Catherine de Valois

The Legendary Women of World History, Book 2

By: Laurel A. Rockefeller

Narrated by: Richard Mann

Length: 1 hr and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

Best known as Henry V's Agincourt bride from Shakespeare's Henry V, Catherine de Valois was an extraordinary woman of faith, courage, and conviction in an age of politically powerful women.

A younger daughter to King Charles VI of France terrorized by his mental illness, Princess Catherine survived the ravages of his schizophrenia, a civil war at home, and King Henry's war with France to become one of England's most fascinating and courageous queens. Her second marriage to Owen Tudor gave England a new dynasty through her grandson, King Henry VII.

Meet the real Catherine and discover the beautiful true story that launched the most famous dynasty in history.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2014 Laurel A. Rockefeller (P)2015 Laurel A. Rockefeller

Catherine de Valois

I loved the music! I need to get that out there first.

As a second book to a series about legendary women of world history, this story was just as fascinating as the first. Though it was not centered on the gory details of war (like book 1), the story would still leave you pained and sorry for all those who suffered.

Catherine de Valois' story is an inspiring tale of a woman who acknowledged her duties and who, eventually decided to follow her heart.

To complement such a good and captivating story, Richard Mann's narration was perfectly suited.

I am certainly looking forward to Book 3!

" I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

Another home run

I truly believe that no matter what book you get by Laurel A. Rockefeller you cant go wrong. She is such a gifted author, no matter whom she writes about you cant help but to be sucked into their world. This story will keep you interested from start to finish. There is no doubt that the author has spent many hours researching these people and their time period. I am looking forward to other books by this author.

Great listening and wonderful presentation!

Would you listen to Catherine de Valois again? Why?

Yes. I found the material to be quite fascinating. I really enjoy stories from history.

What did you like best about this story?

I found the subject matter to be very interesting.

Which character – as performed by Richard Mann – was your favorite?

The title character, Catherine, was my favorite. It was her story.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Intrigue behind the throne

History reenacted

I love how it was a story within a story. Her storytelling will draw you in and teach you without you even knowing it is happening.

Catherine of Valois is the French Beyotch!

compared to Henry V, his reluctant trophy wide Catherine of Valois has bigger cajones than the famed Victor of Agincourt. definitely more of a monarch in Her own right a de jure rgentbover their son the feckless Henry VI. you will definitely not be able to look at the Henry V the same way again after you learn of The triumphs and tragedies endured by Catherine.

I particularly enjoyed the transitional lute music of "come I come Emmanuel " between subsections.

Catherine de Valois: An Extraordinary Woman

I absolutely adore this series. CATHERINE DE VALOIS was an impeccably written historical bio that took me back to that period in time. It had a real feel to it that makes me a fan of Laurel Rockefeller for writing about these strong, important women. Her writing style is exceptional.

I love history and listening to this makes me want to learn more about the European women that were wives, mothers, and daughters to Kings and Queens as well as their heirs. This was an interesting piece that I would definitely recommend picking up. It's another gem.

Richard Mann is fantastic in this audiobook. His narration is bar none perfect for these historical bios. He makes a great good guy and also a great villain. Plus this has a bonus of him singing. He has a wonderful voice and I look forward to more from both in this series.

Audiobook received in exchange for an honest review.

Great read

I enjoyed this story of Catherine De Valois. I am fascinated by historical figures and love to learn about them. This was a very enjoyable way to do so. The author is very talented to be able to turn a simple history listen in to an enjoyable story
Richard Mann was amazing with the narration. He moves so easily in between characters and brought the emotion through

I was not a fan of the music and singing- well let me rephrase that. I loved it- but not in a book. It was distracting for me and I felt it disrupted the story. This is strictly a personal choice that we each have. I still completely enjoyed the story

Great Story

This story flows naturally and is the story of a mother’s love and determination.

The characters were very realistic due to the author and the narrator collaborating so well.

I like how these history lessons are short and yet very informative.

Richard Mann is a wonderful narrator and brings these stories to life!

History CAN Be Fun!

Where does Catherine de Valois rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's no secret that I have a weakness for European accents, and the voice actor for this story is superb! I'd read this book on my kindle, prior to listening to the audio version, and thought it was really good. The audio version is awesome!

What other book might you compare Catherine de Valois to and why?

The only other book I've ever read in this genre is Boudica, written and performed by the same dynamic duo, which was just as good. I mostly read paranormal romance and mysteries, so for a "creative historically accurate fiction " story to hold my interest is nothing short of amazing.

What about Richard Mann’s performance did you like?

His voice, obviously. His crisp British accent and deep soothing tenor, make for a wonderful listening experience. He flows quite easily into a flawless French accent, when reading for the French royals, as they speak their native tongue. He switches between the soft tenor of the ladies, and the deep growling baritones of the men, with style.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

A long time ago, on a continent far, far away...

Any additional comments?

Anyone interested in learning more about French and British history in the early 1400's, in an easy, fun way, should listen to this audio book. It's family-friendly and well done.

A taste to get you hooked on history

Note: Even though this is Book 2 in the series, it works just fine as a stand alone.

Princess Catherine was daughter to France’s King Charles VI, who suffered from mental illness. During her lifetime, she knew the hardships of France’s civil war and England’s King Henry V’s repeated warring in France. Married off to King Henry, peace between the two countries lasted briefly. After King Henry V’s death, Catherine married a Welsh man, Owen Tudor.

Before giving this book a listen, I knew very little about Queen Catherine. This is a great way to get introduced to this historical figure. The author uses touches of drama here and there to bring this bit of history to life. Since this book is only 69 minutes long, only the highlights of Queen Catherine’s life are covered. However, it is apparent from the beginning that Catherine comes from a line of women known to speak their minds, whether they are speaking to a man or a woman, a peasant or royalty.

This book is classified as creative non-fiction by the author, a classification or genre that is new to me. With that said, the book reads like a historical fiction and is not dry like many straight histories are are. If folks are a bit intimidated by histories or historical fiction, this series of books is a great place to get started.

I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks!

The Narration: Once again, Richard Mann has a very nice voice to listen to. He even gives a little singing here and there as the book requires. He has distinct voices for all the characters, and a good range for the male voices. His female voices could use a touch more femininity.