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Tales of Old by http://www.talesofold.org is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Authors, please report your response times to Duotrope.
Author Archives: shawnprobertson
Tales of Old 47 Speak Easy of Murder
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 31:36 — 21.7MB)
By Bruce Markuson Read by Shawn Robertson “This is it, Big Louie’s private speakeasy. One of those illegal gin joints back in the 1920’s and 30’s. In its day, this place was the cat’s meow. The police padlocked the steel … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
1 Comment
Tales of Old 46 – The Drum of the Sea
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 26:22 — 18.1MB)
By Gerri Leen Read by Shawn Robertson Sir Francis Drake sat in the moonlight, watching as the movement of the Defiance made his claret swish back and forth in the exquisitely chased silver goblet he’d stolen years ago from the … Continue reading
Posted in 16th Century
Tagged Cimmarron, Francis Drake, Golden Hind, historical fiction, podcast
1 Comment
Tales of Old 45 – The Good of Sparta
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 31:49 — 21.8MB)
The Good of Sparta by Gustavo Bondoni blog read by Shawn Robertson There are some tasks that a man must do alone. These are the moments that define whether one understands the truth or lives a lie. Whether one is … Continue reading
Posted in Ancient Greece
Tagged Cutcliffe Hyne, Greece, historical fiction, podcast, Sparta
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Tales of Old 44 – Because it is Written
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 27:10 — 18.7MB)
By Lesley Lodge Read by Kevin Harty In my experience, those who beg for mercy seldom deserve it. They’d told Wayland these were the last words Rebecca heard, before she died and night after night those words and her desperate … Continue reading
Tales of Old 43 – September Days
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 23:25 — 16.1MB)
by Eamonn Murphy (SF Crowsnest, where Eamonn’s reviews SF) read by Tony Honickberg ‘The Bull McGee is back in town!’ I was sat in a coffee shop in the High Street, near the docks, when young Billy Smith came bursting … Continue reading
Tales of Old 42 – The Return of the Princess
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 39:23 — 27.0MB)
By Ivan Sun Read by P.D.R. Lindsay After the Emperor learned of my refuge at the Diamond Silence Cloister, he dispatched a different son each year to seek my hand in marriage. Three Manchurian princes and their cavalry had come … Continue reading
Posted in 17th Century
Tagged historical fiction, Ivan Sun, Ming Dynasty, podcast, Princess Chang Ping
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Tales of Old 41 – Ode to Kokopelli
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 28:53 — 19.8MB)
By Nancy Cole Silverman Read by Shawn Robertson For generations my people lived in Mesa Verde inside the deep caves beneath sedimentary rock overhangs, thousands of feet above the canyon floor, where we farmed the land, hunted only what we … Continue reading
Posted in 12th Century
Tagged Anasazi, four corners, historical fiction, Kokopelli, podcast, Pueblo
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Tales of Old 40 – Worser and Worser
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 48:19 — 34.2MB)
By Gary Ives Read by Shawn Robertson Setting: Vietnam War The essence of combat was for Robert nearly impossible to convey. He’d tried to keep a journal from his first patrol but after his second fire fight had abandoned trying … Continue reading
Posted in 20th Century
Tagged historical fiction, Kent State, navy, swift boat, Vietnam
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Tales of Old 39 – The Tide of War
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 31:47 — 21.8MB)
by Russell James read by Christian James Setting: 650 A.D. Central Britain. After years of victory, King Cenwalh now knew defeat. Two dozen of his personal guards, the finest warriors the kingdom of Wessex had to offer, lay scattered and … Continue reading
Tales of Old 38 – Kipling’s Walking Stick
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 34:43 — 23.9MB)
by Philip Leibfried read by Shawn Robertson “If” by Rudyard Kipling read by Martin Clifton, courtesy of Librivox.org Inspiration comes in many forms and great authors take it whenever they can get it. It was the spring of 1903, at … Continue reading
Posted in 20th Century
Tagged historical fiction, Jungle Book, Phillip Leibfried, Rudyard Kipling
2 Comments
Tales of Old 37 – Alte Kammeraden
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 32:18 — 22.2MB)
by Edward Ahern read by Shawn Robertson The Cold War produced bitter enemies, but also friends. But who can a spy ever really trust? This would be the last time Harald met with Walter Peake , a cover name backstopped … Continue reading
Tales of Old 36 – Patrick O’Hare: King of the Freaks
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 34:35 — 23.2MB)
by C.J. Lines read by Kevin Harty In the foggy streets of Victorian London, Patrick O’Hare has set up his latest Freak Show , a veritable promenade of wonders and horrors. Are they real, and where does he aquire them? … Continue reading
Tales of Old 35 – Angel of the Hopeless
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 38:08 — 6.1MB)
