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Mary Queen Of Scots

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Mary Queen Of Scots

By: Antonia Fraser
Narrated by: Patricia Hodge
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About this listen

 Mary Queen of Scots passed her childhood in France and married the Dauphin to become Queen of France at the age of sixteen. Widowed less than two years later, she returned to Scotland as Queen after an absence of thirteen years.

Her life then entered its best known phase: the early struggles with John Knox, and the unruly Scottish nobility; the fatal marriage to Darnley and his mysterious death; her marriage to Bothwell, the chief suspect, that led directly to her long English captivity at the hands of Queen Elizabeth; the poignant and extraordinary story of her long imprisonment that ended with the labyrinthine Babington plot to free her, and her execution at the age of forty-four.

Read by Patricia Hodge

(p) 2002 Orion Publishing Group©1994 Antonia Fraser Europe Great Britain Politics & Activism Royalty Women England Scotland Tudor

Critic reviews

[A] ground-breaking biography ... One of the greatest international bestsellers of the post-war period, Mary Queen of Scots ... launched Fraser's now award-studded career, and single-handedly created a new publishing genre ... The true golden age of British biography really began with the publication of Mary Queen of Scots and it won't end so long as Fraser keeps tapping away on her ancient Smith Corona (Andrew Roberts)
Lady Fraser brings intuitive insight and humble self projection to this period without losing historical balance. She gives us imaginative vitality and the historical edifice at once (Norman MacKenzie)
Before biography was fashionable, Antonia Fraser made the past popular
Fraser is at her best here, lucid, authoritative and compassionate
This is a fine biography, sympathetic without sentimentality, and with a keen awareness of the texture of its subject's world
Lady Antonia Fraser tells Mary's story movingly and yet with scholarship, insight and balance. It is the sort of biography of Mary which has long been needed
The irreplaceable classic biography (A. N. Wilson)
Antonia Fraser is deservedly regarded by many as one of today's finest biographers¿. Listening to the new cd recording of an abridged version of Fraser's biography, Mary Queen of Scots, reminded me just how good she is. The opening and closing music immediately helps create the period, and this coupled with Patricia Hodge's excellent narration, to my mind, is a shining example of how the audio book can surpass it's print counterpart. (Vidar Hjardeng)
All stars
Most relevant
Well written and researched , excellently read. Altogether a most enjoyable and instructive few hours.

Perfect in every way.

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Antonio Fraser is clearly a proud catholic and her leanings in that direction shine through. Although not sharing her faith, I respect and understand why she wrote the history the way she did

Beautifully written and beautifully read

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Where does Mary Queen of Scots rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

excellent

What did you like best about this story?

brought Mary to life & showed her strengths & failings

Which character – as performed by Patricia Hodge – was your favourite?

mary herself

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Amazed at how much mary experienced

Any additional comments?

would have preferred the unabridged version

gobsmacking

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read this as a teenager a long time ago. wonderful narration . perfect pitch and cadence.
loved every minute of it

excellent

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Antonia Fraser only writes excellent books! This one is no exception. It’s a fully in depth, rounded view of a woman surrounded by myth. To most people, Mary has been either a saint or a devil. This book shows that she was neither, she was a complicated, vulnerable woman, born to an almost impossible destiny.

Perfect!

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