October
2005
(Please note that the prices shown are recommended
retail prices only)
For a month-by-month guide to titles
published since June 2002, take a look
at our previous releases page
Click on title links for more information and to buy.
Available
from 3 October 2005 |
| Alan Bennett
This month a selection of Alan Bennett titles are available
in CD format, individually or in two special collections of stories
and plays. |
|
| The
Lady in the Van
Alan Bennett reads his acclaimed work about his unusual neighbour,
as heard on BBC Radio 4. An eccentric old lady moves into a quiet
street in Camden Town. There she remains living in her van until
the council instructs her to move. A kind homeowner invites her
to live in his garden. An odd tale in itself, but even more bizarre
when the homeowner is writer Alan Bennett and Miss Shepherd stays
for 15 years. This edition has an extra episode in which Bennett
recounts the discovery of Miss Shepherd's brother and learns more
about her secret past. The second CD also features another short
story, 'Uncle Clarence, in which we learn of Alan Bennett's quest
for the relation he never knew - his mother's brother killed in
Flanders in 1917.
2 CDs, 1hr 40mins, ISBN 0563 535237 £12.99
|
|
|
The
Clothes They Stood Up In
The Ransomes have been burgled, robbed, cleaned out. Everything
has gone, even the toilet paper. But, for the stuffy solicitor
and his downtrodden wife, it marks a kind of liberation where
nothing will ever be quite the same.
2 CDs, 2hrs 20mins, ISBN 0563 535229 £12.99
|
|
|
Father!
Father! Burning Bright
All his life, Midgley felt he had disappointed his father. When
a telephone call comes saying his father has had a stroke and
will not last the night, Midgley mounts a vigil by his bedside,
determined to do the last thing right. Read by Alan Bennett.
2 CDs, 1hr 40mins, ISBN 0563 477067 £12.99
|
|
| Forty
Years On
Alan Bennett stars in the production of his own acclaimed satirical
comedy about a headmaster of Albion House who is retiring and
takes part in the end-of-year entertainment for the last time.
It also stars Robert Bathurst and Eleanor Bron.
2 CDs, 1hr 35mins, ISBN 0563 477954 £12.99
|
|
| The
Laying On of Hands
Alan Bennett reads his darkly humorous story in which the fragile
state of celebrity encounters a universal leveller.
2 CDs, 2hrs 20mins, ISBN 0563 536411 £12.99
|
|
| Alan Bennett
An
Englishman Abroad
Michael Gambon and Penelope Wilton star as Guy Burgess and Coral
Browne in this BBC radio full-cast drama of Alan Bennett's play
based on a real-life chance encounter in 1958 between the world
famous spy and a Shakespearean actress.
1 CD, 1hr, ISBN 0563 535792 £12.99
|
|
| Kafka's
Dick
Alison Steadman, Richard Griffiths and Nigel Anthony star in this
BBC Radio 4 version of Alan Bennett's acclaimed comedy drama,
described by the Daily Telegraph's Gillian Reynolds as
'Pure joy'. Bennett's brilliantly clever comedy not only examines
the relationship between life and art, but also asks what was
Kafka's embarrassing little problem?
2 CDs, 1hr 30mins, ISBN 0563 524707 £12.99
|
|
| Four
Stories
Master storyteller Alan Bennett reads four of his highly-acclaimed
stories: The Lady in the Van, The Clothes They
Stood Up In, The Laying On of Hands and Father!
Father! Burning Bright.
8 CDs, 8hrs 40mins, ISBN 1846 070481 £45.00
|
|
| Three
Plays
Alan Bennett’s three classic BBC Radio full-cast dramas:
Kafka’s Dick, Forty Years On and An Englishman
Abroad.
5 CDs, 4hrs 5mins, ISBN 1846 070473 £30.00
|
|
| C.S. Lewis
Chronicles of Narnia
The award-winning full-cast dramatisations of the classic
Narnia series are now available individually both on cassette
and CD. With a sweeping, evocative soundtrack - and featuring
an illustrious cast including Academy Award winner Paul Scofield
as the Storyteller and award-winning actor David Suchet as Aslan
- this brilliant, innovative dramatisation brings the adventures
to vivid life. |
|
| The
Magician's Nephew
The first book in the series finds a boy and a girl
tricked into using magic rings while a beautiful and terrifying
queen escapes from a dying world. The Great Lion Aslan sings a
new world into existence, and so Narnia is born, and already dark
treachery threatens its future.
