Audiobooks narrated by John Rayburn

We the People: A Good News Odyssey Audiobook

This adventuresome voyage put John and Carol Rayburn on the road seeking out heartwarming human interest stories about our great country and the positive accomplishments of its people. They visited with thousands of Americans at work and play and collected their upbeat attitudes about the way we are. This good news odyssey enabled John and Carol to explore the talents and integrity of our people; to rediscover the principles that have kept our country strong and always striving for pride and excellence; and to pass along impressions of the intriguing aura of our nation, the true substance and goals of individuals and communities in far-flung parts of the land. This is their story, but it's also your story; a story accentuating the richness and diversity of our country's unsurpassed and unique heritage. They invite you to come along and share their adventures. A contact with the White House brought forth encouraging words from the nation's chief executive. "Dear Mr. Rayburn: Thank you for your message. There is much to be done, and I count on your support in efforts to make the new beginning we all desire. I was pleased to hear about We the People, and I am honored that the theme of national renewal has struck a responsive chord among so many Americans. I hope for the success of the many efforts across this great land to revive the true principles of liberty and patriotism among our citizens. With best wishes to you as you begin your endeavor, Sincerely, Ronald Reagan President of the United States" An article in the Brockton, Massachusetts, Enterprise newspaper stated: "It is evident that in their quest they leave behind them the foundation to instill positive aspects, much the same as Johnny Appleseed left a fruitful trail in his wanderings."

John Rayburn (Author), John Rayburn (Narrator)

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Cat Whiskers and Talking Furniture: A Memoir of Radio and Television Broadcasting

The so-called Golden Age of Radio lasted little more than a quarter century from approximately 1926 to 1952-54. This is what it was like: "Of all the forms of theater, radio drama commanded the most effective stage. No medium-not theater, not film, not television-had more sheer space in which to achieve the basic goal of drama, telling a story. Theater is bounded by the bare boards and the footlights and the flats, film by the white screen, and television by the comparatively tiny tube. But radio ... radio played itself out in boundless space ... the listener's mind ... your mind. We in radio always called it the theater of imagination. We proudly traced our lineage back to the primitive campfire and the tribal storytellers as the passers-on of legend, heroic adventure, mysteries of nature. They told their stories orally and so did we. We did not show, we told you. We made you believe everything because it was happening before your mind's eye. The basic appeal of radio drama was that you had to listen if you wanted to follow it. It wasn't enough to merely hear it. You had to listen. The word listen implies a conscious effort to pay attention, to participate. Senses were activated, the curiosity was sparked, the imagination was fired, and the listener found himself participating. He was a collaborator. In his brain he matched a face and a body to the voice. In his mind he saw the action. And that was the basic difference between radio and every other visual medium. A good movie, a fine stage play, a television drama, excellent ballet ... all those required an appreciative audience, but only radio called for a creative audience, a listener who really worked with the writer, the director, the actors, and technicians to give completeness to the creative process."

John Rayburn (Author), John Rayburn (Narrator)

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The King of Elfland’s Daughter

Lord Dunsany himself wrote a preface to this fairy tale. He said, “I hope that no suggestion of any strange land that may be conveyed by the title will scare readers away from this book; for, though some chapters do indeed tell of Elfland, in the greater part of them there is no more to be shown than the face of the fields we know, and ordinary English woods and a common village and valley, a good twenty or twenty-five miles from the border of Elfland.” The story began when the Lord of Erl was told by his people they wanted a magic lord to rule them. That took some doing, but he sent his son Alveric to retrieve Lirazel, daughter of the King of Elfland, to be his wife and thus fix the situation. At first, the King was angered and sent guards to kill Alveric, but the young man of Erl fought them off, and Lizarel fell for him and decided to leave with him. Later, under a spell, she decided she wanted to see her old home again. The King, sorry to see his daughter ever being sad, used magic to enlarge Elfland and include the land of Erl. “Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, and dreams are forever.” —Walt Disney“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales.”—Albert Einstein“Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.”—C. S. Lewis From those wonderful viewpoints, everyone in Erl and Elfland survived eternally in the magic realm, as you will now hear.

Lord Dunsany (Author), John Rayburn (Narrator)

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Thrilling Days of Yesteryear: The Golden Age of Radio

Radio was the number one form of family entertainment for a quarter century. In a dazzling step back in time veteran broadcaster John Rayburn talks about the fantastic era of broadcasting in fascinating interviews with a sterling list of guests, including Durward Kirby (Garry Moore Show), Parley Baer (original "Chester" on radio's Gunsmoke), Arthur Anderson (Let's Pretend), Carmel Quinn (Irish singer on Arthur Godfrey), Ezra Stone (Henry Aldrich), Minnie Pearl (Grand Ole Opry), Fred Foy (Announcer on The Lone Ranger), Gale Gordon (I Love Lucy, Our Miss Brooks), Charles Correll (Andy of Amos 'n' Andy), Himan Brown (Inner Sanctum, Grand Central Station), Chet Lauck (Lum of Lum and Abner), Frankie Carle (Big band leader). There are great stories about Red Skelton, Jack Armstrong, Lights Out, Quiz Kids, Little Orphan Annie, Jimmy Durante, Time Marches On, Hindenburg disaster, President Roosevelt's December 8, 1941 declaration of war against Japan and many, many more.

