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

A World Lit Only by Fire

The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance; Portrait of an Age

by William Manchester ...

Narrated by Barrett Whitener ...

Unabridged

11 hours 37 min

The preeminent popular history of civilization’s rebirth after the Dark AgesFrom 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. In handsomely crafted prose and with the grace and authority of his extraordinary gift for narrative history, William Manchester leads us from a civilization tottering on ... Read more

$19.99 USD

The preeminent popular history of civilization’s rebirth after the Dark AgesFrom 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. In handsomely crafted prose and with the grace and authority of his extraordinary gift for narrative history, William Manchester leads us from a civilization tottering on
... 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

Dark Renaissance

The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare's Greatest Rival

by Stephen Greenblatt ...

Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini ...

Unabridged

9 hours 47 min

Poor boy. Spy. Transgressor. Genius.In repressive Elizabethan England, artists are frightened into dull conventionality; foreigners are suspect; popular entertainment largely consists of coarse spectacles, animal fights, and hangings. Into this crude world of government censorship and religious authoritarianism comes an ambitious cobbler’s son from Canterbury with a daring desire to be known—and ... Read more

Was $24.99 USD Now $20.99 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

Poor boy. Spy. Transgressor. Genius.In repressive Elizabethan England, artists are frightened into dull conventionality; foreigners are suspect; popular entertainment largely consists of coarse spectacles, animal fights, and hangings. Into this crude world of government censorship and religious authoritarianism comes an ambitious cobbler’s son from Canterbury with a daring desire to be known—and
... 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

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

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

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

Leonardo da Vinci

An Untraceable Life

by Stephen J. Campbell ...

Narrated by Susan Ericksen ...

Unabridged

13 hours 55 min

Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) never signed a painting, and none of his supposed self-portraits can be securely ascribed to his hand. He revealed next to nothing about his life in his extensive writings, yet countless pages have been written about him that assign him an identity: genius, entrepreneur, celebrity artist, outsider. Addressing the ethical stakes involved in studying past lives, Stephen ... Read more

$25.99 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) never signed a painting, and none of his supposed self-portraits can be securely ascribed to his hand. He revealed next to nothing about his life in his extensive writings, yet countless pages have been written about him that assign him an identity: genius, entrepreneur, celebrity artist, outsider. Addressing the ethical stakes involved in studying past lives, Stephen
... Read more
Audiobook

History of Europe in the Middle Ages: A Sweeping Yet Simple Guide to Castles, Crusades, Plague, and the Birth of Modern Europe

by Gareth Holmwood ...

Narrated by Gareth Holmwood ...

Unabridged

1 hour 57 min

Explore the dramatic fall of the Roman Empire and the violent birth of medieval Europe in this epic narrative history. Perfect for an engaging daily commute, this vivid journey bypasses dry academic dates to focus on the real human lives that forged a new world. Watch as imperial ruins transform into the foundations of western civilization.Whether you are unwinding at night or seeking a ... Read more

$9.99 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

Explore the dramatic fall of the Roman Empire and the violent birth of medieval Europe in this epic narrative history. Perfect for an engaging daily commute, this vivid journey bypasses dry academic dates to focus on the real human lives that forged a new world. Watch as imperial ruins transform into the foundations of western civilization.Whether you are unwinding at night or seeking a
... Read more
Audiobook

The American Civil War: History in an Hour

by Kat Smutz ...

Narrated by Jonathan Keeble ...

Unabridged

1 hour 21 min

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour.The American Civil War started when eleven southern ‘slave’ states declared their independence from the United States of America. Abraham Lincoln’s Republican government were strongly against slavery and fought to abolish it and keep the country united.The American Civil War: History in an Hour gives a concise and authoritative overview of ... Read more

$14.99 USD

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour.The American Civil War started when eleven southern ‘slave’ states declared their independence from the United States of America. Abraham Lincoln’s Republican government were strongly against slavery and fought to abolish it and keep the country united.The American Civil War: History in an Hour gives a concise and authoritative overview of
... Read more
Audiobook

The Count Of Virtue

Giangaleazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan

by E.R. Chamberlin ...

Narrated by Nigel Patterson ...

Unabridged

9 hours 15 min

Fourteenth century Italy was chaotic: mercenaries swarmed across the land as competing city states attempted to vie with each other for power, while pestilence and famine decimated populations.Into this cauldron was born Giangalezzo Visconti, a man who perfectly exemplified all the contradictions of his age. Viscous, covetous, and with loose morals, he has been portrayed as one of the most ... Read more

$19.99 USD

Fourteenth century Italy was chaotic: mercenaries swarmed across the land as competing city states attempted to vie with each other for power, while pestilence and famine decimated populations.Into this cauldron was born Giangalezzo Visconti, a man who perfectly exemplified all the contradictions of his age. Viscous, covetous, and with loose morals, he has been portrayed as one of the most
... Read more
Audiobook

Verdens værste slyngler

by Alt om Historie ...

Narrated by Niels Vedersø ...

