
Billy Budd
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed

Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $10.28
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Stefan Rudnicki
-
By:
-
Herman Melville
About this listen
Set in 1797, Herman Melville's Billy Budd exploits the tension of this period during the war between England and France to create a tale of satanic treachery, tragedy and great pathos that explores human relationships and the inherently ambiguous nature of man-made justice.
Public Domain (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Scarlet Letter
- By: Nathaniel Hawthorne
- Narrated by: Kate Petrie
- Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the most important novels in classic literature, Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter tackles the subject of adultery, with the notorious Hester Prynne at the forefront of the scandal in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In the beginning of the novel, Hester is serving time in prison for having a child out of wedlock and is forced to wear a scarlet A on her clothing at all times, so she cannot run from her sin no matter where she goes.
-
-
missing the introductory???
- By Savannah on 05-20-20
-
The Red Badge of Courage
- By: Stephen Crane
- Narrated by: Frank Muller
- Length: 4 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Young Henry Fleming used to play soldier and dream of being a hero, but when he faces his first battle - the Battle of Chancellorsville - he finds that heroism is not at all what he had expected. Shells burst in front of him like strange flowers, gunfire ripped toward him in great crackling sheets of flame, and all around him, blue-coated figures lie still on the blood-drenched grass. Remarkably, Stephen Crane wrote this realistic tale of the terror of war without ever witnessing a battle.
-
-
A Classic
- By Sher from Provo on 06-06-16
By: Stephen Crane
-
Johnny Tremain
- By: Esther Forbes
- Narrated by: Grace Conlin
- Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Johnny, a young apprentice silversmith, is caught with Otis, Hancock, and John and Samuel Adams in the exciting operations and subterfuges leading up to the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Lexington. As Johnny is forced into the role of a full-grown man in the face of his new country's independence, he finds that his relations with those he loves changes for the better as well.
-
-
This has been the favorite
- By Jessica on 01-26-11
By: Esther Forbes
-
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
- By: Mark Twain
- Narrated by: Nick Offerman
- Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A natural storyteller and raconteur in his own right - just listen to Paddle Your Own Canoe and Gumption - actor, comedian, carpenter, and all-around manly man Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) brings his distinctive baritone and a fine-tuned comic versatility to Twain's writing. In a knockout performance, he doesn't so much as read Twain's words as he does rejoice in them, delighting in the hijinks of Tom - whom he lovingly refers to as a "great scam artist" and "true American hero".
-
-
Reading from a new perspective
- By jb on 11-10-16
By: Mark Twain
-
The Call of the Wild
- By: Jack London
- Narrated by: Pablo Schreiber
- Length: 3 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rediscover one of literature’s most beloved classics, richly reissued in a pivotal new audio recording. Emmy and Tony Award-nominated actor Pablo Schreiber (The Wire, Orange Is the New Black) delivers a stirring performance of Jack London’s fierce yet tender tale of loyalty between man and beast, told from the point of view of a dog.
-
-
The Call of the Wild
- By Amazon Customer on 12-18-18
By: Jack London
-
The Old Man and the Sea
- By: Ernest Hemingway
- Narrated by: Donald Sutherland
- Length: 2 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Old Man and the Sea is one of Hemingway's most enduring works. Told in language of great simplicity and power, it is the story of an old Cuban fisherman, down on his luck, and his supreme ordeal, a relentless, agonizing battle with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream. Here Hemingway recasts, in strikingly contemporary style, the classic theme of courage in the face of defeat, of personal triumph won from loss.
-
-
Truly a Classic
- By Dave on 07-01-08
By: Ernest Hemingway
-
The Scarlet Letter
- By: Nathaniel Hawthorne
- Narrated by: Kate Petrie
- Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the most important novels in classic literature, Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter tackles the subject of adultery, with the notorious Hester Prynne at the forefront of the scandal in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In the beginning of the novel, Hester is serving time in prison for having a child out of wedlock and is forced to wear a scarlet A on her clothing at all times, so she cannot run from her sin no matter where she goes.
-
-
missing the introductory???
