Audiobooks narrated by Michelle Humphries

A History of Ancient Egypt’s Most Famous Sites

Africa may have given rise to the first humans, and Egypt probably gave rise to the first great civilizations, which continue to fascinate modern societies across the globe nearly 5,000 years later. From the Library and Lighthouse of Alexandria to the Great Pyramid at Giza, the Ancient Egyptians produced several wonders of the world, revolutionized architecture and construction, created some of the world’s first systems of mathematics and medicine, and established language and art that spread across the known world. For almost four millennia, the Great Pyramids of Ancient Egypt have been widely hailed as the single greatest archeological feat man has ever accomplished. The Great Pyramid at Giza is the only one of the seven wonders of the ancient world to have survived into the modern age. Unlike so many pieces of the historical record which have been “re-discovered,” relatively recently (in the grand scheme of things,” in their four thousand years of existence, the Great Pyramids have never allowed themselves to be truly forgotten by the human civilization which has never ceased to regard them with wonder and awe. Egypt also impressed its contemporaries. The 5th century B.C. Greek historian Herodotus wrote that Egypt was “the gift of the Nile” because the river made its soil so fertile and thus helped create one of the first great civilizations. Indeed, the land of Egypt so impressed the Greeks that when Alexander the Great conquered the Nile Valley in the 4th century B.C., he decided that he would build a new city on its soil and name it Alexandria. After Alexander, the city of Alexandria grew and became the most important city in the world for centuries as it watched and played a role in the rise and fall of numerous dynasties. The city also became home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – the Lighthouse of Alexandria – and a center of culture and learning, which was exemplified by the Library of Alexandria.

Charles River Editors (Author), Michelle Humphries (Narrator)

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Cryptography in World War I: The History of the Efforts to Make and Break Secret Codes during the Gr

World War I was the first major conflict in which new electronic means of transmitting and receiving messages became a major factor in political and military operations. The electric telegraph was developed in the first half of the 19th century, and by 1850, there were several telegraph companies around the world providing a service that allowed virtually instantaneous communication over long distances. This was a major breakthrough, but the telegraph depended on the availability of wires to transmit messages between stations, meaning that if these wires were broken or damaged, communications were cut off. Late in the 19th century, there was another new development, the telephone, though this too relied on wires to transmit and receive information. At the same time, there was a new invention that provided instant voice and Morse code communication over long distances that did not require wires. Initially called wireless, radio was quickly adopted by armies around the world as a way of providing rapid communication between military units. By the time World War I began in 1914, all the major nations involved had provided their forces with some form of radio equipment. Of course, this came with a fundamental problem: radio, telephone, and telegraph messages could be intercepted by the enemy, potentially giving them notice of impending operations. To protect these electronic messages from being read by the enemy, armies began to use codes and ciphers to disguise the meaning of messages. Teams were created to devise effective codes and ciphers, and these were quickly followed by other teams whose role was to attempt to break the codes and ciphers used by the other side. As a result, a secret war began, almost completely hidden from public view, as the belligerents devised complex ways of hiding the real meaning of their own messages while simultaneously attempting to understand those of the enemy.

Charles River Editors (Author), Michelle Humphries (Narrator)

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The Adams Family: The History of Colonial Boston's Most Important Political Family

he American Revolution had no shortage of compelling characters with seemingly larger than life traits, including men like the multi-talented Benjamin Franklin, the wise Thomas Jefferson, the mercurial John Adams and the stoic George Washington. But no Revolutionary leader has been as controversial as Samuel Adams, who has been widely portrayed over the last two centuries as America’s most radical and fiery colonist. Among his contemporaries, Samuel Adams was viewed as one of the most influential colonial leaders, a man Thomas Jefferson himself labeled “truly the Man of the Revolution” and the one who the Boston Gazette eulogized as the “Father of the American Revolution.” Samuel was an outspoken opponent of British taxes in the 1760s, one of Boston’s hardest working writers and orators, a leader of the Boston Caucus, active in the Sons of Liberty, and a political leader who organized large gatherings in settings like Faneuil Hall and the Old South Meeting House. When cousin John Adams was an Ambassador to France during the Revolution, he had to explain that he was not the “famous” Adams. John Adams remained a celebrated figure in Boston for all the work he did in Massachusetts before and after the Revolution, but his national reputation has experienced quite a renaissance over the past decade, beginning with David Mccullough’s best selling biography in 2001, followed in 2008 by the popular HBO series based on it. While her time as First Lady was important, Abigail Adams remains one of the most recognized and respected First Ladies in American history due to her voluminous correspondence with John when they were separated throughout the American Revolution. n addition to being the first son of a president to become president himself, John Quincy Adams also managed to be a U.S. Senator, a U.S. House Representative, a Secretary of State, and an ambassador to several countries.

