Voices of Today

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/trkcww The Eureka Stockade By Raffaello Carboni Narrated by Gregory Dwyer A firsthand account of the 1854 Eureka Rebellion in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. Carboni, an Italian revolutionary and participant in the uprising, wrote the book to document the miners' struggle against the colonial authorities. The story captures the miners' frustrations over oppressive mining licenses, police corruption, and lack of representation. It details the events leading up to the violent clash at the Eureka Stockade, where miners built a makeshift fort and confronted government troops. Although the rebellion was crushed, it became a significant symbol of resistance and led to reforms in mining laws and democratic rights. Carboni's narrative offers a passionate, personal perspective on the fight for justice and equality.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/2nmll A Manual of Buddhism By Dudley Wright Narrated by Oberon Michaels Buddhism has a vast array of scriptures but a relatively small body of essential doctrines. In this short treatise, the author presents a systematic introduction to Buddhist teaching, commencing with a discussion of the Noble Eightfold Path. Other topics include the Buddhist views of God and enlightenment, and the practice of Buddhism in the world of today. Dudley Wright (1868-1949) wrote extensively on a wide variety of religious subjects and was also active as an investigator of the paranormal. He was a practising Freemason, who believed that all religions shared a common basis.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/lcn3y8 The Real Jefferson Davis By Landon Knight Narrated by Ron Altman Jefferson Davis (1808 - 1889) was an American politician who became president of the Confederate States during the Civil War. He took his seat in Congress as the representative for Mississippi in 1847. As a Democrat, Davis was an enthusiastic supporter of the expansion of slavery. In 1861 he resigned from the Senate when the state of Mississippi seceded. During the Civil War Davis acted as chief executive and commander in chief for the Confederacy. After the war, he was captured and charged with treason. He was imprisoned for two years but was released under the terms of a general pardon from President Andrew Johnson before his case had come to court. In later years he supported himself with speaking tours and involvement in various business enterprises. Because of his agressive advocacy for the continuation of slavery, today Davis is not generally viewed favourably. Many of the memorials to him have been removed in recent years. This disapprobation has obscured Davis' undoubted abilities as politician and the extent of his influence as a notable public figure of his time.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Kobo.com: https://n9.cl/3r9bmr The Complete Love Sonnets of Michael Drayton by Michael Drayton Narrated by Evan Blackmore As he himself said, Drayton's sonnets are the most “sportive” of the great Elizabethan love poems, “ever in motion,” by turns “wild, madding, jocund, and irregular,” yet maintaining a universality and sturdy good sense that have spoken to the hearts of hearers and readers for four centuries. This recording includes in full not only his famous final collection, Idea (1619), but also the earlier Idea's Mirror (1594), as well as the various love sonnets that he wrote on other occasions.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com. https://n9.cl/blkbp On Our Selection By Steele Rudd Narrated by Gregory Dwyer On Our Selection is a collection of humorous short stories by Australian author Steele Rudd. It follows the trials and tribulations of the Rudd family, pioneers carving out a living in the Australian bush. The book humorously depicts the struggles of farming life, the resilience of the settlers, and the quirks of rural Australian society.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/ihyo2 Cynthia Wakeham's Money By Anna Katharine Green Narrated by Bonnie Trost This classic crime novel features the detective Ebenezer Grice, one of Anna Katherine Green's recurring characters.A young lawyer is summoned to draw up the will of an elderly and infirm woman. She directs that all her property be bequeathed to her sister. At the end of the consultation, the woman dies. When the heir goes missing, it is suspected that the woman's death was not due to natural causes. Further investigation reveals that the woman and her sister were trapped in a reclusive lifestyle by a promise exacted by their uncaring and overbearing father. Each woman had a lover whom she wished to marry, but the unions were frustrated by the demands of the father. A major sinister figure is the woman's brother, who stands to gain from the death of the sister.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/38xmp Memory: How to Develop, Train and Use It By William Walker Atkinson Narrated by Denis Daly Although the many works of New Thought author William Walker Atkinson (1862-1932) have generally been classified as self-help texts, their true focus tends to be self-development. This book on memory is not a catalogue of mnemonic techniques but rather a survey of its whole structure and operation. In the first chapter, Atkinson writes: "We see that the cultivation of memory is far more than the cultivation and development of a single mental faculty—it is the cultivation and development of our entire mental being—the development of our selves."

The complete audiobook is available at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/93z5vd Dr Thorndyke Intervenes By R. Austin Freeman Narrated by Graham Scott The great medical jurist Dr John Thorndyke must unravel three intricate cases, as a wealthy American attempts to prove a preposterous claim to an English earldom, based only upon a startlingly tall old family tale; a hundredweight of platinum, worth a fortune, is stolen; and, most bizarrely of all, a severed human head is discovered in a box in the left luggage office of London's Fenchurch Street Station...

