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Lancaster and York
- The Wars of the Roses
- Narrated by: Maggie Mash
- Length: 22 hrs and 9 mins
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Publisher's summary
Lancater and York is a riveting account of the Wars of the Roses, from the beloved and best-selling 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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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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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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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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A Great and Terrible King
- Edward I and the Forging of Britain
- By: Marc Morris
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 18 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Edward I is familiar to millions as "Longshanks", conqueror of Scotland and nemesis of Sir William Wallace (in Braveheart). Yet this story forms only the final chapter of the king's action-packed life. Earlier, Edward had defeated and killed the famous Simon de Montfort, traveled to the Holy Land, and conquered Wales. He raised the greatest armies of the Middle Ages and summoned the largest parliaments. Notoriously, he expelled all the Jews from his kingdom.
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Fascinating book
- By Mary Elizabeth Reynolds on 04-13-15
By: Marc Morris
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Eminence
- Cardinal Richelieu and the Rise of France
- By: Jean-Vincent Blanchard
- Narrated by: Mary Kane
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Chief minister to King Louis XIII, Cardinal Richelieu was the architect of a new France in the 17th century, and the force behind the nation's rise as a European power. Among the first statesmen to clearly understand the necessity of a balance of powers, he was one of the early realist politicians, practicing in the wake of Niccol Machiavelli. Truly larger than life, he has captured the imagination of generations, both through his own story and through his portrayal as a ruthless political mastermind in Alexandre Dumas's classic The Three Musketeers.
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Great story boringly told
- By pete k on 09-19-16
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The Wars of the Roses: A Captivating Guide to the English Civil Wars That Brought down the Plantagenet Dynasty and Put the Tudors on the Throne
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Desmond Manny
- Length: 3 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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The Wars of the Roses were a complex set of battles, skirmishes, and kidnappings during the 15th century in England. They had their roots in the nearby Civil War of France, which greatly influenced English politics for years to come. Though there is no one universally-accepted start or end date for these wars, the major events throughout the wars occurred between 1455 and 1485.
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Atrocious narration, poor timing, not recommended
- By B. on 01-21-19
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Heretic Queen
- Queen Elizabeth I and the Wars of Religion
- By: Susan Ronald
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Acclaimed biographer Susan Ronald delivers a stunning account of Elizabeth I that focuses on her role in the Wars of Religion - the battle between Protestantism and Catholicism that tore Europe apart in the sixteenth century. Elizabeth’s 1558 coronation procession was met with an extravagant outpouring of love. Only 25 years old, the young queen saw herself as the nation’s Protestant savior, aiming to provide new hope, prosperity, and independence from the foreign influence that had plagued her sister Mary’s reign. Given the scars of the Reformation, Elizabeth would need all of the powers of diplomacy and tact she could summon.
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a thorough history of a great lady
- By Angelus56 on 07-24-18
By: Susan Ronald
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Crown & Sceptre
- A New History of the British Monarchy, from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II
- By: Tracy Borman
- Narrated by: Tracy Borman
- Length: 20 hrs and 16 mins
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Since William the Conqueror, duke of Normandy, crossed the English Channel in 1066 to defeat King Harold II and unite England’s various kingdoms, 41 kings and queens have sat on Britain’s throne. “Shining examples of royal power and majesty alongside a rogue’s gallery of weak, lazy, or evil monarchs,” as Tracy Borman describes them in her sparkling chronicle, Crown & Sceptre.
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Great book for those new to the monarchy
- By Chris Corsini on 04-05-22
By: Tracy Borman
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Elizabeth
- The Forgotten Years
- By: John Guy
- Narrated by: Alex Jennings
- Length: 17 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Elizabeth was crowned at 25 after a tempestuous childhood as a bastard and an outcast, but it was only when she reached 50 and all hopes of a royal marriage were dashed that she began to wield real power in her own right. For 25 years she had struggled to assert her authority over advisers who pressed her to marry and settle the succession; now, she was determined not only to reign but also to rule.
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worth the credit
- By Lesley on 04-19-17
By: John Guy
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Katherine Woodville's sister never gave her a choice. A happy girl of modest means, Kate hardly expected to become a maker of kings. But when her sister impulsively marries King Edward IV in secret, Katherine's life is no longer hers to control....
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thrilling
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Henry IV
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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
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What listeners say about Lancaster and York
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- CT Bravo
- 07-01-19
Brilliant and Riveting!
Another well researched and brilliantly written Alison Weir novel with new details woven together with intricately stitched golden threads of new dimensions to well known historical figures. Weir never fails to keep me intrigued and Maggie Mash’s colorful narration creates new facets in this well executed and riveting production of love, revenge, ambition, political stealth, brutal betrayal and so much more.
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- Alfred Matheson
- 12-08-17
Good read
Accents by the narrarator were unnecessary, and pacing was a touch slow for my taste, but overall well delivered.
