The Palace

John Telfer is the audiobook equivalent of a master tour guide—equal parts erudite and engaging, with a knack for making centuries-old gossip sound like the juiciest podcast episode you’ve ever heard. His delivery is so fluid that I occasionally forgot I was listening to an audiobook and not sitting in a velvet chair by the fire, listening to Russell himself. The pacing is brisk when it needs to be (the Tudor era flies by in vivid, messy strokes) and deliberate when it should be (Elizabeth II’s reign gets the measured reflection it deserves). Telfer’s vocal range—from the clipped, exasperated tones of a courtier to the weary patience of a queen—adds layers to an already rich text. If I had one minor critique, Telfer’s pronunciation of certain French terms (like *fleur-de-lis*) occasionally trips over itself, a minor hiccup in an otherwise stellar performance. Another nitpick: Russell’s occasional tendency to linger on tangential anecdotes—like a deep dive into the wardrobe choices of Queen Charlotte—feels indulgent, though it does humanize these figures in a way that’s hard to resist. Ultimately, this audiobook is a triumph of making history *feel* human, and Telfer’s narration is the icing on a cake that’s already rich with flavor. Whether you’re a history buff or a casual listener, this is the kind of book that makes you press ‘skip intro’ on your commute and just *listen*.