Audiobooks narrated by Daniel Houle

What if Carthage Won the Punic Wars? An Alternative History of the Conflict Between Rome and Carthag

The Punic Wars spanned more than a century, brought the loss of approximately 400,000 lives, and eventually led to the utter defeat and destruction of Carthage, but it was no easy victory for Rome, and on several occasions the young Roman Republic was close to annihilation. Given what happened in the wake of the Punic Wars, historians have long been left to ponder what might have happened had the Carthaginians won, especially given how close Hannibal came to accomplishing such a victory against Rome during the Second Punic War. What if Carthage Won the Punic Wars? An Alternative History of the Conflict Between Rome and Carthage profiles the conflict and examines how events may have gone quite differently for Europe if Rome had been defeated.

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

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Haitian Revolution, The: The History and Legacy of the Slave Uprising that Led to Haiti’s Independen

Hispaniola entered the European record in 1492 when Christopher Columbus made landfall on its southern shore during his first trans-Atlantic voyage, and he named his discovery in honor of the Spanish Crown that had funded and sponsored the voyage. Leaving the crew of the wrecked Santa Maria on the island, he returned to Europe, leaving his men to establish the foundations of the settlement of La Navidad and the first beachhead of the European seizure of the Caribbean and the New World. Columbus would revisit the island three times, leading a vanguard of pioneer colonists to commence the exploitation of the New World. The indigenous people of Hispaniola, the Tainos and Arawak, initially greeted the landing with ambivalence, but as more and more of them were enslaved, and as their country was occupied, they entered a period of precipitous decline. Through a combination of disease, the violence associated with enslavement and general assimilation, they had virtually disappeared from the landscape within a century. Meanwhile, as the Spanish colonists looked around them, searching for a means to exploit this great discovery, and as the occupation spread to the mainland and the interior of South America, the early search for minerals yielded to the establishment of a plantation economy, with an emphasis initially on sugar, and later cotton, coffee, indigo and other crops. Thus, even by the 16th century, slaves were being imported to Hispaniola, and over the next few centuries, the population of African slaves came to represent a sizable majority of the population there. This would set the stage for one of history’s most unique revolutions.

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

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Slavery in the North: The History and Legacy of American Slaves in the North Before the Civil War

Most Americans know that slavery is a central part of the nation’s history, but the common perception of that history is selective because the general understanding is that slavery was characteristic of the states that seceded from the Union to form the Confederacy, and that slavery ended with the North’s victory in the Civil War. People with a more thorough knowledge of the history of slavery are aware of the Emancipation Proclamation, the amendments that made slaves citizens and gave them the right to vote, the complex history of Reconstruction and its ultimate failure, the long history of Jim Crow and white supremacy, and the Civil Rights Movement. However, slavery was not simply a Southern phenomenon, but a national one. In fact, slavery was recognized legally first in Massachusetts, not in the South, and the belief that Puritans and Quakers were always abolitionists is wrong, as both groups owned slaves for generations. There were slaves in Vermont, New Hampshire, and the other New England colonies, including Native American slaves and then African slaves. Plantations that had gangs of slaves growing commodities for the market are associated with the South, but there were some plantations like that in New Jersey and in the Narragansett region in Rhode Island. Some slave rebellions in the South are well-known, like Nat Turner’s rebellion in Virginia, but slave rebellions occurred in New York City twice and were punished with barbaric severity. The North had only a fraction of the slaves the South did, but slavery existed in all 13 colonies, and for decades there were more slaves in New York City than any other city except Charleston, South Carolina. Yet another overlooked aspect of American slavery is its economic importance to the North. After independence was won, ships from Rhode Island dominated the American slave trade, trading in rum for slaves.