Charles River Editors (Author), Michelle Humphries (Narrator)

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[German] - The Disappearance of the USS Thresher: The History of the American Nuclear Submarine that

Given that there’s such little margin for error in a submersible, many submarine losses remain sources of intrigue and mystery, and few rival the disappearance of the USS Thresher in that regard. In 1963, the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States was at its peak, as the Cuban Missile Crisis the previous year had brought the world to the brink of nuclear war and tensions were still running high. In space, the Soviet Union seemed to have taken the lead, putting the first satellite in Earth’s orbit and placing the first man in space. There was also another new theater of war, but one that was little-known at the time. Under the waters of the world’s oceans, Soviet and American nuclear submarines were in intense competition, pushing the boundaries of new technologies. Some of these submarines carried nuclear missiles that carried more destructive power than all the bombs dropped by the U.S. Army Air Force throughout World War II, including the nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Other submarines, the hunter-killers, were designed to find and destroy these missile-carrying submarines. All of these submarines engaged in their activities while aiming to avoid detection by the other side, establishing a clandestine conflict that was carried out far from the gaze of the public but still strategically vital. If either side could gain a notable advantage, it could abruptly change the fragile balance of power. Then, in April 1963, one of the most advanced U.S. hunter-killer nuclear submarines and the 129 men onboard vanished while on a routine voyage. The USS Thresher was one of the country’s most advanced ships, but it had the misfortune of becoming the first American nuclear submarine to be lost at sea, prompting obvious questions over what had happened.

Charles River Editors (Author), Michelle Humphries (Narrator)

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The Mysterious Losses of the USS Thresher and USS Scorpion: The History of the Only American Nuclear

In April 1963, one of the most advanced U.S. hunter-killer nuclear submarines and the 129 men onboard vanished while on a routine voyage. The USS Thresher was one of the country’s most advanced ships, but it had the misfortune of becoming the first American nuclear submarine to be lost at sea, prompting obvious questions over what had happened. Had it accidentally collided with a Soviet ship? Was it destroyed by a new and secret Soviet weapon? Was it secretly captured and taken back to the Soviet Union to reveal its secrets? For those who choose to make the careers as submariners, there is no more beloved service. That is, one hopes, how it was for the 99 men who were serving on the USS Scorpion on May 22, 1968, the fateful day the submarine is believed to have sank. It appears that the crew members died quickly, but however it happened, the grief experienced by their family members dragged on for decades, exacerbated both by the Navy’s lack of information about the submarine’s final moments and the government’s unwillingness to share what little knowledge it had. It is easy in hindsight to criticize the military for its secrecy, but it must be remembered that the Scorpion disappeared at the height of the Cold War, and therefore, little could be said publicly about its fate. Coincidentally, 3 other nuclear submarines suffered mysterious sinkings the same year, and the Cold War adversaries were interested in locating them and gleaning any secrets or technology that they could from the other side’s bad luck. Indeed, it was only after the fall of the Soviet Union that the truth could be told, bringing closure to family members and a dark lesson in espionage to the American people.

Charles River Editors (Author), Michelle Humphries (Narrator)

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The Five Civilized Tribes

The Five Civilized Tribes are among the best known Native American groups in American history, and they were even celebrated by contemporary Americans for their abilities to adapt to white culture. But tragically, they are also well known tribes due to the trials and tribulations they suffered by being forcibly moved west along the Trail of Tears. The Cherokee began the process of assimilation with whites very early, even before the establishment of the Unites States, and by the early 19th century they were one of the “Five Civilized Tribes.” Ultimately, however, it is unclear what benefits “civilization” brought the tribe. Throughout the colonial period and after the American Revolution, the Cherokee struggled to satisfy the whims and desires of American government officials and settlers, often suffering injustices after complying with their desires. Nevertheless, the Cherokee continued to endure, and after being pushed west, they rose from humble origins as refugees new to the southeastern United States to build themselves back up into a powerhouse both economically and militarily. Even after being forced to leave their traditional homeland again, they once more rose to become a powerful tribe and nation, ruling themselves and building their economic power through wise and skillful leadership. Though not as well known as the Cherokee, two of the Five Civilized Tribes were the Chickasaw and Choctaw. With roots that tie them to the Ancient Moundbuilders, the Chickasaw and Choctaw were among the most established groups in the Southeastern United States, and they were among the first natives encountered by Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto’s historic expedition in the mid-16th century. They became known as two of the Five Civilized Tribes for quickly assimilating aspects of European culture, but in response to early European contact, they also became part of one of the strongest confederacies in the region.

