Asia Audiobooks | History

Omoiyari: The Japanese Path to Compassion

"Omoiyari is the philosophy of selfless compassion. This is the audiobook to help you see the beauty in omoiyari and bring harmony into your own life. All simply by bringing happiness into the lives of others. Understanding the foundations of omoiyari will give an even greater sense of embodiment and appreciation. From the main branch omoi and kirei to omakase, this book breaks down the principles of omoiyari to boost your comprehension and in turn your attainment. Have a listen and see if you can bring omoiyari into your life, and make your own happiness."

Amadeus Sorensen (Author), M. Alexandria Steeves (Narrator)

Audiobook

[Arabic] - اعترافات غايشا

"تبدأ القصة عام 1929، في بلدة فقيرة يعتاش معظم أهلها على صيد السمك. تباع سايوري وهي في التاسعة من عمرها، وصاحبة جمال آخاذ، إلى منزل 'غايشا' شهير لتعيش فيه نوعاً من العبودية ولتتحول فيما بعد إلى أسطورة في عالم فتيات الغايشا. بعدما أدهشت زرقة عينيها القائمين على هذا المنزل، وفي السنوات اللاحقة، وفيما هي تعمل لسداد 'ثمنها' واسترجاع حريتها، تتعلم سايوري فنون الغايشا الصارمة، من موسيقى ورقص وتتدرب لتصبح 'غايشا' حقيقية، ترتدي الكيمون، وتتجمل وتسرح شعرها وتتبرج بحسب التقاليد، وتصب شراب الساكي بأنوثة شديدة. لكنها تواجه منافسة شديدة من فتيات غايشا غيورات، يتسابقن في العناية بالرجال للحصول على أكبر قدر من الأموال، ومع اشتعال الحرب العالمية الثانية وإجبار منازل الغايشا على الإقفال، تجد سايوري نفسها أمام تحد جديد: إعادة ترتيب نفسها وإيجاد نوع نادر من الحرية بمفردها، هي التي تملك مالاً قليلاً وطعاماً أقل. مع 'اعترافات غايشا'، ندخل عالماً تتحكم فيه المظاهر وتحكمه، وتعامل فيه عذرية الفتاة كسلعة تباع لمن يدفع أكثر، إنه عالم تتعلم فيه النساء خداع أقوى الرجال بهدف سلبهم أموالهم... هو عالم لا مكان فيه لحب حقيقي، بل لحب مزدرى ومتهم بأنه لا يمكن أن يتعدى الوهم. من الكتب الأكثر مبيعًا في العالم، ترجم إلى لغات عديدة، وقصته البديعة تحولت إلى فيلم استقطب أعداداً هائلة من الجماهير. استمع الآن."

آرثر غولدن (Author), كناز الطوبال (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Hong Kong Diaries

"Brought to you by Penguin. In June 1992 Chris Patten went to Hong Kong as the last British governor, to try to prepare it not - as other British colonies over the decades - for independence, but for handing back in 1997 to the Chinese, from whom most of its territory had been leased 99 years previously. Over the next five years he kept this diary, which describes in detail how Hong Kong was run as a British colony and what happened as the handover approached. The book gives unprecedented insights into negotiating with the Chinese, about how the institutions of democracy in Hong Kong were (belatedly) strengthened and how Patten sought to ensure that a strong degree of self-government would continue after 1997. Unexpectedly, his opponents included not only the Chinese themselves, but some British businessmen and civil service mandarins upset by Patten's efforts, for whom political freedom and the rule of law in Hong Kong seemed less important than keeping on the right side of Beijing. The book concludes with an account of what has happened in Hong Kong since the handover, a powerful assessment of recent events and Patten's reflections on how to deal with China - then and now. © Chris Patten 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022"

Chris Patten (Author), Chris Patten (Narrator)

Audiobook

High Tide in the Korean War: How an Outnumbered American Regiment Defeated the Chinese at the Battle

"By early 1951, American forces and their UN allies had been driven more than 100 miles down the Korean peninsula by the Chinese. The situation was bleak when Gen. Matthew Ridgway ordered a last stand at the village of Chipyong-ni. There a single regiment (the 23rd Infantry) of fewer than 5,000 U.S. soldiers defeated a Chinese division of 25,000 men in what has been called the Gettysburg of the Korean War. ● Intense history of one of the most important battles of the Korean War ● From-the-foxhole account of a do-or-die defense ● Draws from memoirs, interviews, unit reports, intelligence summaries, and personal research in South Korea"