Series Audiobook 19 - Historiens vendepunkter
Unabridged

3 hours 37 min

Det kan være let at komme på kant med loven, hvis man er desperat, sulten og truet på livet. Men nogle vælger bevidst livet som lovløs. Det kræver for det første uimodståelig charme, som hos fupmageren Robert V. Miller alias grev Victor Lustig. Dernæst stor frækhed, som hos den tidligere faldskærmssoldat Albert Spaggiari, der røvede 50 millioner franc fra Frankrigs sikreste bank. Og endelig ... Read more

$9.99 USD

Det kan være let at komme på kant med loven, hvis man er desperat, sulten og truet på livet. Men nogle vælger bevidst livet som lovløs. Det kræver for det første uimodståelig charme, som hos fupmageren Robert V. Miller alias grev Victor Lustig. Dernæst stor frækhed, som hos den tidligere faldskærmssoldat Albert Spaggiari, der røvede 50 millioner franc fra Frankrigs sikreste bank. Og endelig
... Read more
Audiobook

The Shadow Drawing

How Science Taught Leonardo How to Paint

by Francesca Fiorani ...

Narrated by Xe Sands ...

Unabridged

9 hours 20 min

Leonardo da Vinci has long been celebrated for his consummate genius. He was the painter who gave us the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, and the inventor who anticipated the advent of airplanes, hot air balloons, and other technological marvels. But what was the connection between Leonardo the painter and Leonardo the scientist? Historians of Renaissance art have long supposed that Leonardo became ... Read more

$24.99 USD

Leonardo da Vinci has long been celebrated for his consummate genius. He was the painter who gave us the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, and the inventor who anticipated the advent of airplanes, hot air balloons, and other technological marvels. But what was the connection between Leonardo the painter and Leonardo the scientist? Historians of Renaissance art have long supposed that Leonardo became
... Read more
Audiobook

Sister to Sister

the perfect page-turning holiday read

by Olivia Hayfield ...

Narrated by Jess Nesling ...

Unabridged

13 hours 4 min

'Rich people behaving badly' BooklistThe battle lines are drawn . . .Following the scandalous revelations about his love life, disgraced media mogul Harry Rose is searching for redemption. His daughters - bright, winsome Eliza and dark, difficult Maria - have taken over his beloved company and are making some major changes.Guided by Harry, Eliza navigates life as Rose Corp's new queen. But Maria ... Read more

$24.99 USD

'Rich people behaving badly' BooklistThe battle lines are drawn . . .Following the scandalous revelations about his love life, disgraced media mogul Harry Rose is searching for redemption. His daughters - bright, winsome Eliza and dark, difficult Maria - have taken over his beloved company and are making some major changes.Guided by Harry, Eliza navigates life as Rose Corp's new queen. But Maria
... Read more
Audiobook

Abraham Lincoln: History in an Hour

by Kat Smutz ...

Narrated by Jonathan Keeble ...

Unabridged

1 hour 33 min

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour.Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States, is an American icon. To many, he is a symbol of values, sacrifice and determination. Modern notions of nationalism, liberty, and constitution all owe their debt to Lincoln, as does the unity of the American states. And yet, in his own day, Lincoln was also reviled by many as a ... Read more

$14.99 USD

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour.Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States, is an American icon. To many, he is a symbol of values, sacrifice and determination. Modern notions of nationalism, liberty, and constitution all owe their debt to Lincoln, as does the unity of the American states. And yet, in his own day, Lincoln was also reviled by many as a
... Read more
Audiobook

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 ...

Unabridged

16 hours 1 min

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 remarkable women, a mother and daughter driven into opposition by a terrible betrayal that threatened to ... Read more

$38.99 USD

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 remarkable women, a mother and daughter driven into opposition by a terrible betrayal that threatened to
... Read more
Audiobook

Machiavelli

The Art of Teaching People What to Fear

by Patrick Boucheron ...

Narrated by Mack Sanderson ...

Unabridged

2 hours 22 min

In a series of poignant vignettes, a preeminent historian makes a compelling case for Machiavelli as an unjustly maligned figure with valuable political insights that resonate as strongly today as they did in his time.Whenever a tempestuous period in history begins, Machiavelli is summoned, because he is known as one for philosophizing in dark times. In fact, since his death in 1527, we have never ... Read more

$14.95 USD or Free with Kobo Plus

In a series of poignant vignettes, a preeminent historian makes a compelling case for Machiavelli as an unjustly maligned figure with valuable political insights that resonate as strongly today as they did in his time.Whenever a tempestuous period in history begins, Machiavelli is summoned, because he is known as one for philosophizing in dark times. In fact, since his death in 1527, we have never
... Read more

eReaders

Apps

Accessories

Shopping Cart

You're getting the VIP treatment!

Your Shopping Cart is empty

Available:

1 audiobook monthly

+ FREE 30-day trial

Available:

1 audiobook monthly

+ FREE 30-day trial

Recommended For You

Renaissance Audiobooks

Show: