Marie Henson

Terrific read

Revisado: 07-25-24

I found this book in search of an account of the Thai cave rescue, and while initially thinking I had little interest in cave diving per se, found I could not stop listening. Engaging stories and excellent narration get my recommendation.

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What is known of Catherine in a rich tapestry of well researched context.

Revisado: 07-05-24

Gareth Russell’s biography of Henry the Eighth’s Fifth Queen sets all that is known and documented about her (less than other Tudor Royals, perhaps, her being so young and so short-lived, and playing less of a central role than other Tudor Royal figures in contemporary political developments or reform) within a colorful tapestry of context, abundantly documented. Russell finds apt passages from correspondence of court diplomats and other primary source material, whose potential for dry erudition he counters with a novelist’s eye for lively, engaging drama, in scenes that linger in the listener’s mind long after the book’s close. In this he is helped by excellent narration from Jenny Funnell, who reads with good pacing, a pleasing tone, and with sympathy for the maligned girl Queen of, at most, 21 years old. Jenny Funnell appeared opposite Dame Judi Dench in the long running British TV series, As Time Goes By. American listeners may be startled by British pronunciations of certain words, but overall Funnell does justice to Russell’s theatricality and warm hearted ness toward Queen Catherine. One caution: execution scenes may induce queasy light headedness but are quickly over, and the final chapter’s catalogue of death among those who played a role in Catherine’s life is slightly overwhelming, but that, indeed, was the Henrician court. The author is not bloodthirsty, though his kingly subject was.
I hope Russell is hard at work on a next offering.

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Much I didn’t know

Revisado: 06-24-24

about the people on board, with the author using sources such as memoirs, interviews, and letters. But in no way was it dry, as that might suggest. These are very human, at times poignant stories. (For example, we learn how some of the famous couples traveling aboard met). Particularly interesting were the family histories of some of passengers, the sequence of events after hitting the iceberg, the dynamics among passengers in the lifeboats, and the disaster’s effect on the lives of some of the survivors. A must-read for any Titanic enthusiast. I’m not sure it proves that the sinking ended the Edwardian Era. (WWI is a likelier candidate, I think). The narration is excellent. I’m almost certain Jenny Funnel played Sandi opposite Dame Judi Dench in the British TV hit “As Time Goes By.” I’ll be listening again. Very well done indeed.

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Outstanding Account of V.B.’s Landmark Book

Revisado: 05-15-24

Part biography of Vera Brittain, part autobiography (of Mark Bostridge), and part origination story of Britain’s landmark WWI memoir and the dramatizations it inspired, this book answers the questions fans of Testament of Youth May like to know: how did it all come about? Bostridge has supplied interesting details without getting bogged down. It is a satisfying companion piece to Britain’s Testament. Highly recommended. Narrator reads well, with a good pace, and convincingly presents voices and accents. One of the real pleasures I’ve discovered at Audible. (I’m a Vera Britain fan).

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Truth more fascinating than fiction

Revisado: 04-18-24

Well narrated and well researched, with documentation and use of sources that everywhere contributed with sympathy and liveliness to the story of Queen Marguerite, creating a full and touching portrait of a remarkable woman in an astonishing family (I won’t give more of it away) at one of the greatest cultural and simultaneously violent times. Never dull or pedantic. Well balanced between the personal on the one hand and the sweeping history of France and parts of Europe on the other. The reader, whose unexpectedly deep voice at first put me off, completely won me over with excellent pace, sensitivity, and the right amount of sauciness at just the right times. My favorite Audible offering to date. Highly recommend.

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Slow narration detracts from writing

Revisado: 03-08-24

The slow, over-dramatic narration made it impossible for me to finish this, despite the many positive reviews about the content and story. Regretted using a credit.

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