The Trials of Rumpole by John Mortimer. Read by Leo McKern. Abridged. Great Books on Tape. 2nd Book

The Trials of Rumpole audiobook. Book 2. By John Mortimer, Read by Leo McKern. Great Books on Tape. Abridged.
Leo McKern who portrayed Rumpole on British television, reads two stories from John Mortimer’s second Rumpole book, The Trials of Rumpole (1979). They include Rumpole and the Man of God and Rumpole and the Age of Retirement. Will the witty and occasionally grouchy Horace Rumpole finally retire from the legal profession? (I hope not.) Enjoy!
P.S. This is the second Rumpole audiobook on Great Books on Tape. Check out Rumpole of the Bailey which is the 3rd most viewed video on this channel and has more information about the author and reader in the description.
Note: To see all the videos on this channel click Videos on the home page. If you’re not sure what to listen to, select anything and listen for 10 minutes. Chances are good that you’ll keep listening. Most of my favorites are ones with smaller numbers of viewers like Dicken’s David Copperfield, Kipling’s Jungle Book, Meader’s The First Family which is very funny and Robert Fulghum’s Uh-Oh.
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Enjoy!

[@jeremypearson6852]

Both Timothy West and Maurice Denham do great jobs playing Rumpole, but nobody plays it like Leo McKern. Talk about someone being made for a part. I watched it growing up in England in the 70’s and I’m still watching and listening in 2023 in S Florida.

[@clivejones1152]

Benedict Cumberbatch and Julian Rhind-Tutt have both played young Rumpole rather well

[@petesackett4611]

Lovely climate. If you happen to be...an orange.

[@gigyoung1983]

If only McKern had done the entire series in unabridged audiobook form. Rumpole always leaves us wanting more.

[@neilboonin1873]

There will never be another Rumpole like the great Leo Mckern. What a treat

[@Detroitmamma]

❤Detroit Mamma loves this show and audiobook doesn't disappoint! He is completely hilarious 😅😅 always a great fall asleep book no sex vulgar language hidden agendas

[@clivejones1152]

​@@doublewhopper67 Written for him ? Really

[@johnmichaelfitzgerald3052]

​@@clivejones1152Yes, it sure was, according to Wikapedia!

[@clivejones1152]

@@johnmichaelfitzgerald3052 wiki doesn't say that. Mortimer wanted Alistair Sims to play the barrister created from his experiences but he wasn't available. First two Rumpole books were written before tv.

[@belindamay8063]

@@clivejones1152 McKern was the better choice. He plays Rumpole as a highly intelligent man - not a comic character. He is very self-aware. We laugh with him - not AT him.

[@saidtheactress]

The clarity of his distinctive voice is just one of his many fine qualities as an actor.

[@belindamay8063]

@said the actress. So very true. He has more tones in his vocal register than a piano has keys. And it all sounds perfectly natural.

[@johndean958]

John Mortimer is a brilliant writer and Leo McKern is Rumpole to perfection. Thankyou for the pleasure of these stories.John (Australia)

[@shirleybewley6646]

Rumpled with The Rumpole voice! What a delight!!! Great giggling took place here in my chair!

[@sharonlayhe4071]

Absolutely love Rumpole of the Bailey, my favourite programme of all time and my favourite books.❤😊

[@gordonpeden6234]

Brilliant writing, superb reading. When a great script collides with an avuncular thespian.

[@sherriepectol9324]

There is so much to learn from the late great authors, and their skill and usage of the English Language. I Love listening to these stories. I wish they would teach better language skills in all schools.

[@dianapeek6936]

The teachers can't speak English, what chance is there of teaching it.

[@littlebrookreader949]

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS BOOK! MANY THANKS!

[@greatbooksontape782]

Glad you like it!

[@chelamcguire]

Splendid, splendid, splendid. Many thanks.

[@greatbooksontape782]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ravenhill_and_TheHolyGrail1968]

i have rumpole on dvd now, where i can watch without any annoying ads.

[@dariowiter3078]

Only the late Leo McKern can do this literary series with his marvelous style of reading and pleasure of doing it for fans of both John Mortimer and his chief creation Horace Rumpole. 📔📖🎤💿😁

[@msmltvcktl]

I have a feeling this was an incredibly fun role for Leo McKern to dive into; when one truly enjoys their craft, it shows. Likewise Peter Blythe as Ballard; he's amazing in that role as well.

[@belindamay8063]

Wonderful actors. Perfect casting. It is part of our cultural heritage.

[@edajungck]

BBC cast this series superbly. The supporting actors from the old mystery series stellar. Thankyou for sharing.

[@berylfairchild]

Goodvole rumpolevnevervdisappoiiints. Always professuiool

[@blackbird5634]

Ah the sonorous tones of Leo McKern!!

[@russhall1414]

My new favorite!! I keep backing it up just so I can hear it all his talk all over again it's excellent!

[@thomasvierling7676]

I love Rumpole. I used to watch it as often as I could, recording on vcr. Makes you love PBS. It even helped me cope with a particular situation I had at work; very similar to Ballard v Rumpole. All of Rumpole ( John Mortimer) is a must for all English majors. Love it!

[@valshepherd3702]

An absolutely super series still well worth watching.

[@antheankavoyannis3906]

Absolutely superb!

[@belindamay8063]

@antheankavoyannis. Since you enjoyed this so much, may I recommend another life-long favourite of mine - “Sketches by Boz” by Charles Dickens. I can just imagine the incomparable McKern reading them - though these short stories have never been recorded as far as I know. The comic observations and irreverence are very similar - written when the great man was still in his teens. I can remember being reduced to helpless laughter when I discovered them at a similar age.

