The Purple Thread
Eighth-Century Saxon Missions in Europe
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The Purple Thread
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Narrated by:
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Matthew Sykes
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By:
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John Broughton
About this listen
It is 733 AD in Anglo-Saxon Britain - a time of warriors, war, and religious extremes.
Begiloc, a young freedman from Wimborne, is a man of action. But his world turns upside down when the young Briton and his best friend Meryn are ordered away to protect English missionaries in Germany.
For a man accustomed to brutality, Begiloc has a soft spot for the purple-tinged mountains, waterfalls, lakes, animals, trees and flowers - beginning to muse whether they, rather than man, do not better embody the essence of God.
Mission follows mission across the continent, and Begiloc is driven ever further from his loved ones. His ultimate foe is Milo, the corrupt and cruel Bishop of Rems.
Will Begiloc ever be free from his obligations to the Church and reunited with those whom he has been so long separated?
John Broughton’s The Purple Thread is a historical thrill-ride across eighth century Europe, which also rings some very contemporary bells and a tale of a man’s psychological battle to sustain his faith and morality in the face of temptation and evil.
©2020 John Broughton (P)2020 John BroughtonListeners also enjoyed...
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- A Time for Swords, Book 1
- By: Matthew Harffy
- Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards
- Length: 17 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 126
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 109
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 108
Lindisfarne, AD 793. There had been portents - famine, whirlwinds, lightning from clear skies, serpents seen flying through the air. But when the raiders came, no one was prepared. They came from the North, their dragon-prowed longships gliding out of the dawn mist as they descended on the kingdom's most sacred site. It is 8th June AD 793, and with the pillage of the monastery on Lindisfarne, the Viking Age has begun. While his fellow monks flee before the Norse onslaught, one young novice stands his ground.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Good start to a new series.
- By Scott on 04-17-22
By: Matthew Harffy
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Dragon's Child
- The King Arthur Trilogy, Book 1
- By: M. K. Hume
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 18 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 105
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 89
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 89
The future of Britain is at stake. In the turbulent times of the Dark Ages, the despotic Uther Pendragon, High King of Celtic Britain, is nearing death, and his kingdom is being torn apart by the squabbling of minor kings. But only one man can bring the Celts together as a nation and restore peace - King Arthur. Artorex (Arthur) doesn't yet seem like the great man he will grow into. We meet him as a shy, subservient twelve-year-old living in the foster home of Lord Ector, who took in Artorex as a babe to protect him from murderous kin.
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1 out of 5 stars
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A Dry, Dull Tale, Marred in "Realism"
- By Steven on 09-21-15
By: M. K. Hume
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Taliesin
- The Pendragon Cycle, Book 1
- By: Stephen R. Lawhead
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 19 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,454
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,125
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,120
It was a time of legend, as the last shadows of the mighty Roman conqueror faded from the captured Isle of Britain. Meanwhile, across a vast sea, bloody war shattered a peace that had flourished for 2,000 years in the doomed kingdom of Atlantis. This is the remarkable adventure of Charis, the courageous princess from Atlantis who escapes the terrible devastation of her land, and of the fabled seer and druid prince Taliesin, singer at the dawn of the age. It is a story of an incomparable love that joins two astonishing worlds....
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5 out of 5 stars
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A Classic interpretation of a Classic tale
- By John on 08-11-03
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The Serpent Sword
- The Bernicia Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Matthew Harffy
- Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards
- Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 519
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 460
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 459
Beobrand is compelled by his brother's almost-certain murder to embark on a quest for revenge in the war-ravaged kingdoms of Northumbria. The land is rife with danger, as warlords vie for supremacy and dominion. In the battles for control of the region, new oaths are made and broken, and loyalties are tested to the limits. With no patronage and no experience, Beobrand must form his own allegiances and learn to fight with sword and shield. Relentless in pursuit of his enemies, he faces challenges which transform him from a boy to a man.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Amazing story, needs a warning in the description.
