Set in the period from 1500 to 1535, Wolf Hall is a sympathetic fictionalised biography documenting the rapid rise to power of Thomas Cromwell in the court of Henry VIII through to the death of Sir Thomas More. Nevertheless this trilogy was an extraordinary listen - I loved every second.Wolf Hall is a 2009 historical novel by English author Hilary Mantel, published by Fourth Estate, named after the Seymour family's seat of Wolfhall, or Wulfhall, in Wiltshire. (I’m subsequently listening to all I can narrated by JRT to extend this pleasure as far as I can). He made Bring up the Bodies hugely entertaining & it did take some time to get used to Joseph Kloska’s less sure (in comparison), slightly affected vocal characteristics in the final book. His naturalness, clarity, extraordinary range of character communicated through flawless accents & expression were an absolute treat. The narrators are outstanding - particularly Julian Rhind Tutt. Having lived through Cromwells eyes for so long I felt his loss keenly. The politicking & manipulation unfolds at a fair pace, particularly toward the end. Despite some confusion of who, where, what in Wolf Hall by The Mirror & the Light the tapestry of Thomas Cromwell’s mastery of & downfall in Henry’s court is rich, detailed,intriguing & moving. There’s very little to add to the literary reviews of this extraordinary trilogy. Shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award 2009.

Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2013. Winner of the Costa Book of the Year 2012. Read by Dan Stevens, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Joseph Kloska, and Anna Bentinck.

This collection includes expertly adapted versions of Wolf Hall, Bring up the Bodies and The Mirror and the Light alongside The World of Wolf Hall, a listening guide which explores the key themes and historical context of the novels, and offers listening group questions to discuss. But the bloody theatre of Cromwell's ascension will leave no one unscathed. It is the backdrop to the rise and rise of Thomas Cromwell: lowborn boy, charmer, bully, master of deadly intrigue, and, finally, most powerful of Henry VIII's courtiers. In Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall trilogy, one of our very best writers brings the opulent world of the Tudors to bloody, glittering life. All three entries in Hilary Mantel's award-winning Wolf Hall Trilogy, brought together for the first time in audio.

Wolf hall and bring up the bodies