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/cvvrl Sea Spray and Smoke Drift By A.L. Gordon Narrated by Gregory Dwyer Sea Spray and Smoke Drift is a collection of poetry. The book showcases Gordon's deep connection to nature, the sea, and the rugged Australian landscape. His verses explore themes of courage, adventure, and personal struggle, often reflecting his own turbulent life. The poems, characterized by their vivid imagery and rhythmic flow, capturing the spirit of colonial Australia. Notable pieces like “A Song of Autumn” and “The Swimmer” highlight his skill of lyrical storytelling. The collection remains a significant contribution to Australian literature, celebrated for its emotional depth and evocative language.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/64qr4 While the Billy Boils By Henry Lawson Narrated by Gregory Dwyer While the Billy Boils (1896) is a collection of short stories by Australian writer Henry Lawson, portraying life in the Australian outback during the late 19th century. The stories, written with a real touch of dry humor, focus on the struggles of bush workers, swagmen, shearers, and settlers. Lawson captures the themes of rural life, of isolation, resilience, and mateship. It highlights the everyday hardships and quiet heroism of the ordinary Australians. The collection remains a significant work in Australian literature, shaping national identity and bush storytelling traditions.

The complete audiobook can be purchased at Audible .com: https://n9.cl/a2vut The Girls By Edna Ferber Narrated by Martha H. Weller The Girls is the story of three spinsters living in Chicago—an aunt, her niece, and her niece's niece. The aunt has memories of the Civil War, and all three women have adjusted to the outbreak of the First World War. Generational changes, particularly in regard to romantic attachments, are a central feature of the book, which is also a fascinating portrait of the Chicago lifestyle of the time. The emerging political and social power of women is also a significant feature of the story.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/ijxnp Sea Garden By H.D. (Hilda Doolittle) Read by Nancy Beard Hilda Doolittle was an American poet and novelist who was one of the founders of the Imagist movement, which includes such poetic luminaries as Ezra Pound and Richard Aldington, with both of whom Doolittle had romantic relationships. Sea Garden, a collection of 27 short poems, was published in 1916. The verse is characterized by an economy of expression and frequent allusions to Greek myths.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/yjpgf The Escaped Cock By D. H. Lawrence Narrated by Patrick Barker The Escaped Cock is Lawrence's take on resurrection, the life-force, and sexuality. The man who has been crucified wakes up in the garden wounded and weakened. Disillusioned with his old companions and inspired by the zest for life of the escaped cock of the title, he decides to live anew. Journeying to the sea, he stumbles on a temple of Isis, where its priestess, who mistakes him for the lost Egyptian god Osiris, introduces him to the pleasures of the flesh. Published in 1929, The Escaped Cock (also published as The Man Who Died) was Lawrence's last major work of fiction before his untimely death in 1930.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/fue3r The Land By Vita Sackville-West Narrated by Patrick Barker Vita Sackville-West's book length poem celebrates the landscapes and produce of the Weald of Kent. Divided into four parts—Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn—it paints a vivid picture of the Kentish countryside across the year and the farming practices of the Kentish folk eking out a living on its unpredictable clayey soils. Published in 1926, the poem was a great success, winning the Hawthornden Prize for Literature and going through six print runs in three years.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/p0g1y The Jane Austen Omnibus Narrated by Catherine Bilson, Terah Tucker, Sarah Jane Rose, Graham Scott, Denis Daly and Linda Barrans. Jane Austen commenced writing in her adolescence and continued right up to her untimely death in 1817. Her novels are reflections of the socially constricted world in which she lived, and the plots are built around the search of one or more young women for a suitable spouse. Austen's works are noted for the perceptive elegance of her prose and for vigor and detail of characterization. Celebrated critic F. R. Leavis considered Austen as one of the four great English novelists, along with George Eliot, Henry James, and Joseph Conrad. This collection contains the following titles: Sense and Sensibility (1811) Pride and Prejudice (1813) Mansfield Park and Lovers' Vows (1814) Emma (1816) Works published posthumously: Northanger Abbey (1818) Persuasion (1818) Lady Susan (1871) Unfinished works: The Watsons (1871); completed by L. Oulton (1923) Sanditon: Fragment of a Novel (1925)

