
Milligan and the Samurai Rebels
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 $24.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Robert G. C. Jackson
About this listen
Milligan and the Samurai Rebels is a humorous historical novel set in the Japan of the 1860s. The Shogun has been forced by the threat of Western firepower to re-open Japan to the outside world, while samurai outraged at this decision are scheming to topple the Shogunate and re-establish Imperial rule. In parallel to this struggle, Britain and France are fighting by every means except open warfare to establish themselves as the leading influence on the government of Japan and secure the accompanying trading privileges.
Into this maelstrom steps Robert Seamus Milligan, a young British diplomat with a weakness for women and drink, who has joined the diplomatic service only to escape a contretemps back home. Upon his arrival in Japan and entirely against his will, he is immediately plunged into the conflict between Japan and the West, between the Shogunate and Imperial forces, and between Britain and France.
Milligan survives several real historical clashes plus a Royal Navy Commodore on the warpath, humiliation at the hands of a French spy, sex in the bath with a female Japanese aristocrat, life as a Satsuma samurai, and a sumo bout against a homicidal maniac - thanks on more than one occasion to his Japanese servant, Miyazawa, and with much more credit than he deserves.
"A thoroughly impressive first work, Simon Alexander Collier has done his homework...It's a fun book and it's a page turner." (Robert Whiting, author of You Gotta Have Wa and Tokyo Underworld)
"The historical background has been carefully researched, but the reader needs no prior knowledge of history to enjoy the tale. He or she needs only to keep turning the pages as the plot twists and turns." (Sir Graham Fry, former British ambassador to Japan)
Original cover artwork by Guus Floor.
©2012 Simon Alexander Collier (P)2018 Simon Alexander CollierListeners also enjoyed...
-
Musashi
- By: Eiji Yoshikawa, Charles S. Terry - translator
- Narrated by: Brian Nishii
- Length: 53 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The classic samurai novel about the real exploits of the most famous swordsman. Miyamoto Musashi becomes a reluctant hero to a host of people whose lives he has touched and by whom he has been touched. Inevitably, he has to pit his skill against the naked blade of his greatest rival.
-
-
Good Historical Novel
- By The Walking Dude on 08-11-19
By: Eiji Yoshikawa, and others
-
Free the Darkness
- King's Dark Tidings, Book 1
- By: Kel Kade
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 16 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Raised and trained in seclusion at a secret fortress on the edge of the northern wilds of the Kingdom of Ashai, a young warrior called Rezkin is unexpectedly thrust into the outworld when a terrible battle destroys all that he knows. With no understanding of his life’s purpose and armed with masterful weapons mysteriously bestowed upon him by a dead king, Rezkin must travel across Ashai to find the one man who may hold the clues to his very existence.
-
-
What the heck people?
- By Mick on 03-12-17
By: Kel Kade
-
Cast Under an Alien Sun
- Destiny's Crucible, Book 1
- By: Olan Thorensen
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 15 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Joe Colsco boarded a flight from San Francisco to Chicago to attend a national chemistry meeting. He would never set foot on Earth again. On planet Anyar, Joe is found unconscious on a beach of a large island inhabited by humans where the level of technology is similar to Earth circa 1700. He awakes amid strangers speaking an unintelligible language and struggles to accept losing his previous life and finding a place in a society with different customs, needing a way to support himself and not knowing a single soul.
-
-
Slowly we turn, step by step, inch by inch...
- By Ron on 09-18-17
By: Olan Thorensen
-
Twinborn Chronicles: Awakening Collection
- By: J.S. Morin
- Narrated by: Mikael Naramore
- Length: 67 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kyrus had lived a quiet life as a scribe until his dreams begin seeping into his waking life. Fanciful tales of magic and battle turn out to be real. In his sleep, he witnesses the adventures of his twin. Kyrus is swept up in the intrigues of those who already know of this connection between worlds. As his knowledge of the two worlds grows, so does his entanglement in the intrigues between them. Kyrus discovers friends, lovers, and adversaries among the twinborn. His knowledge of magic grows until he becomes a valuable pawn for masterminds of plots that threaten empires.
-
-
Better than Expected
- By Kal Teague on 12-01-18
By: J.S. Morin
-
His Majesty's Dragon
- Temeraire, Book 1
- By: Naomi Novik
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes its precious cargo - an unhatched dragon egg - fate sweeps Captain Will Laurence from his seafaring life into an uncertain future and an unexpected kinship with a most extraordinary creature. Thrust into the rarified world of the Aerial Corps as master of the dragon Temeraire, he will face a crash course in the daring tactics of airborne battle.