by Danny Adams read by Shawn Robertson Period: American Civil War (and others) What could be worse than a gruesome death by Minie ball in a bloody civil war? Maybe having to do it more than once. “Your name is … Continue reading
Posted in 19th Century
Tagged civil war, Danny Adams, fantasy, Gettysburg, historical fiction
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Tales of Old 34 – The Crusader from Cross Plains, part 2
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 40:17 — 27.7MB)
Short fiction: To Those Who Wait by Rachel Bundock Setting: England, 1820 Main fiction: The Crusader from Cross Plains by Teel. James Glenn Setting: Egypt, 1938
Posted in 20th Century
Tagged alternate history, Hitler, Karl May, Rachael Bundock, Robert Howard
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Tales of Old 33 – The Crusader from Cross Plains
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 33:30 — 23.0MB)
Short fiction: “Strangers Well Met” – by Andrew MacRae, 1800′s USA Main fiction: Period: 1938s, Setting: Egypt By Teel. James Glenn Read by Shawn Robertson In some of the infinite worlds of the multiverse some men live that might die … Continue reading
Posted in 20th Century
Tagged alternate history, Andrew MacRae, Egypt, Hitler, Karl May, Lawrence of Arabia, Robert Howard, Teel James Glenn
3 Comments
Tales of Old 32 – Shirley Winters
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 21:23 — 14.7MB)
By Edward McDermott Read by Shawn Robertson Period: World War II Setting: London The city of London was bombed for 76 consecutive nights in 1940 and 1941 in a strategy called “The Blitz” from the German word for lightning. More … Continue reading
Posted in 20th Century
Tagged Ambulance, Blitz, Edward McDermott, heroines, London, World War II
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Tales of Old 31 – In God’s Image
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 41:54 — 0.0KB)
by Robert J. Santa read by Shawn Robertson It’s not a crime to search for the truth. Wait a minute, to the Inquisition it most certainly is. “Giulio Vanini,” said the Archbishop, “do you know why you are here?” The … Continue reading
Posted in 16th Century
Tagged historical fiction, inquisition, podcast, Robert Santa, vanini
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Tales of Old 30 – Beidou
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 41:37 — 28.6MB)
by Ken Liu read by Shawn Robertson In 1590, the daimyo Toyotomi Hideyoshi completed the dream of his dead liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and unified Japan by conquest. As kampaku to the figurehead Japanese Emperor Go-Yozei, Toyotomi was ruler of … Continue reading
Posted in 16th Century, Uncategorized
Tagged China, historical fiction, Japan, podcast, Wan li, Wu Zhen
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Tales of Old 29 – Skates
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 37:51 — 30.3MB)
by D. Purcell read by Melissa Hartzel Excerpt from Instructions for American Servicemen in Britain 1942: “You will be Britain’s guest…. Don’t refer to the First World War by saying America came over and won it…. Don’t play into Hitler’s … Continue reading
Posted in 20th Century
Tagged Britain, England, historical fiction, podcast, romance, World War 2
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No Christmas episode
For Christmas I drove with my wife and kids down to New Orleans (about 900 miles) to visit with my parents and other relatives passing through. I brought my podcast equipment down, fully intending to put out a Christmas episode. … Continue reading
Posted in Blog
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Tales of Old 28 – The Last Centurion
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 33:04 — 23.2MB)
Period: 5th Century Setting: Post Roman Britain By Christian Carter-Stephenson E-Reader Kindle As the city loomed in the distance, Perth considered what he knew about the place, hoping to guard against the horrors within. Its real name was Londinium, but … Continue reading
Posted in 5th Century
Tagged Britain, Celts, Centurion, historical fiction, podcast, Rome
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Christmas Update
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 3:27 — 2.4MB)
Hello everyone and Merry Christmas to all the Tales of Old listeners out there. There will be no episode this week because I just can’t get my stuff together visiting with multiple families, but we will be back next week. … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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Tales of Old 27- A Bargain with Bandit Ping; a Doctor Shadows Adventure
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 19:06 — 13.1MB)
Period: 1940′s Setting: China by Teel. James Glenn read by Shawn Robertson Read Online E-Reader Kindle “Come in, sit down, smile and talk of pleasant things,” The Chinese Bandit Ping said, a wide grin on his pock marked face, “Or … Continue reading
Posted in 20th Century
Tagged bandit, China, Doctor Shadows, historical fiction, Robert Howard
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Narrations
When I first started the podcast I figured I would do about one third of the narrations, getting people with British accents and women as needed when the stories required it. I found some great narrators through a website called … Continue reading
Posted in Blog
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Tales of Old 26- Heart of the Matter
