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Audiobooks Narrated by Jonathan Todd Ross
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Gettysburg explains the battle's place in the Civil War, why two vast armies clashed there, and how, in the century and a half since, it has been re-imagined, re-created, and re-enacted. It is the story of a battle which no one planned but which became the bloodiest encounter of the war, and one with dramatically high stakes. The postwar romanticization of Gettysburg as the place of 'might-have-beens' is based on a kernel of reality.
But it also suited the interests of both the winners and the losers for Gettysburg to become the Civil War in miniature: a glorious, storied, tragic tale small enough to comprehend, but large enough to be inspirational. If this was the battle that determined the war, Confederates could tell themselves that if only they had made different tactical choices, they would have won their independence, while Northerners could credit valor for their victory, without the unromantic need to invoke superior resources.
Yet there was only a war because of slavery, and Gettysburg's importance lies in its role in ending it. In the speech Abraham Lincoln gave there, four months after the battle, he expressed the hope that Union victory would inaugurate a 'new birth of freedom.' The history of the battle has been shaped by a contest over what that means.
One of Rome's most powerful women, Clodia has been maligned over two thousand years as a promiscuous, husband-murdering harlotthanks to her starring role in one of Cicero's most famous speeches in the Forum. But Cicero was lying, in defense of his own interests. Like so many women libeled or erased from history, Clodia had a life that was much more interesting, complex, and nuanced than the corrupted version passed down through generations.
Drawing on neglected sources and deep, empathetic study of Roman lives, classicist Douglas Boin reconstructs Clodia's eventful passage through her politically divided and tumultuous times, from her privileged childhood to her picking up a family baton of egalitarian activism. A widow and single mother, Clodia had a charisma and power that rivaled her male contemporaries and struck fear into the heart of Rome's political elite. That is, until a sensational murder trial, told here in riveting detail, brought about her fall from grace.
Freed from the caricature that Cicero painted of her, Clodia serves as a reminder of countless women whose stories have been erased from the historical record. In a Rome whose citizens were engaged in heated debates on imperialism, immigration, and enfranchisement, amidst rising anxieties about women's role in society, Clodia was an iconone worth remembering today.
Gavriel, a soldier in the elite company of Yonatan--son of King Saul--dreams of forging his destiny through crafting weapons with his own hands. Despite earning his place among Israel's finest, he is haunted by a dark past that no distraction can dispel. When his reckless behavior forces Yonatan to present him with an ultimatum, Gavriel is sent on a mission to persuade a distant tribe to sever their ties with the Amalekites.
Zahava, a gifted goldsmith hidden behind her father's legacy, lives in the shadows due to her physical affliction. Her talent, unmatched and unrecognized, is a closely guarded secret within her family. Disheartened by a love that seems unattainable, she resigns herself to a life of obscurity. However, when Gavriel arrives in her village, they're tangled together in a way no one could have imagined. As they navigate through unforeseen dangers and enemy threats, Gavriel must confront his past and either bend his knee to the One True King or lose his love forever.
Set against the backdrop of ancient Israel, bestselling author Connilyn Cossette breathes life into the Old Testament era with this exhilarating tale of redemption, courage, and sacrifice.
Serpent & Dove meets A Curse So Dark and Lonely in this vividly arresting addition to the The Beast Charmer series!
Leena Edenfrell never dreamed of igniting a war, and her pair bond, Noc Feyreigner, never wanted to set foot on a battlefield again. But when their enemies combine forces, they have no choice but to fight. While Noc makes moves to reclaim his throne, Leena acts as the new Crown of the Charmer’s Council, searching for a way to stop the enemy from raising an ancient dragon destined to burn their world to ash.
But no matter how hard Noc and Leena fight, the odds are stacked against them, and soon a winged shadow reigns over Lendria. It’s then they learn the true price of victory: in order to tame the terrifying beast, Leena will have to sacrifice her own heart...and perhaps lose herself in the process.
