The Birth of Britain
A History of the English Speaking Peoples, Volume I
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Christian Rodska
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Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953) - one of the most prominent Catholic authors of his time - gives a common-sense explanation of why the Crusades were necessary and why they ultimately failed. Writing in 1937, following the demise of the Ottoman Empire, Belloc believed that the West had finally gained the advantage over its mortal foe; however, he also includes a prophetic warning concerning the eventual resurgence of Islam and its enduring desire to destroy Christendom.
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Brutally Honest Assessment
- By Anonymous User on 12-04-20
By: Hilaire Belloc
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Magna Carta
- The Birth of Liberty
- By: Dan Jones
- Narrated by: Dan Jones
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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The Magna Carta is revered around the world as the founding document of Western liberty. Its principles - even its language - can be found in our Bill of Rights and in the Constitution. But what was this strange document and how did it gain such legendary status? Dan Jones takes us back to the turbulent year of 1215, when, beset by foreign crises and cornered by a growing domestic rebellion, King John reluctantly agreed to fix his seal to a document that would change the course of history.
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Complicated period of history made accessible
- By NH on 12-09-15
By: Dan Jones
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The Black Prince
- England's Greatest Medieval Warrior
- By: Michael Jones
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 16 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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As a child, he was given his own suit of armor; at the age of 16, he helped defeat the French at Crecy. At Poitiers, in 1356, his victory over King John II of France forced the French into a humiliating surrender that marked the zenith of England's dominance in the Hundred Years War. As lord of Aquitaine, he ruled a vast swathe of territory across the west and southwest of France, holding a magnificent court at Bordeaux that mesmerized the brave but unruly Gascon nobility. He was Edward of Woodstock, eldest son of Edward III, and better known to posterity as "the Black Prince".
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Outstanding history
- By Scott on 02-17-19
By: Michael Jones
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A Great and Terrible King
- Edward I and the Forging of Britain
- By: Marc Morris
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 18 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Edward I is familiar to millions as "Longshanks", conqueror of Scotland and nemesis of Sir William Wallace (in Braveheart). Yet this story forms only the final chapter of the king's action-packed life. Earlier, Edward had defeated and killed the famous Simon de Montfort, traveled to the Holy Land, and conquered Wales. He raised the greatest armies of the Middle Ages and summoned the largest parliaments. Notoriously, he expelled all the Jews from his kingdom.
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Fascinating book
- By Mary Elizabeth Reynolds on 04-13-15
By: Marc Morris
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A Distant Mirror
- The Calamitous Fourteenth Century
- By: Barbara W. Tuchman
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 28 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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The 14th century reflects two contradictory images: on the one hand, a glittering time of crusades and castles, cathedrals and chivalry, and the exquisitely decorated Books of Hours; and on the other, a time of ferocity and spiritual agony, a world of chaos and the plague.
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And you thought the twentieth century was rough...
- By Rob on 03-23-06
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The Norman Conquest
- The Battle of Hastings and the Fall of Anglo-Saxon England
- By: Marc Morris
- Narrated by: Frazer Douglas
- Length: 18 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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An upstart French duke who sets out to conquer the most powerful and unified kingdom in Christendom. An invasion force on a scale not seen since the days of the Romans. One of the bloodiest and most decisive battles ever fought.
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A Balanced, Entertaining, and Informative History
- By Jefferson on 06-01-14
By: Marc Morris
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The Wars of the Roses
- The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors
- By: Dan Jones
- Narrated by: John Curless
- Length: 15 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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The 15th century saw the longest and bloodiest series of civil wars in British history. The crown of England changed hands five times as two branches of the Plantagenet dynasty fought to the death for the right to rule. Now, celebrated historian Dan Jones describes how the longest reigning British royal family tore itself apart until it was finally replaced by the Tudors. Some of the greatest heroes and villains in history were thrown together in these turbulent times.
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No Need for a Score Card
- By Troy on 01-16-15
By: Dan Jones
What listeners say about The Birth of Britain
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Kindle Customer
- 04-18-15
a true time of England
can anyone better than Sir Winston tell this story, it should be standard listening for all history classes in English schools.
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- Lynda Rands
- 05-16-17
Phenomenal Trip Through Early History
I have my differences with the idea of Churchill as a great leader. His gifts were many and so were his faults and a lot of the myth surrounding him drives out consideration of his darker qualities. But boy oh boy, he could write.
History as presented here is clearly on the side of the "great man" theory and there is little discussion of how the rest of the folks live. Despite this view, the story of England's early years is told in a compelling and highly interesting way.
For those looking to have an overview of how things progressed through the War of the Roses, this is the book. Narrator does a very fine job with some great prose.
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1 person found this helpful
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- George
- 06-22-19
TBOBAHOTESP V-1
Loved it, hated to see it end with the beginning of Henry VII. Send volume 2
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- Kalith Smith
- 10-25-17
Beautifully written history of Britannia
Churchill is incredibly verbose, but thoroughly entertaining in his seminal work. Definitely worth a listen before, during, or after a visit to Britain.
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- W Bee
- 05-21-16
Wonderfully Classic Western Thinking
Churchill has a worldview that remains true and is sorely missed. This book is a wonderful and recharging "read".
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- A. Wenzel
- 03-23-23
Fantastic Primer
Churchill is a remarkable writer and historian. None of his wisdom, knowledge, or excellence is lost here. A true version of game of thrones for the ages.
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- Terryl Pettengill
- 02-11-07
Birth of Britain
Winston Churchill's seminal work crackles right along through centuries of British depravity and triumphs, just enough detail and on you go (although one might wish to hear a bit more of the condition of the non-noble common man). Churchill spices his research with a generous serving of opinion in a way that only one who has "been there" can do. While it was launched decades ago it remains a very contemporary history.
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35 people found this helpful
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- Wandering but not lost
- 05-09-18
Game of Thrones in Real Life
George RR Martin likely pulled his entire GoT plot from Winston’s volume 1 “Birth Of Britain”
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- Jack
- 10-25-21
Are you kidding me?
Let’s see. We want to rate the writing of Winston Churchill? Really? It’s perfect. If we lose all English literature but kept this, the Martians will be really impressed. The narrator is okay, not great. The story is well, history!
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- Cameron S.
- 01-30-20
Churchill does a surprisingly good job
I think this is a rare example of a well-done history from a historical figure. The book is interesting both as a history of the birth of Britain in and of itself, but also in as much as it shines light on Churchill himself and how he sees his role, and the role of his country in the world.
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