The Waiting Game: The Untold Story of the Women Who Served the Tudor Queens Audiobook

For listeners drawn to Tudor history and the women who served its queens, The Waiting Game offers a focused subject for an audiobook session. Nicola Clark’s book turns attention to women whose roles are named in the title but are less often the center of a broad royal-history overview. Curious about the people behind life at court? This unabridged audiobook runs 11 hours and 51 minutes, giving the subject room across a full-length listen.

Best use cases

Choose this title when you want a history audiobook centered on the women who served the Tudor queens, rather than a general survey of the Tudor period. Its specific focus makes it a natural pick for listeners interested in women’s history, court life, and the people surrounding royal figures. It can also add a different angle to a Tudor reading or listening list: instead of following the queens alone, the subject is the women who served them.

The 11-hour-and-51-minute runtime suits listeners looking for a substantial, unabridged book to enjoy over multiple listening sessions. The subject also lends itself to focused listening: keep the Tudor court and its people in mind as the narrative explores the women at its center.

Strengths

The defining strength is its perspective. By putting the women who served Tudor queens at the heart of the book, The Waiting Game offers a more specific route into the period than a general account of monarchs and major political events. That focus is useful for listeners who want to explore the people around the queens, not only the queens themselves.

Listeners describe the book as informative and well researched, and some appreciate the historical context and insight into the thoughts and fears of people living in Tudor times. Reactions to the pacing and level of engagement are mixed: some find it absorbing, while others find parts less engaging. That makes the title especially appealing if the subject itself—women’s roles in the Tudor court—is what draws you in.

What to know

This is an unabridged Audible audiobook of Nicola Clark’s book, published January 7, 2025. Nicola Clark and Karen Cass are listed as narrators. Its runtime is 11 hours and 51 minutes, so it is a full-length treatment rather than a brief introduction. The title’s scope is clear: the women who served the Tudor queens. If you are comparing it with a broad Tudor-history audiobook, the key distinction is this dedicated focus on women in royal service.

Questions before you buy

How long is the audiobook? The listening length is 11 hours and 51 minutes, making it a substantial listen that can be enjoyed across multiple sessions.

Is this an abridged version? No. It is listed as unabridged, so the audiobook presents the unabridged edition of the book.

Who wrote and narrates the book? Nicola Clark is the author and one of the narrators, Karen Cass is also listed as a narrator.

Buying verdict

If you want Tudor history with a clear focus on the women who served the queens, this audiobook offers a dedicated perspective and a full-length, unabridged format. It is a strong subject-led choice for listeners more interested in the people behind court life than in another broad overview of the Tudor monarchs.