Listen free for 30 days
-
Kick: The True Story of Kick Kennedy, JFK's Forgotten Sister and the Heir to Chatsworth
- Narrated by: Antonia Beamish
- Length: 12 hrs and 40 mins
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, Entertainment & Celebrities
People who bought this also bought...
-
Take Six Girls: The Lives of the Mitford Sisters
- By: Laura Thompson
- Narrated by: Maggie Mash
- Length: 15 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
They were known as the Mitford sisters: Nancy, Pamela, Diana, Unity, Jessica and Deborah. Born into country-house privilege in the early years of the 20th century, they became prominent as 'bright young things' in the high society of interwar London. Then, as the shadows crept over 1930s Europe, the stark - and very public - differences in their outlooks came to symbolize the political polarities of a dangerous decade.
-
-
This Book Does Add Something New
- By Alison on 25-07-16
-
Prince Philip Revealed
- A Man of His Century
- By: Ingrid Seward
- Narrated by: Julie Teal
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For more than 70 years, Prince Philip has been the queen's constant companion and support, but his vital role in the monarchy has too often gone largely unnoticed. Now, in Ingrid Seward's superb new biography of the duke of Edinburgh, we get the chance to listen to the full story of his remarkable life and achievements. Born into the Greek and Danish royal families in 1921, a descendant of Queen Victoria, Prince Philip's aristocratic credentials were second to none.
-
-
Not a hagiography
- By Angelcritique on 01-11-20
-
The Grit in the Pearl
- The Scandalous Life of Margaret, Duchess of Argyll
- By: Lyndsy Spence
- Narrated by: Lucy Rayner
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Margaret, Duchess of Argyll (1912-1993) was an international celebrity in her youth. But in 1963, the year of the Profumo Affair, the 11th Duke of Argyll shocked the country when he alleged that his adulterous wife had slept with over 80 men behind his back. The duke won a divorce, and Margaret was abandoned by most of her friends. Lyndsy Spence tells a tragic story of the life and downfall of this fascinatingly complex woman, and shows how she fell victim to a cruel husband, harsh social mores, and an unforgiving class.
-
-
Narrator is sing song and drove me nuts..
- By OSAGE on 25-01-20
-
The Mountbattens
- Their Lives & Loves
- By: Andrew Lownie
- Narrated by: Andrew Lownie
- Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A major figure behind his nephew Philip's marriage to Queen Elizabeth II and instrumental in the royal family taking the Mountbatten name, Dickie Mountbatten's career included being Supreme Allied Commander of South East Asia during World War Two and the last Viceroy of India. Once the richest woman in Britain and a playgirl who enjoyed numerous affairs, Edwina Mountbatten emerged from World War Two as a magnetic and talented charity worker loved around the world.
-
-
All detail..nothing of the man.
- By John on 09-09-19
-
The Kennedy Curse
- By: James Patterson
- Narrated by: David Pittu
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Across decades and generations, the Kennedys have been a family of charismatic adventurers, raised to take risks and excel. Their name is synonymous with American royalty. Their commitment to public service is legendary. But, for all the successes, the family has been blighted by assassinations, murder, fatal accidents, mental illness, drug and alcohol abuse and sex scandals.
-
-
Somewhat disjointed and superficial
- By Brian on 16-05-20
-
JFK
- Volume 1: 1917-1956
- By: Fredrik Logevall
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 29 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Pulitzer Prize-winning historian takes us as close as we have ever been to the real John F. Kennedy in this revelatory biography of the iconic, yet still elusive, 35th president. In chronicling Kennedy's extraordinary life and times, with authority and novelistic sensibility, putting the listener in every room where it happened, this landmark work offers the clearest portrait we have of a remarkable figure who still inspires individuals around the world.
