Showing results by narrator "John Michaels" in All Categories

Wayland Fuller Dunaway served as a Captain of Copany I, of the 40th Virginia Regiment of the Army of Northern Virginia fought in all the battles of Lee's Army until he was captured after the Battle of Gettysburg, whereupon he is incarcerated at Johnson's Island until the end of the war. This narrative gives an excellent picture of life in the Army of Northern Virginia.

Volume 10 of the Tom Swift series finds our hero building a new airship and taking it to Africa, where he hunts elephants with his new electric rifle and rescues two missionaries from a savage and crafty tribe of red pygmies. Please remember that this book was published in 1911, and attitudes and language acceptable at that time are not politically correct today.

Harker Brayton accepts an offer from an associate to stay at his house. We and Brayton learn that his friend's home is also home to numerous serpents. In fact, a wing of the house - the "Snakery" - is full of the cold blooded creatures, which have been known to wander.

"Death is a dignitary who when he comes announced is to be received with formal manifestations of respect, even by those most familiar with him." This line was written by Ambrose Bierce in his short story An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. Death by execution has historically been ritualized, perhaps to absolve those accomplishing the execution from guilt or blame.

Long before the internet, mass media or radio, it is estimated that Charles H. Spurgeon appeared before more then 10 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 June.

Ambrose Bierce, a veteran of the Civil War and writer of note, had a fascination with death and PTSD as a result of his war experience. "One of the Missing" follows Private Jerome Searing, an Army scout, as he goes behind enemy lines. In today's military, Searing would probably be in the Navy Seals or Army Special Forces. He was good at his job, and his job was soldiering.

In a comic whirlwind of high style, La Bête tells the story of Elomire, a 17th century French playwright, and his touring acting troupe who have come to lead the high life due to the patronage of the fickle Prince of Conti. Sparks fly when Valere, a swaggering braggert with delusions of artistic grandeur, becomes the Prince's choice to join Elomire's troupe. It is a battle of wits and witticisms as the two face off in this outrageous commentary on the nature of art and the artist in society.

Ambrose Bierce participated in one of the bloodiest wars in American history, and though he survived, the war haunted him the rest of his life. Today we have a name for the demon that haunts many of those "more fortunate" who survive: post-traumatic stress disorder. In World War I and World War II they called it shell-shocked. The battle of Chickamauga was surpassed in casualties only by the battle of Gettysburg.

Tom Swift in the City of Gold by Victor Appleton, volume 11 of the Tom Swift series, takes us to the wilds of Central Mexico where Tom and his friends discover an underground city of gold. On the verge of becoming billionaires, their plans are thwarted by savage headhunters, and of course Tom's archrival Andy Foger. Please be aware that this book was written over 100 years ago, and may contain language and references that are today politically incorrect, insensitive and inappropriate.

Tom Swift and His Air Glider by Victor Appleton, volume 12 of the Tom Swift series, takes our hero to Siberia in search of a long lost platinum mine. In order to accomplish this, the young inventor invents an "air glider" that (don't try this at home) operates best in a hurricane. In this episode instead of his arch rival Andy Foger, the Czarists provide the intrigue as they attempt to capture Tom and his friends.

Tom Swift and His Aerial Warship, volume 18 in the Tom Swift series, finds our hero building an airship - but not just any airship: this is a battleship of the air, complete with cannons, bombs, and able to stay in the air for at least two weeks on a single tank of gas. It is no surprise that the Swift shops are soon infested with spies and evildoers bent on stealing Tom's ideas, and even better yet, his airship. Will the forces of evil steal Tom's airship and his ideas? Tune in and find out.

Tom Swift in the Land of Wonders volume 20 in the Tom Swift series by Victor Appleton. In this volume Tom and his friends are in the Honduran jungle in search of a Golden Idol. Our hero thwarts the bad guys, find the idol, and he gets the girl. A fun escape for the listener to those thrilling days of yesteryear, when "electric" rifles in the near future were a distinct possibility.

Mr. Damon is swindled, and to make matters worse, kidnapped. Our hero, the young inventor Tom Swift comes to the rescue and convicts the scoundrels with the help of his new invention, a telephone that also takes pictures. Imagine that! He also utilizes his amazing airships, and of course the help of his faithful companions and friends Ned Newton, Koku the Giant, and Eradicate Sampson. Every chapter of this book, number 17 of the Tom Swift series, is a cliff-hanger that has kept readers and now listeners in suspense, awaiting the next exciting chapter.

Long before the internet, mass media or radio, it is estimated that Charles H. Spurgeon appeared before more then 10 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 May.

In the first volume of this series, our hero, Tom Swift, rebuilds a motorcycle. In this, volume 25, Tom Swift and his Electric Locomotive, Tom Swift not only invents, but builds an electric locomotive capable of speeds in excess of 120 mph. This is the final volume of the 25 volume Tom Swift series narrated by John W Michaels and published by Audio Books by Mike Vendetti.

As the title implies, our hero Tom Swift invents and designs a monster of the battlefield. A war tank. The United States has just entered World War I, and German spies abound. Particularly where Tom is designing and building his amazing tank. He does however, manage to get his machine off to France, and no doubt aid the allies in their war effort.

Volume nine of the Tom Swift series pits our hero Tom Swift against his arch rival Andy Foger in an airplane race for a prize of $10,000. A lot of money back in 1910. Andy has developed an even nastier bag of tricks in this volume. Our hero not only builds the world’s fastest monoplane in his garage, but saves his father's life by flying a world-class surgeon in the monoplane to his father's aid. Every chapter of this book is a cliffhanger, leaving the listener in anticipation of the next exciting chapter.

"The Coup de Grâce" a short story by Ambrose Bierce, himself a troubled veteran of the American Civil War, details a fictional situation, which may be based on some truth. An act so humane and yet so repugnant it would not be spoken of. War is unglamorous and ugly.

As the American Civil War rages, an officer who longs for the glory of battle has been assigned to staff duties away from the battlefield. Now a captain, he is assigned to a combat unit and faces battle for the first time. He finds there is no glory, only controlled terror for those engaged in war.

Long before the Internet, mass media, or radio, it is estimated that Charles H. Spurgeon (1834 - 1892) appeared before more than 10 million people. Known as the "Prince of Preachers" Spurgeon, he remains influential today among Christians of many denominations. Taken from "Evening by Evening (Readings at Eventide)" these are the selected readings for February.