Under Another Sky

Journeys in Roman Britain

By: Charlotte Higgins

Narrated by: Julia Franklin

What has 'Roman Britain' meant to the British people since the Romans left? And what does Roman Britain mean to us now? How has it been reimagined, in story and song and verse? Charlotte Higgins leads us through the history, and by using some of Britain's most intriguing ancient monuments, Under Another Sky invites us to see the British landscape, and history, in an entirely fresh way.

©2013 Charlotte Higgins (P)2014 W F Howes Ltd

Critic reviews

"An utterly original history, lyrically alive to the haunting presence of the past and our strange and familiar ancestors." ( Sunday Times)
"Mesmerising. Sophisticated and passionate. She personalizes the story in a diaristic, almost poetic tone." ( Guardian)

Wrong narrator

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Probably not. The subject matter is of interest but the narrator's voice does not do justice to the material.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Under Another Sky?

Can't think of any.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

She drops her voice at the end of sentences, swallows words frequently and attempts very unsatisfactorily to imitate male voices. She may be successful with some types of fiction but certainly not with a book like this one.

Did Under Another Sky inspire you to do anything?

Perhaps to read the book so that I can appreciate it more fully.

Any additional comments?

No.

Well intergrated travel narrative and history

The author makes clear early on that this isn't a look at "how" Roman Britons lived on a day-to-day basis, as much as an examination how of those centuries fit in with (relate to) British history and identity. For example, there's an assumption that the island was entirely Caucasian at the time, when it's clear from testing remains that multi-racial residents with origins across the Empire were far from rare. Tough to explain exactly, but my point is that the author doesn't go from site to site dwelling on artifacts for an extrapolated picture of what the area was probably like back then.

Excellent audio narration brings the adventure to life.