Listen free for 30 days
-
The Brothers York
- An English Tragedy
- Narrated by: Roy McMillan
- Length: 23 hrs and 13 mins
- Categories: History, Europe
People who bought this also bought...
-
Winter King
- The Dawn of Tudor England
- By: Thomas Penn
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A fresh look at the endlessly fascinating Tudors - the dramatic and overlooked story of Henry VII and his founding of the Tudor Dynasty - filled with spies, plots, counter-plots, and an uneasy royal succession to Henry VIII. Near the turn of the sixteenth century, England had been ravaged for decades by conspiracy and civil war. Henry Tudor clambered to the top of the heap, a fugitive with a flimsy claim to England’s crown who managed to win the throne and stay on it for 24 years.
-
-
A Lesser-Known But Fascinating King
- By Olivier on 23-09-12
-
The Fears of Henry IV
- The Life of England's Self-Made King
- By: Ian Mortimer
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 22 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
King Henry IV survived at least eight plots to dethrone or kill him in the first six years of his reign. However, he had not always been so unpopular. In his youth he had been a great chivalric champion and crusader. In 1399, at the age of 32, he was greeted as the saviour of the realm when he ousted from power the tyrannical King Richard II. But Henry had to contend with men who supported him only as long as they could control him; when they failed, they plotted to kill him. Adversaries also tried to take advantage of his questionable right to the crown.
-
-
I learned a lot about two Reigns
- By Kirstine on 27-03-19
-
The Perfect King
- The Life of Edward III
- By: Ian Mortimer
- Narrated by: Alex Wyndham
- Length: 19 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Edward’s life is one of the most extraordinary in all English history. He ordered his uncle to be beheaded, he usurped his father’s throne and he started a war which lasted for more than a hundred years. He took the crown when it was at its lowest point and raised it to new heights, presenting himself as a new King Arthur, victorious across Europe. He was the architect of many English icons - from parliamentary rule to the adoption of English as the official language and even the building of a great clock tower at Westminster.
-
-
Fascinating
- By susanne H on 17-12-18
-
The White Ship
- Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream
- By: Charles Spencer
- Narrated by: Richard Trinder
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
By 1120, Henry was perhaps the most formidable ruler in Europe, with an enviable record on the battlefield, immense lands and wealth and unprecedented authority in his kingdoms. Everything he had worked so hard for was finally achieved, and he was ready to hand it on to his beloved son and heir, William Ætheling. Henry I and his retinue set out first. The White Ship - considered the fastest afloat - would follow, carrying the young prince. Spoilt and arrogant, William had plied his comrades and crew with drink from the minute he stepped aboard....
-
-
A good overview of post-Conquest England
- By LR on 12-10-20
-
White King
- Charles I, Traitor, Murderer, Martyr
- By: Leanda de Lisle
- Narrated by: Graeme Malcolm
- Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Less than 40 years after the golden age of Elizabeth I, England was at war with itself. The bloody, devastating civil wars set family against family, friend against friend. At the head of this disintegrating kingdom was Charles I. His rule would change the face of the monarchy for ever. Charles I’s reign is one of the most dramatic in history, yet Charles the man remains elusive. Too often he is recalled as weak and stupid, his wife, Henrietta Maria, as spoilt and silly: the cause of his ruin.
-
-
Excellent book- terrible narration
- By Anonymous User on 10-02-20
-
The Black Prince
- By: Michael Jones
- Narrated by: Hamilton McLeod
- Length: 16 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A major new biography of the Black Prince. In 1346, at the age of 16, he won his spurs at Crécy; nine years later he conducted a brutal raid across Languedoc; in 1356 he captured the king of France at Poitiers; as lord of Aquitaine he ruled a vast swathe of Southwestern France. He was Edward of Woodstock, eldest son of Edward III, but better known to posterity as ‘the Black Prince’. Michael Jones tells the remarkable story of a great warrior-prince - and paints an unforgettable portrait of warfare and chivalry in the late Middle Ages.
-
-
Wonderful book, poor narrator
- By Anonymous User on 06-09-20
-
Winter King
- The Dawn of Tudor England
- By: Thomas Penn
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A fresh look at the endlessly fascinating Tudors - the dramatic and overlooked story of Henry VII and his founding of the Tudor Dynasty - filled with spies, plots, counter-plots, and an uneasy royal succession to Henry VIII. Near the turn of the sixteenth century, England had been ravaged for decades by conspiracy and civil war. Henry Tudor clambered to the top of the heap, a fugitive with a flimsy claim to England’s crown who managed to win the throne and stay on it for 24 years.
-
-
A Lesser-Known But Fascinating King
- By Olivier on 23-09-12
-
The Fears of Henry IV
- The Life of England's Self-Made King
- By: Ian Mortimer
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 22 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
King Henry IV survived at least eight plots to dethrone or kill him in the first six years of his reign. However, he had not always been so unpopular. In his youth he had been a great chivalric champion and crusader. In 1399, at the age of 32, he was greeted as the saviour of the realm when he ousted from power the tyrannical King Richard II. But Henry had to contend with men who supported him only as long as they could control him; when they failed, they plotted to kill him. Adversaries also tried to take advantage of his questionable right to the crown.
-
-
I learned a lot about two Reigns
- By Kirstine on 27-03-19
-
The Perfect King
- The Life of Edward III
- By: Ian Mortimer
- Narrated by: Alex Wyndham
- Length: 19 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Edward’s life is one of the most extraordinary in all English history. He ordered his uncle to be beheaded, he usurped his father’s throne and he started a war which lasted for more than a hundred years. He took the crown when it was at its lowest point and raised it to new heights, presenting himself as a new King Arthur, victorious across Europe. He was the architect of many English icons - from parliamentary rule to the adoption of English as the official language and even the building of a great clock tower at Westminster.
-
-
Fascinating
- By susanne H on 17-12-18
-
The White Ship
- Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream
- By: Charles Spencer
- Narrated by: Richard Trinder
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
By 1120, Henry was perhaps the most formidable ruler in Europe, with an enviable record on the battlefield, immense lands and wealth and unprecedented authority in his kingdoms. Everything he had worked so hard for was finally achieved, and he was ready to hand it on to his beloved son and heir, William Ætheling. Henry I and his retinue set out first. The White Ship - considered the fastest afloat - would follow, carrying the young prince. Spoilt and arrogant, William had plied his comrades and crew with drink from the minute he stepped aboard....
-
-
A good overview of post-Conquest England
- By LR on 12-10-20
-
White King
- Charles I, Traitor, Murderer, Martyr
- By: Leanda de Lisle
- Narrated by: Graeme Malcolm
- Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Less than 40 years after the golden age of Elizabeth I, England was at war with itself. The bloody, devastating civil wars set family against family, friend against friend. At the head of this disintegrating kingdom was Charles I. His rule would change the face of the monarchy for ever. Charles I’s reign is one of the most dramatic in history, yet Charles the man remains elusive. Too often he is recalled as weak and stupid, his wife, Henrietta Maria, as spoilt and silly: the cause of his ruin.
-
-
Excellent book- terrible narration
- By Anonymous User on 10-02-20
-
The Black Prince
- By: Michael Jones
- Narrated by: Hamilton McLeod
- Length: 16 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A major new biography of the Black Prince. In 1346, at the age of 16, he won his spurs at Crécy; nine years later he conducted a brutal raid across Languedoc; in 1356 he captured the king of France at Poitiers; as lord of Aquitaine he ruled a vast swathe of Southwestern France. He was Edward of Woodstock, eldest son of Edward III, but better known to posterity as ‘the Black Prince’. Michael Jones tells the remarkable story of a great warrior-prince - and paints an unforgettable portrait of warfare and chivalry in the late Middle Ages.
-
-
Wonderful book, poor narrator
- By Anonymous User on 06-09-20
-
Queens of the Conquest
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Julia Franklin
- Length: 17 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the first volume of this epic new series, Alison Weir strips away centuries of romantic mythology and prejudice to reveal the lives of England's queens in the century after the Norman Conquest. Beginning with Matilda of Flanders, who supported William the Conqueror in 1066, to the turbulent life of the Empress Maud, who claimed to be queen of England in her own right and fought a bitter war to that end, the five Norman queens emerge as hugely influential figures and fascinating characters.
-
-
Fascinating book but at times difficult to listen
- By BookWorm on 01-11-17
-
Richard III
- Brother, Protector, King
- By: Chris Skidmore
- Narrated by: Roger Davis
- Length: 17 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The last Plantagenet king remains one of England's most famous and controversial monarchs. There are few parallels in English history that can match the drama of Richard III's reign, witnessed in its full bloody intensity. A dedicated brother and loyal stalwart to the Yorkist dynasty for most of his early life, Richard's personality was forged in the tribulation of exile and the brutality of combat.
-
-
Excellent
- By Amazon Customer on 07-03-18
-
Katherine Swynford
- The Story of John of Gaunt and His Scandalous Duchess
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Judith Boyd
- Length: 16 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Disappointing
- By Emma on 21-04-09
-
1415: Henry V's Year of Glory
- By: Ian Mortimer
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 25 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this ground-breaking audiobook, Ian Mortimer portrays Henry in the pivotal year of his reign. Recording the dramatic events of 1415, he offers the fullest, most precise and least romanticised view we have of Henry and what he did. At the centre of the narrative is the campaign which culminated in the battle of Agincourt: a slaughter ground intended not to advance England’s interests directly but to demonstrate God’s approval of Henry’s royal authority on both sides of the Channel.
-
-
Impressively scholarly but dull at times
- By Kirstine on 02-04-19
-
Matilda
- Empress, Queen, Warrior
- By: Catherine Hanley
- Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
- Length: 12 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A life of Matilda - empress, skilled military leader, and one of the greatest figures of the English Middle Ages.
-
-
Wonderful biography of an overlooked queen
- By daisyrock on 24-09-19
-
Elizabeth of York
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Maggie Mash
- Length: 22 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Elizabeth of York would have ruled England, but for the fact that she was a woman. One of the key figures of the Wars of the Roses, daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, she married Henry Tudor to bring peace to a war-torn England. In Elizabeth of York: The First Tudor Queen, Alison Weir builds a portrait of this beloved queen, placing her in the context of the magnificent, ceremonious, often brutal world she inhabited.
-
-
Annoying narrator and could have been edited a lot
- By spanglypink on 20-08-14
-
Richard III
- The Self-Made King
- By: Michael Hicks
- Narrated by: Matthew Waterson
- Length: 14 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The reign of Richard III, the last Yorkist king and the final monarch of the Plantagenet dynasty, marked a turning point in British history. But despite his lasting legacy, Richard only ruled as king for the final two years of his life. While much attention has been given to his short reign, Michael Hicks explores the whole of Richard's fascinating life and traces the unfolding of his character and career from his early years as the son of a duke to his violent death at the battle of Bosworth.
-
-
“He was a man who never learned the art of compromise”
- By john on 06-03-20
-
The Plantagenets: The Kings Who Made England
- By: Dan Jones
- Narrated by: Dan Jones
- Length: 22 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Entertaining and scholarly
- By Kirstine on 23-08-19
-
The Hollow Crown
- The Wars of the Roses and the Rise of the Tudors
- By: Dan Jones
- Narrated by: Dan Jones
- Length: 13 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Some of the greatest heroes and villains in British history were thrown together in these turbulent times: Henry V, whose victory at Agincourt and prudent rule at home marked the high point of the medieval monarchy; Edward IV, who was handed his crown by the scheming soldier Warwick the Kingmaker, before their alliance collapsed into a fight to the death; and the last Plantagenet, Richard III, who stole the throne and murdered his own nephews, the Princes in the Tower.
-
-
More unbelievable then Game of Thrones!!
- By Foxhole on 28-01-19
-
Summer of Blood: The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381
- By: Dan Jones
- Narrated by: Kris Dyer
- Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 is one of the most dramatic and bloody events in English history. Starting with village riots in the Essex countryside, chaos rapidly spread across much of the southeast of England, as tens of thousands of ordinary men and women marched in fury to London, torching houses, slaughtering their social superiors and terrifying the life out of those who got in their way. The burning down of Savoy Palace, home to the most powerful magnate in the realm, marked one of the Revolt’s most violent episodes.
-
-
New narrator
- By Lauren of Normandy on 31-05-20
-
King John
- Treachery, Tyranny and the Road to Magna Carta
- By: Marc Morris
- Narrated by: Ric Jerrom
- Length: 14 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The brilliantly compelling new biography of the treacherous and tyrannical King John, published to coincide with the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta. Authoritative and dramatic, Marc Morris' King John offers a compelling portrait of an extraordinary king whose reign marked a momentous turning point in the history of Britain and Europe. King John is buried in Worcester Cathedral.
-
-
Compelling Story
- By Caroline on 27-02-16
-
King of the North Wind
- The Life of Henry II in Five Acts
- By: Claudia Gold
- Narrated by: Jonathan Oliver
- Length: 13 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Henry II had all the gifts of the gods. He was charismatic, clever, learned, empathetic, a brilliant tactician, with great physical strength and an astonishing self-belief. Henry was the creator of the Plantagenet dynasty of kings, who ruled through eight generations in command of vast lands in Britain and Europe. Virtually unbeaten in battle, and engaged in a ceaseless round of conquest and diplomacy, Henry forged an empire that matched Charlemagne's.
-
-
Fascinating
- By P. Gigli on 21-09-18
Summary
Penguin presents the audiobook edition of The Brothers York by Thomas Penn.
