Download the Best Full Audiobooks in History, European

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Title: England's Mistress

Author: Kate Williams

Narrator: Sophie Ward

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 40 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-22-11

Publisher: Random House AudioBooks

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

A dramatic, sparkling tale of sex, glamour, intrigue, romance and heartbreak, England's Mistress traces the rise and rise of the gorgeous Emma Hamilton.

Born into poverty, she clawed her way up through Londons underworlds of sex for sale to become Englands first media superstar. Nothing could stand in the way of her dreams except her self-destructive desires. Drawing on hundreds of previously undiscovered letters, and told with a novelist's flair, England's Mistress captures the relentless drive, innovative style and burning passion of a true heroine. In a world of tabloid fame and three-minute wonders, Emmas life is truly a tale for our time.

Members Reviews:

So far so bad...

I've listened to about 2 hours of it and i'm not sure I'll be able to finish it...My only consolation is that I used a credit to buy it and didn't have to waste my money...

Interesting but not a novel!

I enjoyed finding out more about Emma and Nelson in this audiobook but this is a biography of Emma rather than a novelisation of the events in her life. Great detail about life during this period and the celebrities of the time.

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Title: Whitehall

Subtitle: The Street that Shaped a Nation

Author: Colin Brown

Narrator: John Telfer

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-08-10

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

No other street in Britain contains more landmarks to our islands history than Whitehall. Here, we visit what was the most notorious address in London when Byron and Lady Caroline Lamb conducted their very public and tempestuous love affair; the Admiralty, where Nelson received his orders to attack the French; and fragments of the tennis courts where Anne Boleyn watched Henry VIII playing tennis. We witness documents that show how Churchill, in 1940, prepared for street fighting in Whitehalls departments. Whitehall tells the story of our island race, its empire, its conquests and its decline, encapsulated in one small corner of the capital.

Critic Reviews:

"Narrator John Telfers British heritage suits the historys large lexicon, and his theatrical cadence makes it sound Shakespearean." (AudioFile)

Members Reviews:

very good (if you use computer to find pics)

This book will be of interest to anyone living or working in London, or tourists with a serious interest in history, art and architecture. It is full of anecdotes about the various characters who frequented Whitehall from Wolsey to present day politicians and it held my interest throughout. But I don't think I would have finished the book if I hadn't had a computer nearby all the time so I could find illustrations or photographs of the buildings. It's really hard to visualise the rabbit warren of rooms in the Tudor establishment and the changes which were made to them. Same for discussion of sculptures and architectural changes over the years. Frustrating, too, that so much of what the author writes about is not open to the public - fair enough, it's the seat of government, but there are loads of treasures we will never see. The book was well read, but is Georgiana (Duchess of Devonshire) really pronounced George-ay-na?

Mediocre, disappointing

Great premise for a book, but poor execution. Sometimes it was hard to tell whether it was the author or the narrator what lets it down - was it the sneering tone of voice or the sneering words? For a history of Whitehall to spend so much time on John Prescott's affair with his diary secretary is cheap and lazy. And the author had obviously just read Chris Mullins' diaries as he pulls segments out of those (I'm sure Chris Mullins would admit that his contribution to goings on in Whitehall doesn't deserve mention in the historu books). But despite all that it wasn't all bad - there were some interesting sections and if you can avoid concentrating on how superior it sounds its probably worth a listen.... just about.

Very intresting

What did you like most about Whitehall?

Finding out about was on this street before and what has happened in some of the buildings that are there now.

What other book might you compare Whitehall to, and why?

I don't know anything to compare it to.

What about John Telfers performance did you like?

Liked it

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

To serious to be moved.

Any additional comments?

A nice history through the centuries that this road has been here.

Wonderful 'Whitehall'

One of the most fantastic audiobooks I have ever listened to. Just packed with wonderful historical, architectural and anecdotal detail - did not want it to end.

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Title: Spilling the Beans on the Cat's Pyjamas

Subtitle: Popular Expressions - What They Mean and Where We Got Them

Author: Judy Parkinson

Narrator: Kim Hicks

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 35 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-05-10

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

You wouldnt be barking mad if, when asked the definition of certain phrases, the cat got your tongue and you clammed up. Lets not beat around the bush; the English language is littered with linguistic quirks that, on closer examination, seem utterly fantastical. In Spilling the Beans on the Cats Pyjamas, Judy Parkinson explores the many colourful but rather incomprehensible phrases that enhance our language, describing their origins and defining their true meanings.

Members Reviews:

A spoken A-Z listing

I expected a listing of common and popular expressions and their sources and meanings being explained and expanded. I hoped that some form of connection would be made and that each one would lead into a story and the explanation of another expression. Unfortunately it was read in strictly alphabetical order with no connecting passages. It ended up being a very flat listen although I did actually learn some interesting things even if it still was effectively just a list.

