There are 5 separate (and short) audiobooks in this torrent.  They consist of:  

1066 and Before All That: The Battle of Hastings, Anglo-Saxon and Norman England (A Very, Very Short History of England Book 1) by Ed West (Author)

A riveting account of the most consequential year in English history—with a touch of classic British humor.

1066 is the most famous date in history, and with good reason, since no battle in medieval history had such a devastating effect on its losers as the Battle of Hastings—which altered the entire course of English history.

The French-speaking Normans were the preeminent warriors of the eleventh century, and based their entire society around conflict. They were led by the formidable and ruthless William ‘the Bastard’—who was convinced that his half-Norman cousin, Edward the Confessor, had promised him the throne of England. However, when Edward died in January 1066, Harold Godwinson, the richest earl in the land and the son of a pirate, took the throne. What ensued was one of the bloodiest periods of English history, with a body count that might make even George RR Martin balk.

With a lively, witty style (and a chapter entitled “William’s Children All Kill Each Other”), this book explains how the disastrous battle changed England—and the English—forever, introducing the medieval world of chivalry, castles and horse-bound knights.
Read less



Saxons vs. Vikings: Alfred the Great and England in the Dark Ages (A Very, Very Short History of England Book 2) by Ed West (Author)

A witty and concise look at the beginnings of English history, when the nation consolidated after clashes between the Saxons and invading Vikings.

In 871, three of England's four kingdoms were overrun by Vikings, the ruthless, all-conquering Scandinavian raiders who terrorized early medieval Europe. With the Norsemen murdering one king with arrows and torturing another to death by ripping out his lungs, the prospects that faced the kingdom of Wessex were bleak. Worse still, the Saxons were now led by a young man barely out of his teens who was more interested in God than fighting. Yet within a decade Alfred—the only English king known as the Great—had driven the Vikings out of half of England, and his children and grandchildren would unite the country a few years later. This period, popular with fans of television shows such as Vikings and The Last Kingdom, saw the creation of England as a nation-state, with Alfred laying down the first national law code, establishing an education system and building cities.

Saxons vs. Vikings also covers the period before Alfred, including ancient Britain, the Roman occupation, and the Dark Ages, explaining important historical episodes such as Boudicca, King Arthur, and Beowulf.

Perfect for newcomers to the subject, this is the second title in the new A Very, Very Short History of England series. If you’re trying to understand England and its history in the most informative and entertaining way possible, this is the place to start.
Read less


1215 and All That: Magna Carta and King John (A Very, Very Short History of England Book 3) by Ed West (Author)

A concise, entertaining history of the world-changing medieval document known as the Magna Carta.

1215 is one of the most famous dates in English history, and with good reason, since it marks the signing of the Magna Carta by King John and the English barons, which altered the entire course of English and world history.

John Lackland was born to King Henry II and Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitane in December 1166, the youngest of five sons—but he unexpectedly became the favored heir after a failed rebellion by his older brothers in 1173. His short, tumultuous reign as king began in 1199, and after a brief peace with Phillip II of France, war broke out again in 1202 and King John lost most of his holdings on the continent.

This, coupled with unpopular fiscal policies and treatment of nobles back home, led to conflict upon his return from battle. Buffeted from all sides, King John was pushed in 1215 to sign along with his barons the Magna Carta, a precursor to constitutional governance. But both sides failed to uphold the agreement’s terms and conflict quickly resumed, leading to John’s untimely death a year later to dysentery. 1215 and All That tells the story of King John’s rule—and how his signing of the Magna Carta changed England—and the English—forever.
Read less


England in the Age of Chivalry . . . And Awful Diseases: The Hundred Years' War and Black Death (A Very, Very Short History of England Book 4) by Ed West (Author)

A revealing glimpse into the tumultuous history of England’s medieval period, full of knights in shining armor and terrible peasant suffering.
Covering the violent and disease-ridden period between 1272 to 1399, England in the Age of Chivalry. . . And Awful Diseases covers the events, personages and ideas most commonly known as "medieval". This includes Geoffrey Chaucer, the Peasants revolt, the Scottish wars of independence, the Great Famine of 1315, the Black Death and the 100 Years War. Central to this time is King Edward III, who started the 100 Years War and defined the concept of chivalry, including England's order of the garter. His legacy continues to shape our view of England’s history and is crucial in understanding the development of Europe.
Read less

My Kingdom for a Horse: The War of the Roses (A Very, Very Short History of England Book 5) by Ed West (Author)

A history of the York vs. Lancaster family feud, a very nasty tale of carnage, murder, and madness.

From William Shakespeare’s series of history dramas to George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, the British civil war of 1455 to 1485 has inspired countless writers. Illuminating the history that’s sparked so much fiction, Ed West’s My Kingdom for a Horse describes the bloody war fought for thirty long years between the descendants of King Edward III in a battle for the throne.

Named after the emblems used by the two leading families, the Houses of York and Lancaster, the “War of the Roses” conveys a romantic feeling that probably wasn’t as apparent to those on the battlefield having swords shoved into their eyes. And, for all the lovely heraldry and glamorous costumes of the era, the war saw the complete breakdown of the medieval code of chivalry in which prisoners were spared, which makes it even more suitable for drama. In 1460-61 alone, twelve noblemen were killed in the field and six were beheaded off it, removing a third of the English peerage.

With a blackly comic tone, My Kingdom for a Horse is an ideal introduction for anyone interested in one of history’s most insane wars. Featuring such infamous figures as King Henry VI, whose madness triggered the breakdown, and the wicked Richard III, who murdered his young nephews to take the throne, this entry in Ed West’s A Very, Very Short History of England series is a must for fans of British history.