- By Savannah on 05-20-20
-
The Red Badge of Courage
- By: Stephen Crane
- Narrated by: Frank Muller
- Length: 4 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Young Henry Fleming used to play soldier and dream of being a hero, but when he faces his first battle - the Battle of Chancellorsville - he finds that heroism is not at all what he had expected. Shells burst in front of him like strange flowers, gunfire ripped toward him in great crackling sheets of flame, and all around him, blue-coated figures lie still on the blood-drenched grass. Remarkably, Stephen Crane wrote this realistic tale of the terror of war without ever witnessing a battle.
-
-
A Classic
- By Sher from Provo on 06-06-16
By: Stephen Crane
-
Johnny Tremain
- By: Esther Forbes
- Narrated by: Grace Conlin
- Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Johnny, a young apprentice silversmith, is caught with Otis, Hancock, and John and Samuel Adams in the exciting operations and subterfuges leading up to the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Lexington. As Johnny is forced into the role of a full-grown man in the face of his new country's independence, he finds that his relations with those he loves changes for the better as well.
-
-
This has been the favorite
- By Jessica on 01-26-11
By: Esther Forbes
-
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
- By: Mark Twain
- Narrated by: Nick Offerman
- Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A natural storyteller and raconteur in his own right - just listen to Paddle Your Own Canoe and Gumption - actor, comedian, carpenter, and all-around manly man Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation) brings his distinctive baritone and a fine-tuned comic versatility to Twain's writing. In a knockout performance, he doesn't so much as read Twain's words as he does rejoice in them, delighting in the hijinks of Tom - whom he lovingly refers to as a "great scam artist" and "true American hero".
-
-
Reading from a new perspective
- By jb on 11-10-16
By: Mark Twain
-
The Call of the Wild
- By: Jack London
- Narrated by: Pablo Schreiber
- Length: 3 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rediscover one of literature’s most beloved classics, richly reissued in a pivotal new audio recording. Emmy and Tony Award-nominated actor Pablo Schreiber (The Wire, Orange Is the New Black) delivers a stirring performance of Jack London’s fierce yet tender tale of loyalty between man and beast, told from the point of view of a dog.
-
-
The Call of the Wild
- By Amazon Customer on 12-18-18
By: Jack London
-
The Old Man and the Sea
- By: Ernest Hemingway
- Narrated by: Donald Sutherland
- Length: 2 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Old Man and the Sea is one of Hemingway's most enduring works. Told in language of great simplicity and power, it is the story of an old Cuban fisherman, down on his luck, and his supreme ordeal, a relentless, agonizing battle with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream. Here Hemingway recasts, in strikingly contemporary style, the classic theme of courage in the face of defeat, of personal triumph won from loss.
-
-
Truly a Classic
- By Dave on 07-01-08
By: Ernest Hemingway
-
The Pit and the Pendulum
- By: Edgar Allan Poe
- Narrated by: B.J. Harrison
- Length: 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“I was sick, sick unto death with that long agony,” begins one of the most famous tales from the master of the macabre, Edgar Allan Poe. Through the tortures of the Spanish Inquisition, we follow the straying mind of the unnamed prisoner in his quest for hope in a world of darkness and despair. This episode skyrocketed The Classic Tales Podcast to number 3 on iTunes’ Top 100 Podcasts chart.
-
-
I loved the story this is a must read.
- By Amazon Customer on 10-02-23
By: Edgar Allan Poe
-
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
- By: Elizabeth George Speare
- Narrated by: Mary Beth Hurt
- Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kit Tyler must leave behind shimmering Caribbean islands to join the stern Puritan community of her relatives. She soon feels caged, until she meets the old woman known as the Witch of Blackbird Pond. But when their friendship is discovered, Kit herself is accused of witchcraft!
-
-
Great characters - a delightful listen!
- By Susan on 02-28-04
-
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
- An American Slave
- By: Frederick Douglass
- Narrated by: Raymond Hearn
- Length: 4 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This classic of American literature, a dramatic autobiography of the early life of an American slave, was first published in 1845, when its author had just achieved his freedom. It is a story that shocked the world with its first-hand account of the horrors of slavery. The book was an incredible success. It sold over 30,000 copies and was an international best seller.
