Biography & Memoir Audiobooks

Am 13. Juli 2014 schrieb Mario Götze Fußballgeschichte. An diesem Tag schoss er die deutsche Nationalelf mit seinem 1:0 im WM-Finale gegen Argentinien zum Weltmeistertitel. Das Tor war der vorläufige Höhepunkt der noch jungen Karriere eines der talentiertesten Fußballer, die Deutschland je hatte. Wenn nur Pep Guar-diola, sein Trainer bei den Bayern, die Fähigkeiten des Ex-Dortmunders endlich voll ausschöpfen würde ...

Julius Schreiber (Author), Thomas Lang (Narrator)

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The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years: From The Next Generation to J. J. Abrams: The Complete, U

"This is the true story behind the making of a television legend. There have been many books written about Star Trek, but never with the unprecedented access, insight and candor of authors Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross. Having covered the franchise for over three decades, theyve assembled the ultimate guide to a television classic. The Fifty-Year Mission: Volume Two is an incisive, no-holds-barred oral history telling the story of post-Original Series Star Trek, told exclusively by the people who were there, in their own words sharing the inside scoop theyve never told before unveiling the oftentimes shocking true story of the history of Star Trek and chronicling the trials, tribulations and tribbles that have remained deeply buried secrets... until now. The Fifty-Year Mission: Volume Two includes the voices of hundreds television and film executives, programmers, writers, creators, and cast, who span from the beloved The Next Generation and subsequent films through its spin-offs: Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise, as well J.J. Abrams reimagined film series."

Edward Gross, Mark A. Altman (Author), Aaron Landon, Alex Hyde-White, David Stifel, Eric Martin, James Cronin, Jason Olazabal, John Rocha, Julie Mckay, Martin Hillier, Nate Aldrich, Steve Marvel, Susan Hanfield (Narrator)

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A Constant Alien

Catherine Schell has lived a life more dramatic and colourful than any of her many acting roles. Her story sweeps from her birth during an allied bombing raid in Budapest, to life under post-war Russian occupation, escape and life as a refugee in Austria, a strict convent school life in America, and on to Germany where she becomes an actress. Whilst international fame would follow through roles in the James Bond and Pink Panther franchises, as well as the iconic role of Maya in popular sci-fi series Space: 1999, the story off camera is all together more human and real. An abusive husband, her father’s surrender to Alzheimer’s, her brother’s paranoid schizophrenia, and a dominant and passionate mother, all play their part in her tale. Told engagingly and with warmth, there are highs and lows, laughter and tears, and lessons learnt as a survivor… in a life where she has been A Constant Alien.

Catherine Schell (Author), Catherine Schell (Narrator)

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Bobby Goldsboro

Bobby Goldsboro describes the first song he ever wrote with a laugh as "one of the worst you've ever heard." Though those first attempts at songwriting weren't exactly successful, he went on to enjoy a wildly successful career including the chart-topping hit "Honey," which sold more than a million copies in the United States. In the height of his popularity in 1973, Goldsboro sat down with Wink Martindale to discuss his wildly successful career that included 16 top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and 12 on the country chart with singles like "See the Funny Little Clown" and "Summer (The First Time)." He reflects on how his songwriting has changed over the years, what influences him both personally and musically and how he discovered he wanted to be in the music industry.

Wink Martindale, Wink Martindale (Author), Wink Martindale, Wink Martindale (Narrator)

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Carly Simon

While some would contend that Carly Simon's wealthy background gave her a leg up, her talent and skill as a musician make it clear that she earned every bit of her current and future success on her own. Her first break came while she was on vacation. She and her sister Lucy took a trip to Cape Cod and tried to get a job performing in a summer resort. As luck would have it the previous performer had left, so they started singing there with a repertoire of three songs. The duo continued to perform before eventually disbanding and Carly began performing as a solo artist. In June of 1971, she sat down with Wink Martindale for a detailed conversation about her life, career and passion for music.

Wink Martindale, Wink Martindale (Author), Wink Martindale, Wink Martindale (Narrator)

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Billy Eckstine

Billy Eckstine didn't consider singing a potential profession until he earned $5 as second prize in an amateur competition. He was bit by the showbiz bug after working as an MC and singer in his hometown of Pittsburgh while on summer break from college. He decided not to return to college and eventually began working in clubs throughout Buffalo, New York; Detroit and Chicago. Eckstine sat down with Wink Martindale for an interview in May of 1973. He discusses the early days of his career, his recordings, live performances and love for what he does to make a living in this fascinating conversation.

Wink Martindale, Wink Martindale (Author), Wink Martindale, Wink Martindale (Narrator)

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Jerry Vale

Jerry Vale always knew that he wanted to sing. His tremendous vocal talent and charismatic personality allowed the crooner to impress both in recording and in live performances as he toured all over the country and regularly topped the pop charts throughout the 1950s and 1960s. In this conversation with Wink Martindale, Vale discusses his career as a performer, some of his most popular recordings and the people that helped him in his professional journey. He provides a personal look at his fantastic rise to success.

Wink Martindale, Wink Martindale (Author), Wink Martindale, Wink Martindale (Narrator)

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Alan & Marilyn Bergman

For Alan and Marilyn Bergman, being married and working together as songwriters had many perks. The two found that their relationship allowed them to be uninhibited in sharing ideas while crafting a song. In this interview recorded with Wink Martindale in the 1980s, they discussed their lives, lyrics and careers as songwriters. The couple provides an intimate and detailed look at the songwriting process along with sharing interesting stories about some of the songs they've written.

