Sarum

The Novel of England

By: Edward Rutherfurd

Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon

Length: 45 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©1987 Edward Rutherfurd (P)1994 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Nadia May 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)

Absorbing read for anyone into English history

Where does Sarum rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Well, I love all the audiobooks I've listened to - if I don't, I just return it using Audible.com's amazingly generous return policy. But this is my second book by Mr. Rutherford (first being about New York) and I love his writing and detail. Yes, some of the vignettes start and are not followed through to completion, but this is not a collection of short stories. It's historical fiction and the fact that he drops off in one year and picks up a century or two later is part of the fun to me. I especially love the way that he continues the thread of a few families through history and inserts little events that casually draw you back to the ancestors of the family.One of the odd pleasures, to me, of listening to a book that is rich with a lot of detail, like Sarum, is that I am prevented from paging back and trying to re-learn every detail of that person. I don't know about you, but I guess I'm OCDC enough that I can't quit looking back and forth in a written book because I have to visualize the whole history and don't want to "miss" a detail - which makes it take about twice as long for me to get through a long history. With the spoken word, I just listen carefully and back up a minute or two if I get distracted while I'm listening. Missing tiny details doesn't bother me so much because I'm soon engrossed in the current section and they become inconsequential.On the whole, I would highly recommend this book (especially Wanda McCaddon, who has her own section below).

What other book might you compare Sarum to and why?

New York: The Novel (also by Edward Rutherfurd)

What does Wanda McCaddon bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Can't imagine a better reader - she was just wonderful.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Well, it would be impossible for me, but it is definitely hard to quit listening.

Any additional comments?

If you think you just don't like history, give one of Edward Rutherfurd's books a try. I intend to listen to more books by him and also more read by Ms. McFaddon.

Very interesting and spread over millennia

The narrative is interesting by connecting characters, first through characteristics and then through names and characteristics. The stories are varied and the conclusion of chapters can bring the listener to another era, century or later generation. The reader has a clear British accent and ability to change the tone, slightly, between characters. I enjoyed the journey.

Love Rutherfurd's Books

I love reading Rutherfurd's books. I love following families and seeing how historical events in history shape the lives and fortunes of succeeding generations. Anyone who enjoys history will enjoy this as well as all of Rutherfurd's books. Details of historical events are accurate and seeing them through the eyes of the characters brings them alive.

My only disappointment is the narrator. In the Ireland series the narrator was perfect and I was somewhat disappointed in the reader of this book. While she has a lovely voice, the constant swallowing bothered me. Her voice sounds old. Otherwise, I loved the book and would recommend it to anyone interested in historical novels.

Not on par with other Rutherford efforts...

Writing was good. There's just not enough there, there. Especially at 50+ hours. Too many dropped threads as well.

Stopping audiobook halfway 👎

I’ve listened to the Pillars of the Earth series multiple times, so I do have a liking for this period in history.
I also listened to Rutherford’s NEW YORK twice and loved it.
However here I kept plodding along but the main factor is the narrator. Narrated by an English woman who speaks fairly slow and has a rough voice. I even put the speed on 1.1, then 1.2 to change the voice and quicken the telling. It knocked hours off the total times but I’d now listened to about 20 hours w 20ish left. I give up.
I can’t bear her voice anymore.
I kept thinking it’ll kick in once I’m more invested in the story. Nope.
I just want it to stop and feel relieved I’m not going back.
I’m certain if it were another narrator I’d have responded better.

a superb read

Rutherford is a superb writer who communicates history in an engaging manner well suited to both history experts and novices alike.

I highly recommend this novel, as well as Ruska.

A collection of short stories in one setting

What made the experience of listening to Sarum the most enjoyable?

I loved learning about the history of England and its relationship to other places in the world.

Would you recommend Sarum to your friends? Why or why not?

I would only recommend this to friends who are history buffs. There is no real character development here.

Very interesting read!

It was at times maybe hard to follow on audio, and having the printed pages may have been helpful- but overall I really enjoyed this book! Others have said there were some odd pauses in the narration, but I find that listening at 1 1/2 or 2 x speed takes care of the issue:)

sterile history book

Not recommended reading for entertainment. Not bad if you want a history lesson - 30 hours on the history of one city in England. No charactor developement. McCaddon may do better with some material to work with.

Outstanding story telling

Rutherfurd brings history over the centuries alive with vivid stories of families, both common and extraordinary.