The Conquering Family

By: Thomas B. Costain

Narrated by: David Case

Length: 13 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

Thomas B. Costain's four-volume history of the Plantagenets begins with The Conquering Family and the conquest of England by William the Conqueror in 1066, closing with the reign of John in 1216.

The troubled period after the Norman Conquest, when the foundations of government were hammered out between monarch and people, comes to life through Costain's storytelling skill and historical imagination.

©1983 Thomas B. Costain (P)2008 Books on Tape

Entertaining History

TBC writes well and easily of any historical period and the Plantagenets give him lots of scope for his sort of fireside depiction of historical events. David Case as a narrator can be hard work as he often seems to read without understanding and has an unlikeable accent and a grating edge to his voice.

An Entrancing History of the Early Plantegenets

The Conquering Family is the first of Costain's four volume history of the Plantagenets. It covers the founding of the dynasty, the rise and fall of Henry II, Richard the Lion-Heart and King John (a king so bad no king has been named John since).

This is a fabulous introduction to Medieval English history. Here's hoping that they include the other three books soon.

Engrossing

The narrator does Thomas Costain's magnificent work justice.
Costain places one in England!
Superbly written!

Thrilled to see Costain's series on Audible BUT...

I have loved the Plantagenet saga from Thomas B Costain since I was a child, so I was happy to see them offered on Audible. However, the narrator's voice is so *affected*, it is difficult to enjoy this classic. It puts me in a quandary as to whether to purchase the next three books. I am very disappointed in the reader, but not in the book itself. The book itself is delightful, bringing personality to what may have otherwise been stale old history.

Good Overview

This book does move quickly from the beginning, and I feared I would loose track of the many players. I printed out a family tree of the Plantagenets; I HIGHLY recommend you do the same. With that in hand, the book was much easier to follow. Re the narrator, I disagree with the prevalent view; Case is an expressive reader despite his apparent pomposity.

Absolutely the best

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

Yes. If one is interested in English history, this book is a must. The research by Costain is very detailed and brings the participants alive.

What did you like best about this story?

Family intrigue.

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

Mr Case's narrative give the story texture.

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

Not really as I wanted to absorb the many superbly researched details.

The ugly truth behind the glorious legends

Would you consider the audio edition of The Conquering Family to be better than the print version?

Didn't read the print version.

What did you like best about this story?

Crisp, colorful, focused narrative, packed with historical facts, peopled with living, breathing characters, shocking, exciting, sad and fascinating.

What about David Case’s performance did you like?

He was a superb reader, one of the very best in the world. He elevated whatever he read, but as always, excels to the highest degree when he starts with good material.

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

Of course not!

Any additional comments?

The legend of Richard the Lion heart falls to pieces with this view of a rotten, selfish adventurer, in it for the glory and willing to drain every drop of labor, cash and blood from his people in the attempt. One of the worst things that ever happened to England.

Good treatment of pivotal characters

The Plantagenets were some the greatest figures of the West in a critical period. They stretched from Henry II to Henry V--a period of nearly 500 years that included not only the Henry's but the Richard's and the early Edward's, and that saw the development of much of the foundation for Western Democracy. Costain's writing is vivid and always interesting. Great history

Importance of the voices

While the book is a great introduction to British history, I find David Case's voice unappealing. I have had a hard time trying to cope with it.

Very entertaining history!

This book is well written and well-performed! I knew that George RR Martin used the War of the Roses as a basis for his Song of Ice and Fire series, e.g. Stark = York and Lannister = Lancaster, but I didn't realize how much more history from the Plantagenets he pulled. For example, William Longchamps was a scheming dwarf that acted as "Hand of the King" for Richard the Lionhearted. In fact, Mr. Martin cited Mr. Costain's series as inspiration for his "Fire and Blood" history of the Targaryens! I will listen to the rest of this series!