World’s End

The Lanny Budd Novels, Book 1

By: Upton Sinclair

Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot

Length: 26 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

From the acclaimed author of The Jungle: the first in a Pulitzer Prize-winning historical saga about the son of an American arms dealer during WWI

Lanning “Lanny” Budd spends his first 13 years in Europe, living at the center of his mother’s glamourous circle of friends on the French Riviera. In 1913, he enters a prestigious Swiss boarding school and befriends Rick, an English boy, and Kurt, a German. The three schoolmates are privileged, happy, and precocious - but their world is about to come to an abrupt and violent end.

When the gathering storm clouds of war finally burst, raining chaos and death over the continent, Lanny must put the innocence of youth behind him; his language skills and talent for decoding messages are in high demand. At his father’s side, he meets many important political and military figures, learns about the myriad causes of the conflict, and closely follows the First World War’s progress. When the bloody hostilities eventually conclude, Lanny joins the Paris Peace Conference as the assistant to a geographer asked by President Woodrow Wilson to redraw the map of Europe.

Perfect for fans of The Winds of War, World’s End is the magnificent opening chapter of a monumental series that brings the first half of the 20th century to vivid life. A thrilling mix of history, adventure, and romance, the Lanny Budd Novels are a testament to the breathtaking scope of Upton Sinclair’s vision and his singular talents as a storyteller.

©1940 Upton Sinclair (P)2022 Blackstone Publishing

Very good

I enjoyed and look forward to listening to book 2 in the series.the narrater was excellent.

Worth reading and re-reading

This intriguing novel takes place in the years just before, during and after the first World War. Lanny Budd is the illegitimate son of a wealthy American munitions manufacturer who lives with his mother, a celebrated beauty, on the Riviera and in Paris. He has a knack for meeting people and making friends, and in this way some fascinating historical personages make their way unobtrusively into the story -- not necessarily those you might have heard of, but people whose actions helped to shape their time. Politics and philosophy are dealt with thematically but not intrusively. Bronson Pinchot does a great job with a book not many narrators could do justice to.

Well done

I have read the Lanny Budd books multiple times, and was delighted to find an audiobook version performed by one of my favorite narrators. Bronson Pinchot is fantastic, and tells Lanny's story extremely well.

Lanny is a lens through which we can watch

Lanny is a lens through which we can watch world events unfold and make our own judgments -- granted, with a former muckraker's slant. This is a book I kept wanting to return to despite there not being much drama in the main character's life. The drama surrounds him, though. Bronson Pinchot as always brings all of the characters to life. He really is one of the best audiobook narrators out there.

Brilliant

This is a fascinating novel, set before, during, and after WWI. The characters are all compeling; the story ranges across Europe and the US; and the reader is absolutely brilliant.

Story and narration excellent

First, Bronson Pinchot is unbelievable. Some many voices, some many characters and accents. He manages to keep them all distinct and memorable especially the non-American ones. The story is long, but the reader is increasingly drawn into it and through history. This is not just a mere historical book, but in Sinclair’s telling we get the inside dope on how these great events unfolded and the motivations behind the players of those events. Students of history should include this novel into their research of how our current society was shaped for better and worse.

Intriguing Historical Novel

An enjoyable listen and the start of an 11-book series about historical events told through the eyes of the young Lanny Budd. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

Excellent Historical Novel

Great addition to Audible. Great Performance by Bronson Pinchot. I hope they record the rest of the series. Glad Audible is reaching back into these forgotten classics

Learned so much about post WWI diplomacy

Excellent characters that convey the complexities of post WWI diplomacy and failed peace negotiations. Sinclair presents realistic but flawed characters who are likeable which enables listeners to understand the complexities of this time period from multiple points of view.

Superb storyline; A+ narration

Upton Sinclair is my favorite author, and because I was unable to easily find a copy of this book in print, I decided to listen to it on Audible. In this case, I’m so glad I did because the narrator did such an outstanding job, it truly brought this great work to life in a way that perhaps reading it could not have done. Not only does Bronson Pinchot understand where to put emphasis and breathes life into the written word, he can deliver accents of all kinds like a pro. Coming from a German family and being a German speaker, I’m going to assume he’s a fluent German speaker, based on his pronunciation of German words and places, and his delivery of the accent. Flawless. Beautiful. I will actively seek out other books narrated by Pinchot. Outstanding work all the way around. Bravo!