29 Best Great Britain, History Books
Great Britain, History is a popular category for many book lovers. Our team at Speechify has curated a list of the top Great Britain, History audiobooks everyone must read.
See the top 29 Great Britain, History audiobooks below.
-
The Phantom Major
- By: Virginia Cowles
- Narrator: Simon Vance
- Length: 8 hours 47 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2010
- Language: English
-
4.3(220 ratings)
4.3(220 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0019.95 USDIn the dark and uncertain days of 1941 and 1942, when Rommel’s tanks were sweeping toward Suez, a handful of daring raiders were making history for the Allies. They operated deep behind the German lines, often driving hundreds of miles throughIn the dark and uncertain days of 1941 and 1942, when Rommel’s tanks were sweeping toward Suez, a handful of daring raiders were making history for the Allies. They operated deep behind the German lines, often driving hundreds of miles through the deserts of North Africa. They hid by day and struck by night, destroying aircraft, blowing up ammunition dumps, derailing trains, and killing many times their own number.
These were the SAS–Stirling’s desert raiders, the brainchild of a deceptively mild-mannered man with a brilliant idea. Small teams of resourceful, highly trained men would penetrate beyond the front lines of the opposing armies and wreak havoc where the Germans least expected it.
The Phantom Major is the classic account of these desert raids, an amazing tale of courage, impudence, and daring, packed with action and high adventure. An intimate record based on eyewitness accounts, this book still stands as the definitive history of the early years of the SAS.
... Read more -
The New Age of Empire
- By: Kehinde Andrews
- Narrator: Kehinde Andrews
- Length: 8 hours 58 minutes
- Publisher: Hachette Audio
- Publish date: March 02, 2021
- Language: English
-
4.29(369 ratings)
4.29(369 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0024.99 USDA damning exploration of the many ways in which the effects and logic of anti-black colonialism continue to inform our modern world. Colonialism and imperialism are often thought to be distant memories, whether they’re glorified inA damning exploration of the many ways in which the effects and logic of anti-black colonialism continue to inform our modern world.Colonialism and imperialism are often thought to be distant memories, whether they’re glorified in Britain’s collective nostalgia or taught as a sin of the past in history classes. This idea is bolstered by the emergence of India, China, Argentina and other non-western nations as leading world powers. Multiculturalism, immigration and globalization have led traditionalists to fear that the west is in decline and that white people are rapidly being left behind; progressives and reactionaries alike espouse the belief that we live in a post-racial society.But imperialism, as Kehinde Andrews argues, is alive and well. It’s just taken a new form: one in which the U.S. and not Europe is at the center of Western dominion, and imperial power looks more like racial capitalism than the expansion of colonial holdings. The International Monetary Fund, World Bank, World Trade Organization and even the United Nations are only some of these modern mechanisms of Western imperialism. Yet these imperialist logics and tactics are not limited to just the west or to white people, as in the neocolonial relationship between China and Africa. Diving deep into the concepts of racial capitalism and racial patriarchy, Andrews adds nuance and context to these often over-simplified narratives, challenging the right and the left in equal measure.Andrews takes the reader from genocide to slavery to colonialism, deftly explaining the histories of these phenomena, how their justifications are linked, and how they continue to shape our world to this day. The New Age of Empire is a damning indictment of white-centered ideologies from Marxism to neoliberalism, and a reminder that our histories are never really over.... Read more -
Black Ghost of Empire
- By: Kris Manjapra
- Narrator: Robin Miles
- Length: 8 hours 51 minutes
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
- Publish date: January 01, 2022
- Language: English
-
4.28(137 ratings)
4.28(137 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0019.99 USDIf the 1619 Project illuminated the ways in which life in the United States has been shaped by the existence of slavery, this “historical, literary masterpiece” (Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy) focuses on emancipation and how itsIf the 1619 Project illuminated the ways in which life in the United States has been shaped by the existence of slavery, this “historical, literary masterpiece” (Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy) focuses on emancipation and how its afterlife further codified the racial caste system–instead of obliterating it.
