Showing results by narrator "John Michael" in All Categories

On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence announced that the 13 American colonies, then at war with Great Britain, regarded themselves as 13 newly independent sovereign states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. Instead they formed a new nation - the United States of America. Narrated by John W. Michaels, a must listen.

A father and son argue, the father strikes the son upon the face, and the son promises to kill the father. When the father disappears, the son goes to trial for murder, but how can there be a conviction when there was no body, and the father appeared several miles away.

Volume 16 of the Tom Swift series, finds our hero inventing the world's largest, and of course best, cannon for Uncle Sam, able to destroy a target at a distance of over 30 miles. Not only does Tom Swift engineer this large cannon, but he also invents the propellant. Take-charge type of guy that he is, generals and villains are no match for him, not to mention his faithful giant Koku who nearly single-handedly ties down the 30-ton loose cannon on the deck of a pitching warship.

"Parker Addison, Philosopher" is short story number nine from the collected works of Ambrose Bierce volume 2. Three men die as one of them philosophizes about his pending execution.

What does one do when issued an order by a superior that is contradictory to what one believes to be right? In this short fictional story from the American Civil War, the protagonist is faced with that very situation. When given an insulting and ridiculous order by his commanding general, he carries the order out. Then, when questioned by a subordinate, he passes it on to him in the same manner. Friendly fire in a fog is just as deadly as fire from the enemy.

Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is widely regarded as one of the significant works of English literature. Conrad takes us not only into the darkness of the early 20th century Congo, but also into the deeper darkness of the human psyche. John W Michaels' masterful narration of this work takes you into the troubled mind of a man tormented not only by the isolation of the tropical wilderness, but also man's inhumanity to man.

Book 4 of the Tom Swift series opens with our hero's father completing an amazing submarine loaded with high-tech gadgetry in his backyard and ready to enter it into a government competition. Tom, however, discovers through the newspaper that a vessel has sunk containing $300,000 in gold (which was a lot of money back in 1910 when this book was published). Tom and his friends decide to forgo the government prize of $50,000 to pursue the bigger one - encountering some new villains and despicable characters along the way.

Tom Swift and his Electric Runabout takes us back to gentler times when the bad guys weren't really that bad, didn't carry Uzis, and being an inventor like Thomas Edison was the dream of many young boys. In this book our hero creates an electric automobile with a top speed of over 100 mi./h, saves the bank, gives the bully two black eyes, wins the prize for the fastest automobile in a 500 mile race, only stopping once to recharge his batteries. Without a NASCAR pit crew, it only took Tom 25 min.

First Lieutenant George Thurston, the new guy, earns the respect of his fellows by his seeming disregard for his own life. When death takes an unfair advantage and strikes with an unfamiliar weapon, it is even more disquieting to those most familiar with it.

This is volume 6 of the Tom Swift series, Tom Swift and his Wireless Message where our hero, the young inventor, Tom Swift helps a fellow inventor get his airship the Whizzer off the ground. So far off the ground in fact that he and his fellow travelers are caught in a storm stranding them on an uninhabited tropical island fraught with earthquakes.

Tom Swift and His Motorcycle is Volume 2 of the original Tom Swift series. In this book, first published in 1910, our hero, the young inventor Tom Swift, buys a motorboat at auction that he "soups up", making it one of the fastest boats on Lake Charlupa. Meanwhile, the Happy Harry Gang has some sort of interest in the motorboat, with shady characters lurking about the Swift laboratories and the boat.

It's a special Un-Cabaret compilation of four deeply funny stories about the Christmas holiday. John Riggi tries desperately to create some kind of Christmas ritual with his family; Jenny Bicks wins an Emmy and discovers the limits of giving; Michael Patrick King unwraps an inspired piece about his Christmas secret; and Brent Forrester celebrates a spectacularly nightmarish New Year's Eve in Hawaii.

This beautiful book offers 17 of the best-loved fairy tales belonging to French, Danish, German, and Polish cultures. Written in beautiful and lively language, this new edition of timeless classics has been carefully adapted to meet the expectations and needs of today's younger readers. Indeed, small children will welcome it with keen interest, readily making it their favorite first book of fairy tales.

Volume 19 of the Tom Swift series, Tom Swift and his Big Tunnel finds our hero in Peru, South America, along with his friends, Koku the Giant and Mr. Damon blasting his way to the Andes Mountains using a new explosive developed by the young inventor. Of course there are plenty of thrills in this volume. What would you expect with an explosive more powerful than dynamite, and dealing with a new set of villains.

A deserted cabin deep in the woods. One door, one window. The window is boarded up. The former resident - a recluse - is deceased. Is there a story here? Estate liquidators make a living disposing of the personal effects of deceased persons. Typically these are elderly people who may have lived alone, and were considered a bit strange because of their aloofness. But as the liquidator goes through the effects of the deceased, they occasionally find a story. Here, Ambrose Bierce explorers some possibilities.

Another excellent short story from the mind and pen of Ambrose Bierce. This story will draw you in like a fish on the line, then play you out and back in again. Bierce is a master of surprise and suspense.

"An amusing chronicle of the tribulations of the Ghost of Canterville Chase when his ancesteral halls become the home of the American Minister to the Court of St James." This short story by Oscar Wilde has been the basis for a movie and a play, and has been required reading for many years.

Long before the internet, mass media or radio, it is estimated that Charles H. Spurgeon appeared before more then ten million people. Known as the "Prince of Preachers" Spurgeon, 1834 - 1892 remains influential today among Christians of many denominations. Taken from "Evening by Evening, (Readings at Eventide)" these are the selected readings for January.

Short story number fourfrom "The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce is a short fiction, "A Son of the Gods" a story for which the American Civil War furnished the dramatic setting. It is a masterpiece of power of description subtlety of touch, and literary finish. Why would a Lieut. ride a white horse in front of the enemy lines drawing their fire and admiration in an act of insanity or unparalleled heroism.

This book, Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great, Memorial Edition, takes us to 14 homes of the great, including Dickens, Shakespere, Victor Hugo, and Thomas Edison.