Fortune's Favorite
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Narrated by:
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Michael York
About this listen
Return to ancient Rome, where politics, ambition, and greed collide in the fortunes of two fiercely powerful men: Lucius Cornelius Sulla, the great general who returns from exile to be installed as dictator, and then stuns Rome with his startling self-imposed retirement; and Pompey, the young scion of an enormously powerful rural family, who determines to leapfrog over the traditional milestones to Roman political pre-eminence by any means necessary.
Passionate, ambitious, and larger than life, these men play out their fortunes against rebellious elements in Spain, dangerous rumblings in the East and the doomed slave revolt of the tragic figure Spartacus. But a greater threat to their place in history awaits - the fiery young warrior Julius Caesar, exploding now into manhood, his priest's robe shed in a most surprising manner. A newcomer to military glory and the Senate, he earns a formidable reputation as diplomat, lawyer and politician.
In fascinating and unrivaled grandeur, Fortune's Favorites sows the seeds of Caesar's terrible rivalry with Pompey, and sets into motion the events which will finally enable him to tower over history for all time.
©1993 Colleen Mccullough (P)1993 Simon & SchusterListeners also enjoyed...
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Born in 1150 to a noble Swedish family and coming of age at a monastery under the tutelage of a Cistercian monk and a former Knight Templar, young Arn Magnusson is sent to fulfill his destiny beyond the cloister walls. But the world awaiting him is a place at odds with his monastic ways. And when the murder of a king engulfs Western Götaland into a whirlwind of intrigue and ruthless power plays, headstrong and naive Arn is forced to leave the woman he loves behind and take up arms to battle infidels in the Holy Land.
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Went looking for trashy historical fiction...
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Though she was born into poverty, Inés Suárez, a seamstress in 16th-century Spain, embodies the same restless hope and opportunism that fuels her nation’s conquest of the Americas. Learning that her shiftless husband has vanished, Inés uses his disappearance to embark on her own adventure. It is a journey will lead her to Pedro de Valdivia - a conquistador who becomes the first royal governor of Chile - and to a love that not only changes her life but the course of history.
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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.
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Historical Goodie
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Perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir, The Virgin's Daughter is the first book in a captivating new saga about the next generation of Tudor royals, which poses the thrilling question: What if Elizabeth I, the celebrated Virgin Queen, gave birth to a legitimate heir?
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Intriguing premise, good story, great storytelling
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Lindsey Davis’ Master and God is a vastly entertaining historical novel set in the reign of the Emperor Domitian in first-century Rome. It is on the one hand a love story between Gaius Vinius Clodianus, a valiant but reluctant member of the Praetorian Guard, whose military career is as successful as his marital history is disastrous, and Flavia Lucilla, daughter of a freed slave and hairdresser to the ladies of the imperial household. A devastating fire in Rome brings them together....
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Info Dump with Romance
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The Black Rose
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Walter of Gurnie, bastard son of an English peer, is forced to flee from Oxford for his part in the university riots of 1273. Inspired by Friar Bacon, he determines to travel to China. With his friend Tristam, he fights his way to the heart of the fabulous Mongol Empire and returns famous, to find that he must choose between the first love he thought lost and the exotic flower that he found in the East.
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Great Book
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Here is an extraordinary portrait of one of the most complicated - and misunderstood - figures among the Founding Fathers. In 1804, while serving as vice president, Aaron Burr fought a duel with his political nemesis, Alexander Hamilton, and killed him. In 1807, he was arrested, tried, and acquitted of treason. In 1833, Burr is newly married, an aging statesman considered a monster by many. But he is determined to tell his own story, and he chooses to confide in a young New York City journalist. Burr is the first novel in Gore Vidal's Narratives of Empire series.
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Finally! Vidal's Great Take on the Life of Burr
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A Thousand Ships
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In the middle of the night, a woman wakes to find her beloved city engulfed in flames. Ten seemingly endless years of conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans are over. Troy has fallen. From the Trojan women whose fates now lie in the hands of the Greeks, to the Amazon princess who fought Achilles on their behalf, to Penelope awaiting the return of Odysseus, to the three goddesses whose feud started it all, these are the stories of the women whose lives, loves, and rivalries were forever altered by this long and tragic war.
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A new Golden Age
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The Twelve Caesars
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The Twelve Caesars was written based on the information of eyewitnesses and public records. It conveys a very accurate picture of court life in Rome and contains some of the raciest and most salacious material to be found in all of ancient literature. The writing is clear, simple and easy to understand, and the numerous anecdotes of juicy scandal, bitter court intrigue, and murderous brigandage easily hold their own against the most spirited content of today's tabloids.
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A pleasure to read...
- By Robyn C. Blaber on 03-13-10
By: Suetonius
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What listeners say about Fortune's Favorite
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- beverly
- 01-28-18
great book
Love the book but so much better as an audible book. The performance was awesome
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2 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 11-16-18
Michael York's Performance Outstanding
Voice characterization delightful blend of dramatic and comedic make the characters come to life in the story.
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2 people found this helpful
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- jparroni
- 04-22-16
Fantastic Story, abridged again...
If you could sum up Fortune's Favorite in three words, what would they be?
Historical power plays.
What did you like best about this story?
I like the opportunity to follow the development of these events and characters of Republican Rome through several books.
Have you listened to any of Michael York’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Now, I have. He has narrated the subsequent books in this series and I find him the best. Though he uses regional British accents for some of the characters, one gets the intention even if the geography is misplaced.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No
Any additional comments?
Abridgement, no good.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Thinker
- 01-08-18
Narration a little lacking
A lively reading, but not very flexible - 90% of the people in this book have a nasal "upper class twit" voicing, to the point where during conversations I couldn't tell who I was listening to. There simply isn't an adequate vocal library. This makes this book, the abridged version of which at times sounds like a recitation, a little tedious to listen to.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Will Acklerly
- 06-24-23
Such a great book, sad they abridged it.
I have read the unabridged works of this author, they were wonderful. So sad they cut the details from all of it. Sad sad sad. All to put a few extra pennies in their pockets, it destroyed so much interesting data.
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- Amazon Customer
- 09-30-20
This is SIGNIFICANTLY abridged.
The narration is fantastic. However, I've read the books several times, so I was deeply disappointed by the fact that it is SIGNIFICANTLY abridged. So much is left out that I wasn't able to enjoy it.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Janet Wiedman
- 10-25-24
McCullough does a job of bringing history to life! The narrator was amazing.
Characterization was very lifelike. I did not like the word requirements on this review., though.
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- D A Casper
- 02-22-16
READ the Book Do Not Listen to Abridged Version
Would you try another book from Colleen McCullough and/or Michael York?
Yes
Would you ever listen to anything by Colleen McCullough again?
Yes
Would you be willing to try another one of Michael York’s performances?
Unsure - If he learned to pronounce the characters in the books correctly (Kickero rather than Cicero).
What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?
Disappointment. Having read the book, I was looking forward to listening to the series. However, The Grass Crown, Fortune's Favorites, Caesar and Caesar's Women were in abridged version rather than unabridged. The abridged Grass Crown was OK since I knew the story. Fortune's Favorite Was AWFUL. The abridgment was horrible and the narrator didn't know Latin or was unwilling to pronounce people and places correctly.
Any additional comments?
The books and story are fantastic. The unabridged audio books are great, but Forget the abridged versions.
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7 people found this helpful