Biography & Memoir Audiobooks

When I Last Saw Me: The Memoir Of Sammi Bass

Everyone thinks about running away from home sometime. Most people don't venture that when they are 51. Sammi did. When the world got too small and being part of it got too unbearable she ran. Mostly west. On the way she bumped into her past and found some reconcile with her present. Filled with memories common to us all, too familiar demons, the longing, the searching, the betrayal and brokenness-the beauty of it all.

Lisa Jennett (Author), Lisa Jennett (Narrator)

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I have been the bad guy

Have you ever been made to feel like the bad guy? Dr. bird has too. In this brief memoir, they reveal secrets about their life that they have kept hidden for over thirty years regarding compulsory heterosexuality, repressed/unexplored queernesses, and the late in life realization that -- turns out -- they're #actuallyautistic! Retold from their 33-year-old Dr. bird’s eye view, these extensively brave disclosures add one whole lifetime of flesh onto the U.S. body politic. This timely manuscript illuminates, historicizes, and contextualizes the f***ing fact that autism is not “just a trend” taking off just on TikTok recently, but that there are massive neuroqueer self-realizations happening worldwide in the algorithmic envirusment (environment + virus = envirusment). Dr. bird’s unmasked writing voice puts the “cut-the-shit” into “slice-of-life,” providing deep and raw disclosures of lifelong confusion, gaslighting, and struggles with family dysfunction, friendship loss, vulnerability, intimacy, sexual violence, and substance abuse. After extensive sharing, it’s time to grieve. They usher in a eulogy for their lifetimes that once were, by diagnosing how foundational U.S. ideas did and continue to dehumanize, sicken, disable, and deaden us. Then, they preach to the global choir about the single most connected time in history. Dr. bird has a lot more puns and trauma than answers, but in the end, recommends some liberatory antibodies for moving forward, far less miserably.

Dr. Bernadette Bird Bowen (Author), Dr. Bernadette Bird Bowen (Narrator)

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Many Paths: A Poet's Journey Through Love, Death, and Wall Street

This is a story of a successful businessman, Bruce McEver, the founder of Berkshire Capital and a global pioneer of investment banking, who is devastated by the sudden and unexpected death of his wife of thirty years, a beautiful and talented opera singer who shared that life with him and gave it meaning. The day following her death, Christmas morning, in a barn yard on the farm where he and his wife lived together, Bruce experiences a hierophany-a physical manifestation of the holy and sacred. Unbelieving its veracity, the revealing of his vision to his minister sets Bruce off on a journey spanning the world, Harvard Divinity School, Joseph Campbell lectures, summer poetry workshops, professorships, new loves and loves lost, health crises and new business. Many Paths is heartfelt, honest, unflinching, and charged on every page with humor and grace. It takes an under represented view of traditional autobiography, charting a full and unique life that weaves entrepreneurial, spiritual, intellectual, philanthropic and artistic paths together. In this way, Many Paths follows in the tradition of Augustine's Confessions, J.R. Moehringer's The Tender Bar, and Jack Welch's Jack: Straight from the Gut.

Bruce Mcever (Author), Bruce Mcever, Howard Baxter (Narrator)

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[German] - 3.500 Tage Unfreiheit: Zweiter Weltkrieg – Tagebuch und Autobiografie des Soldaten Hans H

