Tudors

The History of England From Henry VIII to Elizabeth I: History of England, Book 2

By: Peter Ackroyd

Narrated by: Clive Chafer

Length: 19 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's Summary

From Henry VIII's cataclysmic break with Rome to the epic rule of Elizabeth I, the age of the Tudors comes to vivid life in audio.

Peter Ackroyd, one of Britain's most acclaimed writers, brings the age of the Tudors to vivid life in this monumental audiobook in his History of England series, charting the course of English history from Henry VIII's cataclysmic break with Rome to the epic rule of Elizabeth I.

Rich in detail and atmosphere, Tudors is the story of Henry VIII's relentless pursuit of both the perfect wife and the perfect heir; of how the brief royal reign of the teenage king, Edward VI, gave way to the violent reimposition of Catholicism and the stench of bonfires under "Bloody Mary". It tells, too, of the long reign of Elizabeth I, which, though marked by civil strife, plots against her, and even an invasion force, finally brought stability.

Above all it is the story of the English Reformation and the making of the Anglican Church. At the beginning of the sixteenth century, England was still largely feudal and looked to Rome for direction; at its end it was a country where good governance was the duty of the state, not the church, and where men and women began to look to themselves for answers rather than to those who ruled them.

©2012 Peter Ackroyd (P)2015 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Don't give up on the narrator

I had some trouble getting used to Clive Chaffer's style, but I stuck with it. I became accustomed to it and I'm glad I did. The story is certainly worth having the patience to get used to him. Try speeding the audio up; that helps some. I'm now a Clive Chaffer fan!

Plodding reader

Clive makes me groan when i see he is reader. Author does not present anything new-how could anyone?-but it becomes even more pedantic with reader.

Well written

very detailed ; long, but well -researched and well-written. good narration. you have to really want to learn about English history to read it, but you don't have to know a lot about it ahead of time

A Great Listen for Any Anglophile

This second work by Ackroyd on British history is equally informative and fascinating as the first. The length of time covered here is considerably shorter and easier to get your head around. The narrator's style becomes familiar and is much less distracting. I'm definitely looking forward to the next installment: The Reformation.

historically accurate

single voice performance read with nuance and inflection. covers all you need to know about the Tudors.

I didn't want to hear a news broadcast.

I struggled through as much as I could. The narrator has fantastic diction, but has the soubd of a news reporter.

Horrible narrator

The narrator sounds like a news corespondent with the exact same inflection at the ends of sentences, over and over and over. I couldn't stand more than a half hour so I can't review the actual book.

Religion and Politics

The two subjects are combined with the current person in power with no value placed on life for those who disagree. It's a time in history most concerned about who will reign next, a desire for war with other countries and a fear of being overthrown by relatives.

enjoyable, look forward to 3rd instalment

I know the tudors histories very well. the enigma of that family is what got me most interested in reading details of history. so this info was not new to me. but I did not no find It tedious or boring at all. if say even good for beginners to the subject. its the best to hear anything you didn't already know about stuff you think you know all about. no big reveals here in this book, but still a good recount of history. I'm looking forward to the 3rd book in the series. that part of history I don't know as detailed and I know it will be good after first 2 books. we enjoy.

Good history of Tudors, but narration annoys

I enjoyed the book. The Tudors are infinitely interesting, especially the monstrous behavior of Henry VIII and the brilliance, courage, and occasional ruthlessness of Elizabeth I. But the narration is off-putting and distracting. The narrator's cadence is narrow; there is a pattern in which one sentence ends with a rising inflection and the next with a flat one. For me, this made the book less enjoyable than it should have been.