Renaissance in History & Nonfiction Audiobooks

Audiobook

Inventing the Renaissance

The Myth of a Golden Age

by Ada Palmer ...

Narrated by Candida Gubbins ...

Unabridged

30 hours 18 min

An irreverent new take on the Renaissance, which reveals it as anything but Europe’s golden age.From the darkness of a plagued and war-torn Middle Ages, the Renaissance (we’re told) heralds the dawning of a new world—a halcyon age of art, prosperity, and rebirth. Hogwash! or so says award-winning novelist and historian Ada Palmer. In Inventing the Renaissance, Palmer turns her witty and irreverent ... Read more

$24.99 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

An irreverent new take on the Renaissance, which reveals it as anything but Europe’s golden age.From the darkness of a plagued and war-torn Middle Ages, the Renaissance (we’re told) heralds the dawning of a new world—a halcyon age of art, prosperity, and rebirth. Hogwash! or so says award-winning novelist and historian Ada Palmer. In Inventing the Renaissance, Palmer turns her witty and irreverent
... Read more
Audiobook

Seven Lies About Catholic History: Infamous Myths about the Church's Past and How to Answer Them

by Diane Moczar ...

Narrated by Kevin F. Spalding ...

Unabridged

5 hours 3 min

The world hates the Church that Jesus founded, just as He said it would (John 15:18). It reviles her doctrines, mocks her moral teachings and invents lies about her history. In every age, but especially in our modern day, historians and political powers have distorted the facts about her past (or just made up novel falsehoods from scratch) to make the Church, and the civilization it fostered, seem ... Read more

$14.99 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

The world hates the Church that Jesus founded, just as He said it would (John 15:18). It reviles her doctrines, mocks her moral teachings and invents lies about her history. In every age, but especially in our modern day, historians and political powers have distorted the facts about her past (or just made up novel falsehoods from scratch) to make the Church, and the civilization it fostered, seem
... Read more
Audiobook

Brunelleschi's Dome

How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture

by Ross King ...

Narrated by James Cameron Stewart ...

Unabridged

6 hours 36 min

On August 19, 1418, a competition concerning Florence's magnificent new cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore was announced: "Whoever desires to make any model or design for the vaulting of the main Dome . . . shall do so before the end of the month of September." The proposed dome was regarded far and wide as all but impossible to build. The dome would literally need to be erected over thin air.Of the ... Read more

$19.99 USD

On August 19, 1418, a competition concerning Florence's magnificent new cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore was announced: "Whoever desires to make any model or design for the vaulting of the main Dome . . . shall do so before the end of the month of September." The proposed dome was regarded far and wide as all but impossible to build. The dome would literally need to be erected over thin air.Of the
... Read more
Audiobook

The Bookseller of Florence

The Story of the Manuscripts That Illuminated the Renaissance

by Ross King ...

Narrated by James Cameron Stewart ...

Unabridged

18 hours 20 min

The Renaissance in Florence conjures images of beautiful frescoes and elegant buildings—the dazzling handiwork of the city's skilled artists and architects. But equally important for the centuries to follow were geniuses of a different sort: Florence's manuscript hunters, scribes, scholars, and booksellers, who blew the dust off a thousand years of history and, through the discovery and diffusion ... Read more

$29.99 USD

The Renaissance in Florence conjures images of beautiful frescoes and elegant buildings—the dazzling handiwork of the city's skilled artists and architects. But equally important for the centuries to follow were geniuses of a different sort: Florence's manuscript hunters, scribes, scholars, and booksellers, who blew the dust off a thousand years of history and, through the discovery and diffusion
... Read more
Audiobook

The House of Seymour

by Joanna Hickson ...

Narrated by Clare Corbett ...

Series Audiobook 1 - The House of Seymour
Unabridged

9 hours 57 min

Praise for Joanna Hickson:‘An intriguing tale, told with confidence’ The Times ‘Rich and warm’ Sunday ExpressWill his ambition be her destiny or her downfall?When Isabel Williams is betrothed to John Seymour, Lord of Wolf Hall Manor, she hopes that love and respect will come, despite his cold streak of ruthless ambition.Jess the shepherdess tends her flock on the w... ... Read more

$27.99 USD

Praise for Joanna Hickson:‘An intriguing tale, told with confidence’ The Times ‘Rich and warm’ Sunday ExpressWill his ambition be her destiny or her downfall?When Isabel Williams is betrothed to John Seymour, Lord of Wolf Hall Manor, she hopes that love and respect will come, despite his cold streak of ruthless ambition.Jess the shepherdess tends her flock on the w...
... Read more
Audiobook

The House of Wisdom

How Arabic Science Saved Ancient Knowledge and Gave Us the Renaissance

by Jim al-Khalili ...

