Elizabeth I and Her Circle
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Narrated by:
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Joanna Daniel
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By:
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Susan Doran
About this listen
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. Doran offers a deeper insight into Elizabeth's emotional and political conduct, and challenges many of the popular myths that have grown up around her.
It is a story replete with fascinating questions. What was the true nature of Elizabeth's relationship with her father, Henry VIII - especially after his execution of her mother? How close was she to her half-brother Edward VI - and were relations with her half-sister Mary really as poisonous as is popularly assumed? And what of her relationship with her Stewart cousins, most famously with Mary Queen of Scots, executed on Elizabeth's orders in 1587, but also with Mary's son James VI of Scotland, later to succeed Elizabeth as her chosen successor?
Elizabeth's relations with her family were crucial, but just as crucial were her relations with her courtiers and her councilors. Here again, the story raises a host of fascinating questions. Was the queen really sexually jealous of her maids of honor? Did physically attractive male favorites dominate her court? What does her long and intimate relationship with the Earl of Leicester reveal about her character, personality, and attitude to marriage? What can the fall of Essex tell us about Elizabeth's political management in the final years of her reign? And what was the true nature of her personal and political relationship with influential and long-serving councilors such as the Cecils and Sir Francis Walsingham? And how did courtiers and councilors deal with their demanding royal mistress?
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Spoilt by a poorly edited, inadequate narration
- By Lesley on 04-01-17
By: Anne Somerset
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Thomas Cromwell
- A Revolutionary Life
- By: Diarmaid MacCulloch
- Narrated by: David Rintoul
- Length: 26 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Since the 16th century we have been fascinated by Henry VIII and the man who stood beside him, guiding him, enriching him, and enduring the king's insatiable appetites and violent outbursts until Henry ordered his beheading in July 1540. After a decade of sleuthing in the royal archives, Diarmaid MacCulloch has emerged with a tantalizing new understanding of Henry's mercurial chief minister, the inscrutable and utterly compelling Thomas Cromwell.
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Not about the Tudors
- By J.Brock on 09-18-19
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Henry IV
- The Righteous King
- By: Ian Mortimer
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 22 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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The talented, confident, and intelligent son of John of Gaunt, Henry IV started his reign as a popular and charismatic king after he dethroned the tyrannical and wildly unpopular Richard II. But six years into his reign, Henry had survived eight assassination and overthrow attempts. Having broken God's law of primogeniture by overthrowing the man many people saw as the chosen king, Henry IV left himself vulnerable to challenges from powerful enemies about the validity of his reign. Even so, Henry managed to establish the new Lancastrian dynasty and a new rule of law.
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Detailed and compelling
- By kayakman on 12-15-17
By: Ian Mortimer
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Richard III
- England's Most Controversial King
- By: Chris Skidmore
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 17 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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From acclaimed historian Chris Skidmore comes the authoritative biography of Richard III, England's most controversial king, a man alternately praised as a saint and cursed as a villain.
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Glad I read it now that it is over
- By Missee on 08-08-19
By: Chris Skidmore
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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
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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.
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OUTSTANDING!
- By The Louligan on 03-15-10
By: G. J. Meyer
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Francis I
- The Maker of Modern France
- By: Leonie Frieda
- Narrated by: Carole Boyd
- Length: 13 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Catherine de Medici's father-in-law, King Francis of France, was the perfect Renaissance knight, the movement's exemplar and its Gallic interpreter. An aesthete, diplomat par excellence, and contemporary of Machiavelli, Francis was the founder of modern France, whose sheer force of will and personality molded his kingdom into the first European superpower. Arguably the man who introduced the Renaissance to France, Francis was also the prototype Frenchman - a national identity was modeled on his character.
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Rekindling salamandrine fires...
- By Adeliese Baumann on 09-29-18
By: Leonie Frieda
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Young and Damned and Fair
- The Life of Catherine Howard, Fifth Wife of King Henry VIII
- By: Mr. Gareth Russell
- Narrated by: Jenny Funnell
- Length: 15 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Written with an exciting combination of narrative flair and historical authority, this interpretation of the tragic life of Catherine Howard, fifth wife of Henry VIII, breaks new ground in our understanding of the very young woman who became queen at a time of unprecedented social and political tension and whose terrible errors in judgment quickly led her to the executioner's block.
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Magnifent scholarly work
- By Linda Erlich on 08-08-17
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The Rival Queens
- Catherine de' Medici, Her Daughter Marguerite de Valois, and the Betrayal That Ignited a Kingdom
- By: Nancy Goldstone
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 16 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Catherine de' Medici was a ruthless pragmatist and powerbroker who dominated the throne for 30 years. Her youngest daughter, Marguerite, the glamorous "Queen Margot," was a passionate free spirit, the only adversary whom her mother could neither intimidate nor control.
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Definitely not a dull bio!
