Asia Audiobooks | History

Ancient China 221 BCE - 1644 AD: Emperors To Philosophers & Walls To Masterpieces

This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice. Uncover the Majesty of Ancient China: Emperors to Philosophers & Walls to Masterpieces Book 1 - Emperors of the Silk Road: Ancient China's Dynastic Saga (221 BCE - 220 CE): Dive into the epic dynastic saga of Ancient China, from the visionary Qin Shi Huang's unification of warring states to the golden era of the Han Dynasty. Witness the rise and fall of emperors, the expansion of territories, and the intricate dance of power and diplomacy along the Silk Road. Book 2 - Confucianism: The Moral Compass of Ancient China (551 BCE - 479 BCE): Enter the realm of philosophy and ethics as we explore the teachings of Confucius, the sage whose moral compass guided generations. Discover the profound impact of Confucianism on Chinese culture, governance, and the intricate web of human relationships. Book 3 - The Great Wall: Engineering Marvel of Ancient China (7th Century BC - 17th Century AD): Journey through time and explore one of the world's most iconic engineering feats—the Great Wall of China. Trace its evolution from early defensive structures to the monumental wonder that spans centuries, offering insights into the challenges faced by its builders and the significance of its existence. Book 4 - Ming Dynasty Treasures: Art and Culture in Ancient China (1368 - 1644): Immerse yourself in the opulent world of the Ming Dynasty, where art, culture, and craftsmanship thrived. Witness the creation of exquisite blue and white porcelain, stroll through magnificent imperial gardens, and delve into a cultural renaissance that continues to captivate hearts. Don't miss the opportunity to uncover the majesty of Ancient China. Get your hands on this exclusive book bundle today and embark on an adventure through empires, ethics, walls, and masterpieces.

A.J.Kingston (Author), Digital Voice Madison G (Narrator)

Audiobook

Sparks: China's Underground Historians and Their Battle for the Future

Brought to you by Penguin. In China today a nationwide movement emerges, defying crackdowns and censorship to challenge the Communist Party on its most hallowed ground: its control of history. In traditional China, dynasties rewrote history to justify their rule by proving that their predecessors were unworthy of holding power. Marxism gave this a modern gloss, describing history as an unstoppable force heading toward Communism's triumph. The Chinese Communist Party builds on these ideas to whitewash its misdeeds and justify its rule. But in recent years, a network of independent writers, artists and film-makers have challenged this state-led disremembering. Using digital technologies to bypass China's legendary surveillance state, their samizdat journals, guerilla media posts and underground films document a pattern of disasters: from past famines and purges to the ethnic clashes and virus outbreaks of the present. Based on years of research in Xi Jinping's China, Sparks challenges stereotypes of a China where the state has quashed all free thought, revealing instead a country engaged in one of humanity's great struggles of memory against forgetting - a battle that will shape the China that emerges in the mid-twenty-first century. ©2023 Ian Johnson (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Ian Johnson (Author), Ian Johnson (Narrator)

Audiobook

History of India: An Enthralling Overview of Significant Civilizations, Empires, Events, People, and

“Incredible India” is the slogan of India’s official tourism campaign—and it’s true! India has an amazing history, from some of the world’s earliest civilizations to its contemporary high-tech culture and a huge diversity of religions, arts, and people. This book takes you all the way from India’s prehistoric beginnings at Mohenjo-daro to the development of Buddhism and the Maurya Empire, the Hindu empires of the Middle Ages, the Mughals who brought Islam to the mix (and created the Taj Mahal), the British Raj, and finally the fight for independence and the modern yet ageless India of today. On the way, you’ll find out some fascinating facts about Indian culture, history, and historical figures. Here is just a glimpse of what you can discover in this book: · 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 · And so much more! Scroll up and click the “add to cart” button to begin learning about Indian history today!

