Audiobooks Like Dead Wake

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Scott Brick narrates *Dead Wake* with a low, deliberate gravity — he understands that Larson's intercut structure already carries the tension, so he doesn't force it, letting the accumulation of documented detail do exactly what Larson intended. Thirteen hours is long enough to feel the full historical weight without the listen ever growing slack; the pacing earns its runtime. The audiobooks gathered here tend to reward that same kind of attention — several narrated by Brick, most running at a similar length, and enough award-recognized titles in the mix to signal that this is narrative history and historical fiction operating at its most rigorously sourced and deliberately told.

10 audiobooks for fans of Dead Wake

  1. 1
    The Devil in the White City cover

    The Devil in the White City

    by Erik Larson

    Narrated by Scott Brick

    ★ 4.22 ABR Score (796.0K ratings)
    ★ 4 Goodreads (764.6K) ★ 4.34 Audible (31.4K)
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    Scott Brick's narration transforms this dual narrative into pure suspense: his voice captures both the architect's visionary grandeur and the killer's chilling menace with such distinct intensity that you'll forget you're listening to nonfiction.

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  2. 2
    In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin cover

    In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin

    by Erik Larson

    Narrated by Stephen Hoye

    ★ 3.94 ABR Score (231.3K ratings)
    ★ 3.9 Goodreads (221.9K) ★ 4.19 Audible (9.3K)
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    Ambassador Dodd's family navigates 1933 Berlin's seductive Nazi parties and growing violence through Stephen Hoye's atmospheric narration.

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  3. 3
    Salt cover

    Salt

    by Mark Kurlansky

    Narrated by Scott Brick

    ★ 3.77 ABR Score (80.5K ratings)
    ★ 3.75 Goodreads (77.3K) ★ 4.16 Audible (3.2K)
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    Scott Brick's measured, curious delivery transforms what could be dry history into genuine narrative pleasure—you'll hear the intrigue in how salt shaped empires, trade routes, and wars across millennia.

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  4. 4
    The Frozen River cover

    The Frozen River

    by Ariel Lawhon

    Narrated by Jane Oppenheimer, Ariel Lawhon

    ★ 4.71 ABR Score (610.2K ratings)
    ★ 4.38 Goodreads (594.0K) ★ 4.7 Audible (16.2K)
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    Maine, 1789: midwife Martha Ballard investigates a body frozen in the Kennebec River, using her detailed diary of births, deaths, and town secrets. Jane Oppenheimer's narration captures the cold grip of frontier justice.

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  5. 5
    In the Heart of the Sea cover

    In the Heart of the Sea

    by Nathaniel Philbrick

    Narrated by Scott Brick

    ★ 4.24 ABR Score (123.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.17 Goodreads (119.9K) ★ 4.43 Audible (3.6K)
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    Scott Brick's measured, gripping narration transforms this true whale-hunt survival story into pure disaster cinema. It's the kind of audiobook that makes a commute disappear.

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  6. 6
    The Song of Achilles cover

    The Song of Achilles

    by Madeline Miller

    Narrated by Frazer Douglas

    ★ 4.66 ABR Score (2.1M ratings)
    ★ 4.3 Goodreads (2.0M) ★ 4.61 Audible (40.8K)
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    Miller reimagines the Trojan War through Patroclus's eyes, transforming mythology into an achingly intimate love story.

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  7. 7
    Brethren cover

    Brethren

    Foundation of the Dragon Series • Book 1

    by Robb Pritchard

    Narrated by Scott Brick

    ★ 3.74 ABR Score (400 ratings)
    ★ 4.22 Goodreads (395) ★ 3.6 Audible (5)
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    Celtic warrior Cadwal's journey from devoted father to enslaved fighter to freedom seeker unfolds against Rome's expanding empire.

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  8. 8
    Black Sam: Prince of Pirates cover

    Black Sam: Prince of Pirates

    by Mat McLeod, James Lewis

    Narrated by Alex Hyde-White, Roy Dotrice, Scott Brick, Stefan Rudnicki, William Dufris, Jayne Entwistle, Simon Vance, R.C. Bray

    ★ 3.47 ABR Score (324 ratings)
    ★ 3.65 Goodreads (96) ★ 3.79 Audible (228)
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    Sam Bellamy's transformation from out-of-work sailor to pirate captain to win a debutante's hand. Eight different narrators handle this sweeping maritime adventure across multiple perspectives.

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  9. 9
    The Things We Cannot Say cover

    The Things We Cannot Say

    by Kelly Rimmer

    Narrated by Ann Marie Gideon, Nancy Peterson

    ★ 4.86 ABR Score (319.9K ratings)
    ★ 4.54 Goodreads (284.0K) ★ 4.76 Audible (35.9K)
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    A modern woman discovers her Polish grandmother's wartime secrets while struggling with her own family crisis involving her autistic son. The dual timeline structure works beautifully in audio format, connecting past trauma to present-day healing through intimate family bonds.

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  10. 10
    Homegoing cover

    Homegoing

    by Yaa Gyasi

    Narrated by Dominic Hoffman

    ★ 4.70 ABR Score (421.5K ratings)
    ★ 4.47 Goodreads (410.6K) ★ 4.67 Audible (10.9K)
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    Gyasi traces three centuries from Ghana to America through two family lines, with Dominic Hoffman's narration honoring each generation's distinct voice and struggle.

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How We Rank Audiobooks

Rankings are driven by listener ratings and review counts from Audible and Goodreads. Books with high ratings across a large number of listeners rank higher — a 4.5 with 50,000 ratings says more than a 4.8 with 200.

Unlike most book lists, we weight audiobook-specific factors: narrator performance, production quality, and how well a story translates to audio. A great book with a poor narration isn't a great audiobook.

We don't accept paid placements or prioritize new releases. These rankings reflect what listeners actually enjoy, not what's being promoted.

Rankings update periodically as new ratings come in and new titles are added to the collection.

Read our full ranking methodology →