Historical Audiobooks

Trajectory

"The stirring and dramatic story of one young woman who must find a way to overcome her deepest fears in order to unlock the secret that will help America and the Allies to victory as World War II rages on. Seventeen-year-old Eleanor is nothing like her hero Eleanor Roosevelt. She is timid and all together uncertain that she has much to offer the world. And as World War II rages overseas, Eleanor is consumed with worry for her Jewish relatives in Europe. When a chance encounter proves her to be a one-in-a-generation math whiz--a fact she has worked hard all her life to hide--Eleanor gets recruited by the US Army and entrusted with the ultimate challenge: to fine-tune a top-secret weapon that will help America defeat its enemies in World War II and secure the world's freedom. This could be her chance to help save her family in Poland. Soon, she's swept from the basement of an Ivy League engineering school, to the desert of California, to an Army Air Corps base at Pearl Harbor, and finally she takes to the skies above the South Pacific. But before she can solve this complicated problem, she must learn to unlock a bigger mystery: herself. Critically acclaimed author of The Poetry of Secrets, Cambria Gordon weaves an extraordinary story of remarkable courage and the will to unearth our deepest secrets, based on previously undiscovered true events."

Cambria Gordon (Author), Meredith Zeitlin (Narrator)

Audiobook

[German] - Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) - Leben, Werk, Bedeutung - Basiswissen (ungekürzt)

"Franz Joseph Haydn - Prägender Komponist der Wiener Klassik, Freund Wolfgang Amadeus Mozarts und Lehrer Ludwig van Beethovens Der Autor und Herausgeber Bert Alexander Petzold nimmt uns mit auf eine faktenreiche Kulturreise und erläutert verständlich, unterhaltsam und strukturiert Basiswissen zu Leben und Werk des stilprägenden Komponisten der Wiener Klassik Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809). Der Österreicher Franz Joseph Haydn, geboren 1732 in Rohrau, stammte aus bescheidenen Familienverhältnissen. Bereits als Sechsjähriger wurde sein Talent erkannt und intensiv gefördert, jedoch litt er unter seinem strengen Lehrer und der mangelnden Versorgung. Nach neun Jahren als Chorknabe in Wien und intensiver Ausbildung an Klavier und Violine wirkte Haydn als freischaffender Musiker. Zehn Jahre lang arbeitete er in äußerst unterschiedlichen Anstellungen wie Kammerdiener, Reisebegleiter und Klavierlehrer. Dabei verfeinerte er permanent seine musikalischen Techniken an Instrumenten und beim Komponieren. Etwa 1758 wurde er Kapellmeister bei Graf Karl von Morzin bei Pilsen. Die Ehe mit Maria Anna Theresia Keller im Jahre 1760 brachte finanzielle Sicherheit, war jedoch unharmonisch und kinderlos. Haydn trat 1761 in die Dienste des wohlhabenden Fürsten Esterházy de Galantha in Eisenstadt ein und erlebte in den Folgejahren eine kreative Blütezeit. Seine Innovationen der Kompositionstechniken bei Sinfonien und Streichquartetten setzten fortan neue Maßstäbe. Haydns Ruf wuchs ebenso international, vor allem durch seine Konzertreisen nach London. Trotz des überwältigenden Erfolgs in der britischen Hauptstadt lehnte er das Angebot ab, dauerhaft dort zu leben. Seine Rückkehr nach Wien und der Auftrag für die österreichische Kaiserhymne, welche später mit verändertem Text in die deutsche Nationalhymne einging, waren weitere Schaffenshöhepunkte. Ebenso prägten die Freundschaft mit Mozart und die Begegnungen mit Beethoven spätere Werke. Bis ins hohe Alter komponierend, erhielt erhielt der 'Vater' der klassischen Sinfonie und des Streichquartetts zwar huldvolle Würdigungen, doch litt er zunehmend unter gesundheitlichen Problemen und zog sich ins Private zurück. Im Alter von 77 Jahren starb er 1809 im von der französischen Armee besetzten Wien. Franz Joseph Haydns Einfluss auf die Musikgeschichte ist enorm. Gemeinsam mit Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart und Ludwig van Beethoven bildet er das Dreigestirn der Wiener Klassik. Seine beliebten Sinfonien, Streichquartette sowie die zwei Oratorien 'Die Schöpfung' und 'Die Jahreszeiten' sind für ihre Originalität und Experimentierfreude bekannt. Sie gelten bis heute als absolute Meisterwerke der Klassik und werden daher ebenso in unseren Tagen weltweit aufgeführt. Das Hörbuch liest der Opernsänger, Schauspieler und erfahrene Sprecher Michael Seeboth mit ausdrucksstarker Stimme."

