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I, Claudius
- Narrated by: Nelson Runger
- Length: 16 hrs and 47 mins
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- By: Roland Hui
- Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
- Length: 22 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Ten remarkable women. One remarkable era. In the Tudor period, 1485 to 1603, a host of fascinating women sat on the English throne. The dramatic events of their lives are told in The Turbulent Crown: The Story of the Tudor Queens.
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a very good listen
- By Evil Guppy on 09-21-19
By: Roland Hui
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Barry Lyndon
- By: William Makepeace Thackeray
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 13 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Like Tom Jones before him, Barry Lyndon is one of the most lively and roguish characters in English literature. He may now be best known through the colorful Stanley Kubrick film released in 1975, but it is Thackeray who, in true 19th-century style, shows him best.
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A masterful reading
- By BB on 06-14-14
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Secret Lives of the Tsars
- Three Centuries of Autocracy, Debauchery, Betrayal, Murder, and Madness from Romanov Russia
- By: Michael Farquhar
- Narrated by: Enn Reitel
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Scandal! Intrigue! Cossacks! Here the world’s most engaging royal historian chronicles the world’s most fascinating imperial dynasty: the Romanovs, whose three-hundred-year reign was remarkable for its shocking violence, spectacular excess, and unimaginable venality. In this incredibly entertaining history, Michael Farquhar collects the best, most captivating true tales of Romanov iniquity.
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A good introduction to the Romanovs
- By Daniel Burgon on 07-14-14
By: Michael Farquhar
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The Twelve Caesars
- By: Suetonius
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 14 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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The Twelve Caesars was written based on the information of eyewitnesses and public records. It conveys a very accurate picture of court life in Rome and contains some of the raciest and most salacious material to be found in all of ancient literature. The writing is clear, simple and easy to understand, and the numerous anecdotes of juicy scandal, bitter court intrigue, and murderous brigandage easily hold their own against the most spirited content of today's tabloids.
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A pleasure to read...
- By Robyn C. Blaber on 03-13-10
By: Suetonius
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Candide (AudioGO Edition)
- By: Voltaire
- Narrated by: Jack Davenport
- Length: 3 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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When first published in 1759, Candide became an instant best seller and is now regarded as one of the key texts of the Enlightenment. Voltaire’s preoccupations with evil and with various kinds of human folly and intolerance found a perfect vehicle in this philosophical tale. A master storyteller, he combined often wildly entertaining action with profoundly serious sense, parodying the traditional chivalric and oriental tales with which his public was more familiar.
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Guaranteed to keep you smiling if not LOL
- By Robert on 08-09-12
By: Voltaire
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The House of Medici
- Its Rise and Fall
- By: Christopher Hibbert
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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This enthralling book charts the family's huge influence on the political, economic, and cultural history of Florence. Beginning in the early 1430s with the rise of the dynasty under the near-legendary Cosimo de Medici, it moves through their golden era as patrons of some of the most remarkable artists and architects of the Renaissance, to the era of the Medici Popes and Grand Dukes, Florence's slide into decay and bankruptcy, and the end, in 1737, of the Medici line.
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Laundry list of names
- By Elizabeth W on 01-02-17
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Rome's Last Citizen
- The Life and Legacy of Cato, Mortal Enemy of Caesar
- By: Rob Goodman, Jimmy Soni
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 13 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Marcus Porcius Cato: aristocrat who walked barefoot and slept on the ground with his troops, political heavyweight who cultivated the image of a Stoic philosopher, a hardnosed defender of tradition who presented himself as a man out of the sacred Roman past-and the last man standing when Rome's Republic fell to tyranny. His blood feud with Caesar began in the chamber of the Senate, played out on the battlefields of a world war, and ended when he took his own life rather than live under a dictator.
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Unfortunate
- By Olivia N. on 11-06-20
By: Rob Goodman, and others
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nice "factual" recreation
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If you loved I, CLAUDIUS. You'll love this book!
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Translation doubts
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The Author, Mary Renault, UNMASKED by her Apollo
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Weaving history, legend, and new archaeological discoveries into a spellbinding narrative, critically acclaimed novelist Steven Saylor gives new life to the drama of Rome's first 1,000 years - from the founding of the city by the ill-fated twins Romulus and Remus, through Rome's astonishing ascent to become the capital of the most powerful empire in history.
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Plebian at best
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The Way of All Flesh
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With The Way of All Flesh, Samuel Butler threw a subversive brick at the smug face of Victorian domesticity. Published in 1903, a year after Butler's death, the novel is a thinly disguised account of his own childhood and youth "in the bosom of a Christian family." With irony, wit, and sometimes rancor, he savaged contemporary values and beliefs, turning inside-out the conventional novel of a family's life through several generations.