-
-
Excellent AU period fantasy
- By Melanie on 07-08-10
By: Naomi Novik
-
War and Peace (AmazonClassics Edition)
- By: Leo Tolstoy, Louise Maude - translator, Aylmer Maude - translator
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 55 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In early nineteenth-century Russia, the threat of Napoleon’s invasion looms, and the lives of millions are about to be changed forever. This includes Pierre Bezúkhov, illegitimate son of an aristocrat; Andrew Bolkónski, ambitious military scion; and Natásha Rostóva, compassionate daughter of a nobleman. All of them are unprepared for what lies ahead. Alongside their fellow compatriots - a catalog of enduring literary characters - Pierre, Andrew, and Natásha will be irrevocably torn between fate and free will.
-
-
Tremendous narration
- By steve thomas on 08-14-20
By: Leo Tolstoy, and others
-
Musashi
- By: Eiji Yoshikawa, Charles S. Terry - translator
- Narrated by: Brian Nishii
- Length: 53 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The classic samurai novel about the real exploits of the most famous swordsman. Miyamoto Musashi becomes a reluctant hero to a host of people whose lives he has touched and by whom he has been touched. Inevitably, he has to pit his skill against the naked blade of his greatest rival.
-
-
Good Historical Novel
- By The Walking Dude on 08-11-19
By: Eiji Yoshikawa, and others
-
Free the Darkness
- King's Dark Tidings, Book 1
- By: Kel Kade
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 16 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Raised and trained in seclusion at a secret fortress on the edge of the northern wilds of the Kingdom of Ashai, a young warrior called Rezkin is unexpectedly thrust into the outworld when a terrible battle destroys all that he knows. With no understanding of his life’s purpose and armed with masterful weapons mysteriously bestowed upon him by a dead king, Rezkin must travel across Ashai to find the one man who may hold the clues to his very existence.
-
-
What the heck people?
- By Mick on 03-12-17
By: Kel Kade
-
Cast Under an Alien Sun
- Destiny's Crucible, Book 1
- By: Olan Thorensen
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 15 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Joe Colsco boarded a flight from San Francisco to Chicago to attend a national chemistry meeting. He would never set foot on Earth again. On planet Anyar, Joe is found unconscious on a beach of a large island inhabited by humans where the level of technology is similar to Earth circa 1700. He awakes amid strangers speaking an unintelligible language and struggles to accept losing his previous life and finding a place in a society with different customs, needing a way to support himself and not knowing a single soul.
-
-
Slowly we turn, step by step, inch by inch...
- By Ron on 09-18-17
By: Olan Thorensen
-
Twinborn Chronicles: Awakening Collection
- By: J.S. Morin
- Narrated by: Mikael Naramore
- Length: 67 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kyrus had lived a quiet life as a scribe until his dreams begin seeping into his waking life. Fanciful tales of magic and battle turn out to be real. In his sleep, he witnesses the adventures of his twin. Kyrus is swept up in the intrigues of those who already know of this connection between worlds. As his knowledge of the two worlds grows, so does his entanglement in the intrigues between them. Kyrus discovers friends, lovers, and adversaries among the twinborn. His knowledge of magic grows until he becomes a valuable pawn for masterminds of plots that threaten empires.
-
-
Better than Expected
- By Kal Teague on 12-01-18
By: J.S. Morin
-
His Majesty's Dragon
- Temeraire, Book 1
- By: Naomi Novik
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes its precious cargo - an unhatched dragon egg - fate sweeps Captain Will Laurence from his seafaring life into an uncertain future and an unexpected kinship with a most extraordinary creature. Thrust into the rarified world of the Aerial Corps as master of the dragon Temeraire, he will face a crash course in the daring tactics of airborne battle.
-
-
Excellent AU period fantasy
- By Melanie on 07-08-10
By: Naomi Novik
-
War and Peace (AmazonClassics Edition)
- By: Leo Tolstoy, Louise Maude - translator, Aylmer Maude - translator
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 55 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In early nineteenth-century Russia, the threat of Napoleon’s invasion looms, and the lives of millions are about to be changed forever. This includes Pierre Bezúkhov, illegitimate son of an aristocrat; Andrew Bolkónski, ambitious military scion; and Natásha Rostóva, compassionate daughter of a nobleman. All of them are unprepared for what lies ahead. Alongside their fellow compatriots - a catalog of enduring literary characters - Pierre, Andrew, and Natásha will be irrevocably torn between fate and free will.