- By Nella on 07-04-15
By: Nancy Goldstone
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Henry VIII
- By: Abigail Archer
- Narrated by: Sarah Nichols
- Length: 3 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Henry VIII ruled England from 1509 to 1547. As a young man, he was fond of sports and hunting and was said to be uncommonly handsome. Standing more than six feet tall, he loomed large in the lives and minds of his subjects as he navigated his country through the tricky diplomatic and military hazards of the 16th century.
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WASTE OF TIME
- By The Louligan on 09-04-20
By: Abigail Archer
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The Women of the Cousins' War
- The Duchess, the Queen and the King's Mother
- By: Philippa Gregory, David Baldwin, Michael Jones
- Narrated by: Bianca Amato
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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In her essay on Jacquetta, Philippa Gregory uses original documents, archaeology and histories of myth and witchcraft to create the first-ever biography of the young duchess who was to survive two reigns and two wars to become the first lady at two rival courts. David Baldwin, established author on the Wars of the Roses, tells the story of Elizabeth Woodville, the first commoner to marry a king of England for love, and Michael Jones, fellow of the Royal Historical Society, writes of Margaret Beaufort, the almost-unknown matriarch of the House of Tudor. The Women of the Cousins’ War will appeal to all.
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Great book
- By Stacey Wallace on 11-14-11
By: Philippa Gregory, and others
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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
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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.
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Doe Eyed Mary Stuart
- By Missee on 02-28-19
By: Kate Williams
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What listeners say about Elizabeth I and Her Circle
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- bigdjunta
- 08-20-22
Do a little studying before this book.
This book is fairly involved in the running of ER's administration and I found knowing all the players on the board brought a depth of understanding that helped me enjoy the book more.
The narrator did a good job and did not detract from the story. The author had a lot to convey to the reader and did this very well without being too wordy or overly florid.
The thing I liked the most about this book was that it humanized Elizabeth and made me ponder this central question. Was Elizabeth's greatness from her or from the incredibly talented men surrounding her.....or both?
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- Cariola
- 09-16-16
Not Much new Here for Tudor Afficiandos
I didn't learn much new from this book, but it was a good review of who was who and what went on at court. I especially liked the structure of the book. It is divided into three parts: Kin, Courtiers, and Councillors, and each section is divided into chapters focused on small groups or specific persons. "Kin" has chapter on Parents & Siblings, The Suffolk Cousins, Mary Queen of Scots, and James VI of Scotland (her eventual heir to the English throne). Three favorites are the chapter subjects of "Courtiers": Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester; Sir Christopher Hatton; and Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex. The section has an additional chapter on the noblewomen who served as ladies in waiting to the queen. Part Three, "Councillors," includes chapters on William Cecil, Lord Burghley; Sir Francis Walsingham; and Burghley's son, Robert Cecil. In the course of the book, relationships between the various subjects and Elizabeth are analyzed and important events (the succession, Elizabeth's "marriage game," the Spanish Armada, the Dutch wars, religious dissent, etc.) are discussed in detail. In short, it's a nice primer or reference book on Elizabeth's reign.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Sean
- 09-12-15
Very detailed and enjoyable
The author takes a fresh look at this well studied chapter in English history. She focuses on the relationships of the various people within EI's sphere and tells each person's story through the prism of the relationship. It's a very interesting approach. She points out how a courtier had different boundaries than a Privy Councilman and argues that this forced them to use different tactics when trying to gain influence.
Unfortunately, organizing the book as sequential biographies leads to jumping around in time and main charachters from one chapter showing up as minor actors in another. This confusion is compounded by the English historical tendency for people to change names and titles several times during the course of their lives.
She jumps right into the people and events of the 16th century so you must have some familiarity with the Tudor period to avoid being overwhelmed by relations and namesakes.
I found it very enjoyable, if a little dry.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Yellow Lab
- 11-09-15
Note to editor
Any additional comments?
In an audible book, it is unnecessary - worse, it's a distraction - to have the reader recite "old English" phrases and then re-state the same word in modern English. This is fine for a printed book, where the difference in how the words are written may be of interest, but it doesn't work for an audible presentation and whomever produced this book should eliminate this type of thing in the future.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Teadrinker
- 11-06-15
Advanced Elizabethan Writing
The cadences of Elizabethan writing are very much different from our writing today. The author includes many significant quotes from the sources upon which she bases her characterizations. The author included enough hints so we can understand the language of the times and the reader reads them well. It's a more sober assessment of Elizabeth's reign than the torrid love of the florid cougar, etc. Reality is always refreshing and I'm glad I was able to hear actual words from the time period.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Wendy Andrews
- 08-16-19
Elizabeth I and Her Circle
The narration of this audio book absolutely ruined the listening experience. I can't imagine why the author or publisher would sign off on Joanna Daniel's narration - it is so sing-songy (for lack of a better
description) throughout the entire book that I'm unable to listen to it for more than a couple of minutes. I was looking forward to this book as Elizabeth is an ancestor of mine. Will purchase printed version as book actually full of interesting information and I respect what was most likely a massive amount of research that Ms Doran spent on this work. However, due to it's presentation, it was a total waste of Audible choice; I will avoid any Audible books narrated by Ms Daniel; really horrible!
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