Audio Books
Showing 101–150 of 2033 results
A Selection of Australian Poetry and Prose
A collection of Australian writing from the public domain.
A to Zed Collection Vol. 002
This is a collection of 26 selections, both fiction and nonfiction, in which each topic begins with a different letter of the alphabet.
A-Birding on a Bronco
Florence Augusta Merriam Bailey was an American ornithologist and nature writer. She started observing bird behavior at a time when most bird study was based on collections and skins. By 1885, she began to write articles focusing on protecting birds. Her introduction of a birdwatching field guide, aimed at living birds, is considered the first in the tradition of modern bird guides. She wrote the first of these at the age of 26, initially as a series of notes in the Audubon Magazine and later as books. In “A-Birding on a Bronco,” she writes an engaging memoir about her several trips to study birds on a ranch in California in the late 1800’s.
Aaron Trow
What is it like to be a fox hunted by hounds? We find out through the senses of an escaped convict as he struggles to free himself from would-be captors. The struggle is brutal. In the end, we are left wondering which person really wins–the pursued or the pursuer. Or perhaps which one is now the pursuer, which the pursued. – Summary by Bill Boerst
Aaron’s Rod
Flutist Aaron Sisson is caught up in the aftermath of WWI. A lost soul, he attempts to find himself in the comfort of bar-room talk and alcohol and a woman. Moving on, he spends time with a mining executive’s relatives. But he finds the family a stuffy middle-class lot, bored with each other and themselves. He leaves his wife and children and strikes out for the open road. During a playing engagement at an opera performance, he reunites with the mining executive’s family. Talk is of love and war, none of it very satisfying to anyone. At dinner with one of the women, Aaron reveals that he is indifferent to most things in life and just wants to be left alone. So it goes with this lost soul among lost souls. One wonders how he will ever find himself or happiness. – Summary by Bill Boerst
Abaft The Funnel
“Men in pajamas sitting abaft the funnel and swapping lies of the purple seas.” Thirty one early short stories by the master story teller Kipling. (Summary by David Wales and title page)
Abandoned
We meet Miss Lucretia Lane as she is dressing for her marriage to Captain Francis Reynolds of the British Merchant Service. Though he loves her truly, she has severe misgivings. She goes through with the wedding in spite of this, but refuses to live with her new husband, and cannot be enticed or cajoled to do so. Then on the day the Captain is scheduled to ship out, she receives word that he has been gravely injured and his dying request is to see his wife. She flies to his side… and thus begins an adventure spanning eight years – love, loathing, shipwreck, love lost, and redemption. (Summary by P. Cunningham and Nadine Eckert-Boulet)
Abandoned
Explorers in a hot-air balloon land on an island, figuring that they must be the only inhabitants. However, they discover a bullet inside a wounded animal–one which must have been fired within the previous three months. The men propose to build a canoe so they can survey the island in search of other human life. Many adventures follow, one after another. They find a large chest filled with provisions and tools. Setting off in search of who might have left the chest, the travelers make their way through the Mercy River to the sea. During their trek, the men find remnants of the balloon they arrived in. Back at camp (Granite House) they find their ladder to the house has been removed–by invading orangutans. Soon the animals are defeated, except for one, whom they tame to become a house servant. The men construct a bridge over the river. They protect their abode by surrounding it on all sides with water. They undertake projects to make their colony habitable and comfortable. They create a hydraulic lift to replace the ladder. They build a seagoing boat for further exploration. Eventually they discover another human on Tabor Island, bringing him back to their now-well-stocked colony. (Bill Boerst) In other translations this book is part of “The Mysterious Island”.
