World Audiobooks | History

A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century Part 2

Barbara Tuchman, Barbara W. Tuchman (Author), Aviva Skell (Narrator)

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The Enlightenment: Reason, Tolerance, and Humanity

"The Enlightenment stands at the threshold of the modern age. It elevated the natural sciences to the preeminent position they enjoy in modern culture. It inaugurated a skepticism toward tradition and authority that decisively shaped modern attitudes in religion, morality, and politics. And it gave birth to a vision of history that saw man, through the unfettered use of his own reason, at last escaping that state of ""immaturity"" to which superstition, prejudice, and dogma had condemned him. The world in which we live is, for better or worse, in large part the result of the Enlightenment. This course will explore this remarkable period. It will discuss the work of such influential thinkers as Voltaire, John Locke, Denis Diderot, Adam Smith, Immanuel Kant, and Benjamin Franklin. It will also spend some time with less well-known, but no less influential, figures such as Joseph Priestly - a clergyman, scientist, and philosopher who was one of the most passionate defenders of the American Revolution in England - and the remarkable John Toland, a man whose writings on religion changed the way many Europeans thought about the Scriptures" ** Please contact Customer Service for additional content

James Schmidt, Professor James Schmidt (Author), James Schmidt, Professor James Schmidt (Narrator)

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The Reformation: A History

Renowned scholar Patrick Collinson is Regius Professor of Modern History, Emeritus, Cambridge. He states, "The Reformation (and Counter Reformation) was the blast furnace in which the modern state was forged." This engaging work offers a concise overview of the ecumenical revolution of the late medieval and Renaissance periods. Narrator John McDonough's presentation of the spiritual and the secular elements that led to religious reform will captivate listeners.

Patrick Collinson (Author), John McDonough (Narrator)

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Lightning Out of Lebanon: Hezbollah Terrorists on American Soil

Before September 11, 2001, one terrorist group had killed more Americans than any other: Hezbollah, the “Party of God.” Today it remains potentially more dangerous than even al Qaeda. Yet little has been known about its inner workings, past successes, and future plans–until now. Written by an accomplished journalist and a law-enforcement expert, Lightning Out of Lebanon is a chilling and essential addition to our understanding of the external and internal threats to America. In disturbing detail, it portrays the degree to which Hezbollah has infiltrated this country and the extent to which it intends to do us harm. Formed in Lebanon by Iranian Revolutionary Guards in 1982, Hezbollah is fueled by hatred of Israel and the United States. Its 1983 truck-bomb attack against the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut killed 241 soldiers–the largest peacetime loss ever for the U.S. military–and caused President Reagan to withdraw all troops from Lebanon. Since then, among other atrocities, Hezbollah has murdered Americans at the U.S. embassy in Lebanon and the Khobar Towers U.S. military housing complex in Saudi Arabia; tortured and killed the CIA station chief in Beirut; held organizational meetings with top members of al Qaeda–including Osama bin Laden–and established sleeper cells in the United States and Canada. Lightning Out of Lebanon reveals how, starting in 1982, a cunning and deadly Hezbollah terrorist named Mohammed Youssef Hammoud operated a cell in Charlotte, North Carolina, under the radar of American intelligence. The story of how FBI special agent Rick Schwein captured him in 2002 is a brilliantly researched and written account. Yet the past is only prologue in the unsettling odyssey of Hezbollah. Using their exclusive sources in the Middle East and inside the U.S. counterterrorism establishment, the authors of Lightning Out of Lebanon imagine the deadly future of Hezbollah and posit how best to combat the group which top American counterintelligence officials and Senator Bob Graham, vice-chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, have called “the A Team of terrorism.” From the Hardcover edition.

Barbara Newman, Tom Diaz (Author), Tony Call (Narrator)

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War Stories II: Heroism in the Pacific

New York Times best-selling author Oliver North, host of FOX News Channel's top-rated War Stories program, describes the remarkable accomplishments of the heroic men who fought in the Pacific theater of World War II. The American and Japanese veterans of such terrible campaigns as Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima shared their stories with North, who presents them here in the soldiers' own words. More than a fascinating history of combat, War Stories II stands as a testament to the unmatched valor and bravery of an extraordinary generation.

