Showing results by narrator "Matthew J Chandler-Smith" in All Categories

Discover the remarkable history of the Inca Empire...In the space of less than one hundred years, the Inca people expanded from being a small kingdom in the highlands of Peru to becoming one of the largest and most powerful empires in the Americas. At the height of its power, the Inca Empire stretched for more than one thousand miles down the Andes Mountains and the west coast of South America. It incorporated more than two hundred distinct ethnic groups and somewhere around fourteen million people were ruled by a much smaller number of Incas.

Better known as the Italian Mastiff, the Cane Corso is a large dog with a lot of love and affection for the family. However, they are also one of the best guard dog breeds. Like other guard dogs, their appearance is part of what makes the Cane Corso so intimidating. Its regal appearance hides the fact that this is a breed that can be incredibly playful. They also loath to be away from their family.

Discover the remarkable life of Geronimo...The legendary Geronimo led one of the last great Apache uprisings against American expansionism. The lands of the Apache tribe comprised what is today part of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States, and Geronimo was one of the last who dared to stand up to the powers that encroached on the Native American way of life. In the end, even the cunning and might of Geronimo had to surrender to the wayward expansion of the west.

Emerson wrote most of his important essays as lectures first and then revised them for print. His first two collections of essays, Essays: First Series (1841) and Essays: Second Series (1844), represent the core of his thinking. They include the well-known essays "Self-Reliance" and "The Over-Soul". Together with "Nature", these essays made the decade from the mid-1830s to the mid-1840s Emerson's most fertile period.

John Wayne graced the screen as a cowboy, an all-around rugged hero of the plains. With his “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” determination and raw sense of individualism, in many ways he came to symbolize everything that Americans held dear. His characters - tough as nails - were always idealistic adventurers seeking to right the wrongs of the world. But who was John Wayne? Born Marion Morrison, most don’t even know his real name. In this book, we will cut through all the hype and get to the real man behind the legend of John Wayne.

The Comanche were once the most dominant Native American tribe in the Great Plains of North America. From their homelands on the prairies, they ranged across the American West and South into Mexico. They were also one of the most feared of all Native American people, fighting virtually every other Native American tribe they had contact with and waging successful guerilla wars against invaders from Spain, Mexico, and the Eastern United States.

James Clerk Maxwell was a brilliant mathematician and scientist, but his impact on this world goes even deeper than that. Maxwell singlehandedly overturned what was believed to be fact with a whole new outlook on fundamental aspects of the universe. Maxwell is often credited as one of the first pioneers of quantum physics and rightly so....

Walt Whitman was the first incarnation of the great American poet. A humble, unsuspecting figure who managed to capture America’s soul, Whitman came to prominence in the Civil War era of the 1860s and continued to grow as an artist as his nation grew along with him. In this book, we will discover the tragedies and triumphs of a man who had an extraordinary way with words and has become known as the father of free verse: Walt Whitman.

The Battle of Jutland, fought near Denmark’s Jutland peninsula in 1916, was unique in the first World War as the only major battle to be fought at sea. In this audiobook, you will hear about these battles, the personalities of the men involved, the planning, and the skirmishes that finally led to the confusion and devastating loss of life at the Battle of Jutland.

Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad became famous for his popularization of an Afrocentric branch of Islam. In later years, however, the movement came under fire after critics pointed out that its ideology had very little to do with the mainstream faith. Nevertheless, Elijah’s words and teachings still managed to galvanize and capture the hearts of millions of disaffected and oppressed African Americans. During the movement’s heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, Elijah extended his hand to a downtrodden people in a way that few others could.

When the American Civil War finally drew to an end in 1865, victory for the North seemed to herald a new beginning for African Americans. Emancipation for thousands of former slaves appeared, for the first time, to offer people the chance of full and equal participation in American society. That dream didn't last for long, particularly in the Southern states where new Jim Crow laws prevented African Americans from exercising fundamental rights, including the right to vote.

A great deal has been written about the history of the Native American people of North America and particularly about their experiences, since the arrival of white settlers. However, there is another people whose history mirrors the experience of many Native American tribes, but who have become almost completely forgotten: the Sami, Europe’s only indigenous people.

Discover the remarkable life of Crazy Horse... Famed Lakota warrior Crazy Horse was more than just a fearless fighter—he was a symbol of resistance and commitment to his people’s way of life. During his life, the Lakota faced relentless pressure from all sides. Rival tribes waged war over land and resources while waves of US settlers, backed by an ever-growing military presence, pushed further into their territory on the Great Plains. Despite these challenges, Crazy Horse stood unwavering, fighting not for personal glory but for the survival of his people and their homeland.

Discover the remarkable life of Buffalo Bill... Buffalo Bill was one part renegade, one part folk hero, and all parts showman. He was a phenomenon back in his heyday, and his legend looms large even now. From his days making deliveries for the Pony Express to his time serving in the American Civil War and on into his run as a scout on the Western frontier, Buffalo Bill was a force to be reckoned with. Yet it was his shows that captivated audiences with thrilling tales of the Wild West that made him one of the first true American celebrities and cemented his status as a legend.

Alan Turing had a radical and ingenious mind. He is considered one of the fathers of artificial intelligence, and his theories on this matter range from purely mechanical to almost spiritual. During World War II, his decryption of the Nazis’ Enigma codes proved vital for the Allied victory over the Axis powers. Turing’s fingerprints are everywhere, and yet his own country for quite some time failed to acknowledge it.

Ray Charles was a musical prodigy whose genius transcended genres. With deep roots in gospel, jazz, blues, and country, Charles crafted some of the twentieth century’s most innovative and enduring songs. Who hasn’t felt the deep pull of emotion from the soulful melodies of “Georgia on My Mind”? And who could resist the infectious rhythm of “Hit the Road Jack”? Whether he was delving into country music or any other style, he showcased that there were no boundaries for talent like his. He didn’t just adapt to genres; he transformed them, making them distinctly Ray Charles.

In the world of philosophy and spirituality, few figures stand as distinctively as Alan Watts. With a charismatic and eloquent demeanor, he effortlessly blended insights from Zen Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, and other spiritual traditions with Western thought, challenging conventional perspectives and encouraging a deeper understanding of oneself and the universe.

The American Revolution not only changed the continent of North America, but the ideas it represented would go on to change the world. The notion of a state where individual liberty was guaranteed to all citizens and where hereditary positions of power did not exist would directly lead to the French Revolution and to other movements around the world that sought to bring fundamental political and societal changes.

A prominent Lakota Sioux chief and medicine man, Sitting Bull was both a man of peace and a man of war as he sought to simultaneously fight and negotiate on behalf of his people during the westward expansion of the United States. His visions inspired and led the Native American warriors to victory in the legendary Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. This triumph would, however, be short-lived, and Sitting Bull and his loyal band of followers would be forced to surrender their freedom only five years later. This book reveals his incredible life and legacy in full.

Anaïs Nin was an influential and acclaimed writer best known for her diaries that cover six decades from the 1910s to the 1970s. In addition to her famous journals, her works include novels, essays, poetry, studies, and erotica - many of which remain popular to this day. As one of the first prominent female authors of erotica, Nin led a controversial life that was subject to many rumors. Her fearlessness when it came to tackling taboo topics such as incest, sexual abuse, and extra-marital affairs would earn her both staunch supporters and zealous critics.