General Audiobooks | Science & Technology

Young and Damned and Fair: The Life of Catherine Howard, Fifth Wife of King Henry VIII

Written with an exciting combination of narrative flair and historical authority, this interpretation of the tragic life of Catherine Howard, fifth wife of Henry VIII, breaks new ground in our understanding of the very young woman who became queen at a time of unprecedented social and political tension and whose terrible errors in judgment quickly led her to the executioner's block. On the morning of July 28, 1540, as King Henry's VIII's former confidante Thomas Cromwell was being led to his execution, a teenager named Catherine Howard began her reign as queen of a country simmering with rebellion and terrifying uncertainty. Sixteen months later, the king's fifth wife would follow her cousin Anne Boleyn to the scaffold, having been convicted of adultery and high treason. The broad outlines of Catherine's career might be familiar, but her story up until now has been incomplete. Unlike previous accounts of her life, which portray her as a naïve victim of an ambitious family, this compelling and authoritative biography will shed new light on Catherine Howard's rise and downfall by reexamining her motives and showing her in her context, a milieu that goes beyond her family and the influential men of the court to include the aristocrats and, most critically, the servants who surrounded her and who, in the end, conspired against her. By illuminating Catherine's entwined upstairs/downstairs worlds as well as societal tensions beyond the palace walls, the author offers a fascinating portrayal of court life in the sixteenth century and a fresh analysis of the forces beyond Catherine's control that led to her execution-from diplomatic pressure and international politics to the long-festering resentments against the queen's household at court. Including a forgotten text of Catherine's confession in her own words, color illustrations, family tree, map, and extensive notes, Young and Damned and Fair changes our understanding of one of history's most famous women while telling the compelling and very human story of complex individuals attempting to survive in a dangerous age.

Gareth Russell (Author), Jenny Funnell (Narrator)

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You'll Like It Here: The Story of Donald Vitkus--Belchertown Patient #3394

Abandoned by his unwed mother during World War II, Donald Vitkus becomes a ward of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He is 27 days old. Six years later as 'Patient #3394,' he is committed to Belchertown State School, where he is labeled a 'moron' with an I.Q. of 41. Like hundreds of other institutions across the country, Belchertown is a de-humanizing environment of barred windows, locked doors, and brutal regimentation. 'I never want us to return to those days,' Donald says. Growing up in the institution affects Donald's entire adult life--his Army service in Vietnam, his marriage and raising children, and his earning a living. Donald's life comes full circle when he earns a degree in human services and becomes a caregiver for individuals like those he grew up with.

Ed Orzechowski (Author), Ed Orzechowski (Narrator)

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You'll Grow Out of It

YOU'LL GROW OUT OF IT hilariously, and candidly, explores the journey of the twenty-first century woman. As both a tomboy and a late bloomer, comedian Jessi Klein grew up feeling more like an outsider than a participant in the rites of modern femininity. In YOU'LL GROW OUT OF IT, Klein offers-through an incisive collection of real-life stories-a relentlessly funny yet poignant take on a variety of topics she has experienced along her strange journey to womanhood and beyond. These include her "transformation from Pippi Longstocking-esque tomboy to are-you-a-lesbian-or-what tom man," attempting to find watchable porn, and identifying the difference between being called "ma'am" and "miss" ("Miss sounds like you weigh ninety-nine pounds"). Raw, relatable, and consistently hilarious, YOU'LL GROW OUT OF IT is a one-of-a-kind book by a singular and irresistible comic voice.

Jessi Klein (Author), Jessi Klein (Narrator)

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You'll Be Sor-Ree!: A Guadalcanal Marine Remembers the Pacific War

Sid Phillips knew he was a long way from his home in Mobile, Alabama, when he plunged into the jungles of Guadalcanal in August 1942. A mortarman with the same company of the 1st Marine Division as Helmet for My Pillow author Robert Leckie, Sid was a seventeen-year-old kid when he entered combat. By the time he returned home some two years later, the island fighting on Guadalcanal and Cape Gloucester had turned him into a man and an "Old Timer" by Marine standards. In this true story, Sid recalls his encounters with icons like Chesty Puller, General Vandergrift, Eleanor Roosevelt, and his boyhood friend Eugene Sledge, author of With the Old Breed. He remembers fighting in the battle of the Tenaru (Alligator Creek), the struggle for Henderson Field, bombardments by Japanese battleships, the brutality of the tropics, and the haunting notion of being surrounded and expendable. This is the story of how Sid stood shoulder to shoulder with his Marine brothers to discover the strength and faith necessary to survive the dark, early days of World War II in the Pacific.