Erleben Sie die feinfühlige Autobiografie des Artilleriebeobachters Hans Heuer, der mehr als neun Jahre seines Lebens in Krieg und Kriegsgefangenschaft verbrachte! Hans Heuer hat während seiner Fronteinsätze im Zweiten Weltkrieg akribisch Tagebuch geführt. Viele Jahrzehnte nach Kriegsende hat er aus seinen Aufzeichnungen und Erinnerungen das vorliegende Buch über seine Zeit im Krieg und in der Gefangenschaft verfasst. Er verstarb, ehe es veröffentlicht werden konnte. Sein Sohn Rüdiger Heuer hat seinem Vater diesen letzten Wunsch nun erfüllt … Synopsis April 1939: Hans Heuer, 19 Jahre alt, beginnt einen neuen, hoffnungsvollen Lebensabschnitt: Zunächst Arbeitsdienst, dann ein Studium am Nürnberger Technikum – doch die unbeschwerte Zeit findet ein rasches Ende: Der Krieg beginnt und reißt den jungen Mann aus Nördlingen mit sich fort: Vom heißen Afrika an die bitterkalte Ostfront – doch nirgends fühlt sich der Bayer so fremd wie in Ostpreußen, als ihn sein Weg nach Königsberg führt. Auch seine Rolle als Soldat will ihm nicht so wirklich passen: Ob in Belgien, Italien, Libyen, Polen oder an der Ostfront – sein Interesse gilt Landschaft, Architektur und Menschen. Er beginnt mit Tagebuchaufzeichnungen, zwingt sich jeden Tag zu schreiben und wird so zum Chronisten des Alltags der Soldaten und später der Kriegsgefangenen. Er erzählt von der Freundschaft mit 'dem Feind' in Belgien, von den Krankenlagern, der Langeweile, der Grausamkeit des Krieges, dem Hunger und davon, wie sich die Menschen im Krieg verändern: Wie sie jegliche Zivilisation verlieren, wie aber gleichzeitig auch immer wieder Hoffnung, Aufopferung, Barmherzigkeit und Anstand zu finden sind. Dieses Hörbuch ist nicht nur ein wertvolles Zeugnis für eine Zeit, aus der kaum noch Augenzeugen leben, sondern enthält auch spannende Gedanken zu unserem heutigen Leben, mit denen der Autor im letzten Kapitel seinen Bericht abschließt.

Hans Heuer (Author), Mario Kunze (Narrator)

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Cyber Encounters: Cops' Adventures with Online Criminals

As technology has evolved, so has crime. Digital technologies have brought with them a whole host of crimes committed online-unsuspecting people are cheated of crores of rupees, duped by false advertisements on fake websites, incited to click on suspicious links through payment gateways, and download apps that give remote access of their device to criminals. From credit card fraud to phishing, the list is endless.Cyber Encounters delves deep into this nebulous cyberspace, to bring twelve fascinating fictional accounts of cybercrime. Ashok Kumar, DGP, Uttarakhand Police and a veteran in the systematic fight against cybercrime in the state, and OP Manocha, an ex-DRDO scientist, unfold a specific type of cybercrime in each tale, based on a true story. Packed with information on the crime, its investigation and the apprehending of the criminals, this illuminating insider account is a must-read.

Ashok Kumar, O.P. Manocha (Author), Satyajit Mukherjee (Narrator)

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Queens: History and Biography of Mary Tudor, Marie Antoinette, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Victoria, and A

This book contains the stories and biographies of several queens from history: Bloody Mary - Mary I, typically called Mary Tudor and called 'Bloody Mary' by her Protestant challengers, ruled as Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 till November 17th, 1558. She is well recalled for her solid attempts to reverse the English Reformation, which started throughout her dad's reign, Henry VIII's reign. Marie Antoinette - Before the Reign of Terror, Marie Antoinette was the last queen of France. She was the penultimate kid and youngest daughter of Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Francis I, and was born an archduchess of Austria. At the age of 14, she wed Louis-Auguste, the beneficiary evident to the French throne, and ended up being dauphine of France in May 1770. Her partner, Louis XVI, took the throne on May 10, 1774, and she ended up being queen. Eleanor of Aquitaine - Eleanor of Aquitaine is a controversial figure in history. Many have referred to her in a different light. Some with some opinions, others with others. Today, you will learn more about those and get as many facts straight as possible. Queen Victoria - From June twentieth, 1837, to her death in the year 1901, Victoria ruled as Queen of the UK of Great Britain and Ireland. Her rule of 63 years and 7 months, called the Victorian period, was the longest of any British emperor before her. It was a period of considerable commercial, social, technical, and army development in the U.K., and also a period of great British Empire growth. Anne Boleyn - As King Henry VIII's 2nd marriage partner, Anne Boleyn ruled as Queen of England from 1533 till 1536. Her marriage and execution by beheading for treason and other criminal offenses made her an essential player in the political and religious chaos that identified the start of the English Reformation.

