Asia Audiobooks | History

The Rise and Fall of the EAST: How Exams, Autocracy, Stability, and Technology Brought China Success

"Chinese society has been shaped by the interplay of the EAST—exams, autocracy, stability, and technology—from ancient times through the present. Beginning with the Sui dynasty's introduction of the civil service exam, known as Keju, in 587 CE—and continuing through the personnel management system used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)—Chinese autocracies have developed exceptional tools for homogenizing ideas, norms, and practices. But this uniformity came with a huge downside: stifled creativity. Yasheng Huang shows how China transitioned from dynamism to extreme stagnation after the Keju was instituted. China's most prosperous periods, such as during the Tang dynasty (618–907) and under the reformist CCP, occurred when its emphasis on scale (the size of bureaucracy) was balanced with scope (diversity of ideas). Considering China's remarkable success over the past half-century, Huang sees signs of danger in the political and economic reversals under Xi Jinping. The CCP has again vaulted conformity above new ideas, reverting to the Keju model that eventually led to technological decline. It is a lesson from China's own history, Huang argues, that Chinese leaders would be wise to take seriously."

Yasheng Huang Phd (Author), Rebecca Lam (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Vietnam War: The History of America’s Most Controversial War

"The Vietnam War could have been called a comedy of errors if the consequences weren’t so deadly and tragic. In 1951, while war was raging in Korea, the United States began signing defense pacts with nations in the Pacific, intending to create alliances that would contain the spread of Communism. As the Korean War was winding down, America joined the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, pledging to defend several nations in the region from Communist aggression. One of those nations was South Vietnam. Before the Vietnam War, most Americans would have been hard pressed to locate Vietnam on a map. South Vietnamese President Diệm’s regime was extremely unpopular, and war broke out between Communist North Vietnam and South Vietnam around the end of the 1950s. Kennedy’s administration tried to prop up the South Vietnamese with training and assistance, but the South Vietnamese military was feeble. A month before his death, Kennedy signed a presidential directive withdrawing 1,000 American personnel, and shortly after Kennedy’s assassination, new President Lyndon B. Johnson reversed course, instead opting to expand American assistance to South Vietnam. The post-analysis of war is a complicated and process that benefits from hindsight, and the involvement of the United States in Vietnam over about a decade was no exception. Never formally declared as a “war,” the Vietnam War was not fought in clean lines or with clear missions. Viewers of the evening news listening to the “box score” of killed and wounded each night had at best a hazy notion of what was happening a world away in Southeast Asia. If anything, their leaders were both attentive to reelection and on a certain level were themselves unsure of what was truly taking place. A military draft that sent over 50,000 American soldiers to their deaths was triggered by a resolution sought by President Lyndon B. Johnson in a decision to contain communism in a distant Asian land. "

Charles River Editors (Author), Jim Walsh (Narrator)

Audiobook

[Marathi] - Prachin Mandire, Murti Aani Bhavapurna Shilpe प्राचीन मंदिरे, मूर्ती आणि भावपूर्ण शिल्प

"The 'Indian temple' embodies the enduring essence of our culture. While its exterior has been described, it is now imperative to explore its interior, delving into the spirituality and philosophy intricately woven into its architectural design. The evolution of temple architecture appears to have been guided by this very quest. The concept of Vastubrahma finds tangible form in the temples of Khajuraho.Moreover, the development of idols signifies social transformation, enlightenment, and societal convergence. A theoretical idol, known as Bimba Brahma, represents these principles, manifesting in the meticulously crafted sculptures. The chapter 'Temples and Idols' in the enlightening book by Shri Udayan Indoorkar provides readers with insightful information, encouraging them to delve deeper into this rich subject matter. 'भारतीय मंदिर' म्हणजे आपल्या संस्कृतीचे चिरस्थायी असे महत्त्वाचे रूप होय. त्याच्या बहिरंगाची वर्णने केली जातातच, आता त्याच्या अंतरंगाचा म्हणजे मंदिर रचनेत प्रतीत होणाऱ्या अध्यात्म आणि तत्त्वज्ञानाचा विचार व्हायला पाहिजे, कारण मंदिर स्थापत्याचा विकास त्या अनुरोधाने होत गेल्याचे दिसते. वास्तुब्रह्म ही संकल्पना साकार होईल असे परिणीत रूप खजुराहो येथील मंदिरात आढळते.तर मूर्तीचा विकास समाज परिवर्तन, समाज प्रबोधन आणि सामाजिक अभिसरण यांचा प्रत्यय देणाऱ्या टप्प्यावर पोचला आहे. बिंबब्रह्म म्हणून ओळख पटावी अशा, सिद्धांताधारीत मूर्ती निर्माण झालेल्या आहेतही.श्री उदयन इंदूरकरांच्या प्रस्तुत वाचनीय ग्रंथातील 'मंदिरे आणि मूर्ती' या प्रकरणातील माहिती तेथपर्यंत वाचकांस प्रोत्साहन देणारी ठरते."

Udayan Indurkar (Author), Madhavi Pansare (Narrator)

Audiobook

Ancient India, Rise and Fall: Exploring the Greatest Dynasties and Legacy of Empire in South Asia

"This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice. In ancient Indian history, there were four significant eras as highlighted below, a quick introduction is important in order to digest the material in this book. Prehistoric era: From 500,000 BCE to 11,000 BCE, South Asian hunter-gatherers made stone tools and painted cave paintings at Bhimbetka during the Old and Middle Stone Ages. Merhgarh, in Baluchistan, was where South Asian farming began between 11,000 and 3000 years ago. From 2500 BCE to 1900 BCE, the great Indian cities of Mohenjo Daro and Harappa provide us with much archaeological evidence. Eras of India: Vedic and post-Vedic, No Aryan invasion took place, but a nomadic group of Indo-European speakers migrated from Iran and Afghanistan, calling themselves Arya, or the noble. Over the past four millennia, Indo-Aryan culture has developed uniquely within India, blending the values and heritages of the Arya and indigenous peoples. In the Indo-European language family, the Rig Veda is the oldest text. Among the three Vedas and other complementary Vedic literature, it is a crucial text in Vedic Hinduism. We have today's vast agricultural infrastructure in north India due to the expansion of the Indo-Aryans from Punjab to the Ganga basin. Mahajanapadas (great states) were formed from the Vedic polity, which Magadha dominated. Northwest India was invaded by both the Persians and the Greeks later in this period. Ajivakas, Buddhists, and Jains objected to the caste system, animal sacrifices, brahman dominance, and the Vedas in Vedic Hinduism. The Great Empires lasted from about 300 BCE to c. AD 500. From Chandragupta Maurya's Arthashastra, an excellent manual of political economy, we can understand the principles of the Mauryan Empire, founded from Magadha in 321 BCE. With the help of many rock and pillar inscriptions, Ashoka humanized the empire and propagated Buddha's principles. The smaller Shaka, Kushan, and Satavahana kingdoms followed the Mauryan Empire."

AJ Carmichael (Author), Digital Voice Mike G (Narrator)

Audiobook

[Spanish] - Crónicas de la cercanía cultural de China y Argentina

"¿Cómo los Chinos Cuidan la Salud? Esto no sólo consiste en el título de este libro, también consiste una duda de muchos extranjeros. Con la profundización de los intercambios culturales chino-extranjeras, muchos extranjeros prestan más interés en la medicina tradicional china. En el proceso del desarrollo de la civilización de los 5000 años, se formaron un sistema único de la medicina en China, los chinos lo consideran como el guía de la vida cotidiana. Este libro pretende explicar a los lectores cómo cuidan la salud con las palabras más fácil de entender, también les presenta claramente la historia de la medicina tradicional china a través de las entrevistas con una docena de maestros. También se describe la dieta, los masajes y otros consejos útiles para cuidar salud. Creemos que este libro ayudará a los extranjeros a comprender la cultura china."

Guo Cunhai (Author), Ricardo Luna (Narrator)

Audiobook

Among the Braves: Hope, Struggle, and Exile in the Battle for Hong Kong and the Future of Global Dem

"Through the eyes of two frontline journalists comes a gripping narrative history of the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement centered around a cast of core activists, culminating in the 2019 mass protests and Beijing's brutal crackdown. Hong Kong was an experiment in governance. Handed back to China in 1997 after 156 years of British rule, it was meant to be a carve-out between hostile systems: a bridge between communism and capitalism, authoritarianism and liberal democracy. "One country, two systems" kept its media free, its courts independent and its protests boisterous, designed also to convince Taiwan of a peaceful solution to Beijing's desire for reunification. Yet this formulation excluded Hong Kong's own people, their future negotiated by political titans in faraway capitals. In 2019, an ill-conceived law spear-headed by a sycophantic leader pushed millions to take to the streets in one of the most enduring protest movements the world has ever seen. Xi Jinping responded with a draconian national security law that sought not only to end the demonstrations but quash the "problem" of Hong Kongers' identity and desire for freedom. Reverend Chu, who believed Hong Kong had to carry the spirit of students at Tiananmen Square, saw his silver-haired comrades who birthed the city's modern pro-democracy movement handcuffed and taken from their homes. Tommy, an art student radicalized into throwing Molotov cocktails, watched "braves" like him brutalized by police before his own arrest prompted him to flee. Finn epitomized the decentralized nature of the movement and its internet-fueled victories, but online anonymity couldn't stop his life from unravelling. Gwyneth could predict her eventual fate when she chose to give up her career as a journalist to stand for election as an opposition candidate, and did it anyway. In Among the Braves, Shibani Mahtani and Timothy McLaughlin tell the story of Hong Kong's past, and what the sacrifices of its people mean for global democracy's shaky foundation."

