Anne Boleyn

500 Years of Lies

By: Hayley Nolan

Narrated by: Hayley Nolan

Length: 11 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's Summary

A bold new analysis of one of history’s most misrepresented women.

History has lied.

Anne Boleyn has been sold to us as a dark figure, a scheming seductress who bewitched Henry VIII into divorcing his queen and his church in an unprecedented display of passion. Quite the tragic love story, right?

Wrong.

In this electrifying exposé, Hayley Nolan explores for the first time the full, uncensored evidence of Anne Boleyn’s life and relationship with Henry VIII, revealing the shocking suppression of a powerful woman.

So leave all notions of outdated and romanticised folklore at the door and forget what you think you know about one of the Tudors’ most notorious queens. She may have been silenced for centuries, but this urgent book ensures Anne Boleyn’s voice is being heard now.

#TheTruthWillOut

©2019 Hayley Nolan (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

The author very much distracts!

This is an Excellent piece of research. The author, reads her work, and ruins the book. Just absolutely terrible. I am remiss I purchased.

hashtag get rid of the " hashtag " comments

over dramatic reading, adding hashtag statements makes it juvenile. get a new reader that does not sound like she is lecturing at a pulpit.

Very annoying narrator!

There is no doubt that the author did her research, but reading aloud her own work was not enjoyable for me.
Her voice is grating on the ears and she sounds like she's trying too hard as she constantly tries to drive her point home. I really wanted to like to this book but she ruined it for me. I am a HUGE Anne Boleyn fan and have read many works on her, but this book was not a good choice for me.

One of the Best Examples of Click Bait

I could not wait for this book to be finished. I was completely fine with her snark and sarcasm in the introduction but it continued throughout the whole book. This forces the writing to be very unpolished and unprofessional. She spends her time putting down other historians while lifting herself up as the only person on this planet who has ever looked at Anne Boleyn as a person and not a fictional character. As if somehow other historians do not have access to the same documents as she did. Nolan does not offer anything new or interesting in Boleyn's life. It's just a retelling of the story as click bait.

I have to stop reading this book

I just didn't like it at all. Maybe I read two hours. I tried to get through it, by I don't like the book's attitude. I want to return it.

Well Researched

It is always exciting to find new facts searched on the Tudor Era, especially from women. We have wonderful, also well searched historical novels that I have grown to love over the past 20 years. I find myself yearning to know more.

These women have even more connection as I find myself to be a descendant of several famous (and infamous) strong women often labeled at she-wolves, whores and bitches by the male dominated field of historians and scribes. Viewing a woman 's paradigm enlightens the paths taken by these often unpopular woman that changed the world in their limited capacities. Anne's role in enlightening a king to different point of view released England from the tyranny of the powerful increasingly corrupted Catholic church, opening the way for reform world wide. Then to give birth to one of the greatest queens in history, Elizabeth I, etched a firm place for Anne in history. She created a wake of events that left her both hated and loved the world over.

As much as I appreciate the author's obvious enthusiasm, another reader may have done this audio book more justice. I don't mean to be unkind, it is a rare author (like Toni Morrison) that possesses that gift.

I wanted to like it, but....

Full disclosure - I could not make it through this book. The author comes across as a someone trying to sound cool and hip by using modern slang in an allegedly serious work. Instead she comes off as an angsty teen with an ax to grind. I think she had a really good starting point for a book - Anne Boleyn probably hasn't gotten a fair shake from history, but repeatedly screetching that beheading doesn't equal love doesn't work to make the point. Also this is a perfect example of why authors should NOT read their own work. The sarcasm in her voice and her tone are major turnoffs. I get it, you want to rail against the injustice done to your subject but leave the performance to professionals who won't judge the merits of your work and argument by how worked up you get trying to make your case.

Good Historical Information

Took some time to get motivated to continue with this book, but once past the first few pages I found I wanted
to reach the final conclusion. Be patient and enjoy.

