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The Winter King (Abridged): A Novel of Arthur Audiobook
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(3.04) - 656 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
It takes a remarkable writer to make an old story as fresh and compelling as the first time we heard it. With The Winter King, the first volume of his magnificent Warlord Chronicles, Bernard Cornwell finally turns to the story he was born to write: the mythic saga of King Arthur.
The tale begins in Dark Age Britain, a land where Arthur has been banished and Merlin has disappeared, where a child-king sits unprotected on the throne, where religion vies with magic for the souls of the people. It is to this desperate land that Arthur returns, a man at once utterly human and truly heroic: a man of honor, loyalty, and amazing valor; a man who loves Guinevere more passionately than he should; a man whose life is at once tragic and triumphant.
As Arthur fights to keep a flicker of civilization alive in a barbaric world, Bernard Cornwell makes a familiar tale into a legend all over again.
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"A remarkable book about the beginning of the Tudor Dynasty. The book reflects the wealth of research undertaken by the author, but It is never boring or turgid. As you read through the chapters you begin to feel and smell the oppressive court of Henry VII. In reality, At the root of all the oppression was the real problem that Henry VIi had no right to the throne and he knew it, he was the usurper. Henry VII lived his whole reign living in fear of other legitimate and non-legitimate claims to the throne he had claimed. This coloured everything he did and as a result, he trusted no one and ruled the country withman iron fist, twisting and abusing the laws of the land to amass a personal fortune and keep everyone in check. Everyone was at risk, and all who surrounded him at Court knew it. Henry VII thrived on causing fear disorienation and oppression. This book is a remarkable and detailed account of that time and gives a real flavour of the constant fear and oppression wrought by this Machiavellian king. For anyone interested in history, and especially Tudor history, I would highly recommend this book."
— Audrey (5 out of 5 stars)
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“Cornwell takes us into the world of mystery, adventure, passion, and love with exquisite skill. This is a riveting, heart-topping tale that will enchant all those who read it.”
— Deepak Chopra, New York Times bestselling author -
“Without smoke and mirrors, the magic in The Winter King is conjured within the human heart.”
— People -
“The strength of the tale lies in the way Cornwell tells it through the creation of flesh-and-blood players who make a historical period come magically alive.”
— Washington Post -
“Great battle scenes and brilliant political intrigue swirl about a cast of legendary but very human characters. The redoubtable Cornwell strikes again.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
The Winter King Listener Reviews
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" Fascinating look at the start of a dynasty. "
— Karen, 2/4/2014 -
" This is beautifully written history that reads like a novel. The first half of Henry VII's reign had the makings of a Shakespeare history; the second half had the makings of a David Chase show. Once Henry secured his throne against claimants and pretenders, he ran England like Tony Soprano ran North Jersey. Thomas Penn nicely explains the career of an arguably transformative figure in English history. "
— Randy, 12/30/2013 -
" Whew! Well, the author did a good job with his material, and most of it was pretty interesting, but by three-quarters through I just wanted that wretched, rapacious, horrible Henry VII to just Hurry Up and Die Already. Oh. my. word. What a nasty man. Actually, almost everyone in this was to some degree loathsome. Except Henry's wife, Elizabeth. She seemed nice. However, I really did enjoy most of the book -- the political maneuvering and shifts in power (mostly into the hands of the king and his advisers) were well described. If I'd rated this on page 250, before I got fed up, I'd have given it four stars. "
— Melora, 12/7/2013 -
" An engagingly written history of the first Tudor King. I recommend it to any buff of English Royal History. "
— Misteeyed, 11/19/2013 -
" Superb history. Now I need to re-read Wolf Hall and BB the Bodies! Never thought I was very interested in the Tudors until now. "
— Janis, 11/1/2013 -
" Well-researched - academically robust yet immensely readable. "
— Dinah, 8/1/2013 -
