Biography & Memoir Audiobooks

The 15:17 to Paris:The True Story of a Terrorist, a Train, and Three American Heroes

On August 21, 2015, Ayoub al-Khazzani boarded the 15:17 train in Brussels, bound for Paris. Khazzani's mission was clear: he had an AK-47, a pistol, a box cutter, and enough ammunition to obliterate every passenger on the crowded train. Slipping into the bathroom in secret, he armed his weapons and prepared to launch his attack. But when he emerged, he encountered something he hadn't anticipated: three Americans who refused to give in to fear. Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos, and Spencer Stone were childhood friends, taking a vacation together. They had some relevant training: Stone was a martial arts enthusiast and Airman First Class in the US Air Force; Skarlatos was an active duty member of the Oregon National Guard; and not one of the three was afraid of a fight. But their decision-to charge the gunman, then overpower him even as he turned first his gun, then his knife on Stone-would never have happened if they hadn't had a lifetime of trust, support, and loyalty between them. This audiobook is the gripping, true story of a terrorist attack that would have killed more than 500 people if not for their actions, but it is also the story of three American boys and their friendship. Using each hero's point of view in sequence, The 15:17 to Paris skillfully builds the drama of the attack, while weaving in the stories of the protagonists' lives, the friendship and loyalty that would come to define them, and the events that led them, inexorably, to that fateful day. The 15:17 to Paris is an amazing true story of unparalleled, unexpected courage, and people coming together against fear rather than splitting apart. It is a story of near tragedy averted by three young men who found the heroic unity and strength inside themselves that we all aspire to.

Alek Skarlatos, Anthony Sadler, Jeffrey E. Stern, Spencer Stone (Author), Alek Skarlatos, Peter Ganim, Spencer Stone (Narrator)

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Living with No Excuses

Military hero and beloved Dancing with the Stars alum Noah Galloway shares his life story, and how losing his arm and leg in combat forced him to relearn how to live--and live to the fullest. Inspirational, humorous, and thought provoking, Noah Galloway's LIVING WITH NO EXCUSES sheds light on his upbringing in rural Alabama, his military experience, and the battle he faced to overcome losing two limbs during Operation Iraqi Freedom. From reliving the early days of life to his acceptance of his "new normal" after losing his arm and leg in combat, Noah reveals his ambition to succeed against all odds. Noah's gripping story is a shining example that with laughter, and the right amount of perspective, you can tackle anything. Whether it be overcoming injury, conquering the Dancing with the Stars ballroom, or taking the next steps forward in life with his young family - Noah demonstrates how to live life to the fullest, with no excuses.

Noah Galloway (Author), Author, Noah Galloway (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Antichrist

Save for his raucous, rhapsodical autobiography, Ecce Homo, The Antichrist is the last thing that Nietzsche ever wrote, and so it may be accepted as a statement of some of his most salient ideas in their final form. Of all Nietzsche’s books, The Antichrist comes nearest to conventionality in form. It presents a connected argument with very few interludes, and has a beginning, a middle and an end. The reason to listen to this version is that H.L. Mencken, the famous journalist, turned Nietzsche's German into such direct, plain-spoken American English that it puts the haranguing philosopher right up in your face.

Friedrich Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (Author), Group (Narrator)

Audiobook

Hollywood: Its Morals and Manners

The motion picture industry is an enigma for many people. While, in the open, everything seems "clean," legitimate and in good order, the seedier, lesser known side of Hollywood has always been somewhat of a legend that everyone seemed to know about, but no one could truly describe in any detailed manner. Theodore Dresier, famous American author and journalist, wanted to get in behind the scenes of Los Angeles' then still new, yet highly successful movie making industry, to find out about all the less commonly advertised goings-on that one may find here. Sure enough, he was not disappointed with what he discovered, and Hollywood, Its Morals and Mannerisms has quickly become one of the most famous account about what lies beneath the surface of LA's awe-inspiring movie studios, as well as a warning for all young artists and actors who might want to venture forth with their talents, to become cinema's next great stars. Dresier's main concern had to do with the recruitment of new talent. Young actors and actresses were often forced into unflattering circumstances either by unscrupulous hiring agents, or by their own desperation and drive to become famous. Whether it was about employers seeking to exploit new talent for high profits at a low cost, or young women attempting to be seen in public with celebrities in the hopes of catching the eye of a famous Hollywood producer, Dresier's extensive work, divided in four distinct parts, is just about everything you would (or wouldn't) want to know about Hollywood

Theodore Dreiser (Author), Chuck Williamson (Narrator)

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s name is today synonymous with genius, but his life was a whirlwind of controversy, jealousy, and clashing egos. In this highly readable short biography, Herbert Francis Peyser brings Mozart and his times vividly to life. “I pay no attention whatever to anybody's praise or blame. I simply follow my own feelings” - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart This fascinating biography charts the musician's extraordinary career and personal life while painting a vivid cultural history of eighteenth-century Europe.

