Showing results by narrator "Andrea Giordani" in All Categories

The Classic Anne of Green Gables Collection: 6 of the 8 Books in the Beloved "Anne Shirley" Series + 2 Avonlea Short Story Collections, contains: Book 1: Anne of Green Gables, Book 2: Anne of Avonlea, Book 3: Anne of the Island, Book 4: Anne's House of Dreams, Book 5: Rainbow Valley, Book 6: Rilla of Ingleside, Book 7: Chronicles of Avonlea, Book 8: In Further Chronicles of Avonlea.

Agatha Christie wrote The Mysterious Affair at Styles during the midst of World War I. The book was published in 1920 and became extremely popular because of the well-grounded plot and interesting characters. The novel is set at Styles Court, a wealthy estate in England during the war. The estate's owner, Mrs. Cavendish, had inherited the estate as well as vast sums of money from her late husband.

Catherine of Siena (March 25, 1347-April 29, 1380) was a mystic, activist, and author who had a great influence on Italian literature and the Catholic Church. Catherine's mystical theology was employed towards practical ends for her own spiritual life and those of others. She used the language of medieval scholastic philosophy in the Dialogue, a poetic and prophetic work. Advocating for continuous, humble prayer, she hears God the Father answering her requests in order to receive help to be saved. Catherine gives special importance to mental prayer, but also recommends vocal prayer.

The Secret Adversary, which is the first novel in the series that follows Tommy and Tuppence, chronicles the pair's quest to find a mysterious woman who goes by the name of Jane Finn. Earlier in 1915, Jane Finn had been given a secret document while aboard the Lusitania, which was sunk due to a torpedo hit. That document was a treaty, and Jane was entrusted by the stranger who gave it to her to deliver it to the American Embassy located in London. Years later, the document has still never been delivered....

The Theogony (composed c. 700 BC) is a poem by Hesiod (8th-7th century BC) describing the origins and genealogies of the Greek gods. A theogony is a part of Greek mythology which attempts to articulate reality as a whole. Hesiod's work is a synthesis of various local Greek traditions concerning the gods, organized as a narrative that tells of their origin and how they established control over the Cosmos.

Antigone is a famous Greek tragedy attributed to the ancient playwright Sophocles at around 440 BCE. The play expands on the Theban legend of Oedipus that predates it, dealing with Antigone’s burial of her brother Polyneices in defiance of the law and the tragic results of her act. On another level, the play exposes the dangers of the absolute ruler or tyrant in the character of Creon. No one speaks freely to him, so he makes a series of mistakes, illustrating the folly of tyranny.

As a foremost historian of his time, Samuel Rawson Gardiner’s evaluation of Oliver Cromwell has generally been perceived as a work of great significance. Gardiner applies his highly credited critical eye to one of England’s great military and political leaders. Cromwell rose to power during a time of turbulence and civil distress during which he was admired for certain attributes, yet distrusted for others, including his loyalties to Puritanism.

John Chrysostom, the Archbishop of Constantinople, wrote a short treatise in dialogue form between his friend Basil and himself, about the dignity of the priesthood. The work includes sections on the importance of preaching, the call to the priesthood, the purity of the priest, and the exalted position of the priesthood.

De Vita Caesarum ("About the Life of the Caesars"), commonly known as The Twelve Caesars, is a set of 12 biographies of Julius Caesar and the first 11 emperors of the Roman Empire written by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus. The work was considered highly significant in antiquity and remains a primary source on Roman history. It examines the critical period of the Principate from the end of the Republic to the reign of Domitian.

Madame Mathilde Loisel is sure she was meant to be an aristocrat, but she was born into a middle-class family and married off to a middle-class clerk. When her husband procures them invitations to a high-society party, Loisel goes all out to impress. She borrows a diamond necklace from a wealthy acquaintance and has the time of her life - until the necklace goes missing. In “The Necklace”, de Maupassant showcases his signature twists of fate and social commentary in a story that will leave you speechless.