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

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The Erie: The History and Legacy of the Native American Group

Along the sandy shores and ancient forests of crystal blue Lake Erie, a proud, brave, and confident people lived long ago, building homes, raising crops, hunting game, rearing children, and surviving through harsh winters and hot summers. None of their tribe remains today to tell their story, but their name lives on in the waters of a Great Lake. The Erie Tribe would have been completely lost to history if not for the archeological evidence and archival records that have been uncovered to prove that they existed. The Erie was a relatively small nation; at its height, their population numbered about ten thousand. Archeologist Frederick Houghton writes that archeological evidence proves that Erie culture coincided in "nearly every aspect" with other Iroquoian tribes of the eastern Great Lakes area, which means that historians, anthropologists, and archeologists can understand a great deal about the Erie by studying their cousins, the Iroquois, with whom they also shared a language. Despite their own cultural differences, the nations that comprised the Iroquois Confederacy established their political dominance across much of America's East Coast and Midwest through conquest, and it is that aspect which has perhaps best endured among Americans in terms of the Iroquois' legacy. European settlers who came into contact with the Mohawks in the Northeast certainly learned to respect their combat skills, to the point that there were literally bounties on the Mohawks' heads, with scalps fetching money for colonists who succeeded in slaying them and carrying away the "battle prize". As it turned out, the Erie would experience some of the Iroquois' martial abilities the hard way, because in the mid-17th century, a bitter civil war erupted among the various tribes of the Iroquois Nation which would prove disastrous for the Erie, virtually wiping them out of existence.

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

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The Siege of Vienna (1529): The History and Legacy of the Decisive Battle that Prevented the Ottoman

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 at Vienna in 1529. At the time, the Ottomans were led by one of their most famous sultans, Suleiman the Magnificent, and different chroniclers have analyzed Suleiman's behavior in different ways. There is a plethora of opinions as to his motives for attempting the takeover of Vienna, a well-guarded city far away from his empire's center. Had he intended to conquer the whole of the Holy Roman Empire? Had he intended to strengthen his borders? Had he acted in accordance with King Francis I’s needs in the West? No matter the reason, Suleiman did not halt in his advances, despite the fact circumstances were not favorable for the Ottomans. The summer rains had already begun when he set out for Vienna, making most of the roads inaccessible both for cavalry and moving the heavy pieces of artillery needed for a successful siege. The camels brought from Anatolia proved too sensitive for the cold, constant rain and died in large numbers, and many of the soldiers shared the same fate. Modern historians speculate as to why Suleiman persisted with the siege even though the Ottoman forces were evidently weaker than the forces in Vienna upon their arrival. As an experienced, strategic warrior, it is most likely he realized his disadvantage and the full scale of his potential losses. It was also probable that the last burst of attacks was merely a means with which to weaken the city walls for a future siege. The second attempt, in 1532, was met with the same mix of bad luck and good defense, and Vienna marked the limit of their advances

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

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The Battle of Anzio: The History of the Allies’ Controversial Amphibious Landing during the Italian

The immense difficulties Sicily's rugged terrain caused to the Allied forces, and the successful delaying actions fought by small numbers of well-led German soldiers, inspired Hitler and his generals to garrison Italy as an obstacle to British and American advance. A relatively limited number of Wehrmacht troops used the endless series of mountain ridges and defensible hilltop towns to slow the offensive to a crawl, tying down large numbers of Western troops. Under Albert Kesselring's expert leadership, the Germans fell back northward methodically, fighting a major delaying action at Volturno in mid-October 1943. The Wehrmacht then established themselves on the Reinhard Line, a temporary defensive front meant to delay the Allies until the Germans finished preparing the stronger Gustav Line, stretching from Gaeta to Ortona and anchored on the formidable strongpoint near the early medieval monastery of Monte Cassino. The Allies did not intend the attack on Cassino as a simple slogging match, understanding quite clearly the cost of such an operation. Instead, they planned a landing at Anzio by an entire army corps, the U.S. 6th Corps, to outflank the Gustav Line and force the Germans' withdrawal to avoid encirclement. It was a sound plan, but it would turn into something of a fiasco under the leadership of Major General John P. Lucas. The Anzio landing occurred on schedule on January 22, 1944, and despite achieving total tactical surprise, Lucas squandered the opportunity to run amok in the Gustav Line's rear by remaining supinely in Anzio. Winston Churchill, with his typical verve, excoriated Lucas' failure with a colorful description: “Instead of hurling a wildcat onto the shore all we got was a stranded whale.” A later German report also expressed surprise at Lucas' inaction. What followed was months of bitter fighting as the Allies struggled to break out of their beachhead and make their long-awaited push to Rome.