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/oind6 The Pageants By William Shakespeare Comprising multicast performances of Henry V and Henry VIII Shakespeare's history plays fall into two categories: political dramas and propagandistic pageants. The second category is comprised of the two plays in this presentation, Henry V and Henry VIII. These two plays have many elements in common. An underlying theme is the necessity and glory of government by sovereign royalty. Each play is presented by a chorus, who defines the action and intent of the drama. Rather than a continuous narrative the action is depicted in a series of tableaux, each of which seeks to illustrate a positive aspect of the monarch's character. In each play an early part of the action involves the detection of treason and the punishment of the malefactors, presented as examples of the king's shrewdness and rigorous sense of justice. Henry V, originally titled The Life of Henry the Fifth, tells the story of the king's successful incursion into France to regain control of the territories claimed by the English crown, and his consolidation of his position by marrying the daughter of the King of France. Despite its references to the horror of military conflict, the mood of the play is generally bright and upbeat, although in the final speech the Chorus warns that much of this glory will be lost under the rule of Henry VI. Henry VIII, first published as The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eighth, was a joint production by Shakespeare and John Fletcher. It appears to have been written in 1612-1613. During a production of the play at the Globe Theatre in 1613, a cannon was discharged, resulting in a fire which burned the building to the ground. The action of Henry VIII focuses on three major events: The allegation of treason against the Duke of Buckingham, and his subsequent conviction and execution; Henry's concern over the failure of his wife Katharine of Aragon to produce a male heir, his desire to divorce her and to marry the much younger Anne Bullen (Boleyn); and the birth of Anne's child, the future Queen Elizabeth I. All references to Anne Bullen's fall from grace and execution and to Henry's subsequent marriages are strictly avoided. Henry is presented as a thoughtful and capable sovereign, somewhat overbearing, but genuinely troubled by the thought that his marriage to Katharine may have been canonically improper. Featuring Blaise Doran as Henry V and Josh Innerst as Henry VIII. Audio edited by Denis Daly.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/ohdqkm The Dunciad In Four Books Edited by George Gilfillan By Alexander Pope Read by Denis Daly Alexander Pope was fiercely critical of writers whom he considered to have little talent and whom he liked to nominate as dunces. His most encyclopedic examination of these apostles of dullness is the Dunciad, a long satirical saga first published in a three book version in 1728. A variorium edition followed shortly afterwards in 1729. In 1742 Pope added a fourth book and a new complete edition was published in 1743. The concept of an excoriation of dullness in mock heroic form appears to have been inspired by John Dryden's MacFlecknoe or, A satyr upon the True-Blue-Protestant Poet, T.S. (1682). Dryden's target was the poet and low-brow playright Thomas Shadwell, who later replaced Dryden as Poet Laureate in 1688. In Pope's view dullness is at war with reason, and he nominates Lewis Theobald and Colley Cibber as the champions of insipidity. In the words of editor George Gilfillan: "The "Dunciad" is in many respects the ablest, the most elaborate, and the most characteristic of Pope's poems. In embalming insignificance and impaling folly he seems to have found, at last, his most congenial work."

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/qjs3vd Jonah By Louis Stone Narrated by Gregory Dwyer A wonderful character-filled novel of Larrikin life in the poorer areas of early Sydney.Johah describes the social atmosphere of many of the working class, and in particular traces the change in the main character of Jonah, a hunchback, from his beginnings in life as a “streetarab” to rising successfully in the world of business with his own street smarts. The narrative reflects many social views of the time, some of which may be considered unacceptable today, but the author's writing brings a real-life and identifiable cheerfulness in his characters. His expectation that a person's better qualities will eventually find expression remains engaging to the audience of today.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/0dwpd Mornings in Mexico By D. H. Lawrence Narrated by Patrick Barker D. H. Lawrence's homage to his travels in Mexico and the American southwest. The first four essays are products of a short visit to Oaxaca in Mexico. The following three, which include Lawrence's classic account of the Hopi snake dance, are set in New Mexico. In the last essay, Lawrence remembers Saint Catherine's Day at the ranch in Taos from the vantage point of his new residence in Italy. All are written in an inimitable style which combines acute observation and sardonic humour with Lawrence's often eccentric views on culture and philosophy.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/k626f Few of Emily Dickinson's poems were published in her lifetime. Her posthumous fame is largely due to the efforts of her editors and supporters Thomas W. Higginson and Mabel Loomis Todd. In the foreword to this second collection, published in 1891, Mabel Loomis Todd wrote: “The eagerness with which the first volume of Emily Dickinson's poems has been read shows very clearly that all our alleged modern artificiality does not prevent a prompt appreciation of the qualities of directness and simplicity in approaching the greatest themes—life and love and death. That “irresistible needle-touch,” as one of her best critics has called it, piercing at once the very core of a thought, has found a response as wide and sympathetic as it has been unexpected even to those who knew best her compelling power. This second volume, while open to the same criticism as to form with its predecessor, shows also the same shining beauties.” Narrators: Larry Wilson Lyndal Curran Doolan Martha H. Weller Amy Soakes Kylie Elliott Margaret Wakeley Lee Ann Howlett Linda Barrans Ron Altman Nancy Beard Gary MacFadden Terah Tucker Denis Daly Gregory Dwyer Charlie Albers JaeAudio

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/2ecoy For the Term of His Natural Life His Natural Life By Marcus Clarke Narrated by Gregory Dwyer For the Term of His Natural Life can be described as a “ripping yarn.” While it relies on slightly unrealistic coincidences, the story follows the (mis)fortunes of Rufus Dawes, a young man transported for a murder he did not commit. The story also explores the harsh environment and the often inhumane treatment meted out to the convicts in the early penal settlements, some of whom were transported for minor crimes. The appalling conditions experienced by the convicts are graphically described. But the story also involves a heartfelt rescue and its long-term consequences.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://www.audible.com/pd/B0F1GS32HW The Velveteen Rabbit By Margery Williams Bianco Read by Bria Sterling This classic children's story was first published in Harper's Bazaar in 1921.The story is an ingenious retelling of a popular myth in which an inanimate image of a creature becomes alive through the ardent desire of its owner. In this case, it is a toy rabbit that is brought to life by a fairy after supplying loving support to a sick child.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com https://n9.cl/sltdb7 The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth By H. G. Wells Narrated by Martha H. Weller H. G. Wells first published The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth in 1904. He called it “a fantasia on the change of scale in human affairs… I had hit upon [the idea] while working out the possibilities of the near future in a book of speculations called Anticipations (1901).” This novel is about a group of scientists that invent food that accelerates the growth of children turning them into giants upon becoming adults. There have been many B-movie adaptations. This is Wells at his finest with a science experiment gone wrong.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/1yc5t The Magic Mountain By Thomas Mann Translated by Helen Lowe-Porter A new immersive edition for Audible Read by Steve Gough Sound design by Stephen Earley Original Music by Laurene Hope and Stephen Williamson Thomas Mann's vivid, dramatic, and thought-provoking The Magic Mountain is firmly established as one of the classic epic novels of the twentieth century. Part surreal comedy, part grim tragedy, Mann's story depicts a decaying European society on the eve of the First World War. Set in an isolated sanatorium high up in the Swiss Alps, we follow the destinies of a variety of exotic, high-society characters drawn from every corner of Europe. All suffer from consumption, dream of a cure - yet are at the same time squeezing as much pleasure and distraction as they can out of a situation ever-shadowed by sickness, pain, and death. These varied destinies become a metaphor for civilisation's fatal fragility, on the brink of the world's very first global catastrophe. Today, as we face many other terrifying examples of human destructiveness, this novel has acquired yet more power and relevance. In its original published version, Mann's novel contained a number of extended passages, drawn by the author from contemporary scholarly texts. A reader might easily skip these more obscure sections; but for the audiobook listener this can be difficult. And so for this new and more accessible version, some of these passages have been shortened or omitted. The result is that Mann's epic story is now free to flow seamlessly in all its original drama, variety, wit and intensity. This modern audiobook version also features a specially-created immersive soundscape to draw the reader more intimately into Mann's vivid characters and their richly-imagined snow-clad world. The Magic Mountain is read by Steve Gough, whose sound-designed version Captain Scott's 1911 Last Expedition to the Antarctic won listeners' acclaim following its Audible release in 2021.

The complete audibook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/kfkee The Mystery of Cabin Island The Hardy Boys Series By Franklin W. D Dixon Narrated by Gary D. MacFadden Frank and Joe are two teenage brothers who hope to follow in the footsteps of their father, a famous private detective. The Hardy Boys are joined by two friends, Chet and Biff, for a winter campout in a cabin on a remote island in Barmet Bay. But there seem to be others interested in the cabin, and a secret that it might hold. A sinister stranger orders them off the island, and when the boys don't comply, their food supplies are stolen.When a cipher is discovered that has something to do with the cabin, the four boys are eager to solve the mystery of Cabin Island.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/jxdl6 Robbery Under Arms A Story of Life and Adventure in the Bush and in the Goldfields of Australia By Rolf Boldrewood Narrated by Gregory Dwyer Robbery Under Arms, together with Marcus Clarke's For the Term of His Natural Life, is considered to be one of the seminal Australian novels of the nineteenth century. It is a barnstorming yarn, delivered in the first person by one Dick Marston, a vigorous and basically honourable young man, who is lured into crime due to unfavourable circumstances. One of the major themes is the importance of proper mentorship for youth. Marston's main mentors are his troubled father and the dashing bushranger, Captain Starlight, and Marston's association with them leads to personal disaster. In the end, Marston finds his own way to honour and respectability, and settles down with a faithful woman, who has patiently waited for him to complete a lengthy period of imprisonment. While the narrative reflects social views of the time which may be considered unacceptable today, particularly in regard to indigenous people and women, the author's cheerfulness and his expectation that a person's better qualities will eventually find expression remain attractive to the audience of today.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/pt8lv The Continental Op Casebook, Vol. 1 Book 1 in the Continental Op Stories Series By Dashiell Hammett Narrated by Gary D. MacFadden This collection contains nine early stories featuring the Continental Op, an un-named middle-aged detective working for the San Francisco branch of the fictional Continental Detective Agency. The stories are narrated in the first person. The “hardboiled detective” voice was later used by author Dashiell Hammett in The Maltese Falcon (Sam Spade) and the Thin Man series of stories.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/67wja Edward Leithen 3 Adventures By John Buchan Narrated by Graham Scott In The Power-House, Leithen's quiet life is disrupted when he is pitted against the murderous forces of an international network of anarchists, and its chilling leader. Then, adopting the nom de guerre of “John Macnab,” Leithen and two friends risk their reputations when they take to poaching in the Highlands of Scotland in an effort to recover their zest for life. Finally, in The Dancing Floor, Sir Edward befriends a young man haunted by an annually recurring dream, and a young woman stubbornly determined to atone for the sins of her disreputable family, even at the risk of her own life.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/t174z Horses and Riders A Collection By Rolf Boldrewood Narrated by Denis Daly Horses and horse racing have been staple themes in classic Australian fiction, and feature prominently in the works of iconic authors like Henry Lawson and “Banjo” Paterson. In this collection of six stories, Rolf Boldrewood provides vivid pictures of the days when horses and horse-drawn transport were intimately involved in daily life in both city and country. 1) “An Australian Roughriding Contest” 2) “Five Men's Lives for One Horse” 3) “The Horse You Don't See Now” 4) “Old Time Thoroughbreds” 5) “The First Port Fairy Hunt” 6) “Old Stock Riders”

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/umiag Yoga Philosophy An Outline of the Secret Hindu Teachings By Hereward Carrington Narrated by Lori Nadeau Richardson Carrington presents a fairly deeply detailed look at understanding the 8 limbs of Yoga. Originally published in 1923 as a Westerner's perspective and understanding of the practice Yoga, Carrington reveals a surprising depth of understanding as that of an adept, and manages to impart a lot of information, similar in that way that several more recent and more famous Yogis have shared their versions of shedding light on Yoga. Depending on how deep one's own practice has been, there are several jewels of information in this small book that many current practicing yogis will find interesting, as well as some different perspectives on material that may offer a slightly differing view than what is generally taught in yoga teaching programs. As a historical document, Yoga Philosophy delivers quite a good understanding of the practice from a time period when Yoga was barely heard about in the US, much less known, and makes for interesting comparison for how most people approach Yoga in the 21st century.

Epigrams and Epitaphs By Alexander Pope Edited by W. C. Armstrong Read by Denis Daly Pope's mastery of the heroic couplet and his perceptive wit are apparent in the many epigrams and epitaphs that he composed. The subjects of these snippets of verse are widely varied, ranging from encomiums to great celebrities like Sir Isaac Newton to witty soupçons, like that attached to the collar of a dog that the poet gave to Prince George (later King George II). This recording also includes an extensive commentary on Pope's Epitaphs by Samuel Johnson.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/x7se0n Diverging Roads By Rose Wilder Lane Narrated by Martha H. Weller Diverging Roads, set sometime between 1912 and 1919, is one of Lane's earliest published novels (1919). It is somewhat autobiographical and depicts the life of Helen Davies.We meet Helen when she is about to graduate from high school and is in love with a fellow student, Paul. Both of their families are struggling financially. Paul must support his widowed mother; he begins work immediately—and over the course of the novel proves to be a good, hard-working man whose greatest ambition is to provide for his loved ones, Helen included. Initially, Helen doesn't want to work, but her family needs money. Also, she hopes that her working might hasten the day when she and Paul can marry. But Helen is naïve when she leaves for Sacramento to learn telegraphy. This book is gently feministic—we see Helen struggle against prejudice and poverty, and also discover her own indomitable spirit. She pursues telegraphy, then real estate, and finally writing. She makes mistakes, learns from them and eventually comes to a solid understanding of her own nature. Lane is a wonderful storyteller. She paints vivid pictures of the world Helen encounters and the work she pursues. While touching on sensitive topics such as a woman's role in the world, the novel is never mean-spirited. It is an uplifting tale of one woman's journey along the many paths life presents her.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/gemm3 Leonardo da Vinci Pathfinder of Science By Henry S. Gillette Narrated by Margaret Wakeley Leonardo da Vinci is best known for his art, including the portrait of Mona Lisa, but there was so much more to this man. His genius extended into his greatest passions: scientific discovery, experimentation, and design. Nothing in (or out of) this world was unworthy of his curiosity; he pursued the study of botany, anatomy, engineering, military defense, flight, the behavior of water and light, astronomy … and more. This book is an excellent starting point for anyone wanting to understand the scope of da Vinci's scientific mind. Listeners will learn about da Vinci's birth and death, his origins and early training in art, and his unending pursuit of knowledge. Da Vinci also experienced constant ordeals with finding patrons and having to do their bidding—while trying to find time to passionately pursue his interests. Gillette uses da Vinci's notebooks as a guide to presenting the vast collection and evolution of da Vinci's ideas, and uses his imagination to fill in the gaps. The breadth of da Vinci's genius will leave you breathless.