History Audiobooks | LoveReading

The History of Asian Immigrants in the United States during the 20th Century

The story of early Asian immigration to the United States is also one about race legislation and discrimination at a time when global populations were moving with more frequency and merging ahead of their ability to practically assimilate. The greatest involuntary migration in history took place as some 12.5 million black African crossed the Atlantic as slaves.[1] In the New World, the advent of abolition created a knock-on labor crisis that was filled in many instances by contract or indentured labor from India and China while at the same time opportunist migration was taking place from the old cultures of Asia and Europe to the New World and the emerging European colonies. The first Asian immigrant group to make landfall in North America, besides those that crossed the land bridge many thousands of years ago, were the Chinese. The first documented presence of Chinese in the United States were those that landed in the ship Pallas on August 9, 1785 in the port of Baltimore. The ship was owned and operated by Captain John O’Donnell who sailed her regularly between the East Coast and various ports in China, and this, his last voyage, left his crew stranded in the United States. Three among them were Chinese and thirty-three were lascars whose home ports were scattered across South Asia. O’Donnell married and settled on an estate on the outskirts of Baltimore that he named Canton in fond memory of a lifetime of mercantile engagement with the coast of China. A record exists of a petition to Congress submitted by the three Chinese for funds to return home although not of any monies paid. The fate of the three Chinese and thirty-three lascars is unknown.

Charles River Editors (Author), Daniel Houle (Narrator)

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Queen Zenobia of Palmyra: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Levant’s Most Famous Queen

Although the ancient world was for the most part a patriarchal place, more than a few women rose to prominence and were able to exert political power. Hatshepsut (ruled 1479-1458 BCE) was ruler of Egypt’s mighty New Kingdom, and nearly 1,500 years later the more famous Cleopatra VII (reigned 51-30 BCE) was the regent of the Nile Valley. Many other women in Babylon, Assyria, Greece, and Rome played significant roles as regents for their young sons and occasionally as the true power behind the throne. Of these rulers, one of the most significant females in late antiquity was Zenobia, who for just a few short years in the late 3rd century CE ruled the wealthy merchant city of Palmyra. During her time as ruler, Zenobia extended Palmyra’s boundaries from its very circumscribed location in the Syrian desert to that of a full-fledged empire that included most of the Levant, Egypt, and part of Anatolia. Despite living in a man’s world, Zenobia was able to come to power and eventually challenge the Roman Emperor Aurelian (r. 270-275) through a combination of intelligence, guile, and some luck. Zenobia’s immediate impact was her direct challenge to the political authorities in both Rome and Persia. Before Zenobia, Palmyra had a fair degree of autonomy, but it was essentially a Roman client state. Palmyra’s stability and wealth were also dependent upon the various dynasties that ruled Persia: the Persians could attack Palmyra from the desert to the east or they could simply stop the trade routes, thereby destroying the city-state’s wealth. Zenobia sought to establish Palmyra as a power in its own right so that it would no longer be a pawn in the constant wars between Rome and Persia. In Zenobia’s eyes, Palmyra was a true equal of the Romans and Persians and should be given an equal place at the geopolitical table when it came to diplomacy and trade.

Charles River Editors (Author), Colin Fluxman (Narrator)

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Black Masters a Side Light on Slavery

The Rev. Calvin Dill Wilson (1857–1946) was a Presbyterian minister and author. His book ‘Black Masters,’ first published in 1904, explore the history of wealthy free African-Americans who became slave-owners. According to Wilson’s research, there were around 6,200 black slave-holders in the years before the Civil War, who owned some 18,000 slaves. By owning their families, free colored men and women could protect them against oppressive local laws. The earliest documentary evidence of such a transaction dates from 1724, in Boston, Massachusetts while most of the cases discussed here concern the states of Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi and South Carolina.

Calvin Dill Wilson (Author), Warren Keyes (Narrator)

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Foxbat Tales: The MiG-25 in Combat

From the Middle East to the Iron Curtain ... the definitive combat history of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25. July 1967: At the Moscow Air Show, the Soviets unveiled six new state-of-the-art aircraft. From among this lineup of new fighters and interceptors stood the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25-purportedly capable of outrunning and outmaneuvering any aircraft in NATO's inventory. Yet even before its public appearance in Moscow, the MiG-25 had been a grave concern for Western analysts. Indeed, this new interceptor could fly at speeds in excess of Mach 3 and cruise at altitudes heretofore deemed unreachable for a tactical fighter. Moreover, NATO's intelligence community was baffled by how the Soviet Union had cobbled together such a "masterpiece" of modern engineering. The reality, however, was that this "interceptor" was a poorly-designed airframe with an oversized motor. Although it excelled as a reconnaissance aircraft, it fared poorly as a dogfighter-and it was typically the loser when pitted against Western aircraft like the F-14 Tomcat and F-15 Eagle. From the Sinai Peninsula ... to the Soviet-Afghan War ... to Operation Desert Storm, Foxbat Tales is the definitive operational and combat history of the MiG-25.

