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34 audiobooks in our catalogue, every one with its narrator named.
The Articles of Confederation and the Constitution: The History of Early America’s Struggle to Establish a Functional Federal Government
"Of all the celebrated documents in American history, one of the relics of history is the Articles of Confederation, which have been reduced to a footnote. In fact, Americans often overlook the years between the negotiation of peace in 1783 and the drafting of the Constitution in 1787, but to understand the Constitution, it’s necessary to understand why it was drafted in the first place. After the Revolution, the new United States attempted to operate under the Articles of Confederation, which had been drafted in a time of war by men who were wary of Parliamentary abuses of power. Given that context, it should not be surprising that the national government the Continental Congress crafted during the Revolutionary War was particularly weak. During the war itself, the reason Congress could not pay the soldiers in the Continental Army was because it did not have the power to tax. General George Washington pestered the Continental Congress for provisions constantly, but they could only ask for money from the states. By 1787, it became evident that the Articles of Confederation were inadequate for the new nation. With these problems hampering the national government under the Articles of Confederation and the threat of default on the nation's massive war debt looming, plans began being made to fix the problems of the Articles of Confederation. Thus, that summer a Constitutional convention was called, and each state sent delegates to Philadelphia. Among the delegates were prominent patriots and former members of the Continental Congress, including George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. The Constitution was a decisive move away from the Articles of Confederation, which the proponents of the Constitution claimed promoted dissonance by giving states too much autonomy. They argued that a strong federal government ought to be empowered to maintain standing armies, provide for a national militia, and be able to levy direct taxes to support defense and provide prosperity."
Charles River Editors (Author), Michelle Humphries (Narrator)
Audiobook · 2 hrs 45 mins
From Revolution to Republic: The History and Legacy of the Founding of the United States
"The American Revolution is replete with seminal moments that every American learns in school, from the “shot heard ‘round the world” to the Declaration of Independence, but the events that led up to the fighting at Lexington & Concord were borne out of 10 years of division between the British and their American colonies over everything from colonial representation in governments to taxation, the nature of searches, and the quartering of British regulars in private houses. From 1764 - 1775, a chain of events that included lightning rods like the Townshend Acts led to bloodshed in the form of the Boston Massacre, while the Boston Tea Party became a symbol of nonviolent protest. The political and military nature of the Revolutionary War was just as full of intrigue. While disorganized militias fought the Battles of Lexington & Concord, George Washington would lead the Continental Army in the field while men like Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia and Benjamin Franklin negotiated overseas in France. Benedict Arnold would become one of his nation’s most vital war heroes and its most notorious traitor, French forces would play a crucial role at the end of the war, and the Treaty of Paris would conclude the Revolution with one last great surprise. After the Revolution, the new United States attempted to operate under the Articles of Confederation, which had been drafted in a time of war by men who were wary of Parliamentary abuses of power. Given that context, it should not be surprising that the national government the Continental Congress crafted during the Revolutionary War was particularly weak. Thus, the Constitution would be a decisive move away from the Articles of Confederation, which the proponents of the Constitution claimed promoted dissonance by giving the States too much autonomy. They argued that a strong federal government ought to be empowered to maintain standing armies and be able to levy direct taxes."
Audiobook · 9 hrs 53 mins
Elizabeth Van Lew: The Life of the Richmond Woman Who Ran a Union Spy Ring in the Confederate Capital
"Though espionage is a hallmark of every major war, spies are often depicted in countless works of fiction as discovering secrets on which the fate of nations hang in the balance. Reality is generally rather more mundane, as spies often gather low-level intelligence that only makes sense when it is examined by analysts and compared to information from other sources. Espionage provides clues to what the enemy is planning, but on its own, it rarely changes the course of a war. Moreover, real spies are generally anonymous, not the bold, swashbuckling action heroes depicted in fiction. Spies must hide in plain sight, and that is best achieved by being as innocuous as possible. The most effective Union spy of the war was a Richmond spinster named Elizabeth Van Lew, who ran one of the most successful espionage networks from a mansion on Church Hill in the heart of the Confederate capital. She communicated directly with Ulysses Grant, and she smuggled intelligence out of Libby Prison using methods so varied and inventive that the Confederate authorities who suspected her never fully figured out how she was accomplishing it. She recruited a woman she had freed from enslavement to serve as a domestic servant in Jefferson Davis' own household, placing an observer at the nerve center of Confederate executive decision-making. She maintained these operations for four years under constant suspicion, in a city that had come to despise her, without ever being successfully indicted for the treason that every Confederate official in Richmond assumed she was committing. Van Lew’s story does not fit neatly into the categories that popular histories of Civil War espionage tend to favor. She simply started the war as a middle-aged woman who had inherited considerable wealth and unshakable convictions when it came to the necessity of abolishing slavery, and before the war had even started, she had made the conscious decision to do everything within her power to defeat the Confederacy."
Audiobook · 1 hr 38 mins
Pauline Cushman: The Life of the Southern Actress Who Became a Union Spy during the Civil War
"Given the necessity of spies to hide in plain sight, on some level it is perfectly sensible that women played a larger and more decisive role in espionage operations, because during the Civil War, women were not taken seriously as threats. They openly moved through areas that men in uniform could not easily penetrate, and they were able to publicly receive callers, visit prisoners, manage households, carry on the ordinary commerce of social life, and cross lines that military authorities maintained without bringing any attention upon themselves. Ironically, both sides used several women as spies precisely because they drew less suspicion, yet neither the Union nor Confederates took potential women spies seriously. In some ways, Pauline Cushman was able to take advantage of the fact she was a woman, but unlike regular civilians who could blend in, she had the disadvantage of being a recognizable actress. Near the end of the war, she was photographed by Matthew Brady, who had documented the Civil War's battlefields, generals, and, most memorably, casualties. In the photograph, Cushman is wearing a military uniform with a sword at her side, and her gaze is fixed beyond the frame with the composed confidence of someone who had seen worse things than a camera. She was 31 at the time and had recently been sentenced to hang. By the time Brady pointed his lens at her, she was famous as the “Spy of the Cumberland,” making her the greatest heroine of the year. Major Cushman was a woman whose story was being told in newspapers from Boston to San Francisco with the breathless enthusiasm of a nation that needed heroes and found in her something it could not quite categorize. She had done a soldier's work, faced a soldier's death, and survived to tell. However, Cushman’s story was not just about being a spy, but also about what it cost to be a woman who wanted to be of use to her country in a time when her country had no official way to acknowledge her contribution."
