-
Elizabeth I
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 31 hrs and 7 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $36.00
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's summary
New York Times best-selling author Margaret George captures history's most enthralling queen as she confronts rivals to her throne and to her heart.
One of today's premier historical novelists, George dazzles here as she tackles her most difficult subject yet: the legendary Elizabeth Tudor, queen of enigma - the Virgin Queen who had many suitors; the victor of the Armada who hated war; the gorgeously attired, jewel-bedecked woman who pinched pennies. England's greatest monarch has baffled and intrigued the world for centuries. What was she really like?
In this novel, her flame-haired, lookalike cousin, Lettice Knollys, thinks she knows all too well. Elizabeth's rival for the love of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and mother to the Earl of Essex, the mercurial nobleman who challenged Elizabeth's throne, Lettice had been intertwined with Elizabeth since childhood. This is a story of two women of fierce intellect and desire, one trying to protect her country and throne, the other trying to regain power and position for her family - and each vying to convince the listener of her own private vision of the truth about Elizabeth's character. Their gripping drama is acted out at the height Elizabethan age's flowering. Shakespeare, Marlowe, Dudley, Raleigh, Drake - all of them swirl through this novel as they swirled through the court and on the high seas.
This is a magnificent, stay-up-all-night listen that is George's finest and most compelling novel and one that is sure to please readers and listeners of Alison Weir, Philippa Gregory, and Hilary Mantel.
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Autobiography of Henry VIII
- By: Margaret George
- Narrated by: David Case
- Length: 41 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Margaret George's novel brings into focus the larger-than-life King Henry VIII, monarch of prodigious appetites for wine, women, and song.
-
-
Perfection!
- By Amy M. Walts on 10-20-07
By: Margaret George
-
The Memoirs of Cleopatra
- By: Margaret George
- Narrated by: Donada Peters
- Length: 49 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This novel allows the unscrupulous and proud Queen of the Nile to recount her own tale. A masterful recreation of history.
-
-
I felt like I was there
- By Michael A. Vasquez on 03-05-07
By: Margaret George
-
Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles
- By: Margaret George
- Narrated by: Donada Peters
- Length: 42 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An exhaustively researched novel weaves both historical fact and plausible fiction in bringing the story of Mary Queen of Scots to life.
-
-
Well written, well read
- By Robin on 12-01-09
By: Margaret George
-
Helen of Troy
- A Novel
- By: Margaret George
- Narrated by: Justine Eyre
- Length: 30 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Daughter of a god, wife of a king, prize of antiquity's bloodiest war, Helen of Troy has inspired artists for millennia. Now Margaret George, the highly acclaimed best-selling historical novelist, has turned her intelligent, perceptive eye to the myth that is Helen of Troy.
-
-
A Very Different Take Than Homer
- By Troy on 08-31-12
By: Margaret George
-
The Lady Elizabeth
- A Novel
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 20 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Best-selling author Alison Weir turns her masterly storytelling skills to the early life of young Elizabeth Tudor, who would grow up to become England's most intriguing and powerful queen. Sweeping in scope, The Lady Elizabeth is a fascinating portrayal of a woman far ahead of her time - whose dangerous and dramatic path to the throne shapes her future greatness.
-
-
An unbelievably extraordinary tale about a girl!
- By Zhao on 12-31-11
By: Alison Weir
-
Mary, Called Magdalene
- By: Margaret George
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 30 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Was Mary Magdalene a prostitute, a female divinity figure, a church leader, or all of those? Biblical references to her are tantalizingly brief, but we do know that she was the first person to whom the risen Christ appeared - and the one commissioned to tell others the good news, earning her the ancient honorific "Apostle to the Apostles". Today, Mary continues to spark controversy, curiosity, and veneration. In a vivid re-creation of Mary Magdalene's life story, Margaret George convincingly captures this renowned woman's voice.
-
-
Good story, but flawed
- By Linda Erlich on 02-08-16
By: Margaret George
-
The Autobiography of Henry VIII
- By: Margaret George
- Narrated by: David Case
- Length: 41 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Margaret George's novel brings into focus the larger-than-life King Henry VIII, monarch of prodigious appetites for wine, women, and song.
-
-
Perfection!
- By Amy M. Walts on 10-20-07
By: Margaret George
-
The Memoirs of Cleopatra
- By: Margaret George
- Narrated by: Donada Peters
- Length: 49 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This novel allows the unscrupulous and proud Queen of the Nile to recount her own tale. A masterful recreation of history.
-
-
I felt like I was there
- By Michael A. Vasquez on 03-05-07
By: Margaret George
-
Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles
- By: Margaret George
- Narrated by: Donada Peters
- Length: 42 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An exhaustively researched novel weaves both historical fact and plausible fiction in bringing the story of Mary Queen of Scots to life.
-
-
Well written, well read
- By Robin on 12-01-09
By: Margaret George
-
Helen of Troy
- A Novel
- By: Margaret George
- Narrated by: Justine Eyre
- Length: 30 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Daughter of a god, wife of a king, prize of antiquity's bloodiest war, Helen of Troy has inspired artists for millennia. Now Margaret George, the highly acclaimed best-selling historical novelist, has turned her intelligent, perceptive eye to the myth that is Helen of Troy.
-
-
A Very Different Take Than Homer
- By Troy on 08-31-12
By: Margaret George
-
The Lady Elizabeth
- A Novel
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 20 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Best-selling author Alison Weir turns her masterly storytelling skills to the early life of young Elizabeth Tudor, who would grow up to become England's most intriguing and powerful queen. Sweeping in scope, The Lady Elizabeth is a fascinating portrayal of a woman far ahead of her time - whose dangerous and dramatic path to the throne shapes her future greatness.
-
-
An unbelievably extraordinary tale about a girl!
- By Zhao on 12-31-11
By: Alison Weir
-
Mary, Called Magdalene
- By: Margaret George
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 30 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Was Mary Magdalene a prostitute, a female divinity figure, a church leader, or all of those? Biblical references to her are tantalizingly brief, but we do know that she was the first person to whom the risen Christ appeared - and the one commissioned to tell others the good news, earning her the ancient honorific "Apostle to the Apostles". Today, Mary continues to spark controversy, curiosity, and veneration. In a vivid re-creation of Mary Magdalene's life story, Margaret George convincingly captures this renowned woman's voice.
-
-
Good story, but flawed
- By Linda Erlich on 02-08-16
By: Margaret George
-
The King's Pleasure
- A Novel of Henry VIII
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 23 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The New York Times bestselling author of the Six Tudor Queens series explores the private side of the legendary king Henry VIII and his dramatic and violent reign in this extraordinary historical novel. Young Henry began his rule as a magnificent and chivalrous Renaissance prince who embodied every virtue. He had all the qualities to make a triumph of his rule, yet we remember only the violence. Henry famously broke with the Pope, founding the Church of England and launching a religious revolution that divided his kingdom. He beheaded two of his wives and cast aside two others.
-
-
Love this author
- By Amanda on 06-17-23
By: Alison Weir
-
The Six Wives of Henry VIII
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 22 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This acclaimed best seller from popular historian Alison Weir is a fascinating look at the Tudor family dynasty and its most infamous ruler. The Six Wives of Henry VIII brings to life England’s oft-married monarch and the six wildly different but equally fascinating women who married him. Gripping from the first sentence to the last and loaded with fascinating details, Weir’s rich history is a perfect blend of scholarship and entertainment.
-
-
Overview AND Sordid Details
- By Troy on 10-29-13
By: Alison Weir
-
Henry VIII: King and Court
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Phyllida Nash
- Length: 25 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This magnificent biography of Henry VIII is set against the cultural, social and political background of his court - the most spectacular court ever seen in England - and the splendour of his many sumptuous palaces. An entertaining narrative packed with colourful description and a wealth of anecdotal evidence, but also a comprehensive analytical study of the development of both monarch and court during a crucial period in English history.
-
-
A concise focus with tremendous detail
- By kwdayboise (Kim Day) on 05-24-17
By: Alison Weir
-
Innocent Traitor
- A Novel of Lady Jane Grey
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Stina Nielsen, Davina Porter, Bianca Amato
- Length: 18 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The child of a scheming father and ruthless mother, Lady Jane Grey is born during a time when ambition dictates action. Cousin to Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I, she is merely a pawn in a political and religious game in which one false step means a certain demise. But Lady Jane has remarkable qualities that help her to withstand the constant pressures of the royal machinery far better than most expect.
-
-
Superior listen!
- By Jt on 03-05-07
By: Alison Weir
-
The Lady of the Rivers
- By: Philippa Gregory
- Narrated by: Bianca Amato
- Length: 19 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jacquetta always has had the gift of second sight. As a child visiting her uncle, she met his prisoner, Joan of Arc, and saw her own power reflected in the young woman accused of witchcraft. They share the mystery of the tarot card of the wheel of fortune before Joan is taken to a horrific death. Jacquetta understands the danger for a woman who dares to dream. Jacquetta is married to the Duke of Bedford, English regent of France, and he introduces her to a mysterious world of learning and alchemy.
-
-
Philippa back on track
- By Bonnie-Ann on 11-26-11
By: Philippa Gregory
-
The Confessions of Catherine de Medici
- A Novel
- By: C. W. Gortner
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 15 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this brilliantly imagined novel, acclaimed author C. W. Gortner brings Catherine to life in her own voice, allowing us to enter the intimate world of a woman whose determination to protect her family’s throne and realm plunged her into a lethal struggle for power. From the fairy-tale chateaux of the Loire Valley to the battlefields of the wars of religion to the mob-filled streets of Paris, this is the extraordinary untold journey of one of the most maligned and misunderstood women ever to be queen.
-
-
Pretty good but historical details are terrible
- By Kindle Customer on 07-10-11
By: C. W. Gortner
-
A Dangerous Inheritance
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Maggie Mash
- Length: 25 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Historian and New York Times best-selling author Alison Weir is acclaimed for her absorbing works about the infamous House of York and House of Tudor lines. In A Dangerous Inheritance, Weir uses her wealth of knowledge to craft a compelling novel about two women, living 70 years apart, who are linked through the mysterious disappearance of King Richard III's nephews, Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury - also known as the Princes in the Tower.
-
-
Not Weir's Best
- By Joshua on 01-08-13
By: Alison Weir
-
The Tudors
- The Complete Story of England's Most Notorious Dynasty
- By: G. J. Meyer
- Narrated by: Robin Sachs
- Length: 24 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For the first time in decades, here, in a single volume, is a fresh look at the fabled Tudor dynasty, comprising some of the most enigmatic figures ever to rule a country. Acclaimed historian G. J. Meyer reveals the flesh-and-bone reality in all its wild excess.
-
-
OUTSTANDING!
- By The Louligan on 03-15-10
By: G. J. Meyer
-
Daughters of the Winter Queen
- Four Remarkable Sisters, the Crown of Bohemia, and the Enduring Legacy of Mary, Queen of Scots
- By: Nancy Goldstone
- Narrated by: Laura Kirman
- Length: 13 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Young Elizabeth Stuart was thrust into a life of wealth and splendor when her godmother, Queen Elizabeth I, died and her father, James I, ascended to the illustrious throne of England. At 16 she was married to a dashing German count far below her rank, with the understanding that James would help her husband achieve the crown of Bohemia. Her father's terrible betrayal of this promise would ruin "the Winter Queen", as Elizabeth would forever be known, imperil the lives of those she loved, and launch a war that would last for 30 years.
-
-
Misnamed but Wonderful
- By Anonymous User on 05-16-18
By: Nancy Goldstone
-
The Evening and the Morning
- Kingsbridge, Book 4
- By: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 24 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is 997 CE, the end of the Dark Ages. England is facing attacks from the Welsh in the west and the Vikings in the east. Those in power bend justice according to their will, regardless of ordinary people and often in conflict with the king. Without a clear rule of law, chaos reigns. In these turbulent times, three characters find their lives intertwined.
