The Angel of the Revolution


Read by Kevin Green

(4.2 stars; 41 reviews)

The Angel of the Revolution: A Tale of the Coming Terror (1893) is a science fiction novel by English writer George Griffith. It was his first published novel and remains his most famous work. It was first published in Pearson's Weekly and was prompted by the success of The Great War of 1892 in Black and White magazine, which was itself inspired by The Battle of Dorking.

A lurid mix of Jules Verne's futuristic air warfare fantasies, the utopian visions of News from Nowhere and the future war invasion literature of Chesney and his imitators, it tells the tale of a group of terrorists who conquer the world through airship warfare. Led by a crippled, brilliant Russian Jew and his daughter, the 'angel' Natasha, 'The Brotherhood of Freedom' establish a 'pax aeronautica' over the earth after a young inventor masters the technology of flight in 1903. The hero falls in love with Natasha and joins in her war against society in general and the Russian Czar in particular. It correctly forecasts the coming of a great war, but in pretty well all other respects widely misses the mark of the real events that followed. Nevertheless, it is a gripping and exciting story of intrigue and plot interwoven with love and romance played over a background of world war. - Summary by Wikipedia (13 hr 58 min)

Chapters

01- At the Eleventh Hour 15:08 Read by Kevin Green
02 - At War with Society 16:12 Read by Kevin Green
03 - A Friendly Chat 13:40 Read by Kevin Green
04 - The House on Clapham Common 14:23 Read by Kevin Green
05 - The Inner Circle 17:02 Read by Kevin Green
06 - New Friends 20:18 Read by Kevin Green
07 - The Daughter of Natas 17:02 Read by Kevin Green
08 - Learning the Part 19:34 Read by Kevin Green
09 - The Beginning of Sorrows 17:22 Read by Kevin Green
10 - The Ariel 17:09 Read by Kevin Green
11 - First Blood 14:28 Read by Kevin Green
12 - In The Master's Name 12:15 Read by Kevin Green
13 - For Life or Death 14:05 Read by Kevin Green
14 - The Psychological Moment 10:07 Read by Kevin Green
15 - A Voyage of Discovery 14:01 Read by Kevin Green
16 - A Wooing in Mid Air 20:42 Read by Kevin Green
17 - Aeria Felix 15:54 Read by Kevin Green
18 - A Navy of the Future 17:47 Read by Kevin Green
19 - The Eve of Battle 13:36 Read by Kevin Green
20 - Between Two Lives 27:52 Read by Kevin Green
21 - Just in Time 18:54 Read by Kevin Green
22 - Armed Neutrality 14:32 Read by Kevin Green
23 - A Battle in the Night 21:57 Read by Kevin Green
24 - The New Warfare 19:08 Read by Kevin Green
25 - The Heralds of Disaster 11:38 Read by Kevin Green
26 - An Interlude 16:59 Read by Kevin Green
27 - On the Track of Treason 14:30 Read by Kevin Green
28 - A Skirmish in the Clouds 15:15 Read by Kevin Green
29 - An Embassy from the Sky 19:25 Read by Kevin Green
30 - At Close Quarters 17:14 Read by Kevin Green
31 - A Russian Raid 15:30 Read by Kevin Green
32 - The End of the Chase 11:48 Read by Kevin Green
33 - The Breaking of the Charm 9:17 Read by Kevin Green
34 - The Path of Conquest 15:18 Read by Kevin Green
35 - From Chaos to Arcadie 17:58 Read by Kevin Green
36 - Love and Duty 19:05 Read by Kevin Green
37 - The Capture of a Continent 29:12 Read by Kevin Green
38 - The Beginning of the End 13:09 Read by Kevin Green
39 - The Battle of Dover 13:10 Read by Kevin Green
40 - Beleaguered London 14:12 Read by Kevin Green
41 - An Envoy of Deliverance 14:05 Read by Kevin Green
42 - The Eve of Armageddon 16:01 Read by Kevin Green
43 - The Old Lion at Bay 15:27 Read by Kevin Green
44 - The Turn of the Battle-Tide 16:13 Read by Kevin Green
45 - Armageddon 16:49 Read by Kevin Green
46 - Victory 16:13 Read by Kevin Green
47 - The Judgement of Natas 23:35 Read by Kevin Green
48 - The Ordering of Europe 20:52 Read by Kevin Green
49 - The Story of the Master 25:33 Read by Kevin Green
Epilogue - And on Earth Peace 17:00 Read by Kevin Green

Reviews

My second listening


(5 stars)

This is as engrossing as any novel I've ever read or listened to. It's so utterly thrilling & so sublimely romantic that I found myself - again - crying both tears of sadness & tears of joy; sitting & staring wide-eyed, in full light nonetheless, straight into the utterance of every word; lying in the dark unable to sleep, watching the story unfold & hearing every participant as if I was a nearby observer. Utter brilliance.

Thankful in Borneo


(5 stars)

I am thankful for coming across this author and book. I'm equally thankful for discovering Kevin Green; one of the best narrators I have had the pleasure of hearing. I'm so impressed with Kevin's craft. He has this rare ability to narrate with perfect rhythm and intonation and to give each character their own voice - totally absorbing. I will now be searching for books narrated by Kevin...irrespective of genre. The book itself is a wonderful account of a principled position and has scientific and technology ideas so advanced for the time; difficult to believe this book was written in the late 19th Century. I loved it, and as a long time Joseph Conrad fan, appreciated the English and turn of phrase. Very happy to recommend....it's a real treat.

I'm utterly amazed that this novel isn't as well known as others in the genre!


(5 stars)

Thank-you, Kevin, for your sublime rendering of this most amazing novel. The Angel of the Revolution is a terrifying one for most who hear or read it; even I was often troubled by the means used to achieve what are it's profoundly beautiful ends. I will not say anymore for fear of revealing too much. I highly recommend this to anyone whose ever dreamed, or for that matter, has taken action to help achieve, a world fueled by peace, harmony, fairness, & love, at any cost.


(3.5 stars)

enjoyed the story but thought it was strange that in the middle they switched from Communists to white supremacists. no wonder the German national socialists thought that England would be an ally in the Second World War. also thought it strange that the white supremacists were led by a Jew. other than the Nazi stuff I thought the story was well written and the reader did a great job! obviously the story was good enough that I finished it.

Brilliant!


(5 stars)

Kevin Green deserves the highest praise for his vivid narration of this strange and fascinating tale. Highly recommended not only for "steampunk" fans, but also for any in search of a fast paced adventure with intrigue, romance and excitement on a grand scale. Wow!

Thoroughly enjoyable!


(5 stars)

Kevin Green’s narration of what is already a thoroughly enjoyable book raises The Angel of the Revolution to an entirely new level, one that consumes the listener’s attention and draws the listener directly into the narrative.

great book!


(5 stars)

I'm surprised someone hasn't made a movie from this book

Surprisingly a great book. Well read.


(5 stars)