Katherine Swynford cover art

Katherine Swynford

The Story of John of Gaunt and His Scandalous Duchess

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Katherine Swynford

By: Alison Weir
Narrated by: Judith Boyd
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About this listen

 In this remarkable book, Alison Weir recounts one of the greatest and most remarkable love stories of medieval England. It is the extraordinary tale of an exceptional woman, Katherine Swynford, who became first the mistress, and later the wife, of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster.

But Katherine Swynford was much more than that. She was the mother of the Beauforts, and through them the ancestress of the Yorkist Kings, the Tudors, the Stuarts and every other sovereign since - a prodigious legacy which has shaped the history of Britain.

©2007 Alison Weir (P)2007 WF Howes Ltd Europe Great Britain England Royalty Tudor Middle Ages

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Critic reviews

"Weir provides immense satisfaction. She writes in a pacy, vivid style, engaging the heart as it does the mind." ( The Independent)
"Alison Weir's hugely popular history books are as gripping as novels." ( The Times, London)
"Alison Weir is one of our greatest popular historians." ( The Daily Mail)
All stars
Most relevant
Not your average silly historical romp, but a serious work of scholarship, packed with facts and well supported argument. Not as gripping as her earlier 'Isabella', but a thorough study of the life of an influential woman in the reign of Richard II.

Rich and satisfying

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I first read this book over 40ys ago and decided to have the luxury of having it read to me this time. I missed so much 1st time round, this time I realised that this wasn't just the story of a great love but a social history of its time. It has fired my imagination and interest and I now want to revisit this whole period of history. I just love a book that leads you to more.

As good as the 1st time

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Truly wonderful depiction of Katherine and John of Gaunt. A good balance of fact and a little fiction due to the difficulty of there being so few facts left from the 14th century and Katherine being a woman! Alison Weir has written an excellent account of how all their lives intertwined and Judith Boyd did an excellent job as the narrator.
Thank you from Sharon

Wonderfully enjoyable

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Although not much is known about Katherine Swynford, Alison Weir manages to give the reader a detailed account of her life before and after she became duchess of Lancaster. The narration was good. A must read.

Katherine Swynford

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As usual, Alison Weir’s point of view is well-researched, critical and fascinating to read. Having just reread Anya Seton’s Katherine for the first time since I was 14 - and adored romantic novels — Weir’s carefully researched biography is impressive. Her use of ‘may’ and ‘might’ allude to the struggle all biographers encounter: acknowledging what we have not been able to find: the silences of history. Yet, both versions of Katherine make marvellous reading: Seton’s seamless invention, where the facts prove recalcitrant, and Weir’s painstaking archival detail, right up to the point (after 1400), when Katherine mostly disappears from the records,

Katherine Swynford, by Alison Weir

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