The Adventures of Odysseus is the story of what happened after the Trojan War when Odysseus, the most cunning of all the Greek heroes, left Troy and made his way back home to his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus. It was first told by a poet named Homer nearly three thousand years ago and is retold in this new version especially for younger listeners. 

 

    The Tortoise and the Hare Androcles and the Lion
    The Crow and the Pitcher
    The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing and many more

    How can the Tortoise run faster than the Hare? What happens when the Dog growls at its image? Or when the Country Mouse goes to supper with the Town Mouse? These wonderful stories have delighted adults and children for centuries, with their witty observations on animals and humans too. In the Fox, in the Crow, in the Lion, in the Ass who puts on a wolf's skin, we see humankind with all its foibles.

    The stories are told with the enduring magic of a master storyteller, and set against the bright sounds of Vivaldi's Four Seasons and other concertos.

     

    The award-winning His Dark Materials trilogy is a breathtaking epic adventure spanning a multitude of worlds. In The Amber Spyglass, the third and final installment, the war between good and evil reaches a shattering conclusion.

    Lyra and Will are helped by friends old and new as they continue their perilous journey The great armored bear lorek Byrnison reappears, as does Dr Mary Malone, creator of the amber spyglass. Then there are the tiny, dragonfly-riding Gallivespians, and the wheel-borne Mulefa with their ability to see the mysterious substance Dust.

    As childhood slips away from them, Lyra and Will face new dangers - including the daemon-destroying Spectres and a journey into the world of the dead. The pair must play their part in the climax of a war for the future of all worlds.

    The Whitbread Book of the Year 2001, The Amber Spyglass is now an exciting full-cast drama starring Terence Stamp, Ray Fearon, Emma Fielding and Philip Madoc.