Abbotsford and Newstead Abbey
Although this book may not have the immediately recognizable title of, say, ?Rip Van Winkle? or ?Legend of Sleepy Hollow,? this book deserves its place among the pantheon of Washington Irving?s classics. Irving, who traveled extensively in his youth and throughout his life, was given a firsthand look into the lives of two great writers of the Empire: Sir Walter Scott and Lord Byron. Irving first chronicles his visit to Abbotsford, the home of Sir Walter Scott, whom he notes had not, at the time of his stay, yet received his title of ?baronet.? Scott gives Irving a personal tour not only of his home but of the surrounding neighborhoods and landmarks that are a part of Abbotsford. We get a unique glimpse into the private life of the celebrated writer and the reverence the people of his time held him in. Irving next moves on to Newstead Abbey, the home of the then-late Lord Byron. His travels are guided by Colonel Wildman, the individual who purchased Newstead Abbey following Byron?s death, and who restored the building to its former glory. In this portion of the book we learn of the fantastic and bizarre Byron family and its connection to Robin Hood and the famed locales of Sherwood Forest and Nottingham. Few American writers gained famed for their extensive work outside of the United States. Washington Irving was unique in many respects, not the least of which was his enthusiastic curiosity of the ?homeland? of so many Americans who were born literally around the time America was. His detailed writings of life in the early 19th century and the changes that were already taking over the more rural areas, can?t help but make one yearn for the even simpler times prior to his visit. (Summary by Greg Giordano)
ABC of Vegetable Gardening
This how-to book includes chapters on getting ready, mapping the garden, planting, seeds, early work, house plants, fruits, hot beds and cold frames, and small gardens. There is even a chapter “expressly for women.” – Summary by Bill Boerst
Abe and Mawruss: Being Further Adventures of Potash and Perlmutter
Montague Glass was a lawyer who eventually abandoned the practice of law to write full time. He wrote a series of stories in the New York Post about a pair of popular characters in the predominantly Jewish garment trade. Many of the plots were derived from trade problems he saw as a lawyer. This is the second book of the collected stories; his Potash and Perlmutter stories were also made into stage plays and even movies that were very popular in their time. – Summary by ToddHW
Abide in Christ
Towards the close of his ministry on earth, Jesus taught his disciples of the need for them to abide in Him. This word “abide” speaks of the intimacy of fellowship with the Master to which his followers are still invited. Andrew Murray wrote this series of meditations, which he subtitled “Thoughts on the Blessed Life of Fellowship with the Son of God”, out of a conviction that many believers are missing out on something that is really at the heart of a healthy Christian life. The author explains that many, although they trust the Lord for forgiveness and help, have yet to experience the blessing of a day by day and hour by hour walk with the Lord, and therefore are not enjoying the power, the joy and the fruitfulness that is available to each one. He shows how, by taking the time to live closer to Jesus, we may move into a deeper and stronger Christian experience. (Summary by Christopher Smith)
Abigail Adams and Her Times
This is a young person’s biography of Abigail Adams that will appeal to readers of all ages. In the author’s own words, “I am not writing a history; far from it. I am merely throwing on the screen, in the fashion of today, a few scenes to make a background for my little pen-picture-play. ” – Summary by Ciufi Galeazzi
About Orchids, a Chat
This is not a manual of instruction for orchid growers; though there are many hints on cultivation, and a few paragraphs on how to hybridize. The author is just an enthusiastic amateur orchid lover. He takes the reader on a wander through the dangers and consequences of hunting orchids in the tropical jungles of the nineteenth century, and chats about the extreme peculiarities of orchid growth, behaviour and structure, colouring the essays with his own experiences and with his delight in cultivating these beautiful plants. Beware! A new hobby beckons! (Summary by Peter Yearsley)
Above Lavender Bay
