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Modern CIA: The History of America's Central Intelligence
The 28-year period from 1933-1961, bracketed on one end by Hitler's rise to power in Germany and on the other by the very height of the Cold War, was marked by a remarkably stable succession of American presidents. In fact, only three men held office in this period, and that predictability led to a general stability among government agencies. The CIA had five different directors in its first 15 years, from 1946-1961, but nine different directors in the next 20, with four of those directors serving less than a year. Although plagued by its own share of problems in its early existence during World War II and the early Cold War years, the agency's early problems, smoothed over by a string of tenured presidents, paled in comparison to those it would face in the coming decades. The presidency became much more tumultuous and plagued by scandal and tragedy in the following decades. Beginning with Kennedy, the country had five presidents in the span of less than 20 years, and none of them completed two full terms, so it is perhaps not surprising that the CIA felt its way through its own tough days during this period. To place the agency's blame for its own very real mistakes at the feet of the ever-churning office of the presidency is not entirely fair, because in many cases the CIA made its own bed and was forced to lie in it, but the continuously changing executive landscape and the subsequent jerky and often haphazard changes of directions certainly played a part in the agency's troubles of this period.
Charles River Editors (Author), Bill Hare (Narrator)
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The Battle of Lepanto: The History of the Decisive Naval Battle between the Ottoman Empire and the H
In terms of geopolitics, perhaps the most seminal event of the Middle Ages was the successful Ottoman siege of Constantinople in 1453. The city had been an imperial capital as far back as the 4th century, when Constantine the Great shifted the power center of the Roman Empire there, effectively establishing two almost equally powerful halves of antiquity's greatest empire. Constantinople would continue to serve as the capital of the Byzantine Empire even after the Western half of the Roman Empire collapsed in the late 5th century. Naturally, the Ottoman Empire would also use Constantinople as the capital of its empire after their conquest effectively ended the Byzantine Empire, and thanks to its strategic location, it has been a trading center for years and remains one today under the Turkish name of Istanbul. In the wake of taking Constantinople, the Ottoman Empire would spend the next few centuries expanding its size, power, and influence, bumping up against Eastern Europe and becoming one of the world's most important geopolitical players. It would take repeated efforts by various European coalitions to prevent a complete Ottoman takeover of the continent, and one of the most important battles among those efforts took place in 1571. The Battle of Lepanto is one of the great iconic military clashes of history, ranked with Waterloo, Hastings, Somme and the Battle of Britain. It was the last and largest great battle involving galleys - oared vessels that rammed and boarded enemy vessels - and also the first great naval conflict that effectively used cannons. It was a clash between two great civilizations fighting for supremacy in the world and for control of Europe: the Ottoman Empire and the Christian states of Europe.
Charles River Editors (Author), Bill Hare (Narrator)
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Battle of Red Cliffs, The: The History and Legacy of the Decisive Battle Fought Near the Start of An
At the forefront of the Three Kingdoms was one of ancient China’s most famous battles, fought in late 208 CE. An area of the Yangtze River located near modern Chibi City in the central Chinese province of Hubei was filled with ships as far as the eye could see. They were swift wooden vessels, built for speed and filled with hard faced men, arrows strung on their backs, ready to be released on the enemy. Massive warships with imposing war towers piled high with soldiers were also anchored in the river. These military ships were part of the mightiest naval invasion ever seen in China, but on the ships, the sailors were weary. Contrary to their imposing facade, these men were unfamiliar with the trials of river combat – they were northerners, more familiar with the frigid weather and the flat plains of northern China than being marooned on wooden ships in the water. Some of the men were ill, seasick from the prolonged exposure to life on the water. To combat this, Cao Cao, the supreme warlord of the northern Wei Kingdom and leader of the fleet, had ordered his men to tie their ships together to limit the swaying and to alleviate the sea sickness. It seemed to help, ironically, this seemingly simple solution would also spell doom for the invaders. The ensuing Battle of Red Cliffs changed Chinese history. It marked the end of the Han Dynasty, one of the greatest in China’s history, and pushed China into the era of the Three Kingdoms, an era of perpetual warfare and chaos. Furthermore, the battle also had a dramatic effect on Chinese culture, media, and literature, and the battle and its major participants remain legendary in China. Even today, movies, videogames, and comic books about this battle can be found in China, from the blockbuster film Red Cliff in 2009 to the video game series Dynasty Warriors. Clearly, the ramifications of this period of Chinese history can still be felt nearly 2,000 years later.