John Rayburn (Author), John Rayburn (Narrator)

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A Quiet Time with John Rayburn

John Rayburn (Author), John Rayburn (Narrator)

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Kahlil Gibran: Selected Works: The Prophet, The Forerunner, The Madman

The words of Kahlil Gibran give his book The Prophet a broad range of inspiration and philosophy. They provide exceptional insight into human desires and understanding. The vivid observations are vibrant with feeling and acceptance of life's many questions and hopes. One review saluted the story as being untouched by the harshness of life. Gibran's other two books, The Forerunner and The Madman, are of deep assistance in the same manner.

Khalil Gibran (Author), John Rayburn (Narrator)

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The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Back in 1900 author L. Frank Baum says he wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to please children of his time. He called it a modernized fairy tale, totally unlike older stories often filled with blood-curdling events. He left out the heartaches and nightmares. He pointed out that youngsters have long had a love of fantastic stories, but times change and they look forward more to entertainment that still has the wonderment and joy of time gone by. His fantastic creation of "Oz" provides exactly that.

L. Frank Baum (Author), John Rayburn (Narrator)

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The Little Lame Prince

This story is about the birth of a prince. He was actually in line to be the next king replacing his father. However, he was accidentally injured at his christening, was crippled, and couldn't walk. He was banished by an evil uncle, who usurped the throne. The little prince became unhappy and worried, but his discomfort was eased by his magical fairy godmother, and he eventually took over the monarchy he had been born to govern.

Dinah Maria Mulock Craik (Author), John Rayburn (Narrator)

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The Wind in the Willows

This is a classic fantasy story about four animals who behave like humans. They talk, philosophize, and emphasize friendship but also keep their animal habits. They are Mole, Rat, Toad, and Badger. There are some adult books read by children and some children's books read by adults. However, this one appeals to both because it stresses a main theme of doing your best at all times, forgiving others, and setting a goal to make the world a better place. It is based in an English countryside with wonderful descriptions that make you feel as though you're there with them. It has a wonderful read-and-listen-aloud feeling with good humor and imagination. We invite you to join us.

Kenneth Grahame (Author), John Rayburn (Narrator)

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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

One of America's best-known stories in all of literature began with the imagination-stretching tale of probably the most famous little girl in English literature. Alice was a character surrounded by exotic caricatures with "nonsense" seeming to be a reasonable description. But, even the story's fictional Queen of Hearts said, "Every joke should have a meaning." In an oblique manner, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland provided just that, prompting one comment, "These are not stories for children, but are the only books in which all of us become children." That is sufficient to invite you to follow us and "Alice" down the infamous "rabbit hole."

Lewis Carroll (Author), John Rayburn (Narrator)

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Master of the Macabre: Included: The Fall of the House of Usher, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven, and

Just who was Edgar Allan Poe? Of course he was an author, but there were parts of his life that were shrouded in mystery, like many of his stories. The differences between fact and fiction were intermingled and became even more so after his death. Readers around the world had their imaginations stimulated by his tales of mystery and sometimes horror. He was able to arouse emotions by making implausible subjects and events into believable happenings. That ability made them into literary classics. Affairs of his real life sometimes echoed the frequent bizarre viewpoints that he brought to startling life in his manuscripts. This audiobook features two of his horror variety tales, "The Fall of the House of Usher" and "The Tell-Tale Heart," as well as two of his more famous poems, "The Raven" and "Annabel Lee."

Edgar Allan Poe (Author), John Rayburn (Narrator)

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The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: A Collection of Short Stories

The description "consulting detective" was often a reference to Sherlock Holmes, but that was inadequate to tell about his unusual characteristics. He was a loner who preferred to keep to himself and kept many secrets from others, including the few friends he had. Holmes did have a constant professional relationship with Dr. Watson, and it was the faithful Watson who once said, "I had no idea that such personalities exist outside of stories." The two followed trails of a wide range of criminals throughout London, southern England, and continental Europe with solutions based on the Holmes intuition as often as not. Join us for the beginning of a series of fascinating stories about a fascinating character.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Author), John Rayburn (Narrator)

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Audiobooks Narrated by John Rayburn