Russia Audiobooks | History

The Dissident: Alexey Navalny: Profile of a Political Prisoner

A news-driven biography of Vladimir Putin's nemesis Alexey Navalny- lawyer, blogger, anti-corruption crusader, protest organizer, political opposition leader, mayoral and presidential candidate, campaign strategist, provocateur, poisoning victim, dissident, and now, prisoner of conscience and anti-war crusader. THE DISSIDENT is the story of how one fearless man, offended by the dishonesty and criminality of the Russian political system, mounted a relentless opposition movement and became President Vladimir Putin's most formidable rival-so despised that the Russian leader makes a point of never uttering Navalny's name. There's an old saying that Russia without corruption isn't Russia. Alexey Navalny refuses to accept this proposition. His stubborn insistence that Russians can defy the stereotype and create an entirely different country made him such a threat to Putin that the Kremlin wanted him exiled-or dead-and now seems intent on keeping him locked in a prison colony for decades. International correspondent David M. Herszenhorn, weaves together the threads of Navalny's remarkable life and work: - The assassination attempt with a military- grade nerve agent by an FSB hit squad in Siberia, his recovery, and the vigilante-style investigation with news outlet Bellingcat to identify and confront his own would-be killers; - Navalny's personal biography as part of the generation that straddled the end of the Soviet Union and birth of the Russian Federation, including childhood summers with his Ukrainian grandparents near Chernobyl, and his fellowship at Yale University, which spurred conspiracy theories about his ties to the U.S.; - His anti-corruption investigations that exposed billions in graft at Russia's biggest state-owned companies and vast bribe-taking by top Russian officials, including his blockbuster revelations about Putin's Black Sea Palace; - His political activism, including huge street protests, his bid for Moscow mayor in 2013, renegade run for president in 2017, his controversial views on nationalism, gun rights and Crimea, his transformation into a prisoner of conscience bravely denouncing Putin's war of aggression in Ukraine, and more. Riveting and complex, THE DISSIDENT introduces readers to modern Russia's greatest agitator, a man willing to sacrifice his freedom-and even his own life-to build the decent, democratic country he wants to live in and hopes to pass on to his children.

David Herszenhorn (Author), David De Vries (Narrator)

Audiobook

Z Generation: Into the Heart of Russia's Fascist Youth

How did Vladimir Putin galvanize the Russian people to back his genocidal war in Ukraine, and why are so many of them willing to embrace fascism? This vivid, on-the-ground narrative reveals how Russia's fascist generation came into being-and the dark future that awaits the country if that hold cannot be broken. Wartime Russia is drowning in fascist symbols. Zealous patriots attack journalists, opposition activists, and anyone suspected of betraying the motherland. Russians are urged to join the cause by hordes of online trolls and sleek videos of angry young men bellowing patriotic slogans. State television terrifies viewers with trumped up tales of anti-Russian conspiracies and genocidal yearnings. Child soldiers proudly parade across Red Square. This is Russia in the 2020s: a land of performative rage and nationalist untruth, where play-acting, pretense, and broken promises are a way of life. But in a world where pretense has become the norm, a terrifying, apocalyptic mindset is seizing the Russians of tomorrow. As enrapturing as it is terrifying, Z Generation reveals how Russia ended up where it is today, and where its young people are headed: a fascist generation more zealous, violent, and ideological than anything the country has seen before.

Ian Garner (Author), Daniel Henning (Narrator)

Audiobook

China and Russia: Four Centuries of Conflict and Concord

A compelling, expansive history of the relationship between China and Russia, from the seventeenth century to the present Russia and China, the largest and most populous countries in the world, respectively, have maintained a delicate relationship for four centuries. In addition to a four-thousand-kilometer border, they have periodically shared a common outlook on political and economic affairs. But they are, in essence, profoundly different polities and cultures, and their intermittent alliances have proven difficult and at times even volatile. Philip Snow provides a full account of the relationship between these two global giants. Looking at politics, religion, economics, and culture, Snow uncovers the deep roots of the two nations' alignment. We see the shifts in the balance of power, from the wealth and strength of early Qing China to the Tsarist and Soviet ascendancies, and episodes of intense conflict followed by harmony. He looks too at the experiences and opinions of ordinary people, which often vastly differed from those of their governments, and considers how long the countries' current amicable relationship might endure.

Philip Snow (Author), Michael Page (Narrator)

Audiobook

Rasputin

This audiobook has been recorded using Text to speech (TTS). It was a time of spiritualism. A world full of myth, mystery and mysticism. The people were open to the possibilities of life after death, supernatural powers and magic. Into this world stepped a fascinating wizard of the mind and his name was Rasputin. Great powers to heal the sick, to save the wretched, prophesy the future and to bring on fits of spiritual excitement. He was a god of hypnosis and mesmerism and a master of trickery and magic. Mad monk, mystic, prophet, man of God or con-man? Rasputin's evil eyes stare at us across the generations as a warning shot to all those who would believe without question the words of a self-proclaimed spiritual man.