Charles River Editors (Author), Bill Hare (Narrator)
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Robert Frost: The Life and Legacy of the Famous 20th Century American Poet
Of all the authors and poets American schoolchildren may be exposed to over the course of their education, Robert Frost is often one of the first, and on rare occasions that he is not, it is still a near certainty that some of his most famous poems will be discussed at some point. Many will have memorized “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” before finishing grade school or will instantly recall the end of “The Road Not Taken.” Frost may not be as remembered or influential as other American literary giants, or even poets such as Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman, but his career was historic in terms of its length and breadth of accomplishments. Over the course of several decades, Frost became the first to win four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry, and he also earned such recognitions as a Congressional Medal of Honor before being made the poet laureate of Vermont shortly before the end of his life. The many works he put out and the various styles of prose all greatly influenced his contemporaries and future generations of writers, even as he ably described a rural America of a seemingly bygone era and managed to instill universal ideas and teachings therein. Poet Amy Lowell may have described his abilities best early on in Frost’s career, writing of him, “He tells you what he has seen exactly as he has seen it. And in the word exactly lies the half of his talent. The other half is a great and beautiful simplicity of phrase, the inheritance of a race brought up on the English Bible. Mr. Frost's work is not in the least objective. He is not writing of people whom he has met in summer vacations, who strike him as interesting, and whose life he thinks worthy of perpetuation. Mr. Frost writes as a man under the spell of a fixed idea...'
Charles River Editors (Author), Bill Hare (Narrator)
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The Santa Fe Trail: The History and Legacy of 19th Century America's Most Popular Overland Route to
The westward movement of Americans in the 19th century was one of the largest and most consequential migrations in history, and as it so happened, the paths were being formalized and coming into use right around the time gold was discovered in the lands that became California in January 1848. Located thousands of miles away from the country's power centers on the East Coast at the time, the announcement came a month before the Mexican-American War had ended, and among the very few Americans that were near the region at the time, many of them were Army soldiers who were participating in the war and garrisoned there. San Francisco was still best known for being a Spanish military and missionary outpost during the colonial era, and only a few hundred called it home. Mexico's independence, and its possession of those lands, had come only a generation earlier. One early trail got its start in Independence, Missouri, one of many cities marked as starting points for pioneers, settlers, or traders. From there, the trail went all the way to Santa Fe, which at that time was part of the newly independent country of Mexico. As Americans pushed steadily west along the frontier and the Mexican-American War was fought, both ends of the trail became part of the United States, and the Santa Fe Trail then connected with other trails that continued on to Mexico. From 1822-1880, the trail remained the prominent method of transportation until the railroads reached Santa Fe, ending the widespread use of a route that once connected two countries. The Santa Fe Trail: The History and Legacy of 19th Century America's Most Popular Overland Route to the Southwest examines how the path was forged, the people most responsible for it, and the most famous events associated with the trail's history.
