Winter King

The Dawn of Tudor England

De: Thomas Penn

Narrado por: Simon Vance

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. Although he built palaces, hosted magnificent jousts, and sent ambassadors across Europe, for many Henry VII remained a false king. But he had a crucial asset: his family - the queen and their children, the living embodiment of his hoped-for dynasty. Now, in what would be the crowning glory of his reign, his elder son would marry a great Spanish princess.

Thomas Penn re-creates an England that is both familiar and very strange - a country medieval yet modern, in which honor and chivalry mingle with espionage, realpolitik, high finance, and corruption. It is the story of the transformation of a young, vulnerable boy, Prince Henry, into the aggressive teenager who would become Henry VIII, and of Catherine of Aragon, his future queen, as well as of Henry VII - controlling, avaricious, paranoid, with Machiavellian charm and will to power.

Rich with incident and drama, filled with wonderfully drawn characters, Winter King is an unforgettable account of pageantry, intrigue, the thirst for glory, and the fraught, unstable birth of Tudor England.

Thomas Penn has a PhD in early Tudor history from Clare College, Cambridge. Winter King is his first book.

©2011 Thomas Penn (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“I feel I’ve been waiting to read this book a long time. It’s a fluent and compelling account of the cost of founding the Tudor dynasty.” (Hilary Mantel, Man Booker Prize–winning author of Wolf Hall)

“An exceptionally stylish literary debut…[Penn’s] book should be the first port of call for anyone trying to understand England’s most flagrant usurper since William the Conqueror.” (Diarmaid MacCulloch, New York Times best-selling author)

“A definitive and accessible account of the reign of Henry VII.” ( Guardian (UK))

A Compelling Puzzlework of Personalities

The main historical figures take vivid form and the personalities come across with defined type and tendency. The complexity of the diplomacy, roles and running of the kingdom under Henry VII were untangled and made compelling in the context of actual historical drama. The performance, the reading, was nuanced, articulated clearly and expressive, but a little fast at times.

"Glorious summer" made winter once again...

Would you listen to Winter King again? Why?

Definitely would listen to this one again. Nonfiction can be dry but this was well-written and well read. There was a lot of information presented that I'd come across before but it was woven into a pretty smooth narrative. The author does have a couple of phrases, expressions, words, that are noticeably repeated, but I didn't find this to be an annoyance, just something I noticed.

What other book might you compare Winter King to and why?

The subject matter here makes it difficult to compare to another book. SB Chrimes wrote the Yale English Monarchs series entry on Henry VII and that suffers a bit from being that type of dry academic work that is so difficult to stick with to the last page. If you like David Starkey's biographies, this is probably up your alley.

What about Simon Vance’s performance did you like?

His voice was even and steady but not at all monotonous.

Any additional comments?

Given that Henry VII was a cipher in life and has remained so or become more of one in death, it isn't surprising that this book comes across as a portrait of a man painted by filling in the space around him. It is nearly impossible to know much of Henry that isn't a reflection off of someone or something else. This is more apparent in the 2nd half of the book, as first Prince Arthur's and then Queen Elizabeth's death marks the point at which Henry, always secretive, always guarded, retreats and even the glimpses of a happy behind-the-scenes family life fall away and all we are left with are records of a reign descending into a feudal police state. The book ends with the beginning of the reign of Henry VIII and based on what he's done in Winter King, I'm hoping that Mann will continue into that reign with his work.

Excellent !

The book and narration really bring to light the day to day activities and intrigue of the period.

A must to anyone interest in the period.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I really loved this one. You must pay attention as not to loose track of the family tree and players, but if you can keep all that straight, it is very great to listen too.

Who was your favorite character and why?

It is of coarse about Henry VII most of all. Learned a lot about the man and although he is not a beloved character, he was sure a king that a person would be interested in.

What does Simon Vance bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I found Simon Vance a good listen. Very good.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, I think the book is long and needs digesting in steps, but I sure did not want to be away from it more then a day or two.

England's Henry VII leading to Henry VIII

Enjoyable Tudor History. Helps in my understanding of English Government much controled by the King