The Maddest Idea
The Isaac Biddlecomb Series, Book 2
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Narrated by:
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John Lee
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By:
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James L. Nelson
About this listen
The Maddest Idea continues the powerful saga of the American Revolution with another stirring, dramatic maritime adventure.
In the late summer of 1775, General George Washington discovers that his cache of gunpowder has dwindled to a mere nine shots per man. A desperate plan is hatched—to send a ship under the command of Captain Isaac Biddlecomb to Bermuda to capture the British powder known to be there. But the plan is a trap, set by a traitor among the patriots, and one from which even Biddlecomb cannot escape. Washington dispatches his aide-de-camp, Major Edward Fitzgerald, to hunt the traitor down, while Biddlecomb must rely on cunning and seamanship to free his men and the ship and to capture the gunpowder that is the lifeblood of the fight for liberty.
Divided by an ocean but bound by the cause, as well as by their own private fears, Biddlecomb and Fitzgerald must take on a common enemy—the greatest military power on earth.
This is a powerful saga of the American Revolution—a stirring maritime adventure in the epic, true-to-life tradition of Patrick O’Brian.
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Story
The year: 1943. Now there was to be no more retreat for Britain and her Allies. At last the war was to be carried into enemy territory. And from captured bases and makeshift harbours in North Africa, the Royal Navy's Special Force was to be the probe and the spearhead of the advance. To this unorthodox war came the corvette H. M. S. Thistle and her commanding officer, John Crispin.
By: Douglas Reeman
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Flint & Silver
- A Prequel to Treasure Island
- By: John Drake
- Narrated by: Tim Gregory
- Length: 11 hrs and 49 mins
- Abridged
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A swashbuckling triumph of storytelling, Flint and Silver provides a thrilling ride back to the rich and wondrous world of Long John Silver and his fiendish nemesis Joseph Flint in this prequel to the beloved classic Treasure Island.
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where are the other two books in the series??
- By Scott Pruitt on 05-31-18
By: John Drake
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The Bright and Breaking Sea
- Kit Brightling Series, Book 1
- By: Chloe Neill
- Narrated by: Danielle Cohen
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Kit Brightling, rescued as a foundling and raised in a home for talented girls, has worked hard to rise through the ranks of the Isles' Crown Command and become one of the few female captains in Queen Charlotte's fleet. Her ship is small, but she's fast - in part because of Kit's magical affinity to the sea. But the waters become perilous when the queen sends Kit on a special mission with a partner she never asked for. Rian Grant, Viscount Queenscliffe, may be a veteran of the Continental war, but Kit doesn't know him or his motives....
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It's really good, but not quite great
- By Mariya Joldzic on 11-29-20
By: Chloe Neill
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Under the Black Ensign
- By: L. Ron Hubbard
- Narrated by: Marisol Nichols
- Length: 1 hr and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Long before Captain Jack Sparrow raised hell with the Pirates of the Caribbean, Tom Bristol sailed to hell and back Under the Black Ensign. That’s where the real adventure begins. Bristol’s had plenty of bad luck in his life. Press-ganged into serving aboard a British vessel, he’s served under the threat of the cruel captain’s lash on his back. Then, freed from his servitude by pirates, his good fortune immediately takes a bad turn...as the pirates accuse him of murder - and leave him to die on a deserted island.
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A fun Pirate adventure!
- By Miles Forman on 12-08-22
By: L. Ron Hubbard
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Bloody Jack
- By: L. A. Meyer
- Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren
- Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Life as a ship's boy aboard HMS Dolphin is a dream come true for Jacky Faber. Gone are the days of scavenging for food and fighting for survival on the streets of 18th-century London. Instead, Jacky is becoming a skilled and respected sailor as the crew pursues pirates on the high seas. There's only one problem: Jacky is a girl. And she will have to use every bit of her spirit, wit, and courage to keep the crew from discovering her secret.
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Sometimes it clicks
- By Terry on 12-09-09
By: L. A. Meyer
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Burning Bright
- Extraordinaries Series, Book 1
- By: Melissa McShane
- Narrated by: Cat Gould
- Length: 12 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Elinor is an Extraordinary and the only one in England capable of wielding fire in over 100 years. As an Extraordinary she is respected and feared, but to her father she represents power and prestige for himself. Mr. Pembroke, having spent his life studying magic, is determined to control Elinor and her talent by forcing her to marry whom he chooses, a marriage that will produce even more powerful offspring.
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Amazing story and narration!
- By sweetliks on 07-06-17
By: Melissa McShane
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Event
- By: David L. Golemon
- Narrated by: Richard Poe
- Length: 16 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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In the summer of 1947, an unidentified object crashed in Roswell, New Mexico. There were no survivors. Now it's happened again. But this time, two creatures have emerged from the wreckage alive.
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A Great Series.