Charles River Editors (Author), Bill Hare (Narrator)
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Ivan Pavlov: The Life and Legacy of the Famous Russian Psychologist
"Don't become a mere recorder of facts, but try to penetrate the mystery of their origin." - Pavlov Pavlov's dogs are to Psychology 101 what Rome is to antiquity classes. This particular series of experiments and the concept of classical conditioning likely ring a bell for many readers because they have been referenced in countless texts, both scientific and otherwise, and they have seeped into various forms of pop culture throughout the years. More often than not, the man behind this universally applicable phenomenon gets mentioned in conjunction with the dogs, which only cements his status as a household name over 80 years after his death. In the critically acclaimed comedy The Office, the resident prankster Jim conditions his coworker Dwight with the default Microsoft jingle that plays when a user "unlocks" their workstation and some mints. For days on end, Jim reboots his computer, prompting the memorable two-note tune, and offers his colleague an Altoid each time. One day, Jim restarts his computer, only this time he makes no further movements, and without missing a beat, Dwight instinctively extends his palm. Dwight continued on with his work with an outstretched hand, only snapping out of his daze when Jim inquired what it was that his colleague was doing. "I - I don't know," a genuinely baffled Dwight admits. His face then contorts with disgust, and he complains about the unsavory taste in his mouth. The concept has also been parodied in animated television shows, including the classic Warner Brothers animation Pinky and the Brain. In an episode entitled "Pavlov's Mice," the pair of genetically modified mice are trapped in the cage of none other than a cartoon version of Ivan Pavlov himself. When Pavlov strikes a golden gong, Brain begins to tap dance and sing a children's nursery rhyme, and he is then rewarded with a morsel of cheese. Next to him, the simple-minded Pinky claps giddily and gushes that he could watch Brain sing and dance all day. To this, a miserable Brain reveals a miniature chalkboard crowded with dozens of tally marks. "You have watched it all day, Pinky," says the disgruntled Brain. "61 times to be exact. It's a conditioned reflex to that infernal gong. I'm powerless to stop it." The "relatability" of the classical conditioning experiment is perhaps why it is so often used on the screen, both big and small. The aforementioned examples of the phenomenon may not have taken place in reality, but similar ones manifest can be found in various aspects of daily life. When a child is taunted and teased in school, they may begin to feign illness and drum up all sorts of excuses to stay home from school, for they have now equated the establishment with feelings of terror and dread. Similarly, children who feel unjustly singled out and penalized by an instructor may begin to despise and resent the given subject. Classical conditioning can also be subtle, with something as simple as a song being enough to trigger an emotional response. Hearing a song that reminds one of their ex may elicit a sense of sorrow or disgust, depending on the conditions surrounding the end of the relationship. Conversely, a throwback radio station playing a listener's favorite song back in high school might awaken feelings of nostalgic bliss. Ivan Pavlov: The Life and Legacy of the Famous Russian Psychologist examines the experiments that made Pavlov one of the 20th century's most famous psychologists.
Charles River Editors (Author), Bill Hare (Narrator)
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Cinco de Mayo: The History of the Battle of Puebla and the Famous Holiday
"We are so superior to the Mexicans in race, in organization, in discipline, in morality and in elevation of feeling, that I beg your Excellency to be so good as to inform the emperor that I am already master of Mexico." - French General Charles de Lorencez before the Battle of Puebla There are two great misconceptions about Cinco de Mayo in the United States, despite the fact it has become one of the country's most beloved days. The first misconception is that the date marks the Independence of Mexico, and the second is that the celebration was imported in relatively recent times by Mexican immigrants. In fact, May 5 does not mark Mexico's independence (which is celebrated on September 16), but the day of the most important battle in the history of the country, fought against the French. Furthermore, the celebration of Cinco de Mayo did not originate in Mexico but in America in the 1860s, shortly after the Battle of Puebla. Indeed, Mexico was still occupied by the French at the time, and Cinco de Mayo is actually as American as apple pie. The Battle of Puebla took place 100 miles east of Mexico City in May 1862, pitting a poorly-fed, ill-equipped and inexperienced Mexican army, largely formed by peasants who were simply given a rifle or a saber, against one of Europe's greatest powers. Nonetheless, the results would demonstrate not only Mexico's integrity but also the crumbling of colonial European power in the Americas. The triumph of a modest Mexican general who was born in Texas was a surprise not only for Mexicans, but even more so for French Emperor Napoleon III and his army, considered to be 'the first soldiers of the world.' It also resonated in the European press that expected to see a re-conquest of Mexico without great difficulties. Things would forever be different in the Americas. 150 years later, Cinco de Mayo is firmly established as a party day for millions of people, most notably in America. The streets fill with dances, colorful parades, mariachi music, and lots of Mexican food, as Americans consume 81 million pounds of avocados, millions of bags of tortilla chips, and $735 million worth of beer, not to mention the countless margaritas made with 127 million liters of tequila, a drink that everyone properly associates with Mexico. The celebration is not limited to the Hispanic community, either, as people of all origins commemorate the day to recognize Mexico's contribution to North American history or to have fun and drink more tequila than ever. Even America's federal government has joined the festivities; since the 1980s, the White House has celebrated Cinco de Mayo with mariachi music and Mexican dances, making clear the connection between the Mexican victory and America's own Civil War. Cinco de Mayo: The History of the Battle of Puebla and the Famous Mexican Holiday looks at the important battle, its ramifications, and the celebration of the event. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Cinco de Mayo like never before.
