Europe Audiobooks | Travel

The conquest of Constantinople in 1453 by a besieging army of around 80,000 men led by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II ended the Byzantine Empire. The city's defense was in the hands of Emperor Constantine XI, who had 7,000 to 10,000 soldiers at his disposal and, likely, fell during the last storm on the city. The fall of the Byzantine Empire also marked the final rise of the Ottoman Empire to become a major power. The conquest has a high symbolic value in both Turkish and Western European reception; Depending on one's perspective, it is viewed as evidence of imperial greatness or as a beacon of decay and demise. In historiography, the conquest of Constantinople is sometimes cited as one of the events that marked the transition from medieval Europe to modern times.

Stefan Zweig (Author), Dan Mellins-Cohen (Narrator)

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Alles, was wir nicht erinnern: Zu Fuß auf dem Fluchtweg meines Vaters

«Zu Fuß?» «Zu Fuß.» «Allein?» «Allein.» - Am 22. Januar 2020 macht sich Christiane Hoffmann in einem Dorf in Niederschlesien auf den Weg. Sie läuft 550 Kilometer nach Westen, es ist der Weg, auf dem ihr Vater im Winter 1945 vor der Roten Armee geflohen ist. Die Flucht und der Verlust der Heimat prägen die Kindheit der Autorin, es bleibt, wie bei so vielen Familien, eine Wunde. Nach dem Tod des Vaters kehrt die Tochter nach Rosenthal zurück, das jetzt Rózyna heißt. Sie sucht nach der Geschichte und ihren Narben. Sie läuft das verfluchte 20. Jahrhundert aus sich heraus. Deutschland in den 1970er Jahren. Unter dem Tisch sitzen die Kinder. Oben seufzen die Erwachsenen, essen Schnittchen und reden über die verlorene Heimat. Sie übertragen ihre Verletzungen und Alpträume auf die nächste Generation. Was bleibt heute vom Fluchtschicksal? Wie gehen die Familien, wie gehen die Gesellschaften, Deutsche, Polen und Tschechen damit um? Auf ihrer Wanderung sucht Christiane Hoffmann nach der Gegenwart der Vergangenheit. Sie kämpft sich durch Hagelstürme und sumpfige Wälder. Sie sitzt in Kirchen, Küchen und guten Stuben. Sie führt Gespräche - mit anderen Menschen und mit sich selbst. Ihr Buch überführt die Erinnerung an Flucht und Vertreibung ins 21. Jahrhundert und mahnt an die Schrecken des Krieges, es verschränkt die Familiengeschichte mit der Historie, Zeitzeugenberichte mit Begegnungen auf ihrem Weg. Doch es ist vor allem ein sehr persönliches Buch, geschrieben in einer literarischen Sprache, eine Suche nach dem Vater und seiner Geschichte, nach dem, was er verdrängte, um zu überleben.

Christiane Hoffmann (Author), Martina Gedeck (Narrator)

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G/GESCHICHTE - Englands wilde Jahre

Neueste wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse zeigen, wie veränderbar die Erinnerung ist: Nicht nur die individuelle Erinnerung, sondern auch die kollektive. Ein Musterbeispiel dafür ist der katholische Attentäter Guy Fawkes, der England zurück in den alten Glauben bomben wollte. Seitdem seine Pläne am 5. November 1605 gescheitert sind, feiern das die Engländer jedes Jahr mit Umzügen, bei denen Guy-Fawkes-Puppen in Flammen aufgehen. Was dem Comiczeichner David Lloyd missfiel: »Wir sollten den Kerl nicht an jedem 5. November verbrennen, sondern ihn feiern für seinen Versuch, das Parlament zu sprengen!«, schrieb er seinem Kompagnon Alan Moore. Und so schufen die beiden ab 1982 den Comic »V wie Vendetta«, in dem ein Widerstandskämpfer mit Guy-Fawkes-Maske nach dem dritten Weltkrieg gegen ein faschistisches Regime in England kämpft. Der Comic wurde 2005 verfilmt, Protestbewegungen übernahmen die Maske, und seither steht Guy Fawkes nicht mehr für rückwärtsgewandten Fanatismus, sondern für progressiven Protest gegen das Establishment. Erinnerungs-Überarbeitung geglückt!-

G Geschichte (Author), Clemens Benke (Narrator)

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G/GESCHICHTE - Stalingrad

Schlamm, Schnee und die unendliche Weite sind seit den Tagen Napoleons die Verbündeten der Russen. Als am 22. Juni 1941 die deutschen Panzer in Richtung Moskau preschen, ist die Wehrmacht nicht auf einen Winterkrieg vorbereitet. Erst bremst die Schlammperiode die Offensive, dann friert der Angriff vor Moskau fest. Die Technik versagt, der Nachschub stockt, und den Landsern fehlt es an Ausrüstung und Kleidung für den Winter. Nun sollte im Sommer 1942, so die Planung der Generäle, eine Großoffensive in Richtung Wolga und Kaukasus der Roten Armee den Todesstoß versetzen. Ein strategisches Ziel ist Stalingrad. Hitler will die Stadt mit dem Namen seines Erzrivalen ausradieren und schickt seine Soldaten in eine Falle. Während in der Stadt an der Wolga um Fabriken, Häuser und sogar um einzelne Stockwerke verbissen gekämpft wird, bereitet Feldmarschall Schukow eine groß angelegte Zangenoperation vor. Ende November überrollen T-34-Panzer die rumänischen Stellungen an den Flanken und kesseln die 6. Armee ein. Hitler will ein Nibelungen-Ende: Seine Soldaten sollen bis zur letzten Patrone kämpfen. Zigtausende erfrieren oder verhungern im Kessel. Auf die 91 000 Soldaten, die überleben, wartet der Todesmarsch durch Schnee und Kälte in die Kriegsgefangenenlager. Wer Dantes Göttliche Komödie kennt, weiß, dass der innerste Kreis der Hölle ein Inferno aus Eis ist.-

G Geschichte (Author), Clemens Benke (Narrator)

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Otto von Bismarck: The Politician Who Built a Powerful State

Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg, was a conservative German statesman, diplomat, and author who was born Junker Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck. Bismarck supervised Germany's unification in 1871 and functioned as its first chancellor till 1890, throughout which time he ruled Europe for 20 years. From 1867 to 1871, he was the chancellor of the North German Confederation, and from 1862 till 1890, he was Prussia's minister president and minister of Foreign Affairs, in addition to his role as chancellor of Germany. Bismarck served in both homes of the Prussian Parliament and was the Prussian envoy to France and Russia before rising to the executive power. He dealt with Prussian King Wilhelm I to join the many German countries, a cooperation that lasted the remainder of Wilhelm's life. In this book, you will discover much more about him and his impact on the Unification of Germany, the decades to come, and the entire culture and economy behind it.

Kelly Mass (Author), Doug Greene (Narrator)

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Oliver Cromwell: The English Military, Political Leader

Oliver Cromwell was an English army and statesman who led Parliamentary armies against King Charles I throughout the English Civil War. From 1653 till his death in the year 1658, he lead the British army in the British Islands area. Why was he so hated by so many? And is this image of him historically correct? Even though we cannot go back in time 450 years ago, we can certainly try to find the answers in the sources we have. The reason why people thought he was so evil, is because of his brutality against the Irish at that time. Several Irish and English scholars agree that Cromwell was too cruel in Ireland. Other academics blame him of 'ethnic cleansing,' or the systematic expulsion of a certain ethnic population from a territory. It typically entails the execution and deportation of Catholics, and that he is despised by Irish Catholics. Is this true? And why did he do this? Find out more about his time, his life, his circumstances and his legacy.

Kelly Mass (Author), Chris Newman (Narrator)

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Mediterranean Dictators: The Story of Benito Mussolini, Torquemada, and Francisco Pizarro

These dictators all lived in Southern European countries. Meet the evil despots called: Benito Mussolini: Ironically, when we think of fascism, we often look at someone as brutal and influential as Adolf Hitler, but the word “fascism” originated from Italian. The ideology that was carried out in the vicious Spanish War right before World War 2, and was embraced by Nazi Germany, was actually pushed and more or less invented by the Italians during a critical time in history when many changes were made, and when fear and uncertainty were all in the air. Mussolini was efficient and influential. He was a fearless leader not to be trifled with. Let’s take a look at what he did and why. Torquemada: The Spanish inquisition was nasty in the 15th century. I am glad we don’t live in those times anymore. We have our own problems to deal with here. But back then, in some countries, primarily the Catholic-dominated ones in Europe, being called a heretic, a witch, or a sinner meant business. It could mean the end of your life. And often, you had nothing to defend yourself with. There weren’t enough fancy lawyers to stand up to the Catholic Church. And so, it is with a tragic view on the past that we see countless innocent victims being accused of something they never did, with no bad intentions or rebellious behavior, and nonetheless being executed in brutal manners. Francisco Pizarro: Conquistadores (or Conquistadors) were the Spanish and Portuguese conquerors who invaded parts of the world that hadn’t been discovered by the Europeans before the 16th century. Some of these conquerors behaved fairly nice and respectful towards the local population in South America, Asia, Africa, and Central America. Others were incentivized by greed, lust, and dominance, which caused them to pillage, steal, and enslave the indigenous people they encountered. Many of their leaders were notorious for their brutality.

Kelly Mass (Author), Chris Newman (Narrator)

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History: France and Germany in the Spotlight

Kelly Mass (Author), Doug Greene (Narrator)

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The Dodecanese Campaign: The History of Nazi Germany’s Last Major Victory in World War II

