Bestsellers
-
Inventing the Renaissance
- The Myth of a Golden Age
- By: Ada Palmer
- Narrated by: Candida Gubbins
- Length: 30 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall46
-
Performance42
-
Story42
An irreverent new take on the Renaissance, which reveals it as anything but Europe’s golden age.
-
-
Never before have I felt sympathy for Machiavelli!
- By Crystal H. on 10-25-25
By: Ada Palmer
-
Dark Renaissance
- The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare's Greatest Rival
- By: Stephen Greenblatt
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall94
-
Performance85
-
Story85
The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Will in the World reveals the daring and subversive life of Christopher Marlowe―Shakespeare’s contemporary, inspiration, and rival.
-
-
Marlowe’s gifts
- By TheoBabe on 09-15-25
-
The History of the Renaissance World
- From the Rediscovery of Aristotle to the Conquest of Constantinople
- By: Susan Wise Bauer
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 21 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall1,477
-
Performance1,276
-
Story1,268
A lively and fascinating narrative history about the birth of the modern world....
-
-
The 2nd Half of the Medieval World
- By Troy on 05-20-15
By: Susan Wise Bauer
-
The Swerve
- How the World Became Modern
- By: Stephen Greenblatt
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3,582
-
Performance3,104
-
Story3,095
Greenblatt transports listeners to the dawn of the Renaissance and chronicles the life of an intrepid book lover who rescued a crucial Roman philosophical text from certain oblivion....
-
-
Very compelling history, a less compelling thesis
- By A reader on 05-01-12
-
Galileo's Daughter
- A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith and Love
- By: Dava Sobel
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall344
-
Performance252
-
Story260
Galileo Galilei was the foremost scientist of his day. Though he never left Italy, his inventions and discoveries were heralded around the world. His telescopes allowed him to reveal the heavens and enforce the astounding argument that the earth moves around the sun. For this belief, he was...
-
-
Eppur, si muove
- By Jean on 09-30-13
By: Dava Sobel
-
The Medici
- Power, Money, and Ambition in the Italian Renaissance
- By: Paul Strathern
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 16 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall1,669
-
Performance1,452
-
Story1,446
Against the background of an age that saw the rebirth of ancient and classical learning, Paul Strathern explores the intensely dramatic rise and fall of the Medici family....
-
-
Fun Story Bad History
- By Elizabeth Barrett on 05-09-16
By: Paul Strathern
-
Inventing the Renaissance
- The Myth of a Golden Age
- By: Ada Palmer
- Narrated by: Candida Gubbins
- Length: 30 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall46
-
Performance42
-
Story42
An irreverent new take on the Renaissance, which reveals it as anything but Europe’s golden age.
-
-
Never before have I felt sympathy for Machiavelli!
- By Crystal H. on 10-25-25
By: Ada Palmer
-
Dark Renaissance
- The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare's Greatest Rival
- By: Stephen Greenblatt
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall94
-
Performance85
-
Story85
The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Will in the World reveals the daring and subversive life of Christopher Marlowe―Shakespeare’s contemporary, inspiration, and rival.
-
-
Marlowe’s gifts
- By TheoBabe on 09-15-25
-
The History of the Renaissance World
- From the Rediscovery of Aristotle to the Conquest of Constantinople
- By: Susan Wise Bauer
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 21 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall1,477
-
Performance1,276
-
Story1,268
A lively and fascinating narrative history about the birth of the modern world....
-
-
The 2nd Half of the Medieval World
- By Troy on 05-20-15
By: Susan Wise Bauer
-
The Swerve
- How the World Became Modern
- By: Stephen Greenblatt
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3,582
-
Performance3,104
-
Story3,095
Greenblatt transports listeners to the dawn of the Renaissance and chronicles the life of an intrepid book lover who rescued a crucial Roman philosophical text from certain oblivion....