Written for those who were bewildered by the conflict between religion and scientific and philosophic ideas, The Guide for the Perplexed is concerned with finding a concord between the text of the Old Testament and its commentaries, and Aristotelian philosophy. After analyzing the ideas of the Old Testament, Maimonides examines other reconciliations of religion and philosophy like the Moslem rationalists and then offers his own resolution with Aristotelianism.

The Iliad and The Odyssey are epic poems traditionally attributed to Homer, of which the written versions are dated to the 8th century BCE. Chronicling events in the Greek Bronze Age, this magnificent pair of poems forms the cornerstone of Western literature. If The Iliad is a classic war story, The Odyssey is symbolic of the individual’s journey through life.

Saint John Chrysostom (c. 349-407), Archbishop of Constantinople, was an important Early Church Father. These three homilies deal with errors against, which Chrysostom contended all his life. It is assumed that they were delivered at Antioch when Chrysostom was a presbyter under the Episcopate of Flavian. Chrysostom opposed the idea that the world was abandoned to the dominion of devils, insisting very boldly on the freedom of will, moral responsibility, and the duty of vigorously resisting temptation.

The Enchiridion is a collection of the most profound teachings of Epictetus (c. 55-135 AD), who taught that philosophy is a way of life and not just a matter of theory. The Enchiridion is a canonical text of Stoic philosophy, and contains all the fundamentals. Among them is the principle of not being concerned with that which is out of one’s control. Misfortune should not disturb the individual at all, and should not be perceived negatively.

Sappho ( c. 630-c. 570 BC) was an Archaic Greek poet from the island of Lesbos. In ancient times, Sappho was widely considered one of the greatest lyric poets and was given titles such as the "Tenth Muse" and "The Poetess". Her estimated date of birth places her sometime after the composition of the works of the Homeric poets, which are preserved in the epics known as the Iliad and the Odyssey. It is claimed that her work filled nine papyrus rolls in the famous library of Alexandria some 500 years after her death.

Andrew Lang (1844 - 1912) was a Scottish poet, novelist, and literary critic. His 12 collections of fairy tales are known as Andrew Lang's Coloured Fairy Books or Andrew Lang's Fairy Books of Many Colors. The third in the series, the Green Fairy Book, contains tales from around the world, from Grimm (“The White Snake” and “Spindle, Shuttle, and Needle”), France de Caylus, Fenelon, Kletke, and D'Aulnoy. The stories include "The Crystal Coffin", "The Three Snake-Leaves", "The Riddle", "Jack My Hedgehog", "The Golden Lads", and many more.

The Phaedrus by Plato, is a dialogue between Plato's protagonist, Socrates, and Phaedrus, an interlocutor in several dialogues. It was probably written around 370 BC, at about the same time as Plato's Republic and Symposium. Ostensibly about love, the discussion in the dialogue focuses on the art of rhetoric and how it ought to be practiced. The dialogue appears in the direct words of Socrates and Phaedrus, without an introduction.

Agricola, also known as The Life and Character of Julius Agricola, serves as the main historical source for information about this notable Roman general. His son-in-law, the historian Tacitus, authored the text. He writes not just about his father-in-law’s military career and conquest of Britain, but also about cultural and geographic forces at work during this time. The portion of the original text that survives today remains an important reference for historians and history buffs alike.

John Chrysostom (c. 347-407), Archbishop of Constantinople, was an early Church Father. This series of eight instructions concerning baptism were given by him, most likely at Antioch around the year 390. Their interest derives from Chrysostom's activities for the baptismal candidates and as their instructor in Christian doctrine and morality.

Apologia Pro Vita Sua (A Defence of One's Own Life), John Henry Newman's defense of his religious beliefs, was published in 1864 in response to Charles Kingsley of the Church of England after Newman quit his position as the Anglican vicar of St. Mary's, Oxford. From 1833 to 1841 there was friction in the Church of England which culminated in Newman's 1845 resignation as an Anglican vicar and his conversion to Roman Catholicism. Newman's essay responded to attacks from Charles Kingsley of the broad church party, who criticised Newman's conversion.