-
-
Great insight into before he was president
- By Jay dee on 25-01-21
-
Take Six Girls: The Lives of the Mitford Sisters
- By: Laura Thompson
- Narrated by: Maggie Mash
- Length: 15 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
They were known as the Mitford sisters: Nancy, Pamela, Diana, Unity, Jessica and Deborah. Born into country-house privilege in the early years of the 20th century, they became prominent as 'bright young things' in the high society of interwar London. Then, as the shadows crept over 1930s Europe, the stark - and very public - differences in their outlooks came to symbolize the political polarities of a dangerous decade.
-
-
This Book Does Add Something New
- By Alison on 25-07-16
-
Prince Philip Revealed
- A Man of His Century
- By: Ingrid Seward
- Narrated by: Julie Teal
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For more than 70 years, Prince Philip has been the queen's constant companion and support, but his vital role in the monarchy has too often gone largely unnoticed. Now, in Ingrid Seward's superb new biography of the duke of Edinburgh, we get the chance to listen to the full story of his remarkable life and achievements. Born into the Greek and Danish royal families in 1921, a descendant of Queen Victoria, Prince Philip's aristocratic credentials were second to none.
-
-
Not a hagiography
- By Angelcritique on 01-11-20
-
The Grit in the Pearl
- The Scandalous Life of Margaret, Duchess of Argyll
- By: Lyndsy Spence
- Narrated by: Lucy Rayner
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Margaret, Duchess of Argyll (1912-1993) was an international celebrity in her youth. But in 1963, the year of the Profumo Affair, the 11th Duke of Argyll shocked the country when he alleged that his adulterous wife had slept with over 80 men behind his back. The duke won a divorce, and Margaret was abandoned by most of her friends. Lyndsy Spence tells a tragic story of the life and downfall of this fascinatingly complex woman, and shows how she fell victim to a cruel husband, harsh social mores, and an unforgiving class.
-
-
Narrator is sing song and drove me nuts..
- By OSAGE on 25-01-20
-
The Mountbattens
- Their Lives & Loves
- By: Andrew Lownie
- Narrated by: Andrew Lownie
- Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A major figure behind his nephew Philip's marriage to Queen Elizabeth II and instrumental in the royal family taking the Mountbatten name, Dickie Mountbatten's career included being Supreme Allied Commander of South East Asia during World War Two and the last Viceroy of India. Once the richest woman in Britain and a playgirl who enjoyed numerous affairs, Edwina Mountbatten emerged from World War Two as a magnetic and talented charity worker loved around the world.
-
-
All detail..nothing of the man.
- By John on 09-09-19
-
The Kennedy Curse
- By: James Patterson
- Narrated by: David Pittu
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Across decades and generations, the Kennedys have been a family of charismatic adventurers, raised to take risks and excel. Their name is synonymous with American royalty. Their commitment to public service is legendary. But, for all the successes, the family has been blighted by assassinations, murder, fatal accidents, mental illness, drug and alcohol abuse and sex scandals.
-
-
Somewhat disjointed and superficial
- By Brian on 16-05-20
-
JFK
- Volume 1: 1917-1956
- By: Fredrik Logevall
- Narrated by: Mark Deakins
- Length: 29 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Pulitzer Prize-winning historian takes us as close as we have ever been to the real John F. Kennedy in this revelatory biography of the iconic, yet still elusive, 35th president. In chronicling Kennedy's extraordinary life and times, with authority and novelistic sensibility, putting the listener in every room where it happened, this landmark work offers the clearest portrait we have of a remarkable figure who still inspires individuals around the world.
-
-
Great insight into before he was president
- By Jay dee on 25-01-21
-
The Mistresses of Cliveden
- By: Natalie Livingstone
- Narrated by: Carole Boyd
- Length: 15 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From its dawn in the 1660s to its twilight in the 1960s, Cliveden was an emblem of elite misbehaviour and intrigue. Conceived by the Duke of Buckingham as a retreat for his scandalous affair with Anna-Maria, Countess of Shrewsbury, the house later served as the backdrop for the Profumo affair. In the 300 years between, the house was occupied by a dynasty of remarkable women each of whom left their mark on this great house.