Interesting Enjoyable Story

Not quite the book story I thought I was getting, but really good non the less.
I felt like I was in a college history class lead by a professor that was interesting, knowledgeable and brought the characters to life in a new light. Wanted to keep going to class!

First Bad Review

Let me preface by saying that I didn't get past Chapter 2. I am a history nerd, and especially love the Tudors, reading everything I can find. While I agreed with most of the author's conclusions, her tone was so flippant and sarcastic that she lost credibility. The facts (the few we really do know) about Anne Boleyn tend to show that while she was capable of avarice, manipulation and revenge, she was also unfairly convicted to expedite Henry VIII's marriage to Jane Seymour. She does seen to have the facts (those which I heard), she just needs to take the edge off the sarcasm, and I would give it another chance.

Dreadful narration ruins what could be a good book

oh lord, I've suffered through some dreadfully narrated books but this one is unbearable. Such a shame because the concept of the book appeals greatly.
sadly returned

Great book Terrible narration

If you don’t know your history and haven’t studied Anne Boleyn this book is for you
It has some very good points and it’s researched well.
Sadly it’s written as if to appeal to twenty year olds with references to hashtags and the like.
Awesome.
It’s as though the author wishes to target a new audience, yet she alludes a few times in the book who the readers of this genre usually are, yet this way of writing is definitely not going to appeal to them.
It’s not as groundbreaking like the author would like you to think.
If you’re of reasonable intelligence and have knowledge of this period, what she has written is no great surprise. All she has done is provide documented accounts of what we knew to be true all along.
Yet she arrogantly believes she’s singlehandedly put to rights the story of Anne Boleyn’s death.

But to the readers new to this subject matter it definitely clears up those silly urban myths.

NOTE; If you want to purchase this book buy the paper copy or the kindle version.
It’s good to hear authors read their own work. They are the best choices to bring it to life because they know their own writing style, but in this case the author’s intonation and sarcastic points at the end of every few sentences is annoying. Think Miranda Hart.
It’s like she’s reading to a classroom of six year olds and trying to keep them interested. The points are extremely interesting already, you’re defeating the object with the silly voices.

Great story ... but

The story was great but the narrator felt flippant and dismissive. Her reading seemed to cheapen the message she was trying to share particularly with the use of the phrasing ‘hashtag’. The narration was over the top and dramatic bordering on cheesy at times (particularly at the beginning).

a no from me, chief

didn't finish this. i found the narrator grating and the use of slang and "sass" over the top and took away from the facts that were being presented. it's a shame as the concept was really interesting.

Refreshing look at Anne Boleyn

I found this book to be a refreshing look at Anne Boleyn life and death

Cannot listen to this

Get a professional to read this.
I'd like a refund. This wonsn cannot and should not be allowed to do audiobooks.


AWFUL.

Awful

The information contained is interesting but it’s delivery is irritating and childish.....I didn’t finish the book as I couldn’t bear the sarcastic delivery! Such a shame....don’t buy it

Oh Dear

I listened to about half an hour of the narration of this book and gave it up for a bad job, as Hayley Nolan's voice took away any interest in what she was saying, which is a pity, really, as the book is probably quite interesting. There are many books on the life of Anne Boleyn, I suggest shopping around, and listening to the samples before buying - the author is not always the best narrator.

Absolutely amazing

A huge amount of a well dissected history that is not only captivating but also informative how history is written. The author is eloquent with true crucial facts that gets buried and never properly credited. A real must read to those who look to understand how things can go really wrong when it involves individuals with personality disorder - despite the time-space continuum! I loved reading this book and I think if you truly value how history helps us to understand how we got to here, then start with this book.

Interesting

I am a huge tudor history fan and was intrested to hear about this new take on history. I have come out the other side and all i can say is... interesting...there are a lot of radical ideas in this book. Some ideas make sense other idea's of Hayley's less so, if you look at history in it's plainest form they don't add up.
I'm pleased i listened but not one i fell i would listen to again.
Hayley however was a great narrator.