Audiobooks by Mark Kurlansky

To Catch a Fish: Essays on the Joy, Frustration, Curiosity, and Allure of Fishing

"From the award-winning, New York Times best-selling author of Cod and Salt, To Catch a Fish is an entertaining and beautifully written illustrated collection of essays that explore a lifetime fascination with fishing. For as long as there have been humans, there have been humans trying to catch fish. The two species-fish and man-live in constant tension. One chases the other. One tries to get away. Some of us-author Mark Kurlansky included-are hard-wired for that chase. Guiding readers through the waters and into the mind of the fish, Kurlansky considers who fish are and why they behave the way they do, and along the way delves into the many approaches to catching a fish, their ecology, and the ins and outs of cooking and eating your catch. Whether you're a seasoned angler or a novice, or simply want to explore the world of fish, the forty short essays in this collection and the dazzling illustrations by Bri Dostie, shed new light on these creatures and our relationship to them. "

Mark Kurlansky (Author), TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Importance of Not Being Ernest: A Writing Life with an Uninvited Guest

"An Ernest Hemingway Biography Like No Other Discover Hemingway’s biography through the eyes of a fellow author and journalist. New York Timesbestselling author of Salt Mark Kurlansky turns his historical eye to the life of Ernest Hemingway. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, The Importance of Not Being Ernest shows the huge shadow Hemingway casts. The perfect gift for writers. By a series of coincidences, Mark Kurlansky’s life has always been intertwined with Ernest Hemingway's legend, starting with being in Idaho the day of Hemingway’s death. The Importance of Not Being Ernest explores the intersections between Hemingway’s and Kurlansky’s lives, resulting in creative accounts of two inspiring writing careers. Travel the world with Mark Kurlansky and Ernest Hemingway in this personal memoir, where Kurlansky details his ten years in Paris and his time as a journalist in Spain—both cities important to Hemingway’s adventurous life and prolific writing. Key West, Havana, and Chicago. Get to know the extraordinary people he met there—those who had also fallen under the Hemingway spell, including a Vietnam veteran suffering from the same syndrome the author did, two winners of the Key West Hemingway look-alike contest, and the man in Idaho who took Hemingway hunting and fishing. In this unique gift for writers, find: • A memoir full of entertaining and illuminative stories • Little-known historical facts about Hemingway’s life • Anecdotes about those who suffer from what the Kurlansky calls “hemitis”"

Mark Kurlansky (Author), Adam Grupper (Narrator)

Audiobook

Salmon: A Fish, the Earth, and the History of Their Common Fate

"In what he says is the most important piece of environmental writing in his long and award-winning career, Mark Kurlansky, best-selling author of Salt and Cod, The Big Oyster, 1968, and Milk, among many others, employs his signature multi-century storytelling and compelling attention to detail to chronicle the harrowing yet awe-inspiring life cycle of salmon. During his research Kurlansky traveled widely and observed salmon and those who both pursue and protect them in the Pacific and the Atlantic, in Ireland, Norway, Iceland, Japan, and even the robust but not as frequently visited Kamchatka Peninsula. This world tour reveals an eras-long history of man's misdirected attempts to manipulate salmon and its environments for his own benefit and gain, whether for entertainment or to harvest food. In addition, Kurlansky's research shows that all over the world these fish, uniquely connected to both marine and terrestrial ecology as well as fresh and salt water, are a natural barometer for the health of the planet. He documents that for centuries man's greatest assaults on nature, from overfishing to dams, from hatcheries to fish farms, from industrial pollution to the ravages of climate change, are evidenced in the sensitive life cycle of salmon. Kurlansky's insightful conclusion is that the only way to save salmon is to save the planet and, at the same time, the only way to save the planet is to save the mighty, heroic salmon."