... Read more
To understand why the shadow of slavery still haunts us today, we must look closely at the way it ended. Between the 1770s and 1880s, emancipation processes took off across the Atlantic world. But far from ushering in a new age of human rights and universal freedoms, these emancipations further codified the racial caste systems they claimed to disrupt.
In this paradigm-altering book, acclaimed historian and professor Kris Manjapra identifies five types of emancipations across the globe and reveals that their perceived failures were not failures at all, but the predictable outcomes of policies designed first and foremost to preserve the status quo of racial oppression. In the process, Manjapra shows how, amidst this unfinished history, grassroots Black organizers and activists have become custodians of collective recovery and remedy; not only for our present, but also for our relationship with the past.
Black Ghost of Empire will rewire readers’ understanding of the world in which we live. Timely, lucid, and crucial to our understanding of contemporary society, this book shines a light into the gap between the idea of slavery’s end and the reality of its continuation–exposing to whom a debt was paid and to whom a debt is owed. -
Miracles on the Water
- By: Tom Nagorski
- Narrator: Graeme Malcolm
- Length: 12 hours 33 minutes
- Publisher: Hachette Audio
- Publish date: August 25, 2015
- Language: English
-
4.27(295 ratings)
4.27(295 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0024.98 USDAn unforgettable story of children in wartime, of heroism at sea, and–above all–of courage and the power of the human spirit. On September 17, 1940, at a little after ten at night, a German submarine torpedoed the passenger liner S.S.An unforgettable story of children in wartime, of heroism at sea, and–above all–of courage and the power of the human spirit.
On September 17, 1940, at a little after ten at night, a German submarine torpedoed the passenger liner S.S. City of Benares in the North Atlantic. There were 406 people on board, but the ship’s prized passengers were 90 children whose parents had elected to send their boys and girls away from Great Britain to escape the ravages of World War II. They were considered lucky, headed for quiet, peaceful, and relatively bountiful Canada.
The Benares sank in half an hour, in a gale that sent several of her lifeboats pitching into the frigid sea. They were more than five hundred miles from land, three hundred miles from the nearest rescue vessel.
Miracles on the Water tells the astonishing story of the survivors–not one of whom had any reasonable hope of rescue as the ship went down. The initial “miracle” involves one British destroyer’s race to the scene, against time and against the elements; the second is the story of Lifeboat 12, missed by the destroyer and left out on the water, 46 people jammed in a craft built and stocked for 30. Those people lasted eight days on little food and tiny rations of drinking water. The survivors have grappled ever since with questions about the ordeal: Should the Benares have been better protected? How and why did they persevere? What role did faith and providence play in the outcome?
Based on first-hand accounts from the child survivors and other passengers, including the author’s great-uncle, Miracles on the Water brings us the story of the attack on the Benares and the extraordinary events that followed.
Tom Nagorski is currently the Executive Vice President of the Asia Society following a three-decade career in journalism – having served most recently as Managing Editor for International Coverage at ABC News. Nagorski has won eight Emmy awards and the Dupont Award for excellence in international coverage, as well as a fellowship from the Henry Luce Foundation. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two children.
... Read more -
An Empire on the Edge
- By: Nick Bunker
- Narrator: Nick Bunker
- Length: 17 hours 16 minutes
- Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
- Publish date: September 16, 2014
- Language: English
-
4.16(441 ratings)
4.16(441 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0029.99 USDThe story of the American Revolution told from the unique perspective of British Parliament and the streets of London, rather than that of the Colonies. Here, Nick Bunker explores and illuminates the dramatic chain of events that led to the outbreakThe story of the American Revolution told from the unique perspective of British Parliament and the streets of London, rather than that of the Colonies. Here, Nick Bunker explores and illuminates the dramatic chain of events that led to the outbreak of the war-revealing a tale of muddle, mistakes, and misunderstandings by men in London that led to the Boston tea party and then to the decision to send redcoats into action against the minutemen. Charting the three years prior to the war during which the British regime in America was already collapsing, Bunker shows how a lethal combination of politics and personalities led to a war that should never have been fought. Revisiting the tea party from the point of view of British economics and drawing upon new and unpublished sources from Britain and the U.S., he argues that thanks to the colonialists’ misunderstandings about the strength of British power, and London’s inability to take American cries for freedom seriously, both were pushed beyond the point of compromise. The outcome? A war that few welcomed but all were powerless to stop.