Audiobook · 1 hr 21 mins
Rose O’Neal Greenhow: The Life and Legacy of the Washington Socialite Who Became a Confederate Spy during the Civil War
"Given the necessity of spies to hide in plain sight, on some level it is perfectly sensible that women played a larger and more decisive role in espionage operations, because during the Civil War, women were not taken seriously as threats. They openly moved through areas that men in uniform could not easily penetrate, and they were able to publicly receive callers, visit prisoners, manage households, carry on the ordinary commerce of social life, and cross lines that military authorities maintained without bringing any attention upon themselves. A woman bringing food and medicine to prisoners seemed to be a humanitarian, not a security concern, and a woman maintaining the social routines of an established household was a hostess, not an intelligence coordinator. Ironically, both sides used several women as spies precisely because they drew less suspicion, yet neither the Union nor Confederates took potential women spies seriously enough. At the start of the war, the most formidable of these women on either side of the conflict was a Washington widow named Rose O'Neal Greenhow. She was perfectly situated for espionage as a politically connected woman of extraordinary intelligence who had social reach and the desire to use every connection she had on behalf of a cause she believed in absolutely. In the first year of the war alone, she helped win a battle, ran a spy ring from inside her own house while under house arrest, and charmed her jailers in ways that allowed her to continue to pass intelligence from prison. She was exiled to the Confederacy rather than tried, because the government that arrested her recognized, rightly, that trying her in open court would be an embarrassment. She lobbied Jefferson Davis directly, and then she crossed the Atlantic and met Napoleon III and Queen Victoria as an unofficial Confederate envoy. She published a memoir in London that sold thousands of copies and made her case to the European audience her government desperately needed."
Audiobook · 1 hr 35 mins
The Most Famous Female Spies of the Civil War: The History of the Covert Operations Conducted by Women Behind Enemy Lines
"The Civil War’s most famous spy, the Confederate sympathizer Isabella Maria Boyd, is one of those people in American history who is as much myth as reality. Part of this is because she lived in an era that is still heavily imbued with a sense of nostalgia and myth, but her own personality is also heavily to blame, for she was what might in modern parlance be called a drama queen; since she was known for serial exaggerations in her work, historians are still trying to separate fact from fiction when it comes to her exploits. In the same vein, there was the matter of the people she surrounded herself with, many of whom needed a mythical figure to attach their last fading hopes for a Confederate victory to. They found such a person in Belle Boyd. At the start of the war, the most formidable spy on either side of the conflict was a Washington widow named Rose O'Neal Greenhow. She was perfectly situated for espionage as a politically connected woman of extraordinary intelligence who had social reach and the desire to use every connection she had on behalf of a cause she believed in absolutely. In the first year of the war alone, she helped win a battle, ran a spy ring from inside her own house while under house arrest, and charmed her jailers in ways that allowed her to continue to pass intelligence from prison. The most effective Union spy of the war was a Richmond spinster named Elizabeth Van Lew, who ran one of the most successful espionage networks from a mansion on Church Hill in the heart of the Confederate capital. She communicated directly with Ulysses Grant, and she smuggled intelligence out of Libby Prison using methods so varied and inventive that the Confederate authorities who suspected her never fully figured out how she was accomplishing it. She recruited a woman she had freed from enslavement to serve as a domestic servant in Jefferson Davis' own household, placing an observer at the nerve center of Confederate executive decision-making. "
Audiobook · 5 hrs 13 mins
The Union’s Most Famous Spies: The History and Legacy of the North’s Top Intelligence Agents during the Civil War
"In September 1862, the Union had no intelligence service worthy of the name. It had detectives, scouts, scattered networks of informants, balloons, signal flags, and a great deal of luck, but the federal government did not have a coordinated system, to the extent that military commanders did not know enemy troop strength. By the end of the war, the Union would be running the most sophisticated intelligence operations in American history to that point, utilizing an integrated, all-source, professional service that fed the commanding generals daily reports on enemy strength, disposition, morale, and intent. Just as importantly, the Union also successfully maintained a network of spies inside the Confederate capital that intercepted enemy signal traffic; read Southern newspapers for what the editors had let slip, and used escaped slaves as sources of intelligence. Remarkably, the spy at the center of the efforts in Richmond was a Southern woman who hailed from the city itself. In some ways, Pauline Cushman was able to take advantage of the fact she was a woman, but unlike regular civilians who could blend in, she had the disadvantage of being a recognizable actress. Near the end of the war, she was photographed by Matthew Brady, who had documented the Civil War's battlefields, generals, and, most memorably, casualties. The photograph was taken after she had been rescued and the nation had learned what she had done behind Confederate lines in the spring and summer of 1863. She was already famous as the “Spy of the Cumberland,” making her the greatest heroine of the year. The story of how the Union Army went from the bumbling improvisation of 1861 to the professional craft of 1865, and back to nothing in 1866, is a story of inflated estimates and accidental discoveries, of slaves who walked into federal lines with maps in their heads, of Richmond spinsters who carried coded messages in hollow eggs, and of New York lawyers who learned on the job how to count the enemy."
Audiobook · 3 hrs 23 mins
Hollywood’s Star-Crossed Blonde Bombshells: The Lives of the Influential Actresses Who Suffered Premature Deaths at the Height of Their Fame
"When the American Film Institute ranked its top 50 screen legends of the 20th century, many of the people named had careers spanning several decades, but one of them managed the feat despite living less than three decades. Ranked as the 22nd greatest actress of the 20th century, Jean Harlow was on the screen for less than 10 years, but in that time the “Blonde Bombshell” became the most popular actress of the 1930s, eclipsing superstars like Joan Crawford and Norma Shearer along the way. In fact, the platinum blonde accomplished that feat as a leading lady for just 5 years before her premature death of renal failure at just 26 years old. On January 16, 1942, just a few weeks after Pearl Harbor brought the United States into World War II, the nation suffered what were considered the first civilian deaths of the war when a plane crashed into the side of a mountain southwest of Las Vegas. Aboard the plane were 15 servicemen, but the plane was also carrying one of Hollywood’s biggest stars: actress Carole Lombard. Although Lombard’s death and her marriage to Gone With the Wind star Clark Gable have overshadowed her career, her untimely death in 1942 cut short the life of one of Hollywood’s most prominent stars at the time. Few actresses lived their lives in the public eye more than Marilyn Monroe, and yet her life remains shrouded in mystery to this day. While it is common knowledge that Marilyn’s life is a rags-to-riches story, her life is bookended by hazy details surrounding her early life and even more mysterious death. What is known is that Marilyn Monroe was America’s ultimate sex symbol in the 20th century, in part because she came of age in the wake of World War II and became famous during the conservative era of the 1950s. She appeared in just two films in the 1960s, prior to her premature death in August 1962, and there is a wide gulf between the brevity of her career and the impact that she made on American culture throughout the 1950s. "
Audiobook · 4 hrs 10 mins
The World’s Most Notorious Mutinies: The History of Famous Crew Rebellions on the High Seas
"The Mutiny on the Bounty is one of those great stories in history that most people have heard of but few people know much about. In fact, those who think they know what happened are likely to have formed their opinions from what they saw on a movie screen than what they read in a book. Fortunately, the true story itself is every bit as exciting as anything Hollywood could dream up. In the end, three of the mutineers were executed, and several were acquitted or pardoned, but the story became such a part of popular lore in Britain that it has been commemorated and depicted in various ways ever since. Mention the 18th century Royal Navy and visions come to mind of swashbuckling sailors swinging from rope to rope while a red-faced captain in an even redder coat and a powdered wig shouts order and pitches fits. Such visions, largely shaped by Hollywood pictures such as the popular Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, naturally fail to do full justice to a group of men who functioned, with little direction and even less support, on the seas for years at a time. Likewise, those stranded on islands were not met by pretty native girls bearing coconut cream pies but instead cold and wind and an unremitting surf that drove away both flora and fauna. Those who doubt this reality or unfamiliar with it need only consult the journals and records of the officers and crew of the HMS Wager, who sailed from England to fight the Spanish in 1741 and instead ended up fighting for their lives. In 1839, the Amistad was loaded in Havana with Africans who had been brought across the ocean to be made slaves, but after the ship left Havana for another location on Cuba, the Africans escaped their shackles, killed the captain, and took over the ship. When they demanded to be taken back to Africa, the ship’s crew instead sailed north, and the ship was ultimately captured off the coast of Long Island in New York."
