Jack of Diamonds
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Narrated by:
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Humphrey Bower
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Written by:
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Bryce Courtenay
About this listen
Born and raised in a poor, working-class family in Toronto, Jack Spayd is the son of an unhappy marriage. After being taken under the wing of "Miss Frostbite", the owner of a local jazz club, Jack becomes a gifted musician, playing piano and harmonica. Fame and the allure of gambling takes him to Vegas, and prospects of fortune take him to the Belgian Congo, where he's heard it's possible to earn big money working in the most dangerous parts of the local copper mines.
Jack of Diamonds is the story of a young, talented man, fighting to achieve his ambitions, and having to use his considerable talents to find his way in a perilous world.
©2012 Bryce Courtenay. Copyright Christine Courtenay 2013. (P)2012 Bolinda PublishingYou may also enjoy...
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It made me cry a few times!
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At just 16 years Danny Dunn has everything going for him: brains, looks, sporting aptitude - and luck with the ladies. His mother steers him towards a university education, but with just six months of his degree to go, he signs up for the AIF, driven by a desire to serve his country and plain wanderlust. Danny serves in South-east Asia, spends three and a half years as a POW, and returns a broken man, embittered and facially disfigured. He is scared and overwhelmed by the need to sort himself out, to find out who the hell he is....
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Good but not his best.
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Whitethorn
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great story as usual
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The Persimmon Tree
- Written by: Bryce Courtenay
- Narrated by: Humphrey Bower
- Length: 27 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Persimmon Tree opens in Indonesia in 1942 on the cusp of Japanese invasion and the evacuation of Batavia (Jakarta) by the Dutch. Seventeen-year-old Nicholas Duncan is on holiday there, in pursuit of an exotic butterfly known as the Magpie Crow. It's an uncertain, dangerous time to be in Indonesia, and Nick's options of getting out are fast dwindling. Amidst the fear and chaos he falls in love with Anna, the beautiful daughter of a Dutch acquaintance, and she nicknames him 'Mr Butterfly'.
-
-
Many difficult accents. Adding to the fantastic story.
- By Ginny on 2024-11-08
Written by: Bryce Courtenay
-
Brother Fish
- Written by: Bryce Courtenay
- Narrated by: Humphrey Bower
- Length: 31 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the author of The Power of One comes an inspiring human drama of three lives brought together and changed forever by the extraordinary events of recent history. Inspired by real events, Bryce Courtenay's new novel tells the story of three people from vastly differing backgrounds. All they have in common is a tough beginning in life.
-
-
Great tale!
- By Anonymous User on 2021-10-07
Written by: Bryce Courtenay
-
The Power of One
- Written by: Bryce Courtenay
- Narrated by: Humphrey Bower
- Length: 21 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born in a South Africa divided by racism and hatred, this one small boy will come to lead all the tribes of Africa. Through enduring friendships with Hymie and Gideon, Peekay gains the strength he needs to win out. And in a final conflict with his childhood enemy, the Judge, Peekay will fight to the death for justice.
-
-
It made me cry a few times!
- By Anonymous User on 2020-08-20
Written by: Bryce Courtenay
-
The Story of Danny Dunn
- Written by: Bryce Courtenay
- Narrated by: Humphrey Bower
- Length: 23 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At just 16 years Danny Dunn has everything going for him: brains, looks, sporting aptitude - and luck with the ladies. His mother steers him towards a university education, but with just six months of his degree to go, he signs up for the AIF, driven by a desire to serve his country and plain wanderlust. Danny serves in South-east Asia, spends three and a half years as a POW, and returns a broken man, embittered and facially disfigured. He is scared and overwhelmed by the need to sort himself out, to find out who the hell he is....
-
-
Good but not his best.
- By Anonymous User on 2018-09-19
Written by: Bryce Courtenay
-
Whitethorn
- Written by: Bryce Courtenay
- Narrated by: Humphrey Bower
- Length: 24 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the author of The Power of One comes a new novel about Africa. The time is 1939. White South Africa is a deeply divided nation with many of the Afrikaner people fanatically opposed to the English. The world is also on the brink of war, and South Africa elects to fight for the Allied cause against Germany. Six-year-old Tom Fitzsaxby finds himself in The Boys Farm, an orphanage in a remote town in the high mountains, where the Afrikaners side fiercely with Hitler's Germany.
-
-
perhaps better than the power of one but different
- By Anonymous User on 2021-01-26
Written by: Bryce Courtenay
-
Four Fires
- Written by: Bryce Courtenay
- Narrated by: Humphrey Bower
- Length: 29 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The four fires in this story are passion, religion, warfare, and fire itself. While there are many more fires that drive the human spirit, love being perhaps the brightest flame of all, it is these four that have moulded us most as Australian people. The four fires give us our sense of place and, for better or for worse, shape our national character.
-
-
great story as usual
- By Anonymous User on 2023-01-24
Written by: Bryce Courtenay
What listeners say about Jack of Diamonds
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
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- Anonymous User
- 2023-06-16
Bryce has Done it again
a feel good story with the generous mouth to get the whole thing in with out much trouble
this book had and it and begging from Toronto it struck home
Humphreys readings of Bryce's books is like a match made in heaven
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Overall
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Performance
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- Anonymous User
- 2022-06-13
If you like a historical novel, this is for you.
The novel follows the life of a virtuosos jazz piano player on his adventures from childhood in Canada to performing in early Vegas to running from the mob in Africa. Excellent listening experience.
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