John Deane of Nottingham - Historic Adventures by Land and Sea by William Henry Giles Kingston AUDIOBOOK

William Henry Giles Kingston, renowned for his evocative adventure novels, here recounts the remarkable real-life odyssey of John Deane of Nottingham—a figure whose life mirrors the turbulence and opportunity of late seventeenth- and early eighteenth-century Britain. Born in 1679 to genteel parents, Deane’s journey spanned humble beginnings as a drover, a transformation into a naval captain, and perilous service as a merchant and foreign commander. He emerged not merely as a witness but as a participant in pivotal episodes, ultimately serving as British Consul at Ostend and finishing his days as a respected burgess in rural Wilford.

The opening pages, set in the diminished yet evocative woodlands of Sherwood Forest, draw the listener into a landscape where echoes of Robin Hood mingle with the more immediate intrigues of post-Restoration England. The tale is permeated by the social and political fault lines of the era—the lingering resentments after Cromwell’s rule, disputes over royal succession, and the tensions between traditional landed gentry and a rising mercantile class.

Kingston’s prose combines atmospheric description with nimble dialogue; the rich setting of Nottingham and its environs becomes a character in itself. In the narrative’s opening, young John Deane is introduced amidst a swirling town-square commotion, already marked out by bravery and an instinct for justice. The novel moves effortlessly between intimate domestic scenes, public uproar, and the promise of future exploits by land and sea.

Listeners will find themselves transported to an age where honor, wit, adversity, and personal merit shape destinies, and where the boundaries between the familiar and the foreign are constantly renegotiated. Kingston’s storytelling, attentive to historical nuance and grounded in the real exploits of his hero, grants this audiobook enduring appeal for enthusiasts of adventure, history, and classic literary style.

Audiobook time & format : 10h58m54s, OPUS, 514 Mo
Audiobook free extract time & format : 5m (see below to listen), WAV
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