Mike Guardia (Author), Johnny Heller (Narrator)

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A viagem do descobrimento

Embarque nas naus e caravelas da vasta frota comandada por Pedro Álvares Cabral. Circule por entre marujos lusitanos, pilotos árabes, astrólogos judeus e nobres ibéricos. Viaje com eles por mares tempestuosos, em meio a perigos desconhecidos ou calmarias enervantes. Saiba quais forças políticas moviam a esquadra que chegou ao Brasil, mergulhando no mundo da Escola de Sagres e do misterioso infante D. Henrique, um herdeiro dos Cavaleiros Templários. 'A viagem do descobrimento', primeiro volume da coleção Brasilis, revisita os momentos inaugurais da história do nosso país descrevendo-os como a grande aventura que de fato foram. A partir de cartas, documentos e crônicas da época, assim como estudos de historiadores consagrados, o jornalista e escritor Eduardo Bueno conta com riqueza de detalhes a trajetória de homens que venceram seus limites em busca de um novo mundo. Agora lançado em formato de audiolivro com o selo Pop Stories, 'A viagem do descobrimento' é uma edição especial narrada com a inconfundível voz do próprio Eduardo, cuja popularidade cresce a cada dia por meio de seu canal Buenas Ideias. Sobre o autor EDUARDO BUENO, o Peninha, é escritor, com mais de 30 livros publicados, jornalista, editor e tradutor. Com a coleção Brasilis, que reúne 'A viagem do descobrimento', 'Náufragos, traficantes e degredados', 'Capitães do Brasil' e 'A coroa, a cruz e a espada', tornou-se o primeiro autor brasileiro a emplacar simultaneamente quatro títulos entre os cinco primeiros nas listas de mais vendidos dos principais jornais e revistas do País. Além de ser colunista do ZH, Peninha também é apresentador do canal Buenas Ideias no Youtube.

Eduardo Bueno (Author), Eduardo Bueno (Narrator)

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Castellio gegen Calvin: Ein Gewissen gegen die Gewalt

Stefan Zweig schrieb dieses Lehrstück über Toleranz im Jahr 1936. Zu einer Zeit als bereits für gesichert erachtete Menschenrechte durch den Nationalsozialismus massiv bedroht und eingeschränkt wurden. Angesiedelt ist die historische Erzählung im Zeitalter der Reformation. Hier treffen der reformatorische Eiferer Jean Calvin und der liberale Theologe Sebastian Castellio aufeinander. Calvin, der neben Martin Luther, die vermutlich einflussreichstes Figur der reformatorischen Bewegung ist, gelingt es in der Stadtrepublik Genf die Macht an sich zu reißen. Auf Betreiben Calvins wird einer seiner Kritiker, der Protestant Michel Servet, auf dem Scheiterhaufen verbrannt. Dieser Akt der Intoleranz und grausamer Gewalt animiert den Baseler Theologen Sebastian Castellio zu einem mutigen Plädoyer für religiöse Toleranz.

Stefan Zweig (Author), Norbert Wendel (Narrator)

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The Mind Is Mightier: Reflections on the Historic Rise of Cognition and Complexity

You are invited to join an intellectual adventure of the mind, a broad canvas review of the cognitive evolution of our civilization in politics, science, technology and the arts. Humanity is on a path of rising cognition and complexity, the world becomes increasingly our idea. After two horrific world wars, it seems that the great powers are rejecting the sword in favor of the pen. Technology is giving us tools and challenging us to change and move forward. But the new and more cognitive world is also confusing, sometimes frustrating and changing very fast. Too many of us feel displaced, even lost. Better understanding is the key to regaining our footing and better adjustment in a world of constant flow. The Mind is Mightier is about this viewpoint of history; a broad historical description of the various elements of our cognitive evolution and the great variety of life's activities: social order, art, science, music, technology, economy, religion, world order, law and self-evaluation. It demonstrates the tendency for increased complexity in all the above as we continuously chart new directions and purpose for humanity's path. An audiobook produced by and publishing e-Audio Productions and Audiobook Release

Bar-Giora Goldberg (Author), Alex Robertson (Narrator)

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Thoth The Author of Ancient Egyptian Wisdom: Exploring The Life and Teachings of Thoth The Atlantean

Thoth's roles in Egyptian mythology were many. He served as scribe of the gods, credited with the invention of writing and Egyptian hieroglyphs. In the underworld, Duat, he appeared as an ape, Aani, the god of equilibrium, who reported when the scales weighing the deceased's heart against the feather, representing the principle of Maat, was exactly even. The ancient Egyptians regarded Thoth as One, self-begotten, and self-produced. He was the master of both physical and moral (i.e. divine) law, making proper use of Ma'at. He is credited with making the calculations for the establishment of the heavens, stars, Earth, and everything in them. The Egyptians credited him as the author of all works of science, religion, philosophy, and magic. The Greeks further declared him the inventor of astronomy, astrology, the science of numbers, mathematics, geometry, surveying, medicine, botany, theology, civilized government, the alphabet, reading, writing, and oratory. They further claimed he was the true author of every work of every branch of knowledge, human and divine.

