Historical Audiobooks

The Ancient Roman World

From the city of Pompeii-frozen in time by volcanic ash and lava-to the Coliseum's famed gladiators-treated like rock stars-ancient Rome had it all: Gods and Goddesses, infamous emperors, crippling warfare, and beautiful art. Spartacus, the famous gladiator and slave, led a revolt against a tyrannical government. Conspirators violently murdered emperor Julius Caesar. Virgil wrote epic poetry, and Jesus of Nazareth was proclaimed the messiah. Learn the stories behind the famous names, all backed by a variety of primary sources. Architectural ruins, ancient texts, and everyday items-like the iron collars used on slaves-show us how ancient Romans really lived. The Ancient Roman World focuses not only on the wars and government problems of the time, but also on the lives of common Romans. This intriguing and well-researched text written by a historian and a children's author provides a thorough understanding of everything you need to know about ancient Rome's rise and fall and will transport modern listeners back to the days of the Ceasars.

Marni McGee, Ronald Mellor (Author), Norm Lee (Narrator)

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A Boy of Heart Mountain: Based on and Inspired by the Experiences of Shigeru Yabu

The remarkable true story of a boy's resilience in the face of injustice. At the onset of World War II, nearly 120,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated in concentration camps. Shigeru Yabu, a young boy from San Francisco, was forced from his home and moved, with his family, to the Heart Mountain Relocation Camp in Wyoming. A Boy of Heart Mountain is a poignant coming-of-age story about how one ten-year-old Japanese American boy named Shig tried to make sense out of being imprisoned for several years on the prairie. Forced from his home, his school, his friends, and his beloved dog, Shig and his family have to figure out how to get by in this strange and unfriendly place. He learns about many things there. He learns about loss, and about love, and about loneliness. And he learns about how important it can be to have a good companion or two alongside you in bad times and good times.

Barbara Bazaldua (Author), Ova Saopeng (Narrator)

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Caesar Rodney's Ride: Eighty Miles for Freedom

On the afternoon of July 1, 1776, Caesar Rodney received a letter from a fellow Delaware delegate urging him to return to Philadelphia at once. The congress was on the verge of casting the vote for independence. Battling bad weather and physical handicaps, Caesar Rodney embarked on a journey that would change the course of history. Here is the dramatic story of that ride, set against the extraordinary events of July 1776, with the remarkable men who shaped them, including John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, John Dickinson, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, and Caesar Rodney. Jan Cheripko presents the burning issues of that time, the men who fought for them, and the story of the great patriot whose breakneck ride for freedom served to ensure the birth of the United States.

Jan Cheripko (Author), Richard Poe (Narrator)

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Let’s Go to the Beach: A History of Sun and Fun by the Sea

Did you know that women once wore corsets under their bathing suits? Or that “semi-drowning”—the strip and plunge practice—was thought to be good for one’s health? Or that Pudgy Stockton, the body-building queen of Muscle Beach, California, opened the country’s first gym for women? From the bathhouses of the ancient Greeks to Venice Beach and Coney Island, Let’s Go to the Beach takes a multifaceted and well-researched look at beaches and their attendant customs. The text explores such historical transformations as the evolution of the waterways from places of commerce to venues of health and recreation, as well as the bathing suit's revealing journey from full-body cover-up to string bikini. Information about environmental concerns (including beach safety and preservation), along with quirky facts and trivia, round out this intriguing volume. “[A] fun grab bag of history, trivia, and useful information…Fields reads with vivacity, sounding exactly like a beach enthusiast eager to share her passion.”—Publishers Weekly

Elizabeth Van Steenwyk (Author), Anna Fields (Narrator)

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Iron Rails, Iron Men, and the Race to Link the Nation

Just after gold fever swept the West-a time when people walked, sailed, or rode horses for months on end to seek their fortune-the question of faster, safer, more reliable transportation between America's East and West Coasts was posed by lawmakers and national leaders. But with 1,800 miles of seemingly impenetrable mountains, searing deserts, and endless plains between the Missouri River and San Francisco, could a transcontinental railroad be built? There were believers and there were doubters, but it was the visionaries and the doers-Theodore Judah, Grenville Dodge, Charles Crocker, James Strobridge-who made it happen. They established two railroad companies, the Central Pacific that laid the tracks eastward and the Union Pacific that moved west, setting the stage for a race between iron men with iron wills unlike anything any country had ever seen. Heroes and scoundrels populate the story of the transcontinental railroad. But it was the tens of thousands of workers who, against all odds and working almost entirely by hand, built the great road. They labored for more than six years blasting the longest tunnels that had ever been constructed, building the highest bridges that had ever been created, battling enormous snow drifts and blistering heat. And when the nation was finally linked by two bands of steel, America was changed forever.

