Audiobooks narrated by Christopher R. Fee

The Truth About Tall Tales: American Folklore from Johnny Appleseed to Paul Bunyan

What can we learn about our culture from the stories we tell? Join master presenter Christopher Fee to learn what our heroes and monstersÑboth real and imaginedÑhave to tell us about who we are as Americans. American folklore is as vibrant and diverse as Americans themselves. Some tales offer embellished accounts of real historical figures, and in others, figures are invented to serve a cultural or commercial purpose. Often didactic and always fantastic, in one way or another these tales help us make sense of the world. Join Christopher Fee, coeditor of "An Encyclopedia of American Myth, Legend, and Folklore," for an entertaining and revealing look at our nationÕs folkloric imagination. In this compelling 24-lecture audio series, youÕll meet figures such as Daniel Boone and John Henry, and learn the stories of characters such as Water Jar Boy and the Woodcutter and the Fairy. Specters also abound, and youÕll encounter frightening figures ranging from the Headless Horseman to La Llorona. Having explored traditional forms of folklore, myth, and legend in America, you will turn to new storytelling methods, discussing genres such as conspiracy theory, urban myth, and Òfakelore.Ó Finally, you will conclude by asking how these kinds of stories represent a search for deeper truths, which suggests why American folklore still matters so much to so many. This course is part of the Learn25 collection.

Christopher R. Fee (Author), Christopher R. Fee (Narrator)

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History's Great Plagues: How Germs Shaped Civilization

Plague has terrified and fascinated humanity for all of recorded history. Now, in the current moment of COVID-19, people around the globe are again struggling to learn how to navigate life during a pandemic. As in times of uncertainty throughout history, we seek the insights of the great minds who have lived through and reflected on similar historical moments. Your guide for this fascinating 12-lecture audio course is medieval literature expert Chris Fee, a presenter beloved for his evocative delivery by Learn25 listeners and his own students at Gettysburg College. YouÕll begin by examining literary attempts to understand and to interpret pestilence and plagues, starting with the Bible and Ancient poets, playwrights, and historians. YouÕll then move on to some of the greatest works of the Middle Ages and Renaissance that were inspired by or reflect aspects of the infamous Black Death. Entering the Modern Age, youÕll explore works by authors that employ plague as a metaphor. Along the way, you will also delve into popular books and movies, such as "12 Monkeys," that take plague as their subject or subtext. YouÕll conclude by discovering that the literature of plague has much to teach us, not just about the current moment, but about the very nature of being human. This course is part of the Learn25 collection.

Christopher R. Fee (Author), Christopher R. Fee (Narrator)

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History Myths Exploded: How Some of the History's Biggest Ideas are Wrong

Join the acclaimed authors of the encyclopedia of conspiracy theories in exploring some of history's great myths. In this provocative audio course, you'll travel through time with history and medieval literature experts to learn why the truth about past events is so elusive. Your journey will be helmed by two award-winning scholars: acclaimed literature and mythology professor Christopher Fee and historian Jeffrey Webb. Profs. Fee and Webb explain that although most of us recognize the value of good history, we often find truthful accounts of the past, frankly, less than inspiring. What really excites us is a tale well told. Following a timeline that begins in Ancient Greece and ends in 1960s America, Profs. Fee and Webb reveal the surprising truth behind dominant narratives about the 300 Spartans, Columbus's discovery of America, Lincoln's role in Emancipation, Edison's inventions, and much more. Over the course of 14 lectures, Profs. Fee and Webb explore the relationship between myth and history, surveying the boundary line between legend and fact. They affirm myth's enduring appeal and cultural importance while also highlighting its implicit hazards. Ultimately, they show that disentangling myth from history teaches us valuable lessons about our common humanity. As you explode some of history's biggest myths, you'll discover how both fact and fiction convey eternal truths. This course is part of the Learn25 collection.

Christopher R. Fee, Jeff Webb (Author), Christopher R. Fee, Jeff Webb (Narrator)

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Great Medieval Mystics

Join medieval literature expert Christopher R. Fee, Ph.D. to examine the foremost mystics from the Middle Ages through the lens of their greatest challenge: expression. In the medieval period, how did religious women and men put into words their intense-and intensely personal-devotional practices, visions, and experiences? And how did those efforts to articulate mystical experiences comport with church doctrine? As a profound attempt to enter into personal communion with the divine, mysticism tends to transcend not only the boundaries of human existence but also human language. And yet efforts to convey the indescribable beauty and intensity of mystical experiences abound. As you explore these questions with Prof. Fee, you will be amazed at how passionately medieval mystics often wrestled to reconcile the theological implications of their personal faiths with patristic understandings of God. Recognizing that mysticism is a movement limited to neither Christianity nor the Middle Ages, Prof. Fee offers you glimpses into Jewish and Islamic mystic traditions near the end of the course. You'll conclude with a discussion about the surprising relevance of medieval mysticism to our own postmodern culture. You'll rejoice in this fresh approach to the mystical tradition, grounded in history and letters but elevated by the mystery of the soul. A natural and energetic speaker, Prof. Fee sets every aspect of his subject ablaze. You'll find his enthusiasm infectious. This course is part of the Learn25 collection.