LibriVox volunteers bring you 14 recordings of Above Lavender Bay by Henry Lawson. This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for January 10, 2021. —— Henry Archibald Hertzberg Lawson was an Australian writer and bush poet. Along with his contemporary Banjo Paterson, Lawson is among the best-known Australian poets and fiction writers of the colonial period and is often called Australia’s “greatest short story writer”. This poem is taken from The Skyline Riders and Other Verses By Henry Lawson (1910) – Summary by Wikipedia
Above Life’s Turmoil
The turmoil of the world we cannot avoid, but the disturbances of mind we can overcome. The duties and difficulties of life claim our attention, but we can rise above all anxiety concerning them. Surrounded by noise, we can yet have a quiet mind; involved in responsibilities, the heart can be at rest; in the midst of strife, we can know the abiding peace. The twenty pieces which comprise this book, unrelated as some of them are in the letter, will be found to be harmonious in the spirit, in that they point the reader towards those heights of self-knowledge and self-conquest which, rising above the turbulence of the world, lift their peaks where the Heavenly Silence reigns. (Summary from the book)
Above the French Lines
A collection of letters written by Stuart Walcott while training to be an aviator in France to prepare for combat. Walcott died in his first aerial combat after first downing a German bi-plane. – Summary by KevinS
Abraham Lincoln and the Abolition of Slavery in the United States
The book is a biography of Abraham Lincoln with emphasis on how his personality and beliefs impacted the history of the American Emancipation and its causes. The book is very well written, easy to read and includes incredible historical information being written by a man who was there during the civil war. He even fought in the war and was able to add his insight into the happenings from his own perspective. This book would add knowledge to anyone who really wants to know the truth about Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. – Summary by philip chenevert
Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight
LibriVox volunteers bring you 9 different recordings of Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight by Vachel Lindsay. This was the weekly poetry project for the week of February 18th, 2007.
Abraham Lincoln: A Commemoration ? 15 April 2015
April 14-15th, 2015, is the 150th year anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln?s assassination. This is a collection of pieces to mark that occasion. Whitman?s poems, written shortly after the death, express his intense grief. Here are prose pieces that Whitman composed in the years following. Included too are three other eulogies regarded by Lincoln scholars as among the best, as well as a narrative from one of the doctors who attended the dying president and two speeches in the British Parliament. And finally three of the President?s finest compositions. ( summary by david wales)
Abraham Lincoln: A History (Volume 1)
This is the biography of Abraham Lincoln, written by two of his private secretaries. (Summary by ashleighjane)
Abraham Lincoln: A History (Volume 10)
Abraham Lincoln: A History is an 1890 ten-volume account of the life and times of Abraham Lincoln, written by John Nicolay and John Hay, who were his personal secretaries during the American Civil War. Volume 10 chronicles Lincoln’s life in early 1865, including his assassination and the events following. (Summary adapted from wikipedia by Ann Boulais)
Abraham Lincoln: A History (Volume 2)
Abraham Lincoln: A History is an 1890 ten-volume account of the life and times of Abraham Lincoln, written by John Nicolay and John Hay, who were his personal secretaries during the American Civil War. Volume 2 chronicles Lincoln’s life from 1856-1860. – Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Ann Boulais
Abraham Lincoln: A History (Volume 3)
Abraham Lincoln: A History is an 1890 ten-volume account of the life and times of Abraham Lincoln, written by John Nicolay and John Hay, who were his personal secretaries during the American Civil War. Volume 3 chronicles Lincoln’s life from his election in 1860 through April, 1861. ( Summary adapted from wikipedia by Ann Boulais)
Abraham Lincoln: A History (Volume 4)
