Really interesting and well narrated.

This was a fascinating look at the life of Charles Ignatius Sancho, someone I had actually heard of before, but I didn't actually know what his life had been like. I know this is a fictionalised account, but there is truth in there too, drawn from the lives of other black people living in England at the time. He was a remarkable man. and Joseph Patterson read his own book so well, making it a compelling listen. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book.

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The interview rules!

I could listen to Paterson and Malorie talk for hours!
Any chance of getting them a podcast, Audible?

The book was a joy, often funny but moving me to tears on more than one occasion.

I don't generally love characters telling their lives in retrospect. However, it works really well here because the character's motivation isn't perfectly recalling the past but communicating in his present.

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An absolute gem!

As the author read, his skill, his gift, his talent brought every character, scenario, event, experience, encounter and emotion to life. A richly illuminated delivery of an amazing story, so beautifully written. Brilliant!

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1 person found this helpful

Beautifully written, universally relevant

It’s been a while since I have heard such a well crafted book. Well constructed and linguistically absorbing. Speaks to anyone who has dealt with injustice if any kind.
Also educated this reader without lecturing.

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Fantastic book, brilliant performance.

I’ve been transfixed by this book for a few days. It’s fascinating, heart rending, shocking, funny. The 18th century style of writing is so interesting. The performance, in the voice of Ignatius Sancho, breathes life into this historical figure I knew so little about. As well as the harrowing descriptions of slavery, issues of everyday racism are still pertinent today.

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4 people found this helpful

Powerful, poetic and hugely entertaining

Paterson Joseph triumphs with his 'Secret Diaries...' - a labour of love in which the love shines through in every syllable.
Having an important story to tell is all very well - and this, the tale of the first black Briton to have the vote, is a very important story indeed - but that's all for nothing if they story isn't well told. Happily, Sancho's story is in safe hands here.
Working from relatively scant details - the historical record on Sancho's life is scandalously thin - Mr Joseph weaves an engrossing tale which enraptures as it informs. There's more than a hint of Dickens to the structure and style as we follow Sancho from birth on a slave ship to prominence in Georgian London with, along the way, memorable appearances from the historical and literary figures who peppered his life.
The writing is finely honed, with arresting images and poetic turns of phrase never far away - and it goes without saying that the reading, by acclaimed Shakespearean actor Mr Joseph himself, is exquisite. Sancho becomes a vivid and three-dimensional character (at times foppishly theatrical, at others filled with righteous fury), presented at different ages via diary entries and letters, but the other characters are all given clear and distinctive voices in a tour de force of writing and performance.
'The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatious Sancho' is, in the end, a fittingly remarkable book about a remarkable life.

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Absolutely Splendid

Well written, Well delivered, Very informative and Extremely entertaining. As well as this audiobook I purchased a hardback. A must have for any self respecting booker-tier.

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Brilliant

Joseph’s writing brings Sancho and his age to life, warts and all, in a way that has changed the colours I see the past in, but has made me feel even more deeply about it. There’s some fantastic period detail, with sights, sounds, smells and tastes, hopes and fears. Characters pop off the page. He treats often difficult subjects with heartwarming - sometimes heartbreaking - humanity and shows the beauty of friendship and camaraderie along side the sobering brutality of the time. In spite of the weight of the subject matter, however, the writing rarely comes across as heavily didactic or lecturing, instead Joseph lets the reader feel their own way.

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Great!

I loved the way Paterson Joseph has brought the characters to life! He as definitely put his acting skills to great use. This account of life in England during colonisation and enslavement was an eye opener and felt relatable. Thank you for a great story and great story telling

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brilliant story and excellent narration

I love historical novels which are based around real people and the lives they once led . I'm especially interested in the lives of everyday people. Not that the protagonist was everyday in any sense of the word! And what a very difficult life he had, but how he made the most of it.

The fact that it's narrated by the author, who is also an established actor and playwright is a brilliant addition to the usual audiobook experience. Highly recommend.

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