Audiobook · 4 hrs 54 mins
Monterey and Woodstock: The History and Legacy of the Rock Festivals that Defined an Era
"In June 1967, as the counterculture movement gained steam over the Vietnam War, the Monterey International Pop Festival emerged as a watershed moment for the decade. Held across three days at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, California, it established the template for the modern rock festival and put the world on notice that rock music had become a global force, all while showcasing different artists that continued to reshape the genre. Subsequent festivals like Woodstock would go on to eclipse Monterey, but it was in 1967 that America was truly introduced to groundbreaking artists like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Otis Redding, and other musicians who would become among the most celebrated rock legends of all time. As such, Monterey Pop represented the exact instant when the underground became mainstream and when popular music transformed from entertainment into cultural identity. Woodstock, more accurately entitled the Woodstock Music Festival; An Aquarian Exposition: Three Days of Peace and Music, remains one of the most enduring events of the 1960s. As the public pinnacle of the countercultural phenomenon, the giant festival that overwhelmed a section of an upstate New York farm for a week during a time of national and international upheaval evolved from a typical speculative financial venture to a defining historical moment thanks to the legendary performances by many of the era’s greatest musicians. By music festival standards, the audience at Woodstock was biblical in size, but the largest audience in festival history also consists of those who claimed they were there. The closing decades of the 20th century abounded with countless claims by Baby Boomers who claimed that they had been among the mass that descended upon the New York farming community. In truth, Woodstock was a three-day, muddy logistical nightmare, as ill-prepared hippies arrived at an equally ill-prepared site."
Audiobook · 2 hrs 25 mins
The Monterey International Pop Festival: The History and Legacy of the First Major Rock Festival in the 1960s
"In June 1967, as the counterculture movement gained steam over the Vietnam War, the Monterey International Pop Festival emerged as a watershed moment for the decade. Held across three days at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, California, it established the template for the modern rock festival and put the world on notice that rock music had become a global force, all while showcasing different artists that continued to reshape the genre. Subsequent festivals like Woodstock would go on to eclipse Monterey, but it was in 1967 that America was truly introduced to groundbreaking artists like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Otis Redding, and other musicians who would become among the most celebrated rock legends of all time. As such, Monterey Pop represented the exact instant when the underground became mainstream and when popular music transformed from entertainment into cultural identity. Shortly before the festival, San Francisco had become the center of the growing counterculture, with the Haight-Ashbury district emerging as a gathering place for hippies, artists, and musicians who promoted ideals of peace, love, experimentation, and communal living. Psychedelic rock bands such as Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead, and Big Brother and the Holding Company were pioneering entirely new sounds influenced by folk, blues, and jazz, while soul, folk, and blues musicians continued pushing American music from within. Monterey Pop emerged directly from this cultural explosion. Along with record producer Lou Adler and a few others, John Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas came up with the idea of holding a festival that would include a diverse array of musicians and thereby showcase their music. The resulting lineup represented an extraordinary convergence of musical talent that is now considered legendary, including Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and the Grateful Dead."
Audiobook · 1 hr 30 mins
The Great Molasses Flood: The History of the Unusual Disaster that Struck Boston in 1919
"The morning of January 15, 1919, came warm and bright to the North End of Boston. The temperature had climbed nearly 40 degrees in two days, an unusual mercy after a brutal cold snap. Children played in the streets between tenement walls, workers at the public works department gathered for their noon meal in the yard behind their building, and firefighters tended their station at Engine 31 on Commercial Street, their pumper truck washed and waiting. A trainload of passengers rumbled along the Atlantic Avenue Elevated, the iron tracks running parallel to the waterfront. Somewhere on the wharves, men loaded freight onto wagons. Elsewhere in a nearby tenement, an Italian widow prepared dinner. Another old woman was setting out laundry to dry. Then, at 12:30 in the afternoon, the great steel tank at 529 Commercial Street tore itself apart while it was holding 2.3 million gallons of molasses. The tank stood 50 feet high and 90 feet across after it had been built in about two months during the autumn of 1915. It was never properly tested, never adequately inspected, and never trusted by the men who worked beside it. When its plates failed, the molasses rushed out as an enormous wave that witnesses later described as being 25 feet tall and 160 feet wide, and as if that wasn’t enough, the wave moved at an estimated 35 miles per hour. The molasses carried with it the tank's steel rivets, fragments of iron plating, and a tremor through the ground that rattled windows blocks away. When it struck the Engine 31 firehouse, it lifted the building off its foundation, and when it struck the Clougherty home, the molasses pushed the house against the iron supports of the elevated railway, snapping one of the railway’s supports clean in half and lifting a railway car off its tracks. The wave even swept horses, wagons, men, women, and children into the harbor. By the time the wave finally settled, 21 people lay dead, and 150 more required hospital care."