Abraham Lincoln: A History is an 1890 ten-volume account of the life and times of Abraham Lincoln, written by John Nicolay and John Hay, who were his personal secretaries during the American Civil War. Volume 4 chronicles Lincoln’s life from April to November 1861. ( Summary adapted from wikipedia by Ann Boulais)
Abraham Lincoln: A History (Volume 5)
Abraham Lincoln: A History is an 1890 ten-volume account of the life and times of Abraham Lincoln, written by John Nicolay and John Hay, who were his personal secretaries during the American Civil War. Volume 5 chronicles Lincoln’s life from November 1861 through August 1862. (Summary adapted from wikipedia by Ann Boulais)
Abraham Lincoln: A History (Volume 6)
Abraham Lincoln: A History is an 1890 ten-volume account of the life and times of Abraham Lincoln, written by John Nicolay and John Hay, who were his personal secretaries during the American Civil War. Volume 6 chronicles Lincoln’s life in early 1862. (Summary adapted from wikipedia by Ann Boulais)
Abraham Lincoln: A History (Volume 7)
Abraham Lincoln: A History is an 1890 ten-volume account of the life and times of Abraham Lincoln, written by John Nicolay and John Hay, who were his personal secretaries during the American Civil War. Volume 7 chronicles Lincoln’s life from 1862, including the major battles in the American Civil War that year. (Summary adapted from wikipedia by Ann Boulais)
Abraham Lincoln: A History (Volume 8)
Abraham Lincoln: A History is an 1890 ten-volume account of the life and times of Abraham Lincoln, written by John Nicolay and John Hay, who were his personal secretaries during the American Civil War. Volume 8 chronicles Lincoln’s life from 1862 to 1863. (Summary adapted from wikipedia by Ann Boulais)
Abraham Lincoln: A History (Volume 9)
Abraham Lincoln: A History is an 1890 ten-volume account of the life and times of Abraham Lincoln, written by John Nicolay and John Hay, who were his personal secretaries during the American Civil War. Volume 6 chronicles Lincoln’s life in 1864, including the battles of that summer and Lincoln’s reelection. (Summary adapted from wikipedia by Ann Boulais)
Abraham Lincoln’s Inaugural Addresses
Lincoln’s first inaugural address was delivered on March 4th, 1861, as the North and South were sliding towards separation and Civil War. His second inaugural, given just weeks before his assassination, was also delivered on March 4th but four years later, in 1865. Just over a month later, April 18th, 1865, the Civil War ended with the surrender of the Confederate army. This was four days after Lincoln was shot on April 14th. He died the next day. – Summary by John Greenman
Absalom and Achitophel
John Dryden published Absalom and Achitophel: A Poem in 1681. It is an elaborate historical allegory using the political situation faced by King David (2 Samuel 14-18) to mirror that faced by Charles II. Each monarch had a son whom a high-ranking minister attempted to use against him. James Scott, first Duke of Monmouth, Charles II’s illegitimate son, was detected planning a rebellion late in 1681, supposedly instigated by the Earl of Shaftesbury, who was tried for high treason, and it is believed that Dryden wrote the poem in an effort to sway the jury in his trial. The fates of both Absalom (Monmouth) and Achitophel (Shaftesbury) are left unspecified at the end of the poem (Monmouth did rebel in 1685, after his father’s death, and was executed, and Shaftesbury was acquitted), but we are left to surmise that their fates would resemble those of their Biblical counterparts: Absalom was killed against David’s instructions and Achitophel hanged himself. The poem can be enjoyed without any special knowledge of either the Bible or seventeenth-century English history, but it is useful to understand why Monmouth (AKA Absalom) was such a useful tool to use against his father: Charles had many illegitimate offspring, but his wife was barren, so at his death the crown would pass (did pass) to his brother, James, who was Catholic, but Monmouth was Protestant as well as well-beloved by both the king and the people. England had good reason to dread a return of officially enforced Catholicism. The narrator’s urbane attitude toward David’s amatory adventures in the opening of the poem and his burlesque of the supposed Jebusitical plot (the “Popish Plot” of 1678) establish clearly his Tory bias in favor of the Establishment and his disdain of the panic caused by fear of Catholicism (Dryden himself converted to the Catholic faith at some time before 1685).
