Empress Wu Zetian
The Legendary Women of World History, Book 5
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Narrated by:
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Richard Mann
About this listen
The most hated woman in Chinese history!
Travel back in time over 1,000 years and meet the first and only female emperor of China. Born Wu Zhao and given the reign title "Zetian" just weeks before her death in 705 CE, Empress Wu was the unwanted daughter of Chancellor Wu Shihuo—too bright, too educated, and too politically focused to make a good wife according to contemporary interpretations of the "Analects of Confucius."
Married off at age 14 as a low-ranking concubine to Emperor Taizong, Wu’s intelligence, beauty, and charm won her a place as his secretary and protégé, political experience that would empower her to transform the lives of countless billions.
Explore the life of Empress Wu and discover why the world is a vastly different place because she dared what no woman in China before or since ever dreamed of.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
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An epic re-creation of the exhilarating and mysterious time when the Sun King ruled Egypt, Ramses, the Son of Light, has become the rage in France. With over two million copies sold, it is the greatest publishing phenomenon to hit the shelves there in 20 years. Rameses is only 14 when his father, the Pharaoh Seti, begins testing his true mettle. Being the younger of two sons, the proud Ramses has a problem with being relegated to second place.
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Teenager drama with little insight into Egyptian culture
- By Consuelo on 10-24-17
By: Christian Jacq
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Antoinette's Sister
- By: Diana Giovinazzo
- Narrated by: Marisa Calin
- Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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As Marie Antoinette took her last breath as queen of France in Paris, another formidable monarch - Antoinette’s dearly beloved sister, Charlotte - was hundreds of miles away, in Naples, fighting desperately to secure her release from the revolutionaries who would take her life. Little did Charlotte know, however, that her sister’s execution would change the course of history - and bring about the end of her own empire.
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Started off good, but I lost interest as time went
- By Tess of the D'urbervilles on 02-02-22
By: Diana Giovinazzo
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The Banished Immortal
- A Life of Li Bai (Li Po)
- By: Ha Jin
- Narrated by: David Shih
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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In his own time (701-762), Li Bai's poems - shaped by Daoist thought and characterized by their passion, romance, and lust for life - were never given their proper due by the official literary gatekeepers. Nonetheless, his lines rang out on the lips of court entertainers, tavern singers, soldiers, and writers throughout the Tang dynasty. The Banished Immortal is an extraordinary portrait of a poet who both transcended his time and was shaped by it and whose ability to live, love, and mourn without reservation produced some of the most enduring verses.
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Bold and unstoppable, like an overflowing river
- By Joselo on 02-09-19
By: Ha Jin
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Anne Boleyn
- The Final 24 hours
- By: Marcella Mayfair
- Narrated by: Linda Armstrong
- Length: 3 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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This is the story of the dramatic final 24 hours of the life of Anne Boleyn. The story is told in a compelling minute by minute countdown which ends with her final walk to the scaffold, and her beheading by the hangman of Calais' sword. The book describes the actions and thoughts of some the leading players during those final 24 hours including Thomas Cranmer, Chapuys, Jane Seymour, Lady Mary, Sir William Kingston, Thomas Wyatt and, of course, the three principle players.
By: Marcella Mayfair
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A Dangerous Inheritance
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Maggie Mash
- Length: 25 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Historian and New York Times best-selling author Alison Weir is acclaimed for her absorbing works about the infamous House of York and House of Tudor lines. In A Dangerous Inheritance, Weir uses her wealth of knowledge to craft a compelling novel about two women, living 70 years apart, who are linked through the mysterious disappearance of King Richard III's nephews, Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury - also known as the Princes in the Tower.
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Not Weir's Best
- By Joshua on 01-08-13
By: Alison Weir
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The Virgin's Daughter
- Tudor Legacy, Book 1
- By: Laura Andersen
- Narrated by: Rosalind Ashford
- Length: 12 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir, The Virgin's Daughter is the first book in a captivating new saga about the next generation of Tudor royals, which poses the thrilling question: What if Elizabeth I, the celebrated Virgin Queen, gave birth to a legitimate heir?
