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The White Queen (Abridged): A Novel Audiobook
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(3.00) - 44,466 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The inspiration for the critically acclaimed Starz miniseries The White Queen, #1 New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory brings to life the extraordinary story of Elizabeth Woodville, a woman who rises from obscurity to become Queen of England, and changes the course of history forever.
Elizabeth Woodville is a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition. Her mother is Jacquetta, also known as the mystical lady of the rivers, and she is even more determined to bring power and wealth to the family line. While riding in the woods one day, Elizabeth captures the attentions of the newly crowned King Edward IV and, despite her common upbringing, marries him in secret.
When she is raised up to be his queen, the English court is outraged, but Elizabeth rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for her family’s dominance. Yet despite her best efforts, and even with the help of her mother’s powers, her two sons become pawns in a famous unsolved mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the lost princes in the Tower of London.
In this dazzling account of the deadly Wars of the Roses, brother turns on brother to win the ultimate prize: the throne of England.
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"I really liked this book, I never knew much about the Plantagenet's reign before reading and now I feel I have a general picture of each character. I liked the character of her daughter Elizabeth, how she has all these feelings for her uncle Richard in this book however we know that she does end up marrying Henry Tudor so it would be interesting to see how that worked out! I am already reading the Red Queen, and I hope it covers that area!"
— Gillian (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Of Woodville herself, Gregory makes a fascinating heroine; strong, ambitious, vengeful, beautiful and tinged with more than a hint of witchcraft. Popular history at its best.”
— Daily Mail -
“As with The Other Boleyn Girl, Gregory’s clever blend of fact and fiction is a lot racier than the average historical biography…her tale of Elizabeth Woodville’s tenacious fight for her family’s position during the Wars of the Roses oozes sex appeal and suspense.”
— Glamour -
“[The White Queen] is a well-told story, a kind of royal soap opera (but with strong factual underpinnings), richly detailed and fast moving. Gregory’s legion of fans will be delighted.”
— Booklist -
“Gregory shows a sure touch from beginning to end, weaving a compelling story with vivid characters.”
— Library Journal
The White Queen Listener Reviews
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" Read it but I can't remember it now... "
— Jennifer, 2/19/2014 -
" History with a twist - in this account of the war of the roses, Queen Elizabeth has a small amount of witchcraft. "
— Brian, 2/15/2014 -
" I listened to the abridged audio, so I'll give it 3 instead of 4 stars since I can't comment on the whole longer narrative, but I found it well paced and I was instantly interested in listening to the Red Queen (also in abridged audio, see a pattern?) Partially because she semi-introduces you to the "Red Queen" in this book, which piqued my interest to know her side of the story. "
— Julie, 2/1/2014 -
" Loved this book! Historical fiction at its finest. I wish I had read these books in Jr. High or High School so I would have had a better image of World History. "
— Mrs., 1/22/2014 -
" This book is not a easy read , although I did enjoy it . Interesting if you like that time in history. "
— Angela, 1/20/2014 -
" Compared to the rest of Gregory's books, I felt this read a bit like a biography. Still good, just not 5 star worthy IMO. "
— Terri, 1/14/2014 -
" Overall, I really loved this book. I must admit though, there were times when it would get boring and too much like a text book, but that wouldn't last long and I would be sucked back in. Mostly I give this four stars because the story itself is so intriguing. I never knew the price that was to be paid for a crown and the fact that this story is partly fact based make it all the more jaw-dropping. "
— Snow, 1/13/2014 -
" Served it's purpose for me. I needed something to explain the war of the roses to me like I was 5. It's kind of hard to believe full grown adults read these for fun. The characters are almost as bland as their Wikipedia articles. "
— April, 1/7/2014 -
" Can true beauty, love and witchcraft mix together for rule England? Only Elizabeth Woodville can understand what the requirements are that will contribute to making it work. "
— Jan, 1/3/2014 -
" Probably a 3.5 star, almost 4 for me. Perfect book for waiting around at soccer practices in the evenings with the boys! "