Bert Alexander Petzold (Author), Michael Seeboth (Narrator)

Audiobook

[German] - Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) - Leben, Werk, Bedeutung - Basiswissen (ungekürzt)

"Antonio Vivaldi - Katholischer Priester und bedeutender Violinist des Barocks Der Venezianer Antonio Vivaldi trug mit seinen virtuosen und schwungvollen Stücken maßgeblich zur Weiterentwicklung der europäischen Instrumentalmusik bei. Werke wie 'Die Vier Jahreszeiten' sind bis heute weltweit beliebt. Der Autor und Herausgeber Bert Alexander Petzold nimmt uns mit auf eine faktenreiche Kulturreise und erläutert verständlich, unterhaltsam und strukturiert Basiswissen zu Leben und Werk des innovativen italienischen Barockkomponisten Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741). Antonio Lucio Vivaldi wurde 1678 als Sohn eines Musikers in Venedig geboren. Sein Vater war im Musikleben der Stadt, welche eines der führenden europäischen Zentren für Kunst und Kultur war, gut vernetzt. Der talentierte Antonio erlernte früh das Geigenspiel und begann eine Laufbahn als Violinist. Mit 15 Jahren trat Vivaldi in geistliche Dienste, erhielt die Tonsur und zehn Jahre später die Priesterweihe. Gleichzeitig verfolgte er eine musikalische Karriere, als er eine Anstellung als 'maestro di violino' im Waisenhaus in Venedig annahm. Dort unterrichtete er Violine, Cello und Viola da Gamba, verwaltete Instrumente und komponierte bis 1740 Werke für Orchester und Chor. Vivaldi veröffentlichte 1711 die wegweisende Konzertsammlung 'L'estro armonico', die ihm europaweite Bekanntheit verschaffte. Weitere erfolgreiche Werke folgten, darunter 'La stravaganza'. Parallel dazu widmete er sich der italienischen Oper, komponierte eigene Stücke und wirkte in Venedig als Konzertmeister und Intendant. 1718 wurde Vivaldi Kapellmeister in Mantua, kehrte jedoch bereits nach drei Jahren Richtung Venedig zurück. Seine Konzertreisen durch Europa, begleitet von der Sängerin Anna Giró, ermöglichten ihm lukrative Aufführungen in vielen verschiedenen Städten und brachten ihm große Anerkennung. Zeitweise galt er als bekanntester Musiker Europas und beeinflusste sogar Johann Sebastian Bach, der Vivaldis Werke für das Orgelspiel transkribierte. 1725 veröffentlichte Vivaldi 'Le quattro stagioni', Teil der Sammlung 'Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione', die weltberühmt wurde. Doch seine Karriere erlebte Rückschläge in den 1730er-Jahren, als er sich zunächst wieder auf die italienische Oper konzentrierte und vergeblich versuchte, an frühere Erfolge anzuknüpfen, weil sich der Musikgeschmack der Venezianer geändert hatte. 1740 entschied sich Vivaldi daher, nach Wien zu ziehen, um einen Neuanfang zu wagen. Die Hoffnung auf abermaligen Erfolg wurde enttäuscht und sein Gesundheitszustand verschlechterte sich rapide. Er starb verarmt und vergessen im Sommer 1741 in Wien. Vivaldis knapp 500 Werke gerieten zunächst in Vergessenheit, wurden später im 20. Jahrhundert wiederentdeckt, anschließend immer populärer und gehören heute weltweit zum Kernrepertoire der Klassik. Das Hörbuch liest der Opernsänger, Schauspieler und erfahrene Sprecher Michael Seeboth mit ausdrucksstarker Stimme."