-
-
Appropriate Audio
- By Gigi P on 05-23-16
-
Born Again
- What Really Happened to the White House Hatchet Man
- By: Charles Colson
- Narrated by: Jon Gauger
- Length: 13 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the 1970s, against the backdrop of the explosive Watergate scandal, Charles Colson revealed the story of his own search for meaning during the tumultuous investigations that led to the collapse of the Nixon administration. A convicted former special counsel to the president, Colson paradoxically found new life - not with success and power, but while in national disgrace and serving a prison sentence.
-
-
Great Read
- By Cindy on 08-27-12
By: Charles Colson
-
Walden
- Life in the Woods
- By: Henry David Thoreau
- Narrated by: Alec Sand
- Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Thoreau's classic account of the solitary life, describing his attempts to simplify his life and sort out his priorities by living alone in a cabin beside Walden Pond for nearly two years, is one of the most influential books ever written. The bible of the environmental movement, Walden vividly portrays Thoreau's reverence for nature, and his understanding of the idea that nature is made up of crucially interrelated parts.
-
-
Excellent book and narration
- By Kindle Customer on 06-14-11
-
The Sign of the Beaver
- By: Elizabeth George Speare
- Narrated by: Greg Schaffert
- Length: 3 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At just 12 years old, Matt must face serious challenges in the Maine wilderness while awaiting his father's return to their cabin. When he is saved from a terrifying bee swarm attack by an Indian chief and his grandson Attean, Matt gains a valuable friend in the young Indian boy.
-
-
Good story, dubious dialog, irritating music
- By Paul Hubbard on 08-05-12
-
Remarkably Bright Creatures
- A Novel
- By: Shelby Van Pelt
- Narrated by: Marin Ireland, Michael Urie
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago. Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors—until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.
-
-
Hidden gem, incredible narration!
- By Christine T on 05-17-22
By: Shelby Van Pelt
-
The Giver of Stars
- Reese's Book Club (A Novel)
- By: Jojo Moyes
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve hoping to escape her stifling life in England. But small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic, especially living alongside her overbearing father-in-law. So, when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically. The leader, and soon Alice's greatest ally, is Margery, a smart-talking, self-sufficient woman who's never asked a man's permission for anything.
-
-
About time!
- By Amazon Customer on 10-25-19
By: Jojo Moyes
-
Emma
- An Audible Original Drama
- By: Jane Austen, Anna Lea - adaptation
- Narrated by: Emma Thompson, Joanne Froggatt, Isabella Inchbald, and others
- Length: 8 hrs and 21 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Austen wrote, 'I am going to take a heroine whom no-one but myself will much like' and thus introduces the handsome, clever, rich - and flawed, Emma Woodhouse. Emma is perfectly content with her life and sees no need for either love or marriage; nothing however delights her more than matchmaking her fellow residents of Highbury. But when she ignores the warnings of her good friend Mr. Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for her protegee Harriet Smith, her carefully laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected.
-
-
Background sonds RUINED this
- By Sandra Dodd on 09-09-18
By: Jane Austen, and others
-
A Christmas Carol: A Signature Performance by Tim Curry
- By: Charles Dickens
- Narrated by: Tim Curry
- Length: 3 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A Signature Performance: Tim Curry rescues Charles Dickens from the jaws of Disney with his one-of-a-kind performance of the treasured classic. Our listeners loved this version so much that it inspired our whole line of Signature Classics.
-
-
Wonderful!!!
- By Alia on 12-11-09
By: Charles Dickens
-
Shantaram
- A Novel
- By: Gregory David Roberts
- Narrated by: Humphrey Bower
- Length: 42 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An escaped convict with a false passport, Lin flees maximum security prison in Australia for the teeming streets of Bombay, where he can disappear. Accompanied by his guide and faithful friend, Prabaker, the two enter the city’s hidden society of beggars and gangsters, prostitutes and holy men, soldiers and actors, and Indians and exiles from other countries, who seek in this remarkable place what they cannot find elsewhere.