— Leslie, 11/27/2013 -
" Elizabeth Woodville marries the young king of England during the era of the Plantagenets. This is the story of the young woman, her rise to power and her young sons. "
— Julie, 8/24/2013 -
" For historical fiction Phillippa Gregory is the queen, her books are peerless in this caragory....must reads "
— Nicola, 8/14/2013 -
" Thought this was very dry and boring throughout most of it. It was like reading a restated history text with some fiction thrown in... "
— Sheila, 8/10/2013 -
" Did not finish it. Too boring for imo. "
— Bianca, 8/10/2013 -
" As much as I love so many of her other books, I had a very hard time with this one. Way too much detail about the wars themselves. "
— Jacqueline, 9/3/2012 -
" I want to go back to England now. After these books I just want to know more & more about what it was really like back then. "
— Senta, 7/12/2012 -
" This book was a little difficult to read without a genogram because of all the similar names; but once the reader gets all the characters straight, it is a good read. I find all Philippa Gregory's historical novels very well researched and entertaining. "
— Sharon, 6/28/2012 -
" Fascinating read. Really brought history to life. This is my first Phillipa Gregory and I will read many more! "
— Jennifer, 6/17/2012 -
" Also, not my favorite book from this author. Detailed but uninteresting. "
— Denise, 6/15/2012 -
" Much harder to read than other Philippa Gregory books, but still worth the read. The family tree at the beginning of the book does not include all characters, and so I felt like I had to keep looking it up on the web to remember who is married to who, parent to whom ect. "
— Britni, 12/1/2011 -
" Not as strong as "The other Boleyn Girl" "
— Nancy, 7/18/2011 -
" This book is ok. I didn't enjoy it as much as "The constant princess" or "The other Boelyn girl". It went a little to much into war for my liking. But still an interesting book. "
— Kristy, 5/30/2011 -
" Interesting story and period of history, but EW is not likeable and as the story is written in the first person that makes the book hard going. It improves as it goes on though. "
— Mrscordial, 5/30/2011 -
" Who needs enemy's when you have a family like this! "
— Rachee, 5/30/2011 -
" Enjoyed this historical novel very much. This brings alive an interesting period in British history. It shows how life at the top was risky depending on who held the balance of power at any given moment. "
— Clive, 5/27/2011 -
" I'm addicted to Philippa Gregory. Brilliant woman.<br/> "
— Cathleen, 5/26/2011 -
" INteresting because I knew vaguely of the 2 boys that were killed in the tower that were supposed to be heirs to the throne. In this era there is a lot of fighting and waiting which can get alittle mondane to read. "
— Theresa, 5/25/2011 -
" An enjoyable pesudo-history lesson. I liked the elements of magic and folklore. "
— Lauren, 5/25/2011 -
" Fantastic read! Elizabeth Rivers and Edward of York and constant wars. If you don't have the geniology of English monarchs down, Elizabeth is the mother of the princes in the tower. Phillippa Gregory has become one of my favorite authos. "
— Laurie, 5/23/2011 -
" Truly awful writing, reads like a tawdry dimestore romance. "
— JQ, 5/18/2011 -
" What an amazing book - such a good story and a fabulous account of the Plantagenates. Absolutely loved it and cant wait to read the next book The Red Queen. "
— Cherry, 5/18/2011 -
" I liked this book, did not love it. It seemed long at times but was still interesting throughout. Made someone who hates history enjoy reading about it. "
— Lara, 5/17/2011 -
" I enjoyed this book. It's a time period I did not know much about. The characters did not feel as developed as her Tudor series. It may be that I just know that period better. "
— Diane, 5/15/2011
About Philippa Gregory
Phillipa Gregory is an internationally bestselling author of historical novels whose success extends to the United States as well, where she is a #1 New York Times bestselling author. She earned her BA from the University of Sussex and a PhD in eighteenth-century literature from Edinburgh University, where she is a regent. Gregory is the author of the Wideacre trilogy, the Earthly Joys series, and the Plantagenet and Tudor novels, which include the enormously popular Other Boleyn Girl, of which there are over a million US copies in print. She is a fellow of the Universities of Sussex and Cardiff and was awarded the 2016 Harrogate Festival Award for Contribution to Historical Fiction.
About Bianca Amato
Bianca Amato, winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the Audie Award for best narration, is an actress born and raised in South Africa. Trained at the University of Cape Town’s Drama school, she went on to work in theater and television in South Africa before moving to New York in 2002.