Book description
Imagine hearing the front door knock on a quiet Belfast Sunday evening-not the sound of a neighbor, but of terror. That's the chilling opening to Glenn Patterson's The Northern Bank Job, and it's even more gripping when heard as an audiobook. Patterson, building on his acclaimed BBC podcast, doesn't just recount Ireland's biggest cash heist-£26.5 million stolen in 2004-but makes you feel the suffocating dread of the two bank employees forced to help, their families held hostage while they re-labeled cash as "rubbish" and wheeled it to a waiting van outside City Hall.
What's brilliant here is how Patterson's narration pulls you into the puzzle. The IRA's involvement seemed obvious-yet Sinn Féin leaders, who also led the IRA, denied it outright. Governments exploded with outrage, but the case collapsed. Twenty years later, Sinn Féin is in power, and the thieves? Never caught. Patterson doesn't just lay out the facts; he reveals the human cost-the victims, the baffling missteps of the police, and the sheer, almost absurd precision of the heist itself. You'll hear the tension in his voice as he describes the IRA's "demobilized" status crumbling under the weight of this audacious crime.
The audiobook format is perfect for this. Patterson's calm, meticulous delivery makes the story feel urgent, not like a dry history lesson. You can almost hear the masked men's footsteps, the nervous whispers of the bank staff, the eerie silence after the van drove off. He avoids melodrama, letting the facts speak: the IRA's supposed peace, the politicians' lies, the sheer scale of the robbery. And he doesn't shy from the dark humor-the "comically inept" police efforts, the way the world turned away as Sinn Féin gained power.
This isn't just a true-crime story; it's a mirror to Ireland's unresolved tensions. Patterson's work feels timely, almost urgent, as he asks the questions we still can't answer. You'll finish this audiobook not with a tidy conclusion, but with that same uneasy, haunting question that lingered for two decades: Who really pulled this off? It's a masterclass in storytelling-human, suspenseful, and utterly unforgettable. If you love history that feels alive, this is the audiobook to listen to. You won't just hear the story; you'll feel it in your bones.
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Playing a wide variety of audio formats
Works on all devices with iOS 13 and newer
Huge amount of features for a small price
Frequent updates to add new features and improve existing ones
Advanced playback controls
Live sound processing
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice and noise reduction
Translated into more than 20 languages
If you love listening to fiction audiobooks, ListenBook has features to make the process easier.
Edit book data: title, author, cover
Use equalizer to make the sound comfortable for you
Adjust the playback speed
Enjoy dark and light app themes
Supported formats: MP3, M4B, AWB, FLAC, OGG audio files and many more (must be DRM free)
Auto-Bookmarks make it easy to find your place
AirPlay support allows redirection of audio output.
VoiceOver support
Dark mode for night owls
Convenient bookmarking system helps you mark the most important places.
Unlimited bookmarks for each audiobook
Put your own cover on the wager
Share your audiobook with friends
Lock-screen control
Customise app with extensive options
Sleep timer with shake to reset, set custom notification sounds, and a few unique options
Auto rewind depending on paused time, customize rewind times to your liking
Removing background noise from recordings made in classrooms and meetings
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice for a better listening experience