Martin W. Sandler (Author), Grover Gardner (Narrator)

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Benjamin Franklin: Huge Pain in My...

FRANKLIN ISAAC SATURDAY HAS PROBLEMS. His name is Franklin, for one thing. His father's been relocated across the country, for another; and his mother's remarried to Dirk the Jerk. Middle school is proving to be one big weird popularity contest, and Ike doesn't know the rules-but it seems like everyone else sure does. The only bright spot in Ike's life is his beautiful and brilliant lab partner, Claire Wanzandae, his cherry blossom-scented longtime crush. But an extra-credit assignment changes everything. The assignment is simple: write a letter to a Famous Historical Person. Ike picks Benjamin Franklin, the dude he's named after. He even steals an old-timey stamp from Dirk the Jerk's collection for "bonus authenticity." Done. An easy-peasy five points added to his history grade. Then, to make Claire laugh, Ike mails the letter…and Ben Franklin writes back! Thus begins a most unlikely friendship. Ben's having problems with the other Founding Fathers similar to those Ike's having at school-maybe they can help each other. Or maybe Ben's wisdom will screw up Ike's life even more, and maybe Ike's advice will destroy the United States before the Declaration of Independence even gets signed. Forget being grounded and getting in with the in crowd-Ike has bigger problems now, like accidentally changing the course of history.

Adam Mansbach, Alan Zweibel (Author), Lauren Ezzo, Nick Podehl, Tom Parks (Narrator)

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Water Never Hurt a Man

This short story pulled from Seven American Stories, and originally published in Harper’s in 1930, is a classic of historical fiction.

Walter D. Edmonds (Author), Mark Turetsky (Narrator)

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Uncle Ben’s Whale

In this classic short story, Newbery Medal–winning author Walter D. Edmonds tells the story of Uncle Ben, who, free of his domineering wife for a spell, finds a whale in the bay while out with his friend Henry. When they bring it back with them, they discover they can earn a little cash by turning it into a side show attraction.

Walter D. Edmonds (Author), Mark Turetsky (Narrator)

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Cadmus Henry

Cadmus Henry, mounted on one of the finest mares in Virginia and perfectly turned out from head to toe, dreams of charging intrepidly into battle under the orders of General Lee himself. Unfortunately, young Cadmus can write and is therefore assigned to a desk. But when an unexpected chance to volunteer for scout duty presents itself, Cadmus jumps at it. He learns too late that that, rather than riding into battle and proving himself a hero, he will be floating over enemy lines in a balloon. Despite his reservations, Cadmus sets out on what proves to be a fine adventure. With plenty of excitement and tender moments, Newbery Medal winner Walter D. Edmonds’ Cadmus Henry is a well-crafted tale for readers young and old. “Written with verve and insight, characterized by superior craftsmanship and sound historical knowledge, this story ranks among the best of the author’s works.”—New York Times

Walter D. Edmonds (Author), Mark Turetsky (Narrator)

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The Assassins of Rome: The Roman Mysteries #4

It is A.D. 79. In Ostia, near Rome, Flavia Gemina and her three friends, Nubia, Lupus, and Jonathan, are celebrating Jonathan's birthday. Then a visitor from the past arrives to see Jonathan's father. The next day, the visitor has disappeared, and so has Jonathan. When the three friends discover that Jonathan has gone on a secret mission to Rome, they immediately follow him. Their journey takes them to the Golden House of the Emperor Nero, where a deadly assassin is at work, and brings them face-to-face with the terrible destruction of Jerusalem.

Caroline Lawrence (Author), Justine Eyre (Narrator)

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Freaks: Alive, on the Inside!

Annette Curtis Klause is the ALA Award-winning author of Alien Secrets and AudioFile Earphones Award winner Blood and Chocolate. In this unique fantasy tale set in 1899, teenaged Abel Dandy lives with his parents in Faeryland, a community of human oddities. Abel, who is normal, runs away. But when he gets mixed up with the wicked Dr. Mink and his traveling freak show, dark and dangerous secrets emerge that change Abel's life forever.

Annette Klause (Author), Ramon de Ocampo (Narrator)

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A Madness So Discreet

Grace Mae knows madness. She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum. When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past. In this beautifully twisted historical thriller, Mindy McGinnis, acclaimed author of Not a Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust, explores the fine line between sanity and insanity, good and evil—and the madness that exists in all of us.

Mindy McGinnis (Author), Brittany Pressley (Narrator)

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