2 CDs, 2hrs 30mins, ISBN 0563 504765 £9.99
2 cassettes,
2hrs 30mins, ISBN 0563 504412 £8.99 |
|
|
The
Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
In the second adventure, a forgotten wardrobe becomes
the pathway to adventure and intrigue as four children step into
another time and place. An evil White Witch holds the land in
an endless winter before the Great Lion Aslan comes to make the
ultimate sacrifice.
2 CDs, 2hrs 30mins, ISBN 0563 50451X £9.99
2 cassettes,
2hrs 30mins, ISBN 0563 504161 £8.99 |
|
| The
Horse and His Boy
In the third adventure, a young boy makes his escape from slavery
with a talking horse, while a mysterious lion shadows their every
move. Meanwhile, a treacherous prince wages war against an unsuspecting
Narnia.
3 CDs, 3hrs 10mins, ISBN 0563 504714 £12.99
2 cassettes,
3hrs 10mins, ISBN 0563 504366 £8.99 |
|
| Prince
Caspian
A young prince learns the truth of his father’s murder,
and his ragtag army rallies to restore the throne to their rightful
king. As he vows to revive Narnia, four strangers from another
world are thrown into war.
3 CDs, 3hrs 20mins, ISBN 0563 504560 £12.99
2 cassettes,
3hrs 20mins, ISBN 0563 504218 £8.99 |
|
| The
Voyage of the Dawn Treader
In the dramatisation of the fifth book, three children are pulled
into a magic picture and join with a young king on a noble voyage
to find his missing lords. Uncharted lands are discovered with
dragons, wizards, strange creatures and dark nightmares.
3 CDs, 3hrs 45mins, ISBN 0563 504617 £12.99
2 cassettes,
3hrs 45mins, ISBN 0563 504269 £8.99 |
|
| The
Silver Chair
The penultimate adventure involves a missing prince, a mysterious
Green Lady, an underground world of gnomes and terrifying giants
- and an enchantment that must be broken by three unlikely companions
on a perilous quest.
3 CDs, 3hrs 45mins, ISBN 0563 504668 £12.99
2 cassettes,
3hrs 45mins, ISBN 0563 504315 £8.99 |
|
| The
Last Battle
A greedy ape and a gullible donkey concoct a terrible scheme with
disastrous consequences. Enemies from afar invade Narnia, forcing
a young king to fight for his kingdom. Two children from another
world return to a Narnia they hardly recognize. Here is the last
battle of Narnia – and an end that no one could have foreseen.
3 CDs, 3hrs 35mins, ISBN 0563 504811 £12.99
2 cassettes,
3hrs 35mins, ISBN 0563 504463 £8.99 |
|
| Graham
Norton's Big Apple
Graham Norton brings his deliciously saucy mix of stand up, interview
and audience interaction to New York in a series that has never
been heard before. The format is a live recording at New York's
Here Theatre with an audience made up of native New Yorkers, Brits
and Irish fans. The comedy is cutting edge as Graham explores
themes of love, sex, money, consumerism, religion and big city
life with special guests that include a doctor, divorce lawyer,
reporter, poet, actor, Sex and the City stylist and even
a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist. Bite into this big apple that's
fresh and more than a little bit fruity.
2 CDs, 2hrs 20mins, ISBN 0563 504870 £12.99
|
|
| Douglas Adams
The
Complete Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
This really is the ultimate answer to Life, the Universe and Everything
- all five radio series of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
collected together for the first time in a handsome box with magnetic
lid. These full-cast BBC Radio 4 dramas star Simon Jones, Peter
Jones, Geoffrey McGivern, Mark Wing-Davey, Stephen Moore and Susan
Sheridan, with a stellar guest cast including John Le Mesurier,
Joanna Lumley, Christian Slater, Jackie Mason, Sandra Dickinson,
Rula Lenska, Griff Rhys Jones and Jonathan Pryce. Also included
is an exclusive bonus disc containing two programmes from the
BBC Archive: Kaleidoscope from 1980 (going behind the
scenes of the second series) and Six Characters in Search
of an Answer: Arthur Dent from 2002.
14 CDs, 14hrs 45mins, ISBN 0563 504196 £80.00
|
|
| The
Best of Just a Minute 2005
The Best of Just a Minute is a yearly event bringing
together the greatest shows of the year. Ian Messiter came up
with the show when he suddenly remembered the horrible task of
speaking for one minute without hesitation or deviation being
meted out by one of his school masters. In this selection of the
finest four episodes from the year, Chairman Nicholas Parsons
presides over panellists that include Paul Merton, Graham Norton,
Clement Freud, Linda Smith, Tony Hawks, Sue Perkins, Stephen Fry,
Jenny Eclair, Julian Clary, Ross Noble, Lisa Tarbuck, Tim Rice
and Wendy Richard.
