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Now Is the Time
- Narrated by: David Timson
- Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins
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Now Is the Time
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Summary
At the end of May 1381, the 14-year-old King of England had reason to be fearful: the plague had returned, the royal coffers were empty and a draconian poll tax was being widely evaded. Yet Richard, bolstered by his powerful, admired mother, felt secure in his God-given right to reign.
Within two weeks the unthinkable happened: a vast force of common people invaded London, led by a former soldier, Walter Tyler, and the radical preacher John Ball, demanding freedom, equality, and the complete uprooting of the Church and state. They believed they were rescuing the King from his corrupt ministers and that England had to be saved. And for three intense, violent days, it looked as if they would sweep all before them.
In this gripping novel, Melvyn Bragg brings an extraordinary episode in English history to fresh, urgent life on both a grand and intimate scale, vividly portraying its central figures.
It is an archetypal tale of an epic struggle between the powerful and the apparently powerless.
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What listeners say about Now Is the Time
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
- 21-10-17
A Novel
A historical novel on a part of history I knew nothing of. Pleased I read/listened. Narrator was appropriate and one of the best in the business. Read/listened before a talk by the author, who disappointed by largely recounting the novel without development. The novel was much better than the talk.
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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
- Jeff
- 10-07-24
The characters
Bragg filled in much of the real detail of the events for me, with the addition of the thoughts and lives of some of the key characters, actual and fictional. I thought he went a bit heavy on the disembowelling though.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Kirstine
- 07-12-15
History enlivened by a novelists imagination
I had only a hazy knowledge about the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 led by Wat Tyler, but knew that it was triggered by a Poll Tax levied on all to pay for Richard II’s foray into European Wars. Melvyn Bragg has enlivened the historical record with his imaginative conjuring up of the day-to-day interactions of the main players in the dramatic events of the period. It is surprising how near the rebels were to over-throwing the government and it appears that only their supine devotion to Richard II reversed the tide of insurrection. Sadly, Richard II was not worthy of their respect.
The story contains long passages of political and religious discourse that could be tedious but the author’s strong character development, lively style of writing, and the excellent narration make it a worthwhile listen.
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4 people found this helpful