Kelly Mass (Author), Doug Greene (Narrator)

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It Stops Here: Standing Up for Our Lands, Our Waters, and Our People

A personal account of one man's confrontation with colonization that illuminates the philosophy and values of a First Nation on the front lines of the fight against an extractive industry, colonial government, and threats to the life-giving Salish Sea. It Stops Here is the profound story of the spiritual, cultural, and political resurgence of a nation taking action to reclaim their lands, waters, law, and food systems in the face of colonization. In deeply moving testimony, it recounts the intergenerational struggle of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation to overcome colonial harms and the powerful stance they have taken alongside allies and other Indigenous nations across Turtle Island against the development of the Trans Mountain Pipeline-a fossil fuel megaproject on their unceded territories. In a firsthand account of the resurgence told by Rueben George, one of the most prominent leaders of the widespread opposition to the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion, It Stops Here reveals extraordinary insights and revelations from someone who has devoted more than a decade of his life to fighting the project. Rueben shares stories about his family's deep ancestral connections to their unceded lands and waters, which are today more commonly known as Vancouver, British Columbia and the Burrard Inlet. He discloses how, following the systematic cultural genocide enacted by the colonial state, key leaders of his community, such as his grandfather, Chief Dan George, always taught the younger generations to be proud of who they were and to remember the importance of their connection to the inlet. Part memoir, part call to action, It Stops Here is a compelling appeal to prioritize the sacred over oil and extractive industries, while insisting that settler society honour Indigenous law and jurisdiction over unceded territories rather than exploiting lands and reducing them to their natural resources.

Michael Simpson, Rueben George (Author), Rueben George (Narrator)

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The Life of Jesus Christ

There was only one man who was so important that His birth caused our calendar to split in two (B.C./A.D). There was only one man who, despite being tempted, did not sin even once. There was only one man who died for your sins and mine and by whom we can have eternal life. That man was Jesus Christ of Nazareth. How much do you know about Jesus? Have you spent much time thinking about how He lived? Do you know Him? James Stalker carefully goes through each stage of Jesus’ life and presents, in a biographical format, what we know about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If anyone deserves to have our attention and our interest, that person is Jesus. He is more than a hero. He is a perfect example of how we should live. He is the only one who gives us any real hope at all. If we are to take up our cross and follow Him, we must understand what that means and must see what that looks like. This book will help you to do just that.

James Stalker (Author), Reed Smith (Narrator)

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[Spanish] - Chita (Spanish edition)

Las memorias tan esperadas y tremendamente entretenidas de la leyenda del escenario Chita Rivera, tres veces ganadora del premio Tony, homenajeada en los Centros Kennedy y ganadora de la Medalla Presidencial de la Libertad. Era conocida como Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero, hasta que Broadway le cambió el nombre. Pero Dolores, el lado irreverente de Chita Rivera, que es sensual, oscura y feroz, nunca se alejó de la acción, y ella informó y dio forma a algunos de los papeles más aclamados del ícono de Broadway, incluidos Anita en WEST SIDE STORY, Rosie en BYE BYE BIRDIE, Velma en CHICAGO y Aurora en EL BESO DE LA MUJER ARAÑA. Con el deseo de llegar a los viejos fanáticos y transmitir su extraordinaria amplitud de experiencia a las nuevas generaciones, Chita lleva al lector a las habitaciones donde sucedió: la fermentación creativa, los choques de egos, los descubrimientos milagrosos, la euforia cuando todo salió bien. , la decepción cuando todo salió mal. Estamos con ella mientras trabaja con Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Laurents, Stephen Sondheim, Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins, Hal Prince, Liza Minnelli, Sammy Davis Jr, Gwen Verdon y muchos otros. También aprendemos detalles profundamente conmovedores y reveladores sobre su educación y cómo eso ha sido un factor indeleble en su trabajo y carrera. Publicando el año en que Chita cumple 90 espectaculares años de juventud, CHITA es la inolvidable y apasionante historia personal de una artista que abrió su propio camino e inspiró a innumerables artistas a hacer lo mismo.