Mark Kurlansky (Author), Mark Kurlansky (Narrator)

Audiobook

Birdseye: The Adventures of a Curious Man

Mark Kurlansky (Author), Jon Van Ness (Narrator)

Audiobook

Nonviolence: The History of a Dangerous Idea

"In this timely, highly original, and controversial narrative, New York Times bestselling author Mark Kurlansky discusses nonviolence as a distinct entity, a course of action, rather than a mere state of mind. Nonviolence can and should be a technique for overcoming social injustice and ending wars, he asserts, which is why it is the preferred method of those who speak truth to power. Nonviolence is a sweeping yet concise history that moves from ancient Hindu times to present-day conflicts raging in the Middle East and elsewhere. Kurlansky also brings into focus just why nonviolence is a 'dangerous' idea, and asks such provocative questions as: Is there such a thing as a 'just war'? Could nonviolence have worked against even the most evil regimes in history? Kurlansky draws from history twenty-five provocative lessons on the subject that we can use to effect change today. He shows how, time and again, violence is used to suppress nonviolence and its practitioners-Gandhi and Martin Luther King, for example; that the stated deterrence value of standing national armies and huge weapons arsenals is, at best, negligible; and, encouragingly, that much of the hard work necessary to begin a movement to end war is already complete. It simply needs to be embraced and accelerated. Engaging, scholarly, and brilliantly reasoned, Nonviolence is a work that compels readers to look at history in an entirely new way. This is not just a manifesto for our times but a trailblazing book whose time has come"

H.H. Dalai Lama, Mark Kurlansky (Author), Richard Dreyfuss (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Basque History of the World

"Occupying a small corner of Spain and France, the Basque people truly believe they should live in their own private country—and in this engaging history, best-selling author Mark Kurlansky explains why. Evidence of the Basque showed up as early as 218 BC, and now, with a population of more than two million, their influence on our world has been all-pervasive. In this illuminating exploration, Kurlansky captures the lives of the Basque people and their culture. Listeners will be enthralled as Kurlansky delves into the roots of an intriguing population, detailing their entire history from their language Euskara—the most ancient in Europe—and economy to their culinary tastes and social life."

Mark Kurlansky (Author), George Guidall (Narrator)

Audiobook

Salt: A World History

"The author of Cod and The Basque History of the World takes an extraordinary look at an ordinary substance—salt, the only rock humans eat—and how it has shaped civilization from the very beginning. Mark Kurlansky has produced a kaleidoscope of history, a multi-layered masterpiece that blends economic, scientific, political, religious, and culinary records into a rich and memorable tale."

Mark Kurlansky (Author), Scott Brick (Narrator)

Audiobook

Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World

"The cod has played a vital part in livelihoods, diets, and health in general—as well as roles in national economies and international wars. Drawing on his love of food and food culture, Mark Kurlansky leaps into history and folklore to explore how this innocuous fish had such an impact over the centuries. Kurlansky recounts how the cod spurred interest in the development of North America and caused a whole nation of people to jump into fishing and ocean exploration. In addition to providing word origins, this audiobook contains uses for all kinds of cod and recipes dating from the fourteenth century."

Mark Kurlansky (Author), Richard M. Davidson (Narrator)

Audiobook

1968: The Year That Rocked the World

"Over the course of one pivotal year, events that shaped American and world history took place: The North Vietnamese launched the Tet offensive. Prague Spring began. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated. Students protested across the United States and around the world. Robert Kennedy was assassinated. The Democratic National Convention in Chicago was besieged by riots. Apollo 11 launched. And Richard Nixon was elected president of the United States. In the same year, Black athletes raised their fists in protest at the Olympic Games, 'Hey Jude' became the Beatles biggest hit, and 2001: A Space Odyssey was released. In many ways, this momentous year led us to where we are today. Covering popular culture, politics, war, economics, and the media, Mark Kurlansky shows how twelve volatile months transformed who we were as a people. But above all, he offers provocative insights into the underlying causes of the historical phenomenon that was the year 1968."

Mark Kurlansky (Author), Christopher Cazenove (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks by Mark Kurlansky

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