-
-
I was really waiting for this book!
- By Firebolt on 09-20-20
By: Ken Follett
-
Courtesan
- By: Diane Haeger
- Narrated by: Corrie James
- Length: 22 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Court of François I is full of lust, intrigue, and bawdy bon temps—a different world from the quiet country life Diane de Poitiers led with her elderly husband. Now a widow, the elegant Diane is called back to Court, where the King's obvious interest marks her as an enemy to the King's favorite, Anne d'Heilly. The Court is soon electrified by rumors of their confrontations. As Anne calls on her most venomous tricks to drive Diane away, Diane finds an ally in the one member of Court with no allegiance to the King's mistress: his teenage second son, Henri.
-
-
Heart Breaking
- By Anonymous User on 11-29-23
By: Diane Haeger
-
Fall of Giants
- Book One of the Century Trilogy
- By: Ken Follett
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 30 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ken Follett's World Without End was a global phenomenon, a work of grand historical sweep beloved by millions of readers and acclaimed by critics. Fall of Giants is his magnificent new historical epic. The first novel in The Century Trilogy, it follows the fates of five interrelated families - American, German, Russian, English, and Welsh - as they move through the world-shaking dramas of the First World War, the Russian Revolution, and the struggle for women's suffrage.
-
-
Loved it and learned alot.
- By Louis on 10-19-10
By: Ken Follett
Critic reviews
“Deeply engaging, it sets a new benchmark for the genre.” (New York Times best-selling author Alison Weir)
“A rare unfusty take on the Virgin Queen.” (Vogue)
Related to this topic
-
The Autobiography of Henry VIII
- By: Margaret George
- Narrated by: David Case
- Length: 41 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Margaret George's novel brings into focus the larger-than-life King Henry VIII, monarch of prodigious appetites for wine, women, and song.
-
-
Perfection!
- By Amy M. Walts on 10-20-07
By: Margaret George
-
The Memoirs of Mary, Queen of Scots
- By: Carolly Erickson
- Narrated by: Rebekah Germain
- Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born Queen of Scotland, married as a young girl to the invalid young King of France, Mary took the reins of the unruly kingdom of Scotland as a young widow and fought to keep her throne. A second marriage to her handsome but dissolute cousin Lord Darnley ended in murder and scandal, while a third marriage to the dashing, commanding Lord Bothwell, the love of her life, gave her joy but widened the scandal and surrounded her with enduring ill repute.
-
-
Fiction being the key word
- By Bonnie-Ann B on 09-25-09
By: Carolly Erickson
-
Isabella: Braveheart of France
- By: Colin Falconer
- Narrated by: Anne Johnstonbrown
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
12-year-old Isabella, a French princess marries the King of England - only to discover he has a terrible secret. Ten long years later she is in utter despair - does she submit to a lifetime of solitude and a spiritual death - or seize her destiny and take the throne of England for herself? Isabella is just twelve years old when she marries Edward II of England. For the young princess it is love at first sight - but Edward has a terrible secret that threatens to tear their marriage - and England apart.
-
-
A Bizarre "Reader's Digest" Version of History...
- By Sara on 01-06-15
By: Colin Falconer
-
First of the Tudors
- By: Joanna Hickson
- Narrated by: Tom Clegg, Non Haf
- Length: 14 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jasper Tudor, son of Queen Catherine and her second husband, Owen Tudor, has grown up far from the intrigue of the royal court. But after he and his brother Edmund are summoned to London, their half brother, King Henry VI, takes a keen interest in their future. Bestowing earldoms on them both, Henry also gives them the wardship of the young heiress Margaret Beaufort. Although she is still a child, Jasper becomes devoted to her and is devastated when Henry arranges her betrothal to Edmund.
-
-
War of the Roses, Again
- By Laurel on 03-27-17
By: Joanna Hickson
-
The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn
- By: Robin Maxwell
- Narrated by: Suzan Crowley
- Length: 13 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Robin Maxwell’s debut novel introduces Anne Boleyn and her daughter, Elizabeth: one was queen for a thousand days, the other for more than 40 years. Both were passionate, headstrong women, loved and hated by Henry VIII. At the beginning of Elizabeth’s reign, her mother’s private diary is given to her by a mysterious lady. In reading it, the young ruler - herself embroiled in a dangerous love affair - discovers a great deal about her much maligned mother.
-
-
One of the Best Tudor Novels Availalbe
- By Bonnie-Ann on 03-02-13
By: Robin Maxwell
-
The Queen's Bastard
- A Novel of Elizabeth I and Arthur Dudley
- By: Robin Maxwell
- Narrated by: Angele Masters
- Length: 17 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Historians have long whispered that Elizabeth "the Virgin Queen's" passionate, lifelong affair with Robin Dudley, Earl of Leicester, may have led to the birth of a son, Arthur Dudley. In this exquisite sequel to The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn, Robin Maxwell fashions a stunning fictional account of the child switched at birth by a lady-in-waiting who foresaw the deleterious political consequences of a royal bastard.
-
-
Story? what Story?
- By A User on 06-08-13
By: Robin Maxwell
-
The Autobiography of Henry VIII
- By: Margaret George
- Narrated by: David Case
- Length: 41 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Margaret George's novel brings into focus the larger-than-life King Henry VIII, monarch of prodigious appetites for wine, women, and song.
-
-
Perfection!
- By Amy M. Walts on 10-20-07
By: Margaret George
-
The Memoirs of Mary, Queen of Scots
- By: Carolly Erickson
- Narrated by: Rebekah Germain
- Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born Queen of Scotland, married as a young girl to the invalid young King of France, Mary took the reins of the unruly kingdom of Scotland as a young widow and fought to keep her throne. A second marriage to her handsome but dissolute cousin Lord Darnley ended in murder and scandal, while a third marriage to the dashing, commanding Lord Bothwell, the love of her life, gave her joy but widened the scandal and surrounded her with enduring ill repute.