Bert Alexander Petzold (Author), Michael Seeboth (Narrator)

Audiobook

Fort Henry: The History of the Union’s First Major Victory in the West during the Civil War

"While the Lincoln Administration and most Northerners were preoccupied with trying to capture Richmond in the summer of 1861, it would be the little-known Ulysses S. Grant who delivered the Union’s first major victories, over a thousand miles away from Washington. Grant’s new commission led to his command of the District of Southeast Missouri, headquartered at Cairo, after he was appointed by “The Pathfinder”, John C. Fremont, a national celebrity who had run for President in 1856. Fremont was one of many political generals that Lincoln was saddled with, and his political prominence ensured he was given a prominent command as commander of the Department of the West early in the war before running so afoul of the Lincoln Administration that he was court-martialed. In January of 1862, Grant persuaded General Henry “Old Brains” Halleck to allow his men to launch a campaign on the Tennessee River. As soon as Halleck acquiesced, Grant moved against Fort Henry, in close coordination with the naval command of Flag Officer Andrew Hull Foote. The combination of infantry and naval bombardment helped force the capitulation of Fort Henry on February 6, 1862, and the surrender of Fort Henry was followed immediately by an attack on Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River, which earned Grant his famous nickname “Unconditional Surrender”. Grant’s forces enveloped the Confederate garrison at Fort Donelson, which included Confederate generals Simon Buckner, John Floyd, and Gideon Pillow. In one of the most bungled operations of the war, the Confederate generals tried and failed to open an escape route by attacking Grant’s forces on February 15. Although the initial assault was successful, General Pillow inexplicably chose to have his men pull back into their trenches, ostensibly so they could take more supplies before their escape. Instead, they simply lost all the ground they had taken, and the garrison was cut off yet again."

Jonathan Gianos-Steinberg (Author), Jim Walsh (Narrator)

Audiobook

Fort Donelson: The History of the Victory that Earned Ulysses S. Grant the Nickname “Unconditional S

"In January of 1862, Grant persuaded General Henry “Old Brains” Halleck to allow his men to launch a campaign on the Tennessee River. As soon as Halleck acquiesced, Grant moved against Fort Henry, in close coordination with the naval command of Flag Officer Andrew Hull Foote. The combination of infantry and naval bombardment helped force the capitulation of Fort Henry on February 6, 1862, and the surrender of Fort Henry was followed immediately by an attack on Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River, which earned Grant his famous nickname “Unconditional Surrender”. Grant’s forces enveloped the Confederate garrison at Fort Donelson, which included Confederate generals Simon Buckner, John Floyd, and Gideon Pillow. In one of the most bungled operations of the war, the Confederate generals tried and failed to open an escape route by attacking Grant’s forces on February 15. Although the initial assault was successful, General Pillow inexplicably chose to have his men pull back into their trenches, ostensibly so they could take more supplies before their escape. Instead, they simply lost all the ground they had taken, and the garrison was cut off yet again. During the early morning hours of February 16, the garrison’s generals held one of the Civil War’s most famous councils of war. Over the protestations of cavalry officer Nathan Bedford Forrest, who insisted the garrison could escape, the three generals agreed to surrender their army, but none of them wanted to be the fall guy. General Floyd was worried that the Union might try him for treason if he was taken captive, so he turned command of the garrison over to General Pillow and escaped with two of his regiments. Pillow had the same concern and turned command over to General Buckner before escaping. Despite all of these successful escapes, General Buckner decided to surrender to Grant, and when asked for terms of surrender, Grant replied, “No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender.” "

Jonathan Gianos-Steinberg (Author), Jim Walsh (Narrator)

Audiobook

First Bull Run: The History of the Civil War’s First Major Battle

"After the Battle of Fort Sumter in April 1861 ignited the Civil War, many in the North expected a relatively quick victory, including President Abraham Lincoln. While that seems naïve in hindsight, given the knowledge that the war lasted over four years, these expectations seemed entirely realistic at the time due to the Union’s overwhelming economic advantages over the South. At the start of the war, the Union had a population of over 22 million, whereas the South had a population of 9 million, nearly 4 million of whom were slaves. Union states contained 90% of the manufacturing capacity of the country and 97% of the weapon manufacturing capacity. Union states also possessed over 70% of the total railroads in the pre-war United States at the start of the war, and the Union also controlled 80% of the shipbuilding capacity of the pre-war United States. McDowell’s strategy during the First Battle of Bull Run was grand, and in many ways it was the forerunner of a tactic Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and James Longstreet executed brilliantly on nearly the same field during the Second Battle of Bull Run in August 1862. McDowell’s plan called for parts of his army to pin down General P.G.T. Beauregard’s Confederate soldiers in front while marching another wing of his army around the flank and into the enemy’s rear, rolling up the line. McDowell assumed the Confederates would be forced to abandon Manassas Junction and fall back to the next defensible line, the Rappahannock River. In July 1861, however, this proved far too difficult for his inexperienced troops to carry out effectively. As the first major land battle of the Civil War, the First Battle of Bull Run made history in several ways. The two sides fought near the railroad junction at Manassas on July 21, 1861, just 25 miles away from Washington, which was close enough for many civilians from the nation’s capital to come and watch what they expected to be a rout of Confederate forces."

