Every verdict checked against the same thirteen questions. No paid placements.The free app is coming soon. Get early access →
Read vs Listen
Christmas
Home › Verdicts › Non-fiction & memoir › Redwood
Listen

Redwood by Ben Macintyre: audiobook vs book, which should you choose?

The true story of a KGB officer codenamed Redwood and his escape from Iran with MI6’s help, read by its author.

Read vs Listen·Verdict last reviewed 30 October 2026·5 min read
Redwood by Ben Macintyre

Short answer: for the Redwood audiobook vs book choice, we say listen on Audible (65% confidence, leaning). At 464 pages it is a long book, which favours audio. Nothing confirmed points to print, but only 3 points could be confirmed, so confidence is held at 65%.

The verdict
The same thirteen checks for every bookSix checks point to listening, such as a full cast or produced audio, the author reading their own memoir, or one narrator for a single viewpoint. Seven point to reading, such as jumping timelines, three or more viewpoints, or a story that depends on images or layout. Each check has a weight, and the weighted total sets the verdict. Verdicts are never paid for. See how we decide in full →

Listen on Audible

A long, readable true story with nothing confirmed for print; only the length counts so far.

Definitely readDefinitely listen
65%
Listen
Listen on AudibleOur pick · 17h 24m, read by Ben MacintyreKindle edition464 pages (Viking hardback)

Affiliate links: we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you. It never changes a verdict.

Confidence 65%, which puts it in the leaning band. Bands run from close call at 50 to 64, through leaning at 65 to 79 and clear at 80 to 94, up to clear cut at 95 and above.

The audiobook at a glance

RecordingUK edition, our verdictUS edition
NarratorBen Macintyre (the author)Ben Macintyre (the author)
Length17 hours 24 minutes (17h 24m), unabridged17 hours 24 minutes (17h 24m), unabridged
At 1.5xabout 11h 36mabout 11h 36m
At 2xabout 8h 42mabout 8h 42m
Audio publisher and dateRandom House Audio, 15 September 2026Random House Audio, 15 September 2026
Audiobook price£18.24 on Audible UK$24.30 on Audible US
Kindle price£12.99 on Amazon UKNot confirmed
PrintViking hardback, 464 pages, 10 September 2026 (list price £25)Crown, 416 pages, 15 September 2026
Listener ratingNo ratings yetPerformance 4.87 from 109 ratings

Penguin Audio also sells a UK download on its own site, read by Ben Macintyre at 17 hours 31 minutes (10 September 2026). It is not on Audible UK. Whether it is the same recording is not confirmed. A UK paperback is due on 20 May 2027.

Ratings and prices checked 30 October 2026. They change often. Amazon US does not show Kindle prices outside the US, so US Kindle prices are not given.

Lengths checked 30 October 2026. Speed times are calculated.

Why this verdictWhat it isCase for readingCase for listeningThe audiobookWho should ignore itQuestions

Redwood

Ben Macintyre

Genre
Spy history
First published
10 September 2026
Length
464 pages (Viking hardback)
On audio
17 hrs 24 mins, read by the author
Shortlisted
Waterstones Book of the Year 2026

On this page

  1. Why we reached this verdict
  2. What this book actually is
  3. The case for reading it
  4. The case for listening to it
  5. The audiobook in detail
  6. Who should ignore this verdict
  7. Questions people ask

Why we reached this verdict

Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.

One criterion points to listening
✓
Long book464 pages in the UK Viking hardback. The US Crown edition is 416 pages.
–
Full cast or produced audioBen Macintyre reads it on his own, with no cast or music listed.
–
Read by the authorIt is narrative history, not a memoir, so the author reading does not count here.
–
Single point of view and narratorOne reader tells the story, but no source states the point of view of a history with many participants, so it does not count.
–
Award-winning or praised narrationNo named critic has reviewed the recording and no award was found, so it does not count.
–
Unfamiliar names or dialectRussian and Iranian names run through it, along with the defector’s later alias (Air Mail, 12 September 2026), but no source says they are easier heard than read, so it does not count.
No criteria point to reading
–
Literary or dense proseCritics praise its readability: the Telegraph says Macintyre is “incapable of writing a dull sentence”, and the Guardian reviewer devoured it in a single sitting. No named source calls it dense.
–
Narration criticisedThe Audible Performance rating is 4.87 from 109 ratings on Audible US, and no named critic criticises the reading.
–
Jumping timelinesNo source describes the book moving between timelines, so it does not count.
–
Three or more points of view, one narratorNo source describes three or more viewpoints, so it does not count.
–
Story depends on images or layoutNo source mentions photographs or plates, so it does not count.
–
Many similar-sounding namesNo source says the names are easy to confuse, so it does not count.
–
Maps, family trees or footnotesNo source mentions maps or endnotes, and no PDF is listed, so it does not count.
How the score adds up
Listening 3 points, reading 0

Listening: long book (3), 3 points. Reading: nothing confirmed, 0 points. 100% of the confirmed points favour listening, so the verdict is listen on Audible at 65% confidence (leaning). Only 3 points could be confirmed, so confidence is held at 65% until more evidence is found.

