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Sarum: The Novel of England Audiobook
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(4.00) - 16,904 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In Sarum, Edward Rutherfurd weaves a compelling saga of five English families whose fates become intertwined over the course of centuries. While each family has its own distinct characteristics, the successive generations reflect the changing character of Britain. We become drawn not only into the fortunes of the individual family members, but also the larger destinies of each family line.
Meticulously researched and epic in scope, Sarum covers the entire sweep of English civilization: from the early hunters and farmers, the creation of Stonehenge, the dawn of Christianity, and the Black Death; through the Reformation, the wars in America, the Industrial Age, and the Victorian social reforms; up through the World War II invasion of Normandy and the modern-day concerns of a once-preeminent empire.
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"An epic in the truest sense of the word. Rutherford tells the story of the place we know as Stonehenge over the course of thousands of years. A fantastic look at a variety of historical times, with a wide array of characters, and a sense of reality through out - after all, as far as we know, this is how it could have happened. :)"
— Chelsea (4 out of 5 stars)
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“A richly imagined vision of history, written with genuine delight.”
— San Francisco Chronicle -
“Bursts with action, encyclopedic in historic detail…Supremely well crafted and a delight to read.”
— Chicago Tribune -
“[Wanda McCaddon] is ideal; her British accents fit the locale, and her pacing and characterizations are smooth, unobtrusive and compelling. The ease of her reading leads the listener to forget she is there, the sign of the perfect narrator.”
— AudioFile -
“Rutherfurd has told the story of the land he was born in and has told it well...Highly recommended.”
— Library Journal -
“Rutherford holds us all consistently intrigued. In Sarum, he has created a splendid novel that will bring many hours of diversified reading pleasure.”
— Cleveland Plain Dealer -
“Mammoth, sweeping (7500 BC to World War II) story of the English city of Salisbury, its environs and its people, told through the experiences of five rival families. From the ice-age to the present day, Rutherford’s scope is vast. Both historical novel and adventure epic, this is a work of universal appeal.”
— Kirkus UK
Sarum Listener Reviews
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" This book starts well and engages the reader but soon becomes rambling and the reader just connects with a character and the book jumps to another time and place. "
— neil, 5/7/2017 -
" This took me forever to read. I finally made myself read it in 15 minute increments during DEAR at school. "
— Sherry, 2/10/2014 -
" One of the best books I have ever read. "
— Sam, 2/4/2014 -
" most importantly, it lead to my reading Leon Uris' "Trinity" - one of my favorite reads of all time "
— Jay, 1/29/2014 -
" I have always wanted to read this one ... yay, today is the day I start. "
— Tania, 1/22/2014 -
" Anything by Rutherford is worth the time and energy and Sarum is no exception. "
— Aaron, 1/19/2014 -
" Loved, loved this book. Big, thick read on the history of England, but well worth the time. Fascinating. "
— Liz, 1/15/2014 -
" Vivid historical novel about early England. Good, but not great. "
— Nick, 1/14/2014 -
" Centuries of English history embodied in the tale of five families. Not quite as good as Michener's The Source, but in the same vein, and quite good. "
— Mel, 1/1/2014 -
" Loved this book. Thought it was super interesting, and the writing was excellent. I liked how the families were connected through thousands of years. You really got connected to the characters. "
— Brianne, 12/27/2013 -
" One of the greatest books I have ever read. Historical fiction account of England and particularly of the Salisbury Cathedral and surrounds. "
— Craig, 12/22/2013 -
" I'm enjoying this book tremendous. Rutherford is a wonderful story-teller. Captivating characters with an excellent historical background. "
— Viviane, 12/16/2013 -
" Sarum was my first introduction to Edward Rutherfurd and I fell in love with his complex interconnected narrative with follows the Salisbury from arrival of two primitive people to modern era. "
— Jamie, 8/27/2013 -
" SO far so good...interesting concept and well written story. "
— Andy, 7/15/2013 -
" Great historical read about early Britain "
— Roger, 7/4/2013 -
" I just watched part of Michael Wood's Story of England on PBS and it reminded me of how much I loved this book. I think it's time for a re-read, but I'll need a clear block of time, because the last time I read it I found it hard to put down. "
— Barbara, 3/10/2013 -
" SARUM THE NOVEL OF ENGLAND by Edward Rutherfurd (1987) "
— untogether, 2/12/2013 -
" I thought this is Edward Rutherfurd's best.Though all of his works are splendid,SARUM covers the greatest time span.It covers geological changes,political and social changes,architectural changes.Beginning some 10,000 years ago to the present.Great read. "
— Michael, 9/15/2012 -
" An interesting overview of the history of England/Great Britain through historical fiction. "
— Shelli, 7/21/2012 -
" A thoroughly comprehensive historical Nobel about Stonehenge and Salisbury that looks at history through the eyes of local inhabitants while placing them in the context of famous contemporary historical figures and events. Informative and educational, but lengthy. "
— Graham, 7/6/2012 -
" read a long time ago. great way to learn a bit of history and be entertained at the same time "
— Lake, 7/5/2012 -
" Long, but fascinating. I read this before going on our trip to England. I like having a bit of background to Salisbury where we were visiting. It took me some time to get through, but I am glad I endured! "
— Karyn, 11/19/2011 -
" I did not finish this book. It wasn't terrible; it wasn't great. Much like the historical novels of J Michener, when the story nears the present, I lose interest. That's what happened here. "
— Karen, 11/10/2011 -
" Just too long and not that exciting "
— Suebee, 11/2/2011 -
" awesome! great historical fiction about when the first people arrived in the UK through the thousands of years through the roman occupation/medieval etc right through to the present. Loving it! "
— Amy, 10/21/2011 -
" Its been 20 years in reading - and now only 20 pages left! "
— Johann, 10/13/2011 -
" one book I couldn't get into or finish. "
— Janet, 9/24/2011 -
" This is my "go to" book. Every few years, I just have to read it again :) "
— Tracy, 9/21/2011 -
" read it a long time ago, really liked it, went on to read several of his others & tired of the style "
— Elaine, 9/2/2011 -
" Remarkable! Epic! One of the best historical fiction novels I have ever read. 5 stars! "
— Joseph, 8/17/2011 -
" Lots of interesting history, but none of the characters grabbed me and held on. The characters seemed shallow and it seemed like they existed just to further the plot, but they didn't have a life of their own. "
— Raina, 8/16/2011 -
" A fabulous epic historical novel covering 5,000 years in what is now England. Rutherford is my person hero. "
— Lisa, 8/14/2011 -
" I love how he traces families through the generations from the beginning of civilization to present day. "
— Jenny, 8/13/2011 -
" read this book on our trip to Arizona in 1995 "
— Lori, 8/8/2011 -
" I thought it was a great book! "
— Amy, 8/2/2011
About Edward Rutherfurd
Edward Rutherfurd is one of the most renowned writers of historical fiction. He was born in Salisbury, England, christened in Salisbury Cathedral, and spent his early childhood in Salisbury Close. He was educated at Cambridge University and Stanford University in California. He has written several bestselling books, including Sarum, Russka, and London.
About Wanda McCaddon
Wanda McCaddon (d. 2023) narrated well over six hundred titles for major audiobook publishers, sometimes with the pseudonym Nadia May or Donada Peters. She earned the prestigious Audio Award for best narration and numerous Earphones Awards. She was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine.