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Catherine the Great & Potemkin
- The Imperial Love Affair
- Narrated by: Sophie Roberts
- Length: 27 hrs and 19 mins
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Publisher's summary
A widely acclaimed biography from the bestselling author of The Romanovs: "One of the great love stories of history” (The Economist) between Catherine the Great and the wildly flamboyant and talented Prince Potemkin. • "Captures the genius of two extraordinary Enlightenment figures—and of the age as well." —The Wall Street Journal
Catherine the Great was a woman of notorious passion and imperial ambition. Prince Potemkin was the love of her life and her co-ruler. Together they seized Ukraine and Crimea, territories that define the Russian sphere of influence to this day. Their affair was so tumultuous that they negotiated an arrangement to share power, leaving each of them free to take younger lovers. But these “twin souls” never stopped loving each other.
Drawing on the pair’s intimate letters and on vast research, Simon Sebag Montefiore restores these imperial partners to their rightful place as titans of their age.
"Biography in the grand tradition...Riveting...The author [is] a gifted storyteller." —The Washington Post
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- Renaissance Italy's Most Courageous and Notorious Countess, Caterina Riario Sforza de' Medici
- By: Elizabeth Lev
- Narrated by: Edita Brychta
- Length: 14 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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In this glittering biography, Elizabeth Lev reexamines Caterina Sforza's extraordinary life and accomplishments. Raised in the court of Milan and wed at age ten to the pope’s corrupt nephew, Caterina was ensnared in Italy’s political intrigues early in life. After turbulent years in Rome’s papal court, she moved to the Romagnol province of Forlì. Following her husband’s assassination, she ruled Italy’s crossroads with iron will, martial strength, political savvy—and an icon’s fashion sense. In finally losing her lands to the Borgia family, she put up a resistance that inspired all of Europe.
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Pouncing Tiger
- By Amazon Customer on 10-28-24
By: Elizabeth Lev
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The Borgias
- Power and Depravity in Renaissance Italy
- By: Paul Strathern
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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The Borgia family have become a byword for evil. Corruption, incest, ruthless megalomania, avarice, and vicious cruelty - all have been associated with their name. And yet, paradoxically, this family lived when the Renaissance was coming into its full flowering in Italy. Examples of infamy flourished alongside some of the finest art produced in western history.
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Gossip
- By Amazon Customer on 10-02-19
By: Paul Strathern
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Victoria
- A Life
- By: A. N. Wilson
- Narrated by: Clive Chafer
- Length: 21 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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The longest reigning British monarch and female sovereign in history, Queen Victoria was a figure of profound paradox who has mystified historians for over a century. Now in this magisterial biography, A.N. Wilson rebukes the conventional wisdom about her life - that she was merely a "funny little woman in a bonnet" who did next to nothing - to show she was in fact intensely involved in state affairs despite a public façade of inaction.
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This book has old and new info
- By Dr. A. on 10-29-14
By: A. N. Wilson
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Nero
- Matricide, Music, and Murder in Imperial Rome
- By: Anthony Everitt, Roddy Ashworth
- Narrated by: Greg Patmore
- Length: 13 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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The Roman emperor Nero’s name has long been a byword for cruelty, decadence, and despotism. As the stories go, he set fire to Rome and thrummed his lyre as it burned. He then cleared the charred ruins and built a vast palace. He committed incest with his mother, who had schemed and killed to place him on the throne, and later murdered her. But these stories, left behind by contemporary historians who hated him, are hardly the full picture, and in this nuanced biography, celebrated historian Anthony Everitt and investigative journalist Roddy Ashworth reveal the contradictions inherent in Nero
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An amazing 360 degree portrait
- By Cooper A Day on 01-01-23
By: Anthony Everitt, and others
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Catherine de Medici
- Renaissance Queen of France
- By: Leonie Frieda
- Narrated by: Sarah Le Fevre
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Poisoner, despot, necromancer - the dark legend of Catherine de Medici is centuries old. In this critically hailed biography, Leonie Frieda reclaims the story of this unjustly maligned queen to reveal a skilled ruler battling extraordinary political and personal odds - from a troubled childhood in Florence to her marriage to Henry, son of King Francis I of France; from her transformation of French culture to her fight to protect her throne and her sons' birthright. Based on thousands of private letters, it is a remarkable account of one of the most influential women to wear a crown.