Charles River Editors (Author), Bill Hare (Narrator)
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The OSS and CIA: The History of America's Intelligence Community during World War II and the Establi
'The Work of a Nation. The Center of Intelligence.' When people think about the Second World War, they seldom think in terms of silence and small acts. This was a war in which the industry of entire nations was rearranged to feed fighting, and it was fought on a scale in which battles could include hundreds of thousands of combatants. Whole cities and populations were destroyed, with millions of casualties occurring at places like Leningrad. But World War II was also a conflict in which modern covert operations first hit their stride. From the jungles of Burma to the streets of Paris, spies, saboteurs, and commandos carried out missions built on secrecy and cunning. Precise, self-contained operations could be as important to the outcome of the war as acts of massive destruction, whether it involved targeted assassinations, sabotaging key logistics, or counterintelligence to break up the enemy's own rings. At the time, most of these operations were hidden from the public since that was the only way they could be successfully carried out, but in the years since, stories about various missions have emerged. They paint a picture of incredible courage and ingenuity, whether in war zones, enemy territory, or far from the front lines. Though it might be hard to believe, the Americans did not have a covert operations organization when they joined the war, and like the British, it took them some time to realize it could be a powerful tool. As a result, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was not established until June 13, 1942, six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Voices within the Pentagon, State Department, and White House all opposed the establishment of this new and untested organization that would carry out activities normally considered unacceptable, so officials within the OSS had to fight for the very existence of the organization, battling through layers of bureaucracy to get the resources he needed and ensure its independence of action. They also worked hard to justify the use of covert tactics in warfare, to the extent that its leader, William "Wild Bill" Donovan, cited precedents that stretched back to the Bible. In time, all the hard work led to the growth of the OSS into an organization with over 13,000 staff and 40 offices scattered across the world. Its purposes were initially similar to that of Britain's Special Operations Executive, including espionage, sabotage, and intelligence assessments, but with time and experience, it expanded to include economic, psychological, and guerrilla warfare, as well as counter-intelligence work. And of course, it would all chart a path for the early days of America's most famous intelligence agency, the CIA. The OSS and CIA: The History of America's Intelligence Community during World War II and the Establishment of the Central Intelligence Agency looks at the agencies' organizational characteristics, historical inception, early Cold War growth, and its recent influence. Along with pictures and a bibliography, you will learn about the OSS and CIA like never before.
Charles River Editors (Author), Bill Hare (Narrator)
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Flinders Petrie: The Life and Legacy of the Father of Modern Egyptology
Though he couldn't have known it, the various scholars and scientists that Napoleon Bonaparte brought to Egypt during his military campaigning there kicked off modern Egyptology, and a general fascination across the West. Until about 200 years ago, the writing of the ancient Egyptians was an enigma to the world, but that changed when an ancient Egyptian monument known today as the Rosetta Stone was discovered (or rediscovered serendipitously) by French soldiers in Egypt in 1799. Now one of the most famous monuments in the world, the Rosetta Stone is a black granite stele that was inscribed with texts in Greek and two different scripts of the ancient Egyptian language: demotic and hieroglyphs. Stelae like the Rosetta Stone were monuments that ancient Egyptian kings inscribed texts on, usually to proclaim a battle victory or a legal decree. Since the kings who commissioned stelae to be built believed that the information they contained were important, they were usually large, as is the case with the Rosetta Stone. Although damaged over time, the Rosetta Stone still stands nearly four feet tall and over two feet wide, and it originally stood probably between five and six feet tall (Andrews 1982, 12). The discovery of the Rosetta Stone finally provided researchers with a way of reading the Egyptian language based on an understanding of the Greek translation. As more individuals headed for Egypt and made more groundbreaking discoveries, the interest in Egypt heightened, as did knowledge about ancient history, despite the fact it happened so long ago and covered an immense span of time. William Mathew Flinders Petrie, more commonly known as Flinders Petrie, was among the second wave of Egyptologists who saw the need to modernize the study of ancient Egypt by introducing scientific techniques from other fields of study. During his life and career, Petrie discovered many tombs, developed several influential theories, and changed the way in which modern archaeology is practiced. Petrie's methods are, for the most part, still used today, and archaeologists from a wide array of studies owe a debt of gratitude to the Englishman. Petrie's life was fascinating in many respects beyond the firsts he recorded in the fields of archaeology and Egyptology. As Petrie excavated in Egypt and Palestine and taught and wrote in England, his career and life crossed paths with the famous and the yet to become famous. Petrie worked - and sometimes quarreled - with most luminaries in his fields, and while he influenced several of them, he was always willing to learn from others. In the process, he met important statesmen, philosophers, fellow explorers, and even a one-armed resistance leader. Thanks to all these efforts, modern Egyptologists have been able to learn an incredible amount about different periods through reading the surviving texts currently preserved in museums throughout the world and in the many temples and tombs in Egypt. Flinders Petrie: The Life and Legacy of the Father of Modern Egyptology examines Petrie's greatest triumphs, both personal and professional, as well as some of the things he got wrong. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about Flinders Petrie like never before.
