• West with the Night

  • By: Beryl Markham
  • Narrated by: Julie Harris
  • Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (2,323 ratings)

Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.
West with the Night  By  cover art

West with the Night

By: Beryl Markham
Narrated by: Julie Harris
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $20.24

Buy for $20.24

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

West with the Night is the story of a remarkable woman molded and shaped by many things: the African jungle, a certain dog, horses, airplanes, friendships with white men and black. There is no life, no story quite like it.
©1942, 1983 Beryl Markham. Recorded by arrangement with North Point Press, a division of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, LLC (P)2003 The Arthur and Luce Klein Audio Collection, The Yale Collection of Historical Sound Recordings, Yale University Music Library

Critic reviews

"Julie Harris' reading of aviatrix Beryl Markham's biography and celebration of Africa is an essential audiobook. Enjoy the magic of the spoken word and Harris' lovely performance." (AudioFile)

Featured Article: Best Travel Audiobooks to Inspire Your Next Adventure


Travel stories are some of the easiest ways to escape: vibrant descriptions of faraway places, adventurous plot lines, and offbeat characters make it possible to journey without leaving home. Whether you’re a frequent traveler who wants inspiration for your next expedition, or you simply want to immerse yourself in an unfamiliar environment, we think you’ll love these stories. Discover a captivating listen the next time you’re craving an adventure.

What listeners say about West with the Night

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,477
  • 4 Stars
    493
  • 3 Stars
    235
  • 2 Stars
    65
  • 1 Stars
    53
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,325
  • 4 Stars
    361
  • 3 Stars
    171
  • 2 Stars
    56
  • 1 Stars
    35
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,322
  • 4 Stars
    388
  • 3 Stars
    164
  • 2 Stars
    43
  • 1 Stars
    31

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Couldn't get pass the reader

The reader has a nose whistle, a cold perhaps, takes a lot of strange breaths...maybe I was in a weird place while reading but I just couldn't get pass the annoying nose whistle and such enough to really enjoy the story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Captivating

Now on my all time favorites list!

Wether it be for the love of adventure, a longing for travel, the appreciation of a strong heroine or the adoration of eloquent and elegant language this is a must read.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
  • LJ
  • 06-04-18

Interesting, but slow at times

Overall it was interesting, however, at times I found it hard to concentrate on so many tedious details. I'm glad we listened to this on a road trip as it gave us something to discuss. I had never heard of her, so I do feel it was worth our time.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I felt like I was living the author's experience

As I listened to this book I felt like I was living the author's experience. Her love of Africa, it's people, and wildlife, is contagious. So is her love of flying, and the friends who shared her experiences. The narrator was completely tuned to the author's story and made it come alive.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Lyrical writing, fascinating life

Would you listen to West with the Night again? Why?

Yes, Beryl Markham lived such an unusual life, and faced adversity with such spirit, that this makes an uplifting listen.

What did you like best about this story?

Beautiful writing, soaring descriptions of the countryside of Africa, as well as spot-on capturing of characters. Possibly because of her isolated upbringing, Beryl's prose did not have any of the trite phrasings or posturings of many other authors of her time. She dealt head-on with problems of racism and sexism, without denying them or getting on a soap-box.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The narration was somewhat herky-jerky. Julie Harris has a wonderful voice, but is not a good reader for audiobooks. One could hear whenever she came to the end of a line of text, even though there was no period there.

Any additional comments?

Wish I could have known her in person.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • PC
  • 10-02-16

Fabulous!

I loved this book. Beautiful words, descriptions of another time that will not come again by an amazing woman.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A treasure to listen to

The writer is great at her craft and the narrator makes you believe you are listening to the actual avaitor.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

BEST audiobook EVER, EVER!

The reader is perfect for this exquisitely written story. And what a story it is! The language is so beautiful that you will find yourself pausing to absorb phrases and descriptions that stun! Were people better writers a few decades ago? I consider this a miraculous book! My entire book group agrees.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Classic

What a great story thats been lost over the years. The story and narration are superb. What a treasure. I highly recommend this book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

An enjoyable classic

I've read the book a couple times, separated by a decade or more each time. Not surprising that I liked the audiobook, since I liked the actual paper and ink book quite a bit. The narrator is excellent and she enhances the experience.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!