Showing results by narrator "Jim Hodges" in All Categories

Originally published in Harper's Magazine in 1895 as chapters attributed to the fictitious author Sieur Louis de Conte, Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc is what American novelist and humorist Mark Twain considered to be his greatest work.

King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table have come to represent the never-ending struggle between right and wrong. Many of us know of King Arthur, Sir Lancelot, and Queen Guinevere, but are you familiar with the other characters surrounding Camelot and the Round Table? What was the significance of the Lady of the Lake, Merlin the Magician, Sir Mordred, and Morgana Le Fay?

In the Heart of the Rockies is packed with adventure! In 1860, 16-year-old Tom Wade leaves England for the American Far West to find his uncle and to improve his family fortunes. Arriving at the small western outpost of Denver to mine for gold, he soon encounters Native American warriors, takes part in big-game hunts, and learns how to survive a frigid mountain winter with nothing but resourcefulness and perseverance.

Australia in the 1830s was a wild place. Reuben Whitney, escaping an inaccurate perception of him in England, enjoys an adventurous passage aboard the Paramatta, and sails "down under." Joining the police force, he makes his mark in conflicts with the Aborigines and Bushrangers. Finally, he saves the life of a squire's daughter who has emigrated to Australia following her father's financial ruin. This story is filled with adventure, close calls, and historical information about the early days of Australia!

Bring history back to life through Jim Hodges' historically accurate, exciting, and edifying audio recordings. The conquest of the Aztec Empire by Hernando Cortez and a mere handful of Spaniards is one of the greatest romances of history. A writer of fiction would scarcely have dared to invent so improbable a story, but it is true. Fortunately Cortez was able to ally himself with many peoples conquered by the Aztecs who were all too happy to assist in their downfall.

Mr. Henty weaves a story of the life and times of King Richard the Lion-hearted that is yet to be equaled. Cuthbert de Lance, the hero of the story, is of Norman blood on his father's side and Saxon by his mother. By providing timely aid to the Earl of Evesham, Cuthbert is rewarded by being allowed to go to the Crusade as his page. He gains a reputation for valor and prowess due to gallant deeds, and his resourcefulness not only helps King Richard but aids Cuthbert in many a 'hairbreadth escape'.

Out on the Pampas was the exciting story overheard by a friend who encouraged Mr. Henty to have it published, launching his amazing career as "The Boys' Own Historian." In the mid-1800s, the Hardy family relocates to Argentina, joining other British settlers trying to start a better life for themselves in a new land. They face many obstacles and perils in this rugged lifestyle: surveying, building, planting, raising animals, and fighting off attacks from the natives.

The story is laid in Yorkshire in 1812, when the introduction of machinery and high price of food induced by the Napoleonic Wars, drove the working classes to desperation, and caused them to band themselves in that widespread organization known as the Luddite Society. There is an abundance of adventure in the tale, but its chief interest lies in the character of the hero, and the manner in which he is put on trial for his life, but at last comes victorious “through the fray.”

It's the time of the English Civil War in 1642. Harry Furness is a Cavalier fighting for the king; his friend, Herbert Rippinghall, sides with the Roundheads in opposition. Oliver Cromwell leads the rebels aligned against the king and his admittedly tyrannical rule, but ends up imposing his own! Most of the story follows Harry Furness and the campaigns which take him all over the British Isles and the high seas, right through his capture at Drogheda and enslavement in Bermuda.

In this, the Henty novel covering the oldest time period of any, listeners will learn much about the domestic life, customs, religion, and military system of ancient Egypt. Amuba, a prince of the Rebu nation on the shores of the Caspian Sea, with his charioteer Jethro, is carried into slavery after losing a battle with the Egyptians. They become servants of the house of Ameres, an Egyptian high priest, and are quite happy there until the priest's son accidentally kills the sacred cat of Bubastes.