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

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Domestication of Cats, The: The History of the Only Domesticated Felidae Species and Their Relations

Mankind's obsession with felines is an enigma in and of itself. Unlike dogs, famously known as man's most excitable, trustworthy, and loyal friend, cats are oftentimes indifferent, guarded, and yet finicky little furry creatures who only yearn for attention and affection when one is neck-deep in work or otherwise preoccupied. And still, people adore them all the same. In a recent poll that surveyed 600 American college students, 60% of the participants identified themselves as “dog lovers,” whereas only 11% pledged their love for cats. The remaining 29% regarded themselves as fans of both critters or fans of neither. Be that as it may, there is said to be anywhere between a staggering 88=94 million pet cats in the United States alone, which eclipses the roughly 84-90 million pet dogs in the country. In the same breath, while more households around the world share a roof with a canine companion, as reflected in the results of this particular survey and most other similar polls, more cat owners have taken it upon themselves to look after more than one pet. This just goes to show that the passion that cat lovers have for their feline friends is evidently comparable with, if not arguably greater than that of dog lovers as a whole. The Domestication of Cats: The History of the Only Domesticated Felidae Species and Their Relationship with Humans examines the origins of this exceptional bond, including scientific and mythical theories, and explores how cats were domesticated.

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

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Romans in Scotland, The: The History and Legacy of Ancient Rome’s Northernmost Campaigns

Shortly after Emperor Hadrian came to power in the early 2nd century CE, he decided to seal off Scotland from Roman Britain with an ambitious wall stretching from sea to sea. To accomplish this, the wall had to be built from the mouth of the River Tyne – where Newcastle stands today – 80 Roman miles (76 miles or 122 kilometers) west to Bowness-on-Solway. The sheer scale of the job still impresses people today, and Hadrian’s Wall has the advantage of being systematically studied and partially restored. Of course, the masterful architecture of the wall belied the fact that it was built for defense, because Scotland (known as Caledonia to the Romans) was never fully conquered or incorporated into the Roman Empire, a fact that many modern Scots remain quite proud of today. While the Romans made several efforts to subdue Scotland, it is not entirely clear whether their failure to complete the subjugation of the northern part of the British Isles was due to the ferocity of the Caledonian/Pictish tribesmen or whether the Romans simply came to the conclusion that the region had far too little to offer in the way of resources (either minerals, metals, or slaves) to warrant repeated major campaigns. Scotland in the 1st century CE had no settlements of any size, so profitable trade was not easy to establish, and so, did not offer any major motivation for military conquest. A further disincentive to any Roman general looking to achieve a decisive or speedy military victory was the terrain. Unlike much of England which, although forested, was relatively flat and so allowed for roads to be built, Scotland was both wooded and mountainous. The lack of settlement centers also made it difficult for the Romans to operate as they had done throughout much of the rest of Europe (including southern Britain). Their tactics normally involved occupying the major population centers, fortifying them, and then Romanizing them.

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

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Cochise: The Life and Legacy of the Famous Apache Chief

Among all the Native American tribes, the Spanish, Mexicans, and Americans learned the hard way that the warriors of the Apache were perhaps the fiercest in North America. Based in the Southwest, the Apache fought all three in Mexico and the American Southwest, engaging in seasonal raids for so many centuries that the Apache struck fear into the hearts of all their neighbors. What is reliably documented about Cochise is that the violence he participated in during the 1860 and 1870s was preceded by years of attempted peaceful negotiations with the intruding settlers. His approach to compromise resulted in a portion of the Butterfield Overland Mail route to cross a portion of territory in which his group was dominant. He sought peace with compromise and diplomacy, and as a result of his diplomacy and his fearlessness in battle, he became the leader of the Chokonenband of the Chiricahua Apache. While most often referred to as “Chief,” the word is not in the Apache language - he was the leader, and the Apache culture demanded he would remain so until another warrior proved superior. As diplomacy became more difficult, Cochise became more pressured in the defense of his territory in southeast Arizona. Reared in the nomadic Apache lifestyle and the cultural trait of raiding, Cochise turned his primary targets away from the hated Mexicans south of the border to intruding Anglos north of the borderlands. The name Cochise became so widely known throughout Arizona Territory that it became indiscriminately linked with all depredations both large and small. It was, in fact, an unfair linkage of Cochise to the abduction of a young boy and the subsequent confrontation between him and an Army lieutenant named “Bascom'' that secured both their names in Arizona history and launched the Apache Wars, a series of conflicts that lasted long after Cochise’s death.

