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The Tudors: The Complete Story of England's Most Notorious Dynasty Audiobook
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(4.00) - 3,480 listener ratings
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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • For the first time in decades comes a fresh look at the fabled Tudor dynasty, comprising some of the most enigmatic figures ever to rule a country. “A thoroughly readable and often compelling narrative . . . Five centuries have not diminished the appetite for all things Tudor.”—Associated Press In 1485, young Henry Tudor, whose claim to the throne was so weak as to be almost laughable, crossed the English Channel from France at the head of a ragtag little army and took the crown from the family that had ruled England for almost four hundred years. Half a century later his son, Henry VIII, desperate to rid himself of his first wife in order to marry a second, launched a reign of terror aimed at taking powers no previous monarch had even dreamed of possessing. In the process he plunged his kingdom into generations of division and disorder, creating a legacy of blood and betrayal that would blight the lives of his children and the destiny of his country. The boy king Edward VI, a fervent believer in reforming the English church, died before bringing to fruition his dream of a second English Reformation. Mary I, the disgraced daughter of Catherine of Aragon, tried and failed to reestablish the Catholic Church and produce an heir. And finally came Elizabeth I, who devoted her life to creating an image of herself as Gloriana the Virgin Queen but, behind that mask, sacrificed all chance of personal happiness in order to survive. The Tudors weaves together all the sinners and saints, the tragedies and triumphs, the high dreams and dark crimes, that reveal the Tudor era to be, in its enthralling, notorious truth, as momentous and as fascinating as the fictions audiences have come to love. Praise for The Tudors “A rich and vibrant tapestry.”—The Star-Ledger “A thoroughly readable and often compelling narrative . . . Five centuries have not diminished the appetite for all things Tudor.”—Associated Press “Energetic and comprehensive . . . [a] sweeping history of the gloriously infamous Tudor era . . . Unlike the somewhat ponderous British biographies of the Henrys, Elizabeths, and Boleyns that seem to pop up perennially, The Tudors displays flashy, fresh irreverence [and cuts] to the quick of the action.”—Kirkus Reviews “[A] cheeky, nuanced, and authoritative perspective . . . brims with enriching background discussions.”—Publishers Weekly “[A] lively new history.”—Bloomberg
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"I enjoyed this immensely, but am biased because I am eternally fascinated by the Tudor Dynasty and its courts. This is a more in-depth history than usual for books on Tudor England--it begins with Henry Tudor sailing from France in 1485, and continues through the reign of Elizabeth I. I highly recommend it for people who enjoy British history, or want to learn more of the historical fact behind the television series "The Tudors.""
— Shelly (5 out of 5 stars)
The Tudors Listener Reviews
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" Compelling historical drama, and to think I'm of English ancestry. "
— Craig, 2/17/2014 -
" This is a very top-level book, and just gives an overview of the Tudors and some of the key players in their reigns of awfulness. Which for me was good, as I could barely keep anything straight as it was. So many lords and earls and "favorites" and priests and cardinals..and since you know the vast majority are doomed (Tudors not being ones for loyalty or sentiment), it's easy to just gloss over some of the action. "
— Anna, 2/15/2014 -
" Very accessible. I especially liked the "background" chapters. "
— Ingrid, 2/10/2014 -
" Very interesting and very in depth, sometimes exhaustively so. But a very knowledgeable and revealing account of some of the most infamous names in English history, the names you grow up hearing, but don't really know who they are. This book is most insightful in the honest and even gruesome truthfulness and the necessity to break the stereotypical understanding and see things for what they really were. "
— Stephanie, 2/9/2014 -