Charles River Editors (Author), Michelle Humphries (Narrator)

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The 27 Club: The Lives and Legacies of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison

It is rare in the world of music for a general consensus to form over who was the best at anything. Many would call The Beatles the greatest rock band, but it’s easy to find strongly opinionated dissenters. However, when it came to playing a guitar and laying the soundtrack for the psychedelic era, just about everyone agrees there was Jimi Hendrix and then there was everyone else. Anyone arguing otherwise either never heard his music or saw him perform. In fact, Jimi Hendrix is one of the few musicians known primarily for his sound and what he could do with a guitar than for his discography. A part of that is due to his untimely death and entry into the 27 Club, but it is also due to the fact that he was so revolutionary with the use of an electric guitar and so skilled at playing it that the effects have largely not been duplicated since. The life and career of Janis Joplin marks such a stark departure from the blues, rock and soul traditions as American society has come to know them that her brief and tempestuous career defies artistic analysis, if only because there is so little precedent aside from the great African-American blues and jazz singers that influenced her. For a woman born in 1943 and coming into her professional prime in the 1960s, Joplin stood as a mesmerizing and baffling foil to the female tradition in non-classical music, which had previously been symbolized by pure, mellow voices singing thoughtful texts. Jim Morrison accomplished just about everything by being extreme, in every sense of the word. His poetry was assaultive, blatant and graphic, a sign of the times, and his voice was mystical and haunting, lacking any sense of what was previously or typically considered vocal beauty. Whether intentional or not, Morrison also led the charge of excessive defiance toward anything hierarchical or rule-laden, and the acting out of his subconscious urges on public stages around the world surpassed all previous artists.

Charles River Editors (Author), Michelle Humphries (Narrator)

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The Most Famous Women of the Wild West

The most famous woman of the Wild West was also possibly the most colorful and mysterious. “Considered a remarkable good shot and a fearless rider for a girl of my age”, Calamity Jane claimed to be a veteran of the Indian Wars, a scout, and the wife of Wild Bill Hickok, all on the way to becoming a dime novel heroine. While all of those legends have stuck, it’s unclear to what extent if any they are actually true, and even her contemporaries doubted the authenticity of her statements. Belle Starr likely would have been forgotten if not for the mysterious nature of her death and the attempts of dime novel writers to exaggerate her story and turn her into the female equivalent of Jesse James. On February 3, 1889, Starr was ambushed and murdered while riding home, and it’s still unclear who decided to blast her in the back and head with shotguns. That might have been the end of her story, but just months after her unsolved murder, dime novelist Richard K. Fox published Bella Starr, the Bandit Queen, or the Female Jesse James, which breathed new life into her legacy. Since then, Belle Starr has been remembered as one of the most famous women of the Wild West. Annie Oakley would become a national celebrity in her own life for “The Little Sure Shot of the West”, learned her gun skills out of necessity, using them to hunt for food around the Cincinnati area thousands of miles away from the dusty towns, saloons and shootouts that have become symbols the Wild West. . Eventually, she would perform off and on for Buffalo Bill’s show, but she also took her exploits to Europe and even the burgeoning film industry, performing “The Little Sure Shot of the West” for Thomas Edison’s brand new kinetoscope, which could make a film. She also met dignitaries like Queen Victoria and Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany. Annie only became more famous with age, continuing with her skillful performances into her 60s

Charles River Editors (Author), Michelle Humphries (Narrator)

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Presidential Assassinations: The History of the Killing of Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William

Until April 14, 1865, John Wilkes Booth was one of the most famous actors of his time, and President Abraham Lincoln had even watched him perform. But his most significant performance at a theater did not take place on the stage. That night, Booth became one of history’s most infamous assassins when he assassinated President Lincoln at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. In 1880, Civil War veteran James Garfield was running as a Republican for president, and one of his supporters was a man named Charles Guiteau, who wrote and circulated a speech called “Garfield vs. Hancock” that aimed to rally support for the Republican candidate. Though few knew it, Guiteau’s family had already deemed him insane and attempted to keep him committed in an asylum, only to have him manage an escape from confinement. In September 1901, the city of Buffalo was full of celebration. The Pan-American Exposition was ongoing, and it brought notable figures to northern New York, including President William McKinley, who had been reelected less than a year earlier. But also in Buffalo was Leon Czolgosz, a young man who had turned to anarchy years earlier after losing his job, Embracing his philosophy wholeheartedly, Czolgosz believed it was his mission to take down a powerful leader he considered oppressive, and McKinley’s attendance gave him the chance. In the annals of American history, few moments have been so thoroughly seared into the nation’s conscience that Americans can remember exactly where and when they heard about an earth-shattering event. In the 20th century, there was Pearl Harbor and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. November 22, 1963 started as a typical Friday, and many Americans were unaware that President Kennedy was even heading to Dallas, Texas.

