Beric The Briton: A New Radio Drama Based on the G.A. Henty Novel
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Beric The Briton: A New Radio Drama Based on the G.A. Henty Novel was made possible with a copy of Beric The Briton on CD plus premium purchase bonuses via download from Heirloom Audio Productions for review as part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew.
For years, our family enjoyed hitting the road with audiobooks. This helped to entertain and edify our minds during the hours of driving. Additionally, it allowed the younger kids to enjoy the stories alongside everyone else. After all, their ability to comprehend often exceeds that of reading in those early years.
Over the past few years, our family has been fortunate to have had the opportunity to review the different titles from Heirloom Audio Productions.
You can visit our previous reviews for other time periods of history:
Under Drake’s Flag, In Freedom’s Cause, With Lee in Virginia, and The Dragon and the Raven.
Today, I am sharing about their latest title: Beric the Briton.
About Beric the Briton
If you watch the trailer for this title on their website, a few individuals will compare this story as Braveheart meets Gladiator. I definitely like that analogy as the crux of the story is the clash between the two cultures of Rome and pagan Britain.
Beric the Briton is set during the 1st century when Christianity was truly in its infancy. This is a historical drama as the time period and some key figures from history make appearances. However, there is not evidence of a real Beric.
Beric is the son of a Briton Chief who inherits the position after his father’s death. It is not long afterward that the Romans begin a strong campaign into Britain. Unlike most of the chiefs who want to run head first into battle waving weapons and issuing battle cries, Beric takes a different approach. His decision to train a group of his men to fight like the Romans provides a victory for Queen Boadicea.
However, that victory does not hold as Beric and his best friend Bodouc are eventually captured and taken to Rome as slaves. Here they are trained to be gladiators and eventually find themselves placed in the service of Emperor Nero. The persecution of the early Christian Church is woven into the story and learning about the “Christus” leaves a lasting imprint upon Beric.
Thoughts on Beric the Briton from Heirloom Audio Productions
If you don’t feel the need to read a long review, then just hop on over and grab a copy for your family. Yes, this is a must have for families that want good stories brought to life by exceptional actors and a phenomenal production team.
Even though our road trips are shorter (as in going into the ‘big city’ of Anchorage for errands, etc.), having options like Beric the Briton instead of the same old songs on the radio is greatly appreciated by me. Depending upon where the story is when we park the vehicle, we sometimes sit in place to finish the scene.
Beyond the excitement of the actual audio drama, there is a wealth of bonuses received based on which package you purchase. For the review, we were sent those corresponding to The Family Four-Pack option.
My 8th-grade son was excited to see an ebook copy of the story included. While he enjoys listening, he is one for reading all hours of the day. Given that this is not what one would call a ‘fluff’ story, a second reading of it is definitely going to result in a greater appreciation and understanding of Henty’s work.
The other bonus I can not neglect mentioning is the Study Guide. For each track of the recording (think of them like chapters), there is a page presenting a serious of questions to check for comprehension of the story. The Thinking Further section encourages your child(ren) to dig a bit deeper both for themes in the story and to explore more about the people and places mentioned. The Defining Words section presents vocabulary which may or may not be familiar to your child.
Occasionally, you’ll find more hands-on activities like the Roman Noodle Bake recipe or suggested websites for virtual tours. They also include a suggested reading list for further exploration along with short biographies as well as a three-part Bible study. If you take your time working through the study guide instead of just listening to the audio drama, you can easily find yourself ‘living’ in ancient Britain and Rome for a few weeks.
I will note that the study guide only provides the questions and not the answers. So, make sure you are listening along with your child to help them get the most out of the experience.
How do you approach history and literature in your homeschool?
Do audio productions like this one appeal to you and your family?
Don’t just take my word for how we found this to be. Visit the Heirloom Audio Productions ~Beric the Briton post on the Schoolhouse Review Crew website to see what other homeschooling parents thought about this title and other grade level ones.