Narrated by Simon Vance ...

Unabridged

10 hours 26 min

A myth-shattering view of the medieval Islamic world’s myriad scientific innovations, which preceded—and enabled—the European RenaissanceThe Arabic legacy of science and philosophy has long been hidden from the West. British-Iraqi physicist Jim Al-Khalili unveils that legacy to fascinating effect by returning to its roots in the hubs of Arab innovation that would advance science and jump-start the ... Read more

$19.95 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

A myth-shattering view of the medieval Islamic world’s myriad scientific innovations, which preceded—and enabled—the European RenaissanceThe Arabic legacy of science and philosophy has long been hidden from the West. British-Iraqi physicist Jim Al-Khalili unveils that legacy to fascinating effect by returning to its roots in the hubs of Arab innovation that would advance science and jump-start the
... Read more
Audiobook

The Florentines

From Dante to Galileo: The Transformation of Western Civilization

by Paul Strathern ...

Narrated by Roger Clark ...

Unabridged

14 hours 35 min

A sweeping and magisterial four-hundred-year history of both the city and the people who gave birth to the Renaissance.Between the birth of Dante in 1265 and the death of Galileo in 1642, something happened that transformed the entire culture of western civilization. Painting, sculpture, and architecture would all visibly change in such a striking fashion that there could be no going back on what ... Read more

$24.99 USD

A sweeping and magisterial four-hundred-year history of both the city and the people who gave birth to the Renaissance.Between the birth of Dante in 1265 and the death of Galileo in 1642, something happened that transformed the entire culture of western civilization. Painting, sculpture, and architecture would all visibly change in such a striking fashion that there could be no going back on what
... Read more
Audiobook

Willie, Willie, Harry, Stee

An Epically Short History of Our Kings and Queens

by Charlie Higson ...

Narrated by Charlie Higson ...

Unabridged

15 hours 53 min

A Waterstones Best History Book 2025A BBC History Magazine Book of the Year 2025‘Learned, entertaining and highly approachable’ BOB MORTIMER‘A treat’ ALICE LOXTON‘Five stars from me…’ AL MURRAYAn unmissable collaboration between two comedy legends – an irresistible, family-friendly deep dive into the murky lives of the British monarchy.... ... Read more

$21.99 USD

A Waterstones Best History Book 2025A BBC History Magazine Book of the Year 2025‘Learned, entertaining and highly approachable’ BOB MORTIMER‘A treat’ ALICE LOXTON‘Five stars from me…’ AL MURRAYAn unmissable collaboration between two comedy legends – an irresistible, family-friendly deep dive into the murky lives of the British monarchy....
... Read more
Audiobook

To Catch A King

Charles II's Great Escape

by Charles Spencer ...

Narrated by Richard Trinder ...

Unabridged

9 hours 18 min

How did the most wanted man in the country outwit the greatest manhunt in British history?In January 1649, King Charles I was beheaded in London outside his palace of Whitehall and Britain became a republic. When his eldest son, Charles, returned in 1651 to fight for his throne, he was crushed by the might of Cromwell’s armies at the battle of Worcester.With 3,000 of his supporters lying dead and ... Read more

$27.99 USD

How did the most wanted man in the country outwit the greatest manhunt in British history?In January 1649, King Charles I was beheaded in London outside his palace of Whitehall and Britain became a republic. When his eldest son, Charles, returned in 1651 to fight for his throne, he was crushed by the might of Cromwell’s armies at the battle of Worcester.With 3,000 of his supporters lying dead and
... Read more
Audiobook

Devil-Land

England Under Siege, 1588-1688

by Clare Jackson ...

Narrated by Emma Gregory ...

Unabridged

24 hours 10 min

Brought to you by Penguin.**A BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021, AS CHOSEN BY THE TIMES, NEW STATESMAN, TELEGRAPH AND TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENTA ground-breaking portrait of the most turbulent century in English history**Among foreign observers, seventeenth-century England was known as 'Devil-Land': a diabolical country of fallen angels, torn apart by seditious rebellion, religious extremism and royal collapse ... Read more

$21.99 USD

Brought to you by Penguin.**A BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021, AS CHOSEN BY THE TIMES, NEW STATESMAN, TELEGRAPH AND TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENTA ground-breaking portrait of the most turbulent century in English history**Among foreign observers, seventeenth-century England was known as 'Devil-Land': a diabolical country of fallen angels, torn apart by seditious rebellion, religious extremism and royal collapse
... Read more
Audiobook

Thorns, Lust, and Glory

The Betrayal of Anne Boleyn

by Estelle Paranque ...