-
-
Much More Than A Book About A House
- By Alison on 28-02-17
-
...And What Do You Do?
- What the Royal Family Don't Want You to Know
- By: Norman Baker
- Narrated by: David Vickery
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
...And What Do You Do? is a hard-hitting analysis of the royal family, exposing its extravagant use of public money and the highly dubious behaviour of some among its ranks, whilst being critical of the knee-jerk sycophancy shown by the press and politicians. Baker also considers the wider role the royals play in society, including the link with House of Lords reform, and the constitutional position of the monarch, which is important given Prince Charles’ present and intended approach.
-
-
The tree that does not bend will be broken
- By papapownall on 30-04-20
-
Jackie, Ethel, Joan
- Women of Camelot
- By: J. Randy Taraborrelli
- Narrated by: Beth Fowler
- Length: 5 hrs and 42 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What does it mean to be a Kennedy? If ever three women would be challenged and changed by marriage into a family, it would be Jacqueline Bouvier, Ethel Skakel, and Joan Bennett. None of these radiant brides could have ever been prepared for the fame, the family, and tragedies that would spring from their lives. As they struggled to cope with their husbands' infidelities, the harsh glare of the media, and the assassinations of John and Robert Kennedy, these women would learn what it meant to be sisters, reaching out to one another with comfort and consolation.
-
-
The Camelot wives.
- By Teresa Cooper on 20-05-15
-
Chanel's Riviera
- The Côte d’Azur in Peace and War, 1930-1944
- By: Anne de Courcy
- Narrated by: Sophie Roberts
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Far from worrying about the onset of war, in the spring of 1938 the burning question on the French Riviera was whether one should curtsy to the Duchess of Windsor. Few of those who had settled there thought much about what was going on in the rest of Europe. It was a golden, glamorous life, far removed from politics or conflict.
-
-
More Riviera than Chanel
- By WhatCathyReadNext on 11-11-19
-
A Most English Princess
- A Novel of Queen Victoria's Daughter
- By: Clare McHugh
- Narrated by: Katharine Lee McEwan
- Length: 17 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
To the world, she was Princess Victoria, daughter of a queen, wife of an emperor, and mother of Kaiser Wilhelm. Her family just called her Vicky...smart, pretty, and self-assured, she changed the course of the world. January 1858: Princess Victoria glides down the aisle of St. James Chapel to the waiting arms of her beloved, Fritz, Prince Frederick, heir to the powerful kingdom of Prussia.
-
-
A Great Book
- By PAMELA R on 20-01-21
-
Boris Johnson
- The Gambler
- By: Tom Bower
- Narrated by: Harry Lloyd
- Length: 20 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As divisive as he is beguiling, as misunderstood as he is scrutinised, Boris Johnson is a singular figure. Many of us think we know his story well. His ruthless ambition was evident from his insistence, as a three-year-old, that he would one day be 'world king'. Eton and Oxford prepared him well for a frantic career straddling the dog-eat-dog worlds of journalism and politics. His transformation from bumbling stooge on Have I Got News for You to a triumphant mayor of London was overshadowed only by his colourful personal life, brimming with affairs, scandals and transgressions.
-
-
Not insightful or objective
- By Amazon Customer on 21-10-20
-
Diary of an MP's wife
- Inside and Outside Power
- By: Sasha Swire
- Narrated by: Leo Merton
- Length: 16 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What is it like to be a wife of a politician in modern-day Britain? Sasha Swire finally lifts the lid. For more than two decades she has kept a secret diary detailing the trials and tribulations of being a political plus-one; the travel, the security, the challenges to family life and the unpredictable events. A professional partner as well as a life partner and one with strong political opinions herself, she detonates the image of the dutiful stereotype.
