Showing results by narrator "Roger Dressler" in All Categories

In this classic American adventure, Jack London explores the laws of civilization and wilderness - and the pull of instinct - through the eyes of Buck, a half Saint Bernard, half Scottish shepherd. London drew on his own experiences as a prospector in the Canadian wilderness, as well as the philosophies of Charles Darwin and Friedrich Nietzsche, for this enduring tale of survival.

Howard Fast has placed the entire action of this highly charged novel in the space of one day at the substantial home of a prominent United States senator. This dinner party sounds like a well-ordered and gracious affair, but as events unfold, there are things to be settled - some are political and ethical, some are emotional, and some are questions of life and death. This is a profound and important novel with the dramatic intensity of first-class theater.

Henry Fleming is a young private in the Union army during the American Civil War - a farm boy untested by battle. Faced with charging rebels, he flees. With his ideals shattered and his heart burdened by shame, Henry seeks an opportunity to redeem himself, even hoping for a wound - a "red badge of courage" - to prove his bravery.

Bored with farm life, and anxious for some excitement, Henry Fleming sets off to join the Union troops fighting the Civil War. An inexperienced fighter, he is anxious to get into battle to prove his patriotism and courage. He swaggers to keep up his spirits waiting for battle, but when suddenly thrust into the slaughter he is overcome with blind fear and runs from the field of battle.

The Call of the Wild, written in 1903, brought Jack London to the world's attention. It is the story of Buck, part St. Bernard and part Scotch shepherd dog, who shows the strengths of both breeds when he is stolen and sold off as a sled dog in the Yukon during the gold rush. It is a heartfelt story that appeals to both children and adults.

The launch of the space shuttle Atlantis will make history. Another triumph for the space program, and a political coup: a Russian cosmonaut is scheduled to perform the first spacewalk from an American unit. But terrorists have taken over Launch Control at Cape Canaveral and are threatening to blow up the Atlantis in less than three hours unless their demands are met.