Narrated by Anna Wilson-Jones ...

Unabridged

8 hours 18 min

In this groundbreaking biography of Queen Anne Boleyn, learn how the ill-fated second wife of Renaissance England's Henry XVIII met her downfall–and how she came to be so vilified and misunderstood.Anne Boleyn has mesmerized the general public for centuries. Her tragic execution at the Tower of London on the 19th of May, 1536—orchestrated by her own husband—never ceases to intrigue. While many ... Read more

$24.99 USD

In this groundbreaking biography of Queen Anne Boleyn, learn how the ill-fated second wife of Renaissance England's Henry XVIII met her downfall–and how she came to be so vilified and misunderstood.Anne Boleyn has mesmerized the general public for centuries. Her tragic execution at the Tower of London on the 19th of May, 1536—orchestrated by her own husband—never ceases to intrigue. While many
... Read more
Audiobook

Princes of the Renaissance

by Mary Hollingsworth ...

Narrated by Karen Cass ...

Unabridged

13 hours 16 min

A beautifully illustrated history of the Renaissance told through the lives of its most influential patrons.From the late Middle Ages, the independent Italian city-states were taken over by powerful families who installed themselves as dynastic rulers. Inspired by the humanists, the princes of 15th- and 16th-century Italy immersed themselves in the culture of antiquity, commissioning palaces, ... Read more

$17.58 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

A beautifully illustrated history of the Renaissance told through the lives of its most influential patrons.From the late Middle Ages, the independent Italian city-states were taken over by powerful families who installed themselves as dynastic rulers. Inspired by the humanists, the princes of 15th- and 16th-century Italy immersed themselves in the culture of antiquity, commissioning palaces,
... Read more
Audiobook

Pensées

by Blaise Pascal ...

Narrated by William Sutherland ...

Unabridged

12 hours 52 min

Compiled after his death in 1662, Pascal's*"*pens├®es" (thoughts) are his ideas for a book in defense of faith in a rational world. These fragments give evidence of a profoundly original thinker who had resolved the conflict between his scientific mind and his heart-felt faith.The book begins with an analysis of the difference between mathematical and intuitive thinking and goes on to consider the ... Read more

$22.95 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

Compiled after his death in 1662, Pascal's*"*pens├®es" (thoughts) are his ideas for a book in defense of faith in a rational world. These fragments give evidence of a profoundly original thinker who had resolved the conflict between his scientific mind and his heart-felt faith.The book begins with an analysis of the difference between mathematical and intuitive thinking and goes on to consider the
... Read more
Audiobook

Castle of the Hawk: An epic chronicle of the Habsburg dynasty

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast drama

by Mike Walker ...

Narrated by Carl Prekopp, Kai Owen, Anamaria Marinca, Full Cast, Philip Arditti, Mark Lewis Jones, Nia Roberts, Matthew McNulty, Richard Harrington, Jonathan Forbes ...

Unabridged

4 hours 43 min

Mike Walker's thrilling saga of the Habsburg dynasty, who ruled most of Europe - and much of the New World - for almost 600 yearsFor almost six centuries, the House of Habsburg was one of the most powerful royal families in Europe - and beyond. They established an empire that began with a castle on a crag, and ended up extending over four continents. In these riveting dramas, Mike Walker traces ... Read more

$12.99 USD

Mike Walker's thrilling saga of the Habsburg dynasty, who ruled most of Europe - and much of the New World - for almost 600 yearsFor almost six centuries, the House of Habsburg was one of the most powerful royal families in Europe - and beyond. They established an empire that began with a castle on a crag, and ended up extending over four continents. In these riveting dramas, Mike Walker traces
... Read more
Audiobook

George Washington - USA's første præsident

by Orage ...

Narrated by Peter Milling ...

