Republic
Britain's Revolutionary Decade, 1649–1660
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Narrated by:
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Sophie Roberts
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By:
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Alice Hunt
About this listen
A biography of a daring and an unprecedented decade: the 1650s
Events moved fast in the 1650s. Something cataclysmic happened every year, something that would thrust the newly formed republic, its people, and its eventual 'Lord Protector' Oliver Cromwell, in an entirely new direction. It was a time of bewildering change and uncertainty, but it was also a time of innovation and opportunity. And, for the men and women who lived through these years, this period was certainly not an 'interregnum'. The restoration of Charles II in 1660 was not inevitable, nor was it welcomed by everyone.
England's unique republican experiment - imposed on Scotland and Ireland, too - may have been shortlived, but it has had a lasting impact on British monarchy, politics, religion and culture, and on the story the British continue to tell about themselves. It is a period that, for a long time, history chose to forget, or recalled as a failure. Here, in thrilling detail, Alice Hunt brings the republic and its extraordinary cast of characters, from politicians to poets and prophets, back to life.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2024 Alice Hunt (P)2024 Faber & FaberListeners also enjoyed...
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By: Henry Reece
-
On a Knife Edge: How Germany Lost the First World War
- Cambridge Military Histories
- By: Holger Afflerbach, Anne Buckley - translator, Caroline Summers - translator
- Narrated by: Elliot Fitzpatrick
- Length: 21 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Was the outcome of the First World War on a knife edge? In this major new account of German wartime politics and strategy Holger Afflerbach argues that the outcome of the war was actually in the balance until relatively late in the war. Using new evidence from diaries, letters, and memoirs, he fundamentally revises our understanding of German strategy from the decision to go to war and the failure of the western offensive to the radicalization of Germany's war effort under Hindenburg and Ludendorff and the ultimate collapse of the Central Powers.
By: Holger Afflerbach, and others
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Emperor of the Seas
- Kublai Khan and the Making of China
- By: Jack Weatherford
- Narrated by: Mark Elstob
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Genghis Khan built a formidable land empire, but he never crossed the sea. Yet by the time his grandson Kublai Khan had defeated the last vestiges of the Song empire and established the Yuan dynasty in 1279, the Mongols controlled the most powerful navy in the world. How did a nomad come to conquer China and master the sea? Based on ten years of research and a lifetime of immersion in Mongol culture and tradition, Emperor of the Seas brings this little-known story vibrantly to life.
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Awesome
- By Rubin on 12-30-24
By: Jack Weatherford
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Italy Reborn
- From Fascism to Democracy
- By: Mark Gilbert
- Narrated by: Michael Langan
- Length: 18 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In 1945, post-fascist Italy was devastated by war, and its reputation in the international arena was nil. Yet by December 1955, when Italy was admitted to the United Nations, the nation had contested three acrimonious but free general elections, had a flourishing press, and was a leader in the rebuilding of Europe.
By: Mark Gilbert
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The Blazing World
- A New History of Revolutionary England, 1603-1689
- By: Jonathan Healey
- Narrated by: Oliver Hembrough
- Length: 19 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The seventeenth century was a revolutionary age for the English. It started as they suddenly found themselves ruled by a Scotsman, and it ended in the shadow of an invasion by the Dutch. Under James I, England suffered terrorism and witch panics. Under his son Charles, state and society collapsed into civil war, to be followed by an army coup and regicide. For a short time—for the only time in history—England was a republic. There were bitter struggles over faith and Parliament asserted itself like never before. There were no boundaries to politics.
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Been looking for this book for a long time
- By cmurrell on 07-30-23
By: Jonathan Healey
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The Making of Oliver Cromwell
- By: Ronald Hutton
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 13 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) - the only English commoner to become the overall head of state - is one of the great figures of history, but his character was very complex. He was at once courageous and devout, devious and self-serving; as a parliamentarian, he was devoted to his cause; as a soldier, he was ruthless. Cromwell's speeches and writings surpass in quantity those of any other ruler of England before Victoria, and, for those seeking to understand him, he has usually been taken at his word. In this remarkable new work, Ronald Hutton untangles the facts from the fiction.
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Very specialized
- By Draperbart on 04-23-22
By: Ronald Hutton
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The Fall
- Last Days of the English Republic
- By: Henry Reece
- Narrated by: Richard Trinder
- Length: 15 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Oliver Cromwell's death in 1658 sparked a period of unrivaled turmoil and confusion in English history. In less than two years, there were close to ten changes of government; rival armies of Englishmen faced each other across the Scottish border; and the Long Parliament was finally dissolved after two decades. Why was this period so turbulent, and why did the republic, backed by a formidable standing army, come crashing down in such spectacular fashion?
