Audiobooks by Kate Williams

How to Stop Trying: An Overachiever’s Guide to Self-Acceptance, Letting Go, and Other Impossible Thi

An unflinchingly honest and sometimes hilarious look at hustle culture, exploring the forces that have shaped a generation of overachieving women who now find themselves in search of a better way forward. Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m trying to make it work,” and thought, “That sounds like a great idea”? Probably not. Because the thing about trying is that it’s tiring; it’s labor. Anyone who has tried to have fun or to relax or to fall asleep knows this to be true. And yet: we exist within a culture that encourages us—often with a frantic urgency—to try, and try harder. We are told to try a different approach, try to do or be better, try to squeeze in a little bit more. This is especially true of women, who not only have to try harder than men to receive access to the same opportunities and resources, but who are also conditioned to try in the name of meeting others' needs and expectations, often at the expense of their own well-being. In this galvanizing and illuminating read, Kate tackles hustle culture head-on, exploring the ways in which women are primed to become relentless strivers. From the workplace to motherhood, from relationships to “self-care”—no arena of a woman’s life is safe from the pressure to exceed expectations. This conflation of self-worth with achievement, she argues, is both toxic and counterproductive, as the qualities we most seek—happiness, meaning, purpose—are not earned but rather owned. Known for her astute cultural analysis and pitch-perfect observations of generational trends, Williams takes readers on a journey rooted in her own struggle to divest from an overachieving identity, including the realizations that came in the wake of a painful fertility challenge. Deeply felt, passionately argued, and often laugh-out-loud funny, this is a book for every woman who has ever wondered what would happen if she stopped trying so hard—and just let go.

Kate Williams (Author), TBD (Narrator)

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[German] - Never Coming Home (Ungekürzte Lesung)

Spannender Jugendthriller um 10 Influencer:innen auf einer einsamen Insel, die zur tödlichen Falle wird. Für Fans von The I-Land und One of Us Is Lying Jeder kennt Unknown Island - es ist das exklusivste Reiseziel der Welt. Weiße Sandstrände, türkisfarbenes Meer, Luxusunterkünfte ... Nur geladene Gäste dürfen kommen und niemand über einundzwanzig. Plus: Es ist absolut kostenlos. Wer würde also nicht hinwollen? Über eine virale Kampagne werden die Türen des Resorts zum ersten Mal und exklusiv für zehn ausgewählte Influencer geöffnet. Jeder kennt sie: Da ist die Gamerin, die Beauty-Bloggerin, das Rich Girl, der Superstar, der Nachwuchspolitiker, die Umweltaktivistin, der DJ, die CEO, der Sternekoch und der Sportler. Was sie nicht wissen: Sie wurden nicht wegen ihrer Followerzahlen auf die Insel eingeladen. Jede:r von ihnen hütet ein tödliches Geheimnis, und es scheint, als hätte jemand entschieden, dass die Zeit der Rache gekommen ist. Unknown Island ist kein Urlaub, es ist eine Falle. Und es sieht alles danach aus, als würden diese Zehn trotz all ihres Einflusses nie wieder nach Hause zurückkehren ...

Kate Williams (Author), Julian Horeyseck (Narrator)

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The Examined Mind: A BBC radio collection exploring the history, philosophy and science of self-help

This collection brings together history, science, philosophy and comedy to explore our age-old search for meaning. We live in an age of self-improvement and self-examination - lifehacking, wellbeing, self-care, mindfulness retreats - but this seemingly very modern phenomenon is a pursuit that dates back for millennia. Join comedian Robin Ince to explore how the ancient Greeks aimed to get happier, healthier and richer. Will Self asks some of Britain's key scientists, philosophers and faith leaders to share their conclusions on the meaning of our existence. Historian Kate Williams investigates the Grandfather of Self-Help, Samuel Smiles' 1859 book Self Help, and its lasting influence. In 'Hell is Other People', performer Byron Vincent attempts to overcome his paralysing fear of social situations. Emma Barnett traces the multi-billion dollar mindfulness industry to its Buddhist roots to discover whether it's just another health fad. Comedian Felicity Ward tries to solve her mental health issues, one app at a time. Sian Williams presents a practical guide to boosting brain power through exercise, relaxation, stimulation, sleep and diet. From the ancient Greeks to the present day and even into the future, The Examined Mind provides an unique insight into our constant quest to be better people.