Herbert Francis Peyser (Author), David Wales (Narrator)

Audiobook

George Frideric Handel

Handel’s long career resembles a gigantic tapestry, so bewilderingly crowded with detail, so filled with turmoil and vicissitude, with vast achievements, extremes of good and ill fortune, and unending comings and goings that any attempt to force even a small part of it into the frame of a tiny, unpretentious booklet of the present sort is as hopeless as it is presumptuous.... Handel was time and again a composer of exquisitely delicate colorations, and sensuous style, not to say a largely unsuspected master of many subtle intricacies of rhythm. The present pamphlet, wholly without originality or novelty of approach, may, perchance, induce the casual reader to renew his interest in Handel’s prodigious treasury, so much of it neglected, not to say actually undiscovered by multitudes of music lovers. - Summary by Author's Foreword

Herbert Francis Peyser (Author), David Wales (Narrator)

Audiobook

An Uncomplicated Life: A Father's Memoir of His Exceptional Daughter

A father’s exhilarating and funny love letter to his daughter with Down syndrome whose vibrant and infectious approach to life has something to teach all of us about how we can better live our own. Jillian Daugherty was born with Down syndrome. The day they brought her home from the hospital, her parents, Paul and Kerry, were flooded with worry and uncertainty, but also overwhelming love, which they channeled to “the job of building the better Jillian.” While their daughter had special needs, they refused to allow her to grow up needy—“Expect, Don’t Accept” became their mantra. Little did they know how ready Jillian was to meet their challenge. Paul tells stories from Jillian’s mischievous childhood and moves to her early adulthood, tracing her journey to find happiness and purpose in her adult life, sharing endearing anecdotes as well as stories about her inspiring triumphs. Having graduated from high school and college, Jillian now works to support herself, and has met the love of her life and her husband-to-be, Ryan. In An Uncomplicated Life, the parent learns as much about life from the child as the child does from the parent. Through her unmitigated love for others, her sparkling charisma, and her boundless capacity for joy, Jillian has inspired those around her to live better and more fully. The day Jillian was born, Paul says, was the last bad day. As he lovingly writes, “Jillian is a soul map of our best intentions”—a model of grace, boundless joy, and love for all of us.

Paul Daugherty (Author), Robert McCollum (Narrator)

Audiobook

GOD'S LIGHT

Dr. Rick Scarnati (Author), Dr. Rick Scarnati (Narrator)

Audiobook

Australian Farming Families

Author Deb Hunt sets out to discover what makes what makes our Australian farming families tick. Travelling to properties across the country - from a vast, dusty cattle run in outback Queensland to the wheat belt of Western Australia and dairy farms in Tasmania - and introducing us to eight different families who survive and thrive on the land, these stories provide a window into a way of life that defines the Australian spirit at its best.

Deb Hunt (Author), Jessica Douglas-Henry (Narrator)

Audiobook

Nine Lives: Mystery, Magic, Death, and Life in New Orleans

Nines Lives is a multivoiced biography of a dazzling, surreal, and imperiled city, told through the lives of nine unforgettable characters and bracketed by two epic storms: Hurricane Betsy, which transformed New Orleans in the 1960s, and Hurricane Katrina, which nearly destroyed it. Dan Baum brings this kaleidoscopic portrait to life, showing us what was lost in the storm and what remains to be saved.

Dan Baum (Author), Jonathan Yen (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Food and Wine of France: Eating and Drinking from Champagne to Provence

In The Food and Wine of France, influential food writer Edward Behr investigates French cuisine and what it means, in encounters from Champagne to Provence. He tells the stories of French artisans and chefs who continue to work at the highest level. Many people in and out of France have noted for a long time the slow retreat of French cuisine, concerned that it is losing its important place in the country's culture and in the world culture of food. And yet, as Behr writes, good French food remains very, very delicious. No cuisine is better. The sensuousness is overt. French cooking is generous, both obvious and subtle, simple and complex, rustic and utterly refined. A lot of recent inventive food by comparison is wildly abstract and austere. In the tradition of great food writers, Behr seeks out the best of French food and wine. He shows not only that it is as relevant as ever, but he also challenges us to see that it might become the world's next cutting-edge cuisine. The Food and Wine of France is a remarkable journey of discovery. It is also an investigation into why classical French food is so extraordinarily delicious-and why it will endure.

Edward Behr (Author), Graham Halstead (Narrator)

Audiobook

Critical Care: A New Nurse Faces Death, Life, and Everything in Between

In her former career as an English professor, Theresa Brown had been shielded from the harsh reality of death. That all changed the day she decided to become an oncology nurse. In Critical Care, Theresa writes powerfully and honestly about her first year on the hospital floor. With great compassion and a disarming sense of humor, she shares the trials and triumphs of her patients and comes to realize that caring for a patient means much more than simply treating a disease. Deeply moving and, at times, sobering, Critical Care sheds light on the issues of mortality and meaning in our lives.

Theresa Brown (Author), Coleen Marlo (Narrator)

Audiobook