" This book took me forever to finish! It was a bit like reading a textbook, only slightly more engaging. I think I learned more from watching the racy TV show The Tudors than I did from this book. I realize the book is probably more accurate, but I found all the names and how they were related to each other impossible to keep straight while reading the book. And it seemed to me that the author was very biased. He seemed to be very pro-Mary/pro-Catholic (doesn't understand why she was called "Bloody Mary") and very anti-Elizabeth/anti-Protestant (says all negative things about her, and no positive). I did, however, gain an enlightened perspective on why Protestantism formed and why we believe what we believe and why America was formed and why freedom of speech and freedom of religion and "innocent until proven guilty" are so important. For those reasons alone, I am very glad I read this book. "
— Summer, 2/2/2014 -
" Contained a lot of information about the lives and the times of the Tudor monarchs. Interesting, but a bit dry at times. "
— Olympia, 1/9/2014 -
" Just a horrible bunch of people to have as your nation's rulers. Eye opening profile of Elizabeth I especially - Hollywood's depictions of her have really burnished her reputation to an unjustifiable degree. The "Elizabethan" era? Miserable for almost everyone except the Queen herself. The family was really quite gangsta. "
— David, 1/8/2014 -
" One of the best documentaries I have read. "
— Jordan, 1/6/2014 -
" I thought it was a good compact history of the Tudors. "
— Shandie, 12/30/2013 -
" Interesting but I didn't think it was spectacular "
— Catherine, 12/18/2013 -
" I don't know why, but the I find the Tudor dynasty endlessly fascinating. "
— Jarrett, 11/21/2013 -
" Good history but jumped around too much chronologically for my taste. "
— Ashley, 11/14/2013 -
" Meyer attempts to de-gild the lily as it were in this repudiation of the Tudor myth that, in his opinion, has been perpetuated by many previous historians. Found this warts an' all history of the Tudors good but somewhat truncated. "
— Edmund, 7/27/2013 -
" Very interesting and readable, but the format of alternating chapters of narrative and background was sometimes disruptive to my train of thought. Definite recommend, though! "
— Rebecca, 7/5/2013 -
" Hoo boy, someone sure hates himself some uppity Protestant queens. "
— Stef, 5/11/2013 -
" A different view of the Tudor, especially the "Elizabethan" age, if you are interested in the period, definitely a must read. "
— Greg, 10/29/2012 -
" I enjoy historical novels, and this one makes the people come alive. "
— Martha, 8/10/2012 -
" This is an excellent and well written book, which tells an in-depth story about some of the worst people you've ever heard of in your life. "
— Joe, 7/11/2012 -
" This was very interesting...but it is still a history book. I only made it about halfway, but I'll have to pick it back up when there are less exciting fiction reads on the horizon. "
— Shannon, 5/10/2012 -
" I thought it was pretty good all together. Parts of Henry VIII's reign got a bit dull and I wish there would have been more on Henry VII, Edward VI, Jane Grey, and Mary I, but I did learn quite a lot and I enjoyed it. "
— Meghan, 4/9/2011 -
" The book is good, but the author has arranged it jarringly, with every other section giving "background" on some facet of Tudor/English life. Takes away from the narrative. "
— Callmemel, 4/1/2011 -
" This is more of a historical text book, then a historical novel. However, I am obsessed by the Tudors and continually seek to learn more about them. Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth, Mary Queen of Scots.....always of interest. "
— Toni, 2/19/2011 -
" Overall excellent, however, a little dry. Certainly saw Henry VIII as the tyrant he was and not the colorful character one often envisions in some books. Well worth reading. "
— Booksrock, 2/6/2011
About G. J. Meyer
G. J. Meyer is a professional writer whose bylines have appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Harper’s, and many other newspapers and magazines. While working for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, he was awarded a Nieman Fellowship by Harvard University. He is the New York Times bestselling author of The Tudors, the Edgar Award–winning The Memphis Murders, and other works. He lives in Wiltshire, England, and is currently at work on his next book, The Borgias.
About Robin Sachs
Robin Sachs (1951–2013), actor and narrator, was raised in London and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. His audiobook narrations earned ten Earphones Awards. His acting credits include Alias, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dynasty, Nowhere Man, Babylon 5, Diagnosis Murder, Galaxy Quest, Northfork, Ocean’s 11, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, and Megalodon.