- By Lisa Schilling on 04-12-17
By: Matthew Harffy
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Battle of Kings
- By: M. K. Hume
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 17 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 97
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 78
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Story4 out of 5 stars 79
In the town of Segontium a wild storm washes a fugitive ashore. He brutally rapes the granddaughter of the ruler of the Deceangli tribe, leaving her to bear his son, Myrddion Merlinus (Merlin). Spurned as a demon seed, the child is raised by his grandmother and, as soon as he turns nine, he is apprenticed to a skilled alchemist who hones the boy’s remarkable gift of prophecy. Meanwhile, the High King of the Britons, Vortigern, is rebuilding the ancient fortress at Dinas Emrys.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Underrated book author and narrator!
- By Zachary on 04-15-22
By: M. K. Hume
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The Lost Queen
- A Novel
- By: Signe Pike
- Narrated by: Toni Frutin
- Length: 17 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,563
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 2,338
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,327
In a land of mountains and mist, tradition and superstition, Languoreth and her brother Lailoken are raised in the Old Way of their ancestors. But in Scotland, a new religion is rising, one that brings disruption, bloodshed, and riot. And even as her family faces the burgeoning forces of Christianity, the Anglo-Saxons, bent on colonization, are encroaching from the east. When conflict brings the hero Emrys Pendragon to her father’s door, Languoreth finds love with one of his warriors. Her deep connection to Maelgwn is forged by enchantment, but she is promised in marriage to Rhydderch, son of a Christian king.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Lost no more!
- By Beckersly on 09-13-18
By: Signe Pike
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A Morbid Taste for Bones
- By: Ellis Peters
- Narrated by: Patrick Tull
- Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,370
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,159
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,151
Cadfael's return to his Welsh homeland for a visit proves a rather discomfiting homecoming when an honorable nobleman turns up in a patch of forest with an arrow embedded in his chest. There are questions about the arrow, the man's daughter needs Cadfael's help, and a very odd burial takes place.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Very pleasant if not much of a mystery.
- By Zenjen on 04-15-10
By: Ellis Peters
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In the Region of the Summer Stars
- By: Stephen R. Lawhead
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 12 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 236
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 216
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 216
Ravaged by barbarian Scálda forces, the last hope for Eirlandia lies with the island’s warring tribes. Wrongly cast out of his tribe, Conor, the first-born son of the Celtic king, embarks on a dangerous mission to prove his innocence. What he discovers will change Eirlandia forever. For the Scálda have captured the mystical Fae to use as an ultimate weapon. And Conor’s own people have joined in the invasion.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Loved this!
- By Robin on 05-22-20
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Cathedral
- By: Ben Hopkins
- Narrated by: Malk Williams, Sophie Roberts
- Length: 19 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 80
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 68
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Story4 out of 5 stars 68
A sweeping story about obsession, mysticism, art and earthly desire. At the centre of this story is the Cathedral. Its design and construction in the 13th and 14th centuries in the fictional town of Hagenburg unites a vast array of unforgettable characters whose fortunes are inseparable from the shifting political factions and economic interests vying for supremacy. From the bishop to his treasurer, from local merchants to lowly stonecutters, the fate of everyone, both Gentile and Jew, is affected by the slow rise of Hagenburg’s cathedral.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Interesting description of life in the Middle Ages
- By leongork on 06-30-21
By: Ben Hopkins
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Barrowlands
- Iconoclasts, Book 0
- By: Mike Shel
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 1 hr
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 545
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 497
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 495
No one enters the doom-haunted Barrowlands without royal sanction. But Hesk Atterley has. Accompanied by seedy companions and a hunger for riches, what he finds may change his life forever...if it doesn't kill him first.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Short but Interesting
- By Michael on 02-01-21
By: Mike Shel
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Crispin, at the Edge of the World
- By: Avi
- Narrated by: Ron Keith
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 114
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 95
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 96
The young orphan Crispin and his gentle, red-bearded protector Bear continue their adventures in 14th-century England. Crispin and Bear are finally free to live their lives as they choose. But they soon find that they are being hunted by members of a secret society who believe Bear is a spy. When Bear is severely wounded, Crispin must make some tough decisions, such as deciding who else to trust to help them escape their pursuers. The two make a perilous journey to Brittany - surely the edge of the world!