- By Frank on 07-29-13
By: David L. Golemon
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'Slaves of Sleep' and 'The Masters of Sleep'
- By: L. Ron Hubbard
- Narrated by: Rene Auberjonois
- Length: 5 hrs and 29 mins
- Abridged
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Young, wealthy, and good-looking, Jan Palmer leads the kind of life most of us would die for. He has it all - except for one thing: happiness. Trapped under the weight of his responsibilities to his family, his business, and his life, he wishes only to escape to another world. But you have to be careful what you wish for. Waking out of a deep sleep, Jan finally finds escape - into a living nightmare.
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Incredible. Spellbinding. Hubbard is a genius!
- By Freddie Ulan on 07-22-18
By: L. Ron Hubbard
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The House of the Four Winds
- One Dozen Daughters, Book 1
- By: Mercedes Lackey, James Mallory
- Narrated by: Emily Sutton-Smith
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
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The rulers of tiny, impoverished Swansgaard have twelve daughters and one son. While the prince’s future is assured, his twelve sisters must find their own fortunes. Disguising herself as Clarence, Princess Clarice intends to sail to the New World. When the crew rebels, Clarice/Clarence, an expert with rapier and dagger, sides with the handsome navigator, Dominick, and kills the cruel captain. Dominick leads the now - outlawed crew in search of treasure in the secret pirate haven known as The House of the Four Winds.
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Solid story, but this one is popcorn
- By Phillip on 09-19-14
By: Mercedes Lackey, and others
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Into the Storm
- Destroyermen, Book 1
- By: Taylor Anderson
- Narrated by: William Dufris
- Length: 16 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Pressed into service when World War II breaks out in the Pacific, the USS Walker---a Great-War vintage "four-stacker" destroyer---finds itself in full retreat from pursuit by Japanese battleships. Its captain, Lieutenant Commander Matthew Patrick Reddy, knows that he and his crew are in dire straits. In desperation, he heads Walker into a squall, hoping it will give them cover---and emerges somewhere else.
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It just never grabbed me.
- By Lore on 05-01-12
By: Taylor Anderson
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Treasure Island
- By: Robert Louis Stevenson
- Narrated by: David Ian Davies
- Length: 6 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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The excitement, adventure, and magical sense of time and place, outraying from the heart of Robert Louis Stevenson's 18th-century pirate tale, is captured in all its glory by actor David Ian Davies in this new One Voice Recordings release. Be swept away by the story of young Jim Hawkins, caught up in his journey to the Caribbean islands upon a ship with a memorable and explosive crew, and led by the cryptic map from a Dead Man's Chest.
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Predictable, but enjoyable
- By Alden on 11-28-07
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Mutiny on the Bounty
- By: Peter FitzSimons
- Narrated by: Michael Carman
- Length: 22 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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The mutiny on HMS Bounty, in the South Pacific on 28 April 1789, is one of history's truly great stories - a tale of human drama, intrigue and adventure of the highest order - and in the hands of Peter FitzSimons it comes to life as never before. Commissioned by the Royal Navy to collect breadfruit plants from Tahiti and take them to the West Indies, the Bounty's crew found themselves in a tropical paradise. Five months later, they did not want to leave.
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You don't know the whole story.
- By Justin Sluyter on 05-01-19
By: Peter FitzSimons
What listeners say about The Maddest Idea
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jerry and Mary
- 09-11-22
Relatable characters
What I like about these stories is that the characters are not perfect. They are well developed and not burdened by the immutable laws of political correctness. I don’t understand most of the naval terminology but appreciate the fact that James Nelson knows it very well and adds to the realism of the action. I think I’m usually in the right part of the ship when the action begins. Characters are well developed and not one dimensional. The narrator is excellent and I’ll listen to the complete series.
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- J. Miller
- 04-29-22
Every Day is Talk like a Pirate Day!
Arrrrggghh! Shiver me timbers, haul out! Lower the top gallants! What fun! I love this genre and even if you don't know what they are talking about, you can still feel as if you are right in the middle of a sea battle. Great story, history comes to life, and a terrific narration.
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- Ian G. Drake
- 04-03-22
Another fun story
This is a very original story line in a genre in which it's difficult to be original. hope to listen to more in the series.
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- Happy Reader
- 10-01-23
Even Better than the1st in the Series
Really top-drawer adventure. The author really knows how to tell a story. This is becoming one of my favorite series of historical novels about the age of sail. Great stuff!!!
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- Kileigh Ryan
- 04-26-22
favorite
it keeps u in suspense the entire book up to the last chapter masterfully written heavy on the sailing terminology which speaks to an old sailor's heart!!
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- GravelGertie
- 01-28-23
WOW. WOW. WOWWW!
IT KEEPS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER! 2nd in the Isaac Biddlecomb series and WHAT an ending!
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- K. B.
- 10-15-23
Outstanding!
There’s only one Patrick O’Brien, but James Nelson runs pretty close. John Lee’s narration is superb (@ 1.2x speed). Plenty of action, adept plotting.
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- Jim Moss
- 07-16-24
historical and fictional blending
liked story and very much the teader. good suspense, accurate historical rendering not much else to say 5 star in every aspect
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