Duration 2:13:15. 2 CDs. Heaney reading an abridgement of his full Beowulf translation, published from a series of BBC broadcasts the previous year. The box's claim that the recording is "unabridged" refers to the CD-format reproduction of the BBC recording, not to the BBC recording itself, which did omit some sections.

The omitted elements are in some cases predictable (e.g., the elliptical account of the Swedish-Geatish Wars) and in other cases surprising (the Unferth confrontation; Beowulf's grappling with Grendel's mother as he descends through the mere and his moment of entry into her submarine hall; the beheading of Grendel's body and the melting of the giant sword; the sword's inscription and Hrothgar's contemplation of it on the hilt).

MO2 gives publication information different from that on the 2-CD set that I examined, but it appears to be a different issue of the same recording.

BAM.