Billy Wellman (Author), Jay Herbert (Narrator)

Audiobook

Mongol Empire: Nomadic Origins To Lasting Global Heritage

This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice. Unveiling the Epic Saga of the Mongol Empire: A Book Bundle of Nomadic Origins to Lasting Global Heritage Book 1 - Rise of the Storm Lords: The Birth of the Mongol Empire (1206-1227) Embark on a journey to the heart of the Eurasian steppes, where a chieftain named Temujin transforms into the formidable Genghis Khan. Witness the birth of an empire, from the unification of tribes to the forging of an ambition that would shape the destiny of nations. Book 2 - Conquerors of Continents: The Expansion and Rule of the Mongol Empire (1227-1368) Experience the sweeping conquests that carried Mongol banners across continents, from Europe to China. Explore the complexities of governance, the interplay of cultures, and the legacy of rule that left its mark on history. Immerse yourself in the intrigue and grandeur of the Mongol Empire's expansion. Book 3 - Echoes of the Steppes: Cultural Legacies and Influences of the Mongol Empire (13th-15th Century) Step into a world where art, language, and ideas intertwine in a cultural tapestry woven by the Mongols. Discover the echoes that linger from their interactions with diverse societies, creating a legacy that continues to inspire and resonate through the ages. Book 4 - Mongols in the Modern Age: Rediscovering the Empire's Impact on Global History (16th Century-Present) Journey into the present day to uncover the hidden ways in which the Mongol legacy endures. From redefined identities to the influence on modern geopolitics, this volume sheds light on the unexpected connections between the past and the contemporary world. Don't miss this opportunity to own a comprehensive collection that unravels the epic saga of the Mongol Empire's nomadic origins and its enduring influence on global heritage.

A.J.Kingston (Author), Digital Voice Madison G (Narrator)

Audiobook

Victorious in Defeat: The Life and Times of Chiang Kai-shek, China, 1887-1975

An extensively researched, comprehensive biography of Chinese Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek, one of the twentieth century's most powerful and controversial figures Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) led the Republic of China for almost fifty years, starting in 1926. He was the architect of a new, republican China, a hero of the Second World War, and a faithful ally of the United States. Simultaneously a Christian and a Confucian, Chiang dreamed of universal equality yet was a perfidious and cunning dictator responsible for the deaths of over 1.5 million innocent people. This critical biography is based on Chiang Kai-shek's unpublished diaries, his extensive personal files from the Russian archives, and the Russian files of his relatives, associates, and foes. Alexander V. Pantsov sheds new light on the role played by the Russians in Chiang's rise to power in the 1920s and throughout his political career-and indeed the Russian influence on the Chinese revolutionary movement as a whole-as well as on Chiang's complex relationship with top officials of the United States. It is a detailed portrait of a man who ranks with Stalin, Roosevelt, Hitler, Churchill, and Gandhi as leaders who shaped our world.

Alexander V. Pantsov (Author), Rick Adamson (Narrator)

Audiobook

Korea: A New History of South and North

A major new history of North and South Korea, from the late nineteenth century to the present day Korea has a long, riveting history-it is also a divided nation. South Korea is a vibrant democracy, the tenth largest economy, and is home to a world-renowned culture. North Korea is ruled by the most authoritarian regime in the world, a poor country in a rich region, and is best known for the cult of personality surrounding the ruling Kim family. But both Koreas share a unique common history. Victor Cha and Ramon Pacheco Pardo draw on decades of research to explore the history of modern Korea, from the late nineteenth century, Japanese occupation, and Cold War division to the present day. A small country caught amongst the world's largest powers-including China, Japan, Russia, and the United States-Korea's fate has been closely connected to its geography and the strength of its leadership and society. This comprehensive history sheds light on the evolving identities of the two Koreas, explaining the sharp differences between North and South, and prospects for unification.

Ramon Pacheco Pardo, Victor Cha (Author), Julian Elfer (Narrator)

Audiobook

Voices of Dissent - An Essay (Unabridged)

Written by one of India's best-known public intellectuals, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in India's fascinating history as well as the direction in which the nation is headed. People have argued since time immemorial. Disagreement is a part of life, of human experience. But we now live in times when any form of protest in India is marked as anti-Indian and met with arguments that the very concept of dissent was imported into India from the West. As Romila Thapar explores in her timely historical essay, however, dissent has a long history in the subcontinent, even if its forms have evolved through the centuries. In Voices of Dissent: An Essay, Thapar looks at the articulation of nonviolent dissent and relates it to various pivotal moments throughout India's history. Beginning with Vedic times, she takes us from the second to the first millennium BCE, to the emergence of groups that were jointly called the Shramanas-the Jainas, Buddhists, and Ajivikas. Going forward in time, she also explores the views of the Bhakti sants and others of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and brings us to a major moment of dissent that helped to establish a free and democratic India: Mahatma Gandhi's satyagraha. Then Thapar places in context the recent peaceful protests against India's new, controversial citizenship law, maintaining that dissent in our time must be opposed to injustice and supportive of democratic rights so that society may change for the better.