-
-
Dreadful narration
- By annie buxton on 29-09-20
-
Queen Bees
- Six Brilliant and Extraordinary Society Hostesses Between the Wars - A Spectacle of Celebrity, Talent, and Burning Ambition
- By: Siân Evans
- Narrated by: Carole Boyd
- Length: 12 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Queen Bees looks at the lives of six remarkable women who made careers out of being society hostesses, including Lady Astor, who went on to become the first female MP, and Mrs Greville, who cultivated relationships with Edward VII, as well as Lady Londonderry, Lady Cunard, Laura Corrigan and Lady Colefax. Told with wit, verve and heart, Queen Bees is the story of a form of societal revolution and the extraordinary women who helped it happen.
-
-
Educational and Informative!
- By Fiona on 06-12-16
-
The Kennedy Heirs
- John, Caroline, and the New Generation - A Legacy of Tragedy and Triumph
- By: J. Randy Taraborrelli
- Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
- Length: 18 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A unique burden was inherited by the children of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy and his celebrated siblings, Senators Robert and Ted Kennedy. Raised in a world of enormous privilege against the backdrop of American history, this third generation of Kennedys often veered between towering accomplishment and devastating defeat. In his revelatory new audiobook, acclaimed Kennedy historian J. Randy Taraborrelli draws back the curtain on the next generation of America’s most famous family.
-
-
Very enjoyable read!
- By Kindle Customer on 31-07-19
-
The Husband Hunters
- Social Climbing in London and New York
- By: Anne de Courcy
- Narrated by: Clare Corbett
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dozens of young American heiresses married into the British peerage, bringing with them all the fabulous wealth, glamour and sophistication of the Gilded Age. Anne de Courcy sets the stories of these young women and their families in the context of their times. Based on extensive firsthand research, drawing on diaries, memoirs and letters, this richly entertaining group biography reveals what they thought of their new lives in England - and what England thought of them.
-
-
Husband Hunters
- By NanaRose on 27-11-17
-
King's Counsellor
- Abdication and War: The Diaries of Sir Alan Lascelles
- By: Sir Alan Lascelles, Duff Hart-Davis
- Narrated by: Pip Torrens
- Length: 14 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As Assistant Private Secretary to four monarchs, 'Tommy' Lascelles had a ringside seat from which to observe the workings of the royal household and Downing Street during the first half of the 20th century. These fascinating diaries begin with Edward VIII's abdication and end with George VI's death and his daughter Elizabeth's Coronation. In between we see George VI at work and play, a portrait more intimate than any other previously published.
-
-
Fascinating
- By Phil A. on 16-02-21
-
Nemesis
- The True Story of Aristotle Onassis, Jackie O, and the Love Triangle that Brought Down the Kennedys
- By: Peter Evans
- Narrated by: Michael Butler Murray
- Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Through extensive interviews with the closest friends, lovers, and relatives of Onassis and the Kennedys, longtime journalist Evans has uncovered the shocking culmination of the Kennedy-Onassis-Kennedy love triangle: Aristotle Onassis was at the heart of the plot to kill Bobby Kennedy. Meticulously tracing Onassis's connections in the world of terrorism, Nemesis presents compelling evidence that he financed the assassination - including a startling confession that has gone unreported for nearly three decades.
-
-
A conspiracy theory?
- By m. webster on 24-11-20
Summary
The remarkable life of the vivacious, clever - and forgotten - Kennedy sister who charmed the English aristocracy and was almost erased from her family history.
When Kathleen Kennedy sailed to England after her father had been appointed ambassador to Great Britain in 1938, her wit, aloofness and sexual charisma at once became the source of endless fascination for the British public.
Kick became the star of the family, and the press loved her, London magazine Queen headlining her as 'America's Most Important Debutante'. Her meeting at a summer garden party with a shy, tall, handsome man called Billy who, it transpired, was the heir to the Duke of Devonshire and Chatsworth, the most eligible bachelor in England, became first an intrigue and soon a scandal for the Kennedys. She was Catholic and he an Anglican. But Kick had fallen in love with Billy - and with England.