The recording in detail

One narratorMulti-voiceFull castDramatised
Scored
Ben Macintyre, Random House Audio, 2026, 17h 24m, unabridged
Critic review
None found
Alternatives
Penguin Audio UK download (17h 31m), not on Audible
What you miss
Nothing confirmed

What this book actually is

Redwood is Ben Macintyre’s 2026 book, from the author of The Spy and the Traitor. It tells the true story of Vladimir Kuzichkin, a KGB officer in Iran codenamed Redwood, and his escape with the help of MI6, and his later life in England under another name.

It is on the Waterstones Book of the Year 2026 shortlist. How the escape plays out, and the secret Kuzichkin carried, are not covered here. The book deals with espionage and danger in revolutionary Iran.

The case for reading it

No reading check is confirmed yet. Some readers prefer to follow a large cast of real spies and officials in print, where it is easy to turn back to a name or date.

The case for listening to it

Macintyre reads it himself, and listeners rate the reading 4.87 on Audible US. Critics praise how readable it is rather than how dense.

At 17 hours 24 minutes it is long, and comes down to about 11 hours 36 minutes at 1.5x.

The audiobook in detail

Random House Audio publishes the unabridged recording on Audible UK and US (15 September 2026), read by Ben Macintyre at 17 hours 24 minutes. Penguin Audio sells a 17 hour 31 minute UK download on its own site, also read by him; whether it is the same recording is not confirmed.

No PDF companion is listed.

Who should ignore this verdict

Lean towards print if you like to check names and dates as you go, or if the hardback turns out to carry photographs or maps. Lean towards audio if you enjoyed Macintyre’s other spy books as listens.

Get Redwood
Both editions, so you can go with the verdict or ignore it entirely.
Our pick

Audiobook

  • Read by Ben Macintyre
  • 17h 24m, or about 11h 36m at 1.5x
  • Unabridged; the author reads it
Listen on Audible

Kindle

  • 464 pages (Viking hardback)
  • Easy to turn back to a name or date
Get the Kindle edition
Affiliate links. If you buy through one of these we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you, and with no influence on the verdict above.

Read differently from most people? The app, coming soon, will let you switch off any of the thirteen checks. Get notified →

Related verdicts

Same verdict

Say Nothing

True story, read by the author.

Same verdict

Sapiens

One voice, one argument in time order and a long book point to audio, against print’s timeline, maps, photographs and diagrams.

Different verdict

London Falling

Also on the Waterstones shortlist.

Opposite verdict

Biological War

Three or more strands of story for one narrator on one side, and a print edition over 400 pages on the other.

Start here

How we decide

The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.

Questions people ask

Who narrates the Redwood audiobook?

Ben Macintyre, the author.

How long is the Redwood audiobook?

17 hours 24 minutes, or about 11 hours 36 minutes at 1.5x.

Is it abridged?

No, it is listed as unabridged.

How many pages is Redwood?

464 in the UK Viking hardback and 416 in the US Crown edition.

Is Redwood a true story?

Yes. It is narrative history about the KGB officer Vladimir Kuzichkin and his escape from Iran.

Is Redwood a sequel to The Spy and the Traitor?

No. It is a separate book by the same author.

Is there a Redwood TV adaptation?

None had been announced when this page was checked on 30 October 2026.

Should I read or listen?

Listen, at 65%, leaning. It is long, and nothing confirmed points to print.

Do you agree with this verdict?

We said listen on Audible. One tap, no sign-up.

Spotted a mistake on this page? Tell us and we will fix it. Or tell us how the site could be better.

How this verdict was reached

Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions, set in advance and applied identically to every title. They are based on research into what readers and listeners generally find easier to follow in each format, not on personal preference, and they are published in full so you can check the reasoning yourself. Verdicts are never paid for, sponsored or influenced by affiliate partners.

Deciding about a different book?

Search for it. If we've written it up, we'll take you to the verdict. If not, we'll add it to our list of books to check.

← LázárSleeping Beauties →
RedwoodOur pick: listen · 65%
KindleListen on Audible