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Narrator didn't get one name right
- By Georgina García- Menocal on 09-15-19
By: Leonie Frieda
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We Two
- Victoria and Albert: Rulers, Partners, Rivals
- By: Gillian Gill
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 18 hrs and 19 mins
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It was the most influential marriage of the 19th Century - and one of history’s most enduring love stories. Traditional biographies tell us that Queen Victoria inherited the throne as a naïve teenager, when the British Empire was at the height of its power, and seemed doomed to find failure as a monarch and misery as a woman until she married her German cousin Albert and accepted him as her lord and master. Now renowned chronicler Gillian Gill turns this familiar story on its head, revealing a strong, feisty queen, and a brilliant, fragile prince working together to build a family.
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I found it extremely moving.
- By Cheryl on 08-07-09
By: Gillian Gill
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Marie Antoinette
- The Journey
- By: Antonia Fraser
- Narrated by: Donada Peters
- Length: 20 hrs and 27 mins
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France's iconic queen, Marie Antoinette, wrongly accused of uttering the infamous "Let them eat cake", was alternately revered and reviled during her lifetime. For centuries since, she has been the object of debate, speculation, and the fascination so often accorded illustrious figures in history. Married in mere girlhood, this essentially lighthearted child was thrust onto the royal stage and commanded by circumstance to play a significant role in European history.
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Annoying Narration
- By LaFemmeRouge on 10-28-06
By: Antonia Fraser
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Prince Albert
- The Man Who Saved the Monarchy
- By: A. N. Wilson
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Drawn from the Royal archives, including Prince Albert’s voluminous correspondence, this brilliant and ambitious book offers fascinating never-before-known details about the man and his time. A superb match of biographer and subject, Prince Albert, at last, gives this important historical figure the reverence and recognition that is long overdue.
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Excellent Bio!
- By Nancy on 04-24-24
By: A. N. Wilson
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Hero of Two Worlds
- The Marquis de Lafayette in the Age of Revolution
- By: Mike Duncan
- Narrated by: Mike Duncan
- Length: 17 hrs and 20 mins
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From the massively popular podcaster and New York Times best-selling author comes the story of the Marquis de Lafayette's lifelong quest to protect the principles of democracy, told through the lens of the three revolutions he participated in: the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and the Revolution of 1830.
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Thrillingly storytelling — brilliant narration
- By Byron on 08-24-21
By: Mike Duncan
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The Lost Queen
- The Life & Tragedy of the Prince Regent's Daughter
- By: Anne M. Stott
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
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As the only child of the Prince Regent and Caroline of Brunswick, Princess Charlotte of Wales (1796-1817) was the heiress presumptive to the throne. Her parents' marriage had already broken up by the time she was born. She had a difficult childhood and a turbulent adolescence, but she was popular with the public, who looked to her to restore the good name of the monarchy.
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excellent
- By meganajjcec on 10-12-20
By: Anne M. Stott
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Francis I
- The Maker of Modern France
- By: Leonie Frieda
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Catherine de Medici's father-in-law, King Francis of France, was the perfect Renaissance knight, the movement's exemplar and its Gallic interpreter. An aesthete, diplomat par excellence, and contemporary of Machiavelli, Francis was the founder of modern France, whose sheer force of will and personality molded his kingdom into the first European superpower. Arguably the man who introduced the Renaissance to France, Francis was also the prototype Frenchman - a national identity was modeled on his character.
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Rekindling salamandrine fires...