-
-
Tremendous narration
- By steve thomas on 08-14-20
By: Leo Tolstoy, and others
-
The Scarlet Kimono
- By: Christina Courtenay
- Narrated by: Julia Franklin
- Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
England, 1611, and young Hannah Marston envies her brother's adventurous life. But when she stows away on a merchant ship, her powers of endurance are stretched to their limit. Then they reach Japan and all her suffering seems worthwhile until she is abducted by Taro Kumashiro's warriors. In the far north of the country, warlord Kumashiro is intrigued to learn more about the girl who he has been warned about by a seer. There's a clash of cultures and wills, but they're also fighting an instant attraction to each other.
-
-
great story
- By Angela on 08-23-12
-
The Far Pavilions
- By: M. M. Kaye
- Narrated by: Vikas Adam
- Length: 48 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When The Far Pavilions was first published 19 years ago, it moved the critic Edmund Fuller to write this: "Were Miss Kaye to produce no other book, The Far Pavilions might stand as a lasting accomplishment in a single work comparable to Margaret Mitchell's achievement in Gond With the Wind." From its beginning in the foothills of the towering Himalayas, M. M. Kaye's masterwork is a vast, rich, and vibrant tapestry of love and war that ranks with the greatest panoramic sagas of modern fiction.
-
-
Heroism, adventure, sadistic cruelty, and love.
- By Velan on 02-19-13
By: M. M. Kaye
-
The Glittering Court: The Glittering Court, Book 1
- By: Richelle Mead
- Narrated by: Kristen Sieh
- Length: 13 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Big and sweeping, spanning the refined palaces of Osfrid to the gold dust and untamed forests of Adoria, The Glittering Court tells the story of Adelaide, an Osfridian countess who poses as her servant to escape an arranged marriage and start a new life in Adoria, the New World. But to do that, she must join the Glittering Court.
-
-
Wonderful Narrator with a wonderful new story.
- By Lacey on 04-23-16
By: Richelle Mead
-
King of Ashes
- The Firemane Saga, Book One
- By: Raymond E. Feist
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 18 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For centuries, the five greatest kingdoms of North and South Tembria, twin continents on the world of Garn, have coexisted in peace. But the balance of power is destroyed when four of the kingdoms violate an ancient covenant and betray the fifth: Ithrace, the Kingdom of Flames, ruled by Steveren Langene, known as "the Firemane" for his brilliant red hair. As war engulfs the world, Ithrace is destroyed, and the Greater Realms of Tembria are thrust into a dangerous struggle for supremacy.
-
-
Feist takes his writing to the next level
- By Kyle on 05-19-18
By: Raymond E. Feist
-
Sea of Poppies
- Ibis Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Amitav Ghosh
- Narrated by: Phil Gigante
- Length: 18 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the heart of this vibrant saga is an immense ship, the Ibis. Its destiny is a tumultuous voyage across the Indian Ocean, its purpose to fight China's vicious 19th-century Opium Wars. As for the crew, they are a motley array of sailors and stowaways, coolies and convicts.
-
-
ignorance may be bliss
- By Evelyn M Kloepper on 07-27-09
By: Amitav Ghosh
-
47 Ronin
- By: John Allyn, Stephen Turnbull - foreword
- Narrated by: David Shih
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For those looking for the real story behind the fictionalized movie account of the 47 Ronin story, this is the definitive, fascinating account of this unforgettable tale of a band of samurai who defied the Emperor to avenge the disgrace and death of their master, and faced certain death as a result. It led to one of the bloodiest episodes in Japanese history, and in the process, created a new set of heroes in Japan.
-
-
Neither fish nor....
- By David on 11-05-14
By: John Allyn, and others
-
The Skystone
- Camulod Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Jack Whyte
- Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau
- Length: 21 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Everyone knows the story-how Arthur pulled the sword from the stone, how Camelot came to be, and about the power struggles that ultimately destroyed Arthur's dreams. But what of the time before Arthur and the forces that created him?