Not really recommended - it could have been done so much better.

Great source!

a fun and easy source to get thinking on why we say the things we say..

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Title: When Knights Were Bold

Author: Eva March Tappan

Narrator: Andrew Gwilliam

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-03-10

Publisher: CoolBeat Audiobook Publishing

Ratings: 2.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

Knights, monks, and townsfolk...they all parade before us in this engaging social history of the Middle Ages in Western Europe. The 8th to the 15th centuries in Europe were a fascinating time. This era still significantly influences the modern world. To learn of the people of the Middle Ages, is to learn about ourselves.

Members Reviews:

Takes you to the Middle Ages

This is one of the best books I've read all year, and it is the best I've ever read on daily life in the Middle Ages. I've seen several books that attempt to give a picture of the Medieval times, only to turn out very dry and textbook-like. But this one really puts you there and shows you the thoughts, ways, and customs of this fascinating and often misunderstood period of history. Life could be brutal, wars were everywhere, but it was also a time of courage and character, with the knight especially.

Eva March Tappan had the heart of a teacher. She cared about her subject and her readers. One of the things that struck me the most is that, unlike many modern attitudes about ancient man's ways that come of as snobbish and belittling, Tappan shows deep respect for Medieval man and helps the modern reader do the same. I love this period of history already but still found myself somehow humbled by Tappan's teaching of it.

We're a homeschool family always on the lookout for good books. This is one of them. It could help today's children understand and appreciate the people and customs of the past, and not just think how bad it must've sucked to live before iPhones, Facebook and Xbox. In fact I believe many of the ways and virtues of the Middle Ages are exactly what modern children need to be exposed to.

This is an excellent book. Highly recommend

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Title: Empire of Blue Water

Subtitle: Henry Morgan and the Pirates Who Ruled the Carribean Waves

Author: Stephan Talty

Narrator: David Bauckham

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-17-09

Publisher: Oakhill Publishing Ltd

Ratings: 2.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

He challenged the greatest empires on earth with a ragtag bunch of renegades - and brought it to its knees. Henry Morgan crossed the Atlantic in 1655, hell-bent on making his fortune.

Awash with bloody battles, political intrigues, and natural disasters, Empire of Blue Water brilliantly re-creates the passion and the violence of the age of exploration and empire.

Critic Reviews:

"Fresh insight into pirates' dens of old ...Well-researched non fiction that reads like a novel." (Washington Times)

" Talty strips away the legend to recreate a pivotal era in this accesible portrait of the pirates of the Caribbean." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Swashbuckling in the real world

Although this book is subtitled "Pirates who ruled the Caribbean waves", it is mostly the life story of Henry Morgan. Not that I'm complaining. Morgan was certainly a very colourful character who had more adventure in his life than most of us will ever read of. How he went from shabby buccaneer to Governor of Jamaica is a remarkable story filled with tremendous triumph and incredible hardship, and this book tells it beautifully. The ordinary pirate/buccaneer is not neglected, for the book also refers to a fictional character who is a composite of the typical pirate of the day, which adds greatly to the story of the increasingly high-flying Morgan. The result is an excellent study of Morgan and his actions, seen both through his eyes, those of his Spanish enemies and those of his followers.

What the book is not is a general history of piracy in the Caribbean. Many famous pirates get only brief mentions or no mention at all, but the picture of piracy in general and how it operated, flourished and eventually withered is brightly painted by the author. In particular the grubby truth behind the actions of so many characters gives a great feeling of realism which some histories can gloss over, making this book one of the better ones at depicting all the characters as flawed if sometimes great personalities.

The reading is very well done, and since I can fault neither the book nor how it was produced it only remains to say this is well worthy of its five stars and a little of your time.

Excellent.

A thoroughly enjoyable and informative book. It details the life of Morgan, and puts it in the context of the geopolitical climate of the time. The author has a very informal and narrative style that makes it an easy but enthralling listen, and the narrator does an excellent job of bringing it all to life. For anyone interested in the brutal days of the Pirates, Buccaneers and Privateers in the Caribbean, then I would highly recommend this book.

Excellent

I have been interested in Pirates for some time now and was happy to see a book like this available- I found this to be a very enjoyable listen, well read and a compelling naritive. The book appears to have been written with the american reader in mind but this does not make it any the less enjoyable. The book on the most part focuses on Morgan following his life and expliots- a topic that I was previously ignorant, but one which i found both entertaining and informative.

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Title: An Utterly Exasperated History of Modern Britain

Subtitle: or Sixty Years of Making the Same Stupid Mistakes

Author: John O'Farrell

Narrator: John O'Farrell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-12-09

Publisher: Random House AudioBooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

Following his hugely popular account of the previous 2000 years, John O'Farrell now comes bang up to date with a hilarious modern history asking 'How the hell did we end up here?'

An Utterly Exasperated History of Modern Britain informs, elucidates and laughs at all the bizarre events, ridiculous characters and stupid decisions that have shaped Britain's story since 1945; leaving the 21st century reader feeling fantastically smug for having the benefit of hindsight.

©2009 John O'Farrell; (P)2009 Random House Audiobooks

Members Reviews:

Excellent Listen

An excellent listen and a worthy follow up to the previous book. Well read (by the authour) with both witty and passionate delivery. Definatialy worth going for the unabridged version as you will miss so many little bits of triva with the abridged. Unless you were a 1980's Conservative MP you will love this book!

An engaging, if somewhat biased, potted history

I found this book fascinating, and delivered in a very engaging manner by the author. For non-history buffs like me, this gallop across the key highlights of the past 60 years in Britain was both informative and very interesting throughout.

Downside? My old history teacher always maintained that "History is written by the Victors" and so it is here. In fairness the author makes it clear from the very start that he is a staunch Labour supporter and he's aware this colours his outlook, but there were a few times when his "Labour Good, Conservative Bad" mantra tended to put too obvious a spin on the events of the times.

This was most evident in book 2 and his views on Margaret Thatcher's years in No10. Also whilst I agree that the odd lighter note can really aid understanding, attempting to make light of the events surrounding Bobby Sands may not have been the best idea.

Overall though I'd still recommend this as a good listen, and a reminder of how the events in the news today have all happened before, and will again, probably with the same outcome.

Excellent fun

This book is well written and well read by the author. I agree with the other reviewer, the unabridged version is so much better. Well worth the money for this funny and irreverent look at our modern history.

informative and funny!

Where does An Utterly Exasperated History of Modern Britain rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

Very high. It is an excelent book and a very enjoyable way to learn English history. I've read the earlier book (Utterly Exasperated History...) which was excelent, so I knew I will enjoy this one. However, if you treat it as a history lesson, be careful. The author cannot (and I guess does not want to) hide his political views, which might be slightly irritating (especially for the Conservatives, he is so obviously pro-Labour) and misleading. Still, the facts are all there and presented in an easy-to-stomach way.

What did you like best about this story?

it is very funny.

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Title: Guy Fawkes

Subtitle: People & Places

Author: iMinds

Narrator: Ellouise Rothwell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-20-09

Publisher: iMinds

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

Learn about the story of the infamous Guy Fawkes with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series.

Remember, remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot.Guy Fawkes has been called the most famous terrorist in history for his involvement in the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605. His influence is still felt today in United Kingdom where Guy Fawkes Night is still celebrated on 5 November.

Guy Fawkes was born in York in 1570 when Queen Elizabeth I was on the English throne. It was an age where the only accepted form of Christianity was Protestantism. Catholics were greatly marginalized and often persecuted. Fawkes was the only son of Edward Fawkes and Edith Blake, both of whom were Protestants. Guys father died when he was just seven and his mother remained a widow for nine years before marrying Dennis Bainbridge, who was a Catholic. Whether it was due to the influence of his teacher or perhaps his step-father, Guy converted to Catholicism in his mid-teens, around the time Queen Elizabeth and Parliament were enacting a brutal repression of English Catholics.

Perfect to listen to while commuting, exercising, shopping or cleaning the house.. iMinds brings knowledge to your MP3 with 8 minute information segments to whet your mental appetite and broaden your mind.

iMinds offers 12 main categories, become a Generalist by increasing your knowledge of Business, Politics, People, History, Pop Culture, Mystery, Crime, Culture, Religion, Concepts, Science and Sport.. Clean and concise, crisp and engaging, discover what you never knew you were missing. Make your MP3 smarter with iMinds MindTracks, intersperse with music and enjoy learning a little about a lot.. knowledge of your own choice and in your own time.

Editorial Reviews:

This brief listen traces the background and context behind the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605, when Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up the British House of Lords and assassinate James I of England. Performer Ellouise Rothwell is gentle but dignified as she tells the story, explains how the plot is commemorated, and relates it to the development of the word "guy" as we use it today. Light instrumental music adds drama without being distracting. Overall, a nice introduction to a key event in British history.

Critic Reviews:

"I'm learning all sorts of stuff about stuff I didn't even know I didn't know. And it sticks. In a nutshell: wonderful." (Jonathon Margolis, Financial Times)

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Title: Thames

Subtitle: Sacred River, Volume 1: The Mirror of History

Author: Peter Ackroyd

Narrator: Simon Callow

Format: Abridged

Length: 3 hrs and 20 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-29-07

Publisher: Random House AudioBooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 8 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

In part one, The Mirror of History, he explores the river's geology, early history, and mythology with fascinating facts and anecdotes.