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/6a54k Miss Hurd—An Enigma By Anna Katharine Green Narrated by Roberta Jackson An artist, Mr Ruxton, is seeking an ideal model for a planned sculpture of Antigone. He travels to the Beech Grove estate in search of his model and encounters Miss Hurd, who is employed at the house. He is overwhelmed by her beauty and feels compelled to pursue her. However, he quickly finds that he has a rival for the lady's affections, a man of great wealth and power. Miss Hurd takes flight, but Ruxton is unable to forget her. When he later sees her again on a streetcar in New York he finds himself drawn into a mysterious web of tragedy and evil.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com https://n9.cl/67o08 Henry IV, Part 1 & Part 2 By William Shakespeare Narrated by Laura E. Richcreek, Blaise Doran, Alan Weyman, Rory Barnett, Tim Dehn, Graham Scott, Geraint Pickard, Noni Lewis, Roberta Jackson, Denis Daly, Christopher Dukes, Sarah Jane Rose, Josh Innerst, Gregory Dwyer and Shane Emmett This full cast presentation includes Part 1 and Part 2 of Shakespeare's Henry IV.In 1598 appeared a Quarto with the following title:The History of Henrie the Fourth; With the Battell at Shrewsburie, betweene the King and Lord Henry Percy, surnamed Henrie Hotspur of the North. With the humorous conceits of Sir John Falstaffe. At London. Printed by P. S. for Andrew Wise, dwelling in Paules Churchyard, at the signe of the Angell. 1598.This was the First Part of Shakespeare's Henry IV, which must have been written in 1597. This play is the first in which Shakespeare really demonstrated his great and overwhelming individuality. Its dramatic structure is fairly loose, though is closer knit and technically stronger than that of the Second Part. However, as a poetical creation, it is one of the great masterpieces of the world's literature, at once heroic and burlesque, thrilling and side-splitting. Yet these contrasted elements are not brought into hard-and-fast rhetorical antithesis, but move and mingle with a natural freedom. The driving elements of the plot are the machinations of the guilt-ridden King Henry IV to establish the legitimacy of his accession and the inevitable revolt by the former supporters who helped him to gain the throne. One of the leaders of the opposing faction is the warlike Henry Percy, nicknamed Hotspur, who the king compares unfavourably with his own son, the self-indulgent and riotous Prince Hal. The prince spends much of his time cavorting with a group of boon companions, the most notable of which is the dissipated and unscrupulous knight, Sir John Falstaff, who acts as something of a surrogate parent. At the end of the First Part, the revolt is suppressed; in the conflict, Prince Hal reveals his true character as a doughty defender of the realm. In the Second Part, the king's health progressively declines and Hal begins to assert his royal prerogative. Eventually, the king dies, and Hal, now having shed all his adolescent impertinence, ascends to the throne. Falstaff, in expectation of elevation to high office and new-found prosperity, publicly accosts the new king and is rudely rebuffed, together with his disreputable retinue. Audio edited by Denis Daly The text used for this performance was kindly provided by playshakespeare.com. Welsh dialogue and tune for Lady Mortimer's song in Henry IV Part One provided by Noni Lewis.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/8wt7i Moral Essays Or Epistles to Several Persons By Alexander Pope Edited by W. C. Armstrong Narrated by Denis Daly These four poems, which deal with ethical issues, were collated and published in 1751 by William Warburton, seven years after Pope's death.The poems were inspired by Pope's admiration for Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke, a philosopher and Tory politician. Also included in this recording is Pope's Epistle to Mr (Joseph) Addison. Contents Advertisement Epistle 1 - to Sir Richard Temple, Lord Cobham (1734) Epistle 2 - to a Lady (Martha Blount) (1735) Epistle 3 - to Allen, Lord Bathurst (1733) Epistle 4 - to Richard Boyle, Earl of Burlington (1731) Epistle to Mr Addison (1720)

