Try free for 30 days
-
Operation Mockingbird
- The Controversial History of the CIA’s Efforts to Manipulate American Media Outlets
- Narrated by: Colin Fluxman
- Length: 1 hr and 51 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from Wish List failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $9.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also picked
-
The Rosicrucians
- The History of One of the World's Most Notorious Secret Societies
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Jim D Johnston
- Length: 1 hr and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
To many, the quest to obtain the secrets and truths of the universe is one nearly impossible to complete. More importantly, this broad topic comes with an unending assortment of answers. For some, the secret to life is success. To others, it is conquering one's innermost fears. While there are those who simply do not care enough to venture an answer, there are also those who believe they, and they alone, knew the real meaning behind life.
-
The New York City Blackout of 1977
- The History of the Power Failure that Led to Looting and Arson Across the Big Apple
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Colin Fluxman
- Length: 1 hr and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What happens when the awesome - and occasionally awful - power of nature snatches light away from those who depend on it to feel safe? This question was answered in a most dismaying way in July 1977 when New York City was plunged into darkness for over 24 hours following a thunderstorm. New Yorkers across the city quickly learned that without the light, they could fall prey to looting and violence of just about every kind imaginable.
-
The Boer War
- A Captivating Guide to Its Causes, Battles, and Legacy in South Africa (African History)
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Colin Fluxman
- Length: 3 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This riveting narrative unfolds a tumultuous chapter in history where ambition, resilience, and tragedy collide on the sun-scorched plains of South Africa. Embark on a journey through time where the indomitable spirit of the Boer farmers clashed with the might of the British Empire, driven by dreams of expansion and the glittering allure of gold and diamonds.
-
The Siege of Masada
- A Historical Drama of the Famous Battle Between the Jews and Romans
- By: Kosta Kafarakis
- Narrated by: Scott Clem
- Length: 1 hr and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What made Masada qualitatively different from most of the battles Rome fought was not just the difficulty the Legions had in retaking control of it with incredibly disproportionate military equipment and numbers, but also the actions of the Judean defenders. In the final hours of the battle, just as the Romans were about to breach the walls of the city, the defenders gathered together and committed mass suicide, rather than being killed or taken captive by the Romans.
-
Harlem Renaissance
- A History from Beginning to End
- By: Hourly History
- Narrated by: Matthew J. Chandler-Smith
- Length: 1 hr and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the American Civil War finally drew to an end in 1865, victory for the North seemed to herald a new beginning for African Americans. Emancipation for thousands of former slaves appeared, for the first time, to offer people the chance of full and equal participation in American society. That dream didn't last for long, particularly in the Southern states where new Jim Crow laws prevented African Americans from exercising fundamental rights, including the right to vote.
-
The Boxer Rebellion: The History and Legacy of the Anti-Imperialist Uprising in China at the End of the 19th Century
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Bill Hare
- Length: 1 hr and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 19th century saw the rise of one of the largest, most powerful empires of the modern era. The sun never set on the British Empire, whose holdings spanned the globe, in one form or another. Its naval supremacy linked the Commonwealth of Canada with the colonies in South Africa and India, and through them trade flowed east and west. An integral but underutilized part of this vast trade network included China, a reclusive Asian kingdom closed off from the Western world that desired none of its goods.
-
The Rosicrucians
- The History of One of the World's Most Notorious Secret Societies
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Jim D Johnston
- Length: 1 hr and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
To many, the quest to obtain the secrets and truths of the universe is one nearly impossible to complete. More importantly, this broad topic comes with an unending assortment of answers. For some, the secret to life is success. To others, it is conquering one's innermost fears. While there are those who simply do not care enough to venture an answer, there are also those who believe they, and they alone, knew the real meaning behind life.
-
The New York City Blackout of 1977
- The History of the Power Failure that Led to Looting and Arson Across the Big Apple
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Colin Fluxman
- Length: 1 hr and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What happens when the awesome - and occasionally awful - power of nature snatches light away from those who depend on it to feel safe? This question was answered in a most dismaying way in July 1977 when New York City was plunged into darkness for over 24 hours following a thunderstorm. New Yorkers across the city quickly learned that without the light, they could fall prey to looting and violence of just about every kind imaginable.
-
The Boer War
- A Captivating Guide to Its Causes, Battles, and Legacy in South Africa (African History)
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Colin Fluxman
- Length: 3 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This riveting narrative unfolds a tumultuous chapter in history where ambition, resilience, and tragedy collide on the sun-scorched plains of South Africa. Embark on a journey through time where the indomitable spirit of the Boer farmers clashed with the might of the British Empire, driven by dreams of expansion and the glittering allure of gold and diamonds.