Chita Rivera (Author), Natalia Guadarrama (Narrator)

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Crisis

We had been there for over 12 hours. The man was still 30 feet up a tree, balancing on a branch directly over one of the main railway lines out of one of the busiest train stations in the country. He refused to talk to us, threatening to jump if we came too close. To him, we were the enemy. My job was to preserve his life. The most dangerous time in any negotiation is when you think you’re winning. From kidnappings to terrorist incidents, violent armed stand-offs to talking someone back from the ledge: all these make up the day-to-day life of Nicky Perfect’s job as a crisis and hostage negotiator. One of the first on the scene in situations that most would run from, Nicky is deployed to defuse the most volatile and fraught situations imaginable. After a decade on the frontlines, confronting the extremes of human behaviour, these are the stories and cases that have shaped a career spent on high alert, where life often hangs in the balance. It’s about finding yourself and following your passion, and of a life lived to help others.

Nicky Perfect (Author), To Be Announced (Narrator)

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Lifescapes: A Biographer’s Search for the Soul

Brought to you Penguin. The acclaimed biographer and obituarist for The Economist reflects on a career spent pursuing life and capturing it on the page. It is soul that I go looking for. Or, to put it another way, real life. 'What is life?' asked the poet Shelley, and could not come up with an answer. Scientists, too, for all their understanding of how life manifests, thrives and evolves, have still not plumbed that fundamental question. Yet biographers and obituarists continue to corral lives in a few columns, or a few hundred pages, aware all the time how fleeting and elusive their subject is. In this dazzlingly original blend of memoir, biography, observation and poetry, Ann Wroe reflects on the art and impossibility of capturing life on the page. Through her experiences and those of others, through people she has known, studied or merely glimpsed in windows, she movingly explores what makes a life and how that life lingers after. Animated by Wroe's rare imagination, eye for the telling detail, and the wit, beauty and clarity of her writing, Lifescapes is a luminous, deeply personal answer to Shelley's question. 'She's a genius, I believe' HILARY MANTEL 'A masterful celebration' JOHN BANVILLE 'A rare and beautiful book' KAPKA KASSABOVA © Ann Wroe 2023 (P) Penguin Audio 2023

Ann Wroe (Author), Ann Wroe (Narrator)

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Striving for Justice: A Black Sheriff in the Deep South

On a sweltering day in August 1960, in the segregated Deep South city of Jacksonville, Florida, a seventeen-year-old Black boy finished his dishwashing job at Morrison’s Cafeteria, walked out the back door, and found himself in the middle of a nightmare. Hundreds of white men with ax handles and baseball bats were attacking Black sit-in protestors in Hemming Park. Suddenly surrounded, the young man endured menacing blows and racist taunts. He called for help from a white police officer standing nearby, but no help came. And he felt an unwarranted shame he determined never to feel again. His name was Nat Glover. Nat’s life could have ended that day, but instead, the ordeal reinforced his plans to become a police officer. His belief in a better world could have faded to cynicism, but instead, it took root in his spirit. His desire to overcome the poverty and racism of his youth could have given in to shame, but instead, Nat resolved to dedicate his life to honoring the dignity of all people. Nat Glover went on to serve in law enforcement for thirty-seven years, became the first Black sheriff in Jacksonville and the state of Florida since Reconstruction, and chose—again and again—to do the right thing at the right time for the sake of justice, compassion, and truth. In Striving for Justice, Nat recounts his history-making years in police reformation,the values that fuel him as a leader and American citizen, and what he believes will move this country forward toward hope and healing just as he once rose again … against all odds.

Nathaniel Glover (Author), James Shippy (Narrator)

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