Audiobook · 1 hr 13 mins
St. Peter and St. Paul: The History of the Christian Church’s Most Famous Apostles
"Apart from Jesus, there is no character more vividly presented in the gospels than Peter. To talk of Saint Peter is to talk about a man of action. There is a good reason why he is the apostle with the most mentions in the Gospels, and the most referred to in the New Testament (a total of 195 times). In comparison, John, the next most popular disciple, barely reaches 29 references. It is at decisive moments which require a categorical reaction where the leader of the Twelve shines; it is then that Peter —born as Simon Bar-Jonah— has no rival in the inner circle of disciples that followed Jesus of Nazareth. At the same time, during periods of uncertainty and inaction he hesitates, collapses, and shows his all-too human side. With all his virtues and shortcomings, he became Jesus´s man of confidence, and over time, the leader of the nascent Church. Traditions and legends about the life of Saint Peter are many, not to mention several writings attributed to him. Some may contain historical memories, and others are parables, but it is not a legend that while he was alive, and even 2,000 years later, Peter has been the center of heated controversies. If indeed he was the leader of the apostles, then do his successors (the bishops of Rome) have preeminence over all of Christendom? Aside from Peter, one of the most important and best known individuals of the New Testament is Paul the Apostle, formerly Saul of Tarsus. A “Hebrew born of Hebrews”, Paul’s conversion to Christianity was unquestionably one of the seminal events in the history of the religion, because it would be Paul who spread Christianity across much of the Mediterranean. In the process, over half of the history recorded in the Acts of the Apostles covers the life of Paul, and over half of the letters of the New Testament were written by him. "
Audiobook · 2 hrs 35 mins
Ellington and Armstrong: The Lives and Careers of America’s Most Famous Jazz Performers
"Louis Armstrong once claimed that “Every time I close my eyes blowing that trumpet of mine—I look right in the heart of good old New Orleans…It has given me something to live for.” This statement conjures an image which most anyone familiar with jazz music can recall: Armstrong clutching his trumpet forcefully, his eyes closed in a manner that distances him from his physical surroundings in favor of a perfect harmony between the man and his instrument. As Armstrong alludes to in this remark, this connection also speaks to the enduring influence of his New Orleans background, which informed his musical style and indeed continued to live on through his music. To be sure, while performing, Armstrong appeared lost in a reverie, a condition that imbued his performances with a kind of mythical flair, as if one were watching a man consumed by a moment of transcendence. In other words, if the music of Louis Armstrong produced an emotional response in the listener, this invariably paled in comparison with the deep, organic pathos he was able to produce through his music. In 1956, Duke Ellington was featured on the cover of Time Magazine after a bravura performance at the Newport Jazz Festival that summer. This remains one of his most iconic achievements, and a landmark for jazz music as a whole (only four jazz musicians were ever displayed on the cover of Time). At the same time, however, this recognition stands as one of the prevailing ironies of Ellington’s career, as he was deep into the latter stages of his performing life by this point. Indeed, there is a way in which everything that Ellington had done up to that point in his career was obscured. Put differently, it is misleading to recognize Duke simply for his accomplished performance at the festival, as one could justifiably argue that he transformed the very nature of jazz (both its stylistic qualities and its cultural identity) in his career up until this point. "
John & Abigail Adams: America’s First Political Couple
"John Adams has become one of the more popular presidents in history relatively recently, but it was not always so. For most of his life he was seen as a bit of an outsider, different from his fellow first presidents in his temperament, birth, life and politics. Adams and his son were the only presidents out of the first seven who were born north of the Mason Dixon line, and he was not an easy man to understand or work with. Not only did he have few friends, but he also often fell into long term quarrels with those he had. Still, Adams remained a celebrated figure in Boston for all the work he did in Massachusetts before and after the Revolution, but his national reputation has experienced quite a renaissance over the past decade, beginning with David Mccullough’s best selling biography in 2001, followed in 2008 by the popular HBO series based on it. Then, in 2010, Dearest Friend, a record of the correspondence between Adams and his wife Abigail solidified his position as one of the most darling Founding Fathers of the 21st Century. While the First Ladies often remain overshadowed by their husbands, some have carved unique niches in their time and left their own lasting legacy. Eleanor Roosevelt and Hillary Clinton may have been the most politically active First Ladies in American history, but Abigail Adams was the first to act as political advisor for her husband and the first to be dubbed “Mrs. President”. Indeed, Abigail was politically inclined to degree highly unusual among women of the 18th and 19th century, and she had originally impressed her future husband John because she was so well versed in poetry, philosophy and politics. Abigail was also very progressive, championing women’s rights and abolition long before they became widely held views even in traditionally liberal Massachusetts."
Audiobook · 3 hrs 21 mins
The Kennedys: The History of America’s Most Famous Family
"In many ways, John Fitzgerald Kennedy and his young family were the perfect embodiment of the ‘60s. The decade began with a sense of idealism, personified by the attractive Kennedy, his beautiful and fashionable wife Jackie, and his young children. Months into his presidency, Kennedy exhorted the country to reach for the stars, calling upon the nation to send a man to the Moon and back by the end of the decade. In 1961, Kennedy made it seem like anything was possible, and Americans were eager to believe him. The Kennedy years were fondly and famously labeled “Camelot,” by Jackie herself, suggesting an almost mythical quality about the young President and his family. As it turned out, the ‘60s closely reflected the glossy, idealistic portrayal of John F. Kennedy, as well as the uglier truths. Americans were fascinated by the young First Lady’s style, and the manner in which she glamorously positioned both the First Family and the White House in those years, and Jackie remains one of the country’s most popular First Ladies. But it was in the face of adversity that she truly made her lasting mark, with the country taking its cue from her in the aftermath of the president’s assassination. Having devised and lit the eternal flame at JFK’s tombstone, Jackie also set about securing her husband’s legacy, a time still fondly and mythically remembered as Camelot today, despite his legendary transgressions and infidelities. Eventually, with the deaths of his brothers, Bobby rose to become the leader of the Kennedy family, at the same time his political prominence rose. Today, unfortunately, Bobby is best remembered for his assassination, the way in which it helped perpetuate the “Kennedy Curse”, and the fact that his political promise, including potentially becoming president in 1968, was never fulfilled. "
Audiobook · 6 hrs 2 mins
The Madisons: The Lives and Legacies of the Influential President and First Lady
"The Founding Fathers have become so revered by Americans in the last 200 years that the “Father of the Constitution” himself is often overlooked among the rest of the pantheon. Today James Madison’s legacy mostly pales in comparison to the likes of George Washington, Ben Franklin and his closest colleague, Thomas Jefferson, but Madison’s list of important accomplishments is monumental. A lifelong statesman, Madison was the youngest delegate at the Continental Congress from 1780-83, and at 36 he was one of the youngest men who headed to Philadelphia for the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Despite his age, he was the Convention’s most influential thinker, and the man most responsible for the final draft of the U.S. Constitution. Along with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, Madison was one of the most persuasive advocates for ratifying the Constitution. But his work was far from done; along with Thomas Jefferson, Madison was one of the founders and ideological cornerstones of the Democratic-Republican Party that guided the young nation in the first 30 years of the 19th century. That included his own presidency, in which he oversaw the War of 1812. James Madison may have been the Father of the Constitution, but his wife Dolley all but defined the responsibilities and customs of being the president’s wife. Dolley had served as an informal First Lady for the widowed Thomas Jefferson, but when her husband entered the White House in 1809, Dolley went about furnishing the White House to such an extent that much of the style and items she chose were still in place when Mary Todd Lincoln became the First Lady in 1861. Dolley also became a folk hero of sorts and the center of a colorful legend that had her saving Gilbert Stuart’s priceless painting of George Washington just ahead of the British while her husband was denigrated for fleeing as Washington D.C. was burned. "
Audiobook · 2 hrs 11 mins
The Mysterious Losses of the USS Thresher and USS Scorpion: The History of the Only American Nuclear Submarines Lost at Sea
"In April 1963, one of the most advanced U.S. hunter-killer nuclear submarines and the 129 men onboard vanished while on a routine voyage. The USS Thresher was one of the country’s most advanced ships, but it had the misfortune of becoming the first American nuclear submarine to be lost at sea, prompting obvious questions over what had happened. Had it accidentally collided with a Soviet ship? Was it destroyed by a new and secret Soviet weapon? Was it secretly captured and taken back to the Soviet Union to reveal its secrets? For those who choose to make the careers as submariners, there is no more beloved service. That is, one hopes, how it was for the 99 men who were serving on the USS Scorpion on May 22, 1968, the fateful day the submarine is believed to have sank. It appears that the crew members died quickly, but however it happened, the grief experienced by their family members dragged on for decades, exacerbated both by the Navy’s lack of information about the submarine’s final moments and the government’s unwillingness to share what little knowledge it had. It is easy in hindsight to criticize the military for its secrecy, but it must be remembered that the Scorpion disappeared at the height of the Cold War, and therefore, little could be said publicly about its fate. Coincidentally, 3 other nuclear submarines suffered mysterious sinkings the same year, and the Cold War adversaries were interested in locating them and gleaning any secrets or technology that they could from the other side’s bad luck. Indeed, it was only after the fall of the Soviet Union that the truth could be told, bringing closure to family members and a dark lesson in espionage to the American people."