-
-
Fiction being the key word
- By Bonnie-Ann B on 09-25-09
By: Carolly Erickson
-
Isabella: Braveheart of France
- By: Colin Falconer
- Narrated by: Anne Johnstonbrown
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
12-year-old Isabella, a French princess marries the King of England - only to discover he has a terrible secret. Ten long years later she is in utter despair - does she submit to a lifetime of solitude and a spiritual death - or seize her destiny and take the throne of England for herself? Isabella is just twelve years old when she marries Edward II of England. For the young princess it is love at first sight - but Edward has a terrible secret that threatens to tear their marriage - and England apart.
-
-
A Bizarre "Reader's Digest" Version of History...
- By Sara on 01-06-15
By: Colin Falconer
-
First of the Tudors
- By: Joanna Hickson
- Narrated by: Tom Clegg, Non Haf
- Length: 14 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jasper Tudor, son of Queen Catherine and her second husband, Owen Tudor, has grown up far from the intrigue of the royal court. But after he and his brother Edmund are summoned to London, their half brother, King Henry VI, takes a keen interest in their future. Bestowing earldoms on them both, Henry also gives them the wardship of the young heiress Margaret Beaufort. Although she is still a child, Jasper becomes devoted to her and is devastated when Henry arranges her betrothal to Edmund.
-
-
War of the Roses, Again
- By Laurel on 03-27-17
By: Joanna Hickson
-
The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn
- By: Robin Maxwell
- Narrated by: Suzan Crowley
- Length: 13 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Robin Maxwell’s debut novel introduces Anne Boleyn and her daughter, Elizabeth: one was queen for a thousand days, the other for more than 40 years. Both were passionate, headstrong women, loved and hated by Henry VIII. At the beginning of Elizabeth’s reign, her mother’s private diary is given to her by a mysterious lady. In reading it, the young ruler - herself embroiled in a dangerous love affair - discovers a great deal about her much maligned mother.
-
-
One of the Best Tudor Novels Availalbe
- By Bonnie-Ann on 03-02-13
By: Robin Maxwell
-
The Queen's Bastard
- A Novel of Elizabeth I and Arthur Dudley
- By: Robin Maxwell
- Narrated by: Angele Masters
- Length: 17 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Historians have long whispered that Elizabeth "the Virgin Queen's" passionate, lifelong affair with Robin Dudley, Earl of Leicester, may have led to the birth of a son, Arthur Dudley. In this exquisite sequel to The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn, Robin Maxwell fashions a stunning fictional account of the child switched at birth by a lady-in-waiting who foresaw the deleterious political consequences of a royal bastard.
-
-
Story? what Story?
- By A User on 06-08-13
By: Robin Maxwell
-
A Dangerous Inheritance
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Maggie Mash
- Length: 25 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Historian and New York Times best-selling author Alison Weir is acclaimed for her absorbing works about the infamous House of York and House of Tudor lines. In A Dangerous Inheritance, Weir uses her wealth of knowledge to craft a compelling novel about two women, living 70 years apart, who are linked through the mysterious disappearance of King Richard III's nephews, Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury - also known as the Princes in the Tower.
-
-
Not Weir's Best
- By Joshua on 01-08-13
By: Alison Weir
-
In the Name of the Family
- A Novel
- By: Sarah Dunant
- Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton
- Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is 1502, and Rodrigo Borgia, a self-confessed womanizer and master of political corruption, is now on the papal throne as Alexander VI. His daughter Lucrezia, age 22 - already three times married and a pawn in her father's plans - is discovering her own power. And then there is his son Cesare Borgia, brilliant, ruthless, and increasingly unstable; it is his relationship with Machiavelli that gives the Florentine diplomat a master class in the dark arts of power and politics.
-
-
One of the best historical fiction novels
- By GrandmaNurseHeather on 04-13-17
By: Sarah Dunant
-
Royal Mistress
- By: Anne Easter Smith
- Narrated by: Heather Wilds
- Length: 15 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jane Lambert, the quick-witted and alluring daughter of a silk merchant, is twenty-two and still unmarried. When Jane’s father finally finds her a match, she’s married off to the dull, older silk merchant William Shore. Marriage doesn’t stop Jane from flirtation, however, and when the king’s chamberlain, Will Hastings, comes to her husband’s shop, Will knows King Edward will find her irresistible.
-
-
All history, no romance!
- By Erin on 07-05-13
-
The Tudor Crown
- By: Joanna Hickson
- Narrated by: Karen Cass, Oliver J. Hembrough
- Length: 14 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Edward of York takes back the English crown, the Wars of the Roses scatter the Lancastrian nobility, and young Henry Tudor, with a strong claim to the throne, is forced into exile. Recently widowed and vulnerable, his mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort, forges an uncomfortable alliance with Edward’s Queen, Elizabeth Woodville. Swearing an oath of allegiance to York, Margaret agrees to marry the King’s shrewdest courtier, Lord Stanley. But can she tread the precarious line between duty to her husband, loyalty to her son, and her obligation to God and the King?
-
-
Another excellent book by Ms. Hickson
- By C. Abbott on 09-26-18
By: Joanna Hickson
-
A Triple Knot
- By: Emma Campion
- Narrated by: Heather Wilds
- Length: 14 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Joan of Kent, renowned beauty and cousin to King Edward III, is destined for a politically strategic marriage. As the king begins a long dynastic struggle to claim the crown of France, plunging England into the Hundred Years' War, he negotiates her betrothal to a potential ally and heir of a powerful lordship. But Joan, haunted by nightmares of her father's execution at the hands of her treacherous royal kin, fears the king's selection and is not resigned to her fate. She secretly pledges herself to one of the king's own knights, one who has become a trusted friend...
-
-
GOOD HISTORICAL FICTION - FOR A CHANGE
- By The Louligan on 10-05-14
By: Emma Campion
-
The Boleyn King
- Boleyn Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Laura Andersen
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Just seventeen years old, Henry IX, known as William, is a king bound by the restraints of the regency yet anxious to prove himself. With the French threatening battle and the Catholics sowing the seeds of rebellion at home, William trusts only three people: his older sister Elizabeth; his best friend and loyal counselor, Dominic; and Minuette, a young orphan raised as a royal ward by William’s mother, Anne Boleyn.