Leo Barron (Author), David Colacci (Narrator)

Audiobook

Mapping the Great Game: Explorers, Spies, and Maps in 19th-Century Asia

"In the 19th century, the British and Russian empires were engaged in bitter rivalry for the acquisition of Southern Asian. Although India was the ultimate prize, most of the intrigue and action took place along its northern frontier in Afghanistan, Turkestan, and Tibet. Mapping the region and gaining knowledge of the enemy were crucial to the interests of both sides. The Great Trigonometrical Survey of India began in the eighteenth century with the aim of creating a detailed map of the subcontinent. Under the leadership of George Everest—whose name was later bestowed to the world's tallest mountain—it mapped the Great Arc running from the country's southern tip to the Himalayas. Much of the work was done by Indian explorers known as Pundits. They were the first to reveal the mysteries of the forbidden city of Lhasa, and discover the true course of Tibet's mighty Tsangpo River. These explorers performed essential information gathering for the British Empire and filled in large portions of the map of Asia. Their adventurous exploits are vividly recounted in Mapping the Great Game."

Riaz Dean (Author), Zehra Jane Naqvi (Narrator)

Audiobook

December in Dacca: The Indian Armed Forces and the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War

"The 1971 war between India and Pakistan, to help liberate the beleaguered people of Bangladesh, is considered one of the last 'just wars' of the twentieth century. Good triumphed decisively, unequivocally and indisputably. Yet, given the scale of atrocity that was halted in its tracks, it is shocking that the compelling circumstances as well as numerous poignant and heart-warming stories of the war have failed to become iconic representations of military intervention and success in the folklore and popular culture of India, Bangladesh and beyond. December in Dacca seeks to right this wrong. From the dramatic dogfight over Boyra to the cornering of Pakistani naval vessels at Karachi to the Indian helicopter-riding infantry and paratroopers forcing the enemy to retreat, the book retells the many thrilling anecdotes, setting them within their diplomatic, strategic and tactical contexts. It also provides a glimpse into the lives of some of these heroes once the dust had settled. Most importantly, it offers thoughts on why the events of 1971 are not better known, and how a better understanding of those could help India reaffirm her sense of self."

Ks Nair (Author), P. Mathai Abraham (Narrator)

Audiobook

Daughters of the Flower Fragrant Garden: Two Sisters Separated by China’s Civil War

"Daughters of the Flower Fragrant Garden is a window into the lives of women in twentieth-century China, a time of traumatic change and unparalleled resilience. In this riveting and deeply personal account, linguist and East Asian scholar Zhuqing Li confronts the bitter political rivals of mainland China and Taiwan with elegance and unique insight, while celebrating her aunts’ remarkable legacies. 'Beautifully woven family memories coalesce into a vivid history of two very different Chinas.' ― Kirkus Reviews Sisters separated by war forge new identities as they are forced to choose between family, nation, and their own independence. Jun and Hong were scions of a once great southern Chinese family. Each other’s best friend, they grew up in the 1930s during the final days of Old China before the tumult of the twentieth century brought political revolution, violence, and a fractured national identity. By a quirk of timing, at the end of the Chinese Civil War, Jun ended up on an island under Nationalist control, and then settled in Taiwan, married a Nationalist general, and lived among fellow exiles at odds with everything the new Communist regime stood for on the mainland. Hong found herself an ocean away on the mainland, forced to publicly disavow both her own family background and her sister’s decision to abandon the party. A doctor by training, to overcome the suspicion created by her family circumstances, Hong endured two waves of “re-education” and internal exile, forced to work in some of the most desperately poor, remote areas of the country. Ambitious, determined, and resourceful, both women faced morally fraught decisions as they forged careers and families in the midst of political and social upheaval. Jun established one of U.S.-allied Taiwan’s most important trading companies. Hong became one of the most celebrated doctors in China, appearing on national media and honored for her dedication to medicine. Niece to both sisters, Li tells her aunts’ story for the first time, honoring her family’s history with sympathy and grace."