Series series Historie
Unabridged

19 min

Den 30. april 1789 blev George Washington indsat som den første præsident i USA – et af verdens mest magtfulde embeder. I dag bliver han hyldet som USA’s fader, men hans vej mod heltestatus var både farefuld og svær.Denne artikel dykker ned i historien om den ydmyge, dedikerede og vedholdende mand, der bliver kaldt USA’s største leder. HISTORIE er en serie om historiske begivenheder og personer, ... Read more

$2.99 USD

Den 30. april 1789 blev George Washington indsat som den første præsident i USA – et af verdens mest magtfulde embeder. I dag bliver han hyldet som USA’s fader, men hans vej mod heltestatus var både farefuld og svær.Denne artikel dykker ned i historien om den ydmyge, dedikerede og vedholdende mand, der bliver kaldt USA’s største leder. HISTORIE er en serie om historiske begivenheder og personer,
... Read more
Audiobook

100 mitos de la historia de México 2

by Francisco Martín Moreno ...

Narrated by Adrián Ogazón ...

Unabridged

10 hours 52 min

¿Qué sucesos oculta nuestra historia oficial? ¿Conocemos realmente los hechos que dieron celebridad a nuestros caudillos?En esta obra apasionante, Francisco Martín Moreno se encarga de ofrecer el verdadero rostro de héroes y gobernantes que han conformado México. Su apasionada labor investigativa y su pluma ágil, polémica y filosa ... ... Read more

$25.99 USD

¿Qué sucesos oculta nuestra historia oficial? ¿Conocemos realmente los hechos que dieron celebridad a nuestros caudillos?En esta obra apasionante, Francisco Martín Moreno se encarga de ofrecer el verdadero rostro de héroes y gobernantes que han conformado México. Su apasionada labor investigativa y su pluma ágil, polémica y filosa ...
... Read more
Audiobook

Condottieri, The: The History of Italy’s Elite Mercenaries during the Middle Ages and Renaissance

by Charles River Editors ...

Narrated by Stephen Platt ...

Unabridged

1 hour 33 min

Since several large city-states such as Milan and Venice growing rich on the prosperous Mediterranean trade routes, they had the money to commission grandiose cathedrals and works of art that still astound people today, but they also had the resources to hire armies and constantly fight to expand their power. Ironically, their very success was an impediment, as most prosperous city-states had far ... Read more

$6.99 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

Since several large city-states such as Milan and Venice growing rich on the prosperous Mediterranean trade routes, they had the money to commission grandiose cathedrals and works of art that still astound people today, but they also had the resources to hire armies and constantly fight to expand their power. Ironically, their very success was an impediment, as most prosperous city-states had far
... Read more
Audiobook

Vinden tuder om Børglum

by Peder Jensen Kjærgaard ...

Narrated by Elise Munch-Petersen ...

Unabridged

7 hours 52 min

Det vækker borgernes vrede, da den højagtede Jesper Tidselbak foran hele menigheden bliver beskyldt for at have gjort sin egen enfoldige datter gravid. Endnu større er vreden, fordi folk tror på ham, når han fortæller, at det er den forhadte Søren Ridefoged, der har forgrebet sig på hende. Den vrede, der i årevis har ulmet blandt Børglums beboere mod bispen og hans mænd, blusser nu op og fører til ... Read more

$12.99 USD

Det vækker borgernes vrede, da den højagtede Jesper Tidselbak foran hele menigheden bliver beskyldt for at have gjort sin egen enfoldige datter gravid. Endnu større er vreden, fordi folk tror på ham, når han fortæller, at det er den forhadte Søren Ridefoged, der har forgrebet sig på hende. Den vrede, der i årevis har ulmet blandt Børglums beboere mod bispen og hans mænd, blusser nu op og fører til
... Read more
Audiobook

Henry VIII (Penguin Monarchs)

The Quest for Fame

by John Guy ...

Narrated by John Banks ...

Unabridged

3 hours 25 min

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Henry VIII: The Quest for Fame by John Guy, read by John Banks.Henry VIII's reign transformed the physical and spiritual landscape of England. Magnificent, tyrannical, a strong ruler, a 'pillager of the commonwealth', this most notorious of kings remains a figure of extreme contradictions: a devout traditionalist who oversaw a cataclysmic rupture with the ... Read more

$12.99 USD

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Henry VIII: The Quest for Fame by John Guy, read by John Banks.Henry VIII's reign transformed the physical and spiritual landscape of England. Magnificent, tyrannical, a strong ruler, a 'pillager of the commonwealth', this most notorious of kings remains a figure of extreme contradictions: a devout traditionalist who oversaw a cataclysmic rupture with the
... Read more
Audiobook

The Artist, the Philosopher, and the Warrior

Da Vinci, Machiavelli, and Borgia and the World They Shaped

by Paul Strathern ...