Romila Thapar (Author), Gautam Patel (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Empires of India: The History of the Dynasties that Ruled India Before the British

When one thinks of the world’s first cities, Sumer, Memphis, and Babylon are some of the first to come to mind, but if the focus then shifts to India, then Harappa and Mohenjo-daro will likely come up. These cities owe their existence to India’s oldest civilization, known as the Indus Valley Civilization or the Harappan Civilization, which was contemporary with ancient Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt and had extensive contacts with the former, making it one of the most important early civilizations in the world. The dynasty that came to power in the late 4th century BCE is known today as the Mauryan Dynasty, and although the ruling family was short-lived and their power was ephemeral, its influence resonated for several subsequent centuries and spread as far east as China and into the Hellenistic west. Bactria was the seat of several different kingdoms during the course of many centuries, but none were as successful as the Kushan Empire, the dominant political entity in Central Asia from the early 2nd century BCE until the early 3rd century CE, during which time the Kushan rulers played a major role in the first iteration of the trade networks known collectively as the Silk Road. From 1206 to 1526, the Delhi Sultanate controlled all of northern India and, during its apogee of power, nearly all of the Sub-Continent, making it one of the most impressive empires not only in India’s long history, but also in the history of Islam. The Delhi Sultanate was comprised of five dynasties that expanded their borders, and Islam, at sword point, but also through diplomacy and trade. The Mughals, a group with Turkish and Mongolian roots, adopted elements of Islamic culture and meshed them with native Indian culture and even Western European culture. When the British conquered India in the mid-19th century, they had the benefit of inheriting the Mughal system, a suitable template for rule over a land as vast and diverse as India.

Charles River Editors (Author), Michelle Humphries (Narrator)

Audiobook

Gunpowder and the Printing Press: The History and Legacy of the Inventions that Modernized Europe

In addition to the wheelbarrow, the seismograph, the waterwheel, deep drilling, suspension bridges, and ship rudders, among countless other life-changing contraptions, the Chinese developed what were later dubbed the “Four Great Inventions of China.” Two of those were gunpowder and printing, which both spread through South Asia and the Middle East before making it to Europe. For a time, gunpowder was a mere curiosity, but its destructive power and military potential would be realized quickly. The first record of a cannon in Europe comes from a manuscript written in 1326, which has an illustration showing an armored man with what looks like a slow match lighting a vase-shaped object. This crude cannon was called a pot de fer in French and vasi in Italian. While medieval engineers developed new types of cannons and explosives capable of destroying walls and castles, others were making the first handguns possible. European sources first mentioned the widespread use of handgonnes, as they were often called, in the late 14th century, precisely the time when gunpowder became cheaper. The history of printing was for ancient Asia an advancement in culture and communication, but for Europe in the 15th century, it was much more, plunging the continent into a new paradigm and aligning it for the modern world. Its importance is often overlooked, but the timeliness of the printing machine was equivalent to the invention of alphabets in antiquity and ranks up there with the digital revolution and the introduction of the internet. Put simply, it made the Renaissance possible and led to the modernization of Europe. Based on earlier Asian principles, Johannes Gutenberg’s movable type printing press propelled an industry that led to the education of the West and ultimately removed the tight grip of the Vatican from daily European life.

Charles River Editors (Author), Bill Caufield (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Loom of Time: Between Empire and Anarchy, from the Mediterranean to China