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/q0xhy The Church and the People By Joseph McCabe Narrated by Oberon Michaels As socialism became an increasingly powerful movement in the later nineteenth century, the Catholic Church sought to assure workers that organized Christianity had always been their friend. One of the most notable documentary icons of the period was the papal encyclical Rerum Novarum, in which Leo XIII attempted to articulate a set of industrial principles that would counter the claims of socialism. Furthermore, the Catholic Church has consistently claimed to be a major player in the diminution and eventual abolition of slavery. In this book secular scholar and historian Joseph McCabe attacks these claims with his heaviest historical weapons. In a short and clear account of the development of the European worker since the days of Roman slavery, he sets out a savage indictment of Christianity and its industrial philosophy.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/m2jys Three Lives By Gertrude Stein Narrated by Martha H. Weller Three Lives was written in 1905/06 and published in 1909 at the author's expense. The work consists of three independent novellas: The Good Anna, Melanctha, and The Gentle Lena. Each of the titular characters lives in Bridgepoint, a fictional town based on Baltimore. The Good Anna explores the life of strong-willed Anna Federner, a woman of “solid lower middle-class south German stock.” The story follows the relationships Anna develops with the women in the households in which she works as a servant, and explores in particular the theme of bonding between women. Melanctha is an unconventional novella in which Stein explores what it is to seek meaning and fulfillment amidst the complexities and challenges of life. Melanctha, the daughter of a black father and a mixed-race mother, is unsatisfied with her life in segregated Bridgepoint. She launches into a passionate search for knowledge and power, within complicated cross-currents of race, sex and gender. The Gentle Lena recounts the life of Lena, who (like Anna in the first story) is an immigrant from Germany, now living in Bridgepoint. Lena is also a servant, but ends up marrying Herman Kreder, at the behest of the elders in their lives. In contrast to Anna Federner, who is willful and determined, Lena's life is marked by a consistent passivity, which Stein explores throughout the narrative. The three lives presented by Stein are compelling, and reflect the author's philosophical and literary values. Her use of repetition is particularly pronounced in both Melanctha and The Good Lena.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/di6bh Marked Personal By Anna Katharine Green Narrated by Rebecca Stern On the evening of July 13, 1863, two men, Samuel White from Washington and Lemuel Phillips from Buffalo, each received a mysterious letter marked 'personal', which he destroyed after reading. The letters are a summons to visit New York to attend to some unknown business. The two men, now living lives of privilege and respectability, are linked by a nefarious deed committed twelve years earlier when they were prospectors struggling to survive. Has the moment arrived when the heavy hand of retribution will finally fall upon them?

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/d8jab Echoes of the Divine And Other Steampunk Stories By Danielle Ackley-McPhail Narrated by Jennifer Fournier Welcome to a World of Invention. To a mermaid watching airships as she dreams of the sky… to an orphan girl caught between innovation and tradition… From a desperate Lady turning to science to search for the rightful heir… The Age of Steam is full of potential—and peril—for those with the vision to wonder what if? Includes the stories: “Looking Back” “To Reach for Distant Shores” “Windows to the Soul” “On the Wings of an Angel” “Echoes of the Divine” “Trouble on the Water” “Angel de la Muerte” “Ala al-Din and the Cave of Wonders”

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/ew8v3h The Lyrical Poems of Alexander Pope Narrated by Evan and Marie Blackmore Alexander Pope was the most influential and most admired writer of his time, famous for satirical and reflective poems such as The Rape of the Lock and the Essay on Man. His lyrical poems are tantalizingly few in number but predictably high in quality, with all the beauty of sound and incisiveness of sense familiar from his other works. Contents: 01-02: Ode on Solitude 03-04: Ode on St. Cecilia's Day 05-08: Two Choruses to Brutus 09-11: The Heathen and the Christian to their Souls 12-14: Messiah

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/wmx033 Poems by Robert Herrick By Robert Herrick Evan Blackmore - introduction Narrated by Evan Blackmore This collection contains 201 lively little poems by the most playful of English Golden Age writers, Robert Herrick. All his favorite pieces are here: Delight in Disorder, Corinna's Going A-Maying, To the Virgins to Make Much of Time, To Anthea Who May Command him Anything, To Daffodils, The Night-Piece to Julia, and many others.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/wtk33 The War Poems of Siegfried Sassoon Read by Denis Daly Unlike his more famous fellow war poets, Wilfred Owen and Rupert Brooke, Siegfried Sassoon survived the First World War. In this collection of 64 poems, first published in 1920, Sassoon portrays the dehumanizing horror of modern warfare with its staggering death toll, while also satirizing the jingoistic fervour of politicians and armchair strategists. Sassoon's own war service fell into two distinct periods. The first was marked by a number of heroic actions on the battlefield which earned him the Military Cross. However, after a period of convalescence in 1917, Sasson became a pacifist and refused to return to active duty. This change of attitude was diagnosed as a psychological disorder and he was posted to Ireland where he trained new recruits. By the end of the war he had been promoted to captain. For the rest of his long life he remained staunchly anti-war.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/kpyxx1 Collected Verse of Louis Esson Narrated by Denis Daly Esson's first collection of poems, Bells and Bees, was published in 1910; a second collection, Red Gums and Other Verses, in 1912. Although Esson published no further poetry collections, his verse continued to appear in magazines such as The Bulletin until the late 1920s. Included in his verse are not only bush ballads such as Whaling up the Lachlan, but also sombre meditations such as The Travail of Nature, monologues like Silenus to a Young Satyr, and thundering panegyrics like The Bazaar of Death. As a rule, Esson's poems are quite short and, despite occasional infelicities, display a tidy and skillful use of language.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/x96ab In the Days of the Comet By H. G. Wells Narrated by Gregory Dwyer At the time of a passing comet in the sky, while the world is at a turning point and the industrialization of Victorian England is affecting lives. Willie Leadford is a young man facing personal crises of life. A breakdown in his employment, social beliefs, and relationship initially turns him towards a trail of vengeance against those he holds responsible. And then “The Change” occurs.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/01uimz Chips and Splinters A Collection of Poems and Essays By E. S. Sorenson Narrated by Gregory Dwyer A delightful selection of entertaining poems, short essays, and written conversations involving the people of 20th century rural Australia and some of their working animals.This collection includes “When Dad Drives Home From Town,” “When the Sailor Rode the Brumby,” “The Old Barn School,” and many more.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/yuatd Benjamin Franklin By E. M. Tomkinson Narrated by Ron Altman Benjamin Franklin (1706 – 1790) is today best known as one of the founding fathers of the United States. However, he was a true polymath, active as an author, philosopher, social reformer, scientist, inventor, diplomat and businessman. Franklin was also a man of principle, who, as the author of this engaging biography states: “He was one of the few people who can make plenty of good maxims and follow them.”

