Louis XIV
The Power and the Glory
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Narrated by:
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Kate Reading
About this listen
An intelligent, authoritative, and often surprising biography of the most famous of French monarchs, by an acclaimed biographer and historian
This stylish and incisive narrative presents listeners with a fresh perspective on one of the most fascinating kings in European history. Louis XIV's story has all the ingredients of a Dumas classic: legendary beginnings, beguiling women, court intrigue, a mysterious prisoner in an iron mask, lavish court entertainments, the scandal of a mistress who was immersed in the dark arts, and a central character who is handsome and romantic, but with a frighteningly dark side to his character.
Louis believed himself to be semi-divine. His self-identification as the Sun King, which was reflected in iconography by the sun god, Apollo, influenced every aspect of Louis's life: his political philosophy, his wars, and his relationships with courtiers and subjects.
As a military strategist, Louis' capacity was ambiguous, but he was an astute politician who led his country to the heights of sophistication and power - and then had the misfortune to live long enough to see it all crumble away. As the sun began to set upon this most glorious of reigns, it brought a gathering darkness filled with the anguish of dead heirs, threatened borders, and a populace that was dangerously dependent upon - but greatly distanced from - its king.
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France's iconic queen, Marie Antoinette, wrongly accused of uttering the infamous "Let them eat cake", was alternately revered and reviled during her lifetime. For centuries since, she has been the object of debate, speculation, and the fascination so often accorded illustrious figures in history. Married in mere girlhood, this essentially lighthearted child was thrust onto the royal stage and commanded by circumstance to play a significant role in European history.
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Annoying Narration
- By LaFemmeRouge on 10-28-06
By: Antonia Fraser
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Love and Louis XIV
- The Women in the Life of the Sun King
- By: Antonia Fraser
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 13 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The self-proclaimed Sun King, Louis XIV, ruled over the most glorious and extravagant court in 17th-century Europe. Now, Antonia Fraser goes behind the well-known tales of Louis' accomplishments and follies, exploring in riveting detail his intimate relationships with women.
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Excellent!
- By Louise on 04-27-08
By: Antonia Fraser
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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
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Overall
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Performance
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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.
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Misnamed but Wonderful
- By Anonymous User on 05-16-18
By: Nancy Goldstone
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The Turbulent Crown
- The Story of the Tudor Queens
- By: Roland Hui
- Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
- Length: 22 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
Ten remarkable women. One remarkable era. In the Tudor period, 1485 to 1603, a host of fascinating women sat on the English throne. The dramatic events of their lives are told in The Turbulent Crown: The Story of the Tudor Queens.
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a very good listen
- By Evil Guppy on 09-21-19
By: Roland Hui
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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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Overall
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Performance
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Story
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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Tudor
- Passion. Manipulation. Murder. The Story of England's Most Notorious Royal Family
- By: Leanda de Lisle
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- Unabridged
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Story
The Tudors are England's most notorious royal family. But, as Leanda de Lisle's gripping new history reveals, they are a family still more extraordinary than the one we thought we knew. The Tudor canon typically starts with the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 before speeding on to Henry VIII and the Reformation. But this leaves out the family's obscure Welsh origins and the ordinary man known as Owen Tudor who would fall (literally) into a queen's lap - and later her bed.
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Clear and detailed
- By Tad Davis on 04-13-16
By: Leanda de Lisle
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Bloody Mary
- By: Carolly Erickson
- Narrated by: Corrie James
- Length: 23 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Here is the tragic, stormy life of Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon. Her story is a chronicle of courage and faith, betrayal and treachery - set amidst the splendor, pageantry, squalor, and intrigue of 16th-century Europe. The history of Mary Tudor is an improbable blend of triumph, humiliation, heartbreak, and devotion - and Ms. Erickson recounts it all against the turbulent background of European politics, war, and religious strife of the mid-1500s.
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A good history
- By A. Barrios on 05-21-15
By: Carolly Erickson
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Catherine de Medici
- Renaissance Queen of France
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- Narrated by: Sarah Le Fevre
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Poisoner, despot, necromancer - the dark legend of Catherine de Medici is centuries old. In this critically hailed biography, Leonie Frieda reclaims the story of this unjustly maligned queen to reveal a skilled ruler battling extraordinary political and personal odds - from a troubled childhood in Florence to her marriage to Henry, son of King Francis I of France; from her transformation of French culture to her fight to protect her throne and her sons' birthright. Based on thousands of private letters, it is a remarkable account of one of the most influential women to wear a crown.
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Narrator didn't get one name right
- By Georgina García- Menocal on 09-15-19
By: Leonie Frieda
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Mistress Anne
- The Exceptional Life of Anne Boleyn
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- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
A powerful ruler, an alluring young woman, a scandal that would rock the nation: Anne Boleyn’s life story sounds more like a juicy TV docu-drama than a chapter of English history. Although she is not of noble birth or even especially beautiful, Anne Boleyn manages to rise to the very pinnacle of the English aristocracy. Renowned for her extraordinarily vivid recreations of historical events, Carolly Erickson brings out the full fascinating story of the enigmatic Anne Boleyn.