Zhuqing Li (Author), Nancy Wu (Narrator)

Audiobook

[Telugu] - Prachina Bharatadesa Charitra

"భారతీయ చరిత్రను శాస్త్రీయ దృక్పథంతో జీవం పోసిన ప్రఖ్యాత చరిత్రకారుడు డి.డి.కోశాంబిని పరిచయం చేస్తూ ఆలోచనాపరుడు, అభ్యుదయ భావాలు కలిగిన కె.బాలగోపాల్ రచించిన విలువైన గ్రంథమిది."

K.Balagopal (Author), Srinivasa Rao (Narrator)

Audiobook

Dancing on Bones: History and Power in China, Russia and North Korea

"History didn't end. Democracy didn't triumph. America’s leading role in the world is no longer assured. Instead, authoritarian rule is on the rise, and the global order established after 1945 is under attack. This is the phenomenon Katie Stallard tackles in Dancing on Bones as she examines how the leaders of China, Russia, and North Korea manipulate the past to serve the present and secure the future of authoritarian rule. Russia has annexed Crimea, started a war in eastern Ukraine, and repeatedly massed troops on its borders. China has stepped up war games near Taiwan and militarized the South China Sea, while North Korea has resumed missile testing and blood-curdling threats against the United States. These three states consistently top lists of threats to US and European security, and yet the leaders of all three insist that it is their country that is threatened, rewriting history and exploiting the memory of the wars of the last century to justify their actions and shore up popular support. Since coming to power, Xi Jinping has almost doubled the length of China’s World War II, Vladimir Putin has elevated the memory of the Great Patriotic War to the status of a national religion, and Kim Jong Un has invested vast sums in rebuilding war museums in his impoverished state, while those who try to challenge the official version of history are silenced and jailed. But this didn’t start with Putin, Xi, and Kim, and it won’t end with them. Drawing on first-hand, on-the-ground reporting, Dancing on Bones argues that if we want to understand where these three nuclear powers are heading, we must understand the stories they are telling their citizens about the past."

Katie Stallard (Author), Elizabeth Sastre (Narrator)

Audiobook

[Marathi] - Phalani - Yugantapurvicha Kalokh

"ब्रिटीश भारतातून जात असताना इथे फाळणीची बीजं रोवून गेले. कालांतराने भारताची फाळणी होऊन पाकिस्तानची निर्मिती झाली. या फाळणीपुर्वीची भारतातली सामाजिक, राजकीय परिस्थिती, फाळणीनंतरची परिस्थिती, त्यामागील कारणं, फाळणीदरम्यान झालेलं वित्तीय, मानवी नुकसान आणि भारताच्या राजकीय इतिहासावर झालेला त्याचा दूरगामी परिणाम यांचा सांगोपांग वेध घेणारं वि.ग.कानिटकर यांचं पुस्तक म्हणजे 'फाळणी - युगान्तापुर्वीचा काळोख'"

V. G. Kanitkar (Author), Dr. Shridhar Kanitkar (Narrator)

Audiobook

History of India: The most Important Historic Events and People

"The history of India is long and complicated. It dates back to thousands of years before Christ, according to historical analysts, and it involves wars, peoples, different spiritual movements, claims of independence, merging of empires, and various cultural aspects. In this study guide, we will try to shed some light on the development of this area of the world. We’ll talk about the bronze age, the iron age, medieval times in India, the early modern period, and the 20th century developments. To understand a part of the world with such a huge part of the entire world population (more than a 1.38 billion currently), is to understand way more about world history itself. Therefore, I invite you to get started right away and learn more."

Kelly Mass (Author), Chris Newman (Narrator)

Audiobook

[Telugu] - Andhrula Sanghika Charitra

"ఆంధ్రుల సాంఘిక చరిత్ర గ్రంథాన్ని సంపాదకుడు, చరిత్ర కారుడు, రచయిత సురవరం ప్రతాపరెడ్డి సుమారు 20 సంవత్సరాల పాటు చేసిన పరిశోధన చేసి రచించాడు. రెండు వేలయేళ్ళుగా వివిధ సాహిత్య ఆకరాలను ఆధారం చేసుకుని కొంతవరకూ పురావస్తువులతో సరిచూసుకుని రచించిన సాంఘిక చరిత్ర ఇది. రాజుల చరిత్ర కాక ప్రజల చరిత్రకు ఇది ప్రాధాన్యం ఇస్తుంది."

Suravaram Pratapa Reddy (Author), Srinivasa Rao (Narrator)

Audiobook

Asia Audiobooks in History