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Thomas Wolsey, the Late Cardinal
- His Life and Death
- Narrated by: David Thorn
- Length: 8 hrs and 59 mins
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Thomas Wolsey, the Late Cardinal
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Summary
This extraordinary “eye-witness” account of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey's rise and fall from power was written between 1554 and 1558 by his gentleman-usher, George Cavendish, who was privy to so much of the Cardinal's ambitious endeavors. However, Cavendish prudently waited a long time before chronicling his observations for fear of his life, as there were those who may have taken his memoirs the wrong way.
Cavendish describes in great detail the daily life of Wolsey, listing his huge household of servants to give a good idea of the magnitude of this larger-than-life man who outdid Henry VIII in lifestyle and riches, which was his undoing. Throughout the book, he records Wolsey's endless acquisitions of bishoprics—including the very rich monastery of St. Albans, even though he was never a monk—all to feather his already very wealthy nest. Cavendish also tells of Wolsey's scheme to put himself over and above the Archbishop of York, the senior prelate in England, later to be named Pope. Wolsey is eventually charged with treason but dies in Leicester, and it is said that had he not died, he would have been more than likely subject to a beheading.
Cavendish also delves into the lives of King Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, the infamous Duke of Norfolk, and other prominent figures of the Tudor period, all to bring the sixteenth century to vivid life.
This rare document, considered “the most important single source for our knowledge of Wolsey,” was edited for easy comprehension by Roger Lockyer, a former faculty member of Royal Holloway College, University of London, and an authority on the tumultuous Tudor period which was so pivotal in England's storied history.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Parissa
- 03-08-15
A contemporary account of Wolsey's life
Any additional comments?
This is a contemporary account of Cardinal Wolsey's life and would interesting for all those keen on Tudor history.
It is extremely encouraging to see that Audible will offer books of this caliber.
The choice of reader is unfortunate. As this book is written in contemporary English, it would have been helpful had the reader benefitted from clearer diction.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Phil
- 05-02-22
Excellent
Loved all of it. Narrator made it easier to understand Tudor English. A must read.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- phantom lover
- 27-04-16
You have to pay attention.
What did you like best about Thomas Wolsey, the Late Cardinal? What did you like least?
The amount of detail about his life and final days.The old english way of saying things can slow things done.
Who was your favorite character and why?
No favourite character as it was non fiction
Did David Thorn do a good job differentiating each of the characters? How?
Not really any characters to differentiate between.
Was Thomas Wolsey, the Late Cardinal worth the listening time?
yes but hard going at times.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Denise Gaffney
- 29-01-21
Hard listen old English
I have struggled and eventually give up trying to listen to old English, if you like to listen to Shakespeare it will be fine for you
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