Showing results by publisher "Audible Studios" in Historical

Best-selling author and screenwriter Alistair MacLean follows Lawrence as he breaks with tradition to live with Arabs and, using modern-day guerrilla tactics, helps them defeat the Turks and gain an independent state. In addition to the enthralling details of the campaign, MacLean provides valuable insight into the origins of the Middle East we know today.

Although less well known than his famous flight over the North Pole, Admiral Richard E. Byrd's adventures in Antarctica are just as remarkable. Wide-eyed youngsters will feel the excitement and danger as they learn about the isolated and tight little manned station where Byrd lived, separated from his crew; the temperatures that plunged to 60 degrees below zero; and Byrd's brush with death when a small stove he needed to keep warm - and stay alive - filled the air with carbon monoxide.

"First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen" - and first in the minds of schoolchildren, who learn about George Washington as soon as they begin studying American history. From Washington's Virginia childhood, through his days as a soldier and general, to his inauguration as the first President of the brand-new United States, and into retirement, this biography captures the full breadth and achievements of his life.

At least as far back as the ancient myth of Icarus, humans longed to fly - but it wasn't until December 17, 1903, on the windy dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, that the dream finally came true. And it was all thanks to Orville and Wilbur Wright, two former bicycle mechanics who built their first toy plane - a rubber-band powered rotary - when they were just children.

Dmitri Mendeleyev gave science one of its most important discoveries when he published his periodic table of elements. The periodic table has determined much in the way of science in the past and will continue to do so in the future. The scientist behind the table came from the barren wasteland of Siberia in 19th-century Russia and rose to world acclaim for his work in chemistry.

Like all A-Z books, this one illustrates the alphabet - but instead of "A is for apple", A is for Angela - as in Angela Davis, the iconic political activist. B is for Billie Jean King, who shattered the glass ceiling of sports; C is for Carol Burnett, who defied assumptions about women in comedy; D is for Dolores Huerta, who organized farmworkers; and E is for Ella Baker, who mentored Dr. Martin Luther King and helped shape the civil rights movement.

What do libraries, streetlights, and fire stations have in common? What about bifocal lenses and the odometer? Sayings like "haste makes waste?" Benjamin Franklin was a man of many talents: a scientist who experimented with electricity; a diplomat who served as envoy to France and negotiated peace with England; a mapmaker, printer, and writer famous for his Poor Richard's Almanack.

"Honest Abe", "The Great Emancipator", "The Martyr": Abraham Lincoln was perhaps America's greatest president. He is also deeply beloved by many, who are inspired by Lincoln's unwavering sense of justice and willingness to fight for his beliefs.

Young listeners will marvel at Lincoln's path to greatness, from his humble beginnings as a poor Illinois rail splitter up through his election as America's 16th president, and into the dark days of the Civil War - leading to his tragic assassination.

Focusing particularly on George Washington's youth, Sterling North fully captures the spirit of the man as he examines his childhood in colonial Virginia, his early experiences as a member of the militia, and his many other adventures leading up to the Revolutionary War. The fully rounded person who emerges from this captivating portrait is uncomfortable with words, shy with women, totally at home in the outdoors, and deeply in love with the country he helped found.

Are you ready to listen about daring deeds and world-changing events? Meet the American Trailblazers, diverse historical and modern figures who accomplished incredible things. History books for kids age 9-12 should include a range of people and stories - here you'll learn about the greats in sports, civil rights, art, science, and more.

From the author of Ghosts in the Fog comes a story that will appeal to lovers of history, adventure, and dogs. Byrd & Igloo is the first narrative nonfiction audiobook to tell the daring adventures of legendary polar explorer and aviator Richard Byrd and his lovable dog explorer, Igloo. Byrd is known for being the first to fly a plane over the North and South Poles, while Igloo is famous for being the only dog to explore both the North and South Poles.

British-born Thomas Paine came to Philadelphia in 1774. He clearly heard the colonists' cries for liberty. They stirred his own political philosophy and ideals for freedom. He committed the powerful mixture to print with revolutionary pamphlets such as Common Sense. Paine helped set the stage for the Declaration of Independence and profoundly influenced the course of our nation's history and ideology.

Peter Stuyvesant: legends abound about the character, temperament, and wooden leg of the last director-general of New Amsterdam, fueled primarily by Washington Irving's satirical A History of New York. Krizner and Sita set the record straight here and address other misconceptions about the early days of the colony. Indeed, historical evidence does not support the legend of the 24-dollar purchase of Manhattan Island. Stuyvesant did, however, rule with an "iron fist", but he loved New Amsterdam.

From Washington's Virginia childhood, through his days as a soldier and general, to his inauguration as the first president of the brand-new United States, and into retirement, this biography captures the full breadth and achievements of his life. It covers both the personal and the private, reveals his views on everything from governmental power to the abolition of slavery, and separates fascinating truth from well-worn legend - including that infamous, but false, tale about chopping down the cherry tree.

Marion Blumenthal Lazan's unforgettable memoir recalls the devastating years that shaped her childhood. Following Hitler's rise to power, the Blumenthal family - father, mother, Marion, and her brother, Albert - were trapped in Nazi Germany. They managed eventually to get to Holland, but soon thereafter it was occupied by the Nazis. For the next six and a half years the Blumenthals were forced to live in refugee, transit, and prison camps that included Westerbork in Holland and the notorious Bergen-Belsen in Germany.

Beyond his on-stage magic, Houdini also made his mark as an airplane pioneer, movie star, and debunker of frauds. His renown extended from his childhood home in Appleton, Wisconsin to Europe to Sydney, Australia. Children will thrill as they read about his seemingly superhuman successes - including when Houdini, hanging by his ankles and wrapped in a straightjacket, managed to free himself in less than three minutes.

This audiobook mixes pirates, riches, and adventure with issues of slavery and the tumultuous politics of Elizabethan England to create a book that is as informative as it is colorful. Students will love reading about the explorer who began life as the son of a poor Devon farmer and became the first person to sail around the world.

From slave to freedom fighter: that was the long and hard journey taken by Frederick Douglass. Douglass was America's first great civil rights leader, and he threw off the physical, mental, and legal chains of slavery to become one of Americaï¿¿ï¿¿s greatest champions for human rights. It was said that his life was proof that once black people could read and write about their injustices, they would have the power to end slavery.

Nathan Hale was an American patriot and soldier. Educated at Yale, he volunteered for service in the Continental Army at the outbreak of the war for independence. He rose to the rank of captain, whereupon he volunteered for a mission to reconnoiter the British position on Long Island. He was captured by the British, quickly tried, and hanged. Before his hanging, he uttered the infamous last words, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."

Guided only by legendary stories and unfinished 15th-century maps, Henry Hudson set out to search for the sea route through what was thought to be a polar passage to Asia. An English navigator in search of the riches of the Orient for the Dutch East India Company, Hudson got more than he bargained for on what was to become his last voyage in 1610. Young people will enjoy this fascinating biography, complete with primary source quotations from Hudson's ship logs.