Byron Vincent, Emma Barnett, Felicity Ward, Kate Williams, Robin Ince, Will Self (Author), Bryon Vincent, Emma Barnett, Felicity Ward, Kate Williams, Robin Ince, Sian Williams, Will Self (Narrator)

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Rival Queens: The Betrayal of Mary, Queen of Scots

Random House presents the audiobook edition of Rival Queens by Kate Williams, read by Emma Cunniffe. Elizabeth and Mary: cousins, rivals, queens. They loved each other, they hated each other - they could never escape one another. Kate Williams's thrilling new history tells the story of Elizabeth I of England and her betrayal of Mary, Queen of Scots. At the end of the Tudor era, here were two women on two thrones. But this was a man's world and many believed that no woman should govern. All around Elizabeth and Mary were sycophants, spies and detractors who wanted their power, their favour and their bodies. And so they became one another's closest confidants in the struggle to be both women and queens. Alliances were few, but for many years theirs survived - until the forces rising against them, and the struggles of love and dynasty, drove them apart. It was a schism that would end in secret assassination plots, devastating betrayal and, eventually, the signing of Mary's death warrant in Elizabeth's hand. Kate Williams' Rivals Queens offers an electrifying new perspective on Elizabeth and Mary, and the most important relationship of their lives - that which they had with one another.

Kate Williams (Author), Emma Cunniffe (Narrator)

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Becoming Queen Victoria: The Unexpected Rise of Britain's Greatest Monarch

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The perfect companion to the upcoming PBS Masterpiece series Victoria • A gripping account of Queen Victoria’s rise and early years in power from CNN’s official royal historian “Kate Williams has perfected the art of historical biography. Her pacy writing is underpinned by the most impeccable scholarship.”—Alison Weir In 1819, a girl was born to the fourth son of King George III. No one could have expected such an unassuming, overprotected girl to be an effective ruler—yet Queen Victoria would become one of the most powerful monarchs in history. Writing with novelistic flair and historical precision, Kate Williams reveals a vibrant woman in the prime of her life, while chronicling the byzantine machinations that continued even after the crown was placed on her head. Upon hearing that she had inherited the throne, eighteen-year-old Victoria banished her overambitious mother from the room, a simple yet resolute move that would set the tone for her reign. The queen clashed constantly not only with her mother and her mother’s adviser, the Irish adventurer John Conroy, but with her ministers and even her beloved Prince Albert—all of whom attempted to seize control from her. Williams lays bare the passions that swirled around the throne—the court secrets, the sexual repression, and the endless intrigue. The result is a grand tale of a woman whose destiny began long before she was born and whose legacy lives on. Praise for Becoming Queen Victoria “An informative, entertaining, gossipy tale.”—Publishers Weekly “A great read . . . With lively writing, Ms. Williams [makes] the story fresh and appealing.”—The Washington Times “Sparkling, engaging.”—Open Letters Monthly

Kate Williams (Author), Katharine McEwan (Narrator)

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Young Elizabeth: The Making of the Queen

We can hardly imagine a Britain without Elizabeth II on the throne. It seems to be the job she was born for. And yet for much of her early life the young princess did not know the role that her future would hold. She was our accidental queen. Elizabeth's determination to share in the struggles of her people marked her out from a young age. Her father initially refused to let her volunteer as a nurse during the Blitz but relented when she was eighteen, allowing her to work as a mechanic and truck driver for the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service. It was her forward-thinking approach that ensured that her coronation was televised, against the advice of politicians at the time. In Young Elizabeth, Kate Williams reveals how the twenty-five-year-old young queen carved out a lasting role for herself amid the changes of the twentieth century. Her monarchy would be a very different one from that of her parents and grandparents, and its continuing popularity in the twenty-first century owes much to the intelligence and elusive personality of this remarkable woman.

Kate Williams (Author), Kate Williams (Narrator)

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The Storms of War

For fans of Atonement, Birdsong, and Downton Abbey, the first of three novels about a privileged British family enduring the trials of World War I, from New York Times bestselling author Kate Williams In the idyllic early summer of 1914, life is good for the de Witt family. Rudolf and Verena are planning the wedding of their daughter Emmeline, while their eldest son, Arthur, is studying in Paris, and Michael is just back from his first term at Cambridge. Celia, the youngest of the de Witt children, is on the brink of adulthood and secretly dreams of escaping her carefully mapped-out future and exploring the world. But the onslaught of war changes everything, and soon the de Witts find themselves sidelined and in danger of losing everything they hold dear. As Celia struggles to make sense of the changing world around her, she lies about her age to join the war effort and finds herself embroiled in a complex plot that puts not only herself but those she loves in danger. With gripping detail and brilliant empathy, Kate Williams tells the story of Celia and her family as they are shunned by a society that previously embraced them, torn apart by sorrow, and buffeted and changed by the storms of war. “A beautifully conjured family saga. Fans of Downton Abbey will love it.”—Alison Weir, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Kate Williams (Author), Fiona Hardingham (Narrator)