What began as a utopian environment, where mice had sumptuous accommodations, had all the food and water they could want, and were free from disease and predators, turned into a mouse hell. Science writer and animal behaviorist Lee Alan Dugatkin introduces listeners to the work of rodent researcher John Bumpass Calhoun. Dugatkin shows how an ecologist-turned-psychologist-turned-futurist became a science rock star embedded in the culture of the 1960s and 1970s. As interest grew in his rodent cities, Calhoun was courted by city planners and his work was reflected in Tom Wolfe's writing and the children's book Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.
Listeners see how Calhoun's experiments led to his concept of 'behavioral sinks' with real effects on public policy discussions. Overpopulation in Calhoun's mouse (and rat) complexes led to the loss of sex drive, the absence of maternal care, and a class that included 'the beautiful ones,' who spent their time grooming themselves while shunning socialization. Calhoun saw this collapse as a harbinger of the ill effects of an overpopulated human world.
Dugatkin offers a riveting account of an intriguing scientific figure. Considering Dr. Calhoun's experiments, he explores the changing nature of scientific research and delves into what the study of animal behavior can teach us about ourselves.
No art form is as widely discussed—or as readily available—as music. With the click of just a few buttons, modern humans can decide what they think of the brand-new Beyoncé just as quickly as they can form opinions on Brahms or the Beatles or Bob Dylan. But things weren't always this way. In this brisk, breakneck history, award-winning musician and broadcaster Andrew Ford dives into the constant evolutions and reinventions that have led to the popularity and accessibility of modern music. Ford explores:
● Why playing history's earliest example of notated music—clay tablets from 1400 BCE Syria—doesn't produce a consistent sound
● How colonization and the slave trade led to one region in West Africa having an unparalleled influence on world music
● How clerical and royal support allowed early composers to invent the symphony
● What leads humans to make music in the first place—and why music plays such a massive role in our culture.
The Shortest History of Music takes us on a lively tour through several thousands of years of music history, tracing our relationship with this essential art and allowing us to freshly appreciate and understand music today.
The thrilling, untold story of one of the greatest heists in history: the clandestine capture of a Nazi U-boat at the climax of World War II, an incredible feat that helped paved the way for the Allied invasion liberation of Europe.
Shortly before noon on June 4, 1944, the sonar operator on a destroyer prowling off the coast of West Africa heard a sharp, metallic ping. The sound could mean only one thing: the German U-boat that their hunter-killer group had long been tracking, U-505, was lurking somewhere in the darkness beneath them. The ensuing fight between exhausted hunter and venomous prey would make history when American sailors boarded an enemy warship at sea for the first time since the War of 1812.
That day's victory was the culmination of a tireless campaign against the Nazi submarine threat by "Tenth Fleet"-a mysterious unit possessing the oracular ability to predict the locations and movement of Hitler's U-boats. Run by Commander Kenneth Knowles, Tenth Fleet had guided Captain Dan Gallery to U-505 and to repay the favor Gallery was going to steal an Enigma machine for him. Now all they had to do was to make a U-boat, its crew, and its secrets vanish into thin air . . .
In this swashbuckling adventure story, bestselling historian Alexander Rose draws on long-classified encrypted documents and intercepted German transmissions to unravel, for the first time, the astounding tale of a daring heist cooked up by an owlish egghead and a glory-seeking buccaneer to score the richest prize on the high seas.
Fantastic Beasts meets Assassin’s Creed in this epic, gripping fantasy from up-and-coming author Maxym M. Martineau
Noc Feyreigner, leader of the assassins of Cruor, is living on borrowed time. If he fails to kill Leena Edenfrell—the girl he can’t live without—his own life will be at stake. With the dark magic of Curor’s Oath testing his control, Noc has to fight with everything he is to keep his friends and family safe.
Leena would do anything to help Noc overcome the oath. So when she hears of a beast rumored to have the power needed to save Noc’s life, she embarks on a quest to the frozen north. But what starts as a hunt for a magical beast quickly turns Leena, Noc, and their trusted band of assassins into prey…and time is running out.
