The Colonel of Tamarkan selected as one of the Best Audiobooks of 2010

We are delighted to announce that Anton Lesser’s wonderful reading of Julie Summers' brilliant and moving biography of The Colonel of Tamarkan – Philip Toosey and The Bridge on the River Kwai has been selected as one of the Best Audiobooks of 2010. The other non-fiction title chosen was Andrew Marr’s The Making of Modern Britain so we are in excellent company. Further details of the Best Audiobooks of 2010 and how to vote can be found on The Audiobook Store’s website, including a short clip from The Colonel - which we hope will persuade you to order a copy of the CD if you haven’t already!

And do vote for us – just fill in your name and email address and select The Colonel of Tamarkan from the drop-down menu on the Audiobook Awards 2010 page on The Audiobook Store’s website.

Happy listening!

Philip Toosey in 1974 © Toosey Family

"The story of the Death Railway is at its most poignant when told first-hand.  During the course of researching The Colonel of Tamarkan, I spoke to many former Far Eastern prisoners of war and I was always moved by their personal accounts. My grandfather, Philip Toosey, died in 1975 so I never heard him speak of it, but Anton Lesser brings colour and empathy to Toosey’s experiences in a way that I had hardly dared hope possible.  Hearing the story of The Colonel of Tamarkan come alive through Anton’s reading is one of the most exciting experiences I can recall.  He succeeds in capturing Toosey’s humour, his mental toughness and his honesty, but also his despair when the camps were bombed by the RAF in 1944.  It is a truly wonderful recording of a rich and well-lived life.  I hope you enjoy it." Julie Summers