All His Spies
The Secret World of Robert Cecil
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All His Spies
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Narrated by:
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Stephen Alford
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By:
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Stephen Alford
About this listen
Brought to you by Penguin.
From the acclaimed author of The Watchers, the untold story of Robert Cecil - the ultimate Tudor spy-master
Robert Cecil, statesman and spymaster, lived through an astonishingly threatening period in English history. Queen Elizabeth had no clear successor and enemies both external and internal threatened to destroy England as a Protestant state, most spectacularly with the Spanish Armada and the Gunpowder Plot.
Cecil stood at the heart of the Tudor and then Stuart state, a vital figure in managing the succession from Elizabeth I to James I & VI, warding off military and religious threats and steering the decisions of two very different but equally wilful and hard-to-manage monarchs. The promising son of Queen Elizabeth’s chief minister Lord Burghley, for Cecil there was no choice but politics, and he became supremely skilled in the arts of power, making many rivals and enemies.
All His Spies is a wonderfully engaging and original work of history. Many listeners are familiar with the great events of this tumultuous time, but All His Spies shows how easily these dramas could have turned out very differently. Cecil’s sureness of purpose, his espionage network and good luck all conspired to keep England uninvaded and to create a new ‘British’ monarchy which has endured to the present day.
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What listeners say about All His Spies
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Severn
- 09-09-24
Outstanding
Fluently written, rivetingly interesting insights into the murky world of Elizabethan and Jacobean power and politics, then as now, and very well read indeed by the author.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 08-08-24
A Qaulity Listen👍❤️
A really good insight in the life and times of Robert Cecil who was top dog to two Monarchs. The author/narrator was fantastic and i cant wait for his next release.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Stephen Bentley
- 12-10-24
Fascinating story
I thought this very well read. The story was fascinating, and I thought very well and thoroughly told.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Karen
- 30-09-24
Great biography of Robert Cecil
Very interesting story and obviously great scholarship . The narratior who is the author has an odd style of delivery which becomes a bit irritating.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Christine
- 09-07-24
Interesting new viewpoint
This book provides an interesting new viewpoint of a much written about period. In particular, there is an intimate picture of the Earl of Essex, who was much more complex figure than history likes to portray. I enjoyed the author’s narration a great deal, being soothing and without any vocal quirks that can annoy. Give the sample a listen and decide for yourself!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- DeltaAlphaXray
- 19-11-24
The original civil servant
hugely informative and very well written and read. it demonstrates a deep knowledge of the Elizabethan and early Jacobean period
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Emma
- 24-09-24
The detail
Thoroughly enjoyed this. Lots written about William Cecil, but not much about Robert. Very informative. Nice written and read.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Gwenneth
- 29-09-24
Brilliant book
This book gives Robert Cecil the prominence he deserves. It’s a thoroughly gripping account of a time when his negotiating skills were put to the test and passed.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- S Good
- 05-12-24
A nuanced biography
I am a lover of Tudor history and Cecile always sat in the background. The book is well read and well laid out, taking a clear path through his life.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- x333xxx
- 05-07-24
Challenging to follow coherently
I had this much-anticipated book on pre-order and downloaded it as soon as it became available yesterday. I have valiantly listened to three hours, hoping time plus the story would reel me in and captivate me for the rest of the book. But I have failed miserably to do that. It gave me time to determine why it’s not worked for me. I think it’s the author’s reading style - it’s quite monotone, making it difficult to distinguish between narrative and factual quotes from contemporary documents. It’s the same voice, or rather tone of voice, throughout, regardless of whether it is narrative or one of the subject characters ‘speaking’. It’s a poor telling of an important aspect of our history, especially compared to audiobook versions of ‘George V’ and ‘Bertie’ (author: Jane Ridley) where the characters therein are readily heard. Having listened for three hours I’m really none the wiser apart from learning the Hatfield House was built in a place formerly known as Tibbles.
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