-
-
Great idea, bad story
- By S. D. Ristick on 09-22-14
By: Laura Andersen
-
The Queen’s Vow
- A Novel of Isabella of Castile
- By: C. W. Gortner
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 15 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
“No one believed I was destined for greatness.” So begins Isabella’s story, in this evocative, vividly imagined novel about one of history’s most famous and controversial queens - the warrior who united a fractured country, the champion of the faith whose reign gave rise to the Inquisition, and the visionary who sent Columbus to discover a new world. Acclaimed author C. W. Gortner envisages the turbulent early years of a woman whose mythic rise to power would go on to transform a monarchy, a nation, and the world.
-
-
Excellent historical fiction!
- By nursebettyknitting on 07-30-12
By: C. W. Gortner
-
The Family
- By: Mario Puzo, completed by Carol Gino
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 14 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mario Puzo first answered the question 'What is a family?' with the creation of the Corleones in his landmark best seller The Godfather. Now, 30 years later, Puzo enriches us all with his ultimate vision of the subject: the story of the greatest crime family in Italian history, the Borgias.
-
-
Outstanding look at the Papacy
- By Gary on 11-12-08
By: Mario Puzo, and others
-
Equal of the Sun
- A Novel
- By: Anita Amirrezvani
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Iran in 1576 is a place of peace, wealth, and dazzling beauty. But when the Shah dies without having named an heir, the court is thrown into tumult. Princess Pari, the Shah's daughter and closest adviser, knows more about the inner workings of the state than almost anyone, but the princess's maneuvers to instill order after her father's sudden death incite resentment and dissent. Pari and her trusted servant, a eunuch able to navigate the harem as well as the world beyond the palace walls, are in possession of an incredible tapestry....
-
-
A Woman in a Man's World
- By JGrace on 06-26-13
-
The Confessions of Catherine de Medici
- A Novel
- By: C. W. Gortner
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 15 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this brilliantly imagined novel, acclaimed author C. W. Gortner brings Catherine to life in her own voice, allowing us to enter the intimate world of a woman whose determination to protect her family’s throne and realm plunged her into a lethal struggle for power. From the fairy-tale chateaux of the Loire Valley to the battlefields of the wars of religion to the mob-filled streets of Paris, this is the extraordinary untold journey of one of the most maligned and misunderstood women ever to be queen.
-
-
Pretty good but historical details are terrible
- By Kindle Customer on 07-10-11
By: C. W. Gortner
-
The Ruby in Her Navel
- By: Barry Unsworth
- Narrated by: Andrew Sachs
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Thurstan, a young Norman and would-be Knight at the Court of King Roger in Palermo, has been in love since boyhood with Lady Alicia, now returned a widow from the Holy Land. Thurstan soon finds himself caught in a tangle of plots.
-
-
A Well-Earned Five Stars for this Gem
- By Ilana on 12-11-14
By: Barry Unsworth
-
The Iron King
- The Accursed Kings, Book 1
- By: Maurice Druon
- Narrated by: Peter Joyce
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the publishers that brought you A Game of Thrones comes the series that inspired George R.R. Martin’s epic work. France became a great nation under Philip the Fair - but it was a greatness achieved at the expense of her people, for his was a reign characterised by violence, the scandalous adulteries of his daughters-in-law, and the triumph of royal authority.
-
-
Historical Goodie
- By Syd Young on 08-03-13
By: Maurice Druon
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles
- By: Margaret George
- Narrated by: Donada Peters
- Length: 42 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An exhaustively researched novel weaves both historical fact and plausible fiction in bringing the story of Mary Queen of Scots to life.
-
-
Well written, well read
- By Robin on 12-01-09
By: Margaret George
-
The Autobiography of Henry VIII
- By: Margaret George
- Narrated by: David Case
- Length: 41 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Margaret George's novel brings into focus the larger-than-life King Henry VIII, monarch of prodigious appetites for wine, women, and song.
-
-
Perfection!
- By Amy M. Walts on 10-20-07
By: Margaret George
-
The Memoirs of Cleopatra
- By: Margaret George
- Narrated by: Donada Peters
- Length: 49 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This novel allows the unscrupulous and proud Queen of the Nile to recount her own tale. A masterful recreation of history.
-
-
I felt like I was there
- By Michael A. Vasquez on 03-05-07
By: Margaret George
-
Helen of Troy
- A Novel
- By: Margaret George
- Narrated by: Justine Eyre
- Length: 30 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Daughter of a god, wife of a king, prize of antiquity's bloodiest war, Helen of Troy has inspired artists for millennia. Now Margaret George, the highly acclaimed best-selling historical novelist, has turned her intelligent, perceptive eye to the myth that is Helen of Troy.
-
-
A Very Different Take Than Homer
- By Troy on 08-31-12
By: Margaret George
-
Mary Queen of Scots: A Life from Beginning to End
- By: Hourly History
- Narrated by: Barry Shannon
- Length: 1 hr and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mary Stuart was born into a powerful royal dynasty that was at war with the rest of Europe and with itself. Mary’s ascent to the throne was disarmingly easy and she reached adulthood completely unprepared for the plots and betrayals she would be subject to. As the head of a resolutely unstable country, Mary struggled to maintain her grip on the precarious crown on her head and was removed from the throne by an armed rebellion.
-
-
Very Educational and Insightful!
- By Rita Rae on 06-07-18
By: Hourly History
-
Mary, Called Magdalene
- By: Margaret George
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 30 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Was Mary Magdalene a prostitute, a female divinity figure, a church leader, or all of those? Biblical references to her are tantalizingly brief, but we do know that she was the first person to whom the risen Christ appeared - and the one commissioned to tell others the good news, earning her the ancient honorific "Apostle to the Apostles". Today, Mary continues to spark controversy, curiosity, and veneration. In a vivid re-creation of Mary Magdalene's life story, Margaret George convincingly captures this renowned woman's voice.
