Asia Audiobooks | History

Modern Japan: A Captivating Guide to Modern Japanese History, Starting from the Period of the Tokuga

"Mention Japanese history to a non-Japanese, and the first thing that will likely come to mind is the samurai, the legendary warrior elite who ruled the country for over one thousand years. But how did they meet their end? With their two swords, top-knot haircut, and legendary code of honor, the samurai were the absolute, unquestioned rulers of the country. That all began to change rapidly when the “black ships” of US Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in Tokyo Bay in 1853. Since 1600, the Japanese had been closed off from the world. This began during the era of the Tokugawa shoguns, the family of generals who ruled Japan in the name of the emperor. Their reign ended in the early 1860s when the people of Japan realized that living in the past (under the samurai) had put them at a great disadvantage to the Western nations. Between 1868 and 1912, Japan rose from a country stuck in the 17th century to a world power that defeated both China and Russia at war. In the 1920s and 1930s, Japan went from an evolving democracy to a resurgent military government, which attempted to dominate much of Asia and the Pacific. That effort ended with the two atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan yet again “rose from the ashes” and rebuilt itself as a modern Western-style democratic government and economic powerhouse. Today, the Japanese economy is the third-largest in the world, and Japanese culture is celebrated worldwide for its ancient wisdom, food, culture, and much more. Grab your copy today! Scroll up and click the “add to cart” button to begin learning more about Japan."

Captivating History (Author), Jason Zenobia (Narrator)

Audiobook

To Love and Be Loved: A Personal Portrait of Mother Teresa

"From a trusted advisor and devoted friend of Mother Teresa comes a "powerful" (The Washington Free Beacon) firsthand account of the miraculous woman behind the saint and a book that is "rich in reflection on contemporary sanctity" (George Weigel). Mother Teresa was one of the most admired women of the 20th century, and her memory continues to inspire charitable work around the world. She believed the greatest need of a human being is to love and be loved. In 1948, she founded the Missionaries of Charity to work directly with the very poorest of Calcutta. From the efforts of one woman entering the slums of Entally, the Missionaries of Charity grew into an organization operating soup kitchens, health clinics, hospices, and shelters in 139 countries, at no cost to any government or to those who served. In 2016, she became Saint Teresa of Calcutta. Author Jim Towey had been a high-flying Congressional staffer and lawyer in the 1980s until a brief meeting with Mother Teresa illuminated the emptiness of his life. He began volunteering at one of her soup kitchens and using his legal skills and political connections to help the Missionaries of Charity. When Mother Teresa suggested he take up shifts at her AIDS hospice, Towey realized he was all in. Soon, he gave up his job and possessions and became a full-time volunteer for Mother Teresa. He traveled with her frequently, arranged her meetings with politicians, and handled many of her legal affairs. To Love and Be Loved is an "inspiring and joyful" (Kirkus Reviews) firsthand account of Mother Teresa's last years, and the first book ever to detail her dealings with worldly matters. We see her gracefully navigate the opportunities and challenges to leadership, the perils of celebrity, and the humiliations and triumphs of aging. We also catch her indulging in chocolate ice cream, making jokes about mini-skirts, and telling the President of the United States he's wrong. Above all, we see her extraordinary devotion to God and to the very poorest of His children. Mother Teresa taught Towey to be more prayerful, less selfish, more humble, less worldly, move in love with God, and less in love with himself. Her lessons are here for all to share."

Jim Towey (Author), Jim Towey (Narrator)

Audiobook

Fragile Cargo: China’s Wartime Race to Save the Treasures of the Forbidden City

"Brought to you by Penguin. The gripping true story of the intrepid curators who saved China's art from the ravages of the Sino-Japanese War and WW2 Fragile Cargo will share the as-yet-untold story of the brave people who saved China's art from the ravages of the Second World War, undertaking a perilous journey across the vast country in order to protect these fragile treasures. After the end of the war, and the beginning of the Communist regime, the Forbidden City curators were each faced with a stark choice: remain with their rescued artefacts in China, or flee with them to Taiwan. Depending on their choice, the curators' fates took startlingly different, sometimes heart-breaking turns. Author and former BBC Beijing correspondent Adam Brookes draws on first-hand diary accounts and his own interviews with eyewitnesses to offer a new perspective on China's twentieth-century history, exploring the cultural, social and political impact of the war and the Revolution on the country's people and its art heritage. © Adam Brookes 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022"