In 1812 Napoleon invaded Russia. Two brothers, diligent Frank and carefree Julian, end up on different sides of the conflict! Napoleon’s army of 500,000 defeat the Russians at Smolensk and Borodino, but wait too long after entering a deserted Moscow for Russia’s capitulation, which never comes. Retreat is the only option and a mere fifth of the army survive. Frank and Julian meet in Moscow under unexpected circumstances; one as the aid-de-camp to Sir Robert Wilson, the other having rescued the child of a Russian nobleman.

In this unabridged recording of the third original 1927 edition of the Hardy Boys Detective story The Secret of the Old Mill, brothers Frank and Joe Hardy exchange some one-dollar bills for a five-dollar bill with a stranger at the train station. Later, when they try to use the bill to buy some pie plates, they are told the five is a counterfeit! Frank’s girlfriend, Callie Shaw’s cousin Pollie, accepts a counterfeit fifty from a customer, and the Hardy Boys’ mother does the same when selling an old carpet!

G.A. Henty novels are highly researched as well as drawn from his first-hand experiences of people, places, and events. From 1579 through 1585, the heroic Dutch Protestants fight for freedom from Catholic Spanish rule. Few know of the persistent efforts of the Prince of Orange, known as William the Silent, or the huge obstacles he faced as the leader of the Dutch. Through the eyes of Ned Martin you will be taken back to these turbulent and troubled times.

Frederick Douglass was born in slavery in Talbot County, Maryland. During service to masters cruel and kind, he nevertheless learned to read and write. After suffering whippings, hunger, heat, cold, and grueling labor, he escaped from slavery in 1838. In 1841 he addressed an Anti-Slavery Society convention and spoke so eloquently that they immediately employed him as an agent. He was such an impressive orator, numerous persons doubted if he had ever been a slave.

Treasure maps! Pirates! Double crossings and ships at sea! Treasure Island, the adventure novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, is the swashbuckling tale of "buccaneers and buried gold", universally known for its atmosphere, characters, and action, mostly focused on the quintessential pirate, the unforgettable Long John Silver. You will love this story!

Beric, a boy chief of a British tribe, takes a prominent part in the insurrection against Rome under Queen Boadicea. These efforts are useless against the mighty Roman army. For a short time, Beric and his companions continue the fight but are ultimately defeated and taken as prisoners to Rome. Through the eyes of Beric, the listener learns of life in AD 61 Rome, the gladiatorial schools, the great fire, and life in Nero's court.

Facing Death - A Tale of the Coal Mines is a story with a purpose. It is intended to show that a lad who makes up his mind firmly and resolutely will rise in life, and he who is prepared to face toil and ridicule and hardship to carry out his determination, is sure to succeed. The hero of the story is a typical British boy; dogged, earnest, generous, and though “shame-faced” to a degree, is ready to face death in the discharge of duty. This hero, an orphan named Jack Simpson, at the age of about 10, begins work in the coal mines.

By the time Curly Roddy was 12 years old, he’d already survived six years as a homeless orphan on the cruel streets of London in the 1870s. He had perfected his skills at snatching purses and picking pockets. But when Curly overheard that a church was raising £3,000 for an orphan house, the church’s treasure should easily be taken. But the highway robbery brings Curly more trouble than he had bargained for. Will George Müller, the man in charge of the orphanage, make Curly into a slave to earn back at least a portion of the money? Or might they do something even worse?

The 1660s were a time of turmoil in England: Cromwell had been defeated and Charles II, who was sympathetic to the Catholics, was restored to the throne; the Dutch declared war on England; the Plague raged; and the Great Fire of London destroyed half the city! Our hero, Cyril, at the death of his father Sir Aubrey Shenstone, inherits nothing except his father's title, and works as a bookkeeper for various London tradesmen.

Frank and Joe Hardy, sons of the world famous detective Fenton Hardy, tackle their first case as budding detectives themselves. Although still in High School, the boys experience exciting chases, hold ups, robberies, clues, and false accusations; they winnow through mounds of evidence and conflicting stories, get some assistance from their famous father, and search and climb till they find the answer to the mystery of The Tower Treasure!