The Last Plantagenets
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Narrated by:
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David Case
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By:
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Thomas Costain
About this listen
The final volume in A History of the Plantagenets covers the century from 1377 to 1485, when civil war ravaged England, rebellious peasants marched on London and wandering preachers sowed dissent in the credulous poor. The last Plantagenet monarchs governed in violence and confusion. Kings came and went, deposed or murdered. Princes and nobles slaughtered or were slaughtered in bloody battles or private feuds. It was an era of brilliant successes, tragic reverses, and wild extravagance.
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Holding power for over 50 years starting in 1327, Edward III was one of England's most influential kings and one who shaped the course of English history. Revered as one of the country's most illustrious leaders for centuries, he was also a usurper and a warmonger who ordered his uncle beheaded. A brutal man, to be sure, but also a brilliant one.
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Great book about Edward III
- By Kiesha on 07-05-16
By: Ian Mortimer
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The White King
- Charles I, Traitor, Murderer, Martyr
- By: Leanda de Lisle
- Narrated by: Graeme Malcolm
- Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Less than 40 years after England's golden age under Elizabeth I, the country was at war with itself. Split between loyalty to the Crown or to Parliament, war raged on English soil. Its casualties were immense. At the head of the disintegrating kingdom was King Charles I. In this vivid portrait - informed by previously unseen manuscripts, including royal correspondence between the king and his queen - Leanda de Lisle depicts a man who was principled and brave but fatally blinkered.
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Enlightening Stuart history
- By Adeliese Baumann on 01-25-18
By: Leanda de Lisle
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Lancaster and York
- The Wars of the Roses
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Maggie Mash
- Length: 22 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Lancater and York is a riveting account of the Wars of the Roses, from beloved historian Alison Weir. The war between the houses of Lancaster and York was characterised by treachery, deceit, and bloody battles. Alison Weir's lucid and gripping account focuses on the human side of history. At the centre of the book stands Henry VI, the pious king whose mental instability led to political chaos, and his wife Margaret of Anjou, who took up her arms in her husband's cause and battled in a violent man's world.
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Dense, fascinating history...questionable delivery
- By kbreezy on 10-04-17
By: Alison Weir
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Mary Queen of Scots
- By: Antonia Fraser
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 25 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Her royal birth gave her claim to the thrones of two nations; her marriage to the young French dauphin promised to place a third glorious crown on her noble head. Instead, Mary Stuart became the victim of her own impulsive heart, scandalizing her world with a foolish passion that would lead to abduction, rape, and even murder. Here is her story, a queen who lost a throne for love, a monarch pampered and adored even as she was led to her beheading, the unforgettable woman who became a legend for all time.
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Shockingly disingenuous.
- By rainjade on 08-14-18
By: Antonia Fraser
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Sister Queens
- The Noble, Tragic Lives of Katherine of Aragon and Juana, Queen of Castile
- By: Julia Fox
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 14 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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The history books have cast Katherine of Aragon, the first queen of King Henry VIII of England, as the ultimate symbol of the Betrayed Woman, cruelly tossed aside in favor of her husband’s seductive mistress, Anne Boleyn. Katherine’s sister, Juana of Castile, wife of Philip of Burgundy and mother of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, is portrayed as “Juana the Mad,” whose erratic behavior included keeping her beloved late husband’s coffin beside her for years.
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Sad but Fascinating Lives
- By Cariola on 06-29-12
By: Julia Fox
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The Wars of the Roses
- The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
- By: Dan Jones
- Narrated by: John Curless
- Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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The 15th century saw the longest and bloodiest series of civil wars in British history. The crown of England changed hands five times as two branches of the Plantagenet dynasty fought to the death for the right to rule. Now, celebrated historian Dan Jones describes how the longest reigning British royal family tore itself apart until it was finally replaced by the Tudors. Some of the greatest heroes and villains in history were thrown together in these turbulent times.
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No Need for a Score Card
- By Troy on 01-16-15
By: Dan Jones
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Four Princes
- Henry VIII, Francis I, Charles V, Suleiman the Magnificent and the Obsessions that Forged Modern Europe
- By: John Julius Norwich
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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John Julius Norwich - whom the Wall Street Journal called "the very model of a popular historian" - has crafted a big, bold tapestry of the early 16th century, when Europe and the Middle East were overshadowed by a quartet of legendary rulers, all born within a 10-year period. Against the vibrant background of the Renaissance, these four men laid the foundations for modern Europe and the Middle East, as they collectively impacted the culture, religion, and politics of their respective domains.
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For the most part, very informative.
- By Paula on 02-05-18
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Four Queens
- The Provencal Sisters Who Ruled Europe
- By: Nancy Goldstone
- Narrated by: Josephine Bailey
- Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Set against the backdrop of the turbulent 13th century, a time of chivalry and crusades, poetry, knights, and monarchs, comes the story of the four beautiful daughters of the count of Provence, whose brilliant marriages made them the queens of France, England, Germany, and Sicily.