" Brilliant! The dawn of he Tudor dynasty has gotten short shrift "
— E, 3/11/2013 -
" An illuminating biography of Henry VIII's father Henry VIII, reading this book was like reading a prequel to all the Tudor books I've ever read. Compelling, well-written, and fascinating, I would recommend this to Tudor and medieval England fans. "
— Randi, 11/30/2012 -
" i really liked the flow of this book. I hope to read of this author. "
— Marcy, 10/15/2012 -
" Very detailed, perhaps overly so. Nevertheless, an interesting journey through Henry VII's reign. "
— Steven, 8/22/2012 -
" I liked it. It filled in the blanks "
— Bernie, 5/6/2012 -
" Interesting read though I thought perhaps a little bit too much about Henry the VIII..... "
— Philippa, 11/17/2011 -
" The first and third parts were quite interesting, but the middle dragged considerably. The organization of the material was a bit confusing: neither quite chronological nor thematic. "
— Mariesa, 9/16/2011 -
" well worth reading for anyone interested in Tudor history. A little documented part of the dynasty, and a nice reminder that it did not begin with Henry VIII. "
— Becky, 7/15/2011 -
" I enjoyed this book, which I had taken initially to be a fictional account. It is well researched and written and brings the period and the characters of Henry VII's court to life. There were one or two false notes which annoyed me at the time but overall highly recommended. "
— Chris, 6/25/2011 -
" Absolutely loved the way Merlin and his assistant were portrayed in this story. "
— Basil, 6/24/2011 -
" Great historical fiction. Very violent but gripping and hard to put down. "
— Sean, 6/18/2011 -
" Esse livro tem uns trechos meio lamacentos, principalmente quando foca na infância do Issa. Coisa desse autor... pra contar a história do Arthur ele usa o Issa, pra contar a história do Lorde Wellington ele usa o Sharpe... "
— Joaquimposses, 6/15/2011 -
" Lo stravolgimento di tutto quello che si è raccontato della saga di Artù di Camelot. Lascia un po' perplessi all'inizio, ma superati i pregiudizi "scorre" molto bene. Crudo, violento e cinico in molti punti. "
— Alessandro, 6/13/2011 -
" The first book of the Arthur Triology.. No book has been so wonderfully written and Bernard Cornwell makes the read even better with every book in the triology. Another MUST HAVE for my SHELF "
— Angha, 6/10/2011 -
" Cornwell the king of historical fiction. "
— Vicki, 6/7/2011 -
" Love this triligy have already read it once and have just finnished it again. "
— Nicole, 6/5/2011 -
" This was my first Bernard Cornwell book but will not be the last. A well told version of the Arthur story that is more plausible than most. The writing is excellent, I can see why this book came so highly recommended. "
— Christy, 3/30/2011 -
" The best tale of King Arthur I have read. 3 book series. Highly recommended if you love the tales of King Arthur. "
— Ladydana0, 3/28/2011 -
" These books were ok on the Arthurian legend. "
— Ice, 3/9/2011 -
" This was a purely enjoyable retelling of the Arthurian legend. It was rich with detail, though it lacked the character magnetism that Cornwell produced in the Saxon Tales. Nevertheless, I'm on board for the next two entries in the Trilogy; Enemy of God, and, Excalibur.<br/><br/> "
— Patrick, 2/16/2011
About Bernard Cornwell
Bernard Cornwell, born in London, worked for the BBC and Thames Television before coming to the United States to write full time. His sweeping historical novels, including the acclaimed Richard Sharpe series and many more, make him a number one bestselling author in the United Kingdom and around the world. He is the author of the acclaimed New York Times bestselling Saxon Tales series, which serves as the basis for the hit television series The Last Kingdom.
About Tim Pigott-Smith
Tim Pigott-Smith is an award-winning English actor of film, television, and stage and an audiobook narrator. He has narrated several notable television documentaries, including Crimes That Shook the World. He has won two AudioFile Earphones Awards, for The Honorary Consul by Graham Greene and The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyesvky. He was a three-time finalist for the 2006 Audie Award for Best Original Work for the three-part Eyewitness series by Joanna Burke. His film career includes roles in major motion pictures, including V for Vendetta, Quantum of Solace, The Remains of the Day, Gangs of New York, and more. His numerous television credits include Downton Abbey, The Jewel in the Crown, and North and South. He is also a noted radio actor, appearing in many productions on BBC Radio 4, and a regular stage actor in Shakespearean and Greek roles.