Oliver North (Author), Joel Leffert (Narrator)

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Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code: A Historian Reveals What We Really Know About Jesus, Mary Ma

Dan Brown's immensely popular New York Times best-selling The Da Vinci Code is one of the most successful books of modern history. It has captivated millions the world over with its enthralling suspense and its provocative questions about the true nature of Jesus' life. But is there any truth to this clever work of fiction? Brown makes the extraordinary claim that all the historical information in his book is factually true. Historian Bart D. Ehrman, an authority on Jesus and the early Church, reveals that Brown's book is actually riddled with historical errors. In witty fashion, Ehrman separates fact from fiction, delivering the truth behind the code.

Bart D. Ehrman (Author), Bart D. Ehrman (Narrator)

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A Life in the Twentieth Century: Innocent Beginnings, 1917-1950

Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, is one of the finest historians of our age. A former special assistant to President Kennedy, he received the National Humanities Medal in 1998. In this first volume of memoirs Schlesinger turns a keen eye on his own remarkable life--from his Midwestern upbringing, through his days at Harvard, to his involvement with World War II. The engrossing story of his life reads like a timeline of the twentieth century. With anecdotes featuring the major politicians, intellectuals, and entertainers of the era, it is easy to see why Dr. Henry Kissinger called this work "one of the definitive histories of the period." Schlesinger's shrewd observations and sharp wit have long helped Americans understand who they are and where they've come from. Now his own story comes to life with a lucid, often humorous narration by Nelson Runger.

Alison Weir, Arthur Schlesinger (Author), Nelson Runger, Simon Prebble (Narrator)

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История государства Российского. Том 02

Карамзин Николай Михайлович (1766–1826), российский историк, писатель, почетный член Петербургской Академии (1818). Создатель 'Истории государства Российского' (т. 1-12, 1816-29), одного из значительнейших трудов в Российской историографии. С 1803 до самой смерти Карамзин занимался «по высочайшему повелению» 'Историей государства Российского'. Главная идея «Истории» Карамзина – судьба России и ее величие заключены в развитии самодержавия. При сильной власти Россия процветала, при слабой – приходила в упадок. Труд Н. М. Карамзина не был первым описанием истории России, но именно это произведение благодаря высоким литературным достоинствам и научной скрупулёзности автора открыло историю России для широкой образованной публики и наибольшим образом способствовало становлению национального самосознания. Вашему вниманию представлен 2 том «Истории государства Российского». Содержание тома: •Глава I. Великий князь Святополк. г. 1015-1019. •Глава II. Великий князь Ярослав или Георгий. г. 1019-1054. •Глава III. Правда русская, или законы Ярославовы. •Глава IV. Великий князь Изяслав, названный в крещении Димитрием. г. 1054-1077. •Глава V. Великий князь Всеволод. г. 1078-1093. •Глава VI. Великий князь Святополк-Михаил. г. 1093-1112. •Глава VII. Владимир Мономах, названный в крещении Василием. г. 1113-1125. •Глава VIII. Великий князь Мстислав. г. 1125-1132. •Глава IX. Великий князь Ярополк. г. 1132-1139. •Глава Х. Великий князь Всеволод Ольгович. г. 1139-1146. •Глава XI. Великий князь Игорь Ольгович. •Глава ХII. Великий князь Изяслав Мстиславич. г. 1146-1154. •Глава ХIII. Великий князь Ростислав-Михаил Мстиславич. г. 1154-1155. •Глава ХIV. Великий князь Георгий, или Юрий Владимирович, прозванный Долгорукий. г. 1155-1157. •Глава XV. Великий князь Изяслав Давидович Киевский. Князь Андрей Суздальский, прозванный Боголюбским. г. 1157-1159. •Глава XVI. Великий князь Ростислав-Михаил вторично в Киеве. Андрей во Владимире Суздальском. г. 1159-1167. •Глава XVII. Великий князь Мстислав Изяславич Киевский. Андрей Суздальский, или Владимирский. г. 1167-1169. Аудиокнига. Читает: Елена Чубарова

