You had better come prepared

Would you consider the audio edition of Marlborough: His Life and Times to be better than the print version?

For historians and serious history students, a work of this complexity is more suitable in written form. However, I would not have had the patience or the eyesight to read this mammoth work. I must thank Audible for making the audio edition available.

Any additional comments?

I only gave Churchill's hagiography of his famous ancestor a rating because I had to. Certainly Sean Barrett deserves 6+ stars. To provide an 80+ hour performance which does not annoy or irritate the listener is a real art.
This is an uncompromising book. It assumes the reader has a working knowledge of English and European 17th century history and social conditions. Any listener is recommended to be armed with a detailed map of Europe in 1700. I have a good knowledge of Flemish geography, having lived in villages which Marlborough's army marched across, but I was constantly running to my historical atlas. Names of British politicians change when they are ennobled, so if you lose concentration, you may miss that Henry St John suddenly disappears and Bolingbroke enters stage left.
The book was written 80 years ago in WSC's best florid Victorian style, so the prose can seem unusual at times.
However, despite these cautions, I do recommend it to those with an interest in history and politics, if only as a reminder that the ambitions and machinations of today's politicians are no different to those of their predecessors.

37 people found this helpful

Sublime

What a book! Such use of the English language to tell a tale of such magnitude. Churchill proves himself to be the master of facts, passion and narrative. The performance of this book by Sean Barrett is a tour de force and must rank in the top 10 performances of vocal narratives. If there is such a thing as a perfect book, written by a perfect author and narrated by the perfect voice... this is it.

10 people found this helpful

One of Churchill's best.

Great detail and research often drawing on primary historical sources. Excellently read by Sean Barrett one of my favourite audible narrators.

5 people found this helpful

An exceptional historical narrative.

Never having read anything by Churchill before I embarked on this massive account of Marlborough's life with a certain amount of trepidation. I needn't have worried. The whole work is written with such intimate knowledge and evident enthusiasm that the reader (listener) is soon swept along by this remarkable tale of Britain's greatest general. His military strategy and tactics are examined and explained in detail in the context of each of his battles as the War of Spanish Succession rolls along on its relentlessly bloody path. At the same time the war history is shown in the light of the equally bitterly fought political struggles which drove, restrained, glorified, and ruined by turns all the players in the unfolding story of Queen Anne's reign. An audiobook lasting more than 80 hours looks forbidding, but this is an amazing piece of historical writing presented absolutely perfectly by a reader with just the right Churchillian tones and is totally gripping to the very end.

4 people found this helpful

Amazing

This is a huge body of work. The first third is very hard going in all honesty. However, by persevering you are rewarded with the incredible story of Marlborough and the intrigues of England and the continental powers. I thoroughly recommend this book.

4 people found this helpful

Expertly narrated

This account gives you everything you need to know about the United Kingdom , her allies and her enemies and the man Marlborough.
To not read this is a crime to the 10 years it took to write and the million words used. You will know what I mean by that when you’ve finished it.

2 people found this helpful

Magnificent from Start to Finish.

Oh to know one's own family tree and where you lie upon it. An absolute epic in writing, narration..........And the listening. Over 80 hours of solid history, the history of not just the man but also the men around him. I think it's one of those stories that's makes one proud to be British If only we had leadership like that, today! And behind it all Blenheim! As soon as the National Trust sites are open that's where I'm going.
Winston's 'wilderness years' were put to great use in gathering this massive amount of history; family history, national and geographical history. Absolutely superb.
The narration by Sean Barrett is also a wonderful piece of work, he must really have liked the subject. He played the young lad in the 1958 film 'Dunkirk'. I think his voice was the right one for this epic, because at times he sounded a little like Winston himself, he did a brilliant piece of narration.
And finally a well done to Amazon Audible for being the only place you could get this masterpiece.

2 people found this helpful

The Biographical Benchmark

Churchill's four volume behemoth of a biography is undoubtedly the most exhaustive and intimately researched I have come across, which gives incredible detail to almost every stage of John Churchill's extraordinary life. From his family background to his last days on the sofa at Blenheim Palace, Marlborough's achievements are highlighted in grandiose fashion. The majority of the work covers his leadership in, and background to, the War of The Spanish Succession, As a keen historian with little knowledge of this period of history, I was truly enthralled by Churchill's masterful descriptions and historical details, with a diverse range of personalities from Marlborough secretary to Louis XIV. Naturally considered who is writing, there is a bias towards Marlborough which Churchill openly admits, but is often as fair as one can be regarding history; but with an understandingly pro English/British approach.

However I will admit there are some slight faults I can find. There is hardly any mention of Marlborough's children until the end and doesn't go into great detail about them, nor Sarah after his death despite her living 20 years afterwards. On th. Other side, unless you have an intimate knowledge of 17th century European geography, or geography in general, you'll find yourself lost during his detailed descriptions of the innumerable scenes covered from Spain to Hungary.

Overall, a truly remarkable tome which the narration does great justice to. Marlborough: His Life and Times is truly the biography that all others ought to be measured However, I would come prepared with plenty of maps and a basic understanding of the time period, or you'll find yourself truly lost in the labyrinth of names, dates and places.

1 person found this helpful

A great book brilliantly narrated

A fascinating and beautifully written history that in itself is a stupendous achievement. Combined with a superb narration by Sean Barrett, this shows the ability of audio books to bring great literature to life in a new medium.

1 person found this helpful

Great Book

Great book well written gives a good insight into Malborough's life and the political patronage of the early 18th century

1 person found this helpful