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4 out of 5 stars
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Good but Depressing
- By Carl on 09-08-09
By: Avi
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The Rose of York
- Love and War
- By: Sandra Worth
- Narrated by: Robin Sachs
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 70
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 59
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Story4 out of 5 stars 59
Set in Malory's England during the Wars of the Roses, this acclaimed winner of a remarkable nine awards tells the true story of two star-crossed lovers - Richard of Gloucester and Lady Anne Neville - before they become King and Queen of England. A stirring tale of romance and intrigue.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Marvelous.
- By Cinders on 11-07-13
By: Sandra Worth
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A Gathering of Ravens
- A Novel (The Grimnir Series, Book 1)
- By: Scott Oden
- Narrated by: Paul Woodson
- Length: 12 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 37
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 34
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 34
To the Danes, he is skraelingr; to the English, he is orcnéas; to the Irish, he is fomóraig. He is Corpse-maker and Life-quencher, the Bringer of Night, the Son of the Wolf and Brother of the Serpent. He is Grimnir, and he is the last of his kind - the last in a long line of monsters who have plagued humanity since the Elder Days. Drawn from his lair by a thirst for vengeance against the Dane who slew his brother, Grimnir emerges into a world that’s changed. A new faith has arisen. The Old Ways are dying; even still, Grimnir’s vengeance cannot be denied.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Like The Last Unicorn, Only the Unicorn is an Orc
- By ArcaneBard on 04-22-20
By: Scott Oden
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The Road to Jerusalem
- Crusades Trilogy Series, Book 1
- By: Jan Guillou
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 131
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 117
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 117
Born in 1150 to a noble Swedish family and coming of age at a monastery under the tutelage of a Cistercian monk and a former Knight Templar, young Arn Magnusson is sent to fulfill his destiny beyond the cloister walls. But the world awaiting him is a place at odds with his monastic ways. And when the murder of a king engulfs Western Götaland into a whirlwind of intrigue and ruthless power plays, headstrong and naive Arn is forced to leave the woman he loves behind and take up arms to battle infidels in the Holy Land.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Went looking for trashy historical fiction...
- By Anonymous User on 02-01-22
By: Jan Guillou
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The Outlaws of Sherwood
- By: Robin McKinley
- Narrated by: Justine Eyre
- Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 75
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 63
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 64
Young Robin Longbow, subapprentice forester in the King's Forest of Nottingham, must contend with the dislike of the Chief Forester, who bullies Robin in memory of his popular father. But Robin does not want to leave Nottingham or lose the title to his father's small tenancy, because he is in love with a young lady named Marian - and keeps remembering that his mother too was gentry and married a common forester. Robin has been granted a rare holiday to go to the Nottingham Fair, where he will spend the day with his friends Much and Marian.
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3 out of 5 stars
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A great story paired with the wrong narrator
- By Gail N. on 11-01-19
By: Robin McKinley
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Sidroc the Dane: A Circle of Ceridwen Saga Story
- By: Octavia Randolph
- Narrated by: Nano Nagle
- Length: 16 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 452
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 412
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 410
A discarded child fated to become a powerful Jarl - here is the story of Sidroc. Fate guides the path of his father, Hrald, to his meeting with the woman whose son would help change the face of ninth-century Angle-land. An ever-growing rivalry between Sidroc and his cousin Toki defines the boys' early years. Their young uncle, Yrling, knows success as a raider in far-off Angle-land, and trains his nephews in the ways of the warrior. Ahead of them is the perilous crossing of the North Sea, which stands between them and the plunder they seek.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Oh, to be a character in this book!
- By KarenW on 06-03-18
By: Octavia Randolph
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Macbeth: A Novel
- By: A. J. Hartley, David Hewson
- Narrated by: Alan Cumming
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,660
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,225
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,218
Macbeth: A Novel brings the intricacy and grit of the historical thriller to Shakespeare’s tale of political intrigue, treachery, and murder. In this full-length novel written exclusively for audio, authors A. J. Hartley and David Hewson rethink literature’s most infamous married couple, grounding them in a medieval Scotland whose military and political upheavals are as stark and dramatic as the landscape in which they are played.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Narrator choice inspired
- By Beverly on 07-10-11
By: A. J. Hartley, and others