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Katherine Swynford

The Story of John of Gaunt and His Scandalous Duchess

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Katherine Swynford

Written by: Alison Weir
Narrated by: Judith Boyd
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About this listen

In this remarkable book, Alison Weir recounts one of the greatest and most remarkable love stories of medieval England. It is the extraordinary tale of an exceptional woman, Katherine Swynford, who became first the mistress, and later the wife, of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster.

But Katherine Swynford was much more than that. She was the mother of the Beauforts, and through them the ancestress of the Yorkist Kings, the Tudors, the Stuarts and every other sovereign since - a prodigious legacy which has shaped the history of Britain.

©2007 Alison Weir (P)2007 WF Howes Ltd
Great Britain Royalty England King Tudor
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What the critics say

"Weir provides immense satisfaction. She writes in a pacy, vivid style, engaging the heart as it does the mind." ( The Independent)
"Alison Weir's hugely popular history books are as gripping as novels." ( The Times, London)
"Alison Weir is one of our greatest popular historians." ( The Daily Mail)

What listeners say about Katherine Swynford

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Historic writing at its finest.

"Alison Weir's hugely popular history books are as gripping as novels." ( The Times, London) I whole heartedly agree. History can be quite dry but seriously I couldn't put this book down. To be fair I must say that Katherine Swynford is one of my favourite historical figures.
To write a book without many records is difficult. Ms Weir's sleuthing beyond what was written is genius. I found her logic to be very believable. I did find the conversion of pounds to current pounds a bit annoying, I think an overall clarification at the beginning of the book would have sufficed. Also it becomes irrelevant since the conversion is from 2008 and I am reading this book in 2022. The spelling of the names is important though as she mentions there was no standard set ,and documentation in those days was based on a local, not on a country's norms as it is today...so clarifying spelling is helpful.
I thought I would read the Anya Seton's book after... but since I have read Ms Weir's excellent account I wont bother. I have purchased the A Seton book and started it... but now I just cant get around all her liberties. (Also the narration of the Seton book lacks the charm of Weir's ) I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes the nitty gritty details...

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DON'T READ THIS BOOK

What a stupid book.
How many times can you say the same thing over and over again!
Apparently there is nothing whatsoever to base this book on, so seriously it should not have been written

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Boring

I would advise to get a pad and pen to keep track of the many names (spelled out) and dates. This is an encyclopedia of information but definitely not a story.

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