2 CDs, 2hrs, ISBN 0563 504900 £12.99
2 cassettes,
2hrs, ISBN 0563 504854 £8.99 |
|
|
Little
Britain - Best of TV Series 1
Little Britain is without doubt the biggest comedy hit
in the UK and it all started on BBC Radio 4. To tie in with the
new TV series and sell-out tour this release features the best
sketches from the first BBC TV series.
1 CD, 1hr, ISBN 0563 504951 £9.99
|
|
|
Little
Britain - Best of TV Series 2
The very best sketches from the superb second television series
of Little Britain, written by and starring Matt Lucas
and David Walliams. In this collection, Emily Howard has found
a friend and together they take afternoon tea (as ladies do!),
Vicky Pollard goes backstage at a Blazin' Squad concert, the Prime
Minister and Sebastian are hard at it and Daffyd finally comes
out to his parents.
1 CD, 1hr, ISBN 1846 070597 £9.99
|
|
|
The
News Quiz: The Best of 2005
Simon Hoggart presents the pick of the year's topical wit and
tomfoolery in these highlights from The News Quiz during
the period October 2004 to March 2005. Regular panellists are
Alan Coren, Andy Hamilton, Jeremy Hardy, Armando Iannucci, Linda
Smith and Francis Wheen. Guests include Chris Addison, Jack Dee,
Dave Gorman, Richard Ingrams, Phill Jupitus, Fred MacAulay, Janet
Street Porter, Sandi Toksvig and Jeremy Vine.
2 CDs, 2hrs, ISBN 0563 504110 £12.99
|
|
|
Francis Durbridge
Paul
Temple Intervenes
First broadcast on 30th October 1942, this is the oldest, full-length
drama to remain in the BBC archives. Starring Carl Bernard and
Bernadette Hodgson as Paul Temple and his wife Steve, the detective
duo help Scotland Yard to track down a master criminal known only
as 'The Marquis'. In eight thrilling episodes, radio’s smoothest
sleuth and his glamorous wife solve a case of international mystery.
2 CDs, 2hrs 20mins, ISBN 0563 527943 £12.99
2 cassettes,
2hrs 20mins, ISBN 0563 527897 £10.99 |
|
| Peter
Cook in his Own Words
Comedian Michael Palin presents this four-part series, as heard
on BBC Radio 4, devoted to the exceptional talent of Peter Cook.
Trawling through Cook's back catalogue for his funniest and silliest
moments, this collection contains much rare archive material that
has never been previously broadcast. It covers Cook's 36-year
career in chronological order with interviews, monologues, sketches
and even clips from panel games, chat shows, and radio phone-ins.
We also hear Peter Cook discuss his school days, writing comedy
at Cambridge University, his first encounter with Dudley Moore
and his involvement with Private Eye. A must-have for
all fans of Peter Cook or anyone who appreciates British comedy
at its very finest.
2 CDs, 1hr 50mins, ISBN 0563 504528 £12.99 |
|
| Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly
Black
Spiderwick
Chronicles:
Lucinda's Secret & The Ironwood Tree
The bestselling US series about the secret world
of faeries is now a huge hit in the UK. Mark Hamill, best known
as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, reads books three and
four from acclaimed writing partners Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly
Black. In Lucinda's Secret, things at the Grace residence
are getting completely out of hand. As if being attacked by goblins
and almost eaten by a bridge troll wasn't enough, now the house
boggart, Thimbletack, is out to get Jared. In The Ironwood
Tree, a pack of vile, smelly goblins snatch Simon. Then
a band of elves try to entrap Jared. Why is the entire faerie
world so eager to get their hands on Spiderwick's Guide? And will
the Grace children be left alone, now that the Guide has mysteriously
disappeared? Don't count on it!
2 CDs, 2hrs, ISBN 0563 504978 £9.99
|
|
| Jacqueline Wilson
Love
Lessons
Flinty Williams reads this daring and provocative novel for young
adults. Fourteen-year-old Prue and her sister Grace have been
educated at home by their controlling, super-strict father all
their lives. But when Dad has a stroke and ends up in hospital,
unable to move or speak, Prue suddenly discovers what it's like
to have a little freedom. The girls' mother sends them to the
local school where they experience school life for the first time.