Charles River Editors (Author), Michelle Humphries (Narrator)

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The Mandate for Mesopotamia and Mandate for Palestine: The History of the Former Ottoman Territories

The United Nations is one of the most famous bodies in the world, and its predecessor, the League of Nations, might be equally notorious. In fact, President Woodrow Wilson’s pet project was controversial from nearly the minute it was conceived. While it would attempt to resolve some territorial disputes, it simply proved too weak to prevent international aggression, primarily among the Axis Powers in the buildup to World War II. Thus, the League’s greatest legacy ended up being its dismal failure to prevent World War II and ensure that World War I had truly been the “war to end all wars,” as originally intended. Although the League of Nations was short-lived and clearly failed in its primary mission, it did essentially spawn the United Nations at the end of World War II, and many of the UN’s structures and organizations came straight from its predecessor, with the concepts of an International Court and a General Assembly coming straight from the League. More importantly, the failures of the League ensured that the UN was given stronger authority and enforcement mechanisms, most notably through the latter’s Security Council, and while the League dissolved after a generation, the UN has survived for over 70 years. One of the League’s most lasting legacies was the manner in which it handed over administrative control of land in the Middle East to the victorious Allied Powers, namely France and Britain. The Ottoman Empire quickly collapsed after World War I, and its extensive lands were divvied up between the French and British. While the French gained control of the Levant, which would later become modern day nations like Syria and Lebanon, the British were given mandates for Mesopotamia and Palestine. The British Mandate for Palestine gave the British control over the lands that have since become Jordan, Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip, while Mesopotamia covered modern Iraq.

Charles River Editors (Author), Michelle Humphries (Narrator)

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The Dreyfus Affair and the Leo Frank Trial: The History of the Most Notorious Antisemitic Cases in F

In September 1890, among a pile of torn-up documents delivered by Mme. Bastian was found a note handwritten in French which, when pieced together, proved to be a list of French military secrets handed over to the Germans by an unknown French officer of the General Staff. This discovery, which proved the existence of a traitor in the department, triggered a ferment in the corridors of the Conseil Supérieur de la Guerre, and the hunt was on for the culprit. By a process of elimination, officers of the military intelligence were able to narrow down a list of probable traitors, among whom was a young Jewish staff officer, Captain Alfred Dreyfus, who was immediately earmarked as the chief suspect. These are the essential facts of the “Dreyfus Affair,” as it came to be known, an episode that in many respects defined French anti-Semitism in the late 19th century. A case was built with the central objective of protecting the integrity of French military establishment, and in the process, the relatively muted anti-Semitism in France (at least compared to other European nations) was transformed into an era of virulent and violent Jew-hatred that characterized and sullied the final decade of the 19th century in France. Even today, as many of the affair’s nuances and facets have faded from memory, its political importance and anti-Semitic elements continue to be well-known and quite relevant today. In 1913, Mary Phagan, a young Georgia factory girl and the daughter of tenant farmers, was raped and killed, and suspicion fell upon Leo Frank, the Jewish-American factory manager, who was subsequently arrested, tried, and convicted of her murder based on the thinnest of circumstantial evidence. The entire case against Frank rested on the testimony of the factory janitor, Jim Conley, despite the fact Conley had been arrested almost immediately after Frank when he was spotted washing what appeared to be blood off his clothes.

Charles River Editors (Author), Michelle Humphries (Narrator)

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The Birth of Modern Astronomy: The History of the Scientists and Theories that Modernized Astronomy

As interesting as the stories about Tycho Brahe are, chances are he wouldn’t be remembered if not for the important work he did, especially in the realm of astronomy. He lived in an era when the intellectual worldview of most in northern Europe was medieval in nature, influenced mostly by spirituality, mysticism, religion, and metaphysics. Brahe, however, was far-thinking in his outlook, taking advantages of the latest technological ideas and practicing empiricism to revolutionize the field of science. This work eventually led Brahe to cross paths with Johannes Kepler, whose laws on planetary motion would change everything. Trying to define a man who had the qualities of a mathematician, astronomer, philosopher, inventor, and astrologer can prove difficult. But all of that can be ascribed to Johannes Kepler, one of the giants of his era who ushered in the Scientific Revolution and is often considered the first modern scientist. Kepler stood at a moment in time when the intellectual worldview of most in northern Europe was medieval in nature. Kepler, however, was far-thinking in his outlook. In his lifetime, Galileo straddled the epochs of the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution, and it was his work and technological advances that helped usher in a brand new understanding of the solar system and the scientific method. Stephen Hawking himself has asserted, “Galileo, perhaps more than any other single person, was responsible for the birth of modern science.' Of course, part of what made Galileo such a monumental figure was the fact that he was ahead of his time, and that he mostly refused to conform to the accepted dogmas of contemporary society. In 1676, Sir Isaac Newton wrote in a letter, “If I have seen further it is by standing on ye sholders of Giants.” By the time he died, Newton had become science’s greatest giant, and every scientist who has followed him has stood on his shoulders.

Charles River Editors (Author), Michelle Humphries (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Michelle Humphries