A stunning exploration of the Greater Middle East, where lasting stability has often seemed just out of reach but may hold the key to the shifting world order of the twenty-first century "Continuing Robert D. Kaplan's work as the premier American scholar of geopolitics . . . a book that everyone who wants to understand the real forces that decide war and peace should read."-John Gray, author of The New Leviathans: Thoughts After Liberalism The Greater Middle East, which Robert D. Kaplan defines as the vast region between the Mediterranean and China, encompassing much of the Arab world, parts of northern Africa, and Asia, existed for millennia as the crossroads of empire: Macedonian, Roman, Persian, Mongol, Ottoman, British, Soviet, American. But with the dissolution of empires in the twentieth century, postcolonial states have endeavored to maintain stability in the face of power struggles between factions, leadership vacuums, and the arbitrary borders drawn by exiting imperial rulers with little regard for geography or political groups on the ground. In the Loom of Time, Kaplan explores this broad, fraught space through reporting and travel writing to reveal deeper truths about the impacts of history on the present and how the requirements of stability over anarchy are often in conflict with the ideals of democratic governance. In The Loom of Time, Kaplan makes the case for realism as an approach to the Greater Middle East. Just as Western attempts at democracy promotion across the Middle East have failed, a new form of economic imperialism is emerging today as China's ambitions fall squarely within the region as the key link between Europe and East Asia. As in the past, the Greater Middle East will be a register of future great power struggles across the globe. And like in the past, thousands of years of imperial rule will continue to cast a long shadow on politics as it is practiced today. To piece together the history of this remarkable place and what it suggests for the future, Kaplan weaves together classic texts, immersive travel writing, and a great variety of voices from every country that all compel the reader to look closely at the realities on the ground and to prioritize these facts over ideals on paper. The Loom of Time is a challenging, clear-eyed book that promises to reframe our vision of the global twenty-first century.

Robert D. Kaplan (Author), Eric Jason Martin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Bravehearts of Bharat: Vignettes from Indian History

Fifteen Brave Men and Women of Bharat who Never Succumbed to the Challenges of Invaders But were Lost and Forgotten in the Annals of History. These are the stories of those Bravehearts who Fought to Protect their Rights, Faith and Freedom.History has always been the handmaiden of the victor. 'Until the lions have their own storytellers,' said Chinua Achebe, 'the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter!' Exploring the lives, times and works of the fifteen long-forgotten and mostly neglected unsung heroes and heroines of our past, this book brings to light the contribution of the warriors who not only donned armour and burst forth into the battlefield but also kept the flame of hope alive under adverse circumstances.Narrating the tales of valour and success that India, as a nation and civilization, has borne witness to in its long and tumultuous past, the book opens a window to the stories of select men and women who valiantly fought against invaders for their rights, faith and freedom.Rajarshi Bhagyachandra Jai Singh of Manipur, Lalitaditya Muktapida of Kashmir, Chand Bibi of Ahmednagar, Lachit Barphukan of Assam, Begum Hazrat Mahal of Awadh, Rani Abbakka Chowta of Ullal, Martanda Varma of Travancore, Rani Rudrama Devi of Warangal, Rani Naiki Devi of Gujarat and Banda Singh Bahadur are some of the 'bravehearts' who fought to uphold the tradition and culture of their land.Pacy and unputdownable, Bravehearts of Bharat chronicles the stories of courage, determination and victory, which largely remained untold and therefore unknown for a long time.

Vikram Sampath (Author), Anuj Datta (Narrator)

Audiobook

[Spanish] - China moderna: Una guía fascinante de la historia moderna de China

Repasemos los últimos 120 años de historia china, desde los inicios del país como un imperio obsoleto y en apuros a finales del siglo XIX hasta convertirse en una superpotencia comunista totalitaria. La radical transformación de China desde una monarquía dinástica a un régimen comunista dominante en el mundo resulta muy atractiva para lectores de todas las edades e intereses, y este libro narra la historia de los acontecimientos más importantes de este periodo. Llena de luchas ideológicas e intelectuales, divisiones internas y guerras civiles, conflictos con naciones extranjeras y cambios influyentes a lo largo del siglo XX, la historia moderna de China promete ser una lectura interesante. A lo largo del libro, aprenderá sobre lo siguiente: - El colapso de la dinastía Qing en la China de principios del siglo XX. - Personajes influyentes de los primeros tiempos de la República China. - Acontecimientos que marcaron los primeros treinta años del siglo XX en China y que desembocaron en el Primer Frente Unido. - El ascenso del comunismo y la formación del PCCh. - El impacto de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, la ocupación japonesa y la guerra civil china. - Mao Zedong, la victoria comunista y la huida del gobierno nacionalista a la isla de Taiwán. - La formación de la República Popular China y las políticas socioeconómicas de la década de 1950. - El Gran Salto Adelante y sus resultados para el pueblo chino. - La Revolución Cultural, la muerte de Mao y el desarrollo del país a partir de finales de la década de 1970. - Y mucho más. ¡Desplácese hacia arriba y haga clic en el botón «añadir a la cesta» para empezar a aprender sobre la China moderna!

Captivating History (Author), Luis Trumper (Narrator)

Audiobook

Asia Audiobooks in History