Prue finds it hard to fit in and the only person she can talk
to is her kindly, young, handsome Art teacher, Rax. As her feelings
for Rax develop, Prue begins to realise that perhaps he feels
the same way about her. But he can't act upon them, can he?
6 CDs, 6hrs, ISBN 0563 504676 £20.00
6 cassettes,
6hrs, ISBN 0563 504625 £18.99 |
|
| Jacqueline Wilson
The
Tracy Beaker Stories (box set)
Containing both The Story of Tracy Beaker and The
Dare Game, this is the complete story of Tracy Beaker read
by Sandi Toksvig. In the first book Tracy is living in a Children's
Home but wants a real family. The Dare Game finds Tracy
living with foster mum Cam, but all is not as well as it should
be. Tracy wants designer clothes and a luxury home – but
most of all she'd like her real mum to look after her. When she
and her new friends, Alexander and Football, play the dastardly
Dare Game they discover amazing things about each other - and
themselves.
7 CDs, 7hrs 25mins, ISBN 1846 070147 £25.00
|
|
|
Jill Murphy
The
Worst Witch
Mildred Hubble's first term at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches
starts badly. She can’t control her broomstick, her kitten,
or her spells, unlike goody-goody Ethel.
1 CD, 1hr 10mins, ISBN 1855 496755 £5.99
1 cassette,
1hr 10mins, ISBN 1855 491109 £3.99 |
|
|
Jill Murphy
A
Bad Spell for the Worst Witch
Mildred is determined to lose her embarrassing reputation as the
worst witch the Academy has ever seen - but things rapidly get
out of hand! Since their first publication in 1975, Jill Murphy's
'Worst Witch' stories have become children's classics. They have
been adapted for a successful and long-running TV series, as well
as a major movie. Miriam Margolyes, one of Britain's best-known
actors, reads this story.
1 CD, 1hr, ISBN 1855 490382 £9.99
1 cassette,
1hr, ISBN 1855 492326 £3.99 |
|
|
Jill Murphy
The
Worst Witch All at Sea
The Worst Witch can't bear to leave behind her beloved cat, Tabby,
when the class goes for a week's school trip by the sea. But keeping
Tabby out of the sight of Miss Hardbroom leads from one disaster
to another. Read by Miriam Margolyes.
2 CDs, 2hrs, ISBN 1855 496968 £9.99
2 cassettes,
2hrs, ISBN 1855 492865 £8.99 |
|
| Jill Murphy
The
Worst Witch Saves the Day
It's the start of a new term at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches
and Mildred Hubble is determined not to be the worst witch this
year. Everything starts so well. Mildred's class has a new form
teacher - no more Miss Hardbroom! But the new teacher, Miss Granite,
starts acting fishy; Mildred has a very bad hair day thanks to
a hair-growth spell, and she has to put up with know-it-all Ethel
Hallow being 'helpful'. To top it all, her beloved cat Tabby is
having a nervous breakdown and refuses to fly!
1 CD, 1hr, ISBN 0563 504498 £4.99
1 cassette,
1hr, ISBN 0563 504447 £3.99 |
|
|
Jill Murphy
The
Worst Witch Strikes Again
Mildred is put in charge of the new girl Enid Nightshade with
disastrous results, and Ethel gets up to her mean tricks again
at Miss Cackle’s Birthday Celebration.
1 CD, 1hr, ISBN 1855 498197 £5.99
1 cassette,
1hr, ISBN 1855 491117 £3.99 |
|
| Yes
Minister
The Very Best Episodes: Volume 1
Armando Iannucci, Yes Minister's celebrity advocate for
the BBC's search for Britain's Best Sitcom, has chosen his four
favourite episodes. The sustained dry wit of the dialogue and
the wonderful interplay between the three main characters –
Jim Hacker, Sir Humphrey and Bernard Wooley – made Jonathan
Lynn and Antony Jay’s satirical comedy compulsive viewing.
The strength of the writing makes these audios a joy to listen
to and these episodes of Yes Minister were specially
adapted and broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Starring Paul Eddington,
Nigel Hawthorne and Derek Fowlds.
2 CDs, 2hrs, ISBN 0563 504730 £12.99
|
|
Available
from 10 October 2005 |
|
Alan Bennett
Untold
Stories: Part 1 - Stories
Alan Bennett's first major collection of prose since his bestselling
Writing Home. Part One: Stories is a poignant
family memoir recalling the marriage of Alan's parents, the lives
and deaths of his aunts and the uncovering of a long-held family
secret. At times heartrending, and at others extremely funny,
Untold Stories is a matchless and unforgettable journey into Alan
Bennett’s past.