Raphael Terra (Author), Raphael Terra (Narrator)

Audiobook

Stalingrad: The Inferno on the Volga

Do you want to learn about the Battle of Stalingrad? Do you want to learn why it became the turning point of world war 2? If so, this book is for you! Dive into the heart of World War II's pivotal moment with this gripping history book. 'Stalingrad' unveils untold stories, strategic insights, and unforgettable imagery from the Battle of Stalingrad. Experience the raw emotions, heroic acts, and the human spirit's triumph against insurmountable odds. Impeccably researched, the book offers engaging narratives, comprehensive coverage, and timeless lessons, making it a must-read for history enthusiasts. In this book you´ll learn: - Why the Axis powers wanted to take over Stalingrad - The strategic importance of the city and specific locations within that became pivotal during the battle. - The unique characteristics of the battle - Important characters and how it all ended - And much more. Don´t wait any longer, scroll up and buy this book now and enjoy a compelling read!

Days Of History (Author), James Smith (Narrator)

Audiobook

Stalingrad: The Battle of Stalingrad

Are you interested in learning more about what actually happened at Stalingrad during WW2? Do you want to understand the unique characteristics of the battle? If so, this book is for you. Step into the lives of soldiers, civilians, and leaders who experienced this defining battle. Explore personal accounts that reveal courage, sacrifice, and determination. With this book, you will delve into the battle's tactics, maneuvers, and decisions that shaped its outcome. In this book, you´ll: - Gain accurate historical insights. - Experience a compelling narrative: Seamlessly weaves history into a captivating storytelling style. - Comprehensive Exploration: Beyond battle details, the book delves into the lives of those involved. - Timeless Relevance: The battle's lessons hold universal significance in our modern world. Relive the epic clash that shaped nations, and the world and celebrated human resilience.

Will Forrest (Author), Will Forrest (Narrator)

Audiobook

How to Earn a Fortune

In the 1990s, nobody in Russia stood above Boris Berezovsky – not even the President of Russia. He built his estimated fortune of $40bn with interests in oil, media, banking, and aviation by cutting deals with bureaucrats and fellow businessmen, rapidly intimidating and charming his way to wealth. After a change of guard in the Kremlin in the early 2000s, newly elected President Vladimir Putin began to view his former friend and ally Berezovsky as a billionaire run amok and as a danger to his own power. A clash over media ownership and a subsequent fall from grace followed – Berezovsky, having lost most of his money, fled to the United Kingdom and spent the remainder of his life tied up in courtroom battles over his fortune and sponsoring anti-Putin movements in Russia. Rising from an obscure government mathematician to an all-powerful oligarch, Berezovsky epitomized an era – of shady corridor politics and violent gangster capitalism, of post-Soviet chaos and revolutionized social mores. Before dying in London in 2013 – an apparent suicide in mysterious circumstances – Berezovsky penned this essay as a final stroke of his legacy, detailing his philosophy of money and money-getting.

Boris Berezovsky (Author), Simon Elgar, Stuart Algar (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Zelensky Effect

With Russian shells raining on Kyiv and tanks closing in, American forces prepared to evacuate Ukraine's leader. Just three years earlier, his apparent main qualification had been playing a president on TV. But Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly retorted, 'I need ammunition, not a ride.' Ukrainian forces won the battle for Kyiv, ensuring their country's independence even as a longer war began for the southeast. You cannot understand the historic events of 2022 without understanding Zelensky. But the Zelensky effect is less about the man himself than about the civic nation he embodies: what makes Zelensky most extraordinary in war is his very ordinariness as a Ukrainian. The Zelensky Effect explains this paradox, exploring Ukraine's national history to show how its now-iconic president reflects the hopes and frustrations of the country's first 'independence generation'. Interweaving social and political background with compelling episodes from Zelensky's life and career, this is the story of Ukraine told through the journey of one man who has come to symbolize his country.

Henry E. Hale, Olga Onuch (Author), Teri Schnaubelt (Narrator)

Audiobook

[Spanish] - Historia de Rusia: Un apasionante recorrido por los principales acontecimientos de la hi

Princesas perdidas, una reina que destronó a su propio marido, el país que derrotó a Napoleón y un perro que viajó al espacio son solo algunos de los fascinantes aspectos de la historia rusa. La historia de Rusia ha cautivado al público durante generaciones. Desde las hazañas de Iván el Terrible hasta el asesinato de la familia real Románov, hay mucha historia que explorar. ¿Cómo se ganó el título Iván el Terrible? ¿Quiénes eran los Románov y qué llevó al brutal final de su dinastía? Siga la historia de Rusia y descubra los principales acontecimientos históricos que dieron forma a este país. Este libro le servirá de guía para conocer la fascinante historia de Rusia y responder a las siguientes preguntas: - ¿Quiénes eran los primeros eslavos orientales? - ¿Cómo se fundó la Rus de Kiev? - ¿Cómo accedieron al poder los zares? - ¿Cómo era la vida durante el apogeo del Imperio ruso? - ¿Qué ocurrió cuando Napoleón intentó invadir Rusia? - ¿Qué fue la Gran Purga? - ¿Qué llevó a la disolución de la URSS? - ¿Quién era Boris Yeltsin? - Y muchas preguntas más. ¡Desplácese hacia arriba y haga clic en el botón «Añadir a la cesta» para comenzar su viaje por la historia de Rusia!

