King James I: A Life from Beginning to End

House of Stuart, Book 1

By: Hourly History

Narrated by: Mike Nelson

James I of England and VI of Scotland was the first king to rule both countries. He was faced with division between his realms and caught between the religious wars of the Reformation. Spending most of his reign at odds with the religious and parliamentary powers around him, James did little to unite his people. Unable to take a firm stand on critical issues, he spent his life avoiding them.

Inside, you will listen about....

• James’ Bride and the Witch Hunt
• The Mystery of the Gowrie Plot
• Taking over Elizabethan England
• King James Bible
• The Gunpowder Plot
• The King’s Favorite Men
• And Much More!
  

Still, James was not a bad king. He is best remembered for the translation of the Bible into English, making it accessible to all. During the start of the bloody Thirty Years’ War that would engulf Europe, James did his best to keep England out of the turmoil. His descendants, however, brought about a bloody civil war that was to last for several generations. James I and VI continues to have a reputation as a lazy king who gave too much power to his male favorites.

©2019 Hourly History (P)2019 Hourly History

Short, not a lot of detail

Worth a listen, but didn't go into as much detail as I would have liked. It's more like an extended outline than a book.

What a wimp!

He was gay and afraid to rule so he destroyed their economy what a wasted!

What should be basics are wrong.

I like these short autobiographies, but some of the information is incorrect. A notable example is at the beginning of the story, where it discusses James' mother, Mary. The claim that she was raised in Versailles is simply wrong. That palace was built by Louis XIV many many years later.

Excellent short history lesson.

I found the narrative easy to follow and the narrators voice smooth and easy to listen to.

Decent book, gave a little more info on James 1 than what’s commonly known

I knew James I created the King James Bible and was technically the first king of England and Scotland. This filled in some more details. I recently read the full bio of Mary Queen of Scots, so getting a snippet of her son’s life was interesting.

Solid narration, easy to understand and follow - for personal preference I turned up the speed to 1.25x.