Audiobook · 2 hrs 42 mins
The Adams Family: The History of Colonial Boston's Most Important Political Family
"he American Revolution had no shortage of compelling characters with seemingly larger than life traits, including men like the multi-talented Benjamin Franklin, the wise Thomas Jefferson, the mercurial John Adams and the stoic George Washington. But no Revolutionary leader has been as controversial as Samuel Adams, who has been widely portrayed over the last two centuries as America’s most radical and fiery colonist. Among his contemporaries, Samuel Adams was viewed as one of the most influential colonial leaders, a man Thomas Jefferson himself labeled “truly the Man of the Revolution” and the one who the Boston Gazette eulogized as the “Father of the American Revolution.” Samuel was an outspoken opponent of British taxes in the 1760s, one of Boston’s hardest working writers and orators, a leader of the Boston Caucus, active in the Sons of Liberty, and a political leader who organized large gatherings in settings like Faneuil Hall and the Old South Meeting House. When cousin John Adams was an Ambassador to France during the Revolution, he had to explain that he was not the “famous” Adams. John Adams remained a celebrated figure in Boston for all the work he did in Massachusetts before and after the Revolution, but his national reputation has experienced quite a renaissance over the past decade, beginning with David Mccullough’s best selling biography in 2001, followed in 2008 by the popular HBO series based on it. While her time as First Lady was important, Abigail Adams remains one of the most recognized and respected First Ladies in American history due to her voluminous correspondence with John when they were separated throughout the American Revolution. n addition to being the first son of a president to become president himself, John Quincy Adams also managed to be a U.S. Senator, a U.S. House Representative, a Secretary of State, and an ambassador to several countries."
Audiobook · 4 hrs 29 mins
Mysterious North America: Mysteries, Legends, and Unexplained Phenomena across the United States, Mexico, and Canada
"At a time in antiquity when most of Europe was covered with forests and wandering tribes, Mexico had already developed complex civilizations, beginning with the Olmecs and followed by the Maya, a civilization with advanced knowledge of medicine, engineering and astronomy. The Maya calculated the precession of the equinoxes and cycles of the Pleiades, on which they based their year, since they believed they had come from that constellation. The last, and perhaps most famous, great civilization before the arrival of the Europeans was the Aztecs. With so many ancient peoples whose influence, beliefs, and modifications to the landscape extend to the present day, Mexico is fertile land for legends, ghosts, surprising places, and mysteries. A belief in communing with things that lie beyond (stars, constellations, and life after death), mysticism, and apparitions are intimately woven into the colorful fabric of the Mexican nation. As for the United States, many Americans think the land has always had a dark side and a strange side. Monsters and ghosts lurk in its woods and old houses, and strange monuments that may be from a forgotten civilization puzzle local investigators. All the while, the early inhabitants themselves were always superstitious, as evidenced by history’s most famous witch trials. Canada has the reputation of being a boring place, but dig a little below the surface, and you’ll find a different Canada, a stranger Canada, one of murder, mystery, and paranormal experiences. The stories that follow will show that Canada, far from being a dull, staid nation where nothing much happens, is an epicenter of the mysterious. Mysterious North America: Mysteries, Legends, and Unexplained Phenomena across the United States, Mexico, and Canada offers a vast compendium of strange, unexplained, and just plain odd stories across North America’s various regions."
Audiobook · 10 hrs 43 mins
The Five Civilized Tribes
"The Five Civilized Tribes are among the best known Native American groups in American history, and they were even celebrated by contemporary Americans for their abilities to adapt to white culture. But tragically, they are also well known tribes due to the trials and tribulations they suffered by being forcibly moved west along the Trail of Tears. The Cherokee began the process of assimilation with whites very early, even before the establishment of the Unites States, and by the early 19th century they were one of the “Five Civilized Tribes.” Ultimately, however, it is unclear what benefits “civilization” brought the tribe. Throughout the colonial period and after the American Revolution, the Cherokee struggled to satisfy the whims and desires of American government officials and settlers, often suffering injustices after complying with their desires. Nevertheless, the Cherokee continued to endure, and after being pushed west, they rose from humble origins as refugees new to the southeastern United States to build themselves back up into a powerhouse both economically and militarily. Even after being forced to leave their traditional homeland again, they once more rose to become a powerful tribe and nation, ruling themselves and building their economic power through wise and skillful leadership. Though not as well known as the Cherokee, two of the Five Civilized Tribes were the Chickasaw and Choctaw. With roots that tie them to the Ancient Moundbuilders, the Chickasaw and Choctaw were among the most established groups in the Southeastern United States, and they were among the first natives encountered by Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto’s historic expedition in the mid-16th century. They became known as two of the Five Civilized Tribes for quickly assimilating aspects of European culture, but in response to early European contact, they also became part of one of the strongest confederacies in the region."