-
-
Probably the best performance I've listened to.
- By Mickey on 04-15-14
-
Children Alone
- By: Mike Yarbro
- Narrated by: Tom Gallagher
- Length: 5 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Children Alone follows the true-life story of young Edmund Buck Yarbro and his sister Alice Delilah, detailing their struggles to survive against all odds and to emerge victorious over a series of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Witness firsthand this true-life testimony of how God can work through even the most impossible of situations, how he can bring good out of evil, and how he wrought a miracle in the lives of Edmund and Alice Yarbro, making them strong pillars of light, love, faith, and honesty in the midst of a dark and lonely world.
-
-
Amazing Story!
- By P. Ross on 09-16-19
By: Mike Yarbro
Critic reviews
"In this last of Melville's works, published posthumously, the author dramatized the clash between natural goodness and innocence as personified by Billy Budd, and unprovoked evil as embodied in Claggart." ( Masterpieces of World Literature)
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Billy Budd, Sailor
- By: Herman Melville
- Narrated by: William Roberts
- Length: 3 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Written some 40 years after Moby Dick, Melville's Billy Budd is a moving tale of good versus evil. Set aboard a British navy ship at the end of the eighteenth century, a young, innocent sailor's charm and good nature put the men around him at ease. Ship life agreed with Billy. He made friends quickly and was well liked, which infuriated John Claggart, the ship's cold-blooded superior officer.
-
-
A good reading of a classic story
- By Johnny on 06-11-07
By: Herman Melville
-
Billy Budd
- By: Herman Melville
- Narrated by: Peter Joyce
- Length: 3 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On one level...Melville’s tale is an historical adventure telling the story of life aboard ship shortly after the mutiny at Spithead in 1797. Billy is taken from a homeward bound merchantman to serve on the ‘Seventy Four’ HMS Indomitable. He falls foul of Claggart, the ‘Master at Arms’, and the final confrontation results in death. Billy becomes an unwilling martyr - what passes for justice must be implemented because of the rebellious climate of the time.
-
-
Well done, a pleasure to listen to!
- By Kindle Customer on 10-17-18
By: Herman Melville
-
Billy Budd
- By: Herman Melville
- Narrated by: Christopher Timothy
- Length: 2 hrs and 20 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Billy Budd, Sailor is a classic confrontation between good and evil, and the story of an innocent young man unable to defend himself against a wrongful accusation.
-
-
This classic deserves a terrific narrator and Timothy nails it!
- By Bryan O'Connor on 07-25-16
By: Herman Melville
-
Typee
- A Peep at Polynesian Life
- By: Herman Melville
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Herman Melville is one of the greatest figures in literary history. His classic Moby Dick is generally considered the finest novel ever written by an American. Yet in Melville’s day, Typee was a far more popular book. Largely autobiographical, this classic adventure story is set in the South Seas, where a runaway sailor is captured by the Typees. Described as “a fierce and unrelenting tribe of savages," the islanders have no intention of letting their captive go.
-
-
Peeping Typee is Tapu; Reading Typee is Noa!
- By Darwin8u on 04-21-14
By: Herman Melville
-
Benito Cereno
- By: Herman Melville
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 3 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the epic sea adventure, a harrowing tale of slavery and revolt aboard a Spanish ship, is often regarded as Melville's finest short story. The balance of forces is complete, the atmosphere one of epic significance, the light cast upon the hero intense to the highest degree, the realization of the human soul profound, and the telling of the story orchestrated like a great symphony.
-
-
The literary equivalent of a caste painting from the same time
- By Auggie on 09-10-20
By: Herman Melville
-
Moby Dick
- By: Herman Melville
- Narrated by: William Hootkins
- Length: 24 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"Call me Ishmael." Thus starts the greatest American novel. Melville said himself that he wanted to write "a mighty book about a mighty theme" and so he did. It is a story of one man's obsessive revenge-journey against the white whale, Moby-Dick, who injured him in an earlier meeting. Woven into the story of the last journey of The Pequod is a mesh of philosophy, rumination, religion, history, and a mass of information about whaling through the ages.