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 31:42 — 21.8MB)
by P.D.R. Lindsay read by P.D.R. Lindsay Read Online E-Reader Kindle Cultures clash in the Land of the Rising Sun. England is leading Japan into the 20th Century, opening the country to new ideas and ways of thinking. Captain Langley … Continue reading
Tales of Old 25 – Tatars
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 35:49 — 24.6MB)
Period: 1200′s Setting: Central Europe by Leslie Lupien read by Shawn Robertson Read Online E-Reader Kindle What can a Templar knight, a widowed baroness and a tattered army do against the relentless onslaught of the Mongol hordes? The fearsome reputation … Continue reading
Posted in 13th Century
Tagged Austria, Crusades, historical fiction, Mongols, Tatars, Templars
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Tales of Old 23 – Coming Home
Posted in 19th Century
Tagged Austria, Austria-Hungary, Gypsy, historical fiction, Hungary, Magyar, Townsend Walker
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Tales of Old 22 – Little Brother of War & Hands and Knees
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 35:47 — 23.2MB)
Little Brother of War By Harper Hull Read by Shawn Robertson The fate of the Choctaw nation and the future United States may depend on a single ball game. Hands and Knees By Erik Svehaug Read by Shawn Robertson Father … Continue reading
Posted in 18th Century
Tagged California, choctaw, Franciscans, historical fiction, indian, isitoboli, mission, native american
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Tales of Old 21 – The Magician Who Knew Bosch, Beethoven and Houdini, or, The Magic of Money
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 38:57 — 26.8MB)
By J.J. Steinfeld Read by Shawn Robertson He was in his own league, without equal, incomparable, so what if his so-called peers never once voted him “Magician of the Year.” As much as he has personally liked Harry Houdini and … Continue reading
Tales of Old 20 – The Grand Prior of Minorca
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 45:55 — 33.2MB)
By Washington Irving Read by Shawn Robertson Period: 1750′s Setting: Malta The once gallant Knights of Malta, the Order of St. John, have grown wealthy and degenerate, but swords are still drawn when honor is at stake. But what good … Continue reading
Posted in 18th Century
Tagged duel, ghost, historical fiction, knights, Knights of St. John, Malta, Washington Irving
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Tales of Old 19 – Ghosts of the Golden House & Nightingales
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 29:47 — 23.9MB)
Ghosts of the Golden House By Andrew MacRae Read by Shawn Robertson Period: Roman times The Golden House of Nero. Mere words coined by mortals cannot possibly begin to describe that monument to one man’s ego. Nightingales By David Pilling … Continue reading
Tales of Old 18 – When I Come Again
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 29:25 — 23.6MB)
By P.D.R. Lindsay Read by Shawn Robertson Period: Mid Roman Empire Music after the story by Marc Gunn The tune is an old one, a soldiers’ song springing into my head to match the pace of my steps. I’m not … Continue reading
Posted in Roman Times
Tagged Germanicus, historical fiction, Nerthus, P.D.R. Lindsay, Rome
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Tales of Old 17 – The Theatre Conundrum
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 39:25 — 31.6MB)
by Edward P. McDermott read by Malcolm Grieve Period: Elizabethan England Some of the best theater takes place after the curtains have fallen and the last patron leaves. This weeks historical fiction dares to peak behind the curtain at Blackfriars … Continue reading
Posted in 16th Century
Tagged Blackfriars, Edward McDermott, Globe Theatre, historical fiction, Shakespeare
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Tales of Old 16 – Red Russia, White Night
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 30:22 — 20.9MB)
by Igor Teper read by Shawn Robertson Period: 1930′s Setting: Soviet Union What if the great Igor Sikorsky, inventor of the American helicopter, had not left Russia when the great civil war began? In the dark, suspicious days after the … Continue reading
Posted in 20th Century
Tagged Airship, Bukharin, historical fiction, Sikorsky, Soviet Union, Trotsky
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Tales of Old 15 – Origin of the Origin
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 31:59 — 0.0KB)
Period: 1800′s Setting: South America By Roselyn Silverman – her latest story is in Midwest Literary Magazine Read by Kevin Harty Check out the History Chicks podcast Closing music: Evolution Rocks by Overman, courtesy of Music Alley from Mevio. Origin … Continue reading
Posted in 19th Century
Tagged alternate history, Charles Darwin, evolution, HMS Beagle
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Tales of Old 14 – Affairs of the Union
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 27:17 — 0.0KB)
By Steve Sagarra Read by Shawn Robertson This week’s historical fiction is a story about espionage and the Senate Internal Security Subcommittee by Steve Sagarra. To put us in the moment, I’ve included a poem by Jack Spicer called “Response … Continue reading
Posted in 20th Century
Tagged deffection, espionage, historical fiction, Russia, spies
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Tales of Old 13 – Fools & Once Upon a Dwarf