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Just OK for me.
- By Amazon Customer on 01-11-12
By: Carolly Erickson
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We Two
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
It was the most influential marriage of the 19th Century - and one of history’s most enduring love stories. Traditional biographies tell us that Queen Victoria inherited the throne as a naïve teenager, when the British Empire was at the height of its power, and seemed doomed to find failure as a monarch and misery as a woman until she married her German cousin Albert and accepted him as her lord and master. Now renowned chronicler Gillian Gill turns this familiar story on its head, revealing a strong, feisty queen, and a brilliant, fragile prince working together to build a family.
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I found it extremely moving.
- By Cheryl on 08-07-09
By: Gillian Gill
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Annoying Narration
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The superb historian and biographer Antonia Fraser, author of Marie Antoinette, casts new light on the splendor and the scandals of the reign of Louis XIV in this dramatic, illuminating look at the women in his life.
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French pronunciation distracting
- By Anonymous User on 01-02-19
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Duc de Louis de Rouvroy Saint-Simon (1675-1755) was a French soldier, diplomat, and noted diarist. A French courtier during the 18th century, today he's best known for his comprehensive multi-volume memoirs, which depict life in France at the time. He was an indefatigable writer, and he began very early to record all the gossip he collected, all his interminable legal disputes over precedence, and a vast mass of unclassified material. He is petty, unjust to private enemies and to those who espoused public views contrary to his, as well as being an incessant gossip.
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Annoying Narration
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French pronunciation distracting
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Great Story, Not So Great Narrator
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I really wanted to enjoy this -
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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.
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Overview AND Sordid Details
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Heart of Europe
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Holy Roman Empire lasted 1,000 years, far longer than ancient Rome. Yet this formidable dominion never inspired the awe of its predecessor. Voltaire quipped that it was neither holy, Roman, nor an empire. Yet as Peter H. Wilson shows, the Holy Roman Empire tells a millennial story of Europe better than the histories of individual nation-states.
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Mixed feelings on this one.
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What listeners say about Louis XIV
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- John Pistone
- 11-09-19
this book ignores the turmoil in Louie's life
being that Louis brother Philippe was a homosexual who had a militaristic lover who influenced the kingdom deeply was totally ignored causes me to Define this book as a lightly intimate portrait of Louie's life. Unsatisfying and hard to listen to after a while. Very boring. Considering everything that went on in his 72 years as king of France. I do not recommend this book
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6 people found this helpful
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- Joseph
- 11-18-21
Not for the uninitiated.
Wilkinson has absolutely done her research and she has a penchant for relating historical scenes down to the minutest details. On one hand, she is able to recreate scenes of Louis' life in the most vivid of detail, making it easy to imagine what it might have looked like, sounded like, felt like.... on the other hand Wilkinson seems to have no forest for all the trees. Her book is largely descriptive and while it's clear that Wilkinson's research has a focus, I'd say it's better defined by what she DOESN'T tell than what she does. In this book you will find wars and famines glossed over. Major players name-dropped then forgotten. Treaties unnamed, dynastic marriages implied rather than stated. But you will learn what color of dress the Queen wore and which remarks were made about dinner. I could theorize that Wilkinson has a purpose in writing her biography this way, but her narrative intent is frustratingly obtuse. I did enjoy the biography (It was a refreshing reprieve from the Wars and Treaties and Treaties and Wars of more traditional histories) but I really think it's for people who already know the larger story and want to immerse themselves further. If you just want a biography to tell you what you need to know and spare you the things you don't, this one is not for you.
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5 people found this helpful
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- N. Lakdawala
- 05-29-22
Wish I got the Antonia Fraiser
A jumble of a series of events. Not particularly compelling in any section and at times a hagiographic mess as the author makes light of his persecutions of Protestants. The political intrigues are poorly presented as is the contexts for his wars.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Kamila Ricci
- 07-19-22
terrible
terrible book. no coherence of narrative. I know more about the bullion he ate with his 14th mistress while wearing three yellow feathers in his green cap than I do about the war of Spanish succession. history books authored by women are not meant to be read. too bad there isn't a real biography of one of Europe's most important historical figures on audible. this book was such garbage.
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2 people found this helpful
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- PaulR13
- 05-26-23
Fluff and almost nothing else
I got as far as chapter 4 before giving up. It is mostly a narrative on who was wearing what, to whichever public appearance, ceremony or meeting happened along the timeline. A peep at the 17th Century red carpet rather than anything of historical importance.....or even interest.
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1 person found this helpful
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- chris
- 07-22-19
Ok
It seemed a lot more like it focused on who he was sleeping with, who other people were sleeping with and what they were wearing from day to day. To be fair, I only got half way in and skipped to the Spanish Succession, which was nothing more than a glossing over.
The narrator did well, but hearing "June six" or "May five" gets old fast.
Many better biographies to get. Don't waste your time.
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8 people found this helpful