Mycelium Running is a manual for the mycological rescue of the planet. That's right: growing more mushrooms may be the best thing we can do to save the environment, and in this groundbreaking text from mushroom expert Paul Stamets, you'll find out how.
The basic science goes like this: Microscopic cells called "mycelium"--the fruit of which are mushrooms--recycle carbon, nitrogen, and other essential elements as they break down plant and animal debris in the creation of rich new soil. What Stamets has discovered is that we can capitalize on mycelium's digestive power and target it to decompose toxic wastes and pollutants (mycoremediation), catch and reduce silt from streambeds and pathogens from agricultural watersheds (mycofiltration), control insect populations (mycopesticides), and generally enhance the health of our forests and gardens (mycoforestry and myco-gardening).
In this comprehensive guide, you'll find chapters detailing each of these four exciting branches of what Stamets has coined "mycorestoration," as well as chapters on the medicinal and nutritional properties of mushrooms, inoculation methods, log and stump culture, and species selection for various environmental purposes. Heavily referenced and beautifully illustrated, this book is destined to be a classic reference for bemushroomed generations to come.
No art form is as widely discussed—or as readily available—as music. With the click of just a few buttons, modern humans can decide what they think of the brand-new Beyoncé just as quickly as they can form opinions on Brahms or the Beatles or Bob Dylan. But things weren't always this way. In this brisk, breakneck history, award-winning musician and broadcaster Andrew Ford dives into the constant evolutions and reinventions that have led to the popularity and accessibility of modern music. Ford explores:
● Why playing history's earliest example of notated music—clay tablets from 1400 BCE Syria—doesn't produce a consistent sound
● How colonization and the slave trade led to one region in West Africa having an unparalleled influence on world music
● How clerical and royal support allowed early composers to invent the symphony
● What leads humans to make music in the first place—and why music plays such a massive role in our culture.
The Shortest History of Music takes us on a lively tour through several thousands of years of music history, tracing our relationship with this essential art and allowing us to freshly appreciate and understand music today.
“A glimmer of hope for the reader! An excellent read for those looking for their next fantasy novel.”—MORGAN L. BUSSE, award-winning author of The Ravenwood Saga and Winter’s Maiden
ABOUT DARKFELL, the #1 New Release in Christian Fantasy
His is a life of books and peace …
Until a dying warrior’s touch ignites an ancient magic within his blood.
For years, Thom Darkfell has used his cartography skills to advise Lomair’s king of the country’s shifting borders. A valued academic, Thom is excluded from the military drafts until whispers of dark abominations and mass casualties reach the king’s ears. The resulting conscription thrusts Thom into Lomair’s losing army. A realist, Thom ignores the wild myths circling through the ranks—until a monster’s jaws snap through the folds of reality and crush a man before Thom’s eyes. With his dying breath, the Realm Walker passes an impossible task to Thom.
Hours later, the visions begin. The Creator, a deity Thom knows only from rituals spoken over meals and graves, appears to him while a girl with starlight in her blood calls from beyond the veil.
Armed with a cryptic map, a biscuit-loving tutor, and the brawn of his best friend, Thom sets out to find the star daughter and lock the barrier to bind the dark realm of Zakar.
If he fails, it will be the end of all.
Stories that history forgot . . . but readers will remember
'The only thing new in the world,' said Harry S. Truman, 'is the history you don't know.' In this fresh and fascinating collection of historical vignettes, Martin W. Sandler (author of Resolute and Atlantic Ocean) restores to memory important events, people, and developments that have been lost to time.
Though barely known today, these are major historical stories, from Ziryab, an eighth-century black slave whose influence on music, cuisine, fashion, and manners still reverberates, to Cahokia, a twelfth century city north of the Rio Grande, which at its zenith contained a population estimated to have been as high as 40,000 (more than any contemporary European city), to the worst peacetime maritime disaster ever, the explosion and sinking of the Sultana on the Mississippi in 1865.
These tales are far from trivia; they illuminate little-known American and foreign achievements, ingenuity, heroics, blunders, and tragedies that changed the course of history and resonate today.