... Read more -
The Time Traveler’s Guide to Elizabethan England
- By: Ian Mortimer
- Narrator: Ian Mortimer
- Length: 17 hours 46 minutes
- Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
- Publish date: June 27, 2013
- Language: English
-
4.09(728 ratings)
4.09(728 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0029.99 USDBestselling author Ian Mortimer created a runaway hit–and put “medieval history back in the hands of ordinary readers” (Daily Telegraph)–with The Time Traveler’s Guide to Medieval England. In this follow-up, MortimerBestselling author Ian Mortimer created a runaway hit–and put “medieval history back in the hands of ordinary readers” (Daily Telegraph)–with The Time Traveler’s Guide to Medieval England. In this follow-up, Mortimer explores the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. A golden age of maritime heroes like Sir Walter Raleigh and writers such as Shakespeare, Elizabethan England was also an era of violence, famine, and religious persecution. But for all these trials, Elizabeth’s subjects settled America, circumnavigated the globe, and laid the groundwork for the modern world.
... Read more -
Tudors
- By: Peter Ackroyd
- Narrator: Clive Chafer
- Length: 19 hours 8 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2015
- Language: English
-
4.03(3020 ratings)
4.03(3020 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0024.95 USDFrom Henry VIII’s cataclysmic break with Rome to the epic rule of Elizabeth I, the age of the Tudors comes to vivid life on the page. Peter Ackroyd, one of Britain’s most acclaimed writers, brings the age of the Tudors to vivid life inFrom Henry VIII’s cataclysmic break with Rome to the epic rule of Elizabeth I, the age of the Tudors comes to vivid life on the page.
Peter Ackroyd, one of Britain’s most acclaimed writers, brings the age of the Tudors to vivid life in this monumental book in his History of England series, charting the course of English history from Henry VIII’s cataclysmic break with Rome to the epic rule of Elizabeth I.
Rich in detail and atmosphere, Tudors is the story of Henry VIII’s relentless pursuit of both the perfect wife and the perfect heir, of how the brief royal reign of the teenage king, Edward VI, gave way to the violent reimposition of Catholicism and the stench of bonfires under “Bloody Mary.” It tells, too, of the long reign of Elizabeth I, which, though marked by civil strife, plots against her, and even an invasion force, finally brought stability.
Above all, it is the story of the English Reformation and the making of the Anglican Church. At the beginning of the sixteenth century, England was still largely feudal and looked to Rome for direction; at its end, it was a country where good governance was the duty of the state, not the church, and where men and women began to look to themselves for answers rather than to those who ruled them.
... Read more -
Foundation
- By: Peter Ackroyd
- Narrator: Clive Chafer
- Length: 18 hours 21 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2015
- Language: English
-
4.03(3020 ratings)
4.03(3020 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0024.95 USDIn this massive bestseller in England, one of Britain’s most popular and esteemed historians tells the epic story of the birth of the country. Peter Ackroyd, whose work has always been underpinned by a profound interest in and understanding ofIn this massive bestseller in England, one of Britain’s most popular and esteemed historians tells the epic story of the birth of the country.
Peter Ackroyd, whose work has always been underpinned by a profound interest in and understanding of England’s history, now tells the epic story of England itself.
In Foundation,the chronicler of London and of its river, the Thames, takes us from the primeval forests of England’s prehistory to the death of the first Tudor king, Henry VII, in 1509. He guides us from the building of Stonehenge to the founding of the two great glories of medieval England: common law and the cathedrals. He shows us glimpses of the country’s most distant past–a Neolithic stirrup found in a grave, a Roman fort, a Saxon tomb, a medieval manor house–and describes in rich prose the successive waves of invaders who made England English, despite being themselves Roman, Viking, Saxon, or Norman French.