The book itself is generally unbiased, if clearly critical of York, Lancaster and Tudor. I was a bit annoyed, as I had hoped the book continues farther a few years to include Bosworth, but I still enjoyed the finish.
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7 people found this helpful
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- Heather Hennessee
- 01-23-23
Fascinating listen, terrible narrator
Wonderful history with amazing researched detail. I learned so much and listened 2-3 times. I hated the narrator, though. While I understand the need to change intonation to differentiate speakers, especially when quoting, this borders on clownish theater. I loved the content, but the narrator and all her “voices” added nothing and really detracted from the content.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Neil Chisholm
- 08-09-12
Medieval Murder and Mayhem
The time before the Tudors has always confused me - its a turbulent history of different dynasties deposing kings and restorations, of genealogies and bloody battles. The Tower of London the main prison at that time almost had a revolving door on it!
It intrigued me but remained confused - not so after Alison Weir's book. I was riveted and hung on every sentence as the political ambitions were explained as were why and how thing happened in the sequence they did. Weir obviously did extensive research and it showed but not in a negative learned way but in precise and clear explanations.
My only criticisms were the annoying translation of pounds, shillings and pence into modern pounds and "pees" but leaving Marks and Livres totally untranslated to modern amounts and Maggie Mash's accents grated occasionally.
I recommend this book to those who love old English history and a jolly good tale of medieval murder and mayhem.
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28 people found this helpful
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- JayHey
- 05-27-20
An interesting history marred by narrator
Alison Weir's histories are usually well researched and written, so I was happy to get this. But the narrator, Maggie Marsh, does great disservice to the text. While a good narrator will use some vocal clues to point up changes of voice in a reading, Ms. Marsh uses broad "accents" that border on characature - perhaps sliding into offensive. This is distracting and does not make the narration better, in fact I'm suprised that a director or the author let it slide by.
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6 people found this helpful
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- C. Alarcon
- 04-18-22
Well researched but...
The narrator's constant theatrical shift in voice made it very difficult to enjoy. The author crafted an interesting and worthwhile book. This is one of the few times I regret getting the audio version over the hardcopy version.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Allison
- 08-15-18
Good but dense
The narrator did a great job and the history was interesting, but it was fairly dense and sometimes hard to keep the Lords straight, especially when they were only referred to by their seats.
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Overall
- Katy of Bookopolis
- 08-14-18
Never Could have Gotten Thru this book without Audible
Extremely detailed account of the intrigues, treacheries, murders, and rebellions collectively called the Wars of the Roses. If I had attempted to read this book, I'm sure I would not have finished it. Lots of place names and names of Dukes, Earls, kings, etc. made it challenging, but listening vs. reading made a huge difference. The reader did a marvelous job and was easy to listen to. She used different voices when reading quotes, of which there were many, and this helped a lot in following the narrative. I feel very well informed now, about the second half of the 15th century in England. It must have been a hard life for those who managed to die a natural death. For the many who died in battles, or who were decapitated, drawn and quartered, and had their head stuck in a pike for all the town to see, being on the losing side was to be avoided at all costs.
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- BVerité
- 12-19-18
Strange voices...
One of Alison Weir’s most interesting histories- I say this bc I already read so much about War of the Roses, yet she still had me on edge of my seat. Weir is one of the finest writers of popular history.
Ok. Now I have to tackle the narration issue: First, I’ve listened to Maggie Mash so many times, and she is an excellent narrator. She has a beautiful natural voice and when she uses it in this book, it’s lovely.
However, she makes an extremely odd choice (considering this is History and not a bedtime children’s story) of using fake accented voices for direct quotations. Venetian envoys, French diplomats, even English court justices, all have distinct “character” voices that are absolutely ludicrous and, unfortunately, very annoying.
I still finished this book and loved it. I just wish Ms Mash hadn’t made the choice to use bad character voices and foreign accents for every quote in this book.
Finally I once again make a plea to Audible: I’ve been begging continually for 5+ years. Please record “The Princes in the Tower”. It is one of the most important of Weir’s books and is mentioned in the preface of this one. I can’t believe it’s not been recorded already...
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- Linda Erlich
- 09-14-18
New insights into the Cousin's War
I really enjoyed this book about the events leading up to and the early years of the War of the Roses. Most authors start with the reign of Henry VI, however Ms. Weir starts earlier with the reign of Henry IV and the beginning of the Houses of Lancaster and York, all decedents of John of Gaunt. Given this perspective one is allowed to understand the family conflicts that lead to the war. This perspective on the story gives us new insight into why it is indeed the Cousin's War.
Previous reviewers have commented negatively on Ms. Mash's narration due to her use of accents. I do agree that they were grating, especially since they were mostly used for phrases within a sentence. However, we must remember that things such as the use of accents and the placement of these accents falls within the purview of the director not the narrator. The director is responsible for this decision, not the reader. On the whole I have always enjoyed Ms. Mash's narration of books and I will not hold the director's decision against her.
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