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Intriguing premise, good story, great storytelling
- By RC on 06-10-15
By: Laura Andersen
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Nefer the Silent
- Stone of Light, Volume 1
- By: Christian Jacq
- Narrated by: Ezra Knight
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
- Abridged
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Deep in the heart of the Upper Egyptian desert lies a forbidden village, where bands of artisans prepare the tombs of the Pharaohs. Guarded by a handful of elite soldiers, the hidden city shelters the most precious of treasures: the Stone of Light, a legendary stone of magical power. When a devious military officer schemes to infiltrate the city and capture the sacred gem, his subversive plot is thwarted by an unlikely hero: a desert wanderer who falls into a maze of treachery and betrayal, desire and danger.
By: Christian Jacq
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The Expected One
- By: Kathleen McGowan
- Narrated by: Linda Stephens
- Length: 17 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Two thousand years ago, Mary Magdalene hid a set of scrolls in the French Pyrenees: the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, her version of the life of Jesus and the events of the New Testament. Protected by supernatural forces, these sacred scrolls could be uncovered only by a special seeker, one who fulfills the ancient prophecy of L'Attendu, the Expected One.
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the Expected One (unabridged)
- By Sheila on 02-19-09
By: Kathleen McGowan
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The Family
- By: Mario Puzo, completed by Carol Gino
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 14 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Mario Puzo first answered the question 'What is a family?' with the creation of the Corleones in his landmark best seller The Godfather. Now, 30 years later, Puzo enriches us all with his ultimate vision of the subject: the story of the greatest crime family in Italian history, the Borgias.
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Outstanding look at the Papacy
- By Gary on 11-12-08
By: Mario Puzo, and others
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Peter the Great
- His Life and World
- By: Robert K. Massie
- Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
- Length: 43 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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This superbly told story brings to life one of the most remarkable rulers––and men––in all of history and conveys the drama of his life and world. The Russia of Peter's birth was very different from the Russia his energy, genius, and ruthlessness shaped. Crowned co-Tsar as a child of ten, after witnessing bloody uprisings in the streets of Moscow, he would grow up propelled by an unquenchable curiosity, everywhere looking, asking, tinkering, and learning, fired by Western ideas.
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Narrater ruins everything
- By BrendaLouQuilts on 12-30-11
By: Robert K. Massie
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The Throne of Caesar
- By: Steven Saylor
- Narrated by: John Curless
- Length: 14 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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It's Rome, 44 BC, and the Ides of March are approaching. Julius Caesar has been appointed dictator for life by the Roman Senate. Having pardoned his remaining enemies and rewarded his friends, Caesar is now preparing to leave Rome with his army to fight the Parthian Empire. Gordianus the Finder, after decades of investigating crimes and murders involving the powerful, has set aside enough that he's been raised to the Equestrian rank and has firmly and finally retired. On the morning of March 10th, though, he's first summoned to meet with Cicero and then with Caesar himself.
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Oh, How Disappointing!
- By Gillian on 03-01-18
By: Steven Saylor
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The Iron King
- The Accursed Kings, Book 1
- By: Maurice Druon
- Narrated by: Peter Joyce
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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From the publishers that brought you A Game of Thrones comes the series that inspired George R.R. Martin’s epic work. France became a great nation under Philip the Fair - but it was a greatness achieved at the expense of her people, for his was a reign characterised by violence, the scandalous adulteries of his daughters-in-law, and the triumph of royal authority.
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Historical Goodie
- By Syd Young on 08-03-13
By: Maurice Druon
What listeners say about Empress Wu Zetian
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- J. Lee
- 10-27-18
Simply amazing
It's hard to put into words how great this book is. The author has a gift, she can bring historical people to life in such a way that makes you feel apart of their story. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys audio books. Laurel A. Rockefeller is now one of my go to authors! Richard Mann did an amazing job narrating the book. My children listened to this book with me and they really enjoyed it as well, they were quite sad when the story was over. Just take my advice and get this book!