In 1944 they were married. In September Billy was killed in combat with the British army. Widowed as Lady Hartington, Kathleen Kennedy remained in England after the loss of her husband until her own tragic death.
In Kick, Paul Byrne tells the story of a woman who was more than simply the second sister of Jack, Bobby and Ted: a feisty and unique product of two countries, she was the force of personality the Kennedys rarely mentioned, a life long hidden from the legendary family history.
Critic reviews
"Engaging, compelling, a delightful and engrossing book." ( Sunday Times)
"Brilliantly illuminating...riveting." (Simon Callow, Guardian)
"The portrait of that emerges is sparklingly multi-faceted, catching the light in intriguing ways." ( Mail on Sunday)
More from the same
What listeners say about Kick: The True Story of Kick Kennedy, JFK's Forgotten Sister and the Heir to Chatsworth
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Miss MJS
- 29-06-17
Loved it
Would you listen to Kick: The True Story of Kick Kennedy, JFK's Forgotten Sister and the Heir to Chatsworth again? Why?
Yes. It's made me curious about the Kennedy family and Chatsworth so would return to it after reading more about them.
What did you like best about this story?
The perfect mix of information and nostalgia. A sensitive account.
What about Antonia Beamish’s performance did you like?
Brilliant. Right pace, tone and got the various accents spot on in my opinion.
Any additional comments?
My favourite biography to date. Will be reading/listening to more from Paula Byrne.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- kk
- 23-07-16
Irritating narration
This is an interesting and revealing story but it's repetitive and badly edited; you hear the same chunk repeated within the same chapter and the author also pads it out a lot. The narration is flat but the most irritating thing is the narrator's inconsistency with the same word and incorrect pronunciation of common phrases and names. One that sticks out is née (born) which she pronounces like knee, but there are many other errors that an editor should have corrected. Was the editor asleep?
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Angelcritique
- 08-10-20
Sensitive portrait
The author has drawn a sensitive portrait of the subject. The biography is well written. Sadly it is ruined by the narrator whose voice characterisations and continuous mis-pronunciations of commonplace words, first names, stately home names, aristocratic family names and the name of type of sailing ship, all grate. Why narrators don't research their subject before recording, I don't know. Sadly, not a thing I can listen to a second time.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ruby G
- 08-06-20
Brilliant book, but narrator mispronounces names!
Unfortunately can't give five stars due to the narrator mispronouncing many names... Cliveden house, is pronounced Clivden not Clive-den!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Liz
- 20-03-18
Fascinating sidelight on the Kennedy family
The upbringing of the children is really interesting, especially the roles the parents allotted themselves. Strange though, that Joe Kennedy's part in Prohibition and the fortune he made from it is not mentioned. A minor irritant is the way Cliveden is mispronounced throughout - I would have thought an English narrator would know that it is Cliv-den, not Clive-den.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Robyn
- 21-05-17
Mediocre
Paula Byrne has written a book which is readable enough, although it wasn't a 'page-turner'. She documents Kathleen's early life of privilege and everything money could buy, and clearly brings out her vivacity and charisma. The tone inevitably changes as Kick's life is blighted by the various tragedies which she experienced toward the end of her short life. I had two problems with Beamish's narration. 1. Some narrators are a pleasure to listen to and some are not - Beamish for me is in the latter category but that's merely subjective and probably irrelevant. 2. Her mispronunciations really detract and distract from the content. Those I committed to memory in my irritation were Maginot, egregious, Cliveden, beguine, Roosevelt (sometimes rooz and sometimes rose), and mores (as in societal norms). Anyway, I think I learned more about Kathleen Kennedy from Barbara Parry's 'Rose Kennedy: The Life and Times of a Political Matriarch' (audible.com version).