-
-
Good story, but flawed
- By Linda Erlich on 02-08-16
By: Margaret George
-
Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles
- By: Margaret George
- Narrated by: Donada Peters
- Length: 42 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An exhaustively researched novel weaves both historical fact and plausible fiction in bringing the story of Mary Queen of Scots to life.
-
-
Well written, well read
- By Robin on 12-01-09
By: Margaret George
-
The Autobiography of Henry VIII
- By: Margaret George
- Narrated by: David Case
- Length: 41 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Margaret George's novel brings into focus the larger-than-life King Henry VIII, monarch of prodigious appetites for wine, women, and song.
-
-
Perfection!
- By Amy M. Walts on 10-20-07
By: Margaret George
-
The Memoirs of Cleopatra
- By: Margaret George
- Narrated by: Donada Peters
- Length: 49 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This novel allows the unscrupulous and proud Queen of the Nile to recount her own tale. A masterful recreation of history.
-
-
I felt like I was there
- By Michael A. Vasquez on 03-05-07
By: Margaret George
-
Helen of Troy
- A Novel
- By: Margaret George
- Narrated by: Justine Eyre
- Length: 30 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Daughter of a god, wife of a king, prize of antiquity's bloodiest war, Helen of Troy has inspired artists for millennia. Now Margaret George, the highly acclaimed best-selling historical novelist, has turned her intelligent, perceptive eye to the myth that is Helen of Troy.
-
-
A Very Different Take Than Homer
- By Troy on 08-31-12
By: Margaret George
-
Mary Queen of Scots: A Life from Beginning to End
- By: Hourly History
- Narrated by: Barry Shannon
- Length: 1 hr and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mary Stuart was born into a powerful royal dynasty that was at war with the rest of Europe and with itself. Mary’s ascent to the throne was disarmingly easy and she reached adulthood completely unprepared for the plots and betrayals she would be subject to. As the head of a resolutely unstable country, Mary struggled to maintain her grip on the precarious crown on her head and was removed from the throne by an armed rebellion.
-
-
Very Educational and Insightful!
- By Rita Rae on 06-07-18
By: Hourly History
-
Mary, Called Magdalene
- By: Margaret George
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 30 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Was Mary Magdalene a prostitute, a female divinity figure, a church leader, or all of those? Biblical references to her are tantalizingly brief, but we do know that she was the first person to whom the risen Christ appeared - and the one commissioned to tell others the good news, earning her the ancient honorific "Apostle to the Apostles". Today, Mary continues to spark controversy, curiosity, and veneration. In a vivid re-creation of Mary Magdalene's life story, Margaret George convincingly captures this renowned woman's voice.
-
-
Good story, but flawed
- By Linda Erlich on 02-08-16
By: Margaret George
-
Elizabeth I and Her Circle
- By: Susan Doran
- Narrated by: Joanna Daniel
- Length: 14 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the story of Elizabeth I's inner circle and the crucial human relationships which lay at the heart of her personal and political life. Using a wide range of original sources - including private letters, portraits, verse, drama, and state papers - Susan Doran provides a vivid and often dramatic account of political life in Elizabethan England and the queen at its center.
-
-
Very detailed and enjoyable
- By Sean on 09-12-15
By: Susan Doran
-
The Lady Elizabeth
- A Novel
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 20 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Best-selling author Alison Weir turns her masterly storytelling skills to the early life of young Elizabeth Tudor, who would grow up to become England's most intriguing and powerful queen. Sweeping in scope, The Lady Elizabeth is a fascinating portrayal of a woman far ahead of her time - whose dangerous and dramatic path to the throne shapes her future greatness.
-
-
An unbelievably extraordinary tale about a girl!
- By Zhao on 12-31-11
By: Alison Weir
-
The Tudors
- The Complete Story of England's Most Notorious Dynasty
- By: G. J. Meyer
- Narrated by: Robin Sachs
- Length: 24 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For the first time in decades, here, in a single volume, is a fresh look at the fabled Tudor dynasty, comprising some of the most enigmatic figures ever to rule a country. Acclaimed historian G. J. Meyer reveals the flesh-and-bone reality in all its wild excess.
-
-
OUTSTANDING!
- By The Louligan on 03-15-10
By: G. J. Meyer
-
Elizabeth
- The Forgotten Years
- By: John Guy
- Narrated by: Alex Jennings
- Length: 17 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Elizabeth was crowned at 25 after a tempestuous childhood as a bastard and an outcast, but it was only when she reached 50 and all hopes of a royal marriage were dashed that she began to wield real power in her own right. For 25 years she had struggled to assert her authority over advisers who pressed her to marry and settle the succession; now, she was determined not only to reign but also to rule.
-
-
worth the credit
- By Lesley on 04-19-17
By: John Guy
-
The First Elizabeth
- By: Carolly Erickson
- Narrated by: Antony Ferguson
- Length: 18 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this remarkable biography, Carolly Erickson brings Elizabeth I to life and allows us to see her as a living, breathing, elegant, flirtatious, diplomatic, violent, arrogant, and outrageous woman who commands our attention, fascination, and awe. With the special skill for which she is acclaimed, Carolly Erickson electrifies the senses as she evokes with total fidelity the brilliant colors of Elizabethan clothing and jewelry, the texture of tapestries, and even the close, perfumed air of castle rooms. Erickson demonstrates her extraordinary ability to discern and bring to life psychological and physical reality.
-
-
Well Researched Book
- By JustBill on 03-13-15
By: Carolly Erickson
-
The Life and Times of Queen Elizabeth I
- By: Elizabeth Jenkins
- Narrated by: Karen Archer
- Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
t her vivid life, Elizabeth I was the center of a complicated web of political intrigue that made up the Elizabethan constitution. Elizabeth Jenkins, in her classic biography, reveals the woman behind the skillful politician, showing her belief in personal sacrifice to secure peace for the country she loved more than any man.