-
-
Very compelling history, a less compelling thesis
- By A reader on 05-01-12
-
Galileo's Daughter
- A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith and Love
- By: Dava Sobel
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall344
-
Performance252
-
Story260
Galileo Galilei was the foremost scientist of his day. Though he never left Italy, his inventions and discoveries were heralded around the world. His telescopes allowed him to reveal the heavens and enforce the astounding argument that the earth moves around the sun. For this belief, he was...
-
-
Eppur, si muove
- By Jean on 09-30-13
By: Dava Sobel
-
The Medici
- Power, Money, and Ambition in the Italian Renaissance
- By: Paul Strathern
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 16 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall1,669
-
Performance1,452
-
Story1,446
Against the background of an age that saw the rebirth of ancient and classical learning, Paul Strathern explores the intensely dramatic rise and fall of the Medici family....
-
-
Fun Story Bad History
- By Elizabeth Barrett on 05-09-16
By: Paul Strathern
-
A World Lit Only by Fire
- The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance: Portrait of an Age
- By: William Manchester
- Narrated by: Barrett Whitener
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall1,063
-
Performance788
-
Story783
From tales of chivalrous knights to the barbarity of trial by ordeal, no era has been a greater source of awe, horror, and wonder than the Middle Ages....
-
-
Ruined by the narrator
- By Wallen on 02-28-09
-
The Verge
- Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World
- By: Patrick Wyman
- Narrated by: Patrick Wyman
- Length: 11 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall1,141
-
Performance960
-
Story957
The creator of the hit podcast series Tides of History and Fall of Rome explores the four explosive decades between 1490 and 1530, bringing to life the dramatic and deeply human story of how the West was reborn. In the bestselling tradition of The Swerve and A Distant Mirror, The Verge tells the...
-
-
Like the Podcast but Better.
- By Michael S. Labrow on 07-21-21
By: Patrick Wyman
-
The Tudors
- The Complete Story of England's Most Notorious Dynasty
- By: G. J. Meyer
- Narrated by: Robin Sachs
- Length: 24 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall831
-
Performance685
-
Story688
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The award-winning author of The Memphis Murders presents “a rich and vibrant tapestry” (The Star-Ledger) of the fabled Tudor dynasty—and some of the most enigmatic figures to ever rule a country. “A thoroughly readable and often compelling narrative...
-
-
OUTSTANDING!
- By The Louligan on 03-15-10
By: G. J. Meyer
-
Empires of the Sea
- The Contest for the Center of the World
- By: Roger Crowley
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall1,196
-
Performance906
-
Story908
Empires of the Sea tells the story of the 50-year world war between Islam and Christianity for the Mediterranean....
-
-
Brilliant detail, exciting story
- By Tad Davis on 08-17-08
By: Roger Crowley
-
How to Be a Tudor
- A Dawn-to-Dusk Guide to Tudor Life
- By: Ruth Goodman
- Narrated by: Heather Wilds
- Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall600
-
Performance515
-
Story506
On the heels of her triumphant How to Be a Victorian, Ruth Goodman travels even further back in English history to the era closest to her heart, the dramatic period from the crowning of Henry VII....
-
-
Excellent book!
- By Kathi on 02-18-16
By: Ruth Goodman
-
2,000 Years of Christ's Power, Vol. 3
- Renaissance and Reformation
- By: Nick Needham
- Narrated by: Peter Matthess
- Length: 20 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall25
-
Performance23
-
Story23
Volume Three of 2,000 Years of Christ's Power, in showing the progression of the Reformation era and the daring bravery of its figures, presents a period of history from which there are many lessons to be learnt....
-
-
Great overview!
- By Anonymous on 11-12-24
By: Nick Needham
-
The House of Medici
- Its Rise and Fall
- By: Christopher Hibbert
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall175
-
Performance162
-
Story162
This enthralling book charts the family's huge influence on the political, economic and cultural history of Florence. Beginning in the early 1430s with the rise of the dynasty....