Absolute Surrender and Other Addresses
This is a series of short messages written by the South African minister, Andrew Murray. They deal with the necessity and joy of surrendering our lives completely to God. (Summary written by Joy Chan)
According to Promise, or The Lord?s Method of Dealing with His Chosen People
Charles Haddon (C.H.) Spurgeon (19 June 1834 ? 31 January 1892) was a British Particular Baptist preacher and is still known today as the “Prince of Preachers”. He was a strong figure in the Reformed Baptist tradition, defending the Church in agreement with the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith understanding, and opposing the liberal and pragmatic theological tendencies in the Church of his day. In his lifetime, Spurgeon preached to around 10 million people, often up to ten times each week at different places. In this series of devotionals, he challenges each of us to examine our own heart to make sure our faith is solidly grounded, to count the cost, and to experience the promise of grace. ?It would be very difficult to say how far a man may go in religion, and yet die in his sins; how much he may look like an heir of heaven, and yet be a child of wrath. Many unconverted men have a belief which is similar to faith, and yet it is not true faith. The life of God within the soul creates an infinite difference between the man who has it and the man who has it not; and the point is, to make sure that we have this life. I desire to help my reader in the business of self-examination. I would have him go further than examination, and attain to such abundance of grace that his holy and happy state shall become a witness to himself. No man can lose by honestly searching his own heart.? (Summary by WYSIWYG, MaryAnn and Charles Spurgeon)
Aces Up
A crack American flying troop has been sent to France, where they await further instructions. They are concerned that their extensive talents will not be put to good use in the war. Major Cowan introduces Lt. McGee as the British instructor for the crew. It turns out the Brit is actually an American, born in the U.S., even though his parents were British. McGee and Larkin are flying partners. Out on a mission, McGee spots a small enemy plane in a searchlight, probably intent on dropping flares to mark targets for bombers. He drives in for the attack successfully, as the enemy plane zooms earthward in flames. During another flight to Epernay, a fellow pilot, Siddons, fades back to a previous stop. McGee and Larkin suspect Siddons of aiding the enemy. Von Herzmann is preparing German pilots to fight Americans. Larkin and McGee defeat the enemy and force a retreat. In another battle, McGee must crash-land, where he passes out due to injuries. He spends weeks recovering in a hospital. When he is discharged, he cannot find his squadron. After diligent searching, he shows up at his old base. At the end, it is revealed that Siddons is not at all what he was suspected of being–in fact, the opposite. (Bill Boerst)
Achilleid
The Achilleid is the third and unfinished work by the Roman poet Publius Papinius Statius. In its introduction, it promises to present the life of the hero Achilles from his youth as a pupil under the centaur Chiron to his death at Troy. The author died however before writing most of the poem, leaving only one and a half books completed. The part that remains though holds interest for being unusual, bringing an account of the hero’s early life and an episode in which his mother, Thetis, disguised him as a girl on the island of Scyros before he joined the Greek expedition against Troy. (Summary by Leni)
Acres of Diamonds (Version 2)
One of the most requested motivational lectures of all time. “I say that you ought to get rich, and it is your duty to get rich … The men who get rich may be the most honest men you find in the community. Let me say here clearly … ninety-eight out of one hundred of the rich men of America are honest. That is why they are rich. That is why they are trusted with money. That is why they carry on great enterprises and find plenty of people to work with them. It is because they are honest men. .” The central idea of the work is that one need not look elsewhere for opportunity, achievement, or fortune?the resources to achieve all good things are present in one’s own community; look in your own backyard for those acres of diamonds. This theme is developed by an introductory anecdote, credited by Conwell to an Arab guide, about a man who wanted to find diamonds so badly that he sold his property and went off in futile search for them. The new owner of his home discovered that a rich diamond mine was located right there on the property. Conwell elaborates on the theme through examples of success, genius, service, or other virtues involving ordinary Americans contemporary to his audience: “dig in your own backyard!”. – Summary by the author
Across Asia on a Bicycle
In 1890, two Americans newly graduated from college set out to travel around the world on a then-new invention, the modern bicycle. In 1893 they returned, have covered over 15,000 miles, at that time the “longest continuous land journey ever made around the world.” This is their account of their trip across Turkey, Persia, Turkestan and northern China. It described their adventures traveling along through regions few outsiders ever visited. And include climbing Mount Ararat (they didn’t find an ark) and a meeting with the then Chinese Prime Minister. And numerous photographs selected from the 2,500 taken on the almost 3 year trip. (summary by Annise)
Across Mongolian Plains: A Naturalist’s Account of China’s ‘Great Northwest’
An account of a 1918 journey to Northern China by famed adventurer/paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews. Andrews, who was the inspiration for the many explorer hero characters (including Indiana Jones), wrote this book for the general public, excluding “scientific details” that they might find “wearisome”. – Summary by Matthew M. Benzing NOTE: This book contains many accounts of hunting animals for sport and for exhibition in a museum.
