The Outcasts of Time

By: Ian Mortimer

Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart

Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

December 1348. What if you had just six days to save your soul?

With the country in the grip of the Black Death, brothers John and William fear that they will shortly die and suffer in the afterlife. But as the end draws near, they are given an unexpected choice: either to go home and spend their last six days in their familiar world, or to search for salvation across the forthcoming centuries - living each one of their remaining days 99 years after the last.

John and William choose the future and find themselves in 1447, ignorant of almost everything going on around them. The year 1546 brings no more comfort, and 1645 challenges them in further unexpected ways. It is not just that technology is changing: things they have taken for granted all their lives prove to be short-lived.

As they find themselves in stranger and stranger times, the listener travels with them, seeing the world through their eyes as it shifts through disease, progress, enlightenment, and war. But their time is running out - can they do something to redeem themselves before the six days are up?

©2017 Ian Mortimer (P)2018 Tantor

Critic reviews

"It's an incredible tour de force, a vivid...evocation of an age that is long-gone yet has been brought to life again in vibrant and robust fashion thanks to Ian Mortimer's impeccable scholarship and pacy writing." (Alison Weir, New York Times best-selling author)

Fascinating

I loved every moment of this book. I could have been walking through history right with them.

Interesting and Compelling

I truly enjoyed this unique book. It was hard to turn off. Well done.

Very Enjoyable Listen

The reason for my 5 Star rating has more to the reason I listened to the book, than to the book itself.
I listened to it while on a 14 hour road trip.

This book kept me entertained the entire trip without being overly complex, while still providing an insight into life thru the ages.
In other words: if I got distracted, I was able to fill in the gaps without feeling lost. But there were times I listened to a section a second time because of how well the story was researched

Basically....not only was I entertained for my whole trip, but I came away with a better understanding of everyday life In history.

The characters & story grow on you.

This is an unexpectedly intelligent & uniquely detailed story. I enjoyed the variety of settings and especially the crescendo of religious inquiry. I felt personally attuned to the characters plight. At times I stopped listening because I was angry with his unfair treatment and the oppressive sadness, but was drawn to continue. I wish he could have saved the boy, but I believe that was a theme. So much is out of our control despite our best efforts & intentions. I came to love this character and even the stiff methodical narration. If you’re an avid listener you will enjoy this book too. If not, you may find it too unusual for your liking.

vividly amazing

the book depicts the livings from different centries so vividly that I feel as if I actually travelled through time myself. the story is real touching. the ending is a bit too much of the teaching than giving out inspirations, but everything else is just fantastic.

Decent story

I love a time travel story so this checks that box. I also happen to like history and contemplating the past, present, and future. So this book was a good listen for me. The plot is simple and it moves at kind of a slow pace with more attention paid to small details rather than complexity of character or plot development. It has a small amount of philosophical reverie thrown in.

Wonderful story!

I love history as well as well written historical fiction. Ian Mortimer not only brought so many centuries of British history to life but pondered so many of life's bigger questions. All of us have them ; questions of faith, goodness, evil, cruelty, human frailties and the human capacity for love, kindness, acts of charity and simple gratitude. I enjoyed both the bothers, especially William, who lent so much warmth and humor, as well as wisdom to each situation they found themselves in.

What an amazing story!

At first, it was so dark, I didn't know if I was going to actually finish the book. The story was one of spiritual science fiction at it's best and the message at the end is truly stunning and inspirational. True magnificence that I'll definitely recommend.

Left Me Flat

Rarely do I abandon a book but I sure thought about it after every single chapter (except the first) of this one.

The premise of this book is such a good one but it was wasted with long-winded soliloquies and self-indulgent characters. Throughout time, you learn that humans are awful for the most part.

Had the author dedicated a week for each time period instead of a day, it might have been worthwhile. Of course, the brothers probably wouldn’t have lasted more than a couple of weeks at the rate at which they seemed to offend or bumble through in each time period.

In the end, I learned little and was annoyed at the author’s skimming over of the language differences (basically, 600 years later - hey, you sound funny). I guess I was expecting a little more of an entertaining history lesson. This book is not that.

Painful Beginning, Wept at the End

Medieval Science Fiction. Wow! I loved time-traveling through all 754 years or whatever it was.