-
-
Fascinating new series
- By Jim R. Whitt Jr. on 08-27-13
By: Jack Whyte
-
Toric's Dagger
- Book One of the Weapon Takers Saga
- By: Jamie Edmundson
- Narrated by: Greg Patmore, Bridget Thomas
- Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Toric's Dagger is just another religious relic, until it's stolen. Belwynn and her twin brother, Soren, volunteer to lead a team tasked with its retrieval. Drawn into a world of danger and treachery, they must rely on Soren's magical abilities, and on the telepathic bond they share. Now, as kingdoms and empires start to fall, the twins confront the dark forces that threaten them. They must not let the Dagger fall into the wrong hands. But when mercenaries, zealots, and sorcerers are all hunting for the same weapon, who should they trust?
-
-
Good Start to the Series
- By Lachlan Kendall on 07-14-18
By: Jamie Edmundson
-
Flashman and the Seawolf
- Adventures of Thomas Flashman
- By: Robert Brightwell
- Narrated by: Henry Clore Harrison
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Following the popularity of the memoirs of Harry Flashman, the Victorian scoundrel who got himself embroiled in many events of his age, this book introduces a new generation of the family: Thomas Flashman, whose career covers the Napoleonic and Georgian era. This first book covers his adventures with Thomas Cochrane, one of the most extraordinary naval commanders of all time. From the brothels and gambling dens of London, through political intrigues and espionage, the action moves to the Mediterranean and the real life character of Thomas Cochrane.
-
-
Not quite as good as the Harry Flashman series
- By N. J. Simicich on 01-14-19
-
The Blacksmith's Son
- Mageborn, Book 1
- By: Michael G. Manning
- Narrated by: Alex Wyndham
- Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mordecai’s simple life as the son of a blacksmith is transformed by the discovery of his magical birthright. As he journeys to understand the power within him he is drawn into a dangerous plot to destroy the Duke of Lancaster and undermine the Kingdom of Lothion. Love and treachery combine to embroil him in events he was never prepared to face. What he uncovers will change his understanding of the past, and alter the future of those around him.
-
-
Good story
- By Anonymous User on 09-20-22
-
The King's Spy
- By: Andrew Swanston
- Narrated by: David Thorpe
- Length: 11 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Summer, 1643: England is at war with itself. King Charles I has fled London, his negotiations with Parliament in tatters. The country is consumed by bloodshed. For Thomas Hill, a man of letters quietly running a bookshop in the rural town of Romsey, knowledge of the war is limited to the rumours that reach the local inn. When a stranger knocks on his door one night and informs him that the king's cryptographer has died, everything changes.
-
-
Good historical piece
- By Jonsnana on 07-17-16
By: Andrew Swanston
-
The Forest Laird
- A Tale of William Wallace - The Guardians, Book 1
- By: Jack Whyte
- Narrated by: David Monteath
- Length: 19 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the pre-dawn hours of August 24th, 1305, in London's Smithfield Prison, the outlaw William Wallace - hero of all the Scots and deadly enemy of King Edward of England - sits awaiting the dawn, when he is to be hanged and then drawn and quartered. This brutal sundering of his body is the revenge of the English. Wallace is visited by a Scottish priest who has come to hear his last confession, a priest who knows Wallace like a brother. Wallace's confession - the tale that follows - is all the more remarkable because it comes from real life.
-
-
Great Audiobook.
- By Thomas W Porter on 03-04-18
By: Jack Whyte
What listeners say about Milligan and the Samurai Rebels
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- jennifer
- 05-23-20
exciting fiction in an exciting time
i really enjoyed the story. The characterisation was good.
Nsrration was excellent and in keeping with the character of the protagonist.
My only dissapointments were
- the pronunciation of Japanese words was? at first quite in keeping with the protagonists low level of language skill. i wish the pronunciation had improved as his skill improved.
- the story suddenly ended with an unlooked for surprise event while there were many historical events to continue with.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jeremy Tout
- 04-20-19
Humorous, exciting, and historically interesting
I am really impressed with this novel. It manages a great blend of wry humor, exciting predicaments, and historical context for a really interesting adventure. I didn't know much about Japanese history, but this was easy to follow and very informative. It makes me want to learn more about both this time period and Japan in general. I liked how the self-effacing and bumbling protagonist along with his more competent Japanese companion allowed the author to provide a somewhat even-handed presentation of both Japanese and western perspectives. I'm looking forward to the Audible version of the sequel.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful