General Audiobooks | Science & Technology

JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters

At the height of the Cold War, JFK risked committing the greatest crime in human history: starting a nuclear war. Horrified by the specter of nuclear annihilation, Kennedy gradually turned away from his long-held Cold Warrior beliefs and toward a policy of lasting peace. But to the military and intelligence agencies in the United States, who were committed to winning the Cold War at any cost, Kennedy's change of heart was a direct threat to their power and influence. Once these dark "Unspeakable" forces recognized that Kennedy's interests were in direct opposition to their own, they tagged him as a dangerous traitor, plotted his assassination, and orchestrated the subsequent cover-up. Douglass takes listeners into the Oval Office during the tense days of the Cuban Missile Crisis, along on the strange journey of Lee Harvey Oswald and his shadowy handlers, and to the winding road in Dallas where an ambush awaited the President's motorcade. As Douglass convincingly documents, at every step along the way these forces of the Unspeakable were present, moving people like pawns on a chessboard to promote a dangerous and deadly agenda.

James W. Douglass (Author), Pete Larkin (Narrator)

Audiobook

Jet Girl: My Life in War, Peace, and the Cockpit of the Navy's Most Lethal Aircraft, the F/A-18 Supe

'Fans of military biographies and memoirs will enjoy this inside look at the experiences of a determined woman in the cockpit.' -Booklist A fresh, unique insider's view of what it's like to be a woman aviator in today's US Navy-from pedicures to parachutes. Caroline Johnson was an unlikely aviator candidate. A tall blonde debutante from Colorado, she could have just as easily gone into fashion or filmmaking, and yet she went on to become an F/A-18 Super Hornet Weapons System Operator. She was one of the first women to fly a combat mission over Iraq since 2011, and she was the first woman to drop bombs on ISIS. Jet Girl tells the remarkable story of the women fighting at the forefront in a military system that allows them to reach the highest peaks, and yet is in many respects still a fraternity. Johnson offers an insider's view on the fascinating, thrilling, dangerous and, at times, glamorous world of being a naval aviator. This is a coming-of age story about a young college-aged girl who draws strength from a tight knit group of friends, called the Jet Girls, and struggles with all the ordinary problems of life: love, work, catty housewives, father figures, make-up, wardrobe, not to mention being put into harm's way daily with terrorist groups such as ISIS and world powers such as Russia and Iran. Some of the most memorable parts of the audiobook are about real life in training, in the air and in combat-how do you deal with having to pee in a cockpit the size of a bumper car going 900 miles an hour? Not just a memoir, this audiobook also aims to change the conversation and to inspire and attract the next generation of men and women who are tempted to explore a life of adventure and service.

Caroline Johnson, Hof Williams (Author), Caroline Johnson (Narrator)

Audiobook

Jet Boss: A Female Pilot on Taking Risks and Flying High

Captain Laura Savino takes you directly into the cockpit for an exclusive look into the boy’s club of airline pilots – told through the eyes of the first female pilot many of them ever flew with. “No math,” Laura’s counselor told her in high school. “That would ruin your GPA.” Laura had other plans. One teenage act of rebellion changed everything for her at a time when STEAM opportunities for women were rare. If passengers on a commercial jet had trouble imagining a woman flight engineer – which Laura became – imagine their disbelief to see her as the pilot flying their widebody jet around the globe. She exposes both the harsh truths and the exciting adventures of her years in the airline industry as a commercial pilot, reveals compelling insider details of 9/11, of the Tenerife air disaster killing 583 people, of the Gulf War and much more. Experience what life is truly like in the cockpit and how it has changed from the 80s to today, from the eyes of a woman and heart of a mother. Laura’s powerful story is a blueprint for how to defy expectations and follow your inner compass to do things you never thought possible.

Captain Laura Savino (Author), Captain Laura Savino (Narrator)

Audiobook

Jesus: The Missing Years

The Bible tells us of Jesus' birth and of His being in the temple in Jerusalem when He was a boy of 12. But then there is no further mention of Him until about 20 years later when He starts His ministry. Where was He? Why did the Bible not say? After an intensive search and study of The Dead Sea Scrolls and other ancient documents, I found where God gave instructions, through His Prophets, for the preparation of a place in the wilderness for His Son Jesus. The instructions were followed. A place was prepared. We have found the instructions that were followed to so seclude Him. After appearing in the Temple at age 12 Jesus was taken to this secluded place in the desert.

Walter Parks (Author), Alex Hyde-White (Narrator)

Audiobook

Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story

For nearly sixty years, Jerry Lee Lewis has been a monumental figure in American life. The wildest and most dangerous of the early rock and rollers, he electrified the world with hit records such as "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," "Great Balls of Fire," and "Breathless." His music was raucous, exuberant, slyly sexual; his wailing vocals were grounded by the locomotive force of his pumping piano. But his persona and performing style were what changed the world: whipping his long hair back, he would pound the keyboard like a coal-fired steam engine, then kick back the bench, climb atop the piano, and work the audience like the Pentecostal preacher he almost became. Poised to steal the crown from Elvis Presley, he seemed unstoppable, until news of his marriage to his thirteen-year-old cousin broke during his first British tour, nearly ending his career. Now, for the first time, Lewis's story is told in full, as he shared it over two years with Pulitzer Prize–winning writer Rick Bragg. In a narrative rich with atmosphere and anecdote, we watch Jerry Lee emerge from the fields and levees of Depression-era Louisiana, blazing a path across Bible colleges and nightclubs en route to international fame. He shared bills with Johnny Cash and Chuck Berry, toured Australia with Buddy Holly and Paul Anka, and went Cadillac for Cadillac with Elvis on the streets of Memphis, even as both of them struggled with the conflict between their faith and their music. After a decade in the wilderness, he returned as the biggest star in country music, but his victory lap became a marathon of excess, a time of guns and pills and Calvert Extra. He crashed Rolls-Royces and Lincolns, including one he drove into the gates of Graceland; suffered the deaths of wives and loved ones; and nearly met his maker twice himself. Yet after six marriages, a long spell without a recording contract, and a bruising battle with the IRS, he overcame a crippling addiction, remarried, and scored his biggest hit records since the 1970s. Today, as he approaches his eightieth year, he continues to electrify audiences around the world.The story of Jerry Lee Lewis has inspired songs and articles, books and films, but in these pages Rick Bragg restores a human complexity missing from other accounts. The result is a story of fire and faith and resilience, informed by Rick Bragg's deep understanding of the American spirit, and rich with Jerry Lee's own unforgettable voice.

Rick Bragg (Author), John Pruden (Narrator)

Audiobook

Jens Söring: Rückkehr ins Leben

Drei Jahrzehnte saß Jens SOring unter hArtesten Bedingungen in US-Haft, verurteilt fUr den Mord an den Eltern seiner Freundin. Bis heute gibt es Zweifel an seiner Schuld. Er war 19, als er ins GefAngnis kam, fast sein gesamtes erwachsenes Leben hat er hinter Gittern verbracht. Was er dort erlebt und Uberlebt hat, prAgt Jens SOring fUr immer. Nachdem er am 17. Dezember 2019 auf BewAhrung freigelassen wird, kehrt er im Alter von 53 Jahren nach Deutschland zurUck. Eindringlich schildert SOring in seinem Buch sein erstes Jahr in Freiheit, in dem er alltAgliche und fUr uns selbstverstAndliche Erfahrungen zum ersten Mal macht, aber auch immer wieder von seinen Erinnerungen ans GefAngnis eingeholt wird. Wie schafft es ein Mensch, all das zu verarbeiten? Die aufwUhlende Geschichte eines Mannes, der mit seiner Vergangenheit leben und sich eine Zukunft aufbauen muss.

Jens Söring (Author), Philipp Schepmann (Narrator)

Audiobook

Jennie Churchill: Winston's American Mother

After a three-day romance, Brooklyn-born Jennie Jerome married into the British aristocracy to become Lady Randolph Churchill. At a time when women had few freedoms, she was a cornerstone of high society and behind-the-scenes political dynamo. However it was Jennie's love life that marked her out, causing scandal and earning her the epithet 'more panther than woman'. Yet, in many ways, Jennie was deeply loyal to her husband. When he was dying of syphilis she took him on a round-the-world trip to conceal his violence and mania. He returned in a straitjacket with only weeks to live. After Randolph's death her great project became her son, Winston...

Anne Sebba (Author), Joanna David (Narrator)

Audiobook

Jennie Churchill : Winston's American Mother

Anne Sebba, acclaimed for her biography of Mother Teresa, reveals it took an American beauty just three days to land Lord Randolph Churchill. Eight months after the marriage, Lady Jennie bore their son Winston. Using her charms to advance her husband and son, Jennie discreetly seduces 200 or more paramours-including the Prince of Wales.