[@highflyingbird6467]

Excellent 👍🏼👍🏼

[@belindamay8063]

@highflyingbird. And a joy forever……..

[@Happyheart146]

Rumpoles, final speech was brilliant! Using Tennyson to catch them at their own game lol!

[@nickdelloso8987]

The best. 👍👍😀 A really great Aussie actor (1920 - 2002).

[@shirleyshin6186]

Leo Mc Kern is Rumpole ! Terrific !

[@adriannamurillo8980]

Love it! 😊

[@nathelondon3719]

Leo McKern didn’t play Rumpole…he became Rumpole.

[@natasharosetarrant]

Very well said!

[@drummerboy1390]

The best actor to come out of Australia.

[@belindamay8063]

@ drummerboy1390. And probably one of the best actors ever.

[@drummerboy1390]

@@belindamay8063 Absolutely.

[@stewartlancaster6155]

probably the only one of any note

[@warplanner8852]

Er..um..I'd volunteer Paul Hogan although he is of a different genre.

[@belindamay8063]

@@stewartlancaster6155 I believe that Peter Finch was Australian. A great dramatic actor in the 1950s and 60s. A great era for films and theatre.

[@michaelmcilrath9466]

Ah, delightful!

[@deanpapadopoulos3314]

A brilliant reader.

[@belindamay8063]

Perhaps the best.

[@dianapeek6936]

Leon McKern was Rumpole . Of course he can read it. Find him acting the part.

[@windsordance3698]

Yay Leo!!💖

[@traditionsHome]

Charm and cross-examination make a very good lawyer.

[@Donna-cc1kt]

I have to hear it again. I listened about a year ago. Lobe this character. Thank you.

[@maryevans]

RIP Timothy West a much missed highly talented actor

[@blackbird5634]

I'm gonna stand up for ''Ye Olde Rumpole'' here and say he's innocent of the charges George has laid upon him. It's George who wants the judgeship, George can't make the sacrifice of it to keep the girl. It's George who can't embrace a new life with her and so he burdens his dear friend Rumpole with the guilt. He wants to be a figure of sadness and regret.

[@msmltvcktl]

Frobrischer was always a bit of a soft man..

[@angelacallaghan4386]

Great reading!!

[@micheletaggart3274]

Nobody's like leo mckern

[@sandrapicton8961]

And he is a dead ringer for Charles II portrait in the National Portrait Gallery too!

[@nmr3352]

Rumpole. Nothing more need be said.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

*_"She who must be obeyed."_* 🤭🤭🤭

[@msmltvcktl]

No. It's a literary reference.

[@stalkek]

The second story of this, ‘Rumpole and the Age for Retirement’ starts at 1:08:30

[@Tinyflypie]

Leo is Rumpole.

[@kevinh5349]

Leo McKern is Rumpole, David Suchet is Hercule Poirot, Sean Connery is James Bond.

[@Tinyflypie]

@@kevinh5349 judi dench is a treasure.

[@warplanner8852]

One wonders, if Rumpole had taken up Professor Kramer's offer of teaching and lecturing a semester at "The University of Baltimore" and subsequently retired there as Nick wishes, Horace might notice the crime stats of that city and _sue for a law license to defend the darker complected citizens therein_ !

[@jeannieap413]

I live in Baltimore. Bad if he moved here. Especially now. Sadly 325 murders this year and a very small population. Although he would always have work.

[@AnIdiotsLantern]

@@jeannieap413 that’s a world without Rumpole. We need Justice.

[@ronniewoodhouse8344]

Frog has get

[@goodyeoman4534]

Peter Hitchen's blog brought me here.

[@lindahenderson1625]

Do your research. It may be dated but it’s endured, hasn’t it?

[@georgefarrington895]

Relax and enjoy.

[@tonimoroni742]

Leo McKern does the Mad Bull better than Bill Fraser!

[@jeremypearson6852]

The “mad bull”

[@Alabaster_Joness]

RumPOLE

[@marygarrapa3537]

Lo zoppo

[@mytvbs4865]

Well read, unfortunately, the book is yet another leading man story surrounded by weak, petty or evil bossy women who exist in the story only to serve as targets for commentary on their looks, dress, age or unacceptable behavior. Made it 20 minutes, threw & bailed.

[@tessaoshea5697]

Enjoy the portrayal of a particular character and his individual take on all the people around him. He doesn't like anyone, male or female, which is due to the personal disappointments of his life. In fact, the only positive character in the stories, including Rumpole himself, is a female barrister, Mrs Erskine-Brown AKA Portia. Even if it were as you said, enjoy the art and maintain your opinion, even Mao's Little Red Book has lessons which apply and it's hard to find worse attitudes than those held by Mao.

[@edwardpaddock2528]

I suppose they just wanted to story to seem relatable.

[@spiritualanarchist8162]

She who must be obeyed !

[@spiritualanarchist8162]

@@tessaoshea5697 Well a certain Austrian dictator who also wrote a book comes to mind.

[@tessaoshea5697]

@@spiritualanarchist8162 i avoided that one because Hitler is a conversation stopper, whatever the conversation

[@eugenedreyer4805]

Very dated

[@TheWorldofGood79]

That it maybe, but for me personally I would rather listen to Rumpole than anything modern

[@eugenedreyer4805]

@@TheWorldofGood79 fair enough

[@dwk8081]

Your comment lasted only seconds. Mortimers' work on the other hand has latest decades.

[@eugenedreyer4805]

@@dwk8081 ask anyone under the age of 50 if they agree - its not tolstoy or shakespeare is it?

[@msmltvcktl]

My late dad introduced me to Rumpole; I'm 44, therefore you are proven incorrect by evidence 😉