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Interesting, informative
- By Eunice on 12-06-07
By: Nancy Goldstone
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A Distant Mirror
- The Calamitous Fourteenth Century
- By: Barbara W. Tuchman
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 28 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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The 14th century reflects two contradictory images: on the one hand, a glittering time of crusades and castles, cathedrals and chivalry, and the exquisitely decorated Books of Hours; and on the other, a time of ferocity and spiritual agony, a world of chaos and the plague.
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And you thought the twentieth century was rough...
- By Rob on 03-23-06
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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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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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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
What listeners say about The Last Plantagenets
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- mk345
- 08-21-10
Last Plantagenets Review
This book covers the last century of Plantagenent rule in England, or 1377-1485 to be exact. I thought it was excellent except for the final bit on Richard III, the last Last Plantagenent. The first half of the book covers the 1377-1399 reign of Richard II. At first blush, this may seem lopsided, but it is not because this is perhaps the most interesting period of the entire Plantagenent rule. Featured is the Peasant's Revolt and a rather quirky monarch who is forcibly removed from office. The narrator impersonates Richard II with a high, pompous voice that reminds the reader with every utterance of the fundamental reason that his subjects ultimately found him to be intolerable.
The book proceeds through the reigns of three Henry's and the confused period of the War of the Roses more rapidly, although it does justice to interesting characters such as Owen Glendower of Wales and Catherine of Valois.
My only problem with the book is its coverage of the final two year reign of Richard III. At this point, the author switches his style, and the exposition comes off as if it were written by Richard's defense attorney. For example, the author make a somewhat compelling case that Richard was not the man who committed the infamous murder of the Princes in the Tower. He ignores the equally compelling case, made by other authors, that Richard was guilty of these murders. Perhaps this can be excused because the "Richard is innocent" argument was new at the time the book was written, but it seems unbalanced to a 21st century reader.
The good parts of the book greatly outweigh the bad, however,so I recommend it highly to readers interested in this period.
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20 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 01-13-24
Fantastic history, with a tremendous amount of research evident.
Very well written and read. It will change your view of history, Especially about Richard III.
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- Shannon
- 06-06-15
Keep Going Back For More
If you could sum up The Last Plantagenets in three words, what would they be?
Informative, Entertaining, Way Way Better than High School History Class
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Last Plantagenets?
No particular Memorable Moment. The entire book was so well done that even though I have read the hard back book three times over the years, I HAD to have this audio book. I have had many positive experiences with David Case and the combination of his talent and the marvelous written history that turns famous names into real people was impossible for me to pass up. If you want to hear the experiences of real people and not just memorize dates and battle names, get this book. I think you will be glad you did even after listening to it multiple times as I plan to do.
What does David Case bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Hard to define that. It is as though I was listening to a traveling story teller from centuries ago who has come to my town to tell us the latest news of the goings on of people in power.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No way. It is a long book and wonderful for listening to as I go to bed over several nights. Lovely way to drift off to sleep. Books lasts a long time because I can go back and re-listen to what I might have missed. Audio books are a blessing. This is book and narrator I know I will revisit several times knowing I am headed for a pleasurable journey.
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2 people found this helpful
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- peter
- 01-17-20
EXCELLENT SERIES
These are all so good you won't be disappointed starting anywhere, but obviously best to follow the author's lead and begin at the beginning with The Conquering Family.
Obviously these are historical works covering the Plantagenets who were pretty fascinating in their own right, but at the same time Costain shows us the social and historical background to all of their highly interesting efforts to be as great/strange/cruel/disappointing/infuriating etc as they were.
I never like David Case's voice per se and when I see he is the narrator I usually sigh a little - and then he proves me wrong by doing such a perfect job that I couldn't imagine another taking his place. Enjoy!
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2 people found this helpful
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- DaveNoID
- 10-11-15
Great older history
Book is very thorough, and I enjoyed the content very much. The narrators' voice is annoying. Imagine the very worst stereotypical British snob -- that's what you will be listening to. So, maybe try a sample first? Great history.
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- John
- 07-18-21
well researched and written with passion
The author takes a strong view on the place Richard Iii has been given in history. I loved the analysis of Two Princes in the tower mystery. intriguing but still a mystery nonetheless.
worth a listen
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- Felisa Kay
- 09-21-17
great.. only one complaint
I've read all the books from this author about the plantagenets. I love them they're informative well written expertly performed and normally his information is fair and objective gives you all sides and what likely happened. I only have a complaint, it's about his preference for Richard the third. it got very biased an a little inaccurate all the sudden. I was a little disappointed at that. he was very defensive of Richard, not that I completely disagree with him but I just think it was not in tune with the rest of the book and some of it was inaccurate. also, I guess some Info wasn't known when the book was wrote to be fair.
otherwise I recommend highly. even for a beginner all these books about the plantagenet. there excellent.
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