Christopher R. Fee (Author), Christopher R. Fee (Narrator)

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The History of English: The Biography of a Language

Named one of America's best professors by the Princeton Review, Christopher R. Fee invites you to explore your heritage from an unconventional angle: through the origin and development of the English language. Professor Fee is an award-winning professor and medievalist whose expertise spans Old English, Old Norse, and historical linguistics. With flair and gusto, he draws from this well of knowledge to help you trace the evolution of English across a fascinating range of cultures. In liberal arts fashion, this series of 24 lectures mixes the study of technical subjects (like phonetics, linguistics, and historical grammar) with cultural and historic topics, such as the impact of the Norman Invasion on Old English, the advent of the printing press, the place of Ebonics in the modern public-school curriculum, how English became a world language, and how close the Vikings came to ensuring that this course might have been about Danish instead of English. Prof. Fee has a knack for combining scholarly insight with great storytelling. Expect to enjoy his account of the characters "worthy of a seamy soap opera" tasked with writing a dictionary. Language is the foundation of human culture. It is a vital part of who we are and a subject invaluable to anyone interested in the humanities. This course is part of the Learn25 collection.

Christopher R. Fee (Author), Christopher R. Fee (Narrator)

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King Arthur: Explore the Legends, Literature, and History from the Round Table to the Holy Grail

What is it about King Arthur that still holds our attention 1,500 years after he first materialized from the murky depths of history and legend? Named one of America's best professors by the Princeton Review, Christopher R. Fee transports you through space and time in search of answers. In his insightful audio course, you will trace Arthur's path across Britain. You'll visit such iconic sites as Tintagel, Glastonbury, and Stonehenge in search of physical reminders of this legendary king, his court, and a mighty stronghold remembered through the mists of time as "Camelot." Traveling across literary and literal landscapes, you'll search for evidence for Arthur in ancient manuscripts and modern-day archaeological excavations. Through 24 energetic lectures, you will see how much Arthur has been refashioned for succeeding generations of audiences-first in Wales, Cornwall, Brittany, and England, and later across the globe. Like the Knights of the Round Table on their epic quest for the Holy Grail, you will scour recorded history for the true face of the "Once and Future King." Last, you'll consider the most popular of the countless books and movies dedicated to King Arthur, his court, and their adventures. As you explore the unwavering interest in Arthur across centuries of popular culture, you will learn to look behind the façade of all things Arthurian-discerning the factual basis for the man, the myths, and the legends. This course is part of the Learn25 collection and includes a free PDF study guide.

Christopher R. Fee (Author), Christopher R. Fee (Narrator)

Audiobook

The History of the Vikings: Norse Sagas, Medieval Marauders, and Far-flung Settlements

Navigate Viking history, culture, and literature with world-renowned medievalist Christopher R. Fee, Ph.D., named by the Princeton Review as one of America's best professors. Frequently depicted as "Scandinavian scavengers," warlike pirates, raiders, and invaders, the Vikings have lately surfaced from the depths of history to become pop culture's most adored ruffians. For Prof. Fee, this recent craze for all-things Viking is a mixed blessing. The spike in popular fascination often occasions a need to separate the wheat from the chaff: fact from fiction, history from myth, literature from legend. This 24-lecture audio series rights the ship by offering you a scholarly and comprehensive overview of Viking history, geography, literature, religion, and culture. Prof. Fee leads this series with canny and personable teaching. As you meet the great Viking adventurers, you'll explore pivotal events such as the raid on the monastery at Lindisfarne in 739 and the Norman invasion of Britain in 1066, as well as lesser-known curiosities: the etymology of the term "Viking," the story of the Vikings known as Varangians who guarded the Byzantine Emperor, and the origins of the state that we now think of as Russia. From runic inscriptions to heroic sagas, pagan belief to Danelaw, you'll ponder the Vikings' lasting significance as you immerse yourself in the seen and unseen record of their fascinating civilization. This course is part of the Learn25 collection.

Christopher R. Fee (Author), Christopher R. Fee (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by Christopher R. Fee