G.A. Henty’s books are very popular in our household as
well as many other homeschoolers. I had never heard of G.A. Henty until we
started homeschooling. We had the incredible opportunity to review Heirloom Audio Productions The Dragon and the Raven.
Heirloom Audio’s two CD set is really something
exceptional. The script, writers, actors and sound engineers come together to
create an awe-inspiring audio presentation of Henty’s book The Dragon and the
Raven. Henty’s book was transformed into a major production that is incredibly
entertaining. This audio theater experience is a unique way to learn history. The
Dragon and the Raven’s historical fiction is both fun and truly theatrical and
not just readings. Actors such as Brian
Blessed, John Rhys – Davies, Sylvester McCoy, Helen George, John Bell, who are
known for their on and off screen portrayals, are irreplaceable. Katherine
Kellgren is a delightful narrator of this tale. Their voices for the many characters and narrator,
bring us to Saxon’s England, during the time of the Dane and Norse invasion. It draws us into the middle of the battles to free the English of foreign
rule.
It also incorporates naval warfare and battles fought on the mainland to
rid them of the same invaders. The Dragon and the Raven portrays honorable men
and women throughout England, without diminishing the contrasting barbarity of
pagans of the time. Yet, there are moments of forgiveness. In addition, the
audio portrays God’s amazing power of turning man’s heart toward Him rather
than to pagan god’s. It is interesting
to get Henty’s point of view, of English history from an unbiased position.
E-BOOK:
The Dragon and the Raven includes study guides, an e-book, live
website access and printable posters.
Listening to the CD’s while using the study guides helped
us get the most out of the audio presentation. In addition, we listened while
on the road, due to the fact that we live many miles from town, and we used the
study guides while listening at home.
Have you ever heard the stories of how our parents and
grandparents would listen to radio audio theater with the static and all the
“homemade” sounds? These CD’s have all
the excitement, with realistic digital sounds that enhance the experience.
The posters and supplemental materials are colorful and
engaging. We enjoyed how this type of
history learning brings history to life.
WEBSITE ACCESS
Lastly, the kids and I cannot recommend this enough. The kids, at first, were a little slow to get
on board, as they thought the first part of the story was slow in developing,
but their minds were quickly changed. They begged for me to play the CD while
in the car and in our history lessons at home.
Not only is this great for homeschoolers, but the audio series is great
for those elderly who cannot read as well as they have in the past but still
enjoy listening to history and stories as they did when they were a kid. The CD’s
could be used in a co-op setting and as a way to pass the time during summer
travels. Get your kids excited about the classics, you will not regret it as
they will remind you years from now by saying…Mom, do you remember when we
listened to the Dragon and the Raven!?!
POSTER:
Follow Heirloom Audio Productions on the following social media sites:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeirloomAudio
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeirloomStories @HeirloomStories
Google+: https://plus.google.com/b/114534826166314080647/114534826166314080647/posts
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDragonAndTheRaven
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