Members Reviews:

Not great

I usually like this sort of thing. By that, I mean books on a single historical topic. I really enjoyed SALT, The Professor and the Madman, and Mauve. However I found the first volume of this pretty uninspiring and dull. I would have thought there would be many more fascinating stories about the early history of the Thames than were revealed in this book. It is also quite expensive and would have cost 3 credits to get the whole book. I decided not to spring for the other two volumes.

An ent

Like all of Peter Ackroyd's work, this is an authoritative, informed yet entertaining account of his subject. Thoroughly recommended.

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Title: Love and Louis XIV

Subtitle: The Women in the Life of the Sun King

Author: Antonia Fraser

Narrator: Julia Franklin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 19 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-22-07

Publisher: Whole Story Audiobooks

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

Love and Louis XIV centres around the Sun King and his relationships with numerous fascinating women: his mother, Anne of Austria, to whom he was devoted; his first important mistress, Louise de la Valliere, who bore him several illegitimate children; Athenais Marquise de Montespan, who acted as unofficial Queen of Versailles; Madame de Maintenon, governess to the illegitimate royal children; and of course, Marie Therese, his wife. Also examined are his relations in old age with his daughters, granddaughters, and the wife of his grandson. This audiobook vividly brings to life the vast edifice of Louis XIV's court - the magnificence, artistic splendour, elaborate ritual, and, at times, absurdity and misery.

© Antonia Fraser; (P) Clipper Audio

Critic Reviews:

"Prolific royal biographer Fraser (Marie Antoinette) has assiduously researched her measured yet engrossing study, shedding welcome light on the galaxy of influential women who orbited the dazzling Sun King." (Publishers Weekly)

"With vivid wit, Fraser demonstrates that within the edifice of the monarchy there were deep crannies of ordinary affection." (The New Yorker)

Members Reviews:

An eye opener into the gilded world of Louis XIV reign.

As a lover of history I very much enjoyed this well crafted book. So few realize this period of insanity existed during the magnificence of Louis XIV reign and how many among the nobility were involved. I learned a lot.

This is a great way of clarifying the complicated names and relationships in ...

As always, Antonia Fraser has done extensive research and is remarkably informed on her subject matter. This is a great way of clarifying the complicated names and relationships in the TV series Versailles. No fiction in the book, but interesting to compare reality vs. TV show. Versailles is reasonably accurate.

Five Stars

Excellent, well researched book. Highly recommend

Five Stars

Good read.

Its good to be King

This is an ok book ,, Oh to be a King ,, Mel Brooks said ,, Its good to be King ,,( now get me the Piss pot )

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Title: My Trade

Subtitle: A Short History of British Journalism

Author: Andrew Marr

Narrator: Andrew Marr

Format: Abridged

Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-18-07

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Publishers Ltd.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

The purpose of this insider's account is to provide an answer to all these questions and more. Andrew Marr's brilliant, and brilliantly funny, book is a guide to those of us who read newspapers, or who listen to and watch news bulletins but want to know more. Andrew Marr tells the story of modern journalism through his own experience.

This is an extremely accessible and utterly unique modern social history of British journalism, with all its odd glamour, smashed hopes, and future possibility.

Members Reviews:

Doesn't Pull Any Punches

I really enjoyed this. It sounds like a wonderful conversation with a very interesting man who gives you the inside view. But also he is not afraid to criticise journalists where he feels they are overmighty. Very well written, very well read.

Fascinating, engaging book

Andrew Marr offers an excellent insight into the world of journalism, notably political journalism, both assessing the print press and the BBC/broadcast journalism, interspersing his narrative with entertaining anecdotes and witticisms. Now over a decade old, this book offers a snapshot into the trade as it was prior to the rapid escalation of digital media and instant/24 hour news. Nevertheless it's assessment of journalism as a trade and the problems it faces is continually relevant today.

I wish it was available unabridged!

What made the experience of listening to My Trade the most enjoyable?

Being read by the author almost always enhances the experience of listening to an audio book. Andrew Marr reads his own books beautiful. There was the odd, slightly long pause, and even a couple of clicks of the microphone, but that did not detract from the experience here.

Have you listened to any of Andrew Marrs other performances? How does this one compare?

He's always excellent!

Any additional comments?

I feel sure this would have been 5* if it was unabridged. I was left wanting more depth.

A Gallop Through the Press

Andrew Marr tells a good tale, and this exposition of journalism counterpointed his own experiences makes for a winning structure. However, there is something about his reading here and the occasional odd sounding sentence that vaguely irritates and makes me feel it was done in one take, no going back. Bish, bash, bosh, that'll do.