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/eae3n8 The Secret of the Caves By Franklin W. Dixon Narrated by Gary D. MacFadden The Secret of the Caves is the seventh novel in The Hardy Boys mystery stories series. At their home in Bayport Frank and Joe and Fenton, receive a visitor who informs them that Professor Morgan Todd from Kenworthy College has disapperared. At the time Fenton is working on security for a coastal radar station, which is under construction. The boys visit the college and are informed that the professor is away in Europe. However, the boys become suspicious, and their investigations lead them to Honeycomb Caves in Rockaway, where they uncover a plot to disrupt the operation of the radar station.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/0wnr8 Sam the Sudden By P. G. Wodehouse Narrated by Graham Scott Exiled by his uncle to England, and a job with Lord Tilbury's Mammoth Publishing Company, spirited young American Sam Shotter resolves to pursue the girl of his dreams - who, unfortunately, he knows only from a single photograph, torn from a magazine and pinned by some unknown hand to the wall of a remote Canadian fishing cabin. A night of misadventures in London brings Sam to the very house - in the quiet suburb of Valley Fields - where the the girl lives; and Sam instantly moves into the vacant house next door. But unfortunately his stay there is not to be a peaceful one...

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://n9.cl/4zle6 The World Set Free By H. G. Wells Narrated by Roberta Jackson Of this book, H. G. Wells wrote:“The World Set Free was written in 1913 and published early in 1914. It is the latest of a series of three fantasias of possibility, stories which all turn on the possible developments in the future of some contemporary force or group of forces. The World Set Free was written under the immediate shadow of the Great War. Every intelligent person in the world felt that disaster was impending and knew no way of averting it, but few of us realised in the earlier half of 1914 how near the crash was to us… ”The thesis of this story is that “because of the development of scientific knowledge, separate sovereign states and separate sovereign empires are no longer possible in the world. To attempt to keep on with the old system is to heap disaster upon disaster for [hu]mankind and perhaps to destroy our race altogether. The remaining interest of this book now is the sustained validity of this thesis and the discussion of the possible ending of war on the earth.” This title is part of the Voices of Today's H. G. Wells novel collection, produced by Susan Iannucci.

The complete audiobook is available for purchase at Audible.com: https://www.audible.com/pd/Sanditon-Audiobook/B0DLQ29PGY Sanditon Fragment of a Novel By Jane Austen Narrated by Catherine Bilson, Sarah Jane Rose, Graham Scott, Linda Barrans and Denis Daly n January 1817 Jane Austen commenced work on a new novel, to which she never assigned a name. By mid-March, she had completed twelve chapters, at which time she ceased working due to illness. The unfinished work was eventually published in 1925 under its working title: Fragment of a Novel Written by Jane Austen, January–March 1817. It has since become known simply as Sanditon, and a number of completions by other authors have since been published. The novel opens with Mr. and Mrs. Parker's visit to Sanditon, a village on the coast of Sussex. Sanditon is being developed into a bathing-place under the patronage of the two principal proprietors of the parish, Mr. Parker and Lady Denham. Mr. Parker suffers an injury and receives assistance from a local farmer, Mr. Heywood. The latter's daughter, Charlotte, is of marriageable age and has three eligible suitors: Lady Denham's foppish son, Sir Edward; Mr. Parker's devil-may care brother, Sydney; and Arthur, who is an unemployed hypochondriac. Sir Edward, however, is more interested in wooing his rich and rather bashful cousin, Clara. After settling in, Mr. and Mrs. Parker receive an unexpected visit from Arthur and his valetudinarian sisters, Susan and Diana. Shortly afterwards, Sydney also appears. Lady Denham is very keen to find a suitable match for Sir Edward, and accordingly seeks an introduction to a Miss Lambe, a wealthy young heiress from the West Indies who is to take lodgings at Sanditon. Meanwhile, Charlotte finds herself attracted to the witty and debonair Sydney. The narrative ceases at this point, with little indication about the final results of the various romantic encounters. However, it appears clear that Charlotte is intended to be the heroine of the story.