-
The Betrayal of Mary, Queen of Scots
- Elizabeth I and Her Greatest Rival
- By: Kate Williams
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 14 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the story of two women struggling for supremacy in a man's world, when no one thought a woman could govern. They both had to negotiate with men - those who wanted their power and those who wanted their bodies - who were determined to best them. In their worlds, female friendship and alliances were unheard of, but for many years theirs was the only friendship that endured. They were as fascinated by each other as lovers; until they became enemies. Enemies so angry and broken that one of them had to die, and so Elizabeth ordered the execution of Mary.
-
-
Doe Eyed Mary Stuart
- By Missee on 02-28-19
By: Kate Williams
-
The King's Pleasure
- A Novel of Henry VIII
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 23 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The New York Times bestselling author of the Six Tudor Queens series explores the private side of the legendary king Henry VIII and his dramatic and violent reign in this extraordinary historical novel. Young Henry began his rule as a magnificent and chivalrous Renaissance prince who embodied every virtue. He had all the qualities to make a triumph of his rule, yet we remember only the violence. Henry famously broke with the Pope, founding the Church of England and launching a religious revolution that divided his kingdom. He beheaded two of his wives and cast aside two others.
-
-
Love this author
- By Amanda on 06-17-23
By: Alison Weir
-
Elizabeth I
- Red Rose of the House of Tudor, England, 1544
- By: Kathryn Lasky
- Narrated by: Josephine Bailey
- Length: 4 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Welcome to the bizarre court of Henry VIII, where even a princess fears losing her head like her mother. Elizabeth hides her tenacious personality from everyone, especially her father. Your 21st-century kid will enjoy Elizabeth's "treasonous thoughts" and glimpse the daily life of a young woman who ascended the throne at 25 and went on to rule her country for 45 years.
-
-
a wonderful biography
- By Susan on 12-20-05
By: Kathryn Lasky
-
Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I
- The Mother and Daughter Who Forever Changed British History
- By: Tracy Borman
- Narrated by: Tracy Borman
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Anne Boleyn may be best known for losing her head, but as Tudor expert Tracy Borman reveals in a book that recasts British history, her greatest legacy lies in the path-breaking reign of her daughter, Elizabeth.
-
-
Brimming with Inaccuracies
- By Marie A. on 06-20-23
By: Tracy Borman
-
Henry VIII: King and Court
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Phyllida Nash
- Length: 25 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This magnificent biography of Henry VIII is set against the cultural, social and political background of his court - the most spectacular court ever seen in England - and the splendour of his many sumptuous palaces. An entertaining narrative packed with colourful description and a wealth of anecdotal evidence, but also a comprehensive analytical study of the development of both monarch and court during a crucial period in English history.
-
-
A concise focus with tremendous detail
- By kwdayboise (Kim Day) on 05-24-17
By: Alison Weir
-
The Lady of the Rivers
- By: Philippa Gregory
- Narrated by: Bianca Amato
- Length: 19 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jacquetta always has had the gift of second sight. As a child visiting her uncle, she met his prisoner, Joan of Arc, and saw her own power reflected in the young woman accused of witchcraft. They share the mystery of the tarot card of the wheel of fortune before Joan is taken to a horrific death. Jacquetta understands the danger for a woman who dares to dream. Jacquetta is married to the Duke of Bedford, English regent of France, and he introduces her to a mysterious world of learning and alchemy.
-
-
Philippa back on track
- By Bonnie-Ann on 11-26-11
By: Philippa Gregory
What listeners say about Elizabeth I
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
- RRG
- 05-21-11
Fascinating Listen
I had never read about Elizabeth's later life, so found this story fascinating for that reason alone. Margaret George also tells a great story. The characters really come to life, and I found myself caring about so many of them. The narrator was excellent. I have just downloaded Margaret George's book, The Autobiography of Henry VIII, which sounds as good if not better.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kathy
- 03-18-12
Not boring to me
I didn???t find this book at all boring as others have but then it might be that much of the information about the Tudor era is new to me. Perhaps some scenes could have been cut but I thought they all added to the story. Plus, I thought Kate Reading gave an excellent performance
This story made me think of an odd kind of organic chemistry where two (and more) compounds come together, share electrons, separate, combine with others and then come together again,,, the two main compounds being Queen Elizabeth I and her cousin Lettice and the story of how their lives orbited about and entwined with each other.
Perhaps the lack of instant explosive reactions made the story too slow for some but I thought it was a good picture of a time without electronics, digital gadgets and other forms of instant communication. It could take weeks to learn of a battle's outcome and waiting for the answer to a letter must have seemed like forever. The fact that religion and superstition were on the same plane as pseudo-science could only muddy the already murky waters of understanding.
One thing that resonated strongly for me was the Crown's concern with money ??? ???There is no money??? ???We don???t have the money??? The Queen was constantly concerned with finances and Parliament allowed that having a frugal and non-married monarch was a good deal financially. Still she would have to be very creative to get money approved for projects.
WOW A government that had to live within its means! What a concept! I guess borrowing the country into oblivion is a recent concept!
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
-
Performance
-
Story
- Cariola
- 11-12-14
Very Enjoyable!
Hundreds of novels have been written about Elizabeth I, so one wonders, what could be written about her life that hasn't been covered before? Margaret George takes as her subject a less familiar period of Elizabeth's life, the last 15 years or so, from the approach of the Spanish Armada to her death in 1603. It's a daring decision, since what we generally think of as the most exciting events in her reign--her imprisonment by her half-sister Mary, her dalliance Thomas Seymour, her ascendance to the throne, the string of foreign suitors and her 'affair' with Robert Dudley, the arrest of her cousin Mary of Scotland, etc.--have already occurred. So what could there be in the life of an aging queen that is worthy of another massive tome?
Plenty--especially if you are a reader who is more interested in characters than action. And George starts us off with plenty of action as the English troops prepare to meet the Armada. We're introduced to some of the major players of the period: Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, the leader of Elizabeth's troops; her spymaster Frances Walsingham (incongruously clad in armor); Sir Walter Raleigh; Secretary Burleigh; Leicester's stepson, the Earl of Essex;--the list goes on.