-
-
Excellent, EXCELLENT reading!
- By Jessica on 02-18-09
By: Herman Melville
-
Billy Budd, Sailor
- By: Herman Melville
- Narrated by: William Roberts
- Length: 3 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Written some 40 years after Moby Dick, Melville's Billy Budd is a moving tale of good versus evil. Set aboard a British navy ship at the end of the eighteenth century, a young, innocent sailor's charm and good nature put the men around him at ease. Ship life agreed with Billy. He made friends quickly and was well liked, which infuriated John Claggart, the ship's cold-blooded superior officer.
-
-
A good reading of a classic story
- By Johnny on 06-11-07
By: Herman Melville
-
Billy Budd
- By: Herman Melville
- Narrated by: Peter Joyce
- Length: 3 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On one level...Melville’s tale is an historical adventure telling the story of life aboard ship shortly after the mutiny at Spithead in 1797. Billy is taken from a homeward bound merchantman to serve on the ‘Seventy Four’ HMS Indomitable. He falls foul of Claggart, the ‘Master at Arms’, and the final confrontation results in death. Billy becomes an unwilling martyr - what passes for justice must be implemented because of the rebellious climate of the time.
-
-
Well done, a pleasure to listen to!
- By Kindle Customer on 10-17-18
By: Herman Melville
-
Billy Budd
- By: Herman Melville
- Narrated by: Christopher Timothy
- Length: 2 hrs and 20 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Billy Budd, Sailor is a classic confrontation between good and evil, and the story of an innocent young man unable to defend himself against a wrongful accusation.
-
-
This classic deserves a terrific narrator and Timothy nails it!
- By Bryan O'Connor on 07-25-16
By: Herman Melville
-
Typee
- A Peep at Polynesian Life
- By: Herman Melville
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Herman Melville is one of the greatest figures in literary history. His classic Moby Dick is generally considered the finest novel ever written by an American. Yet in Melville’s day, Typee was a far more popular book. Largely autobiographical, this classic adventure story is set in the South Seas, where a runaway sailor is captured by the Typees. Described as “a fierce and unrelenting tribe of savages," the islanders have no intention of letting their captive go.
-
-
Peeping Typee is Tapu; Reading Typee is Noa!
- By Darwin8u on 04-21-14
By: Herman Melville
-
Benito Cereno
- By: Herman Melville
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 3 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the epic sea adventure, a harrowing tale of slavery and revolt aboard a Spanish ship, is often regarded as Melville's finest short story. The balance of forces is complete, the atmosphere one of epic significance, the light cast upon the hero intense to the highest degree, the realization of the human soul profound, and the telling of the story orchestrated like a great symphony.
-
-
The literary equivalent of a caste painting from the same time
- By Auggie on 09-10-20
By: Herman Melville
-
Moby Dick
- By: Herman Melville
- Narrated by: William Hootkins
- Length: 24 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"Call me Ishmael." Thus starts the greatest American novel. Melville said himself that he wanted to write "a mighty book about a mighty theme" and so he did. It is a story of one man's obsessive revenge-journey against the white whale, Moby-Dick, who injured him in an earlier meeting. Woven into the story of the last journey of The Pequod is a mesh of philosophy, rumination, religion, history, and a mass of information about whaling through the ages.
-
-
Excellent, EXCELLENT reading!
- By Jessica on 02-18-09
By: Herman Melville
Billy's interview with Vere
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Verbose
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Didactic
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Sad but beautiful story
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Delivers a punch!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
a great Voyage of a story
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A great book
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The story unwinds with a sense of foreboding, a tacit knowledge of approaching tragedy, and finishes in moving prose. Let this sea tale and Rudnicki’s sonorous baritone roll you into another time and place as a great audiobook ought.
Wonderful!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Wow
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Intriguing narration, classic historical fiction.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.