Audiobook · 5 hrs 51 mins
The 27 Club: The Lives and Legacies of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison
"It is rare in the world of music for a general consensus to form over who was the best at anything. Many would call The Beatles the greatest rock band, but it’s easy to find strongly opinionated dissenters. However, when it came to playing a guitar and laying the soundtrack for the psychedelic era, just about everyone agrees there was Jimi Hendrix and then there was everyone else. Anyone arguing otherwise either never heard his music or saw him perform. In fact, Jimi Hendrix is one of the few musicians known primarily for his sound and what he could do with a guitar than for his discography. A part of that is due to his untimely death and entry into the 27 Club, but it is also due to the fact that he was so revolutionary with the use of an electric guitar and so skilled at playing it that the effects have largely not been duplicated since. The life and career of Janis Joplin marks such a stark departure from the blues, rock and soul traditions as American society has come to know them that her brief and tempestuous career defies artistic analysis, if only because there is so little precedent aside from the great African-American blues and jazz singers that influenced her. For a woman born in 1943 and coming into her professional prime in the 1960s, Joplin stood as a mesmerizing and baffling foil to the female tradition in non-classical music, which had previously been symbolized by pure, mellow voices singing thoughtful texts. Jim Morrison accomplished just about everything by being extreme, in every sense of the word. His poetry was assaultive, blatant and graphic, a sign of the times, and his voice was mystical and haunting, lacking any sense of what was previously or typically considered vocal beauty. Whether intentional or not, Morrison also led the charge of excessive defiance toward anything hierarchical or rule-laden, and the acting out of his subconscious urges on public stages around the world surpassed all previous artists."
Audiobook · 3 hrs 24 mins
The Most Famous Women of the Wild West
"The most famous woman of the Wild West was also possibly the most colorful and mysterious. “Considered a remarkable good shot and a fearless rider for a girl of my age”, Calamity Jane claimed to be a veteran of the Indian Wars, a scout, and the wife of Wild Bill Hickok, all on the way to becoming a dime novel heroine. While all of those legends have stuck, it’s unclear to what extent if any they are actually true, and even her contemporaries doubted the authenticity of her statements. Belle Starr likely would have been forgotten if not for the mysterious nature of her death and the attempts of dime novel writers to exaggerate her story and turn her into the female equivalent of Jesse James. On February 3, 1889, Starr was ambushed and murdered while riding home, and it’s still unclear who decided to blast her in the back and head with shotguns. That might have been the end of her story, but just months after her unsolved murder, dime novelist Richard K. Fox published Bella Starr, the Bandit Queen, or the Female Jesse James, which breathed new life into her legacy. Since then, Belle Starr has been remembered as one of the most famous women of the Wild West. Annie Oakley would become a national celebrity in her own life for “The Little Sure Shot of the West”, learned her gun skills out of necessity, using them to hunt for food around the Cincinnati area thousands of miles away from the dusty towns, saloons and shootouts that have become symbols the Wild West. . Eventually, she would perform off and on for Buffalo Bill’s show, but she also took her exploits to Europe and even the burgeoning film industry, performing “The Little Sure Shot of the West” for Thomas Edison’s brand new kinetoscope, which could make a film. She also met dignitaries like Queen Victoria and Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany. Annie only became more famous with age, continuing with her skillful performances into her 60s "
Audiobook · 2 hrs 58 mins
The Birth of Modern Astronomy: The History of the Scientists and Theories that Modernized Astronomy
"As interesting as the stories about Tycho Brahe are, chances are he wouldn’t be remembered if not for the important work he did, especially in the realm of astronomy. He lived in an era when the intellectual worldview of most in northern Europe was medieval in nature, influenced mostly by spirituality, mysticism, religion, and metaphysics. Brahe, however, was far-thinking in his outlook, taking advantages of the latest technological ideas and practicing empiricism to revolutionize the field of science. This work eventually led Brahe to cross paths with Johannes Kepler, whose laws on planetary motion would change everything. Trying to define a man who had the qualities of a mathematician, astronomer, philosopher, inventor, and astrologer can prove difficult. But all of that can be ascribed to Johannes Kepler, one of the giants of his era who ushered in the Scientific Revolution and is often considered the first modern scientist. Kepler stood at a moment in time when the intellectual worldview of most in northern Europe was medieval in nature. Kepler, however, was far-thinking in his outlook. In his lifetime, Galileo straddled the epochs of the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution, and it was his work and technological advances that helped usher in a brand new understanding of the solar system and the scientific method. Stephen Hawking himself has asserted, “Galileo, perhaps more than any other single person, was responsible for the birth of modern science.' Of course, part of what made Galileo such a monumental figure was the fact that he was ahead of his time, and that he mostly refused to conform to the accepted dogmas of contemporary society. In 1676, Sir Isaac Newton wrote in a letter, “If I have seen further it is by standing on ye sholders of Giants.” By the time he died, Newton had become science’s greatest giant, and every scientist who has followed him has stood on his shoulders. "
Audiobook · 4 hrs 43 mins
The Dreyfus Affair and the Leo Frank Trial: The History of the Most Notorious Antisemitic Cases in France and America
"In September 1890, among a pile of torn-up documents delivered by Mme. Bastian was found a note handwritten in French which, when pieced together, proved to be a list of French military secrets handed over to the Germans by an unknown French officer of the General Staff. This discovery, which proved the existence of a traitor in the department, triggered a ferment in the corridors of the Conseil Supérieur de la Guerre, and the hunt was on for the culprit. By a process of elimination, officers of the military intelligence were able to narrow down a list of probable traitors, among whom was a young Jewish staff officer, Captain Alfred Dreyfus, who was immediately earmarked as the chief suspect. These are the essential facts of the “Dreyfus Affair,” as it came to be known, an episode that in many respects defined French anti-Semitism in the late 19th century. A case was built with the central objective of protecting the integrity of French military establishment, and in the process, the relatively muted anti-Semitism in France (at least compared to other European nations) was transformed into an era of virulent and violent Jew-hatred that characterized and sullied the final decade of the 19th century in France. Even today, as many of the affair’s nuances and facets have faded from memory, its political importance and anti-Semitic elements continue to be well-known and quite relevant today. In 1913, Mary Phagan, a young Georgia factory girl and the daughter of tenant farmers, was raped and killed, and suspicion fell upon Leo Frank, the Jewish-American factory manager, who was subsequently arrested, tried, and convicted of her murder based on the thinnest of circumstantial evidence. The entire case against Frank rested on the testimony of the factory janitor, Jim Conley, despite the fact Conley had been arrested almost immediately after Frank when he was spotted washing what appeared to be blood off his clothes. "
Audiobook · 2 hrs 33 mins
The World’s Most Famous Physicists: The Lives and Legacies of the Scientists Who Pioneered Physics
"It would be impossible to overstate the accomplishments and legacy of a man history has dubbed the “Father of Modern Science”. In his lifetime, Galileo straddled the epochs of the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution, and it was his work and technological advances that helped usher in a brand new understanding of the solar system and the scientific method. Stephen Hawking himself has asserted, “Galileo, perhaps more than any other single person, was responsible for the birth of modern science.' Sir Isaac Newton is widely considered the most influential scientist in history, best known for the discovery of gravity and the subsequent laws of motion that he theorized. Schoolchildren around the world are still taught the famous legend about an apple falling on Newton’s head, but that colorful story and the preoccupation with Newton’s work in physics tend to make people forget Newton’s work in other fields. Michael Faraday, an endlessly luminous mind equipped with an unflagging hunger for knowledge, possessed a hunger so ungovernable that not even poverty or social norms could stand in the way of his ambitions. Indeed, it was reportedly Albert Einstein's expertise in the lives of Maxwell and Faraday, as well as his mastery of their work and accomplishments, that landed him his first job. Nikola Tesla was one of history’s greatest scientists, and though he is best known for his pioneering work with electricity, the fact that he is mostly remembered solely for that actually does a disservice to his legacy. Born a Serb in the Austrian Empire, Tesla came to the United States and worked in a laboratory for none other than the Wizard of Menlo Park, Thomas Edison. Albert Einstein needs no formal introduction. He is known around the world as one of history’s most brilliant geniuses, and one of its most influential scientists. Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics."