- By Adeliese Baumann on 09-29-18
By: Leonie Frieda
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What listeners say about Catherine the Great & Potemkin
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Felisa Kay
- 06-29-20
good in-depth book
it really does just focus on their love. years only after Catherine is empress basically. I didn't know much about Potemkin, and the author was ODVIOUSLY a fan of him.. and set out to deliver ALL the facts with a zeal to the truth about t this man and women, whos real history have previously been passed down unfairly.
but I wasn't aware of any of the bias and ended up seeing Potemkin was really a great man.
so while I could clearly see the author was sort of defending these figures, overall, instead of being annoyed by what could be seen as 'one sided efforts ' of author; I actually found his information well researched. He had A LOT of info that really supported all the admiration the author has for his books subjects.
it has lots of clear detail, delivered in a pretty easy-to-follow presentation of it. and as I said , I am weary of authors who set out to'defend' a personage I didn't feel this was the case here. as the book went on, I agreed with the author that this mans life deserved a closer look, and the facts he shared made me agree that Potemkin was a great man and history seems to have jaded the truth of him and Catherine. In this book, facts are laid bear with wonderful sources of great ACTUAL archived letters between them and contemporarys.
but it only follows the events important to Catherine and mostly Potemkin. it does not cover anything else happening in that time period unless it involved them.
but it was performed well, and the info was entertaining and inspired. I liked it. Catherine an Potemkins relationship was TRUELY a unique relationship by all means. I found that interesting and appreciated that aspect more seeing it unfold. the people in the story are unique and they don't let you down but surprise you .
I appreciate the work the author did to present this vast and extensive work.
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Overall
- wanda
- 05-26-20
Sheds light on subject
I've read books on Catherine the great but never on Potemkin and I'm so glad I got this book because I now have a wider view on this wonderful man.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Jose
- 08-30-23
Potemkin- a force of Nature
For a non Russian like me that has read many Russian History books, a great education on Prince Potemkin. A great man that left an incredible contribution to his nation. A builder of such scale, that people had trouble believing their own eyes. A General, Statesman, and a personal Maximalist. Potemkin was basically an overlapping life (birth and death) to George Washington. Readers of GW will be amazed how these guys were similar and so different. They almost personify their national identities. How did Russia get to the Black Sea. What they sacrificed and what they risked to push their frontier to the Danube and into the Caucuses. Russia moving South was like the USA moving West and South.
Simon Sebag Montefiore is excellent as expected. Captures the time of Potemkin and Catherine. The culture, domestic politics, and international politics. The influence of France, Britain, Prussia, Austria, America, and Ottomans on Russia. To spice up the timeline - Potemkin was at his best as the USA won independence, France destroyed itself, Europe was in full "enlightenment", Austria was at limits, and Britain entering its Golden Age. This book is like a prequal to War and Peace. Many of the hero's of 1812 making an appearance in the late 18th century - Bagatrion, Subarov, and Kutuzov. Even the complex Russian love lives. I thought Anna Karenia was an oddity, but not an oddity if Catherine was an influential role model in the culture.
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1 person found this helpful
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- David E. Manning
- 06-26-22
Excellent
This is a wonderful book peryou're full book. Wonderfully performed and very informative on a little known period of history particularly to Americans. It is quite informative formative regarding the history of the Southern Empire in Russia which interestingly enough is quite relevant today given the war in the Ukraine.
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3 people found this helpful
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- A. Visserman
- 07-30-23
Somewhat disappointing
I expected more about Catherine’s rule and achievements. Instead I got the intimate details of their relationship and their relationships with others ad nauseam. I am still in the dark about how she earned the “Great” sobriquet.
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- Michelle
- 03-09-21
Liked the book, hated the narrator
I found the book to be very interesting and it filled in a lot of details about Catherine and Potemkin. However the narrator is awful. She changes how she pronounces names and cities, has a poor cadence and an uneven inflection, and at times made listening to the book very difficult. Her Russian pronunciations are dreadful and her French isn't great either (yes, I speak both - semi-fluent in French and enough Russian to get by). The poor and inconsistent pronunciations are jarring and at times interrupt the flow. At other times, you have to stop and try to figure out if she is talking about the same place she mentioned 5 minutes earlier.
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5 people found this helpful