The Sleep of Reason cover art

The Sleep of Reason

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Try for £0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

The Sleep of Reason

By: David James Smith
Narrated by: Ronnie Leek
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £15.99

Buy Now for £15.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

Friday, 12th February, 1993. Two outwardly unremarkable 10-year-old boys began the day by playing truant and ended it running an errand for the local video shop. In between they abducted and killed a two-year-old boy, James Bulger. In search of an explanation, award-winning journalist David James Smith looks behind the misinformation, misunderstanding and sensational reporting to an exact account of the events of that day.

A sensitive and definitive account, The Sleep of Reason achieves a unique understanding of the James Bulger case, and comes as close as may ever be possible to explaining how two 10-year-olds could kill.

©2017 David James Smith (P)2020 Audible, Ltd
Murder Scary
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Woman Who Fooled the World cover art
I'm the Yorkshire Ripper cover art
I Let Him Go cover art
Our Georgia cover art
My Sister Milly cover art
Let Us Prey cover art
The Sting cover art
Wicked Beyond Belief cover art
Fred & Rose cover art
Manhunt cover art
The Babes in the Woods Murders cover art
My Girl cover art
BADNESS cover art
Bowraville cover art
A Killer's Confession cover art
End of Innocence cover art

What listeners say about The Sleep of Reason

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    116
  • 4 Stars
    34
  • 3 Stars
    16
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    3
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    116
  • 4 Stars
    23
  • 3 Stars
    9
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    106
  • 4 Stars
    30
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

in-depth and balanced

very well put together, balanced and factual. Tackled the issue with respect. I listened to it in short bits which helped processed what had been said

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Looking from the other side.

Highly recommended. Although we will never be able to understand why little James suffered so horrifically, this full on account views all sides. Devoid of all the sensationalism and associations to desensisation from horror videos. Back to the bare bones of sociological and economical effects on both nurture and nature.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Heartbreaking

I felt this book slightly lent towards the murderers point of view, rather than James as family.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very intriguing account of a heinous crime

very well read, and hugely informative.
Thankfully expelled all the myths surrounding this case.
A compulsive listen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very sad

Very good lots details sad off course but very interesting rip poor james humans are the worst kind

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Gruesome

I thought I knew about the Bulger case until Iheard this audio book.
Some really gruesome and upsetting details but an overall respectful analysis.
My one criticism of the narration is that, at times, the narrator uses a bouncy, chirpy manner of speaking that you might hear reading a child's story book while describing awful facts.

The outcome in the last chapter shows just how the deterioration of family life can damage a child.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A fascination, sad, disturbing read..

I found this book to be really interesting. It went really in depth into the events, but with more focus on the two perpetrators rather than young James, although some background is covered about him too.

You might want to space it out over a few days, like I did, because the subject matter is pretty intense.

Narration is also top notch.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Heartbreaking

Great book, hard not to become emotional listening to it. Will now move on to the book written by James Bulgers mum ‘I let him go’

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

gripping

brilliant listen. what a great insight into a horrible case. must listen too. had me gripped from start to finish

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Heinous…

Loved the detail that the author went into. But hated it at the same time.

Well written, full of factual information

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!