With his extraordinary skill for evoking time and place and his acute eye for the telling detail, Ackroyd recounts the story of warring kings, civil strife, and foreign wars. But he also gives us a vivid sense of how England’s early people lived: the homes they built, the clothes they wore, the food they ate, even the jokes they told. All are brought vividly to life through the narrative mastery of one of Britain’s finest writers.
... Read more -
Rights of Man
- By: Thomas Paine
- Narrator: Bernard Mayes
- Length: 10 hours 12 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2012
- Language: English
-
4.02(8722 ratings)
4.02(8722 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0019.95 USDWritten in the late eighteenth century as a reply to Edmund Burke’s Reflections on the French Revolution, Thomas Paine’s Rights of Man is unquestionably one of the great classics on the subject of democracy. A vindication of the FrenchWritten in the late eighteenth century as a reply to Edmund Burke’s Reflections on the French Revolution, Thomas Paine’s Rights of Man is unquestionably one of the great classics on the subject of democracy. A vindication of the French Revolution and a critique of the British system of government, it defended the dignity of the common man in all countries against those who would discard him as one of the “swinish multitude.”
Paine created a language of modern politics that brought important issues to the working classes. Employing direct, vehement prose, Paine defends popular rights, national independence, revolutionary war, and economic growth—all of which were considered, at the time, to be dangerous and even seditious issues. His vast influence is due in large measure to his eloquent literary style, noted for its poignant metaphors, vigor, and rational directness.
... Read more -
The Miracle of Dunkirk
- By: Walter Lord
- Narrator: Jeff Cummings
- Length: 10 hours 4 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2009
- Language: English
-
3.99(1766 ratings)
3.99(1766 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0019.95 USDThe true story of the World War II evacuation portrayed in the Christopher Nolan film Dunkirk, by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Day of Infamy. On May 24, 1940, Hitler’s armies were on the brink of a shattering military victory.The true story of the World War II evacuation portrayed in the Christopher Nolan film Dunkirk, by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Day of Infamy.
On May 24, 1940, Hitler’s armies were on the brink of a shattering military victory. Only ten miles away, 400,000 Allied troops were pinned against the coast of Dunkirk. But just eleven days later, 338,000 men had been successfully evacuated to England. How did it happen?
Walter Lord’s remarkable account of how “the miracle of Dunkirk” came about is based on hundreds of interviews with survivors of all nations who fought among the sand dunes of northern France.
... Read more -
Revolution
- By: Peter Ackroyd
- Narrator: Derek Perkins
- Length: 15 hours 10 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2017
- Language: English
-
3.99(1022 ratings)
3.99(1022 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0022.95 USDIn Revolution, Peter Ackroyd takes listeners from William of Orange’s accession following the Glorious Revolution to the Regency, when the flamboyant Prince of Wales ruled in the stead of his mad father, George III, and EnglandIn Revolution, Peter Ackroyd takes listeners from William of Orange’s accession following the Glorious Revolution to the Regency, when the flamboyant Prince of Wales ruled in the stead of his mad father, George III, and England was–again–at war with France, a war that would end with the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo.
Late Stuart and Georgian England marked the creation of the great pillars of the English state. The Bank of England was founded, as was the stock exchange; the Church of England was fully established as the guardian of the spiritual life of the nation, and parliament became the sovereign body of the nation with responsibilities and duties far beyond those of the monarch. It was a revolutionary era in English letters, too, a time in which newspapers first flourished and the English novel was born. It was an era in which coffeehouses and playhouses boomed, gin flowed freely, and in which shops, as we know them today, began to proliferate in towns and villages. But it was also a time of extraordinary and unprecedented technological innovation, which saw England utterly and irrevocably transformed from a country of blue skies and farmland to one of soot and steel and coal.