In early 1461, a teenage boy won a battle on a freezing morning in the Welsh marches and claimed the crown of England. He was Edward IV, first king of the usurping house of York. The country, crippled by economic crisis, insurgency and a corrupt and bankrupt government, was in need of a new hero.
Charismatic, able and ruthlessly ambitious, Edward and his two younger brothers, George, Duke of Clarence, and Richard, Duke of Gloucester, became the figureheads of a spectacular ruling dynasty which laid the foundations for a renewal of English royal power. Yet a web of grudges and resentments grew between them, generating a destructive sequence of conspiracy, rebellion, deposition, usurpation and murder. The brutal end came on 22 August 1485 at Bosworth Field, with the death of the youngest brother, then Richard III, at the hands of a new usurper, Henry Tudor.
The Brothers York is the story of three remarkable brothers, two of whom were crowned kings of England and the other an heir presumptive, whose fatal antagonism was fuelled by the mistrust and vendettas of the age that brought their family to power. The house of York should have been the dynasty that the Tudors became. Its tragedy was that it devoured itself.
More from the same
Author
Narrator
What listeners say about The Brothers York
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kniphofia
- 25-12-19
Tudor propaganda again
I did enjoy this book overall but became increasingly disappointed once it reached Richard III's reign. Perhaps not surprising from the author of "The Winter King" who seemed more interested in Henry Tudor than Richard. All the usual Tudor propaganda was brought out. Wasn't the often quoted Thomas More about 5 years old at the time? And Shakespeare's famous portrayal of Richard was always going to discredit Richard and appease his Tudor queen. Also Ferdinando Stanley, Shakespeare’s patron, was the direct descendant of Thomas Stanley, the latter being the step father of Henry Tudor.
Well read by Roy McMillan and should appeal to anyone interested in English history.
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- john
- 09-12-19
A fifteenth Century dynastic unravelling!
A good old narrative history, well researched, well written and well read. Penn has revealed the characters of the Plantagenet brothers in all their ambition, hubris, magnificence and absolute ruthlessness extremely well. Most students of the period will be familiar with the main events of the era, but the author draws our attention in meticulous detail to the influence of the Medici banking organisation in financing European Monarchs as well as walking us through Edward’s tortuous path to a Burgundian alliance, culminating in the epic scrap between Anthony Woodville and The Bastard of Burgundy. What would you give to have had a front row seat at that “friendly” encounter?
I would recommend this Audible book to anyone interested in this era of history.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mouse
- 15-11-19
an excellent and insightful book
this book was an easy listen. I found myself understanding the major characters much more than I had from previous non fiction books covering the period. Thinking about it, perhaps that is because the book allows events to unfold for the players as they might have seen them, and not just for the most senior or important people. After all, they did not live in a vacuum, and in drawing their world, and allowing them to move around in it, their motivation as well as their actions are much easier to understand. I had only ever seen Richard III in quite simplistic terms as a loyal brother and uncle who suddenly turned into a tyrannical usurper, and not because of the Shakespearean portrayal of him. Clarence had never appeared to me as a fully rounded character, and nor had Edward if I'm honest. I really enjoyed the book and I learned a lot. It stayed with me afterwards and I ordered The Winter King afterwards.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Zack Sydes
- 09-10-19
Perfect.
Really engaging writing with a fantastic & entertaining sense of style, brilliantly performed by a reader who makes every sentence pop and just brings everything to life. Both author and reader have deffinitely sprung into my favourites.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jill Desborough
- 17-12-19
really well researched
Really enjoyed the book, which is very well researched, well written and read well. My only minor gripe is I would have liked a bit more on the women , Elizabeth Woodvillle, Cicely, Anne Neville etc...all very shadowy characters though maybe this reflects lack of information available and a sign of those times.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Nina
- 28-11-19
Tudor Times
Loved this book. The story was well written and the narration is first class. Will listen to it again and would recommend it. I will be looking for more from this author and the narrator.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Stuart Affleck
- 30-01-21
Fantastic book
This is a fantastic a count of the Wars of the Roses. Highly recommended!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- JL
- 03-11-20
Excellent
Really enjoyed this well written account and the narration was superb, I shall look out for Roy McMillan again.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- kevin Lydon
- 17-09-20
outstanding
I was not hugely aware of this fascinating story so well told and narrated .Very enjoyable
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 05-09-20
Great tale, brilliantly read
Thomas Penn’s book remains vivid and engaging even when it examines some of the complexities of the tale. The narration by Roy McMillan complements the story, his calmed nuanced reading adding to the sense of tension and growing horror as London prepares for the coronation of the child king Edward V. Brilliant book. Brilliant reading.