Narrated by Nigel Patterson ...

Unabridged

15 hours 12 min

Leonardo da Vinci, Niccolò Machiavelli, and Cesare Borgia—three iconic figures whose intersecting lives provide the basis for this astonishing work of narrative history. They could not have been more different, and they would meet only for a short time in 1502, but the events that transpired when they did would significantly alter each man's perceptions—and the course of Western history.In 1502, ... Read more

$24.99 USD

Leonardo da Vinci, Niccolò Machiavelli, and Cesare Borgia—three iconic figures whose intersecting lives provide the basis for this astonishing work of narrative history. They could not have been more different, and they would meet only for a short time in 1502, but the events that transpired when they did would significantly alter each man's perceptions—and the course of Western history.In 1502,
... Read more
Audiobook

The Sultan and the Queen

The Untold Story of Elizabeth and Islam

by Jerry Brotton ...

Narrated by Ralph Lister ...

Unabridged

12 hours 38 min

When Queen Elizabeth was excommunicated by the pope in 1570, she found herself in an awkward predicament. Now England's key markets would be closed to her Protestant merchants. To complicate matters the staunchly Catholic king of Spain was determined to destroy her, bolstered by the gold pouring in from the New World.In a bold decision with far-reaching consequences, Elizabeth set her sights on ... Read more

$25.99 USD

When Queen Elizabeth was excommunicated by the pope in 1570, she found herself in an awkward predicament. Now England's key markets would be closed to her Protestant merchants. To complicate matters the staunchly Catholic king of Spain was determined to destroy her, bolstered by the gold pouring in from the New World.In a bold decision with far-reaching consequences, Elizabeth set her sights on
... Read more
Audiobook

The Siege of Loyalty House

A new history of the English Civil War

by Jessie Childs ...

Narrated by Miranda Raison ...

Unabridged

9 hours 49 min

Brought to you by Penguin.The Civil War was the most traumatic conflict in British history, pitting friends and family members against each other and tearing down the old order.Award-winning historian Jessie Childs plunges the reader into the shock of the struggle through one of its most dramatic episodes: the siege of Basing House. To the parliamentarian Roundheads, the Hampshire mansion was a ... Read more

$17.99 USD

Brought to you by Penguin.The Civil War was the most traumatic conflict in British history, pitting friends and family members against each other and tearing down the old order.Award-winning historian Jessie Childs plunges the reader into the shock of the struggle through one of its most dramatic episodes: the siege of Basing House. To the parliamentarian Roundheads, the Hampshire mansion was a
... Read more
Audiobook

Concise History of Italy, A: 3,000 Years from Rome to the Renaissance and Beyond

by Thomas Ricci ...

Narrated by Thomas Ricci ...

Unabridged

2 hours 2 min

Master three millennia of European history, journeying from the rise of Rome to the dazzling dawn of the Renaissance. Whether you are prepping for a Mediterranean getaway or seeking an absorbing narrative to fuel your daily commute, this fast-moving historical epic delivers profound clarity without the dense academic jargon.Witness the dramatic collisions of faith, economics, and power that forged ... Read more

$9.99 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

Master three millennia of European history, journeying from the rise of Rome to the dazzling dawn of the Renaissance. Whether you are prepping for a Mediterranean getaway or seeking an absorbing narrative to fuel your daily commute, this fast-moving historical epic delivers profound clarity without the dense academic jargon.Witness the dramatic collisions of faith, economics, and power that forged
... Read more
Audiobook

History of Florence: The Small City That Reinvented Art

by Thomas Gallimore ...

Narrated by Thomas Gallimore ...

Unabridged

1 hour 53 min

Step into a cultural revolution where a fierce, modest Tuscan city birthed the wonders of Renaissance art. Perfect for an inspiring daily commute, this immersive European history reveals how bitter rivalries and merchant banking fueled unimaginable creativity. Experience the explosive atmosphere of a society daring to reinvent the human experience.Wander through crowded medieval guild halls and ... Read more

$9.99 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

Step into a cultural revolution where a fierce, modest Tuscan city birthed the wonders of Renaissance art. Perfect for an inspiring daily commute, this immersive European history reveals how bitter rivalries and merchant banking fueled unimaginable creativity. Experience the explosive atmosphere of a society daring to reinvent the human experience.Wander through crowded medieval guild halls and
... Read more

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