-
-
Laundry list of names
- By Elizabeth W on 01-02-17
-
City of Fortune
- How Venice Rule the Seas
- By: Roger Crowley
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 14 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall522
-
Performance464
-
Story466
The rise and fall of the Venetian empire stands unrivaled for drama, intrigue, and sheer opulent majesty....
-
-
A Wonderful Listen
- By Scot in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan on 06-12-14
By: Roger Crowley
-
Young Queens
- Three Renaissance Women and the Price of Power
- By: Leah Redmond Chang
- Narrated by: Olivia Dowd
- Length: 18 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall108
-
Performance98
-
Story98
Following the intertwined stories of Catherine de’ Medici, Elisabeth de Valois, and Mary Queen of Scots from girlhood through young adulthood, Young Queens paints a picture of a world in which a woman could wield power at the highest level yet remain at the mercy of the state....
-
-
Excellent writing, engaging narration
- By WEHOcloset on 09-22-23
-
The Borgias
- The Hidden History
- By: G. J. Meyer
- Narrated by: Enn Reitel
- Length: 19 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall735
-
Performance640
-
Story643
An unprecedented portrait of the Renaissance-era Borgia family and their storied milieu, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Tudors “A vivid and at times startling reappraisal of one of the most notorious dynasties in history . . . If you thought you knew the Borgias, this book...
-
-
Marvelous !
- By Cinders on 08-02-13
By: G. J. Meyer
-
The Book of the Courtier
- By: Baldassare Castiglione
- Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton
- Length: 11 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall34
-
Performance26
-
Story27
Set in the court of Urbino in 1507, Castiglione’s The Book of the Courtier presents an invaluable look at court life and culture during the Renaissance. Over four nights of dialogue, the book explores the key question, ‘What should a courtier be like?’ Listen for more....
-
Mary Boleyn
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Maggie Mash
- Length: 13 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall273
-
Performance239
-
Story236
Mary Boleyn was the mistress of two kings, Francois I of France and Henry VIII of England, and sister to Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s second wife....
-
-
Historiography not a bio
- By Mary Elizabeth Reynolds on 06-03-12
By: Alison Weir
-
The Bookseller of Florence
- The Story of the Manuscripts That Illuminated the Renaissance
- By: Ross King
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 18 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall88
-
Performance76
-
Story76
The Renaissance in Florence conjures images of beautiful frescoes and elegant buildings - the handiwork of the city's artists and architects. But equally important were geniuses of a different sort: Florence's manuscript hunters, scribes, scholars, and booksellers....
-
-
Great book, Horrible narrator
- By Sergio Remon on 07-01-21
By: Ross King
-
A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare
- 1599
- By: James Shapiro
- Narrated by: James Shapiro
- Length: 6 hrs and 28 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall151
-
Performance97
-
Story97
What accounts for Shakespeare’s transformation from talented poet and playwright to one of the greatest writers who ever lived? In this gripping account, James Shapiro sets out to answer this question, ""succeed[ing] where others have fallen short."" (Boston Globe) 1599 was an epochal year for...
-
-
Note!--Abridged version
- By Scott on 01-05-16
By: James Shapiro
-
1434
- The Year a Magnificent Chinese Fleet Sailed to Italy and Ignited the Renaissance
- By: Gavin Menzies
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall99
-
Performance87
-
Story86
The brilliance of the Renaissance laid the foundation of the modern world. Textbooks tell us that it came about as a result of a rediscovery of the ideas and ideals of classical Greece and Rome. But now bestselling historian Gavin Menzies makes the startling argument that in the year 1434...
-
-
Fiction pretending to be history
- By Chupacabracito on 04-21-16
By: Gavin Menzies
-
The Borgias
- Power and Depravity in Renaissance Italy
- By: Paul Strathern
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall183
-
Performance158
-
Story158
The Borgia family have become a byword for evil. Corruption, incest, ruthless megalomania, avarice, and vicious cruelty - all have been associated with their name. And yet, paradoxically, this family lived when the Renaissance was coming into its full flowering in Italy....