Jonathan Gianos-Steinberg (Author), Jim Walsh (Narrator)

Audiobook

[Spanish] - Como alma jamás

"La historia de una relación prohibida en una Europa en la que el amor escandaliza más que el odio. En la Inglaterra de 1936, el aristócrata Lewis Ellsworth se contenta con algunos encuentros sexuales lejos de los círculos de la alta sociedad. Por eso, cuando tropieza con William Chase durante su segundo año en Cambridge, no espera que éste entre en su vida como un tornado capaz de trastocarla por completo. Ambos se dejan llevar por el arte, la literatura, las emociones y las ambiciones. Pero en una época en la que ni al Rey se le permite escoger de quién se enamora, Lewis y Will deben vivir un amor diferente, oculto a los ojos del mundo. Júrame que siempre serás mi espera y yo te juro que siempre seré tu retorno."

Rossana Soldano (Author), Diego Rousselon, íñigo Montero (Narrator)

Audiobook

[Arabic] - أيام المماليك: 'حكايات المذابح والعروش من الصعلكة إلي كرسي الحكم'

"'يسرد هذا الكتاب فترة حرجة من تاريخ مصر والعرب، يغوص في التفاصيل الخاصة لدولة المماليك، من بداية نشأتها وكيف وصل المماليك إلى الحكم وسيطروا على الدولة، بعد زمن من التشرد والرق وخبرة المعارك والحروب، وماذا فعلوا في هذه الدولة الكبيرة، حسناتهم وسيئاتهم، والمذابح التي بدأت بينهم في الصراع على الحكم .. يحكي الكتاب عن أحداث نادرة في مرحلة اضمحلال وانتهاء دولة المماليك بمفهومها المتعارف عليه حتى آخر مذبحة تمت لهم في القلعة على يد محمد علي باشا، لتبدأ بعدها مرحلة جديدة في تشكيل الدولة المصرية المعاصرة.'"

محمد أمير (Author), أحمد عنتر (Narrator)

Audiobook

Paul Martin and the legend of Rudolph: the legend of Rudolph

"An ancient legend, a dreadful secret that will someday become reality and destroy the liar. A little girl, turned out to be stronger than the mighty demon. The answer always lies within the question, and the end of the story is right where it began!"

Georges Alexander Vagan (Author), Barney Cooper (Narrator)

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Brandy Station and the March to Gettysburg: The History of the Confederate Invasion of Pennsylvania

"As Lee’s army moved into Pennsylvania, Stuart’s cavalry screened his movements, thereby engaging in the more traditional cavalry roles, but it’s widely believed that he was still smarting over the results of June 9. As a result, many historians think it likely that he had already planned to remove the negative effect of Brandy Station by duplicating one of his now famous rides around the enemy army, much as he did to McClellan’s Army of the Potomac during the Peninsula Campaign in 1862. This time, however, as Lee began his march north through the Shenandoah Valley in western Virginia, it is highly unlikely that is what he wanted or expected. To complicate matters even more, as Stuart set out on June 25 on what was probably a glory-seeking mission, he was unaware that his intended path was blocked by columns of Union infantry that would invariably force him to veer farther east than he or Lee had anticipated. Ultimately, his decision would prevent him from linking up with Ewell as ordered and deprive Lee of his primary cavalry force as he advanced deeper and deeper into unfamiliar enemy territory. According to Halsey Wigfall (son of Confederate States Senator Louis Wigfall) who was in Stuart’s infantry, “Stuart and his cavalry left [Lee’s] army on June 24 and did not contact [his] army again until the afternoon of July 2, the second day of the [Gettysburg] battle.” As it would turn out, Lee’s army inadvertently stumbled into Union cavalry and then the Union army at Gettysburg on the morning of July 1, 1863, unaware of the force in their front. From July 1-3, Lee’s army tried everything in its power to decisively defeat George Meade’s Union Army of the Potomac, unleashing ferocious assaults that inflicted nearly 50,000 casualties in all. Lee would try and fail to dislodge the Union army with attacks on both of its flanks during the second day and Pickett’s Charge on the third and final day. "