Nikolay Karamzin (Author), Elena Chubarova (Narrator)

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Notes From China

"Two hundred years ago China's imperial rulers sensed a threat to a past-oriented society in the dynamism of the West and tried to frustrate foreign entry."- Foreign Devils ... "Today, one cannot escape the impression that if only it were not for world pressures Maoist China like that of the Ming and the Manchus would be happier if it could withdraw into the broad isolation of the Middle Kingdom." - Ping-Pong ... Just one year after China's long-closed doors reopened to the West in 1971, Barbara Tuchman journeyed through its cities and countryside drawing the human face on this inscrutable giant. "A creative writer's sense of drama and a scholar's obeisance to the evidence." -New York Times

Barbara W. Tuchman (Author), Rita Knox (Narrator)

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История государства Российского. Том 01

Карамзин Николай Михайлович (1766–1826), российский историк, писатель, почетный член Петербургской Академии (1818). Создатель 'Истории государства Российского' (т. 1-12, 1816-29), одного из значительнейших трудов в Российской историографии. С 1803 до самой смерти Карамзин занимался «по высочайшему повелению» 'Историей государства Российского'. Главная идея «Истории» Карамзина – судьба России и ее величие заключены в развитии самодержавия. При сильной власти Россия процветала, при слабой – приходила в упадок. Труд Н. М. Карамзина не был первым описанием истории России, но именно это произведение благодаря высоким литературным достоинствам и научной скрупулёзности автора открыло историю России для широкой образованной публики и наибольшим образом способствовало становлению национального самосознания. Вашему вниманию представлен 1 том 'Истории государства Российского'. Содержание тома: Предисловие. •Глава I. О народах, издревле обитавших в России. О славянах вообще. •Глава II. О славянах и других народах, составивших государство Российское. •Глава III. О физическом и нравственном характере славян древних. •Глава IV. Рюрик, Синеус и Трувор. 862-879 гг. •Глава V. Олег Правитель. 879-912 гг. •Глава VI. Князь Игорь. 912-945 гг. •Глава VII. Князь Святослав. 945-972 гг. •Глава VIII. Великий Князь Ярополк. 972-980 гг. •Глава IX. Великий Князь Владимир, названный в крещении Василием. 980-1014 гг. •Глава Х. О Состоянии Древней России. Аудиокнига Читает: Чубарова Елена

Nikolay Karamzin (Author), Elena Chubarova (Narrator)

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[French] - Les plus belles Histoires de Haim - Vol 7: Comme si vous y étiez

Haim Nisenbaum, Yossef Brami (Author), Yossef Brami (Narrator)

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Collapse

In his million-copy bestseller Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond examined how and why Western civilizations developed the technologies and immunities that allowed them to dominate much of the world. Now in this brilliant companion volume, Diamond probes the other side of the equation: What caused some of the great civilizations of the past to collapse into ruin, and what can we learn from their fates? As in Guns, Germs, and Steel, Diamond weaves an all-encompassing global thesis through a series of fascinating historical-cultural narratives. Moving from the Polynesian cultures on Easter Island to the flourishing American civilizations of the Anasazi and the Maya and finally to the doomed Viking colony on Greenland, Diamond traces the fundamental pattern of catastrophe. Environmental damage, climate change, rapid population growth, and unwise political choices were all factors in the demise of these societies, but other societies found solutions and persisted. Similar problems face us today and have already brought disaster to Rwanda and Haiti, even as China and Australia are trying to cope in innovative ways. Despite our own society's apparently inexhaustible wealth and unrivaled political power, ominous warning signs have begun to emerge even in ecologically robust areas like Montana. Brilliant, illuminating, and immensely absorbing, Collapse is destined to take its place as one of the essential books of our time, raising the urgent question: How can our world best avoid committing ecological suicide?

Jared Diamond (Author), Christopher Murney (Narrator)

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World Audiobooks in History