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poor narrator
- By Marjorie on 08-11-12
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Master and God
- A Novel of the Roman Empire
- By: Lindsey Davis
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Lindsey Davis’ Master and God is a vastly entertaining historical novel set in the reign of the Emperor Domitian in first-century Rome. It is on the one hand a love story between Gaius Vinius Clodianus, a valiant but reluctant member of the Praetorian Guard, whose military career is as successful as his marital history is disastrous, and Flavia Lucilla, daughter of a freed slave and hairdresser to the ladies of the imperial household. A devastating fire in Rome brings them together....
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Info Dump with Romance
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What listeners say about I, Claudius
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Chris
- 06-09-09
Unsurpassed, addictive brilliance
Put aside all thought of stuffy classics. Think well-spun tale, full of twists and turns, subterfuges and bloody tyranny. Bear in mind that the BBC at the peak of its tour de force of TV drama production in the '70s and '80s made these two books into a masterpiece surpassed only (perhaps) by Brideshead Revisited. You can't do that with dull material.
As the title siggests, the books are written in the first person, as the autobiography of the partly disabled, sickly survivor of the Claudian wing of the Roman aristocracy who became emperor by flying below the radar and outliving all the other candidates. The choice of reader is critical, as we are listening to an elderly man tell his long and convoluted life story. Nelson Runger's voice rumbles along with just the right timbre and clarity for the character of the wily and learned Claudius. More importantly he has such a fine actor's grasp of text and meaning that we never, for one moment, feel that we are being read to. We are simply being told the bloody, scheming, erotic and shocking tale of Rome's ruling dynasty at the peak of its imperial power, spun out as an captivating yarn.
While never claiming officially to be an historian Graves was a close descendant of German historian Leopold von Ranke and prized historical accuracy. So much, if not all of the two books is historically accurate, a perspective which serves as the binding sauce to Graves' words and Runger's delivery.
One of my very best Audible purchases, which I will listen to again and again.
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152 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Stephanie
- 12-07-07
Illuminating
This book is an excellent way to acquaint yourself with the character of Rome at the dawn of the first century. I, Claudius plunges you into a world of intrigues, murder, cruelty, and vice-- in short a world in which "Poison is Queen."
If you are anticipating a page-turner-'novel' don't purchase this audio book. It is more like a well dramatized history. The story is told in first person by Claudius himself, and follows his life from its earliest years to nearly the end of his life. Claudius was born a cripple and a stammerer, and it is amazing to see how he not only overcame his disabilities, but how he used them to his advantage. Hundreds died in the struggle for power, but every killer overlooked 'the half-wit.'
The narrator is top notch. I couldn't give his performance a higher rating. The sound quality is excellent.
A good book, not a sensational one. I might find myself re-listening to it someday just to re-aquaint myself with this era in human history.
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67 people found this helpful
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Overall
- C. D. Mitchell
- 02-16-09
Excellent
This book is a superb read if you enjoy historical fiction. It's also excellent if you enjoy biography/autobiography so long as you don't take the subject matter as entirely accurate. It's written as "autobiography" of Claudius, fourth emperor of the Roman Empire. Though the book (and it's sequel, Claudius the God) finds it's foundation in the Roman biographies of Suetonius and Tacitus, much effort has been made by Graves to cast Claudius in as favorable a light as possible. To this end, Claudius is a sympathetic and intelligent character whose base neglect by the earlier Caesars is only to the detriment of the empire.
This book carries the life of Claudius from the political intrigues before his birth up until his comical accession as emperor. Graves' second book, Claudius the God, carries the story practically up to Claudius' death.
The reader is excellent and his voice along with the text allows you to lapse into thinking that you are listening to Claudius himself.
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64 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Mistress Elliot
- 04-29-10
DONT PASS THIS BOOK UP!
This book is one of my favorite listens of all time. As well as being one of the best Historical Fiction books ever written. Take a chance on this one. But if you do, here are a few things to read first:
Firstly, forget that this book was written in the 1920's. If I hadn't known this fact, I would have never guessed. I am a great fan of modern historians and shy away from books written in the early 20th Cent. Robert Graves is the exception.
No soap-opera has more intrigue, lust, murder, betrayal and excess than the true tale of the reign of the Caesars of Ancient Rome. The tale is complicated and full of twists and turns and too many minor characters to keep track of. What makes Mr. Grave's telling of the tale so engrossing is the way he uses the oft disregarded "Uncle" Claudius as the fly on the wall witness to the madness. The real Caesar Claudius was a historian before he was anything else, making the telling of his tale believable and reasonable in its details.
There have been a few reviews complaining that the narrator is boring. NONSENSE. Nelson Runger MAKES this story seem totally believable. His unassuming, self-depreciating, kindly voice is the exact illustration of what "Poor Claudius" might have sounded like. HE IS PERFECT. No inexplicable English accent to make it sound more "historical" here.