But characters drive this novel. By focusing on an aging queen with aging advisors who are often in conflict with the younger members of the council, George finds a reason to explore relationships, the changes wrought by maturity and experience, and a growing generation gap that affects both court and country. The effect is enhanced by dividing the novel between two narrators, Elizabeth and her cousin Lettice Knollys. The ten years younger, more beautiful, and thrice-married Lettice is the granddaughter of Mary Boleyn, sister of the queen's doomed mother. A third Boleyn cousin, Catherine Knollys, enters the picture as one of Elizabeth's foremost ladies in waiting. It is Catherine who observes near the end of the book that together they represent the three paths of womanhood: one a life-long virgin, one thrice widowed, and one happily married to the same man since her youth.
While Elizabeth and Lettice would seem to be polar opposites (and Lettice had incurred the queen's lifelong enmity for seducing away and marrying Leicester), George's narrative subtly reveals the similarities between them as well. For one thing, both have learned the value of patience; for another, both reflect on the mistakes and lessons of the past and on the process of aging. Whatever else she may be, Lettice is also a devoted mother; and George depicts Elizabeth as a mother much devoted to her "children," the people of England, as well as to her many godchildren. In the case of Elizabeth, George attempts to dig below the myths and give us a closer look at the woman behind the face paint and the crown. The double narratives remind us of how difficult it was to be a woman in those days, especially for a woman who had to remind the world that she was a prince as well.
Now, don't get the impression that this book is all thought and no action. After all, we are talking about a period that encompassed the invasion of the Armada and the continued threat from Spain, the Lopez 'plot,' the Irish wars, the Essex rebellion, the problem of the succession, and more. And for good measure, George imagines a dalliance between Lettice and that upstart playwright William Shakespeare. (Both women comment on his work and ponder its relevance--and John Donne makes two appearances as well.) In short, George gives us a brimming picture of life, both public and private, in late Elizabethan England.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Cathy B
- 10-21-12
Fabulous!
Where does Elizabeth I rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
This is a great example of how a book that is historical in nature can be enjoyed while listening to it.
What did you like best about this story?
The history of the subject. You could smell the body odors from how it was written. One tends to forget running water wasn't available always.
What about Kate Reading’s performance did you like?
This book was well spoken, enjoyed and understood.
If you could take any character from Elizabeth I out to dinner, who would it be and why?
Catherine, the Queen's cousin. Would like to hear her side.
Any additional comments?
long story, and worth the time. I learned from this book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- mary winston
- 07-17-12
Excellent!! More like history than fiction!
If you could sum up Elizabeth I in three words, what would they be?
compelling, must read!
What other book might you compare Elizabeth I to and why?
Any of Philipa Gregory books only I liked this one better! Reason: similar genre
What does Kate Reading bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
excellent reading skills and accurate depiction, helping the listener to visualize the story.
Any additional comments?
This book included information about the Boleyn family, historical figures, and cultural facts that help the reader understand Elizabeth I 's family and time period in a creative novel.
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
- Dorothy
- 05-05-11
No action, no plot
I have enjoyed previous books by this author. I agree with other reviews, this is mostly a recitation of events from Elizabeth 1's perspective, little depth in characters. I listened to the entire book, hours and hours.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Amazon Customer
- 07-27-11
Boring - Was it the writer or the reader or both?
I have enjoyed other Margaret George books I have read - Henry VIII, Cleopatra, Mary Queen of Scot and Helen of Troy. I have a lot of interest in Elizabeth I. I have always found her one of the most intriguing women in history. I had absolutely no interest in Helen of Troy. So why did I enjoy the Helen novel and not the Elizabeth novel? That is a question I am asking myself. Typically the joy of a long book is that you get to know the characters so deeply. The author mentions at the end that Elizabeth's contemporaries felt they never knew what Elizabeth was thinking and I felt the same about the author. I couldn't feel for Elizabeth because I didn't know her. I didn't feel attached to any of the characters. It felt hollow. There were some very interesting facts that I was unaware of about both people and events. Had the book been shortened in half I could have still found those out and known just as much about the characters. What didn't help is I found the reader unbelievable. If George was confused about Elizabeth's character Reading seemed lost. Maybe I would have enjoyed the book better if I had read it myself. If Margaret George writes another book I will buy. Even the best writers have a book that just isn't as good as the others and the author had set herself a high level to meet. I don't think I will try the reader again though, unless it is for something fluffy.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Julia
- 03-07-15
A new look at this Grande Tudor Monarch.
Having devoured two books by the same author, those being The Autobiography of Henry VIII and Mary Queen of Scotts I could not get into Elizabeth I fast enough.
Initially I listened to the first nine hours and I became so frustrated with the mispronounced names, the 'effected' voice inflection and "how the heck did we get to her 50th birthday so fast?" that I was ready to return this to audible.com.
However the magic happened at hour nine so I decided to go back to the beginning again. I realized that this was a concentration on two decades of her life. A very important two decades at that. Ms. George has, by her own admission in the Afterward added a little for dramatic purposes but only to illustrate a point which she does beautifully.
I fell in love with the characters and understood this Queen more than I ever have before. I had never really questioned how she had felt about her Mother or her Father for killing the woman that gave her life.
If you enjoy English history and would like to know more about Queen Elizabeth I's forgotten years you will not be disappointed.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jessi
- 10-27-16
A Triumph!
I found this story to be a triumph in an Elizabeth novel. While being historically factual as it can be it was still interesting! And it was a story not a history book. I highly recommend it if you have an interest in Queen Elizabeth. I also would recommend The Marriage Game. It is a good book that I think is a good one to read before this one.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Andrea
- 04-05-22
I’m stingy with stars but…!!!
What a joy to listen to the years of Gloriana that are so often overlooked. I loved everything. I’m a narrator snob and this narrator did not bother me in the least though other reviewers did not like her. It’s simply a beautiful work of very historical fiction.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!