Norah Romney (Author), Brian Boru, Ryan Moorhen (Narrator)

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Señoras que se empotraron hace mucho

¿Dónde están las lesbianas en la historia? Mujeres que se rebelaron contra el matrimonio y rompieron las reglas de etiqueta. Rebeldes, genias, decadentes, artistas... Señoras que, pese a todas las dificultades de su tiempo, se atrevieron a expresar su sexualidad y desafiar a su época. Este libro, que contempla desde el siglo XVII hasta el siglo XX, explora la historia pública y privada de estas fascinantes mujeres que amaban a otras -Anne Seymour Damer, Anne Lister o Josephine Baker, entre tantas otras-, para visibilizar y sacar a la luz una realidad que nunca debería haber sido secreta.

Cristina Domenech (Author), Almudena Puyo (Narrator)

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Operation Gunnerside: The History and Legacy of the Allied Mission to Sabotage Nazi Germany’s Nuclea

When the Nazis’ quest for a nuclear weapon began in earnest in 1939, no one really had a handle on how important nuclear weapons would prove to war and geopolitics. The attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, along with the Cold War-era tests and their accompanying mushroom clouds, would demonstrate the true power and terror of nuclear weapons, but in the late 1930s these bombs were only vaguely being thought through, particularly after the successful first experiment to split the atom by a German scientist. The nuclear age itself was in its infancy, barely 35 years old, but within a few short years the advent of nuclear war loomed over the world and the prospect of a malign dictatorship winning the nuclear race kept Allied leaders awake at night. When the Allies learned the Nazis had a heavy water plant in occupied Norway, they considered various ways to stop it. Bombing raids by the Royal Air Force (RAF) were not practical since they lacked the required accuracy, so it seemed that the only way to slow down or stop the supply of heavy water to the Nazi nuclear program was to mount a commando-style raid on the plant. This would mean sending a handful of men against a well-defended target deep in occupied territory, but the need to interrupt the supply of heavy water was all too clear, even if the means of achieving this was less so. The British turned to the only organization capable of planning and executing such a mission: the Special Operation Executive (SOE), a secret group formed in 1941 with the express purpose of sending in agents to cause mayhem in German-occupied Europe. What resulted was one of the most remarkable raids of World War II, under the name Operation Gunnerside.

Charles River Editors (Author), Daniel Houle (Narrator)

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The Perfect Police State: An Undercover Odyssey into China's Terrifying Surveillance Dystopia of the

A riveting investigation into how a restive region of China became the site of a nightmare Orwellian social experiment-the definitive police state-and the global technology giants that made it possible Blocked from facts and truth, under constant surveillance, surrounded by a hostile alien police force: Xinjiang's Uyghur population has become cursed, oppressed, outcast. Most citizens cannot discern between enemy and friend. Social trust has been destroyed systematically. Friends betray each other, bosses snitch on employees, teachers expose their students, and children turn on their parents. Everyone is dependent on a government that nonetheless treats them with suspicion and contempt. Welcome to the Perfect Police State. Using the haunting story of one young woman's attempt to escape the vicious technological dystopia, his own reporting from Xinjiang, and extensive firsthand testimony from exiles, Geoffrey Cain reveals the extraordinary intrusiveness and power of the tech surveillance giants and the chilling implications for all our futures.

Geoffrey Cain (Author), Feodor Chin (Narrator)

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Faith, Gender, and Activism in the Punjab Conflict: The Wheat Fields Still Whisper

Punjab was the arena of one of the first major armed conflicts of postcolonial India. During its deadliest decade, as many as 250,000 people were killed. This audiobook makes an urgent intervention in the history of the conflict, which to date has been characterized by a fixation on sensational violence-or ignored altogether. Mallika Kaur unearths the stories of three people who found themselves at the center of Punjab's human rights movement: Baljit Kaur, who armed herself with a video camera to record essential evidence of the conflict; Justice Ajit Singh Bains, who became a beloved "people's judge"; and Inderjit Singh Jaijee, who returned to Punjab to document abuses even as other elites were fleeing. Together, they are credited with saving countless lives. Braiding oral histories, personal snapshots, and primary documents recovered from at-risk archives, Kaur shows that when entire conflicts are marginalized, we miss essential stories: stories of faith, feminist action, and the power of citizen-activists.

Mallika Kaur (Author), Soneela Nankani (Narrator)

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