The System of the World

44 hrs. 38 min.

Language Russian

Author Neal Stephenson

Narrator Andrey Anuchin

In 1714, Daniel Waterhouse returns to England without much honor, facing a dangerous world—especially London, the center of finance and conspiracies. This elderly Puritan and natural philosopher—once trusted by influential people and a contemporary of great minds—crosses the ocean to help resolve a conflict between two rival geniuses. Even though much has changed, the hypocrisy and cruelty he once fled to America with remain an integral part of British rule.

Almost immediately after arriving, Daniel is drawn into a long-running conflict. It’s a hidden war between the Director of the Royal Mint and the genius-alchemist Isaac Newton and Newton’s enemy, a skilled counterfeiter named Jack Shaftoe. The conflict escalates when Jack plots a bold attack on the Tower, aiming to destroy Britain’s money system from its very beginnings.

The motives of the King of the Vagabonds, who has chosen betrayal, remain a mystery, but perhaps it has something to do with love and protecting his beloved Eliza. Meanwhile, Daniel Waterhouse searches for the culprit threatening philosophers’ lives with deadly devices. Politicians try to secure advantageous positions while waiting for the death of Queen Anne. Isaac Newton is close to unlocking an alchemical “Holy Grail” that promises eternal life. Daniel Waterhouse, in turn, develops an important technological innovation of the era.

1. Quicksilver (narrated by Andrey Anuchin) 2. The Confusion (narrated by Andrey Anuchin) 3. The System of the World