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The Plantagenets

The Kings Who Made England

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The Plantagenets

By: Dan Jones
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About this listen

This brilliant new audiobook explores the lives of eight generations of the greatest kings and queens that this country has ever seen, and the worst. The Plantagenets – their story is the story of Britain.

England’s greatest royal dynasty, the Plantagenets, ruled over England through eight generations of kings. Their remarkable reign saw England emerge from the Dark Ages to become a highly organised kingdom that spanned a vast expanse of Europe. Plantagenet rule saw the establishment of laws and creation of artworks, monuments and tombs which survive to this day, and continue to speak of their sophistication, brutality and secrets.

Dan Jones brings you a new vision of this battle-scarred history. From the Crusades, to King John’s humbling over Magna Carta and the tragic reign of the last Plantagenet, Richard II – this is a blow-by-blow account of England’s most thrilling age.

 Europe Great Britain Historical Medieval Politics & Activism Royalty England Middle Ages United Kingdom Law Tudor Crusade

Critic reviews

‘Stonking narrative history told with pace, wit and scholarship about the bloody dynasty that produced some of England’s most brilliant, brutal kings’ Observer

‘Colourful and engaging … Jones has produced an absorbing narrative that will help ensure that the Plantagenet story remains stamped on the English imagination’ Sunday Times

‘Unapologetically about powerful people, their foibles, their passions and their weaknesses … vivid descriptions of battles and tournaments, ladies in fine velvet and knights in shining armour crowd the pages of this highly engaging narrative’ Evening Standard

‘Action-packed … Filled with fighting, personality clashes, betrayal and bouts of the famous Plantagenet rage’ Daily Telegraph

‘Dan Jones expertly weaves an enormous medieval tapestry, ranging from the Middles East of Richard the Lionheart's Third Crusade to the battlefields of the Hundred Years War’ Sunday Telegraph

‘This is an unashamedly royal history and even the most insatiable appetite for chivalric deeds and aristocratic violence will be sated by its conclusion’ Sunday Times
All stars
Most relevant
This is a wonderfully written book about the greatest dynasty of kings(and queens) England or indeed Britain has seen. The Tudors may be more well known but for accomplishment and sheer drama they seem rather dull next to the Plantagenets. This book covers all the highs and lows and is a wonderful listen.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the story of England and the family who did so much to shape our nation. Dan Jones does a good job or narrating the audiobook, which is not always the case with authors and their own work.

The story of England's greatest royal dynasty

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Wonderful combination human microscopy and macroscopic historical sweep. Hard to conceive of a better treatment for a non-historian but well-schooled amateur reader.

Perfect for serious non-specialist

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I loved Dan Jones’s TV documentaries on the Plantagenets and I vowed to read the book, but my slow pace of reading meant a daunting time it would take me to finish it! So I chose the book as my first Audible download and I am so pleased as it met all my expectations.
Read by Dan himself, which was wonderful, it helped me relive the TV documentaries I so enjoyed. The book is unquestionably the most important and authoritative recounting of Plantagenet era. The 22 hour listen disappeared so quickly as I got lost in the brilliance of Dan’s reading.

Magnificent

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Having watched the series of the same name., Dan Jones' enthusiasm for the subject was infectious. The TV series was, however, a brief introduction with limited depth. Keen to know more, I purchased the audible version of the book. I was not disappointed! The subject was well narrated and held my interest from the first word to the last. I have now purchased Dan Jones' book on the Wars of the Roses.



History brought to life

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Very good overview of the individual kings and political events over the 250 years of Plantagenet rule. A little more background on the social and economic scene would have been good but nevertheless a very good piece of historical narrative

Good overview

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