Across the Plains in 1844
The Sager family, including seven children, set out on the Oregon trail in 1844. Accidents and disease made it a dangerous trip, and both parents died along the way. The orphans made it to the Whitman Mission in Walla Walla, Washington, but their lives were still in jeopardy. In 1847, members of the Cayuse tribe attacked the mission and killed the Whitmans and others living there. Catherine was among those who were taken as hostages, and she survived the massacre. She later wrote about these harrowing experiences in this memoir. (Summary by Carol Pelster)
Across the Reef: The Marine Assault of Tarawa
“Tarawa Atoll is 2085 miles southwest of Pearl Harbor and 540 miles southeast of Kwajalein in the Marshalls. Betio is the principal island in the atoll. The Japanese seized Tarawa from the British within the first three days after Pearl Harbor. In August 1943, to meet in secret with Major General Julian C. Smith and his principal staff officers, Vice Admiral Raymond A. Spruance flew to New Zealand from Pearl Harbor. Spruance told the Marines to prepare for an amphibious assault against Japanese positions in the Gilbert Islands in November. General Smith?s operations officer, Lieutenant Colonel David M. Shoup, studied the primitive chart of Betio and saw that the tiny island was surrounded by a barrier reef. Shoup asked Spruance if any of the Navy?s experimental, shallow-draft, plastic boats could be provided. ‘Not available,’ replied the admiral, ‘expect only the usual wooden landing craft.’ Shoup frowned. General Smith could sense that Shoup?s gifted mind was already formulating a plan. The results of that plan were momentous. The Tarawa operation became a tactical watershed: the first, large-scale test of American amphibious doctrine against a strongly fortified beachhead.” – Summary by Joseph H Alexander
Across The Years
These 18 wonderful short stories by Eleanor H. Porter, the author of Pollyanna, deal with those marvelous and maddeningly frustrating creatures: human beings. As always, Porter describes real people with sensitivity and an insight into all of their variety that makes you say “I knew someone just like that”. She is able to capture the faded, but not quite extinguished, dreams of the elderly and the bright hopes of youth. The theme of this collection is how we humans deal with life and love throughout our lives, “Across the Years”, no matter where we are or what era we live in. (Summary by phil chenevert)
Actions And Reactions
A collection of short stories by the author of the Jungle book, Kim and Just So Stories. Each story is followed by a poem, so if you like If, this may also be a book for you. – Summary by Stav Nisser.
Adam and Eve
LibriVox volunteers bring you 15 recordings of Adam and Eve (From ?Paradise Lost,? Fourth Book) by John Milton. This was the Weekly Poetry project for Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton. It was originally published in 1667 (though written nearly ten years earlier) in ten books, with a total of over ten thousand individual lines of verse. A second edition followed in 1674, redivided into twelve books (in the manner of the division of Virgil’s Aeneid) with minor revisions throughout and a note on the versification; most of the poem was written while Milton was blind, and was transcribed for him. Milton first presents Adam and Eve in Book IV with impartiality. The relationship between Adam and Eve is one of “mutual dependence, not a relation of domination or hierarchy.” While the author does place Adam above Eve in regard to his intellectual knowledge, and in turn his relation to God, he also grants Eve the benefit of knowledge through experience. ( Summary from Wikipedia)
Adam Bede
Adam Bede, the first novel written by George Eliot (the pen name of Mary Ann Evans), was published in 1859. It was published pseudonymously, even though Evans was a well-published and highly respected scholar of her time. The novel has remained in print ever since, and is used in university studies of 19th century English literature. The story’s plot follows four characters rural lives in the fictional community of Hayslope?a rural, pastoral and close-knit community in 1799. The novel revolves around a love triangle between beautiful but thoughtless Hetty Sorrel, Captain Arthur Donnithorne, the young squire who seduces her, Adam Bede, her unacknowledged lover, and Dinah Morris, Hetty’s cousin, a fervent Methodist lay preacher. (Summary Wikipedia)