Anne Sebba (Author), Joanna David (Narrator)

Audiobook

Jenni Rivera: The Incredible Story of a Warrior Butterfly

Like a blazing shooting star, Jenni Rivera lit up the lives of millions of people, yet the sky swept her away before her time. A complete, entertaining, and objective biography. Written by one of the country’s leading experts in Latin music. Jenni Rivera was the top-selling artist within the Regional Mexican music genre. With a weekly radio show, her own reality show, a makeup and clothing line, and her own foundation, she was at the height of her career and life. Everything she had conquered, with blood, sweat, tears, and smiles, happened, as she said, with God leading her by the hand. However her life, her dreams, and the joy she shared with so many came to a tragic end just before dawn on December 9, 2012. In Jenni Rivera: The Incredible Story of a Warrior Butterfly, Leila Cobo - pianist, TV host, and Executive Director for Latino content and programming at Billboard - brings us Jenni Rivera’s intimate and moving biography, reflecting on the party girl, the elegant woman, the great diva, the friend, the mother, and the grandmother. Discover the humble beginnings of Jenni’s life and career, as well as the emotional and sometimes turbulent moments that defined her persona and spirit. Like a candle blown out before her time, we not only lost the “Unforgettable One,” the “Queen of Queens,” the “Warrior Butterfly,” we also lost a brave woman who fearlessly faced life’s ups and downs to attain the happiness she so fervently wanted for herself and her family. With Jenni’s departure, we celebrate a shining legacy that will forever reverberate within every note of her voice.

Leila Cobo (Author), Alma Cuervo (Narrator)

Audiobook

Jehovas ungehorsame Tochter: Wie die Liebe mir Freiheit schenkte

Die Zeugen Jehovas sind Jolandas Zuhause. Gehorsam erfüllt sie alle Erwartungen, die an sie gerichtet werden, kommt ihren Diensten nach und stellt das Weltbild der Zeugen Jehovas nicht in Frage. Das ändert sich schlagartig, als Nicky auftaucht. Denn Nicky ist eine Frau - und Jolanda verliebt sich in sie. Von einem Tag auf den anderen ist nichts mehr, wie es war. Jolanda entscheidet sich, die Zeugen Jehovas zu verlassen und ein vollkommen neues Leben zu beginnen.

Jolanda Heber (Author), Jolanda Heber (Narrator)

Audiobook

Jefferson's Secrets:Death and Desire at Monticello

In this moving and intimate look at the final days of our most enigmatic president, Andrew Burstein sheds new light on what Thomas Jefferson actually thought about sexuality, race, gender, and politics. Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, leaving behind a series of mysteries that captured the imaginations of historical investigators-an interest rekindled by the recent revelation that he fathered a child by Sally Hemmings, a woman he legally owned-yet there is still surprisingly little known about him as a man. In Jefferson's Secrets Andrew Burstein focuses on Jefferson's last days to create an emotionally powerful portrait of the uncensored private citizen who was also a giant of a man. Drawing on sources previous biographers have glossed over or missed entirely, Burstein uncovers, first and foremost, how Jefferson confronted his own mortality; and in doing so, he reveals how he viewed his sexual choices. Delving into Jefferson's soul, Burstein lays bare the president's thoughts about his own legacy, his predictions for American democracy, and his feelings regarding women and religion. The result is a moving and surprising work of history that sets a new standard, post-DNA, for the next generation's reassessment of the most evocative and provocative of this country's founders.

Andrew Burstein (Author), Simon Vance, Simon Vance (Narrator)

Audiobook

Jefferson's Daughters: Three Sisters, White and Black, in a Young America

The remarkable untold story of Thomas Jefferson's three daughters-two white and free, one black and enslaved-and the divergent paths they forged in a newly independent America Thomas Jefferson had three daughters: Martha and Maria by his wife, Martha Wayles Jefferson, and Harriet by his slave Sally Hemings. In Jefferson's Daughters, Catherine Kerrison, a scholar of early American and women's history, recounts the remarkable journey of these three women-and how their struggle to define themselves reflects both the possibilities and the limitations that resulted from the American Revolution. Although the three women shared a father, the similarities end there. Martha and Maria received a fine convent school education while they lived with their father during his diplomatic posting in Paris-a hothouse of intellectual ferment whose celebrated salonnières are vividly brought to life in Kerrison's narrative. Once they returned home, however, the sisters found their options limited by the laws and customs of early America. Harriet Hemings followed a different path. She escaped slavery-apparently with the assistance of Jefferson himself. Leaving Monticello behind, she boarded a coach and set off for a decidedly uncertain future. For this groundbreaking triple biography, Kerrison has uncovered never-before-published documents written by the Jefferson sisters when they were in their teens, as well as letters written by members of the Jefferson and Hemings families. She has interviewed Hemings family descendants (and, with their cooperation, initiated DNA testing) and searched for descendants of Harriet Hemings. The eventful lives of Thomas Jefferson's daughters provide a unique vantage point from which to examine the complicated patrimony of the American Revolution itself. The richly interwoven story of these three strong women and their fight to shape their own destinies sheds new light on the ongoing movement toward human rights in America-and on the personal and political legacy of one of our most controversial Founding Fathers.

Catherine Kerrison (Author), Tavia Gilbert (Narrator)

Audiobook

General Audiobooks in Science & Technology