Adam Brookes (Author), Adam Brookes (Narrator)

Audiobook

Black Snow: Curtis LeMay, the Firebombing of Tokyo, and the Road to the Atomic Bomb

"Seven minutes past midnight on March 10, 1945, nearly 300 American B-29s thundered into the skies over Tokyo. Their payloads of incendiaries ignited a firestorm that reached up to 2,800 degrees, liquefying asphalt and vaporizing thousands; sixteen square miles of the city were flattened and more than 100,000 men, women, and children were killed. Black Snow is the story of this devastating operation, orchestrated by Major General Curtis LeMay, who famously remarked: 'If we lose the war, we'll be tried as war criminals.' James M. Scott reconstructs in granular detail that horrific night, and describes the development of the B-29, the capture of the Marianas for use as airfields, and the change in strategy from high-altitude daylight 'precision' bombing to low-altitude nighttime incendiary bombing. Most importantly, the raid represented a significant moral shift for America, marking the first time commanders deliberately targeted civilians—which helped pave the way for the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki five months later. Drawing on first-person interviews with American pilots and bombardiers and Japanese survivors, air force archives, and oral histories never before published in English, Scott delivers a harrowing and gripping account, and his most important and compelling work to date."

James M. Scott (Author), L.J. Ganser (Narrator)

Audiobook

7 Seconds to Die: A Military Analysis of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War and the Future of Warfighti

"The first full analysis of the second Nagorno-Karabakh war—the first war in history won primarily by unmanned systems. The second Nagorno-Karabakh war—fought between Armenia and Azerbaijan between September 24 and November 10, 2020—was the first war in history won primarily by unmanned systems. This forty-four-day war resulted in a decisive military victory for Azerbaijan. Armenia was outfought, outnumbered, and outspent and lost even though they controlled the high ground in a mountainous region that favored traditional defense. Azerbaijan's alliance with Turkey, and close technological support from Israel, strategically isolated Armenia. In addition, Turkey's posturing influenced the Russians not to intervene to support Armenia. That Azerbaijan attacked Armenia during the pandemic was an additional factor. The fact that Azerbaijan won the war is not extraordinary, considering the correlation of forces arrayed against Armenia. What is exceptional is that this was the first modern war primarily decided by unmanned weapons. In this war the Turkish-made BAYRAKTAR TB2 Unmanned Air Combat Vehicle (UCAV) and the Israeli-made HAROP Loitering Munition (LM) dominated the fighting and provided Azerbaijan with a war-winning advantage."

John Antal (Author), Jim Seybert (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Princess and the Political Agent

"The Manipuri writer Binodini's Sahitya Akademi Award-winning historical novel The Princess and the Political Agent tells the love story of her aunt Princess Sanatombi and Lt. Col. Henry P. Maxwell, the British representative in the subjugated Tibeto-Burman kingdom of Manipur. A poignant story of love and fealty, treachery andvalour, it is set in the midst of the imperialist intrigues of the British Raj, the glory of kings, warring princes, clever queens and loyal retainers. Reviving front-page global headlines of the day, Binodini's perspective is from the vanquished by love andwar, and the humbling of a proud kingdom. Its sorrows and empathy sparkle with wit and beauty, as it deftly dissects the build-up and aftermath of the perfidy of the Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891. Binodini is the supreme stylist of contemporary Manipuri literatureand an icon of Manipuri modernism, and her tale of a forbidden love and ostracism vividly brings to life the court and manners of a little-known Asian kingdom. In doing so, she recovers its little-known history, its untold relations with India and Great Britain,and a forgotten chapter of the British Raj."