-
-
Gossip
- By Amazon Customer on 10-02-19
By: Paul Strathern
-
The Rival Queens
- Catherine de' Medici, Her Daughter Marguerite de Valois, and the Betrayal that Ignited a Kingdom
- By: Nancy Goldstone
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 16 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall819
-
Performance738
-
Story735
The riveting true story of mother-and-daughter queens Catherine de' Medici and Marguerite de Valois, whose wildly divergent personalities and turbulent relationship changed the shape of their tempestuous and dangerous century. Set in magnificent Renaissance France, this is the story of two...
-
-
Definitely not a dull bio!
- By Nella on 07-04-15
By: Nancy Goldstone
-
The Sistine Secrets
- Michelangelo's Forbidden Messages in the Heart of the Vatican
- By: Benjamin Blech, Roy Doliner
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 11 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall42
-
Performance39
-
Story38
Five hundred years ago, Michelangelo began work on a painting that became one of the most famous pieces of art in the world - the Sistine Chapel ceiling....
-
-
Well-researched!
- By Natalie K. on 08-28-17
By: Benjamin Blech, and others
-
The Hidden Lives of Tudor Women
- A Social History
- By: Elizabeth Norton
- Narrated by: Jennifer Dixon
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall718
-
Performance633
-
Story631
The Tudor period conjures up images of queens and noblewomen in elaborate court dress, of palace intrigue and dramatic politics....
-
-
I love this book!
- By Kathi on 08-17-17
By: Elizabeth Norton
-
Willie, Willie, Harry, Stee
- An Epically Short History of Our Kings and Queens
- By: Charlie Higson, Jim Moir
- Length: 15 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall2
-
Performance2
-
Story2
A Waterstones Best History Book 2025 A BBC History Magazine Book of the Year 2025 ‘Learned, entertaining and highly approachable’ BOB MORTIMER ‘A treat’ ALICE LOXTON ‘Five stars from me…’ AL MURRAY An unmissable collaboration between two comedy legends – an irresistible...
-
-
Great honest history
- By peter brumlik on 01-13-26
By: Charlie Higson, and others
-
Europe's Babylon
- The Rise and Fall of Antwerp's Golden Age
- By: Michael Pye
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall11
-
Performance9
-
Story9
Before Amsterdam, there was a dazzling North Sea port at the hub of the known world: the city of Antwerp. In the Age of Exploration, Antwerp was somewhere anything could happen or at least be believed. And it was a place of change....
-
-
Thorough
- By Tom Van on 09-30-23
By: Michael Pye
-
The Other Renaissance
- From Copernicus to Shakespeare: How the Renaissance in Northern Europe Transformed the World
- By: Paul Strathern
- Narrated by: Roger May
- Length: 14 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall10
-
Performance10
-
Story10
An original, illuminating history of the northern European Renaissance in art, science, and philosophy, which often rivaled its Italian counterpart.
-
-
Comprehensive study
- By Roger on 04-07-25
By: Paul Strathern
-
The Republic of Venice and Republic of Genoa: The History of the Italian Rivals and Their Mediterranean Empires
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Colin Fluxman
- Length: 3 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall7
-
Performance6
-
Story6
The Republic of Venice and Republic of Genoa: The History of the Italian Rivals and Their Mediterranean Empires looks at the origins of the cities, their rise to power across the Mediterranean, and their inevitable demises....
-
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
-
Overall87
-
Performance79
-
Story79
A beautifully thorough examination into the complicated relationship between Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici, two of the most powerful women in Renaissance Europe who shaped each other as well as the course of history. Sixteenth-century Europe was a hostile world dominated by court politics...
-
-
Wonderful!
- By FlowerTraveler on 05-12-23
By: Estelle Paranque