Audiobook · 11 hrs 45 mins
The Most Influential Rock Stars of the 1960s
"In 1964, girls all across the United States filled venues, almost literally screamed their heads off, and fainted en masse. Almost from the second they played the first note, The Beatles would be hit with the resounding screams, which made it impossible for them to even hear themselves sing. When they made their American debut on The Ed Sullivan Show in early 1964, they were greeted by young fans who whipped themselves up into such a frenzy that some of them fainted. Beatlemania had struck North America, creating a musical and pop culture phenomenon unlike anything the world had ever seen. At the center of it all was John Lennon and Paul McCartney, the principal songwriting duo who were instrumental in creating the soundtrack of the 1960s, while producing some of the world’s most timeless classics. Together with George Harrison and Ringo Starr, Lennon and McCartney propelled The Beatles to unprecedented heights, sparking Beatlemania on two sides of the Atlantic and experimenting with their sound in ways that revolutionized rock and inspired bands across various musical genres. In the space of just a few years, Bob Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, rose from the obscurity of a small Minnesota town to a position of royalty atop the folk music landscape of the 1960s, with a universal esteem and status on a par with Elvis Presley and The Beatles. In the 1960s, “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are A’ Changing” “became anthems of the anti-war and civil rights movements,” but long after the transition from the ‘50s to the late ‘60s and ‘70s was accomplished, the initially baffling young folk singer who appeared out of nowhere was awarded a special Pulitzer Prize for “his profound impact on popular music, and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power.”"
Serpent Legends: The History and Legacy of the Folk Tales about Sea Serpents
"The first specimen of megamouth shark (megachasma pelagios) was discovered on November 15, 1976, when it was found entangled in the drag anchor of a U.S. Navy ship. The new creature wasn't described scientifically until 1983…The megamouth remains the only species in its genus, and the only genus in its order.” That discovery was a reminder that the oceans of the world have always had an air of mystery. About 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, and until the 20th century no one had plumbed its depths. Even today the bigger seas and oceans remain a largely unexplored frontier, with new species being discovered every year. Thus it comes as no surprise that countless legends have arisen of strange creatures lurking in the depths. Of course, the most famous serpent of them all supposedly dwells in Scotland. While cryptids like Bigfoot and the Yeti have become popular in recent decades, none of them can touch the notoriety of the Loch Ness Monster, a large, unknown creature allegedly living in a loch in the Highlands of Scotland. Was it a relic dinosaur or perhaps an entirely new species? New photographs and new eyewitness sightings fueled a growing debate and transformed the Loch Ness Monster, also known as Nessie, into an instantly recognizable staple of pop culture, to the extent that hundreds of thousands of visitors came to Loch Ness every year in hopes of catching a glimpse of the loch’s famous inhabitant. The Loch Ness Monster remains an international brand and the best-known cryptid in the world, but after almost 100 years of fame and media attention, what do people really know about this cryptid, and is there any proof that there really is something large and unknown living in a remote Scottish loch? "
Audiobook · 2 hrs 39 mins
The World’s Most Famous Megaliths: The History of Göbekli Tepe, Stonehenge, and the Megalithic Temples of Malta
"Despite the fact some Neolithic communities grew to considerable sizes, they’re typically not considered when people think of the first ancient civilizations or the first major cities, so when German archaeologists discovered the archaeological site of Göbekli Tepe in southeastern Turkey in the 1990s, it created an academic firestorm that is still raging. Far from being just another settlement, Göbekli Tepe has been described as the world’s first temple and perhaps one of the locations where human civilization began. Subsequent archaeological work at Göbekli Tepe has revealed that the site was a spiritual center for the local population during a time when humans were undergoing a transition as hunter-gatherers in the Paleolithic Period to a more sedentary lifestyle in the Neolithic Period, more than 10,000 years ago. Naturally, when European archaeologists began unearthing the megaliths of Malta in the 19th century, they did not know what to think, which led to a plethora of theories, many of them quite fantastic. At least 23 of these temples were uncovered, but because the people who built them lacked the knowledge of writing, speculation over who built them and why remained well into the 20th century (Rountree 2003, 26). Some people theorized that the Malta megaliths were built by a race of giants, while others believed that it was the center of a “Mother Earth” cult that later spread through Neolithic Europe. On the Salisbury Plain, only a few hours from the hustle and bustle of Central London, remains one of the greatest surviving relics of humanity's ancient past: the mighty stone circle of Stonehenge. Stonehenge is one of the most well-known ancient sites in the world, and an image of it raises numerous associations and emotional responses. Its impressiveness comes not only from its size and remarkable level of preservation, but more so because of incredible precision during an era of simple technology."
Audiobook · 3 hrs 39 mins
The American Investigations of UFOs: The History, Mysteries, and Conspiracy Theories Surrounding the Federal Government’s Handling of UFO Sightings across the Country
"Modern Ufology focuses on mysterious lights on Ceres or tales of alien abduction, but this wasn’t always the case, and looking at how the beliefs in the UFO phenomenon have changed or stayed the same can shed light on how culture and belief changes over time. One does not have to believe humans are actually being visited by aliens from another planet to recognize the importance of UFOs in human society. Any widespread belief that endures for centuries is worthy of study, and as always, cases exist that can’t be explained away simple superstition. The first large-scale, official investigation came during the UFO flap of 1947. On December 30, 1947, Major General L. C. Cragie, director of research and development for the United States Air Force, authorized the study of the flying saucer problem. His statement carried the line “by command of the chief of staff.” The program was called Project Sign, and it would be the first of three known U.S. government studies of the UFO phenomenon. While these American investigations of UFOs from the 1940s and 1950s were documented, nothing exemplifies the debate between those who believe that extraterrestrials visit the Earth and skeptics like the top secret papers that emerged in the 1980s and seemed to prove the existence of a shadowy secret organization known as MJ-12 or Majestic 12. To believers, these papers proved beyond a doubt not only that UFOs were real and of extraterrestrial origin, but also that the federal government had been aware of their existence since the 1940s and had even managed to recover one or more crashed alien spacecrafts. To skeptics, this notion simply proved how gullible UFO believers were. There was no middle ground - people either believed in the MJ-12 papers completely or laughed at them."
Audiobook · 2 hrs 49 mins
Bob Fosse & George Balanchine: The History of the Men Who Revolutionized American Choreography
"By the turn of the 20th century, American entertainment was still preoccupied with European-style operetta, as embodied in the works of cellist-composer Victor Herbert. Traditional dance forms moved from European stories to the American prairie in Oklahoma by the late 1940s, and what was once the property of Bavarian princes became the singing standards of cowboys riding through the corn fields in Oh What a Beautiful Morning and Out of My Dreams. At the time, the availability of classical ballet in America was scant. In contrast to the evolution of an American style in musical theater, Broadway, and film, ballet in the United States was ushered in largely through the efforts of an individual who brought with him a strong traditional sense from Russia and the rest of Europe but was intent on producing a distinctly American style. Other experimentalists appeared, such as Isadora Duncan, but it was George Balanchine who managed to institutionalize and fund both a hybrid traditional as well as experimental form. In the 1960s, Bob Fosse emerged as one of the leading dancers, actors, choreographers, directors, screenwriters and film directors on Broadway and in Hollywood. He became famous for conquering several fields on the musical stage and film simultaneously in a way that no one has before or since. It is said that “only Busby Berkeley compares” to Fosse despite the fact that Berkeley was never a dancer, and that Fosse enjoyed eight Broadway hits to Berkeley’s one. Fosse forever changed the way the modern audience viewed dance on stage and film. Coupling his rise with the sexual freedom movement, he is known for an “intense, unbelievably driven, provocative, entertaining…sexual, physically demanding” choreographic style. Difficult for even the best dancers, the range of expression encompasses “joyous humor, as well as bleak cynicism.”"
Audiobook · 2 hrs 29 mins
Saint Nicholas and Krampus: The History of the Popular Companions Who Reward and Punish Children during the Christmas Season
"One of the most important figures constantly brought up during the Christmas season is Saint Nicholas, despite the fact most people know little about him. In the 21st century, Saint Nicholas (or as people often refer to him, “Jolly Old Saint Nick”) has been reduced to a pretend, adorably portly grandfather-type, a visual often accompanied by a fleet of magical reindeer and a bustling workshop staffed by endlessly cheerful elves. Most assume, quite understandably, that Saint Nicholas was the fount of inspiration that Santa Claus' myth weavers steadily drank from over the centuries. While this is accurate to some extent, it is important to remember that the parallels between Saint Nicholas and the present-day Santa Claus marketed by mass media are actually quite limited. After Nicholas of Myra’s death, December 6 became his feast day, and over the centuries, children anticipated his appearance with gifts. However, other children, particularly those of the mischievous sort, trembled under their covers on December 6, because they could not look forward to tinkling sleigh bells or belly-shaking laughs. Instead, they feared the disconcerting sounds of heavy breathing, guttural growls, and rattling chains, all of which came from the terrifying Krampus. Despite the best efforts of the Catholic Church and other conservative groups, Krampus is in the midst of a major Renaissance, penetrating not only modern literature, but even becoming a fixture of pop culture. This is evidenced by the creature's recent starring roles in the films Krampus, Night of the Krampus, and Mother Krampus, and its cameos in such TV shows and animations as Grimm, Supernatural, American Dad, and Venture Brothers."
Audiobook · 3 hrs 22 mins
Academy Award Winning Sisters: The Lives of Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine
"Olivia de Havilland was one of the last living actresses who worked during the Golden Era of Hollywood, but also one of the most decorated, winning dozens of awards over the course of a 50 year career. Among those, she most notably won the Academy Award for Best Actress for To Each His Own (1946) and The Heiress (1949), more than a decade after she got her start as an 18 year old in Hollywood. Of course, de Havilland isn’t well remembered for any of those accolades or other movies but because she played Melanie Hamilton in Gone With the Wind (1939), perhaps the most famous movie in American history. Although she was a veteran actress at the time, de Havilland’s career hadn’t progressed much since she started, and rumor has it that she eventually got the role after her own sister, Joan Fontaine, was asked to audition for the part and recommended Olivia instead. Although Fontaine and de Havilland would make history by becoming the only sisters to both win an Academy Award for Best Actress, that anecdote was just one of the various stories about the siblings that has shed light on their notoriously contentious and complicated relationship. As Fontaine once put it, “I married first, won the Oscar before Olivia did, and if I die first, she'll undoubtedly be livid because I beat her to it!' De Havilland herself once said, 'Joan is very bright and sharp and can be cutting.' Meanwhile, Joan Fontaine won the Oscar for Best Actress for her role in Alfred Hitchcock’s Suspicion (1941). She also earned a nomination for her performance in The Constant Nymph (1943), and in a television career that spanned several decades, she earned an Emmy nomination for her work on Ryan’s Hope in 1980, nearly 40 years after winning the Academy Award for Suspicion. Fontaine even appeared on Broadway in a couple of productions that ran for several years. "
Audiobook · 2 hrs 2 mins
Anne Bradstreet and Phillis Wheatley: The Lives and Legacies of Colonial America’s Most Prominent Poets
"Anne Bradstreet was born into an unusual family that, in the early years of the 17th century, believed in educating daughters as well as sons. She then moved to the American wilderness as a young bride and proceeded to produce children and poetry at nearly equal speed in the years that followed. Historian Theodore Stanton observed, “The most of her poems were produced between 1630 and 1642, that is, before she was thirty years old; and during these years she had neither leisure, nor elegant surroundings, nor freedom from anxious thoughts, nor even abounding health. Somehow, during her busy lifetime, she contrived to put upon record compositions numerous enough to fill a royal octavo volume of 400 pages, — compositions which entice and reward our reading of them, two hundred years after she lived.” Phillis Wheatley has always been a difficult figure for people to wrap their minds around, both during her life and centuries after it. Indeed, she fits no easy stereotypes that historians or contemporaries liked to use to classify their subjects. Even her name is complicated, with her first name being spelled at times “Phyllis,” and her surname being given without the extra “e” in the final syllable. Like so much of her life, her name was not the one given to her by her parents but instead by the people who first enslaved her. Then there was the matter of her “career,” which has always escaped definition. In the 18th century, enslaved people were not supposed to have been educated, certainly not to the level that Wheatley was, nor were they supposed to have creative abilities beyond those taught to them by their masters. In a time and place where slaves were rarely taught to read, they were obviously not expected to write better poetry than the vast majority of their peers. "
Audiobook · 2 hrs 28 mins
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