Wink Martindale, Wink Martindale (Author), Wink Martindale, Wink Martindale (Narrator)

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Game Changers

Alan Curbishley has spent a lifetime in football both as a fan, player and manager.In his forty years, he has seen the game he loves change beyond all recognition. The money, the media, the celebrity culture, the agents - when Curbishley began his playing career in 1975, no one could have foreseen a future in which television rights sold for £10 billion. Through incredible access to the biggest names in the game, he takes a look at the modern game in all its guises, from the chairmen and chief executives at the very top to managers and players and all the way to the fans and ground staff. On the way, we hear from an eclectic and colourful cast of characters and some true legends of the sport, old and new: Arsène Wenger, Stevie Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, Harry Redknapp, Harry Kane. This is a truly unique football book, written by one of the most respected and well-connected men in the sport. Never before has such an array of talent been collected within the pages of one book - it will spark discussion, enliven arguments and throw fire onto the debate: as the game changes, does it change for the better?

Alan Curbishley (Author), Colin Mace (Narrator)

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Our Country Nurse

All seems tranquil as newly qualified Health Visitor Sarah motors into a small Kentish hilltop village in her new green mini. She's barely out of the car when she's called to assist the midwife with a bride who's gone into labour in the middle of her own wedding reception. And so her adventures begin... As a health visitor Nurse Sarah is as green as grass but she puts her best foot into wellies and braves the mad dogs, killer ganders and muddy tracks of the farming community. Despite set-backs young Sarah is determined to help the mums she meets, from struggling young mothers in unmodernised farmhouses, to doyennes of the county dinner party set who slave over stuffed olive hors-d'oeuvres. Village life in 1970s isn't always quite the Good Life Sarah's been expecting; her attempts at self-sufficiency and cider making lead to drunk badgers and spirited house parties - but will it be the clergyman, the vet or the young doctor that win Sarah's heart. During her first year in Kent, Nurse Sarah Hill get stuck in - reuniting families and helping mums in the midst of community full of ancient feuds, funny little ways and just a bit of magic.

Sarah Beeson (Author), Anna Bentinck (Narrator)

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The Burning of the White House: James and Dolley Madison and the War of 1812

Told from multiple points of view-including James and Dolley Madison and a British admiral-this is the true story of the burning of the White House in 1814. It's unimaginable today, even for a generation that saw the Twin Towers fall and the Pentagon attacked. It's unimaginable because in 1814, enemies didn't fly overhead? they marched through the streets, and for twenty-six hours in August, the British enemy marched through Washington, DC, and set fire to government buildings, including the US Capitol and the White House. Relying on firsthand accounts, historian Jane Hampton Cook weaves together several different narratives to create a vivid, multidimensional account of the burning of Washington, including the escalation that led to it and the immediate aftermath. From James and Dolley Madison to the British admiral who ordered the White House set aflame, historical figures are brought to life through their experience of this unprecedented attack. The Burning of the White House is the story of a city invaded, a presidential family displaced, a nation humbled, and an American spirit that somehow remained unbroken.

Jane Hampton Cook (Author), Marguerite Gavin (Narrator)

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Never Again War: The Sacrifice of Käthe Kollwitz

SueMedia Productions/Midsummer Sound Company present this original audio drama by Helen Engelhardt. Begun as a stage play by Engelhardt, this adaptation focuses on key moments in the life of renowned artist Käthe Kollwitz to reveal the complex world in which she lived and the destructive nature of war. After her youngest son was killed in Belgium during the opening weeks of World War I, she devoted the rest of her life to using her art in opposition to war. The play begins in Berlin in February 1914 at a party in the Kollwitz home celebrating the eighteenth birthday of her son Peter. A few months later as war begins, Peter implores his parents for permission to join his older brother Hans to become a soldier in the army. To uphold her sons' idealism to sacrifice for the Fatherland, the socialist Kollwitz finds herself supporting them in a war she deeply disapproved of. When the play concludes two weeks before Germany's defeat at the end of World War II, Kollwitz has learned that every war is answered by a new war until everything is smashed because every war carries within it the war that will answer it, as World War II answered World War I. Cast: Käthe Kollwitz: Yelena Shmulenson Hans amd Karl Kollitz: Nick Sullivan Peter Kollwitz: Robert Fass Jutta Kollwitz: Katherine Kellgren Additional voices: Natalia Bell, Wilson Bridges, Butch D'Ambrosio, Nicholas Herd, Ryan McCabe, Alan Sklar Production credits: Audio play and booklet: Helen Engelhardt Poem translations: Professor Robert Kramer Translation assistants: Hanny Budnick, Almut Fitzgerald Special thanks: Dr. Krishna Winston Package design: David Shinn Sculpture photos: Marjorie Van Halteren Front cover design: Sue Zizza Crowd recordings: Natalie Cordero Engineering/Mastering: David Shinn Director/Producer: Sue Zizza Special thanks: The staff of the Käthe Kollwitz Museum Köln “I was deeply moved by Never Again War, a very sensitive, quiet, and reflective production. And daring too, to show a German’s point of view in a positive light during the two great wars. Wonderful performances by everyone. I haven’t heard anything that touched me so deeply in a long, long time.”—Tom Lopez, president of the ZBS Foundation

Helen Engelhardt (Author), A Full Cast, Katherine Kellgren, Nick Sullivan, Robert Fass, Yelena Shmulenson (Narrator)

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