History Audiobooks | TV & Radio

"If you believe it's time to put principles above parties, character above campaign promises, and Common Sense above all -- then I ask you to read this book...." In any era, great Americans inspire us to reach our full potential. They know with conviction what they believe within themselves. They understand that all actions have consequences. And they find commonsense solutions to the nation's problems. One such American, Thomas Paine, was an ordinary man who changed the course of history by penning Common Sense, the concise 1776 masterpiece in which, through extraordinarily straightforward and indisputable arguments, he encouraged his fellow citizens to take control of America's future -- and, ultimately, her freedom. Nearly two and a half centuries later, those very freedoms once again hang in the balance. And now, Glenn Beck revisits Paine's powerful treatise with one purpose: to galvanize Americans to see past government's easy solutions, two-part monopoly, and illogical methods and take back our great country.

Glenn Beck, Glenn Beck (Author), Glenn Beck, Glenn Beck (Narrator)

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The Last Best Hope: Restoring Conservatism and America's Promise

In this groundbreaking book, Joe Scarborough tells Republican Party bosses what they don’t want to hear, explains why Democrats are making matters so much worse, and then shows leaders of both parties the way forward. The Last Best Hope draws on the forgotten genius of conservatism to offer a road map for the movement and the country. Delivering a searing indictment of the political leaders who have led us astray, Scarborough inspires conservatives to reclaim their heritage by drawing upon the strength of the movement’s rich history. With independent thinking and straight talk, Scarborough explains: • How Washington and Wall Street conspired to create the housing bubble that caused America’s financial meltdown • How the “candidate of change” has not only maintained but accelerated the reckless spending policies that led us to this historic economic collapse • How Washington’s bailout culture will cripple America’s future if left unchecked • How Barack Obama’s stimulus plan devolved into a socialist spending spree that would make FDR and LBJ shudder • And how conservatives need to take a closer look at Ronald Reagan’s political career before claiming his great legacy A fearlessly argued conservative manifesto that brings American conservatism into the twenty-first century, The Last Best Hope is a must-read for all who care about the direction America is heading.

Joe Scarborough (Author), Joe Scarborough (Narrator)

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Die Menschenrechte sind universell: Vorlesung

Am 10. Dezember 1948 verabschiedeten die noch jungen Vereinten Nationen die 'Allgemeine Erklärung der Menschenrechte', die zur Grundlage völkerrechtlich verbindlicher Verträge in Gestalt des sogenannten Zivil- und des Sozialpaktes und weiterer völkerrechtlicher Vereinbarungen wurde. Julian Nida-Rümelin erläutert in diesem Vortrag anlässlich des 60. Jubiläums die Genese der Menschenrechtsidee, und begründet in philosophischer, kultureller und politischer Hinsicht, in welchem Sinne die Menschenrechte universell gültig sind. Dabei wendet er sich gegen verbreitete 'Legenden': Menschenrechte sind keine ausschließlich westliche Errungenschaft und ihre universelle Geltung verlangt nicht nach einem gemeinsamen philosophischen Fundament. Eine Aufzeichnung eines Vortrages zum 60. Jubiläum der 'Allgemeinen Erklärung der Menschenrechte', Human Rights Watch, München.

Julian Nida-Rümelin (Author), Julian Nida-Rümelin (Narrator)

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Der Wert des Lebens: Vorlesung

Welchen Wert hat individuelles, menschliches Leben? Zunächst steht die subjektive Perspektive, in der wir Risiken für unser Leben eingehen und damit implizit eine Bewertung vornehmen. Diese subjektive Perspektive ist allerdings mit einer ganzen Reihe von Problemen verbunden, darunter dem, was überhaupt als vergleichbar gelten kann. Dem wird eine objektive Perspektive gegenüber gestellt, wonach das menschliche Leben extern betrachtet einen bestimmten Wert habe, was ebenfalls zu Aporien führt. Aufgrund dieses negativen Ergebnisses plädiert dann der Referent für eine deontologische Konzeption, die nicht auf den Wert des Lebens selbst, sondern auf die Regeln des Umgangs mit individuellem menschlichen Leben Wert legt, wobei die Autonomie der einzelnen Person, ihre Autoreigenschaft und Eigenverantwortung im Mittelpunkt stehen.

