To Catch a King: Charles II's Great Escape
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To Catch a King: Charles II's Great Escape
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Narrated by:
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Richard Trinder
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By:
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Charles Spencer
About this listen
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 10,000 taken prisoner, it seemed as if his dreams of power had been dashed. Surely it was a foregone conclusion that he would now be caught and follow his father to the block? At six foot two inches tall, the prince towered over his contemporaries and with dark skin inherited from his French-Italian mother, he stood out in a crowd. How would he fare on the run with Cromwell’s soldiers on his tail and a vast price on his head?
The next six weeks would form the most memorable and dramatic of Charles’ life. Pursued relentlessly, Charles ran using disguise, deception and relying on grit, fortitude and good luck. He suffered grievously through weeks when his cause seemed hopeless. He hid in an oak tree – an event so fabled that over 400 English pubs are named Royal Oak in commemoration. Less well-known events include his witnessing a village in wild celebrations at the erroneous news of his killing; the ordeal of a medical student wrongly imprisoned because of his similarity in looks; he disguised himself as a servant and as one half of an eloping couple. Once restored to the throne as Charles II, he told the tale of his escapades to Samuel Pepys, who transcribed it all.
In this gripping, action-packed, true adventure story, based on extensive archive material, Charles Spencer, bestselling author of Killers of the King, uses Pepys’s account and many others to retell this epic adventure.
©2017 Charles Spencer (P)2017 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...
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What listeners say about To Catch a King: Charles II's Great Escape
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Zazafraz
- 28-10-23
A real life sprint for life.
The story of the most famous royal escape in Englands history. The story how the most loved - and hunted - man in England escapes to exile in France. His attempt of revenging his father, and his fall from grace, only trusting in the people and the men closest to him. An incredibly thorough and detailed story of the man who escaped to return later as king - and the people who made it possible, in all the forms of the kingdom. From his closest advisors, to the simplest of people. His indignation and the many facets that makes the story even more incredible.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Tim S WILLIAMS
- 20-01-20
An adventure story almost too strange to believe!
This is an adventure that would make an incredulous fiction but is all true.
Well written and read this book is fascinating and exciting in equal measure!
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- Monijt
- 06-07-23
Gripping
Absolutely gripping storytelling of an incredible escape. What an adventure! Want to listen to it all over again!
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- Mark
- 14-06-18
What a story.
Lovely. Unbiased. The organization of the narrative is great and easily followed. Great delivery, too. I love it when the narrator can do accents.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Tommy
- 21-02-18
A worthy companion to 'Killers of the King".
A worthy companion to 'Killers of the King". Once again, Charles Spencer shines as a master storyteller.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Darren Drake
- 06-04-22
Excellent Read
I've thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. Lots of interesting information and great story telling. The narrator did a great job to and the attempts of different accents adds reality and humour to the book. If you enjoy history and particularly this period you will enjoy this book.
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- Sa
- 30-06-23
Excellent listen
This is a great telling of an exciting story that is well read, easy to follow and well put together account of what happened and theres a laugh of two along the way. W
orth it.
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- diana
- 13-12-19
Good detail on a sometimes forgotten part of history.
This is a well-researched book that describes the amazing escape of the future Charles II after the total defeat of the royalists at the Battle of Worcester.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 17-04-21
Excellent read.
Excellent story. Well told and well narrated..Gripping storyline and some new observations on the life of Charles II
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- H.A.B.
- 19-01-24
Fascinating…
Well researched and put together - a fascinating read of a remarkable king of England
Most enjoyable
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