Binodini Devi (Author), L. Somi Roy (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Golden Needle: The Biography of Frederick Stewart (1836-1889)

"Frederick Stewart, born in Buchan, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, was the first headmaster of the HK Govt Central School for Boys (now Queen's College) and second Inspector of Schools. He was considered by contemporaries as the Founder of Hong Kong Government Education. At the Central School, his consistent policy was to educate pupils in Western knowledge, while preserving their Chinese identity, and he insisted on equal time for Chinese and English studies. A career change was forced by the intervention of Governor John Pope Hennessy who wished the teaching of English to be given prominence. Subsequently, Stewart, a modest and unassuming man, popular within Hong Kong and also at the Colonial Office, became Police Magistrate, Registrar General, then Colonial Secretary, acting as Governor of Hong Kong on several occasions. By the end of his life, Stewart’s intimate knowledge of Hong Kong was considered unequalled among non-Chinese in Hong Kong at the time. 'Dr Bickley's life of Frederick Stewart is beautifully written, eminently readable, and at times moving.' — Lady Saltoun. 'To all intents and purposes, Stewart's life and work was lost to posterity until the publication of this biography — the product of some eight years of devoted research which spanned the globe. The end product is certainly worth the effort. We need more studies of this type if we are to understand fully the complexities of colonial rule. The life stories of men like Stewart highlight both the high and low points of colonial service, the personal sacrifices that were often made and the legacies left behind.[I] thoroughly enjoyed this book.' — Clive Whitehead, University of Western Australia, Int. J. of Lifelong Education. 'Surely few will dispute her contention that Stewart's legacy to modern Hong Kong has become something of enduring value and interest.' University of Edinburgh T. J. BARRON"

Gillian Bickley (Author), Verner Bickley (Narrator)

Audiobook

[French] - Tchouang-Tseu : Les discussions de Lao-Tseu avec Confucius: Yang-Tseu-Kiu et les autres.

"Le Livre de Tchouang-Tseu est un livre Taoiste chinois qui date d' environ le troisième siècle avant J.C. Ce livre important dans la culture chinoise s'articule en 2 ensembles qui à l'instar du Yin et le Yang s'organisent l'un dans l' autre. Le premier ensemble tourné vers l'extérieur est constitué par les discussions qu'eurent entre eux les grands personnages de la culture philosophique et politique chinoise. Le deuxième ensemble, tourné vers l'intérieur, est constitué par les commentaires historiques et les explorations philosophiques et religieuses de l'auteur. Le livre audio que nous vous proposons est un recueil des extraits du livre de Tchouang-Tseu qui relate directement de Lao-Tseu. Nous vous souhaitons une bonne écoute."

Tchouang Tseu (Author), Israel Nazir (Narrator)

Audiobook

Hiroshima: The World's First Atomic Bomb

"Keen to learn but short on time? Get to grips with the events surrounding the bombing of Hiroshima in next to no time with this concise guide.50Minutes.com provides a clear and engaging analysis of the bombing of Hiroshima. In August 1945, the Second World War was over in Europe, but in the East the Japanese army refused to surrender. Fearing a bloody battle if they invaded Japan, the US military and political leaders decided to use their recently developed nuclear weapons to force Japan's hand. These bombs proved more devastating than anyone could have imagined, and their use played a significant part in the development of the Cold War.In just 50 minutes you will:• Learn about the battles fought as part of the Pacific Campaign from 1941 to 1945• Analyse the events leading up to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the factors that motivated this decision• Understand the devastating effects of these bombings and their human and material consequencesABOUT 50MINUTES.COM|History & Culture50MINUTES.COM will enable you to quickly understand the main events, people, conflicts and discoveries from world history that have shaped the world we live in today. Our publications present the key information on a wide variety of topics in a quick and accessible way that is guaranteed to save you time on your journey of discovery."