By mid-1943, British leaders, particularly Churchill, believed that while the defeat of Germany and Italy were important, victory should not be achieved at the expense of ceding control of post-war Europe to the Soviets. What went unsaid was that Churchill’s goal was British control over the Mediterranean, and his insistence on using Allied resources in the Mediterranean and working to block Russian gains even while the war was still in progress caused some of the most vituperative exchanges between Britain and America. At one point, Churchill even began to actively consider pursuing the war in the Mediterranean independently and without American support. The Chief of the British Imperial General Staff General Sir Alan Brooke, normally one of Churchill’s most ardent supporters, became concerned that his obsession with the Mediterranean was driving the prime minister beyond rational action: “I am slowly becoming convinced that in his old age Winston is becoming less and less well balanced!'[1] Nowhere were these differences more clearly exposed than during the Dodecanese Campaign, a British attempt to seize islands in the Aegean during the fall and winter of 1943. The campaign in the Aegean brought Anglo-American relations to their lowest point during the war, with the British feeling let down and perhaps even betrayed by their American allies, while the Americans believed the Aegean was relatively unimportant in the overall strategic context of the war and a potential drain on resources that would be better used elsewhere. The Dodecanese Campaign was the tragic outcome of the fundamental differences of opinion and approach between allies who otherwise worked closely and in harmony, and though nobody knew it at the time, it marked one of the last major victories for German forces who had been forced to retreat in every other theater of operations.

Charles River Editors (Author), Colin Fluxman (Narrator)

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The Zeppelins of World War I: The History and Legacy of Zeppelin Air Raids during the Great War

While airplanes had never before appeared above the field of war, other aerial vehicles had already been in use for decades, and balloons had carried soldiers above the landscape for centuries to provide a high observation point superior to most geological features. The French used a balloon for this purpose at the Battle of Fleurus in 1794, and by the American Civil War, military hydrogen balloons saw frequent use, filled from wagons generating hydrogen from iron filings and sulfuric acid. In fact, with advances in dirigible technology, many military thinkers and even aeronautical enthusiasts believed that blimps would remain the chief military aerial asset for the foreseeable future. These men thought airplanes would play a secondary role at best and might even prove a uselessly expensive gimmick soon to fade back into obscurity, leaving the majestic bulk of the dirigible as sole master of the skies. The Zeppelins, slow and large as they were, proved to be easy targets for fire from the ground, so they were too vulnerable for reconnaissance in the warzone. Instead, they were used for the task of bombing targets. Bombs were dropped on Paris in August 1914, and Zeppelins bombed Belgian forces as the Germans advanced on Liège. The Germans also used them to bomb England’s eastern ports and London in an attempt to disrupt military supplies. On the other side, British pilots destroyed a Zeppelin on the ground at Düsseldorf. This was bombing at its simplest; the explosives were kept on hooks on the side of the machines and dropped by a crew member by hand. These small forays into aerial bombardment barely even hinted at the bombing campaigns to come, but Zeppelin raids on Britain would continue for nearly four years, killing more than 500 people and injuring 1,300. These raids and the attempts to stop them would be carried out at the cutting edge of new technology.

Charles River Editors (Author), Jim D. Johnston (Narrator)

Audiobook

Benito Mussolini: Italian Prime Minister and Fascist Dictator

Ironically, when we think of fascism, we often look at someone as brutal and influential as Adolf Hitler, but the word “fascism” originated from Italian. The ideology that was carried out in the vicious Spanish War right before World War 2, and was embraced by Nazi Germany, was actually pushed and more or less invented by the Italians during a critical time in history when many changes were made, and when fear and uncertainty were all in the air. Mussolini was efficient and influential. He was a fearless leader not to be trifled with. Let’s take a look at what he did and why. Throughout the interwar period, Mussolini, as totalitarian of Italy and creator of fascism, cultivated and promoted the worldwide development of fascist movements. His dealings were infamous yet organized. His nationalist ideals were something people wanted to hear in a time of crisis. It is not surprising, therefore, when we look back, that his ideas resonated with so many desperate souls. You can read this book online or listen to the audiobook version.

Kelly Mass (Author), Chris Newman (Narrator)

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Mesoamerican Warfare: The History of War in the Region from the Olmec to the Aztec

Throughout history, warfare has played an important role in the development of many cultures around the world, and Mesoamerica is no exception. As J.M. Francis and T.M. Leonard noted, “The history of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica was one of violence, though no more so than that of any other region of the ancient world. It was a universe of shifting alliances and mutual antagonisms, in which increasingly strong political entities forged themselves and then broke apart.” Of course, the history of warfare in Mesoamerica is a long one, tracing its origins back to the Preclassic period with the Olmecs, who were the first group to expand their influence. There is clear evidence they had a military development, but it seems to have been mainly focused on protecting their trade networks instead of on conquest. After the Olmecs, Teotihuacan rose as the first main center of military expansion during the Classic period, extending its influence across Mesoamerican territory. After its collapse, the vacuum of power created an unstable period, and new expanding polities emerged, including Cacaxtla, Xochicalco, and Tula. They became important regional centers that took control of most of central Mesoamerica through the use of military interventions. After their decline, during the Postclassic period, the Aztecs eventually emerged as the dominant empire in Mesoamerica and continued expanding their control and influence until the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century. Perhaps not surprisingly, there are many misconceptions about Prehispanic warfare, so it is important to keep in mind that military conflicts in Mesoamerica were greatly diverse and cannot be summarized by simply analyzing Aztec militarism.

Charles River Editors (Author), Colin Fluxman (Narrator)

Audiobook

Europe Audiobooks in Travel