Julian Nida-Rümelin (Author), Julian Nida-Rümelin (Narrator)

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Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto

From conservative talk radio's fastest-growing superstar... New York Times bestselling phenomenon and author of the groundbreaking critique of the Supreme Court, Men in Black, and the deeply personal dog lover's memoir Rescuing Sprite, Mark R. Levin now delivers the work that characterizes both his devotion to his more than 5 million listeners and his love of our country and the legacy of our Founding Fathers: Liberty and Tyranny is Mark R. Levin's clarion call to conservative America, a new manifesto for the conservative movement for the 21st century. In the face of the modern liberal assault on Constitution-based values, an attack that has steadily snowballed since President Roosevelt's New Deal of the 1930s and resulted in a federal government that is a massive, unaccountable conglomerate, the time for re-enforcing the intellectual and practical case for conservatism is now. Conservative beliefs in individual freedoms do in the end stand for liberty for all Americans, while liberal dictates lead to the breakdown of civilized society -- in short, tyranny. Looking back to look to the future, Levin writes "conservatism is the antidote to tyranny precisely because its principles are our founding principles." And in a series of powerful essays, Levin lays out how conservatives can counter the liberal corrosion that has filtered into every timely issue affecting our daily lives, from the economy to healthcare, global warming, immigration, and more -- and illustrates how change, as seen through the conservative lens, is always prudent, and always an enhancement to individual freedom. As provocative, well-reasoned, robust, and informed as his on-air commentary, Levin's narrative will galvanize listeners to begin a new era in conservative thinking and action. Liberty and Tyranny provides a philosophical, historical, and practical framework for revitalizing the conservative vision and ensuring the preservation of American society.

Mark R. Levin (Author), Adam Grupper (Narrator)

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Invisible Hands: The Making of the Conservative Movement from the New Deal to Reagan

Starting in the mid-1930s, a handful of prominent American businessmen forged alliances with the aim of rescuing America—and their profit margins—from socialism and the "nanny state." Long before the "culture wars" usually associated with the rise of conservative politics, these driven individuals funded think tanks, fought labor unions, and formed organizations to market their views. These nearly unknown, larger-than-life, and sometimes eccentric personalities—such as General Electric's zealous, silver-tongued Lemuel Ricketts Boulware and the self-described "revolutionary" Jasper Crane of DuPont—make for a fascinating, behind-the-scenes view of American history. The winner of a prestigious academic award for her original research on this book, Kim Phillips-Fein is already being heralded as an important new young American historian. Her meticulous research and narrative gifts reveal the dramatic story of a pragmatic, step-by-step, check-by-check campaign to promote an ideological revolution—one that ultimately helped propel conservative ideas to electoral triumph.

Kim Phillips-Fein (Author), Lorna Raver (Narrator)

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The Lincoln-Douglas Debates

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates made history and changed its course through seven legendary match-ups between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas during the 1858 Illinois senatorial race. Although he lost the election, Lincoln's gift for oratory and his antislavery stance made him a nationally known figure, and led to his election to the presidency in 1860. Never before presented in audio, these debates and great statesmen are brought to life by narrators Richard Dreyfuss (Douglas) and David Strathairn (Lincoln). Perfectly timed for the Lincoln Bicentennial celebrations, The Lincoln-Douglas Debates provide a soundtrack to a nation discovering its better self.

Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Douglas (Author), David Strathairn, Richard Dreyfuss (Narrator)

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Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt

A sweeping, magisterial biography of the man generally considered the greatest president of the twentieth century, admired by Democrats and Republicans alike. Traitor to His Class sheds new light on FDR's formative years and on his remarkable willingness to champion the concerns of the poor and disenfranchised. His combination of political genius, firm leadership, and matchless diplomacy saved democracy in America during the Great Depression and championed the American cause of freedom in World War II. Drawing on archival materials, public speeches, personal correspondence, and accounts by family members and close associates, acclaimed bestselling historian and biographer H. W. Brands offers a compelling and intimate portrait of Roosevelt's life and career. Brands explores the powerful influence of FDR's dominating mother and the often tense and always unusual partnership between FDR and his wife, Eleanor, and her indispensable contributions to his presidency. Most of all, the book traces in breathtaking detail FDR's revolutionary efforts with his New Deal legislation to transform the American political economy in order to save it, his forceful-and cagey-leadership before and during World War II, and his lasting legacy in creating the foundations of the postwar international order. Traitor to His Class brilliantly captures the qualities that have made FDR a beloved figure to millions of Americans.

