
Thomas Cromwell
The Untold Story of Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant
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Narrated by:
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Julian Elfer
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By:
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Tracy Borman
About this listen
Thomas Cromwell has long been reviled as a Machiavellian schemer who stopped at nothing in his quest for power. As Henry VIII's right-hand man, Cromwell was the architect of the English Reformation, secured Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon and plotted the downfall of Anne Boleyn, and upon his arrest, was accused of trying to usurp the King himself. But here Tracy Borman reveals a different side of one of the most notorious figures in history: that of a caring husband and father, a fiercely loyal servant and friend, and a revolutionary who helped make medieval England into a modern state.
Born in the mid-1480s to a lowly blacksmith, Cromwell left home at 18 to make his fortune abroad. After serving as a mercenary in the French army, working for a powerful merchant banker in Florence at the height of the Renaissance, and spending time as a cloth merchant in the commercial capital of the world, the Netherlands, Cromwell returned to England and built a flourishing legal practice. He soon became the protégé of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and then worked his way into the King's inner circle. As Henry's top aide, Cromwell was at the heart of the most momentous events of his time and wielded immense power over both church and state. His seismic political, religious, and social reforms had an impact that can still be felt today.
Grounded in excellent primary source research, Thomas Cromwell gives an inside look at a monarchy that has captured the Western imagination for centuries, and tells the story of a controversial and enigmatic man who forever changed the shape of his country.
©2014 Tracy Borman. Recorded by arrangement with Grove/Atlantic, Inc. (P)2014 Audible Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Nothing new here
- By Caroline on 02-22-08
By: Julia Fox
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The Thistle and the Rose
- By: Linda Porter
- Narrated by: Alix Dunmore
- Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Margaret Tudor, the elder sister of her more famous brother Henry VIII, is the single most important Tudor figure of this era that historians have consistently overlooked. Married at thirteen to the charismatic James IV of Scotland, a man more than twice her age, she would learn the skills of statecraft that would enable her to survive his early death, and to construct a powerful position in her adopted country of Scotland as she dealt with domestic issues as well as navigating international relations with England and France.
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Margaret Tudor / Queen of Scots
- By mariac25 on 09-24-24
By: Linda Porter
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The King's Witch
- A Novel
- By: Tracy Borman
- Narrated by: Esther Wane
- Length: 14 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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In March of 1603, as she helps to nurse the dying Queen Elizabeth of England, Frances Gorges dreams of her parents’ country estate, where she has learned to use flowers and herbs to become a much-loved healer. She is happy to stay at home when King James of Scotland succeeds to the throne. His court may be shockingly decadent, but his intolerant Puritanism sees witchcraft in many of the old customs - punishable by death.
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I’ve read hundreds of historical fiction books....
- By K&T on 08-03-18
By: Tracy Borman
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Henry VIII: King and Court
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Phyllida Nash
- Length: 25 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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This magnificent biography of Henry VIII is set against the cultural, social and political background of his court - the most spectacular court ever seen in England - and the splendour of his many sumptuous palaces. An entertaining narrative packed with colourful description and a wealth of anecdotal evidence, but also a comprehensive analytical study of the development of both monarch and court during a crucial period in English history.
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A concise focus with tremendous detail
- By kwdayboise (Kim Day) on 05-24-17
By: Alison Weir
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The King's Pleasure
- A Novel of Henry VIII
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor
- Length: 23 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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The New York Times bestselling author of the Six Tudor Queens series explores the private side of the legendary king Henry VIII and his dramatic and violent reign in this extraordinary historical novel. Young Henry began his rule as a magnificent and chivalrous Renaissance prince who embodied every virtue. He had all the qualities to make a triumph of his rule, yet we remember only the violence. Henry famously broke with the Pope, founding the Church of England and launching a religious revolution that divided his kingdom. He beheaded two of his wives and cast aside two others.
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Love this author
- By Amanda on 06-17-23
By: Alison Weir
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Mistress Anne
- The Exceptional Life of Anne Boleyn
- By: Carolly Erickson
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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A powerful ruler, an alluring young woman, a scandal that would rock the nation: Anne Boleyn’s life story sounds more like a juicy TV docu-drama than a chapter of English history. Although she is not of noble birth or even especially beautiful, Anne Boleyn manages to rise to the very pinnacle of the English aristocracy. Renowned for her extraordinarily vivid recreations of historical events, Carolly Erickson brings out the full fascinating story of the enigmatic Anne Boleyn.
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Just OK for me.
- By Amazon Customer on 01-11-12
By: Carolly Erickson
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Thorns, Lust, and Glory
- The Betrayal of Anne Boleyn
- By: Estelle Paranque
- Narrated by: Anna Wilson-Jones
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Anne Boleyn has mesmerized the general public for centuries. Her tragic execution at the Tower of London on the 19th of May, 1536—orchestrated by her own husband—never ceases to intrigue. While many stories of Anne’s downfall have been told, few have truly traced the origins of her grim fate. In Thorns, Lust, and Glory, Estelle Paranque takes us back to where it all started: to France, where Anne learned the lessons that would set her on the path to becoming one of England's most infamous queens.
