Showing results by author "Hourly History" in All Categories

“Most people search high and wide for the key to success,” George Washington Carver pondered. “If they only knew, the key to their dreams lies within.” True to his philosophy, the key to Dr. Carver’s almost legendary success story was to be found within the man himself. From slavery to fame, from errand boy to botanical genius, Carver’s accomplishments, popularity, and legacy were all ignited by the vision he carried within.

The Bosnian War was not a single, isolated conflict, but rather formed part of this wider series of wars. To unravel the complexities of the Bosnian War, one must delve into the intricate web of connections with these other conflicts and the fragmentation of Yugoslavia itself. Even then, it is essential to recognize that the root causes of this war still linger.

In the 27 years that Kurt Cobain walked this earth, he crafted the songs and the narrative that would become the anthem of a generation. Yet, it was never anything that Cobain set to do deliberately; if anything, he could be called an accidental genius. Cobain’s approach to art as well as life was one flowing stream of consciousness. He never set out to change a generation when he wrote songs like “Smells Like Teen Spirit” or “Come as You Are".

The story of Nostradamus is tougher to determine than one would have ever imagined. By the end of this audiobook, you will have hopefully been able to piece together some of the answers to the questions you have about the individual known simply as Nostradamus.

The Beatles came onto the scene like a force of nature. Their songs became the anthems of generations of fans, and their emergence marked a high-water mark of popular music. But beyond the Beatles themselves, there is one man who can be credited with engineering this perfect maelstrom of musical majesty, and that man is former Beatles manager Brian Epstein.

From his humble beginnings as a farmhand working on tribal Iraqi land to becoming the president of Iraq for more than two decades, Saddam Hussein’s life story is nothing short of extraordinary. Transforming Iraq first into a prosperous nation then into a war-ravaged shell of its former self, Hussein is one of the key figures of the late 20th and early 21st century.

Pablo Picasso, born on October 25, 1881, in Málaga, Spain, was one of the 20th century’s most prolific and successful artists. A natural-born prodigy, he began painting at the age of two and never stopped until his death at the age of 91. From a young age, Picasso oozed defiance against formal authority. This was reflected not only in his personal life, which was a tangle of mistresses and wives, but especially in his art.

Since his death in the year 1547, King Henry VIII has been celebrated as a chivalrous pioneer and reviled as a brutal tyrant, but he has never been ignored. Henry was responsible for the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church, the ramifications of which reverberated through subsequent centuries of European history. Domestically, Henry revolutionized the English Constitution, elevating his own status to that of a God.

Many scholars argue that Vlad III Dracula, also known as Vlad the Impaler, is the real Dracula. His story, however, is much more complicated than the oft-reported details of his atrocities would imply. This audiobook tells the story of his life and times and discusses his connection to the fictional Count Dracula in a succinct, compelling manner, which makes for an entertaining listen packed with historical information.

The German Revolution of 1918-1919 told the story of a bruised nation attempting to overcome its military defeat at the hands of enemies who wanted to punish Germany for starting the war. Because Germany was caught in the vise of such irreconcilable political philosophies between the left and the right, the Weimar Republic, although it was the ruling power following the German Revolution, was destined to have a doomed, short life in Germany’s tragic 20th-century history.

In 1937, passengers could cross the Atlantic in unprecedented luxury aboard the world’s most advanced aircraft. The Hindenburg was a marvel that defied belief. Stretching over 800 feet (245 meters)—longer than three jumbo jets placed end to end—this colossal airship represented the pinnacle of 1930s technology. Thirteen stories tall and powered by engines that propelled it at nearly 80 mph (125 km/h), it could ferry passengers between Europe and the Americas in half the time of the fastest ocean liner.

Bob Marley, the most prominent reggae musician of all time, was truly an icon. In later life, Marley became a champion for political freedom and even managed to get two vehemently opposed political leaders to shake hands on stage - all to the backdrop of a reggae groove. Bob Marley was many things to many people - in this book, we explore all facets of his unique personality.

Doc Holliday didn’t begin his career as a gunslinger. The fact that he was known as “Doc” speaks to his first profession. For as sure and true as his aim might have been, his initial career path did not involve shooting bullets—it involved pulling teeth. He was a dentist by trade who ended up becoming a gambler and gunslinger by necessity.

Betty White was more than just an actress and comedienne—she was a force of nature who dazzled audiences for nearly a century. Few in show business could match her energy, charisma, or longevity. While many of her peers slowed down, Betty remained active well into her 90s. Incredibly, she lived to be 99 years old, passing away just weeks shy of her 100th birthday. Throughout her extraordinary life, Betty White built a career that spanned over eight decades. She was breaking new ground in radio and television when the mediums were still in their infancy.

Galileo Galilei began his career as a mathematician. Yet as fate would have it, he became far more than a numbers whiz. Here was a true Renaissance man; one who was greatly educated and a genuine lover of the arts. He was a fan of poets and a fine lute player. When in 1609 Galileo created his first telescope and turned his attention to the skies, everything changed.

This book delves into the Iron Age, exploring its origins, its rapid dissemination, and the profound transformations it brought to human societies. This is the story of how iron reshaped the ancient world.

The Great Sioux War was the bloodiest of all of the conflicts in the 300 years of American Indian Wars and would effectively close that tragic chapter of American history. The war resulted in the deaths of hundreds of US soldiers, countless Indian warriors, women and children, and the end of a way of life. This book tells the story of the Great Sioux War in full....

The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of conflicts between Scotland and England that spanned more than 60 years during the 13th and 14th centuries. These wars led directly to the establishment of Scotland as an independent, sovereign country and to the emergence of two of Scotland’s best-known national heroes, William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. Yet these wars are much more than a simple struggle on the part of Scotland to free itself from English incursions.

The Roman Catholic Inquisition was one of the most controversial organizations in human history. Although it has been painted in a negative light, the Inquisition was too broad in scope to define as simply good or bad. It was a period where conflict and bloodshed were inevitable. It was a time where war, famine, plague, and poverty were common factors of human life. From the 1180s to the 1830s, the Inquisition was the judicial arm of the Catholic Church. Created to root out and punish heretics within the Catholic faith, the Inquisition became an institution that would carve its name into history.

Lyndon B. Johnson was a powerful figure in American politics for many decades. Rising to prominence as a congressman and senator in his home state of Texas, he then became the surprise vice-president pick for the young and dashing John F. Kennedy. LBJ certainly cut a far different figure and utilized a much different approach than JFK, but he was just as charismatic (and not to mention cunning) in his own right. When Kennedy was tragically struck down by an assassin’s bullet in 1963, Johnson was sure to rise to the occasion.