The Lion of Saint Mark - A Story of Venice in the Fourteenth Century by George Alfred Henty AUDIOBOOK

Set against the luminous backdrop of fourteenth-century Venice, George Alfred Henty's "The Lion of Saint Mark" blends historical fidelity with the rousing spirit of adventure. Henty, a master of the historical novel for young readers, chooses the city’s era of tribulation rather than its triumphs as the stage for his narrative: a period when Venice—riven by powerful enemies and internal tension—demonstrated its most enduring virtues of steadfastness, patriotism, and remarkable sacrifice for independence.

Through the eyes of Francis Hammond, a young Englishman drawn into the life of the Venetian Republic, listeners are transported to a world where the stakes of loyalty and honor are matched only by the brilliance of the moonlit lagoons. Henty’s attention to historical detail is evident, drawing upon authoritative sources like Hazlitt’s history of Venice to reconstruct a society proud, cosmopolitan, and tinged by both grandeur and menace. The narrative illuminates the complex social fabric of Venice, from bustling piazzas and whispered intrigues to the ever-present vigilance of the Council of Ten, whose mechanisms of secrecy and repression hover like shadows upon the city’s vibrant surface.

Themes of cultural encounter, personal growth, and the tension between freedom and authority are deftly woven into rich descriptions of daily life, commercial ambition, and the majestic yet precarious destiny of Venice. Henty’s style—spirited, accessible, yet dignified—makes his account appealing not only for lovers of historical fiction but also for listeners captivated by tales of youth, resilience, and the world-shaping force of great cities. "The Lion of Saint Mark" stands as an exploration of both the external conflicts that forged Venice and the internal journeys of those who called her waterways home.

Audiobook time & format : 11h36m42s, OPUS, 543 Mo
Audiobook free extract time & format : 5m (see below to listen), WAV
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