Billy Wellman (Author), Carlos Verne (Narrator)

Audiobook

Defectors: How the Illicit Flight of Soviet Citizens Built the Borders of the Cold War World

Defectors fleeing the Soviet Union seized the world's attention during the Cold War. Their stories were given sensational news coverage and dramatized in spy novels and films. Upon reaching the West, they were entitled to special benefits, including financial assistance and permanent residency. In contrast to other migrants, defectors were pursued by the states they left even as they were eagerly sought by the United States and its allies. Taking part in a risky game that played out across the globe, defectors sought to transcend the limitations of the Cold War world. Defectors follows their treacherous journeys and looks at how their unauthorized flight via land, sea, and air gave shape to a globalized world. It charts a global struggle over defectors that unfolded among rival intelligence agencies operating in the shadows of an occupied Europe, in the forbidden border zones of the USSR, in the disputed straits of the South China Sea, on a hijacked plane 10,000 feet in the air, and around the walls of Soviet embassies. Although defection all but disappeared after the Cold War, this innovative work shows how it shaped the governance of global borders and helped forge an international refugee system whose legacy and limitations remain with us to this day.

Erik R. Scott (Author), David De Vries (Narrator)

Audiobook

[Spanish] - Lo que quedó bajo la nieve

Rusia. Finales del siglo XIX y principios del XX. Los pequeños pueblos del interior del Imperio ruso viven con simpleza, situación que contrasta con la fastuosidad que envuelve a la nobleza y las clases altas relacionadas con la capital y su poder. A medida que avanza el siglo XX, las diferencias entre campo y urbe se acentúan, extremándose cada vez más. Una familia de campesinos de Bui vive inmersa en su día a día cuidando la tierra e intentando sobrevivir a la hambruna propia de las épocas de mala cosecha. Tres niños —Misha, Katya e Illya—, sin saberlo, van a tener un papel fundamental en los cambios que van a marcar el devenir de Rusia a lo largo de todo el siglo. La lucha social de las clases obreras frente al régimen del zar Nicolás II, agraviada por las decenas de miles de bajas que provocó la Primera Guerra Mundial en el país, es el polvorín que detona la crisis interna en Rusia. Esta apasionante historia, contada desde dentro, y que tiene como protagonistas a los tres hermanos, es una muestra de cómo se gestan las revoluciones, de cómo un poder absoluto ejercido con abuso e imposición se acaba convirtiendo en un arma de doble filo. Esta novela es, también, la historia de millones de personas que quisieron alzar la voz contra la tiranía y las desigualdades; una historia de lucha e inconformismo

Francisco Javier Guiroy (Author), Matias Gonzalez Mosches (Narrator)

Audiobook

[Spanish] - Lenin pisó la luna (Lenin Walked on the Moon): La disparatada historia de los cosmistas

¿Qué tienen en común el papel mesiánico que Vladímir Putin confiere a Rusia y el proyecto SpaceX de Elon Musk? ¿Qué relación hay entre el interés de Google por revertir el envejecimiento y la momia de Lenin celosamente custodiada en la plaza Roja de Moscú? La respuesta la hallamos en el cosmismo, una corriente nacida en las últimas y convulsas décadas de la Rusia imperial, cuya influencia ha atravesado la historia entera de la Unión Soviética y que aún hoy se hace sentir en los proyectos más audaces emprendidos en Silicon Valley. El filósofo Michel Eltchaninoff realiza un apasionante recorrido por la historia y las ideas de los cosmistas, un puñado de eruditos que con sus visionarias propuestas moldearon el siglo soviético: desde el leninismo, el estalinismo o la carrera espacial hasta las corrientes ultraconservadoras surgidas tras el hundimiento de la URSS y que sirven de guía a los dirigentes rusos actuales. Una historia tan desconocida como sorprendente, que halla su epígono en movimientos como el transhumanismo o en los más recientes avances por colonizar el espacio o hacer realidad el sueño –para algunos, pesadilla– de la inmortalidad. «Un libro que toda persona interesada en la historia de las ideas y el imaginario del futuro debería leer.» Blaise Mao, UsbekRica

Michel Eltchaninoff (Author), Jorge González (Narrator)

Audiobook

Russia Audiobooks in History