... Read more -
Rebellion
- By: Peter Ackroyd
- Narrator: Clive Chafer
- Length: 19 hours 0 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2014
- Language: English
-
3.99(1022 ratings)
3.99(1022 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0024.95 USDPeter Ackroyd has been praised as one of the greatest living chroniclers of Britain and its people. In Rebellion, he continues his dazzling account of the history of England, beginning the progress south of the Scottish king James VI, who on thePeter Ackroyd has been praised as one of the greatest living chroniclers of Britain and its people. In Rebellion, he continues his dazzling account of the history of England, beginning the progress south of the Scottish king James VI, who on the death of Elizabeth I became the first Stuart king of England, and ending with the deposition and flight into exile of his grandson James II.
The Stuart monarchy brought together the two nations of England and Scotland into one realm, albeit a realm still marked by political divisions that echo to this day. More importantly perhaps, the Stuart era was marked by the cruel depredations of civil war and the killing of a king. Shrewd and opinionated, James I was eloquent on matters as diverse as theology, witchcraft, and the abuses of tobacco, but his attitude to the English parliament sowed the seeds of the division that would split the country during the reign of his hapless heir, Charles I. Ackroyd offers a brilliant, warts-and-all portrayal of Charles’s nemesis, Oliver Cromwell, Parliament’s great military leader and England’s only dictator, who began his career as a political liberator but ended it as much of a despot as “that man of blood,” the king he executed.
England’s turbulent seventeenth century is vividly laid out before us, but so too is the cultural and social life of the period, notable for its extraordinarily rich literature, including Shakespeare’s late masterpieces, Jacobean tragedy, the poetry of John Donne and Milton, and Thomas Hobbes’s great philosophical treatise, Leviathan. Rebellion also gives us a very real sense of the lives of ordinary English men and women, lived out against a backdrop of constant disruption and uncertainty.
... Read more -
Empire
- By: Niall Ferguson
- Narrator: Sean Barrett
- Length: 15 hours 13 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2018
- Language: English
-
3.91(6114 ratings)
3.91(6114 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0022.95 USDThe British Empire was the largest in all history: the nearest thing to global domination ever achieved. The world we know today is in large measure the product of Britain’s age of empire. The global spread of capitalism, telecommunications,The British Empire was the largest in all history: the nearest thing to global domination ever achieved. The world we know today is in large measure the product of Britain’s age of empire. The global spread of capitalism, telecommunications, the English language, and the institutions of representative government–all these can be traced back to the extraordinary expansion of Britain’s economy, population, and culture from the seventeenth century until the mid-twentieth. On a vast and vividly colored canvas, Empire shows how the British Empire acted as midwife to modernity.
Displaying the originality and rigor that have made him the brightest light among British historians, Ferguson shows that far from being a subject for nostalgia, the story of the Empire is pregnant with lessons for the world today–in particular for the United States as it stands on the brink of a new kind of imperial power. A dazzling tour de force, Empire is a remarkable reappraisal of the prizes and pitfalls of global empire.
... Read more -
Courtiers
- By: Valentine Low
- Narrator: Valentine Low
- Length: 10 hours 2 minutes
- Publisher: Macmillan Audio
- Publish date: January 24, 2023
- Language: English
-
3.87(142 ratings)
3.87(142 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0026.99 USDThis program is read by the author. The gripping account of how the Royal family really operates, from the journalist who has spent years studying them. Who really runs the show and, as Charles III begins his reign, what will happen next?This program is read by the author.
The gripping account of how the Royal family really operates, from the journalist who has spent years studying them. Who really runs the show and, as Charles III begins his reign, what will happen next?
Throughout history, the British monarchy has relied on its courtiers – the trusted advisers in the King or Queen’s inner circle – to ensure its survival as a family and a pillar of the country. Today, as ever, a carefully selected team of people hidden from view steers the royal family’s path between public duty and private life. Queen Elizabeth II, after a remarkable 70 years of service, saw the final seasons of her reign without her husband Philip to guide her. Now, a newly ascended Charles seeks to define what his future as King, and that of his court, will be.
