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The Channel
- The Remarkable Men and Women Who Made It the Most Fascinating Waterway in the World
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
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The Channel
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Summary
A bulwark against invasion, a conduit for exchange and a challenge to be conquered, the English Channel - 21 miles wide at its narrowest point - represents much more than a conductor of goods and people. Criss-crossing the Channel, Charlie Connelly collects its stories and brings them vividly to life, from tailing Oscar Wilde's shadow through the dark streets of Dieppe to unearthing Britain's first beauty pageant at the end of Folkestone pier. We learn that Louis Bleriot was actually a terrible pilot, the tragic fate of the first successful Channel swimmer, and that if a man with a buttered head and pigs' bladders attached to his trousers hadn't fought off an attack by dogfish we might never have had a Channel Tunnel.
Charlie Connelly uncovers remarkable tales of swimmers and flyers, pirates and soldiers, heroes and villains, pioneers and refugees. Their stories are all united by the English Channel to ensure the sea that makes us an island will never be the same again.
Critic reviews
'A wonderfully quirky history' SUNDAY TIMES
'The perfect read while you wait for your summer holiday to begin' MAIL ON SUNDAY
'Quippy anecdotes are woven with historical reference and geographical context to give full colour' IRISH TIMES
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What listeners say about The Channel
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 17-06-21
Witty, informative insightful:
Having listened to the authors book on walking historic routes starting out on an aa road map, I half expected this book to end in a full on cross channel swim. But it doesn’t and is better for it: the stories are sometimes bleak but an honest history of the channel, and Anglo French relations which puts a brilliant perspective on the current migrant crisis and brexit. It is amazing how a separation of 20 odd miles has shaped our country. Excellent narration as always.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jean Trueman
- 23-04-21
Fascinating
What a wonderful depiction of the English Channel and how it changed the history of the British Isles.
Beautifully narrated with foreign accents that bring alive the characters.
Charlie Connelly has done it again with this book, informing us of all the things we take for granted.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- John Hayes
- 15-07-20
Another winner...
I wasn’t sure about this before I purchased it, although I love the way he writes & I’m a fan of Charlie’s, it was the subject matter that worried me. I should have known better, it was a great listen, well researched & well read and the interesting facts, stories & ‘I never knew that’ just kept on coming, along with his great sense of humour.
From how the channel was formed and our relationship with ze French, the various towns that connect the coast and the personalities, it’s all covered and combined interestingly.
I’m sure his writing gets better with age and he has matured into an accomplished author and although sometimes I don’t agree with some of his social views, I have enjoyed listening over the past decade to his previous work and this book, in my opinion, is one of his best.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- JulianC
- 25-03-21
For the love of a channel of water that makes us an island
The book - and the narration - exudes the love of the channel and all its odd characters. Being a channel swimmer, it fully captures why I love this stretch of water so much!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Hilary A.
- 13-12-22
Interesting but frustratingly limited
A very engaging book full of fascinating facts and human stories. But it would seem that nothing ever happened to the west of Brighton. Bournemouth? Portsmouth? Plymouth? The Jurassic Coast? Apparently they played no part
in the history of the Channel.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anthony D. Sutton
- 10-03-24
informative and Amusing.
A superb author's work brought to life by an excellent narrator.
Most of us see the Channel as something that has to be crossed in order to get away on our holidays,vbut Charlie Connelly puts it into a whole new perspective with a fascinating collection of little known facts presented in an entertaining and amusing manner.
I enjoyed this audiobook from start to finish.
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