H. W. Brands, H.W. Brands (Author), Mark Deakins (Narrator)

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Traitor to His Class

A sweeping, magisterial biography of the man generally considered the greatest president of the twentieth century, admired by Democrats and Republicans alike. Traitor to His Class sheds new light on FDR's formative years, his remarkable willingness to champion the concerns of the poor and disenfranchised, his combination of political genius, firm leadership, and matchless diplomacy in saving democracy in America during the Great Depression and the American cause of freedom in World War II. Drawing on archival materials, public speeches, personal correspondence, and accounts by family and close associates, acclaimed bestselling historian and biographer H. W. Brands offers a compelling and intimate portrait of Roosevelt's life and career. Brands explores the powerful influence of FDR's dominating mother and the often tense and always unusual partnership between FDR and his wife, Eleanor, and her indispensable contributions to his presidency. Most of all, the book traces in breathtaking detail FDR's revolutionary efforts with his New Deal legislation to transform the American political economy in order to save it, his forceful-and cagey-leadership before and during World War II, and his lasting legacy in creating the foundations of the postwar international order. Traitor to His Class brilliantly captures the qualities that have made FDR a beloved figure to millions of Americans.

H. W. Brands, H.W. Brands (Author), Patrick Egan (Narrator)

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American Lion

Andrew Jackson, his intimate circle of friends, and his tumultuous times are at the heart of this remarkable book about the man who rose from nothing to create the modern presidency. Beloved and hated, venerated and reviled, Andrew Jackson was an orphan who fought his way to the pinnacle of power, bending the nation to his will in the cause of democracy. Jackson's election in 1828 ushered in a new and lasting era in which the people, not distant elites, were the guiding force in American politics. Democracy made its stand in the Jackson years, and he gave voice to the hopes and the fears of a restless, changing nation facing challenging times at home and threats abroad. To tell the saga of Jackson's presidency, acclaimed author Jon Meacham goes inside the Jackson White House. Drawing on newly discovered family letters and papers, he details the human drama-the family, the women, and the inner circle of advisers-that shaped Jackson's private world through years of storm and victory. One of our most significant yet dimly recalled presidents, Jackson was a battle-hardened warrior, the founder of the Democratic Party, and the architect of the presidency as we know it. His story is one of violence, sex, courage, and tragedy. With his powerful persona, his evident bravery, and his mystical connection to the people, Jackson moved the White House from the periphery of government to the center of national action, articulating a vision of change that challenged entrenched interests to heed the popular will-or face his formidable wrath. The greatest of the presidents who have followed Jackson in the White House-from Lincoln to Theodore Roosevelt to FDR to Truman-have found inspiration in his example, and virtue in his vision. Jackson was the most contradictory of men. The architect of the removal of Indians from their native lands, he was warmly sentimental and risked everything to give more power to ordinary citizens. He was, in short, a lot like his country: alternately kind and vicious, brilliant and blind; and a man who fought a lifelong war to keep the republic safe-no matter what it took. Jon Meacham in American Lion has delivered the definitive human portrait of a pivotal president who forever changed the American presidency-and America itself.

Jon Meacham (Author), Richard McGonagle (Narrator)

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The Bloody Crossroads: Where Literature and Politics Meet

This series of essays is concerned with authors who stand at "the bloody crossroads where literature and politics meet." Why "bloody"? Because writers' blood has often been shed when they boldly expressed their opinions, and some of their opinions have influenced political leaders to shed the blood of others. In his analysis of contemporary writers such as Orwell, Solzhenitsyn, and Camus, Podhoretz examines the literary and cultural sweep of the conflict between totalitarianism and the democratic West. He traces the roots of widespread unfriendly attitudes toward the United States and suggests why such opinion-holders are misguided and dangerous. He also shows why a peaceful coexistence with the communist regime is nonsense, but neither is war inevitable.

Norman Podhoretz (Author), Phillip J. Sawtelle (Narrator)

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The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Eliot

First published in 1953, this magnificent work will be remembered in ages to come as one of our century's most important legacies. Written during a time when liberalism was heralded as the only political and intellectual tradition in America, there is no doubt that this book is largely responsible for the rise of conservatism as a viable and credible creed. Kirk defines 'the conservative mind' by examining such brilliant men as Edmund Burke, James Fenimore Cooper, Alexis de Tocqueville, John Quincy Adams, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Benjamin Disraeli, Cardinal Newman, George Santayana, and finally, T.S. Eliot. Vigorously written, the book represents conservatism as an ideology born of sound intellectual traditions. "Kirk is assured a place of prominence in the intellectual histories for helping to define the ethical basis of conservatism. He has tried to pull conservatism away from the utilitarian premises of liberalism, toward which conservatism often veers, toward a philosophy rooted in ethics and culture."'Wall Street Journal

Russell Kirk (Author), Phillip Davidson (Narrator)

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History Audiobooks in TV & Radio