Shibani Mahtani, Timothy Mclaughlin (Author), Jason Vu (Narrator)

Audiobook

Shogun: The Life and Times of Tokugawa Ieyasu: Japan's Greatest Ruler

"Uncover the true story of the man who unified medieval Japan. For 700 years, Japan was ruled by military commanders who waged war against one another incessantly. Shogun tells the fascinating story of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the man who finally unified and brought lasting peace to the nation. He established a new central government which enabled his descendants to rule Japan for the next 260 years—a period in which Japanese culture as we know it today flourished. The dramatic episodes retold in this book include: ● Ieyasu's crushing victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, the largest battle ever fought in Japan ● His creation of a new form of government with a centralized system of control that allowed his descendants to rule Japan peacefully for the next fifteen generations ● Ieyasu's fateful decision to limit the spread of Christianity in Japan, ultimately banning the religion and massacring tens of thousands of ardent believers This new edition highlights the drama and pageantry of Ieyasu's life and features a new foreword by leading Japanese military historian Alexander Bennett."

A.L. Sadler (Author), Jonathan Yen (Narrator)

Audiobook

Bernardine's Shanghai Salon: The Story of the Doyenne of Old China

"Bernardine Szold Fritz arrived in Shanghai in 1929 to marry her fourth husband. Only thirty-three years old, she found herself in a time and place like no other. Political intrigue and scandal lurked on every street corner. Art Deco cinemas showed the latest Hollywood flicks, while dancehall owners and jazz musicians turned Shanghai into Asia's top nightlife destination. Yet from the night of their wedding, Bernardine's new husband did not live up to his promises. Instead of feeling sorry for herself or leaving Shanghai, Bernardine decided to make a place for herself. Like other Jewish women before her, she started a salon in her home, drawing famous names from the world of politics, the arts, and the intelligentsia. And when Hollywood stars Anna May Wong, Charlie Chaplin, and Claudette Colbert passed through Shanghai, Bernardine organized gatherings to introduce them to their Shanghai contemporaries. When Bernardine's salon could not accommodate all who wanted to attend, she founded the International Arts Theater to produce avant-garde plays, ballets, lectures, and visual arts exhibits, often pushing audiences beyond their comfort zones. As civil war brewed and World War II soon followed, Bernardine's devotion to the arts and the people of Shanghai brought joy to the city just before it would change forever."

Susan Blumberg-Kason (Author), Nancy Wu (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Matter Of Trust: India-US Relations from Truman to Trump

"From Truman's remark to now, it has been a long journey. India and the United States, which share common values and should have been friends, found themselves caught in a cycle of resentment and mistrust for the first few decades following Indian independence. In A Matter of Trust, Meenakshi Ahamed reveals the personal prejudices and insecurities of the leaders, and the political imperatives, that so often cast a shadow over their relationship. The cycle began with India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who viewed Americans as naive and insular, but it was under Indira Gandhi that India entered the darkest phase of its relations with the United States. President Truman decided Nehru was a communist, and the White House tapes reveal Nixon's hatred towards Mrs. Gandhi and Indians. It was only after India undertook major economic reforms in the 1990s that the relationship improved. The transformation occurred when President George W. Bush signed the historic nuclear deal in 2008 with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Ahamed draws on a unique trove of presidential papers, newly declassified documents, memoirs, and interviews with officials directly involved in events on both sides to put together this illuminating account of their relationship that has far-reaching implications for the changing global political landscape."