Sid Phillips (Author), Dan John Miller (Narrator)

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You Let Some Girl Beat You?: The Story of Ann Meyers Drysdale

Ann Meyers Drysdale, Joni Ravenna (Author), Pam Ward (Narrator)

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You Had Me at Woof: How Dogs Taught Me the Secrets of Happiness

Julie Klam (Author), Karen White (Narrator)

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You Had Me at Hola

Selling your soul for love is a bad idea – especially in South America. In a market in Buenos Aires, a spirited young Australian woman meets a Peruvian artisan who crafts traditional jewellery. The year is 1995, and she has left home for the first time, determined to travel for as long as it takes for her bones to bend her into a new shape. Leigh has a desperate need for love, second only to her desire for escape. She is spellbound by the artisan, Gabriel. But she’s about to travel Brazil, Bolivia and Peru with her friend Emily and leaves Buenos Aires, vowing to return. The trip fulfils Leigh’s dreams to see Iguazu Falls, Rio, the Amazon and Machu Picchu. After three months, she reunites with Gabriel and they fall in love. But Gabriel takes cocaine, and memories of her heroin-addicted father surface. She flees to the UK. In London, Leigh thinks only of Gabriel. When she begins working with celebrity New Age author Stuart Wilde, she gets a crash course in self-empowerment. But after six months, she is unable to ignore the pull of Gabriel’s love, and returns to South America. Leigh and Gabriel live in his family home in Lima, under the watchful eye of his mother. But when Gabriel’s closest friend dies in a drug-related accident, they must leave. They hit the road, selling jewellery in the streets of South and Central America. When they discover an idyllic village in the Mexican Caribbean, they feel they’ve found their home. But as time passes and Gabriel changes, Leigh grows unhappy. She must face the truth: she does not belong. When Gabriel betrays her, Leigh is crushed. She faces a bitter choice between her soul mate and her soul. Three years after leaving Sydney, she returns alone, ready to live in her own skin.

Leigh Robshaw (Author), Natalie Richy (Narrator)

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You Can't Make This Up: Miracles, Memories, and the Perfect Marriage of Sports and Television

No sportscaster has covered more major sporting events than Al Michaels, the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, and Stanley Cup Final, as well as the Olympic Games, Triple Crown, and many more. He has witnessed firsthand some of the most memorable events in sports, and in this highly personal and entertaining account, brings them all vividly to life. Michaels's stories cover unforgettable chapters over the past half century, from the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics' Miracle on Ice to the earthquake that rocked the 1989 World Series to the drama of what many consider the most exciting Super Bowl ever, Super Bowl XLIII between the Steelers and Cardinals. Some of the biggest personalities on and off the field are here, Brett Favre, John Madden, Tiger Woods, Cris Collinsworth, and many more. Complementing access with insight, Michaels adds to the stories you thought you knew: Michael Jordan's eyesight; Howard Cosell's prickly, bombastic personality; even Peyton and Eli Manning's sibling rivalry. From start to finish, Michaels gives us an up-close portrait of an industry that is, today more than ever, a vital part of our national culture.

Al Michaels, L. Jon Wertheim (Author), Al Michaels, L. Jon Wertheim, Ray Porter (Narrator)

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You Are Not Alone

'This is the truth as we know it. I have read so much about what people think they know about Michael, but this is about what really happened.' Jermaine JacksonYou Are Not Alone is an intimate, loving portrait of Michael Jackson, illuminating the private man like never before. It is an invitation into Michael's real character, private insights and hidden feelings: the innermost thoughts of a fiercely private individual.Jermaine Jackson knew Michael like only a brother can. In You Are Not Alone Jermaine brings light to the man behind the mask of superstardom, an identity that has lingered in the shadows for too long. You Are Not Alone is a celebration of the real Michael: the boy who shared a tiny bunkbed with Jermaine at 2300 Jackson Street, Gary, Indiana; the brother with whom Jermaine shared laughter, tears and memories; the boy who would grow up to become a legend.Raw, honest and incredibly moving, You Are Not Alone is also a sophisticated, no-holds-barred examination of Michael Jackson, aimed at fostering a true and final understanding of who he was and what shaped him. This is Michael Jackson - the man, not the legend - through a brother's eyes.If you love Michael Jackson, this is the only book you will want to read.If you think you know the Michael Jackson story, it's time to think again.

Jermaine Jackson (Author), Jermaine Jackson Jnr (Narrator)

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You Are Accused: Exploring the Frightening World of Accusation

What would you do if you were accused of something terrible? What if it happened when you were vulnerable, in an unfamiliar country, or under a media spotlight? How would your life and the lives of the people you love be affected? You Are Accused is an urgent piece of investigative journalism by Raphael Rowe – himself falsely convicted for a murder he did not commit – exploring the frightening world of accusations in the modern world. Join Raphael as he meets the people who have been through the transformative experience of accusation. Hear their stories first-hand and discover the impact that an accusation can have; on those accused, on their families, friends, and communities. Through deep dives into headline cases such as the UK Post Office scandal, infamous cases including Amanda Knox, as well as social media, sexual allegations, and legal experts fighting for change, Raphael shines a light on cases from the UK, US and beyond.

Raphael Rowe (Author), Raphael Rowe (Narrator)

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Yossarian Slept Here: When Joseph Heller Was Dad, the Apthorp Was Home, and Life Was a Catch-22

Erica Heller (Author), Karen White (Narrator)

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Yogi Berra: Eternal Yankee

Allen Barra (Author), Norman Dietz (Narrator)

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General Audiobooks in Science & Technology