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A Brief History of Brief Lives of the English Monarchs

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A Brief History of Brief Lives of the English Monarchs

By: Carolly Erickson
Narrated by: Roger Davis
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Summary

This audiobook contains sharp and enjoyable new portraits of the English kings and queens. Hunchbacked Richard III, the Virgin Queen Elizabeth I, the grieving widow Victoria, and the romantic who gave up his throne for love, Edward VIII - often the colourful kings and queens of England seem like mere caricature, while less familiar rulers like William IV or Henry VI have faded into the shadows of history.

Carolly Erickson's sensitive and revealing portrayals bring new life to the big names, and light up some of our most neglected but intriguing royals. Here is the puny Charles I, nervous, tense and socially awkward, the frail slight Richard II, melancholic and sad, the homosexual James I with his handsome favourites, and the stuttering William II. Every monarch from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II is covered. Award-winning historian Erickson tells the human stories with her characteristic blend of authenticity, engaging style and psychological insight.

Carolly Erickson is a distinguished historian and the author of The First Elizabeth, Great Catherine, Alexandra, and a dozen other prize winning biographies. Her PhD in medieval history from Columbia University, New York, led her to six years as a college professor then to a career as a full-time writer.

©2007 Carolly Erickson (P)2013 Audible Ltd Europe Great Britain
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Critic reviews

"Erickson proves it is possible to write narrative history that is both popular and good." ( Mail on Sunday)
"Erickson is one of the most accomplished and successful historical biographers writing in English." ( TLS)
"Extremely readable." (Nikolai Tolstoy, Literary Review)
All stars
Most relevant
Really interesting information and presented in short bursts so I didn't find it got boring. A little repetitive at the start of the chapter/section where there is some explanation of the previous monarch/how the current monarch got to where they are but I found this good when returning to the book after a break.
Glad I bought it

Very Interesting

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A great whistle stop tour and thoroughly enjoyable. I really enjoyed the listen as will you

Loved it

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Engrossing in the stories picked out to best sum up the lives of the Monarchs, much like a highlight reel without going into too much depth. Each section is either just long enough to pique your interest in individual Monarchs or short enough not to bore you. I found myself researching Kings, Queens and nobility I'd either never heard of or never considered much before this audiobook. It is concise in its approach, offering little snippets and a summary of the lives of English Monarchs. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Enjoyable

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A fantastic overview of the English monarchy from 1066 through to present day. The author does a great job of covering such a large topic in such a short time. There was just enough information given to cover major events across English history and to portray each monarch's character. Very enjoyable.

Thoroughly enjoyable

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good quick insights into monarchy. now i can pick favourites and read more indepth about the ones i found more interesting. .

does exactly what it says on tin

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