The question of who is entrusted to guide the royals has never been more vital. Yet, as the tensions within the family are exposed to global scrutiny like never before, the task these courtiers face has never been more challenging. With a dark cloud hanging over Prince Andrew as well as Harry and Meghan’s controversial departure from royal life, William and Kate – equipped with a very 21st century approach to press and public relations – now hold the responsibility of making an ancient institution relevant for the decades to come. In fascinating and explosive detail, Valentine Low explores the previously unknown relationship between modern courtiers and the royal family.
Courtiers pulls back the veil to reveal an ever-changing system of complex characters, shifting alliances, and a battle of ideas over what the future of the institution should be. This is the inside story of how the monarchy really works, at a pivotal moment in its history.
A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.
... Read more -
Inglorious Royal Marriages
- By: Leslie Carroll
- Narrator: Leslie Carroll
- Length: 18 hours 37 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2022
- Language: English
-
3.85(255 ratings)
3.85(255 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0029.95 USDIt’s no secret that the marriages of monarchs are often made in hell. Here are some of the most spectacular mismatches in five hundred years of royal history … In a world where many kings, queens, and princes lacked nothing but trueIt’s no secret that the marriages of monarchs are often made in hell. Here are some of the most spectacular mismatches in five hundred years of royal history …
In a world where many kings, queens, and princes lacked nothing but true love, marital mismatches could bring out the baddest, boldest behavior in the bluest of bloodlines. Margaret Tudor, her niece Mary I, and Catherine of Braganza were desperately in love with chronically unfaithful husbands, but at least they weren’t murdered by them, as two of the Medici princesses were. King Charles II’s beautiful, high-spirited sister “Minette” wed Louis XIV’s younger brother, who wore more makeup and perfume than she did. Forced to wed her boring, jug-eared cousin Ferdinand, Marie of Roumania–a granddaughter of Queen Victoria–proved herself one of the heroines of World War I by using her prodigious personal charm to regain massive amounts of land during the peace talks at Versailles.
Brimming with outrageous real-life stories of royal marriages gone wrong, this is an entertaining, unforgettable book of dubious matches doomed from the start.
... Read more -
A Medieval Family
- By: Frances Gies
- Narrator: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 10 hours 27 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2022
- Language: English
-
3.83(150 ratings)
3.83(150 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0019.95 USDThe fascinating story of the fortunes of one medieval family over the course of a century, from acclaimed historians Frances and Joseph Gies The Pastons were members of the English gentry, a group of roughly 1,000 households sandwiched between theThe fascinating story of the fortunes of one medieval family over the course of a century, from acclaimed historians Frances and Joseph Gies
The Pastons were members of the English gentry, a group of roughly 1,000 households sandwiched between the ruling nobility and the peasants and a rough analog for the contemporary “middle class.” Their existence was fairly typical, except for the fact that it was recorded in an extraordinary collection of nearly 1,000 letters that have survived to this day.
Through these letters, which cover the years from 1421 to 1484 and the lives of three generations of Pastons, historians Frances and Joseph Gies provide a rare window into the day-to-day life of this family and into the broader political and social goings-on of medieval England.
A Medieval Family first tells the story of Judge William Paston (1378-1444), the patriarch of the family, a lawyer and judge who bought up land in Norfolk and left his son a sizeable estate, which was later forcibly seized by a neighboring baron. We then follow the family through its ups and downs over several generations, learning of their feuds with neighbors, the frequent instability of fifteenth century England, and significant historical events, such as the Siege of Caister and the Battle of Barnet. There are also many letters of more personal significance, including a series of Valentines sent to John Paston III.
The work of acclaimed historians Frances and Joseph Gies has been used by George R. R. Martin in his research for Game of Thrones and it sequels. In A Medieval Family, they have woven a compelling intergenerational saga that is essential reading for anyone seeking insight into the medieval period.
