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Prince of Pleasure
- The Prince of Wales and the Making of the Regency
- Narrated by: Sam Devereaux
- Length: 16 hrs and 23 mins
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Publisher's summary
Described by the Duke of Wellington as "the most extraordinary compound of talent, wit, buffoonery, obstinacy and good feeling that I ever saw in one character in my life", George Augustus Frederick, Prince of Wales, later George IV, was a highly controversial figure. He courted both Whigs and Tories in his attempts to establish the Regency during the "madness" of his father, George III. Scandalous liaisons with prostitutes and duchesses, and his "secret" marriage to the Catholic Mrs. Fitzherbert, tested his duty - to nation and to family. Yet his support for overseas campaigns against Napoleon, culminating in such historic victories as Trafalgar and Waterloo, consolidated Britain's status as the pre-eminent world power amid the great social and economic upheavals of the Industrial Revolution.
Drawing on a wealth of original accounts of life in Georgian Britain, Saul David has created a masterly portrait - of a flamboyant, opportunistic, and influential figure, and of a nation in a time of great change. Saul David is Professor of War Studies at the University of Buckingham and the author of several critically-acclaimed history books, including The Indian Mutiny: 1857 (shortlisted for the Westminster Medal for Military Literature), Zulu: The Heroism and Tragedy of the Zulu War of 1879 (a Waterstone's Military History Book of the Year) and, most recently, Victoria's Wars: The Rise of Empire. Saul David also writes acclaimed historical fiction.
Zulu Hart, the first in the George Hart series, was a best seller in 2009, and the sequel, Hart of Empire, will be published in August 2010. An experienced broadcaster, Saul David has presented and appeared in history programs for all the major TV channels and is a regular contributor to Radio 4.
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This course examines the life of Benjamin Franklin and his influence on both American and world history. He remains the model of the American thinker - a man who was interested in nearly everything, and who pursued those interests with an admirable and contagious passion. To study Franklin's life is to learn not only the history of a single man, but to understand some of the most monumental changes in all of human history.
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Love it
- By Holly on 02-20-16
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Ladies of Liberty
- The Women Who Shaped Our Nation
- By: Cokie Roberts
- Narrated by: Cokie Roberts
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Abridged
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Roberts presents a colorful blend of biographical portraits and behind-the-scenes vignettes chronicling women's public roles and private responsibilities.
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Ladies of Liberty
- By Sesenta-tres on 05-08-08
By: Cokie Roberts
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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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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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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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How to Ruin a Queen
- Marie Antoinette and the Diamond Necklace Affair
- By: Jonathan Beckman
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1785, a sensational trial began in Paris that would divide the country and captivate Europe. A leading Catholic cardinal and scion of one of the most distinguished families in France stood accused of forging the queen's signature to obtain the most expensive piece of jewelry in Europe: a 2,800-carat diamond necklace. Where were the diamonds? Was the cardinal innocent? Was, for that matter, the queen?
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A History Buff's Guilty Pleasure
- By Kathy on 12-31-14
By: Jonathan Beckman
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Queen Victoria's Children
- By: John Van der Kiste
- Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Queen Victoria and Albert, the Prince Consort, had nine children, who, despite their very different characters, remained a close-knit family. Inevitably, as they married into European royal families, their loyalties were divided and their lives dominated by political controversy. This is not only the story of their lives in terms of world impact but also of personal achievements in their own right, individual contributions to public life in Britain and overseas, and as the children of Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort.
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Was the narrator just too bored?
- By James Bruce on 03-16-18
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Catherine de Medici
- Renaissance Queen of France
- By: Leonie Frieda
- Narrated by: Sarah Le Fevre
- Length: 21 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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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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John Adams
- By: David McCullough
- Narrated by: Nelson Runger
- Length: 29 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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McCullough's John Adams has the sweep and vitality of a great novel. This is history on a grand scale, an audiobook about politics, war, and social issues, but also about human nature, love, religious faith, virtue, ambition, friendship, and betrayal, and the far-reaching consequences of noble ideas. Above all, it is an enthralling, often surprising story of one of the most important and fascinating Americans who ever lived.
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An outstanding biography
- By Davis on 07-10-06
By: David McCullough
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A Great Improvisation
- Franklin, France, and the Birth of America
- By: Stacy Schiff
- Narrated by: Susan Denaker
- Length: 21 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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"In December of 1776 a small boat delivered an old man to France." So begins an enthralling account of how Benjamin Franklin - 70 years old, without any diplomatic training, and possessed of the most rudimentary French - convinced France, an absolute monarchy, to underwrite America's experiment in democracy. When Franklin stepped onto French soil, he understood he was embarking on the greatest gamble of his career. By virtue of fame, charisma, and ingenuity, Franklin outmaneuvered British spies, French informers, and hostile colleagues....
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Exquisite book
- By Jose Antonio Gonzalez on 11-01-18
By: Stacy Schiff
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Thomas Cromwell
- The Untold Story of Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant
- By: Tracy Borman
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 14 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Thomas Cromwell has long been reviled as a Machiavellian schemer who stopped at nothing in his quest for power. As Henry VIII's right-hand man, Cromwell was the architect of the English Reformation, secured Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon and plotted the downfall of Anne Boleyn, and upon his arrest, was accused of trying to usurp the King himself. But here Tracy Borman reveals a different side of one of the most notorious figures in history.
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narration is very well done & book is quite good
- By horoscopy on 02-18-15
By: Tracy Borman
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The Six Wives of Henry VIII
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 22 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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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
- By Troy on 10-29-13
By: Alison Weir
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The Intimate Lives of the Founding Fathers
- By: Thomas Fleming
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 17 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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With his usual storytelling flair and unparalleled research, Tom Fleming offers a compelling, intimate look at the founders—George Washington, Ben Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison—and the women who played essential roles in their lives.
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Interesting, but unbalanced, angle
- By Devon on 07-03-14
By: Thomas Fleming
What listeners say about Prince of Pleasure
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Tara K. Morrison
- 05-25-24
Learned a ton
Fascinating people and period. Perhaps a bit too much detail? Good narration and incredible research.
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- isis
- 07-24-15
very informative about the times of George IV.
Excellent information about the time of George IV. Easy to follow. This book fills the gap between George IV and the monarchs to follow.
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1 person found this helpful
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- TemperPolk
- 08-25-16
George IV in all his "glory"!
What a fascinating biography of this much mocked personage of the British monarchy. It was thoroughly entertaining and there was never a moment that I was disinterested. Very well researched and focusing more on the private and personal life of the Prince Regent, rather than the politics, although these are present in just the right amount. The narration was awesome too. Loved it!
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3 people found this helpful
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- Anna Banana
- 05-04-18
Intriguing topic brought to life by brilliant narration.
My interest in the Regency and the Regent stems from my own reading of novels written and/or set in the period (including the beloved Jane Austen). I thought it made sense to tackle this enormous biography so that I would have a fuller understanding of the Prince Regent and his role in the society of the Regency period. I’ve gained a much broader knowledge of the Georgian period, as well, given that the majority of George the IV’s life took place in the 18th century, not the 19th. I have to say, biographies of this nature and magnitude can make for dry reading. I’m so glad I chose the audiobook version, as the narrator’s energetic, vivacious delivery is what made the difference between me loving this book and merely liking it enough! I am fairly new to audiobook listening, usually preferring the page far over an auditory version. Not this book, though! Richly researched and detailed, it’s a wonderful read/listen for anyone with an interest in this period of English history.
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1 person found this helpful