Modern Library

In this fascinating work, winner of the Wolfson Prize for History Mark Mazower uncovers the history of the Balkans with detail and clarity. He explores the reasons for current conflicts and examines the Balkans as a religious, cultural, and economic melting pot for Europe and Asia. Through Robert O'Keefe's articulate narration, listeners will be absorbed by this rich world.

A playwright is murdered, seemingly in connection with the suspected blackmail of his friend—a rising young MP who, without explanation, disappeared from public view before his untimely death. With a number of high-profile suspects to investigate, the key to solving the case rests on a written clue left behind by the killer....

A New York Times Book of the Year A Reese Witherspoon X Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick A dazzling love letter to a beloved institution - our libraries. After moving to Los Angeles, Susan Orlean became fascinated by a mysterious local crime that has gone unsolved since it was carried out on the...

Alistair Horne is a leading scholar of French history. Here he trains his sights on one of the most compelling figures of the 19th century, Napoleon Bonaparte. Far from a mere dictator, Napoleon was a military, political and social visionary whose legacy can still be felt in France and all over the world. Horne examines the one-time emperor at his most human, from his greatest triumphs to his disastrous failures.

Have you ever wondered why the most successful leaders always seem one step ahead of the competition? Sun Tzu's The Art of War is arguably the most influential strategy book ever written. Composed in ancient China, its lessons have transcended time to become a staple for modern CEOs, strategists, and anyone seeking to master the dynamics of conflict. Whether you are launching a startup, managing a team, or navigating human interaction, this edition provides a clear blueprint for success emphasizing preparation, adaptability, and the subtle art of deception.

Britain's most esteemed scholar of 16th and 17th century literature, Frank Kermode is also a noted author and professor. In this Modern Library Chronicle, he uses the context of the Elizabethan Era to link each of Shakespeare's plays to their probable years of creation. By portraying the bard's England in terms of its society, economy, and arts, Kermode provides an invaluable guide to understanding Shakespeare?s works.

Cambridge professor and renowned historian Anthony Pagden covers a vast subject in a compact package with Peoples and Empires. This wide-ranging and intellectually stimulating work examines the origins and history of the West with terse, efficient prose. With a captivating narration by Robert O'Keefe, listeners will find this work enjoyable and utterly absorbing.

Explore the awe-inspiring history of human knowledge, where the relentless battle to preserve memory shapes civilization. From the clay tablets of lost empires to the fragile databases of our digital age, this narrative tracks the survival of our most guarded ideas. It offers a sweeping epic of...

Gatsby-era glamour, a swoon-worthy love story, and an indomitable heroine dazzle in this romp that captures the extravagance of the Roaring Twenties and the dangers of vigilante justice. A ravishing young mind reader stalks the streets at night in kitten heels, prowling for men to murder. A...

For fans of Brandon Sanderson and Patrick Rothfuss, The House of Always is the fourth epic fantasy in Jenn Lyons' Chorus of Dragons series that began with The Ruin of Kings. What if you were imprisoned for all eternity? In the aftermath of the Ritual of Night, everything has changed. The Eight...

The fascinating, barely known story of the theft of George Washington’s diary and other irreplaceable historical documents from the Library of Congress in the 1890s, which launched an interstate chase by the Secret Service and a sensational trial, and changed the trajectory of America’s...

A deeply dark academia novel from USA Today bestselling author Cassandra Khaw, perfect for fans of A Deadly Education and An Education in Malice who are hungry for something more diabolical. This program is read by Audie and Earphones Award–winning narrator Natalie Naudus. The Hellebore...

Detective stories existed for centuries before the concept of the detective itself—amateur or professional— was fully formulated, and tales of mystery and intrigue have been thrilling readers since ancient times. The Lock and Key Library is the classic overview of the history of the mystery genre, at once a rousing listen for fans of the unsolved and unknown as well as an essential literary resource for those seeking to understand the roots of modern pulp fiction. This volume is sure to delight and enthrall armchair detectives and fans of classic mysteries alike.

A collection of short stories from such favorites as Wilkie Collins, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Rudyard Kipling are joined by others written anonymously in this anthology which will have you scratching your head and listening just a bit longer to discover the key to the mysteries.  

Two teenagers fresh out of stir set their sights on what looks like easy money in Dolores Hitchens’s Fools’ Gold (1958)—and get a painful education in how quickly and drastically a simple plan can spin out of control. The basis for Jean-Luc Godard’s film Band of Outsiders, Fools’ Gold...

The star of her school’s running team, Sadako is lively and athletic…until the dizzy spells start. Then she must face the hardest race of her life—the race against time. Based on a true story, Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes celebrates the courage that makes one young woman a heroine...

Arizona drug task force detectives and SWAT teams begin using coordinated, small-unit military tactics to combat human trafficking and narcoterrorism, and quickly make several multimillion dollar seizures. When the Mexican drug cartels retaliate by viciously targeting the officers and their families, how can the cops protect the community while fighting to defend themselves? Homicide detectives identify the lone suspect in a heinous double murder as the victims' son, a recently paroled meth-addict, adamantly professes his innocence and blames an unidentified killer.

For one instant only, Nick neglected his usual caution. Nick received a blow on the back of his head which sent him stunned and helpless to the floor, face down. When consciousness returned to him, a faint smell of burning wood reached his nostrils. The flat had been set on fire and he was locked in a closet!!!