... Read more -
Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat
- By: John Lukacs
- Narrator: John Lee
- Length: 2 hours 53 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2008
- Language: English
-
3.82(207 ratings)
3.82(207 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0014.95 USDOn May 13, 1940, Winston Churchill stood before the House of Commons to deliver his first speech as prime minister. Europe was in crisis: three days earlier, Germany had invaded France and the Low Countries. Facing only feeble resistance,On May 13, 1940, Winston Churchill stood before the House of Commons to deliver his first speech as prime minister. Europe was in crisis: three days earlier, Germany had invaded France and the Low Countries. Facing only feeble resistance, Hitler’s armies were rapidly sweeping westward. Churchill had little support within the British government when he rose to address it that day. He lacked confidence, both in himself and in his ability to lead his nation to victory, for he recognized far earlier than most the military genius of Adolph Hitler, and the potency of the German military. In Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat, the eminent historian and master storyteller John Lukacs recreates this pivotal moment in world history, and reveals Churchill as he has rarely been seen before: as a man both unsure of himself and deeply fearful of his nation’s defeat.
... Read more -
Bible and Sword
- By: Barbara W. Tuchman
- Narrator: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 12 hours 33 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2009
- Language: English
-
3.81(853 ratings)
3.81(853 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0022.95 USDTwo-time Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Barbara Tuchman explores the complex relationship of Britain to Palestine that led to the founding of the modern Jewish state–and to many of the problems that plague the Middle East today. From earlyTwo-time Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Barbara Tuchman explores the complex relationship of Britain to Palestine that led to the founding of the modern Jewish state–and to many of the problems that plague the Middle East today.
From early times the British people have been drawn to the Holy Land through two major influences: the translation of the Bible into English and, later, the imperial need to control the road to India and access to the oil in the Middle East. Under these influences, one cultural and the other political, countless Englishmen–pilgrims, crusaders, missionaries, merchants, explorers, and surveyors–have made their way to the land of the ancient Hebrews.
With the lucidity and vividness that characterizes her work, Barbara Tuchman brings to life the development of these twin motives–the Bible and the sword–in the consciousness of the British people. They were finally brought together at the end of World War I, when Britain’s conquest of Palestine from the Turks and the solemn moment of entering Jerusalem were imminent. Requiring a gesture of matching significance, that event evoked the Balfour Declaration of 1917–establishing a British-sponsored national home for the modern survivors of the people of the Old Testament.
In her account, first published in 1956, Ms. Tuchman demonstrates that the seeds of today’s troubles in the Middle East were planted long before the first efforts at founding a modern state of Israel.
... Read more -
One Christmas in Washington
- By: David Bercuson
- Narrator: Lloyd James
- Length: 11 hours 3 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2006
- Language: English
-
3.79(161 ratings)
3.79(161 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0020.95 USDOne Christmas in Washington is the fascinating, in-depth look at one of the most crucial periods in modern history: the Washington war conference of 1941, when two proud and accomplished statesmen struggled to overcome biases, suspicion, and hubrisOne Christmas in Washington is the fascinating, in-depth look at one of the most crucial periods in modern history: the Washington war conference of 1941, when two proud and accomplished statesmen struggled to overcome biases, suspicion, and hubris to create what turned out to be the war-winning alliance.
The authors take a penetrating look at the high-level meetings and the scenes behind the scenes: the social events and intrigues, Churchill’s booming intrusion into the daily life of the White House, the strained relationship between Churchill and Eleanor Roosevelt, and the key role played by Roosevelt’s close advisor, Harry Hopkins. As with any such gathering of world leaders, high politics and low gossip contributed to the momentous events of this time.