Adam Bede (version 2)
George Eliot was the pen name of Mary Ann Evans ? an ironic ?deception? given that Adam Bede, her first novel, is written unashamedly from a feminist standpoint. The story centres on a pastoral love triangle. Two young men, carpenter Adam Bede and squire Captain Arthur Donnithorne, are both in love with the mercurial Hetty Sorrel. There?s a further love interest between Adam and beautiful lay preacher Dinah Morris. The setting is a country village in the north of England in the last years of the eighteenth century. The author paints a wonderful landscape of contemporary life as it really was, and excels in the portraits of her characters. Each is flawed, each has their own passions, each is unique, and through this great novel, Eliot put her stamp on literature and on the way we view the vagaries of character, helping us to see people as they really are. This is one of the greatest novels in the English language. First published in 1859, Adam Bede has never been out of print since, which speaks volumes about its timeless quality. – Summary by Tom Denholm
Adaptation
In 1960 when this was published, the Cold War was at its height. Communism and Free Enterprise (Democracy) were locked in a ferocious struggle to prove that their political ideology was the best form of government for human kind. No holds were barred in this fight; propaganda was poured forth by both sides in a constant push to be seen as better, more progressive, more productive. Nuclear war was a constant threat. I know, I lived through that time. Thankfully the world came through that stressful time without a hot war but the question was not really settled: which is the better system? This story explores that question. “Hardly had man solved his basic problems on the planet of his origin than he began to fumble into space. Barely a century had elapsed in the exploration of the Solar System than he began to grope for the stars. And suddenly, with an all but religious zeal, mankind conceived its fantasy dream of populating the galaxy.” summary by Phil chenevert and the author
Address to Certain Goldfishes
LibriVox volunteers bring you 19 recordings of Address to Certain Goldfishes by Hartley Coleridge. This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for August 19, 2012. David Hartley Coleridge was an English poet, biographer, essayist, and teacher. He was the eldest son of the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Hartley Coleridge’s literary reputation chiefly rests on his works of criticism, on his Prometheus, an unfinished lyric drama, and on his sonnets (a form which suited his particular skills). (Summary by Wikipedia)
Adelgitha; or, The Fruits of a Single Error
The second original tragedy written by Gothic writer Matthew Lewis, Adelgitha; or, The Fruits of a Single Error is a markedly more serious affair than his melodramatic output, dealing as it does with a fallen woman who is mercilessly blackmailed by a ruthless tyrant when she spurns his advances. Set in Otranto during the High Middle Ages, and featuring fictionalized depictions of historical rulers Robert Guiscard (of the Normans) and Michael Ducas (of Byzantium), Adelgitha is an archetypal Gothic drama that, while not especially refined or meritorious in terms of quality, still manages to thrill in that deliciously overwrought way that Lewis knew how to sell. Sit down with it during a stormy night, turn off the lights, and prepare yourself for a few hours of treachery, murder, madness and despair! – Summary by Tomas Peter Michael Ducas, Emperor of Byzantium: Tomas Peter Robert Guiscard, Prince of Apulia: Larry Wilson Lothair, a Norman knight: ToddHW Alciphron, a Grecian nobleman: Sam Monsen Dercetus, a Grecian nobleman: TJ Burns Rainulf, an officer of Guiscard: Son of the Exiles Julian, an officer of Guiscard: Alan Mapstone Adelgitha, Princess of Apulia: Leanne Yau Imma, Princess of Byzantium: Devorah Allen The Abbess of St. Hilda: Sandra Schmit Claudia, an Italian lady: Sonia Chorus: Roger Melin Female Peasants: Eva Davis & April6090 Narrator: Foon Editor: ToddHW
Acres of Diamonds
Text of famous inspirational lecture and biography of Russell Conwell, a Baptist minister and Temple University Founder (Summary by Scott Dahlem)