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The Lute Player
- Narrated by: David Thorpe, Karen Cass
- Length: 20 hrs and 31 mins
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Publisher's Summary
Out of the courts of 12th-century England strode the legendary figure of Richard of England leading his knights onto the Saracen battlefields, inspired by a vision of the Holy Land.
Here is the story of the Soldier-King and the Third Crusade - of his strange, ill-fated union with Berengaria, Princess of Navarre; and of his mother, the She-Wolf, Eleanor of Aquitaine, who loved her son with a frantic, possessive pride. And, above all, here is the story of the minstrel whose life was linked with that of the King - the story of Blondel, the Lute Player....
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What listeners say about The Lute Player
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
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- Sherry
- 09-02-16
A historical beauty
This fictional, but historical story is beautifully and lyrically written. The known characters become more sympathetic and human, especially Blondel. But by far, the most interesting character, Anna- ?historical figure- was charming, funny, witty, wise and totally lovely in her own way. Karen Cass was just superb narrating Anna and Eleanor of Aquataine.
David Thorpe voice was excellent, if a little strident at times- but still very good.
If you love historical fiction as I do, this book is worth a credit and more
3 people found this helpful
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Performance
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- bonny g smith
- 12-03-21
The absolute genius of Norah Lofts
I have read all of Norah Lofts’ books many times. I reread them because the journey of reading her books is profoundly enjoyable as the destination of the end of the story. A profoundly visual writer; I can see everything she writes as if I were right there with the characters, experiencing what they are experiencing. I will always read her books. I have never listened to one before; also very enjoyable!
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This One's a Gem
- By Ballika on 08-10-18
By: Conn Iggulden
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Blood & Beauty
- The Borgias; A Novel
- By: Sarah Dunant
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 17 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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By the end of the 15th century, the beauty and creativity of Italy is matched by its brutality and corruption, nowhere more than in Rome and inside the Church. When Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia buys his way into the papacy as Alexander VI, he is defined not just by his wealth or his passionate love for his illegitimate children, but by his blood: He is a Spanish Pope in a city run by Italians.
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Start with Other Dunant Books
- By Ilana on 12-04-15
By: Sarah Dunant
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In the Name of the Family
- A Novel
- By: Sarah Dunant
- Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton
- Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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It is 1502, and Rodrigo Borgia, a self-confessed womanizer and master of political corruption, is now on the papal throne as Alexander VI. His daughter Lucrezia, age 22 - already three times married and a pawn in her father's plans - is discovering her own power. And then there is his son Cesare Borgia, brilliant, ruthless, and increasingly unstable; it is his relationship with Machiavelli that gives the Florentine diplomat a master class in the dark arts of power and politics.
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One of the best historical fiction novels
- By GrandmaNurseHeather on 04-13-17
By: Sarah Dunant
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Elizabeth I
- A Novel
- By: Margaret George
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 31 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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New York Times best-selling author Margaret George captures history's most enthralling queen-as she confronts rivals to her throne and to her heart. One of today's premier historical novelists, George dazzles here as she tackles her most difficult subject yet: the legendary Elizabeth Tudor, queen of enigma - the Virgin Queen who had many suitors; the victor of the Armada who hated war; the gorgeously attired, jewel-bedecked woman who pinched pennies.
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A different view of Elizabeth
- By Sarda on 05-10-12
By: Margaret George
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The Lady of the Rivers
- By: Philippa Gregory
- Narrated by: Bianca Amato
- Length: 19 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Jacquetta always has had the gift of second sight. As a child visiting her uncle, she met his prisoner, Joan of Arc, and saw her own power reflected in the young woman accused of witchcraft. They share the mystery of the tarot card of the wheel of fortune before Joan is taken to a horrific death. Jacquetta understands the danger for a woman who dares to dream. Jacquetta is married to the Duke of Bedford, English regent of France, and he introduces her to a mysterious world of learning and alchemy.
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Philippa back on track
- By Bonnie-Ann on 11-26-11
By: Philippa Gregory
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The Last Hours
- By: Minette Walters
- Narrated by: Helen Keeley
- Length: 15 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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When the Black Death enters England through the port in Dorsetshire in June 1348, no one knows what manner of sickness it is - or how it spreads and kills so quickly. The Church cites God as the cause, and fear grips the people as they come to believe that the plague is a punishment for wickedness. But Lady Anne of Develish has her own ideas. Educated by nuns, Anne is a rarity among women, being both literate and knowledgeable. With her brutal husband absent from the manor when news of this pestilence reaches her, she looks for more sensible ways to protect her people than confession.
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Action Packed (maybe a little too much)
- By Cariola on 08-31-18
By: Minette Walters
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To Shield the Queen
- By: Fiona Buckley
- Narrated by: Nadia May
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Rumor has linked Queen Elizabeth I to her master of the horse, Robin Dudley. As gossip would have it, only his ailing wife, Amy, prevents marriage between Dudley and the Queen. To quell the idle tongues at court, the Queen dispatches Ursula Blanchard to tend to the sick woman's needs. But not even Ursula can prevent the "accident" that takes Amy's life. Did she fall or was she pushed? Was Ursula a pawn of Dudley and the Queen?
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Fun and engrossing
- By SophieG on 05-31-10
By: Fiona Buckley
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The Beaufort Bride
- By: Judith Arnopp
- Narrated by: Tessa Petersen
- Length: 5 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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As King Henry VI slips into insanity and the realm of England teeters on the brink of civil war, a child is married to the mad king's brother. Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond, takes his child bride into Wales, where she discovers a land of strife and strangers. At Caldicot Castle and Lamphey Palace, Margaret must put aside childhood, acquire the dignity of a Countess, and, despite her tender years, produce Richmond with a son and heir.
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Extremely Engaging Novel
- By QJ Martin on 08-19-20
By: Judith Arnopp
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The Queen's Bastard
- A Novel of Elizabeth I and Arthur Dudley
- By: Robin Maxwell
- Narrated by: Angele Masters
- Length: 17 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Historians have long whispered that Elizabeth "the Virgin Queen's" passionate, lifelong affair with Robin Dudley, Earl of Leicester, may have led to the birth of a son, Arthur Dudley. In this exquisite sequel to The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn, Robin Maxwell fashions a stunning fictional account of the child switched at birth by a lady-in-waiting who foresaw the deleterious political consequences of a royal bastard.
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Story? what Story?
- By A User on 06-08-13
By: Robin Maxwell
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The Persian Boy
- A Novel of Alexander the Great
- By: Mary Renault
- Narrated by: Roger May
- Length: 19 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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The Persian Boy traces the last years of Alexander's life through the eyes of his lover, Bagoas. Abducted and gelded as a boy, Bagoas is sold as a courtesan to King Darius of Persia, but finds freedom with Alexander the Great after the Macedon army conquers his homeland. Their relationship sustains Alexander as he weathers assassination plots, the demands of two foreign wives, a sometimes mutinous army, and his own ferocious temper.
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History Brought to Vivid Life
- By Carol on 02-08-15
By: Mary Renault
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Royal Mistress
- By: Anne Easter Smith
- Narrated by: Heather Wilds
- Length: 15 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Jane Lambert, the quick-witted and alluring daughter of a silk merchant, is twenty-two and still unmarried. When Jane’s father finally finds her a match, she’s married off to the dull, older silk merchant William Shore. Marriage doesn’t stop Jane from flirtation, however, and when the king’s chamberlain, Will Hastings, comes to her husband’s shop, Will knows King Edward will find her irresistible.
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All history, no romance!
- By Erin on 07-05-13