Another complaint I've read is that Graves uses the modern names of regions and countries in his tale. This is FICTION and most of us don't know exactly where GAUL was back then. But I sure know where Germany is. It's a non issue. If you are THAT superior in your tastes, perhaps you should stick to true biography's.
One caution: I waited until the last chapter of the book expecting to hear the tale of Claudius's actual reign included - he doesn't tell. The book ends with the first moments of his ascension to the throne. The good news is that there is a follow up book that does. Much to my delight!
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44 people found this helpful
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Overall
- 9S
- 11-10-09
A fool survives
Claudius of this book is not the Claudius of history. That is a very good thing. The real Claudius was not likable. This is Grave's autobiographical account of Roman emperor Claudius. Claudius is physically weak, drools and stammers-and this is what kept him breathing, while all other threats to his grandmother Livia's schemes drop dead. There is lots of intrigue, sex, murder, suspicion and more intrigue. You will have fun listening to this one.
Be sure you get the version narrated by Nelson Runger. He is superb as the voice of the stammering idiot, and he shines. I have another version done by Fredrick Davidson, whom I love as a narrator, but he did not fit the role of Claudius.
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38 people found this helpful
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Overall
- brett
- 11-23-07
Superb
I highly recommend this audio book. The book itself, by Robert Graves is a classic. Its an in depth , richly painted portrait of the Julio-Claudian dynasty as seen through the eyes of its most unlikely members. However, the performance of Nelson Runger as narrator makes this a particularly good listen. He did a great job of becoming Claudius. When a narrator can disappear into the part, and really become the part, thats pure joy!
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32 people found this helpful
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- cuptagrafft
- 08-21-07
I, Claudius
I, Claudius was written as if it were the confidential autobiography of Claudius, the fourth emperor of Rome 41-54 A.D. The main caricature Claudius tells of the intrigues of his day and age. The story starts off a bit slow but the story is laying the foundations of the future intrigues of sex, murder and betrayals.
The audio is good quality.
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20 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Ryan
- 01-28-10
classic historical fiction
Even though it was written over 75 years ago, I, Claudius outshines many modern works of historical fiction in its detail, drama, and accessibility. Its narrator may not have had the most interesting life story himself, but as a fly-on-the-wall witness to several generations of backstabbing Roman politics, debauchery, and familial intrigue, not to mention turbulent times in the life of the empire itself, he plenty of tales to tell. It's obvious that Graves took some fictional (and a little bit of mystical) license with his history, but he seems to have done his research. I learned a great deal about Rome during its Imperial Period.
Perhaps the book's a little too fact-oriented at times; it relates a lot of minor events and anecdotes that don't have much to do with any larger plotline. The large cast of briefly-seen minor characters and the complicated family lineages of Roman nobility can be confusing, as well.
But, none of that undermined my enjoyment too much. Graves provides a few heroes to root for and plenty of villains you'll love to loathe, particularly the cruel, cunning Livia and the depraved Caligula (a leader who makes America's worst heads of state look like saintly paragons of wisdom and virtue). For patient readers, I, Claudius is an absorbing historical soap opera. Nelson Runger's grandfatherly voice is a perfect fit for the audio version.
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17 people found this helpful
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- A reader
- 11-27-09
History really?
I am far from being an historian, and my knowledge of Roman history is at best scanty. And yet I caught a few things that made me jump, which of course makes me wonder about everything else... For one thing Graves keeps referring to "France" and "Italy". These are gross anachronisms. He undoubtedly knew better, and may have found it easier to call these regions of the Empire by their modern day names. But I hate that dumbification of history, even in an historic novel. Another inaccuracy (and this time I do have a bit of knowledge in the matter): he keeps referring to "paper". There is no paper in Europe before the 10th century. The Romans had parchment (animal skin) and papyrus as writing supports. I assume he sloppily calls papyrus "paper". But papyrus is NOT paper. His usage of the the word "book" is a bit questionable too. Claudius didn't write on a what we now consider as a book ie a codex (with pages that are sewn together and can be flipped) but rather on scrolls.
Having said all that, if one can stand the darkness and gore of the time period, which has nothing to do with Graves, it is a good read. I found that considering the sadistic bend of some of his main protagonists, especially Caligula, Graves remained pretty discreet and didn't indulge in easy unsavory imagery, for which I was immensely grateful.
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10 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Jessica
- 08-28-08
ok, but...
I was disappointed in the story. It is a first person narrative that focuses almost exclusively on the speakers hatred of Livia Drusa (sp?) Octavian's(Augustus) wife. If u liked First Man in Rome, this story by comparison is small and narrow. As it progresses it becomes increasingly absurd to believe that one woman could be so entirely responsible for so much.
I listened to it all through, the performance was great. It reminded me of taped letters I used to get from a friend who was overseas. The tone of the read was genuine and engaging. I just didnt think the story itself was very good.
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9 people found this helpful