Charles River Editors (Author), Bill Hare (Narrator)
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The Voyager Program: The History and Legacy of NASA's First Probes that Traveled to the Outer Solar
In 2016 True Story Book Blog requested I write a love note for a blog feature from one of my characters. I wrote this letter from Duane to Jess while they are in Italy.
Charles River Editors (Author), Bill Hare (Narrator)
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Huitzilopochtli: The History of the Aztec God of War and Human Sacrifice
As archaeologists quickly learned, there are numerous temples dedicated to gods all across Mesoamerica, from the Olmec and Toltec to the Aztec and Maya. Furthermore, thousands of people still gather in the ruins of Mesoamerican cities, even as researchers learn more about the civilizations that continue to fascinate modern societies. To the Aztec, Huitzilopochtli wore a blue-green hummingbird helmet and was draped in pure white heron feathers. He carried a smoking mirror, an obsidian mirror, a shield, darts, and the serpent Xiuhcoatl that carried with it the fury and might of the sun. Everything about him - from his clothes to his weapons - emanated and defined royalty. His name meant Hummingbird of the South or Hummingbird of the Left (meaning the "Southern Part of the World") in the native language of the Aztec, Nahuatl. In his kingly role he was not only irrevocably intertwined with war and conquest but also with trade, the things most important to the great Aztec Empire. He was as bloodthirsty as he was just, and he was the pillar of Aztec society from its mythical beginnings to its tragic end. The wonderful thing about Huitzilopochtli is that his position in the Aztec pantheon of gods is difficult to define, far more than it would be to define the roles of Zeus, Jupiter, or Odin. Huitzilopochtli was the patron god of the Aztec, but modern scholars tend to think of his importance in terms of scaled growth from (possibly) a mortal man of great acclaim to the god whose temple was at the heart of the Aztec empire. His myth not only formed the basis of some of the more honored and bloody rituals performed by the Aztec, but actually influenced the modern-day Mexican coat of arms that can be found on the national flag. Huitzilopochtli: The History of the Aztec God of War and Human Sacrifice examines the origins of the deity and his place in the pantheon of gods.
Charles River Editors (Author), Bill Hare (Narrator)
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Moses Fleetwood Walker: The Life and Legacy of the Last Black Man to Play Major League Baseball Befo
Given his legacy, many Americans today believe Jackie Robinson was the first black man to play in Major League Baseball, but that answer is wrong. As far back as the late 19th century, there had been professional baseball leagues that were every bit as segregated as any other aspect of society, but before that, there were, for a brief shining moment, there were teams of black and white men playing with and against each other. One of the first black men to play on such a team was Moses Fleetwood Walker, and he was the first who openly identified as black. In an essay entitled "African-Americans in Toledo Sports," one author observed, "Moses Fleetwood Walker's promising but all too short professional baseball career mirrors the experience of most of the great African American ballplayers before the Negro Leagues began play in the early twentieth century. Walker was a gifted defensive catcher and adequate offensive player, but his career would be cut short by racism...Walker, well educated for a man of any race in the late 19th century, respond to this racism first with ambivalence, later with anger, and finally with prose. Walker's seminal work, Our Home Colony put him directly in line with the thoughts and words of future leader Marcus Garvey in his call for a separation of the races and a return of African Americans to Africa." As racism and segregation successfully pushed black players out of professional baseball, it was all but forgotten that professional baseball had once been integrated before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, ensuring that the contributions of Walker and other early black athletes would be obscured and then eclipsed.
Charles River Editors (Author), Bill Hare (Narrator)
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