By: Henry Reece
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On a Knife Edge: How Germany Lost the First World War
- Cambridge Military Histories
- By: Holger Afflerbach, Anne Buckley - translator, Caroline Summers - translator
- Narrated by: Elliot Fitzpatrick
- Length: 21 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Was the outcome of the First World War on a knife edge? In this major new account of German wartime politics and strategy Holger Afflerbach argues that the outcome of the war was actually in the balance until relatively late in the war. Using new evidence from diaries, letters, and memoirs, he fundamentally revises our understanding of German strategy from the decision to go to war and the failure of the western offensive to the radicalization of Germany's war effort under Hindenburg and Ludendorff and the ultimate collapse of the Central Powers.
By: Holger Afflerbach, and others
-
Emperor of the Seas
- Kublai Khan and the Making of China
- By: Jack Weatherford
- Narrated by: Mark Elstob
- Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Genghis Khan built a formidable land empire, but he never crossed the sea. Yet by the time his grandson Kublai Khan had defeated the last vestiges of the Song empire and established the Yuan dynasty in 1279, the Mongols controlled the most powerful navy in the world. How did a nomad come to conquer China and master the sea? Based on ten years of research and a lifetime of immersion in Mongol culture and tradition, Emperor of the Seas brings this little-known story vibrantly to life.
-
-
Awesome
- By Rubin on 12-30-24
By: Jack Weatherford
-
Italy Reborn
- From Fascism to Democracy
- By: Mark Gilbert
- Narrated by: Michael Langan
- Length: 18 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1945, post-fascist Italy was devastated by war, and its reputation in the international arena was nil. Yet by December 1955, when Italy was admitted to the United Nations, the nation had contested three acrimonious but free general elections, had a flourishing press, and was a leader in the rebuilding of Europe.
By: Mark Gilbert
-
The Blazing World
- A New History of Revolutionary England, 1603-1689
- By: Jonathan Healey
- Narrated by: Oliver Hembrough
- Length: 19 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The seventeenth century was a revolutionary age for the English. It started as they suddenly found themselves ruled by a Scotsman, and it ended in the shadow of an invasion by the Dutch. Under James I, England suffered terrorism and witch panics. Under his son Charles, state and society collapsed into civil war, to be followed by an army coup and regicide. For a short time—for the only time in history—England was a republic. There were bitter struggles over faith and Parliament asserted itself like never before. There were no boundaries to politics.
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Been looking for this book for a long time
- By cmurrell on 07-30-23
By: Jonathan Healey
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The Eagle and the Hart
- The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV
- By: Helen Castor
- Narrated by: Helen Castor
- Length: 20 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Richard of Bordeaux and Henry of Bolingbroke, cousins born just three months apart, were ten years old when Richard became king of England. They were thirty-two when Henry deposed him and became king in his place. Now, the story behind one of the strangest and most fateful events in English history (and the inspiration behind Shakespeare’s most celebrated history plays) is brought to vivid life by the acclaimed author of Blood and Roses, Helen Castor.
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A thrilling read
- By Rich C on 11-30-24
By: Helen Castor
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The House of War
- The Struggle between Christendom and the Caliphate
- By: Sir Simon Mayall
- Narrated by: Sir Simon Mayall
- Length: 15 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
From the taking of the holy city of Jerusalem in the 7th century AD by Caliph Umar, to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire following the end of World War I, Christian popes, emperors and kings, and Muslim caliphs and sultans were locked in a 1300-year battle for political, military, ideological, economic and religious supremacy. The House of War offers a wide, sweeping narrative, encompassing the broad historical and religious context of this period, while focussing on some of the key, pivotal sieges and battles, and on the protagonists, political and military.
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A Fresh View of War
- By Rebecca Hill on 01-17-25
By: Sir Simon Mayall
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The English Civil Wars
- 1640-1660
- By: Blair Worden
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Length: 5 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The political upheaval of the mid-17th century has no parallel in English history. Other events have changed the occupancy and the powers of the throne, but the conflict of 1640-60 was more dramatic: The monarchy and the House of Lords were abolished, to be replaced by a republic and military rule. In this wonderfully listenable account, Blair Worden explores the events of this period and their origins while aiming to reveal something more elusive: the motivations of contemporaries on both sides and the concerns of later generations.
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Whistle stop tour of the English civil war
- By John Birkhead on 01-30-23
By: Blair Worden
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To Run the World
- The Kremlin's Cold War Bid for Global Power
- By: Sergey Radchenko
- Narrated by: Daniel Henning
- Length: 30 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In this new history of the conflict that defined the postwar era, Sergey Radchenko provides a deep dive into the psychology of the Kremlin's decision-making. He reveals how the Soviet struggle with the United States and China reflected its irreconcilable ambitions as a self-proclaimed superpower and the leader of global revolution. This tension drove Soviet policies from Stalin's postwar scramble for territory to Khrushchev's reckless overseas adventurism and nuclear brinksmanship, Brezhnev's jockeying for influence in the third world, and Gorbachev's failed attempts to reinvent Moscow.