-
The Siege of Masada
- A Historical Drama of the Famous Battle Between the Jews and Romans
- By: Kosta Kafarakis
- Narrated by: Scott Clem
- Length: 1 hr and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What made Masada qualitatively different from most of the battles Rome fought was not just the difficulty the Legions had in retaking control of it with incredibly disproportionate military equipment and numbers, but also the actions of the Judean defenders. In the final hours of the battle, just as the Romans were about to breach the walls of the city, the defenders gathered together and committed mass suicide, rather than being killed or taken captive by the Romans.
-
Harlem Renaissance
- A History from Beginning to End
- By: Hourly History
- Narrated by: Matthew J. Chandler-Smith
- Length: 1 hr and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the American Civil War finally drew to an end in 1865, victory for the North seemed to herald a new beginning for African Americans. Emancipation for thousands of former slaves appeared, for the first time, to offer people the chance of full and equal participation in American society. That dream didn't last for long, particularly in the Southern states where new Jim Crow laws prevented African Americans from exercising fundamental rights, including the right to vote.
-
The Boxer Rebellion: The History and Legacy of the Anti-Imperialist Uprising in China at the End of the 19th Century
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Bill Hare
- Length: 1 hr and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 19th century saw the rise of one of the largest, most powerful empires of the modern era. The sun never set on the British Empire, whose holdings spanned the globe, in one form or another. Its naval supremacy linked the Commonwealth of Canada with the colonies in South Africa and India, and through them trade flowed east and west. An integral but underutilized part of this vast trade network included China, a reclusive Asian kingdom closed off from the Western world that desired none of its goods.
-
The Clovis Culture
- The History and Legacy of the Prehistoric Paleoamericans
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Steve Knupp
- Length: 1 hr and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In popular media and culture, the Paleolithic era is often depicted as a time when humans were completely savage, spoke with little more than grunts, hit women over their heads with clubs and kidnapped them, and of course, everyone lived in caves. The reality is that the Paleolithic era was a time of great change when humans coalesced into groups and developed different technologies that helped them survive and ultimately thrive in harsh environments.
-
The Great Upheaval
- America and the Birth of the Modern World, 1788-1800
- By: Jay Winik
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 31 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is an era that redefined history. As the 1790s began, a fragile America teetered on the brink of oblivion, Russia towered as a vast imperial power, and France plunged into revolution. But in contrast to the way conventional histories tell it, none of these remarkable events occurred in isolation.
-
Six-Day War: A History from Beginning to End
- Palestine Israeli Conflict
- By: Hourly History
- Narrated by: Matthew J. Chandler-Smith
- Length: 1 hr and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The State of Israel was founded in conflict, and in the first ten years of its existence, it was involved in two major wars with its Arab neighbors. The First Arab-Israeli War began almost the moment that the new state was announced in May 1948. Although it barely had time to create armed forces, somehow Israel survived a simultaneous invasion by armies from four Arab states during that conflict. In 1956, Israel found itself at war again, this time fighting alongside Britain and France, who had launched an invasion of Egypt after fears that the Suez Canal might be closed.
-
The Sikh Wars: A Captivating Guide to the Origins, Battles, and Legacy of the 19th-Century Anglo-Sikh Conflicts
- Exploring India’s Past
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Jason Zenobia
- Length: 3 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this audiobook, the astonishing chronicle of the Sikh Empire unfolds, revealing a story of valor, resilience, and the fierce clash of empires. This audiobook is a portal to a bygone era, where the Sikh Army, hailed as the most formidable Indian force the British ever encountered, carved a 200,000-square-mile empire in the heart of the Punjab.
-
The Essential Natural Law
- Essential Scholars
- By: Samuel Gregg
- Narrated by: Charity Spencer
- Length: 2 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Few ideas have been as influential in the development of moral, political, legal, and economic thought in the broad Western tradition as the idea of natural law. It is also true that the understanding of natural law and its influence on specific norms and institutions—rights, justice, private property, rule of law, limited government—is not anywhere near as widespread in the 21st century as it was just 100 years ago.
-
History of the Sikhs
- A Captivating Guide to the Origins of Sikhism in India, the Sikh Empire, Colonialism, and Modern Times (Exploring India’s Past)
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Jason Zenobia
- Length: 3 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Embark on an enlightening journey and explore the resilient spirit and profound legacy of the Sikhs. Through engaging storytelling and detailed analysis, this work offers a comprehensive look into the remarkable history of Sikhism, from its origins in the fertile lands of India to its spread across the globe.
-
The Three Kingdoms of Ancient China
- The History and Legacy of the Reunification of China After the Han Dynasty
- By: Charles River Editors, Jin Fang
- Narrated by: Jim D Johnston
- Length: 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the most turbulent and romanticized eras in ancient Chinese history is that of the three kingdoms period. During the third century AD in China, warlords battled for supremacy. This turbulent and bloody era is known as the three kingdoms period. It's also one of the most romanticized eras in Chinese history; heroes and villains like Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Zhuge Liang have served has inspiration for poetry, novels, opera, and song in China.
-
The Conquest of the Americas: A Captivating Guide to the Discovery of the New World, European Colonization, and Indigenous Resistance
- European Exploration and Settlement
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Jay Herbert
- Length: 3 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dive into a riveting exploration of one of history's most astonishing chapters – the audacious conquest of the Americas by a handful of daring conquistadors. This book peels back the layers of history to reveal a story far more complex and gripping than the simplistic tale of firepower overcoming sheer numbers.
-
Western and Eastern Civilizations
- A Captivating Guide to the Pivotal Moments and Enduring Traditions of Philosophy, Religion, and Governance (Empires in History)
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Jay Herbert
- Length: 6 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Embark on a Captivating Journey through the Epochs of Human History.
-
Napoleon’s Escape from the Middle East
- The History of the French General’s Flight from the Levant and Egypt
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: KC Wayman
- Length: 1 hr and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1798, an initial review of France’s naval forces had led Napoleon to conclude his navy could not hope to outfight the power of the Royal Navy, which had been the dominant naval power for centuries, so he was forced to look elsewhere. After months of planning, Napoleon crafted a scheme to attack and conquer Egypt, denying the British easy access to their colonies in India, with the ultimate goal of linking up with the Sultan Tipoo in India itself and defeating the British in the field there. Napoleon sailed with Admiral Brueys and 30,000 troops that June, heading for Egypt.
-
Alaska Natives
- A Captivating Guide to the History of the Indigenous Peoples of Alaska
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Colin Fluxman
- Length: 3 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alaska Natives is not merely a collection of facts and dates; it's a captivating narrative that explores the Alaska Native cultures and their journey into the modern era. Discover the pathways on the Bering Land Bridge, share in the contemporary celebrations that honor their heritage, and witness the continuity of traditions that are intertwined with tales of resilience, artistry, and their incredible connection with the land.
-
Napoleon’s Escape from Elba
- The History of the French Emperor’s Return from Exile and the Road to Waterloo
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: KC Wayman
- Length: 1 hr and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Though Napoleon’s unquenchable thirst for military adventurism eventually cost him both his throne and his freedom during the Napoleonic Wars of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the French emperor was not easily defeated even when most of Europe's nations united against him. In 1812, Napoleon's Russian adventure gutted his veteran army, depriving him of the majority of his finest and most loyal soldiers. Those who remained formed the hard core of his new armies, but the Russian fiasco damaged their health and embittered their previously unquestioning loyalty.
Publisher's Summary
Freedom of the press isn’t just a fundamental right in America but a key part of the democratic process. When the United States secured its independence against Britain in the War of Independence in 1783, there was no certainty about what the new country would look like in terms of national governance. In 1787, delegates from the various states convened in Philadelphia to draft a constitution that would define this.
The process involved some fundamental challenges: the new federal government had to be strong enough to act effectively at a national level but not so strong that the rights of states and individual citizens would be subsumed. After a great deal of debate, a solution was agreed upon. The House of Representatives would represent all of the people of the United States, while the Senate would represent the interest of individual states. The president would be elected by the Electoral College.
This constitution was adopted in September 1887 and ratified by all states by 1890. However, it contained an important proviso: the Constitution would be subject to amendment through a complex and lengthy process. For many people in the US, especially those suspicious of the power of the new federal government, this was vital. Just two years after the new constitution was adopted, a new Bill of Rights was raised that suggested a total of 12 amendments. The First Amendment (and to many people, one of the most important) forbade Congress from passing laws that related to religion, but also from “abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.”
Freedom of the press became one of the core principles of democracy in the United States. People could only place their votes in an informed way if the press was free to provide information about politicians and their actions. Politicians must also know that their actions were accountable through a press that informed voters honestly and accurately.
Up to the 1960s, most Americans were confident they had access to a truly free press, but then series of revelations emerged that suggested the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had been subverting journalists in the US and elsewhere through the use of bribery, blackmail, and covert operations. By the late 1970s, this alleged CIA plan had a name: Operation Mockingbird.
Many people were understandably horrified at the notion that the federal government had attempted to operate counter to the First Amendment through one of its intelligence agencies, and Operation Mockingbird was widely discussed. These debates continue to the present day, including whether there actually was a covert CIA operation named Mockingbird, whether the operation truly sought to subvert the press in the US and elsewhere, and whether the operation really ended by 1976, as the CIA claimed. As such, nearly 50 years later, Operation Mockingbird remains a controversial topic.