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- Mercy Griffin
- 10-25-18
Empress Wu Zetian
Loved this great story. The author, once again, was able to bring a historical character come to life by talking about accomplishments that changed women's role in history.
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- Kristina R
- 10-10-20
Empress
I love this story, I only wish it was longer and had more details. I’m struggling to find more books on this empress.
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- Craig
- 11-07-18
An Empress I had never heard of
I admit that I had never heard of Empress Wu Zetian before listening to this book. I have listened to two other of Laurel A Rockefella’s Legendary Women books and this one did not disappoint.
Although only just over an hour long this book iOS just the right length for a quick listen and to really get a feel for the lady in question. How the Empress made her mark in history and affected the people around her.
A well written book with suburb narration by Richard Mann. This is another great and informative book of women in history that will make you thirsty for more like it.
I was given this audiobook at no cost in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.
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- reader and teacher
- 08-12-21
3.45
Summary:
Wu Zhao is the woman who went from low-level concubine to trusted confident of Emperor Taizong. Got that from the back cover copy. This is a very short history. It was not clear in the story that she was 14 at the time she was married off to the emperor. I think the back cover copy stretches the truth a bit from the presentation in the book. It didn’t seem like she climbed the ladder, the emperor was like “yo, you want to be my trusted confidante and secretary? These other shmucks only want power” and she was like “yup.”
Additional Comments:
• She’s presented in very favorable light here. The account kind of glosses over a few things like her ordering the death of pretty much anybody who didn’t agree with her utopian, very progressive ideals. And stealing power whenever she needed to because she could run the country better than anybody else.
• Lady’s got grit, gotta give her that.
• She also behaved exactly like those she fought against, having male concubines of a sort. Excuse: everybody else is doing it. Awesome, there’s who we should hold up as the moral paragon.
• The reforms she wanted were great. It probably moved the country many leaps and bounds forward, but the greater good theory of excusing bad behavior just doesn’t fly.
• I haven’t read many of these, but this was the better of the two.
• The author’s views definitely flavor the telling.
• The main message is twofold: positions should be given out based on merit not wealth and prestige already inherent to certain families and anything men can do, women can do.
• I think the point the author is semi-burying under a rug of heaping praises is that power corrupts. Even in the name of doing good, power corrupts.
Conclusion:
If you can get around the very heavy-handed slant of setting this woman up for sainthood, it’s a decent story of a strong lady.
*I received a free copy of the audiobook. I have freely chosen to review it. All thoughts are my own.
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- Deedra
- 12-24-18
Empress Wu Zetian
Fascinating story of a woman way before her time.Richard Mann was a fine narrator.I was given this book by the narrator,author or publisher free for an honest review.
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- Hepcat89
- 05-10-20
Pleasure to listen
Once again another strong woman that helped shape history when it wasn’t safe to do so.
It is amazing to learn of amazing women throughout history that led the way for modern women.
The Empress was smart, beautiful, and determined to help her people.
Richard Mann’s narration is spot on once again!
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- Mystic Madness
- 04-02-20
A great intro an empress we should know about
this was a short and fun story and serves a great introduction about an empresses I knew nothing about ! I gave it four stars cause am always very stingy when it comes to the fifth star . plus the performance was sometimes confusing as to which character was talking and I would would have liked a little more information about the events that took place . still its highly recommended and I look forward to following other stories in the series.
note: I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
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- TK
- 11-06-18
Really great story!
This story is about one of the more controversial women in history. She was educated, ambitious, smart and was the opposite of what others thought a woman should be during that time period in China. She had strong beliefs that women were equal to men and made many contributions toward women society, including employing women in non-traditional roles.
She was a confident ruler and made many marks in history. This was a great listen and very quick. The author did a nice job sharing the story of this amazing woman.
I received this audiobook for free via audiobook boom and am leaving my honest opinion of the work.
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- Sara Sue
- 11-07-18
Empress Wu Zetian
I recommend this quick read. If you like 👍to learn about important people in history Empress Wu is very good😎
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