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The Truth is Revealed
- By Janyce H. Imoto on 12-08-24
By: Estelle Paranque
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Blood, Fire & Gold
- The Story of Elizabeth I & Catherine de Medici
- By: Estelle Paranque
- Narrated by: Anna Wilson-Jones
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Sixteenth-century Europe was a hostile world dominated by court politics and patriarchal structures–and yet against all odds, two women rose to power: Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici. Much has been written about these shrewd and strategic sovereigns, but though their l legacies have been heavily scrutinized, nothing has been said of their complicated relationship—thirty years of camaraderie, competition, and conflict that forever changed the face of Europe.
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Wonderful!
- By FlowerTraveler on 05-12-23
By: Estelle Paranque
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The Princes in the Tower
- Solving History's Greatest Cold Case
- By: Philippa Langley
- Narrated by: Philippa Langley
- Length: 16 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Philippa Langley reveals the findings of a remarkable new research initiative: ‘The Missing Princes Project'. In the summer of 1483, Edward V (aged 12) and his brother Richard Duke of York (aged 9), disappeared from the Tower of London. For over 500 years, history has judged that they were murdered on the orders of their uncle Richard III. Following years of intensive research in UK, American and European archives, astonishing new archival discoveries have been uncovered that change what we know about the fate of the Princes in the Tower.
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Narrator
- By The Rev. Craig on 12-07-23
By: Philippa Langley
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All Things Made New
- The Reformation and Its Legacy
- By: Diarmaid MacCulloch
- Narrated by: Neil Scott-Barbour
- Length: 17 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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The most profound characteristic of Western Europe in the Middle Ages was its cultural and religious unity, a unity secured by a common alignment with the Pope in Rome and a common language - Latin - for worship and scholarship. The Reformation shattered that unity, and the consequences are still with us today.
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did not like at all
- By AW on 03-07-22
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The Eagle and the Hart
- The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV
- By: Helen Castor
- Narrated by: Helen Castor
- Length: 20 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Richard of Bordeaux and Henry of Bolingbroke, cousins born just three months apart, were ten years old when Richard became king of England. They were thirty-two when Henry deposed him and became king in his place. Now, the story behind one of the strangest and most fateful events in English history (and the inspiration behind Shakespeare’s most celebrated history plays) is brought to vivid life by the acclaimed author of Blood and Roses, Helen Castor.
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A thrilling read
- By Rich C on 11-30-24
By: Helen Castor
Cromwell
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fascinating period in hlstory,
starts where Hillary Mandel left off..
Cromwell, the real man for all seasons..
great narration...
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Great story about a interesting man.
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intriguing history
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The story is well told and easy to listen. The voice of the reader is gentle yet very expressive.
Overall, an excellent listen.
Thank you!
Very enlightening
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Excellent
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voice actor was very capable, as well.
Interesting history of an interesting man.
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Engaging and well-researched
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This book combined with the perspective of Hillary Mantel and various other books that I've read has lent a broader perspective of the man who was or may have been Thomas Cromwell. I appreciated his Machiavellian approach to the world. It also gives me great pride to think that a man who came from nothing and yet achieved so much change in the world. He wasn't perfect. He was self described as a Ruffian, and I think that is appropriate. The days of protagonists being squeaky clean are over and I think that's appropriate. History is never squeaky clean.
I'm not a fan of revisionist history per say however I do believe that history should be revisited once new evidence is brought to light or new documentation reveals allows us to draw correlation and theorize a new direction for a person in history. Similar to Richard III, we are finding out so much that otherwise was left to propagandistic historical recording. Whereas today I think we try to use more factuality and are not scandalized as easily. I think the same has been allowed with Thomas Cromwell and I am glad for it because otherwise I would have believed he was a very foul human being otherwise.
"Behind the Scenes" of Wolf Hall!
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If you could sum up Thomas Cromwell in three words, what would they be?
A complex man.What other book might you compare Thomas Cromwell to and why?
Any Tudor era book by Alison Weir.Have you listened to any of Julian Elfer’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No. His performance was fine.Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Not really. This was easy to set aside but always interesting when resumed.Any additional comments?
Of course I am familiar with tales of Cromwell contained within the larger story of Henry VIII. None of those, however, described in detail Cromwell's origins and early life, an interesting story all its own. My only disappointment with this book is a mild one. The author excuses Cromwell's later misdeeds on behalf of Henry VIII as being "pragmatic," as if practicality and self-promotion at the expense of others are acceptable means of getting ahead in life. I think ruining the lives of other people, particularly when it comes to torturing and executing them, exceeds the boundaries of pragmatism. There is ironic justice in the fact that Cromwell fell from his master's favor and was executed. Perhaps he recognized that irony during his last hours.Intriguing!
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