50minutes (Author), Sara Wright (Narrator)

Audiobook

Incarnations: India in 50 Lives

"The lives and afterlives of 50 incredible Indian people from ancient India to the 21st century 'Essential... whoppingly aurally intense' New Statesman '... makes the mind fly across time, place and history. You may smile as, mentally, you walk alongside Khilnani up some flinty slope. You will keep thinking about what he said long after.' The Telegraph Historian Sunil Khilnani, Professor of History and Politics at Ashoka University, takes listeners on an immersive, whirlwind journey from ancient India to the 21st century through the life stories of 50 remarkable individuals, exploring their surprising legacies and illuminating both the wonders and the urgent conflicts of India today. From the 5th century grammarian Panini, a pioneer in algorithmic thinking, to the wandering poetess Mirabai, challenger of the gender and caste order; from Malik Ambar, a 16th century north African who became a Deccan kingmaker, to Dhirubhai Ambani, the 20th century entrepreneur whose son now ranks among the world's richest billionaires; from Lakshmibai, the 19th century queen who enjoyed weightlifting, wrestling and steeplechasing, and who became a lightning rod for India's attitudes to women, to the contemporary painter M.F. Husain, who shaped a distinctive Indian modernism; Khilnani brings to life an extraordinary panorama of India's most revealing and resonant lives. Guests featured include Javed Akhtar, one of the great songwriters of Indian cinema, renowned actress Sharmila Tagore, historian Romila Thapar, poet Arvind Krishna Mehrotra, artists Howard Hodgkin and Bharti Kher, Nobel prize-winning economist Amartya Sen, author and political activist Arundhati Roy, and Sanskrit scholar Sheldon Pollock. With the help of these experts, Khilnani investigates the lives of political strategists and social reformers, filmmakers and farmers, mathematicians and religious gurus, warriors and saints, artists and slaves, industry titans and freedom fighters, who have co-existed in a country bound together by its people, in all their differences and commonalities. The chosen lives conjure up an India full of relevance and infinite range, celebrating the variety of the country in all its diversity of thought, religion, politics and art. Production credits Presented by Sunil Khilnani Produced by Mark Savage, Jeremy Grange and Martin Williams Editor: Hugh Levinson Music composed by: Talvin Singh Researcher: Manu Pillai Executive Producer: Martin Smith First broadcast BBC Radio 4 on the following dates: The Buddha: 11 May 2015 Mahavira: 12 May 2015 Panini: 13 May 2015 Kautilya: 14 May 2015 Ashoka: 15 May 2015 Charaka: 18 May 2015 Aryabhata: 19 May 2015 Shankaracharya: 20 May 2015 Rajaraja Chola: 21 May 2015 Basavana: 22 May 2015 Amir Khusro: 25 May 2015 Kabir: 26 May 2015 Guru Nanak: 27 May 2015 Krishnadevaraya: 28 May 2015 Mirabai: 29 May 2015 Akbar: 1 June 2015 Malik Ambar: 2 June 2015 Dara Shikoh: 3 June 2015 Shivaji: 4 June 2015 Nainsukh: 5 June 2015 William Jones: 8 June 2015 Rammohan Roy: 9 June 2015 Lakshmibai, Rani of Jhansi: 10 June 2015 Jyotirao Phule: 11 June 2015 Birsa Munda: 12 June 2015 Deen Dayal: 26 July 2021 Jamsetji Tata: 27 July 2021 Vivekananda: 28 July 2021 Annie Besant: 29 July 2021 Chidambaram Pillai: 30 July 2021 Ramanujan: 2 August 2021 Tagore: 3 August 2021 Visvesvaraya: 4 August 2021 Periyar: 5 August 2021 Iqbal: 6 August 2021 Amrita Sher-Gil: 9 August 2021 Subhas Chandra Bose: 10 August 2021 Gandhi: 11 August 2021 Jinnah: 12 August 2021 Manto: 13 August 2021 Bhimrao Ambedkar: 16 August 2021 Raj Kapoor: 17 August 2021 Sheikh Abdullah: 18 August 2021 Krishna Menon: 19 August 2021 Subbulakshmi: 20 August 2021 Indira Gandhi: 23 August 2021 Satyajit Ray: 24 August 2021 Charan Singh: 25 August 2021 MF Husain: 26 August 2021 Dhirubhai Ambani: 27 August 2021 © 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) BBC Studios Distribution Ltd."

Sunil Khilnani (Author), Sunil Khilnani (Narrator)

Audiobook

Japan: A BBC documentary collection

"A captivating anthology of programmes, painting a multi-faceted portrait of a unique country Japan is a land of complexity, contrast and contradictions. The world's third-largest economy, it is a powerhouse of innovation and a pioneer in technology, fashion and pop culture. But it also has a rich, ancient heritage and a deep reverence for custom, ritual and tradition. This illuminating 2-part radio collection traverses the different aspects of this fascinating country, from its famous historical figures to its diverse cultural landscape. Part 1: History opens with Japan in Five Lives, in which cultural historian Christopher Harding portrays the lives of five colourful characters from the country's past to answer the question 'Who are the Japanese'? In Killing Time in Imperial Japan, he explores early 20th Century Tokyo, a bustling, cosmopolitan capital where the meaning of 'time' was hotly contested. Dark Blossoms sees him examining the doubts and misgivings accompanying Japan's rapid embrace of modernity, while in Japanese Tsunami, broadcasters Richard Lloyd Parry and Matthew Sweet discuss the devastating natural disaster that rocked the country in 2011. In Land of the Rising Sums, Alex Bellos visits Kyoto to ask why Asian cultures seem so much better at maths; in Japan and Religion, Roy Jenkins discusses the place of religious traditions in modern Japan; and in Supernatural Japan, Christopher Harding looks at how the Japanese have used ghosts and ghost stories to make sense of their world. Part 2: Culture celebrates Japan's art, literature and film. In Japan Now 2020, Philip Dodd talks to writers Hiromi Ito and Yukiko Motoya and photographer Tomoko Sawada about women's roles in Japanese culture today. Meanwhile, in Images of Japan, illustrator Fumio Obata and manga translator Jocelyne Allen discuss Japanese comic book imagery, and we join novelists Kyoko Nakajima and Yuya Sato in conversation with Christopher Harding. Landmark: Seven Samurai and Landmark: Rashomon see Matthew Sweet and Rana Mitter investigating the stories behind Akira Kurosawa's two most influential films, in the company of guests including film scholar Ian Christie and authors SF Said, David Peace and Natasha Pulley. The Tale of Genji takes us into the shimmering world of mediaeval Japan, as Rana Mitter explores Murasaki Shikibu's masterpiece, widely considered to be the world's first novel. Finally, in Godzilla and Hayao Miyazaki, Christopher Harding considers cinematic depictions of Japanese fear, as exemplified by the legendary monster king and the 2013 animated film The Wind Rises. Contents Japan in Five Lives Killing Time in Imperial Japan Dark Blossoms Japanese Tsunami Land of the Rising Sums Japan and Religion Supernatural Japan Japan Now 2020 Images of Japan Landmark: Seven Samurai Landmark: Rashomon The Tale of Genji Godzilla and The Wind Rises © 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd."

Alex Bellos, Christopher Harding, David Peace, Matthew Sweet, Natasha Pulley, Philip Dodd, Rana Mitter, Richard Lloyd Parry, Roy Jenkins, SF Said (Author), Various (Narrator)

Audiobook

River Kings: A New History of the Vikings from Scandinavia to the Silk Roads

"An acclaimed bioarcheologist, Catrine Jarman has used cutting-edge forensic techniques to spark her investigation into the history of the Vikings who came to rest in British soil. By examining teeth that are now over one thousand years old, she can determine childhood diet—and thereby where a person was likely born. With radiocarbon dating, she can ascertain a death-date down to the range of a few years. And her research offers enlightening new visions of the roles of women and children in Viking culture. Three years ago, a Carnelian bead came into her temporary possession. River Kings sees her trace the path of this ancient piece of jewelry back to eighth-century Baghdad and India, discovering along the way that the Vikings' route was far more varied than we might think—that with them came people from the Middle East, not just Scandinavia, and that the reason for this unexpected integration between the Eastern and Western worlds may well have been a slave trade running through the Silk Road, all the way to Britain. Told as a riveting history of the Vikings and the methods we use to understand them, this is a major reassessment of the fierce, often-mythologized voyagers of the North—and of the global medieval world as we know it."

Cat Jarman (Author), Christine Rendel (Narrator)

Audiobook

Asia Audiobooks in History