Showing results by narrator "Larry G. Jones" in All Categories

A master of wit and wry humor on the page, Mark Twain also gained acclaim as a speaker throughout his literary career. Twain delivered this address on theoretical morality vs. practical morality to the New Vagabonds Club of London. With his signature tongue-in-cheek humor, he tells the audience that the only way to learn practical morality is by committing immoral acts in order to “vaccinate” oneself against committing them in the future. Presented with anecdotes from his childhood, this Twain speech masterfully walks the line between light-hearted humor and biting truth.

Sitting Bull lives on in legacy as a Native American chief who fought against white oppression. When the US government broke land treaties to seek gold in the Black Hills, Sitting Bull took a stand against the desecration of this sacred land. He led his people, the Hunkpapa Lakota, through a period of resistance amidst crisis. He persisted through the end of the Great Sioux Wars, famously facing off against George Armstrong Custer in the 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn. Though shot and killed in 1890, Sitting Bull's immortal spirit of resistance continues to inspire.

With a name like Ivan the Terrible, it comes as no surprise that historians consider this Russian Tsar a psychopath. Yet Ivan’s personality consisted of many dualities. He channeled the Medieval era as he committed mass murder, but he also reformed Russia, centralizing it and bringing it into the Renaissance. He liked to torture animals, but he could also be found in church, banging his head in repentance until it bled. This introduction to his life explores the legacy he was born into and deftly contextualizes his cruelty within the era and culture of his rule.

Jesse James grew up in Clay County, Missouri, a place where north and south conflicted over the issue of slavery. Tensions grew in the lead-up to the Civil War, and James’ Southern loyalties meant he had to make a decision. When war broke out, Jesse and his brother Frank joined the Confederate guerrillas known as “bushwhackers” alongside other notorious characters like “Bloody Bill”. By the age of 17, Jesse had escaped death twice and gained a reputation as a ruthless killer.

Long before historians added "the Great" to his name, Alexander stated, "I would rather live a short life of glory than a long one of obscurity." He certainly lived up to this ambition, conquering most of the known world in just 13 years before his death at age 33. Though undefeated in his lifetime, Alexander died unsatisfied - he always wanted more. His ambitious personality comes as no surprise considering his upbringing: born to powerful parents, he studied under Aristotle and grew up believing himself a descendant of the Greek heroes Achilles and Heracles.

After 20 years in public service, George Washington turned down a third term as president with this memorable farewell address. In it, he implores the American public to be united above all else, putting aside fervor for their political parties and state lines. He also warns against forming long-term partnerships with foreign nations. Originally this was a 32-page document that was read and distributed widely throughout America after its initial publication, and it deserves the same avid listenership today.

Edgar Allan Poe is a master of short horror stories, and “The Cask of Amontillado” is among his finest. This woeful tale comes from a mysterious narrator seeking revenge against an acquaintance, the ironically ill-fortuned Fortunato. The narrator lures him into his family’s crypt with the promise of fine Amontillado wine, but though two go down only one returns. The ending lines will leave readers with a chill running down their spine and a thirst for more Poe.

When a Cherokee Sal dies giving birth to her son in a prospecting camp, the gold miners adopt him as their own. They name him Thomas Luck, as he seems to indicate a change in fortune for the camp. The miners start to turn their lives around in order to be a better example to the shining boy. But just as their ship seems to have come in, disaster hits, and it soon goes out again in this gripping yet tragic work of historical fiction.

Jim Bridger was a famous frontiersman in the Rockies whose legacy extended beyond the wilderness he explored. The legends of his life inspired countless Western stories, this one included.

Jim Bridger was a legendary frontiersman of the Western United States c. 1820-1850. In addition to being a skilled outdoorsman, he was also an expert mediator. Bridger helped negotiate relations among native tribes and the white men who were intruding on their land. This book aims to preserve the extraordinary legacy of this humble man who certainly earned his reputation as “The Grand Old Man of the Rockies”.

Billy the Kid was a real-life outlaw, a cattle rustler in the Southwest who was wanted - dead or alive. One fateful night in 1881, he was shot and killed in a darkened room by nemesis Sheriff Pat Garrett. With this account, the sheriff aimed to set the record straight about his final showdown with the Kid. Since its publication, The Authentic Life of Billy, the Kid has served as a primary source on this legendary outlaw’s life for historians and storytellers alike.

"An Account of An Extraordinary Fireball Bursting at Sea" is a short, first hand account of a phenomenal event that occured in 1749. Aboard his ship Montague, the author witnessed a blue fireball on the Mediterranean Sea. Some believe it to be a first hand account of a UFO.

Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms is an important document in the history of the United States. In it, the Second Continental Congress explained why the Colonies had taken up arms against Britain.

In 1877, the US government ordered the Nez Perce Indians to leave their tribal lands in the Pacific Northwest for a reservation in Idaho. Though this mandate violated previous treaty agreements, the army forced the Indians to flee. Led by Chief Joseph, they trekked over 1,000 miles while being pursued by the army. Charles Erskine Scott Wood was present at the end of this fateful trek and recorded the history of the Nez Perce war, its conclusion, and Chief Joseph’s memorable surrender.

Mark Twain wrote this essay when asked to share something with America’s youth. Though he begins in a serious tone, his advice quickly takes a turn for the satirical: “Always obey your parents, when they are present. This is the best policy in the long run, because if you don’t, they will make you.” In a similar tone, he goes on to address the matters of respecting one’s elders, rising early, lying, handling firearms, and reading books. This essay is a great example of Twain’s infamous satirical wit and an easy entry point for anyone interested in the writer’s nonfiction.

Mark Twain was commissioned to deliver this speech before the virgin voyage of the St. Paul steamship. On the day of its scheduled departure from Philadelphia to England, however, it could not be moved. Had Twain delivered it, this is among the charming witticisms he would have shared: “I have gone over the same road so many times now that I know all the whales that belong along the route, and latterly it is an embarrassment to me to meet them, for they do not look glad to see me, but annoyed, and they seem to say: ‘Here is this old derelict again.’”

With this biting speech, Mark Twain dissects the damaging role newspapers can play in society. He argues that America’s public opinion is formed “by a horde of ignorant, self-complacent simpletons who failed at ditching and shoemaking and fetched up in journalism on their way to the poorhouse.” Twain accompanies these criticisms with personal anecdotes and tales of libel both humorous and disheartening. He concludes by saying that there are virtues to newspapers, but such remarks would not have made for such an interesting speech.

Mark Twain delivered this speech after following a toast made to “the ladies.” In it, he praises women for their contributions both large and small to history and society. “Take any type of woman”, he says, “and you shall find in it something to respect, something to admire, something to love.” From Joan of Arc to Florence Nightingale to his own mother, Twain sings the praises of incredible women everywhere.

Mark Twain delivered this speech at the dedication of new buildings at the College of the City of New York. The mayor who preceded him mentioned that good citizenship should take precedence even over education. Twain uses this introduction to transition into a funny discussion of the motto “In God we trust” being stamped into US coins and how this relates to principles of citizenship.

Mark Twain gave this speech at an event honoring Andrew Carnegie, who helped found the Simplified Spelling Board. Twain mentions how uncomfortable it is to only receive compliments when one is the guest of honor, so he critiques Carnegie’s “pestiferous” ideas about spelling reform. In doing so, he provides his own suggestions for fixing “this present silly alphabet, which I fancy was invented by a drunken thief.” This speech is a fine example of the brazen humor that made Twain himself famous.