Meenakshi Ahamed (Author), Deepa Samuel (Narrator)

Audiobook

Ancient China: 500 Interesting Facts About Early Chinese History

"Unlock the secrets of ancient China with 500 interesting facts! Do you want to learn more about ancient China? Look no further than 500 Interesting Facts About Ancient China. This audiobook is packed full of exciting facts and historical information that will captivate listeners. Here’s just a snippet of what you will discover: - Over two thousand years of Chinese imperial history, featuring famous emperors like Shi Huangdi and famous philosophers like Confucius; - A look at ancient Chinese art, literature, philosophy, music, and other cultural aspects; - The military strategies employed by Chinese generals throughout antiquity; - The different religions practiced in ancient China, such as Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism; - The everyday life of ancient Chinese people, including their traditions, customs, cuisine, and daily activities; - And so much more! This audiobook is an unforgettable journey into one of the most fascinating civilizations in human history. Don’t hesitate—unlock the secrets of ancient China today with 500 Interesting Facts About Ancient China!"

Ahoy Publications (Author), Jay Herbert (Narrator)

Audiobook

[Marathi] - Aavhan Chini Dragonchya Hybrid Yuddhache आव्हान चीनी ड्रगनच्या हायब्रीड युद्धाचे

"The communist ideology-linked tyranny imposed by China has created global unrest at all levels. China, driven by expansionism, terrorism, and economic dominance, is engaging in various forms of hybrid warfare to establish power in its hands. Indian soldiers have responded with unwavering bravery from Arunachal to Leh Ladakh, securing the northern borders. The saga of valor in the Galwan Valley and the firm policy of the current central government echo loudly, intimidating China. Brigadier Hemant Mahajan eloquently presented this topic through a three-day online lecture series, leaving an indelible mark on his audience. In the form of a book, this burning issue has been presented to readers in a compelling style. कम्युनिस्ट विचारधारेशी नाळ जोडलेल्या चीनच्या अराजकता राजवटीने जगात सर्व स्तरांवर धुमाकूळ घातला आहे. विस्तारवादी, आतंकवादी आणि जगाची आर्थिक पर्यायाने एक हाती सत्ता आपल्या हातात असावी यासाठी विविध प्रकाराचे हायब्रीड युद्ध चीन खेळत आहे. भारतीय सैनिकांनी अरुणाचल ते लेह लडाख सीमेवर चोख प्रत्युत्तर दिले आहे. गलवान व्हॅलीत भारतीय सैनिकांनी केलेल्या पराक्रमाची वीर गाथा आणि सध्याच्या केंद्रीय सरकारची नीती स्पष्टता चीनच्या छातीत धडकी भरवणारी आहे. ब्रि. हेमंत महाजन यांनी तीन दिवसीय ई- व्याख्यानमालेतून हा विषय आपल्या सर्वांसमोर अतिशय ओघवत्या शैलीत मांडला होता. पुस्तक रूपाने हा ज्वलंत विषय वाचकांसमोर मांडला आहे."

Br. Hemant Mahajan (Author), Ojas Marathe (Narrator)

Audiobook

History of India and Indian Mythology: An Enthralling Guide to Major Civilizations, Empires, Events,

"Two manuscripts in one audiobook: - History of India: An Enthralling Overview of Significant Civilizations, Empires, Events, People, and Religion - Indian Mythology: An Enthralling Overview of Myths, Gods, and Goddesses from India In the first part of this audiobook, you will discover: - How National Highway 1 goes all the way back to the Mauryan Empire! - The importance of nonviolence in Indian culture - How just 20,000 British officials ruled a population of millions - How the illiterate emperor Akbar headed a huge revival of art and scholarship, mixing Hindu, Muslim, Jain, and even Christian influences - Why only ten of the eleven Sikh gurus were actual people—and who the eleventh guru is - How India exported Buddhism to the world - India’s intense artistic heritage, from rock-cut temples and acutely observant Mughal miniatures to Anish Kapoor’s contemporary abstracts - Why a Sikh maharaja ended up as an English landowner and friend of Queen Victoria - How a film actress became Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu state In the second part of this audiobook, you will discover: - Tales of the creation of the universe - The creation of matter, life, and time - The way the three components of the universe interact to maintain balance - Some of the great gods in Hindu mythology, including the three gods of the Trimurti - The role of the great goddesses in the creation and sustenance of the universe and the ways in which they overcome challenges - The various avatars and incarnations of gods and goddesses in Hindu mythology - Tales from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, which speak of strength of character, resilience, and hope Scroll up and click the “add to cart” button to begin learning about the History of India and Indian Mythology today!"

Billy Wellman (Author), Jay Herbert (Narrator)

Audiobook

Asia Audiobooks in History