…. Never heard this narrator before … but I would seek him out again.”

“Robin Field does an excellent job with the voices on this recording. Spot-on. Recommended.”

“The narration may actually be brilliant — mirroring the disinterest of the character — and maybe he did the best he could with the material.”

“[Field’s] voice made Stoner real.”

“[Field] does a great job with the character voices and personalities. You can feel the joy, pain, and disappointment.”

“Stoner is not a page-turning delight — partly because of the monotone delivery of Robin Field, but principally because of the somber story of a life adrift.”

“I thought [Field’s] performance was perfect.”

“Monotone. Even the narrator couldn’t breathe life into this story…. I grew so tired of listening to this story that I just turned it off and deleted it.”

“Robin Field’s tone was perfect for the style of prose.”

“The narrator was perfectly suited to the pace and the tone of this lyrical and melancholic novel. I know it will not be for everyone, but I think it ranks as one of the best I have listened to.”

“Robin Field’s tone suits the book perfectly — a bit monotonous, even bored at times, dragging his voice — to get the story through to us. All the while it was very easy to listen to, and I got through most of it while driving around the city.”

“Excellent. An understated performance that quietly goes about its business in an unimpressive way.” “Incredible narrator!”

“The narration went inside me as I listened, and I, too, thought about self-awareness.”

“Robin Field was the perfect reader for this story.”

“I think Robin Field has the perfect tone for narrating this book. He picked up speeds when necessary, emphasized the words at the right time, and hence added the sensation of the feeling the writer meant to convey, on top of different voices for different characters. I am going to read all John Williams’ books and listen to Robin Field’s narrations.”

“Great! Matches perfectly with the book.”

“In the first few sentences I didn’t think I was going to like Mr. Field’s narration, but after the first minute I was totally immersed. He doesn’t try to do extreme voices, but rather just tells the story.”

“One of the best narrations I have ever listened to and one of the best books I have ever read.”

“It’s not as though Field is bad, exactly. I think it’s just that his voice isn’t particularly pleasureable to listen to. It just doesn’t have the right tone for him to be in this line of work. It does serve to mar enjoyment of the book slightly.”

“The writer is fantastic, and the reader cannot be better.”

THE STORY OF CIVILIZATION: OUR ORIENTAL HERITAGE

“This history is very easy to listen to … Robin Field does a good job in this volume.”

“This was thoroughly enjoyable to listen to.”

“Robin Field is an amazing narrator with no misunderstanding of sentence structure or diction. I understood him quite clearly, and his telling of quotes and notes was fantastic! I can already tell that I’m going to very much enjoy … anything else Robin Field narrates in the future!”

“Masterpiece killed by narration. The narrator was not suited to the material at all …”

“When they were published in cassette, I had to listen again. Now on audiobook it has been just as great the third time through! The best yet!”

“The narrator is good and talks clearly. English is a second language to me, yet I easily understand him.”

“The narrator is very good at presenting the material with an even voice without letting his feelings/bias influence the work. However, the steadiness of his voice made it more difficult for me to always catch when he would be jumping from one thought to the next, and oftentimes different points would blend together.”

“The performance was even but lacked energy. I’ve ‘read’ more complex books with narrators that have kept me very engaged.”

“History as it should be written, and well read, too.”

“My only trouble is the narrator. He’s not bad per se, but the wordiness of the writing doesn’t really lend itself to his somewhat sleepy narration. Makes certain parts hard to focus on.”

“Robin Field is an excellent narrator and very appropriate for historical nonfiction because of age and wisdom one can almost hear.”

“Though [Field] is a great narrator, he wasn’t a good fit for this.”

“A little too slow…. I love the book, and I wish it could be reread more fluidly.”

“The reading of it on Audible was very helpful, because it keeps a good pace, and the reader could pronounce everything correctly.”

“The narrator is tired and dull, and I had to get accustomed to him for a few hours…. For such a long and difficult book, you must have a fascinating narrator!”

“The many mispronunciations through[out] this book thoroughly annoyed me … It was an outstanding book, [but] the narrator should not be narrating any books at all.”

“This narrator was absolutely horrendous at normal speed. Imagine the stereotypical history professor with his whole class asleep because he is so slow and monotonous.”

“One word of warning: the narrator is painfully slow! However, his voice sounds completely normal if you increase playback speed …”

“When I sped it up … it was awesome. I can’t bring myself to listen to it any slower, I’m afraid, it’s just read too slow!”

“I simply could not listen to this book without falling asleep.”

“The narrator’s voice is rather high-pitched and not terrific to listen to over the [long] course of this book.”

“The performance is fine.”

“Honestly, I think the narrator is straining here, and this volume should be re-narrated …”

“Narrator: clear and easily understood; negative: a bit too sing-songy for my taste, with occasional jarring mispronunciations.”

“A different narrator would have been helpful. This narration is rather ponderous and monotonous.” “The narration was fine.”

THREE PLAYS

“I would listen to it again, as it is the type of book you can listen to again and pick up something different. The narration was excellent.”

“Though they can be difficult to listen to, the narration is very good, and the content is excellent.”

A TRAMP ABROAD

“Too slow, doesn’t draw you in at all…. The folksy narration was Twain-like, but very slow-paced. A deadly combination.”

WALDEN & ON THE DUTY OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE

“Exceptional narration. The quality of the narration is excellent, particularly in tones and emotions imparted.”

“Robin Field delivers these words in a manner that I often thought Thoreau was reading to me his own works.”

“I really felt as if it was being spoken by Thoreau himself. The cadence of the reading is oddly soothing, as Thoreau walks us through his daily life at Walden Pond.”

“It was too slow for me, especially for listening to descriptions of nature…. Good listen, highly recommend the beginning and end of this book.”

“The narrator pace, however, is quite slow …”

“Robin Field is the voice of it, and no one could read it better.”

THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ

“[The reader] sounded like a little boy trying to be montone, like the former CEO of the New York Times. Get a different reader.”

Copyright © Robin Field