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

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Yuri Bezmenov: The Life and Legacy of the Influential KGB Informant Who Defected to the West

The KGB is one of the most famous abbreviations of the 20th century, and it has become synonymous with the shadowy and often violent actions of the Soviet Union’s secret police and internal security agencies. In fact, it is often used to refer to the Soviet state security agencies throughout its history, from the inception of the inception of the Cheka (Extraordinary Commission) in 1917 to the official elimination of the KGB in 1992. Whether it’s associated with the Russian Civil War’s excesses, Stalin’s purges, and even Vladimir Putin, the KGB has long been viewed as the West’s biggest bogeyman during the second half of the 20th century. Yuri Bezmenov was among the first Soviet whistleblowers to attract attention on a global scale, and interest in his story has recently been revived thanks to his surprising cameo in the teaser trailer for Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War in August 2020. This came despite the fact he was far from the first ex-KGB agent or Russian to pull back the curtains on the Russian government and reveal the harrowing “truths” they were once sworn to harbor, as well as the disconcerting covert operations of which they once allegedly partook. In fact, the history of Russian defectors who later emerged as informants in the name of public interest stretches back to the 16th century, when Andrey Kurbsky, a former boyar, high-ranking military commander, and trusted adviser to Tsar Ivan the Terrible, decamped to Lithuania on April 30, 1564.

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

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Modern Jamaica: The History of the Caribbean Island from Christopher Columbus to Today

One of the largest islands in the Caribbean and also home to the Arawak and Tainos. Jamaica may have been inhabited as far back as 5,000 years ago, and between 1000 BCE and 500 BCE, a somewhat more advanced Mesolithic race known as the “Ciboneys” or the “Guanahacabibe” began arriving, settling in Jamaica, the Bahamas, Cuba and Haiti. Two centuries later, the Ciboneys were followed by a wave of Neolithic migrants, comprising broadly the Taínos, and later by the Kalinagos, also widely known as the “Caribs” or “Island Caribs” to differentiate from an allied people of the mainland. Life in Jamaica changed rapidly with the arrival of the Spanish, beginning a torturous history of European colonization that only resulted in Jamaica’s independence in 1962. Imperialism not only affected indigenous people, but also gave rise to modern nationalist movements and famous advocates like Marcus Garvey. Modern Jamaica: The History of the Caribbean Island from Christopher Columbus to Today chronicles how the island’s history progressed, from Columbus’ historic voyages to the modern era.

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

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Book of Revelation, The: The History and Legacy of the Apocalyptic Final Book of the Bible

About 2,000 years ago, a prophet named John wrote a book about his strange visions while he was in Patmos, a small Greek island in the Aegean Sea. This John, the Seer, the Revelator, was long believed to be one of Jesus’s apostles, but recent historians have determined that he was a second-generation disciple. In fact, he was likely a political exile, writing for Christians under the threat of persecution by the Roman Empire, and his book, the Book of Revelation, was controversial, obscure, and rejected by many local churches as early as the 2nd century CE. Even after it managed to slip into the Bible as the last book of the canon, for years many doubted its authenticity, and others later branded it as the heretical hallucinations of a madman. Despite those controversial origins, the Apocalypse or Revelation of John remains firmly embedded in the Bible as the final chapter of the great saga that opens with Genesis, the beginning of everything. As a bookend to Genesis, Revelation provides a narrative of the end times, the completion of history, and the end of the world. The esoteric narrative, impenetrable to most readers, is full of symbols, keys, and metaphors, abounds in strange visions and prophecies, monsters, natural catastrophes, and describes terrifying scenes that are typically described as apocalyptic. This fascinating book also features some of the most well-known religious concepts in the West, things that have provoked fear and fascination for centuries, including the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, the famous number of the Beast (666), the Antichrist (whom Revelation calls 'the beast'), and the whore of Babylon.

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

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Audiobooks Narrated by Daniel Houle