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.

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.

Narrator ?? hmmmmmm !

If you can persevere with the narrator you can get used to it and be offended by the narration less and less frequently until eventually you won't notice it. Extraordinary intonation but wonderfully clear diction. Information very interesting and well written.

I'm an insomniac and I'm glad I bought this book because I use it as a sleep aid...the narration inflections are a predictable pattern.

Great History

This is history I have had gaps and limited understanding. I find this book highly informative and entertaining. My hat is off to Peter Ackroyd. His accurate descriptions provide me with the continuity for reading and understanding related histories of this critical British period. I am continuing to reading "Rebellion" as it clearly relates to "Tudors". I am appreciative the reader; Mr. Chafer know the story and the language and he is superb in expressing this book.

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.

Great history of Tudor England

A great layman’s history of the Tudor period, with anecdotes and quotations that pull you in and give you a good taste for the personalities and issues involved. I know next to nothing about English history, but I’m really enjoying these Ackroyd volumes. I’m not 100% crazy about the reader, but I’ve gotten used to him.

historically accurate

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

The history of the Tudors & English Reformation

When I was a student, history was always one of my favorite subjects. But European history, other than the very broadest of strokes, was something that I never formally studied. As an adult, my lack of European history keeps coming up as a lack of understanding of current European events.

My one advantage has been a decent Christian history background. I have read a number of books on the Reformation and some on other parts of early Christian history. This history of the Tudors is in large part a history of the English Reformation. From Henry VIII’s movement away from the Roman Catholic church to the backlash against the English Reformation under Mary to the re-assertion of the Anglican church under Elizabeth, the English Reformation is inseparable from the Tudors.

About a year ago I read a Very Short Introduction to the Tudors, which while helpful, mostly skipped the religious aspects of the era. If anything, Ackroyd probably spent too much time on the religious issues during the reign of the Tudors.

Part of what was very helpful about this book was Ackroyd’s attention to the cultural and religious understanding of the office of King/Queen. When you believe that you have been placed in authority by a direct action of God, it is not surprising when you do not take criticism well.

Ackroyd also was careful in his exploration of the religious devotion of each of the Tudors as well as their blindspots. Henry’s infidelity does not pair well with his religious devotion. But he seems to have been actually devote, although unbothered by frequent infidelity. Elizabeth similarly was actually devote but vain and viewed insults as treason.

I never cease to be amazed when reading history easy it is to see parallels in current events. They are not always direct, but history is so helpful to provide understanding for current events.

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!

Distracting narrator

The book itself was quite good and well-written, but the reader's intonation is highly distracting. Almost every clause ends with the same inflection, whether mid-sentence, the end of a paragraph, or the end of a chapter. It gives the impression that no line of thought is ever complete, and it makes the story hard to follow. The problem slowly fades over the course of the book, or maybe I just started to get used to it and filter it out. Nonetheless, I will not purchase another audiobook narrated by Clive Chafer.

Great Narrative

Peter Ackroyd did a really fantastic job in composing this book. (In all honesty, I didn’t realize that this was the second volume until I looked at the last page…😅)
When I first started reading along with the Audible, Clive Chafer’s voice was a little hard to read along with since I tend to read a little faster than at the 1x speed; however, when I put the read speed up to 1.25x, that was perfect.
I personally really liked this book; now I just need to read the first and third books.