2 CDs, 2hrs 30mins, ISBN 0563 504471 £12.99
2 cassettes,
2hrs 30mins, ISBN 0563 504420 £10.99 |
|
| Alan Bennett
Untold
Stories: Part 2 - The Diaries
Part 2: The Diaries Alan Bennett recounts an erudite
collection from his diaries dating from 1997-2004. Whether appreciating
the simple pleasures of nature, or commenting on religion, politics
or the arts, his observations are incisive, funny, yet always
meaningful.
2 CDs, 2hrs 35mins, ISBN 1846 070090 £12.99
2 cassettes,
2hrs 35mins, ISBN 1846 070082 £10.99
|
 |
|
Alan Titchmarsh
Fill
My Stocking
A great raconteur and entertainer, Alan Titchmarsh gets together
every Christmas with family and friends to celebrate the season
and perform much-loved favourites old and new. Fill My Stocking
combines these well-known favourites with his own festive pieces.
Collected together for the first time, this is the perfect stocking
filler for his legions of fans.
2 CDs, 2hrs 30mins, ISBN 0563 527846 £12.99
2 cassettes,
2hrs 30mins, ISBN 0563 52779X £10.99 |
 |
| Dead
Ringers: The Best of the Radio Series
This colourful collection of hilarious sketches from the acclaimed
BBC Radio 4 series includes gems such as Tom Baker's telephone
conversations with Directory Inquiries, David Dickinson and many
more. It also includes favourites such as Tony Blair and George
W. Bush.
2 CDs, 2hrs, ISBN 0563 504587 £12.99
|
 |
| Grumpy
Old Men: The Secret Diary
The sequel to Grumpy Old Men covers a year in the sad
and sordid life of a Grumpy Old Man, sorting into dates and seasons
the many and manifold bloody irritations which multiply in this
perpetual torment that we call modern living. To everything there
is a season. A time to be born, a time to die... and a time to
get a few things off your chest. Stuart Prebble, writer of the
highly acclaimed TV series, gives us a more in-depth look at what
it's really like to be a p'd-off man of a certain age.
2 CDs, 2hrs 30mins, ISBN 0563 504897 £12.99
|
 |
| Agatha Christie
The
Mysterious Affair at Styles
A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation starring John Moffatt in
Agatha Christie's first-ever Poirot story. Set in 1916, we meet
Captain Hastings as he is invalided out of the Great War and goes
to convalesce at Styles Court, the family home of his great friend,
John Cavendish. By an extraordinary coincidence, billeted in the
village is a brilliant little retired detective, who made a considerable
impression on the Captain when he was in Belgium. Styles is not
a happy household, and in the blistering summer heat, tensions
mount. Even so, the tragic murder that occurs is not expected.
The entire family is drawn into the case but with their reluctant
permission, Hastings calls upon the services of the diminutive
Belgian. Thus begins one of the great partnerships and friendships
in the history of crime.
2 CDs, 2hrs 30mins, ISBN 0563 510315 £12.99
2 cassettes,
2hrs 30mins, ISBN 0563 510269 £10.99
|
 |
Available
from 31 October 2005 |
| Lynn Truss
Talk
to the Hand
Lynn Truss returns with a hilarious rallying cry for courtesy
and good manners. In her follow-up to Eats, Shoots and Leaves,
Truss asks why rudeness is a universal flashpoint. What ever happened
to 'please' and 'thank you'? Why does the customer have to do
all the work? Whatever happened to the idea of public and private
space and the different types of behaviour for each? It's a big
rant, essentially. But on the plus side, it's quite short and
there's nothing about pandas or punctuation.
2 CDs, 2hrs, ISBN 0563 50434X £12.99
2 cassettes,
2hrs, ISBN 0563 504293 £10.99 |
 |
| Richmal Crompton
William
Again
Life is unendurable. William and Ginger, faithful allies, are
in a state of bankruptcy – without even enough money to
buy some sweets. But then William has a brilliant idea. They could
always try selling Ginger’s twin cousins as slaves. Whether
he attempts to be a great detective, a shipwrecked mariner or
a slave trader, William’s best plans often go inexplicably
awry – but sometimes gloriously right!
Martin Jarvis has made the voices of William and his gang of outlaws
his own in these marvellous readings.
5 CDs, 6hrs, ISBN 0563 510102 £17.99
4 cassettes,
6hrs, ISBN 0563 510005 £13.99
|
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