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Ambition and Desire: The Dangerous Life of Josephine Bonaparte

Josephine de Beauharnais began as a kept woman of Paris and became the most powerful woman in France. She was no beauty, her teeth were rotten, and she was six years older than her husband, but one twitch of her skirt could bring running the man who terrorized Europe. The tale of Napoleon and Josephine is one of the most famous love stories in the world. With Josephine, Napoleon became the greatest man in Europe, the Supreme Emperor. And yet, envisioning Josephine as the calm consort on the sofa obscures many of the most fascinating aspects of her story. How did she rise to such an astonishing position? How did she perfect the art of the beautiful, sweet chameleon—and thus fool so many? France in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century was a country in such extreme flux that everything was accessible—and possible—but it took an incredible woman to seize the opportunities. Ambition and Desire shows how the little girl from Martinique became the Queen of France.

Kate Williams (Author), Corrie James (Narrator)

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Josephine: Desire, Ambition, Napoleon

This is the incredible rise and unbelievable fall of a woman whose energy and ambition is often overshadowed by Napoleon's military might. In this triumphant biography, Kate Williams tells Josephine's searing story, of sexual obsession, politics and surviving as a woman in a man's world. Abandoned in Paris by her aristocratic husband, Josephine's future did not look promising. But while her friends and contemporaries were sent to the guillotine during the Terror that followed the Revolution, she survived prison and emerged as the doyenne of a wildly debauched party scene, surprising everybody when she encouraged the advances of a short, marginalised Corsican soldier, six years her junior. Josephine, the fabulous hostess and skilled diplomat, was the perfect consort to the ambitious but obnoxious Napoleon. With her by his side, he became the greatest man in Europe, the Supreme Emperor; and she amassed a jewellery box with more diamonds than Marie Antoinette's. But as his fame grew, Napoleon became increasingly obsessed with his need for an heir and irritated with Josephine's extravagant spending. The woman who had enchanted France became desperate and jealous. Until, a divorcee aged forty-seven, she was forced to watch from the sidelines as Napoleon and his young bride produced a child.

Kate Williams (Author), Sandra Duncan (Narrator)

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The Ring and the Crown

The excitement surrounding the marriage of Prince William to Kate Middleton has prompted four of Britain's top historical biographers to look closely at Royal Weddings. Each writer focuses on different areas of interest, from Medieval to the present day, and fascinating anecdotal details are revealed in the course of this most informative and entertaining overview.

Alison Weir, Kate Williams, Multiple Authors, Sarah Gristwood, Tracy Borman, Various (Author), Julia Franklin (Narrator)

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The Pleasures of Men

Spitalfields, 1840. Catherine lives with her Uncle in a rambling house in London's East End, with little to occupy the days beyond her own colourful imagination. Then news reaches her of a disturbing murderer known as The Man of Crows. As Catherine hungrily devours the news, she finds she can channel the voices of the dead ... and comes to believe she will eventually channel The Man of Crows himself. As the murders continue, Catherine gradually realises she is snared in a deadly trap, where nothing is as it first appears ... and behind the lies are secrets more deadly than anything her imagination can conjure.

Kate Williams (Author), Alex Tregear, Andrew Wincott, Clare Corbett, Harriet Carmichael, Jane Collingwood, Karina Fernandez, Multiple Narrators, Roger May (Narrator)

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England's Mistress: The Infamous Life of Emma Hamilton

A dramatic, sparkling tale of sex, glamour, intrigue, romance and heartbreak, England's Mistress traces the rise and rise of the gorgeous Emma Hamilton. Born into poverty, she clawed her way up through London's underworlds of sex for sale to become England's first media superstar. Nothing could stand in her way of her desire to live out her dream- except her self-destructive desires. Drawing on hundreds of previously undiscovered letters, and told with a novelist's flair, 'England's Mistress' captures the relentless drive, innovative style and burning passion of a true heroine. In a world of tabloid fame and three-minute wonders, Emma's life is truly a tale for our time.

Kate Williams (Author), Sophie Ward (Narrator)

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