George V
Never a Dull Moment
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George V
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Narrated by:
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Joanna David
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By:
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Jane Ridley
About this listen
Brought to you by Penguin.
The first truly candid portrait of George V and Mary - the queen's grandparents and the creators of the modern monarchy.
The lasting reputation of George V is for dullness. He was a crack shot and an outstanding stamp collector, but that's about it. The flamboyance and hedonism of his father, Edward VII, defined an era whose influence and magnetism is still felt today. The contrast between the two could hardly be greater.
But is that really all there was to King George, a monarch who faced a series of crises thought to be the most testing faced by any 20th-century British sovereign? As Tommy Lascelles, one of George's most senior advisors, put it: 'He was dull, beyond dispute - but my God, his reign never had a dull moment.'
Jane Ridley is one of the very finest royal biographers, celebrated for her immaculate research, highly entertaining style and piercing insights. How this supposedly limited man managed to steer the crown through so many perils and adapt a Victorian institution to the modern world is a great story in itself. But with it comes a riveting portrait of a royal marriage and family life that challenges myths and lets us see George, Mary and their children more fully and clearly than ever before.
George V was the queen's grandfather, and Jane Ridley takes right into the drawing rooms Elizabeth was born into. She brings us a royal family and world not long vanished and not so far from our own.
©2021 Jane Ridley (P)2021 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about George V
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
- Kindle Customer
- 23-02-22
Fabulous!
Narrator was brilliant. I loved the book immensely! Very thorough in the history and it's accuracy.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 11-08-22
Adds to understandingof the period
Puts George V's reign onto perspective It is as much of a history of Queen Mary, which adds to the Pope-Hennessey biography. Narration oddly syncopated at times almost as if the narrator is surprised at encountering a new character in the story. A bit off putting.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- CC
- 10-06-22
Brilliantly written and brilliantly read!
I so enjoyed this book. Jane brought King George and Queen Mary alive. I didn’t want it to end. Joanna narrated beautifully. I would, wholeheartedly, recommend this book.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mary Bockmaster
- 26-10-22
a great timelinein the life of George
what a great inspiration queen mary was supported the King. but shevenjoyed freedom after he died and was a great collector of royal items.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- mary jordan
- 16-07-22
excellent book,
I very much enjoyed it, a few things omitted but overall ,well written and narrated
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Hilary
- 08-08-22
Great content, strange performance
The detail and precision of the historical content of this book are excellent. Jane Ridley steers a clear path through the potentially confusing political crises, both national and international.
I have always rated Joanna David as an actress and her voicing of the different historical characters was excellent. The only downside was her bizarrely stilted reading, frequently pausing in the strangest point of a sentence. (e.g. Why pause between giving and up?) I hope this isn’t due to ill health and I wouldn’t want it to put anyone off listening to this excellent book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Maureen Best
- 10-11-23
A good insight
An enjoyable read and very interesting insight into his reign through difficult and challenging years
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Audiohead
- 09-11-21
A wonderful biography
I enjoyed listening to this biography of King George V. He is very often put down as grumpy and a bad father but this biography brings the more human family man side of him to light. Lots of very interesting and easily understood important historical events which help to understand his attitudes. I find Jane Ridley an excellent historian as a storyteller. The narrator Joanna David is first class.
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1 person 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
- Lee
- 21-02-22
Enjoyed this
Full of interesting information about a man usual described as dull. So much I didn’t know and this book certainly held my attention. He was so right about Edward the eighth. Worth my time and credit.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Alex Moorin
- 18-06-22
Enjoyable, very detailed
This is a long listen, some parts are very interesting, some I found not so, there's a lot of detail and it's very thorough. I like Joanna David's narration
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