By: Sergey Radchenko
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Vertigo
- The Rise and Fall of Weimar Germany
- By: Harald Jähner
- Narrated by: Sam Peter Jackson
- Length: 14 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Out of the ashes of the First World War, Germany launched an unprecedented political project: its first democratic government. The Weimar Republic, named for the city where it was established, endured for only fifteen years before it was toppled by the insurgent Nazi Party in 1933. In Vertigo, prizewinning historian Harald Jähner tells the Republic’s full story, capturing a nation caught in a whirlwind of uncertainty and struggling toward a better future.
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How. Did It Happen?
- By Bettyb on 10-19-24
By: Harald Jähner
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The Revolutionary Temper
- Paris, 1748-1789
- By: Robert Darnton
- Narrated by: Andrew J. Andersen
- Length: 21 hrs
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When a Parisian crowd stormed the Bastille in July 1789, it triggered an event of global consequence: the overthrow of the monarchy and the birth of a new society. Most historians account for the French Revolution by viewing it in retrospect as the outcome of underlying conditions such as a faltering economy, social tensions, or the influence of Enlightenment thought. But what did Parisians themselves think they were doing—how did they understand their world? What were the motivations and aspirations that guided their actions?
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TERRIBLE NARRATOR. can't speak French.
- By M. Hayes on 10-22-24
By: Robert Darnton
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Hunting the Falcon
- Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, and the Marriage That Shook Europe
- By: John Guy, Julia Fox
- Narrated by: Stephanie Racine
- Length: 17 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Hunting the Falcon is the story of how Henry VIII’s obsessive desire for Anne Boleyn changed him and his country forever. John Guy and Julia Fox, two of the most acclaimed and distinguished historians of this period, have joined forces to present Anne and Henry in startlingly new ways.
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Superb book and superb narration!
- By Buffy Martin Tarbox on 11-01-23
By: John Guy, and others
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Paris '44
- The Shame and the Glory
- By: Patrick Bishop
- Narrated by: Peter Noble
- Length: 14 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The fall of Paris to the Nazis in June 1940 seemed like the darkest day of the Second World War; and the liberation of the city in August 1944 felt like the brightest. The liberation was a hinge moment of immense significance for the twentieth century, heralding the final victory of light over darkness and opening the door to a future free from fear. It was also the party of the century. This happy ending has come to feel as if it was pre-ordained. But there was nothing inevitable about it.
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There are better historical accounts of the period
- By David Enzel on 08-23-24
By: Patrick Bishop
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Charlie Brown's Christmas Miracle
- The Inspiring, Untold Story of the Making of a Holiday Classic
- By: Michael Keane
- Narrated by: Allan Robertson
- Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Professor and cultural historian Michael Keane reveals much in this nostalgia-inducing book packed with original research and interviews. Keane compellingly shows that the ultimate broadcast of the Christmas special—given its incredibly tight five-month production schedule and the decidedly unfavorable reception it received by the skeptical network executives who first screened it—was nothing short of a miracle. Keane explains why the show, despite its technical shortcomings, has become an uplifting and enduring triumph embraced by millions of families every Christmas season.
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Just a string of biographies
- By DLR on 12-12-23
By: Michael Keane
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Winters in the World
- A Journey Through the Anglo-Saxon Year
- By: Eleanor Parker
- Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Winters in the World is a beautifully observed journey through the cycle of the year in Anglo-Saxon England, exploring the festivals, customs, and traditions linked to the different seasons. Drawing on a wide variety of source material, including poetry, histories, and religious literature, Eleanor Parker investigates how Anglo-Saxons felt about the annual passing of the seasons and the profound relationship they saw between human life and the rhythms of nature.
By: Eleanor Parker
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Hero City
- Leningrad 1943–44
- By: Prit Buttar
- Narrated by: Gordon Griffin
- Length: 22 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
At the height of World War II the people of Leningrad endured a bitter 900-day siege. Prit Buttar tells the story of how the siege was finally broken. The Red Army had suffered multiple setbacks in the preceding two years but achieved a partial success by breaking the blockage in early 1943. However, this was followed by further failed attempts to lift the siege completely. This compelling history uses original Russian source material to vividly describe the deprivations visited upon those trapped. But it also details the tactical successes and strategic failures of both sides.
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Another great Prit Buttar book
- By Gary on 10-13-24
By: Prit Buttar
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In France Profound
- The Long History of a House, a Mountain Town, and a People
- By: T. D. Allman
- Narrated by: Graham Halstead
- Length: 15 hrs
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In prose as crystalline as his view to the Pyrenees on a clear day, Allman animates Lauzerte and its surrounding communities—Cahors, Moissac, Montauban—all ever in thrall to the magnetic impulse of Paris. Witness to so many dramas over the centuries, his house comes alive as a historical protagonist in its own right, from its wine-cellar cave to the roof where he wages futile battle with pigeons, to the life lessons it conveys. “The onward march of history, my House keeps demonstrating, never takes a rest,” he observes, pulling us vividly into his world.
By: T. D. Allman