A Brief History of Brief Lives of the English Monarchs

By: Carolly Erickson

Narrated by: Roger Davis

Length: 14 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's Summary

This audiobook contains sharp and enjoyable new portraits of the English kings and queens. Hunchbacked Richard III, the Virgin Queen Elizabeth I, the grieving widow Victoria, and the romantic who gave up his throne for love, Edward VIII - often the colourful kings and queens of England seem like mere caricature, while less familiar rulers like William IV or Henry VI have faded into the shadows of history.

Carolly Erickson's sensitive and revealing portrayals bring new life to the big names, and light up some of our most neglected but intriguing royals. Here is the puny Charles I, nervous, tense and socially awkward, the frail slight Richard II, melancholic and sad, the homosexual James I with his handsome favourites, and the stuttering William II. Every monarch from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II is covered. Award-winning historian Erickson tells the human stories with her characteristic blend of authenticity, engaging style and psychological insight.

Carolly Erickson is a distinguished historian and the author of The First Elizabeth, Great Catherine, Alexandra, and a dozen other prize winning biographies. Her PhD in medieval history from Columbia University, New York, led her to six years as a college professor then to a career as a full-time writer.

©2007 Carolly Erickson (P)2013 Audible Ltd

Critic Reviews

"Erickson proves it is possible to write narrative history that is both popular and good." ( Mail on Sunday)

"Erickson is one of the most accomplished and successful historical biographers writing in English." ( TLS)

"Extremely readable." (Nikolai Tolstoy, Literary Review)

Very interesting and some fresh info

If you could sum up A Brief History of Brief Lives of the English Monarchs in three words, what would they be?

I have read a LOT of English history and I usually don't much like compilations, as the info is so shallow, however this book is really a good read, and you can dip into it at any point and enjoy the interesting details about the various kings and queens of England

If you like English history, this is a fun read, good to listen to while driving or gardenting, etc.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Excellent

Definitely listen to it again- some amazing characters.
Bit of repitition in some chapters, but not a big issue.

Excellent Summary and Connects The Dots!

Would you listen to A Brief History of Brief Lives of the English Monarchs again? Why?

Yes, I love how the creation of a timeline and what was going on in the world would have affected the lives of these monarchs. Excellently done and helps me understand why things got so boring in England Charles II.

What did you like best about this story?

All of it! I especially appreciated her candor regarding the boring nature of the current queen and how the monarchy has lost its shine and influence. The quick concise summaries really helped fill in timeline gaps for what was going on in the rest of the world! Great job!

What about Roger Davis’s performance did you like?

Great, proper inflection, and not monotone.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Discussions of the childhoods of each king and queen as they grew. The connect the dots as to why William I was as brutal as he was, was to understand the current culture in France at the time of his childhood. Excellent perspective.

Very Interesting

Really interesting information and presented in short bursts so I didn't find it got boring. A little repetitive at the start of the chapter/section where there is some explanation of the previous monarch/how the current monarch got to where they are but I found this good when returning to the book after a break.
Glad I bought it

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Enjoyable

Engrossing in the stories picked out to best sum up the lives of the Monarchs, much like a highlight reel without going into too much depth. Each section is either just long enough to pique your interest in individual Monarchs or short enough not to bore you. I found myself researching Kings, Queens and nobility I'd either never heard of or never considered much before this audiobook. It is concise in its approach, offering little snippets and a summary of the lives of English Monarchs. Thoroughly enjoyable.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

does exactly what it says on tin

good quick insights into monarchy. now i can pick favourites and read more indepth about the ones i found more interesting. .

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Very Disappointing

What disappointed you about A Brief History of Brief Lives of the English Monarchs?

The constant recaps are somewhat reminiscent of a Channel 5 documentary. The all to often use of an incorrect word is jarring to the ear, as is the over use of other words, for example, magnates.

What could Carolly Erickson have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Maybe to review the work. Being more aware of repeated words. Not to assume that the reader needs a reminder of the monarch from the previous chapter. I feel as though the text has been "dumbed-down" to its and my detriment.

Who might you have cast as narrator instead of Roger Davis?

Although Roger Davis gives a fluent and level reading, he appears to have trouble pronouncing a huge number of words.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from A Brief History of Brief Lives of the English Monarchs?

The beginning of the chapters that are repeated from the previous chapter.

Any additional comments?

I don't think that I will be listening to anything else by Carolly Erikson. I bought this audio book to share with my nine year old son and even he grew tired of the repeats and mispronunciations. Often, the book appeared to be a bad translation from a language other than English.

Thoroughly enjoyable

A fantastic overview of the English monarchy from 1066 through to present day. The author does a great job of covering such a large topic in such a short time. There was just enough information given to cover major events across English history and to portray each monarch's character. Very enjoyable.