Charles River Editors (Author), Jim Walsh (Narrator)

Audiobook

Lady of Disguise: A Medieval Inspirational Fairytale

"Readers who love the fairytale charm of Melanie Dickerson, and the historical richness of Philippa Gregory and Bernard Cornwell, will be drawn into this riveting tale of courage, romance, and hidden treasures. Feel the tension and intrigue as a brave and determined young woman embarks on an adventurous journey to unearth the legendary 'Giant's Treasure' in Melanie Dickerson's Lady of Disguise. Only the hidden treasure will allow Louisa and her sister to gain their freedom. England, 1388: All her life, Louisa has dreamed of finding the rumored 'Giant's Treasure,' a collection of ancient, lost riches said to be hidden on a mountaintop in Scotland, guarded by a fierce monster. It's a story her father used to tell her, and when he dies and she and her younger sister have to go live with their shiftless, greedy uncle, Louisa is determined to find that treasure. It's the hope that has kept her defying her uncle's efforts to marry her off to the highest bidder. After her uncle starts to parade Louisa's twelve-year-old sister Margaret in front of potential husbands, Louisa realizes she has no time to waste. She disguises herself as a boy and takes off for Scotland. But the road is a harsher place than she'd imagined, and she is relieved to find a friend in the knight, Sir Charles, who goes along with her on her journey. Charles is intrigued by this young woman who claims her name is 'Jack' and is set on going to Scotland. He goes along, pretending to believe she is a boy, in order to make sure nothing bad happens to her. As they meet new friends along the road, and as Louisa comes clean about her identity, the pair find themselves falling in love. But what will happen when they reach Scotland? Will they find their independence and the freedom to marry in the form of a buried treasure, or will the monster from Louisa's own past keep the young couple apart? A delightfully charming reimagining of 'Jack and the Beanstalk' from New York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson that beautifully interweaves strong faith-based elements with an engaging YA story about a girl determined to save her family. The book's emphasis on resilience, integrity, and the power of faith will inspire and prompt readers to consider life's deeper meanings and purposes, making it an excellent read for those seeking books that encourage contemplation and conversations about values and moral lessons. Part of the Dericott series: Book 1: Court of Swans; Book 2: Castle of Refuge; Book 3: Veil of Winter; Book 4: Fortress of Snow; Book 5: Cloak of Scarlet; Book 6: Lady of Disguise"

Melanie Dickerson (Author), Jude Mason (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Suffragist's Guide to the Antarctic

"Two starred reviews! A teen's fight for suffrage turns into one of survival when her crew's Antarctic expedition ship gets stuck in the ice in this historical "gripping—and sometimes gut-wrenching—adventure tale" (Shelf Awareness, starred review) told in journal entries perfect for fans of Gary Paulsen and The Downstairs Girl. November 1914. Clara Ketterling-Dunbar is one of twenty-eight crew members of The Resolute—a ship meant for an Antarctic expedition now marooned on an ice floe one hundred miles from the shore of the continent. An eighteen-year-old American, Clara has told the crew she's twenty-one years old and Canadian. Since the war broke out, sentiment toward Americans has not been the most favorable, and Clara will be underestimated enough simply for being a woman without also giving away just how young she is. Two members of the crew know her nationality, but no one knows the truth of her activities in England before The Resolute set sail. She and her suffragist sisters in the Women's Social & Political Union were waging war of a different kind in London. They taught Clara to fight. And now, even marooned on the ice, she won't stop fighting for women's rights…or for survival. In the wilderness of Antarctica, Clara is determined to demonstrate what a woman is truly capable of—if the crew will let her."

Yi Shun Lai (Author), Jade Wheeler (Narrator)

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