BBC Classics: Adventure Collection: Gulliver’s Travels, Kidnapped, The Sign of Four, The War of the Worlds & The Thirty-Nine Steps

by Jonathan Swift, Tony Turner (Narrator), Kenny Blyth (Narrator)

Unabridged readings of five gripping adventure stories.

This thrilling anthology contains five action-packed tales of incredible journeys, a murderous treasure hunt, invaders from outer space and international espionage - all read in full by some of the very best voice actors. With over 33 hours of exciting listening, tracked by chapter, let yourself get carried away with these classic adventures.

Gulliver's Travels

Jonathan Swift's dark satire following Lemuel Gulliver's fantastical travels through strange and exotic lands. Read by Tony Turner.

Kidnapped

Robert Louis Stevenson's classic story of David Balfour's youthful adventures on the high seas and across the Scottish Highlands. Read by Kenny Blyth.

The Sign of the Four

Arthur Conan Doyle's intriguing locked-room mystery follows Holmes and Watson as they uncover a murky tale of theft, betrayal and greed. Read by Kenny Blyth.

The War of the Worlds

HG Wells' iconic sci-fi story about the battle to save Earth from a Martian invasion. Read by Michael Bertenshaw.

The Thirty-Nine Steps

John Buchan's stirring tale of derring-do, secrets and spies set in the shadows of war. Read by Kenny Blyth.



Gulliver's Travels

Read by Tony Turner

Produced by Ross Burman

First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 1 November 2019

Kidnapped

Read by Kenny Blyth

Produced by Ciaran Bermingham

First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 24 August 2019

The Sign of the Four

Read by Kenny Blyth

Produced by Ciaran Bermingham

First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 22 August 2019

The War of the Worlds

Read by Michael Bertenshaw

Produced by Martha Littlehailes

First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 23 August 2019

The Thirty-Nine Steps

Read by Kenny Blyth

Produced by Karen Holden

First broadcast on BBC Sounds, 1 November 2019

Audible Audio

Published June 3, 2021

About the author

Jonathan Swift was an Anglo-Irish satirist, author, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whigs, then for the Tories), poet, and Anglican cleric who became Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, hence his common sobriquet, "Dean Swift".
Swift is remembered for works such as A Tale of a Tub (1704), An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity (1712), Gulliver's Travels (1726), and A Modest Proposal (1729). He is regarded by the Encyclopædia Britannica as the foremost prose satirist in the English language. He originally published all of his works under pseudonyms—such as Lemuel Gulliver, Isaac Bickerstaff, M.B. Drapier—or anonymously. He was a master of two styles of satire, the Horatian and Juvenalian styles.
His deadpan, ironic writing style, particularly in A Modest Proposal, has led to such satire being subsequently termed "Swiftian".