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 20:32 — 14.1MB)
This is our first historical fiction double header. Our theme this week is fools and jesters. It was common for monarchs, especially in Europe to keep a fool on hand to tell jokes and generally amuse. They held special status … Continue reading
Posted in 15th Century
Tagged dwarf, fools, historical fiction, jester, Jon Chan, Todd Mckie
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Tales of Old-12 The Winter of War
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 23:28 — 13.4MB)
By Heather Parker Read by Bethsheba Paramor Period: 1940′s Setting: World War II Our first outing into alternate history. The German paratroopers have taken the north of England. When Amy Miller recognizes her former German professor as their commander, she is torn … Continue reading
Posted in 20th Century
Tagged alternate history, historical fiction, Lake District, World War II
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Tales of Old 11-Hearts of Ash
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 21:21 — 0.0KB)
By: Pat Tompkins Read by: Shawn Robertson Period: American Civil War Setting: New York City Not all of the action in the Civil War happened on the battlefield. Today’s historical fiction brings us back to that time in New York … Continue reading
Tales of Old 10 – Night Witch
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 20:50 — 11.9MB)
By Anatoly Belilovsky Read by Melissa Hartzel Period: World War II Setting: Russian front Historical fiction from the front lines of the Great Patriotic War. By November of 1941 the German army was threatening Moscow and Leningrad. Millions of Russians had … Continue reading
Posted in 20th Century
Tagged historical, historical fiction, pilot, Russia, World War II
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Tales of Old 9 – The Devil’s Sonata
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 28:25 — 16.3MB)
By Robert J. Santa Read by Shawn Robertson Period: early 1700′s Setting: Assisi, Italy Today’s historical fiction returns us to Italy, this time to the monastery of St. Francis of Assisi where we find the great violinist Giuseppe Tartini hiding … Continue reading
Posted in 18th Century, Uncategorized
Tagged devil, Giuseppe Tartini, historical fiction, Italy, violin
1 Comment
Tales of Old 8 – Murder Unauthorized
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 42:21 — 0.0KB)
By Amy Myers Read by Tony Honickberg Setting: Jacobean England Time: early 1600′s Amy Myers (aka Harriet Hudson) is a master of historical fiction, and even more exciting, historical crime. What could be a more holy, unlikely setting for a … Continue reading
Tales of Old 7 – The Collapse
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 33:48 — 0.0KB)
By Dave Schofield projects Read by Jane Osborn A gripping tale of from the mines of north England in the 1800s. At five thirty I hear the back-gate creak and his heavy boots. The stones laid in our yard are … Continue reading
Tales of Old 6 – I Tre
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 22:51 — 0.0KB)
By Townsend Walker Read by Shawn Robertson Historical Fiction Period: 20th Century Setting: Italy In a narrow cobbled street in the village of San Giovanni nestled in the hills of Calabria, on a Monday night in the summer of 1870, … Continue reading
Tales of Old 5 – Natural Law
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Period: 19th Century By Don D’Ammassa Read by Malcolm Grieve I do so enjoy a picnic,” said Miss Harrington. “I feel that it’s quite important not to lose touch with the natural world. Don’t you agree with me, Mr. Shaw?” … Continue reading
Tales of Old 4 – History
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 22:55 — 13.1MB)
Period: 20th Century By J.J. Steinfeld Read by Shawn Robertson When the tall man, without knocking or uttering a word, entered the two-bedroom apartment, the small woman inside tried to throw her arms around him. His face was pale and … Continue reading
Tales of Old 3 – The Friendship of Monsieur Jeynois
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 49:09 — 33.7MB)
Period: Early 1800’s Setting: Napoleonic wars at sea. By William Hope Hodgeson Read by Kevin Harty Read full text Captain Drool and the two mates sat in the cabin and argued, gross and uncouth; but Monsieur Jeynois said nothing. Only … Continue reading
Tales of Old 2 – The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 26:59 — 24.7MB)
Period: 1800’s Setting: American West By Stephen Crane Read by Shawn Robertson Text version The great Pullman was whirling onward with such dignity of motion that a glance from the window seemed simply to prove that the plains of Texas … Continue reading
Tales of Old 1 – A Lion Rampant
Podcast: Right Click to save (Duration: 42:50 — 39.2MB)
by Jean Davidson read by Tony Honickberg Period: 1300s Setting: England This story ©Jean Davidson 2001, first appeared in The Mammoth Book of More Historical Whodunnits, edited by Mike Ashley You may, try to escape the past, but its long … Continue reading
Posted in 14th Century
Tagged historical fiction, Jean Davidson, lions, Tower of London
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Rousing historical fiction
Return with us now to the way things were or how they might have been. Tales of the American Revolution, detectives of ancient Rome, intrigues in court of Louis XIV, it’s all within reach. We will begin broadcasting in June, … Continue reading