... Read more -
England in the Age of Chivalry … and Awful Diseases
- By: Ed West
- Narrator: Steven Crossley
- Length: 6 hours 18 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2022
- Language: English
-
3.77(157 ratings)
3.77(157 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0016.95 USDA revealing glimpse into the tumultuous history of England’s medieval period, full of knights in shining armor and terrible peasant suffering Covering the violent and disease-ridden period between 1272 to 1399, England in the Age of ChivalryA revealing glimpse into the tumultuous history of England’s medieval period, full of knights in shining armor and terrible peasant suffering
Covering the violent and disease-ridden period between 1272 to 1399, England in the Age of Chivalry … and Awful Diseases covers the events, personages, and ideas most commonly known as “medieval.” This includes Geoffrey Chaucer, the Peasants revolt, the Scottish wars of independence, the Great Famine of 1315, the Black Death, and the 100 Years War. Central to this time is King Edward III, who started the 100 Years War and defined the concept of chivalry, including England’s order of the garter. His legacy continues to shape our view of England’s history and is crucial in understanding the development of Europe.
... Read more -
Royal Romances
- By: Leslie Carroll
- Narrator: Leslie Carroll
- Length: 22 hours 32 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2022
- Language: English
-
3.76(318 ratings)
3.76(318 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0029.95 USDMore breathtaking than any fairy tale, here are seven scandalous, seductive centuries of all-for-love royal desire … Elegant palaces, dazzling power plays, shimmering jewels, and the grandest of all-or-nothing gambles–nothing can topMore breathtaking than any fairy tale, here are seven scandalous, seductive centuries of all-for-love royal desire …
Elegant palaces, dazzling power plays, shimmering jewels, and the grandest of all-or-nothing gambles–nothing can top real-life love among the royalty. Louis XIV defied God and law, permitting his married mistress Madame de Montespan to usurp the role of Queen of France, then secretly wed her successor, Madame de Maintenon. Grigory Potemkin was a worthy equal in Catherine the Great’s bed as well as in Russia’s political arena. Dashing Count Axel von Fersen risked everything to save Marie Antoinette’s life more than once–and may have returned her passion. The unshakable devotion of the beloved late “Queen Mum” helped King George VI triumph over his, and England’s, darkest hours. And the unpretentious, timelessly glamorous–even relatable–union of Prince William and the former Kate Middleton continues to enthrall the world.
Full of marvelous tales, unforgettable scandals, and bedazzled nobles who refused to rule their hearts, this delightfully insightful book is what the sweetest royal dreams are made of …
... Read more -
The King’s Bed
- By: Don Jordan
- Narrator: Steve West
- Length: 12 hours 28 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2016
- Language: English
-
3.68(208 ratings)
3.68(208 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0019.95 USDFrom two veteran historians comes an intelligent and spirited history of Charles II’s dissolute life and surprising legacy. To refer to the private life of Charles II is to abuse the adjective. His personal life was anything but private. HisFrom two veteran historians comes an intelligent and spirited history of Charles II’s dissolute life and surprising legacy.
To refer to the private life of Charles II is to abuse the adjective. His personal life was anything but private. His amorous liaisons were largely conducted in royal palaces surrounded by friends, courtiers, and literally hundreds of servants and soldiers. Gossip radiated throughout the kingdom.
Charles spent most of his wealth and his intellect on gaining and keeping the company of women, from the lowest of society such as the actress Nell Gwyn to the aristocratic Louise de Kerouaille. Some of Charles’ women played their part in the affairs of state, coloring the way the nation was run.
The authors take us inside Charles’ palace, where we will meet court favorites, amusing confidants, advisors jockeying for political power, mistresses past and present, as well as key figures in Charles’ inner circle, including his “pimpmasters” and his personal pox doctor.
The astonishing personal life of Charles II reveals much about the man he was and why he lived and ruled as he did. The King’s Bed tells the compelling story of a king ruled by his passion.
... Read more -
The Politically Incorrect Guide to the British Empire
- By: H. W. Crocker
- Narrator: Ray Porter
- Length: 11 hours 10 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2011
- Language: English
-
3.63(224 ratings)
3.63(224 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0020.95 USDNothing offends liberals and leftists more than Western imperialism–it is racism, sexism, and chauvinism all in one. And of course the epitome of Western imperialism is the British Empire, the biggest empire the world has ever known, coveringNothing offends liberals and leftists more than Western imperialism–it is racism, sexism, and chauvinism all in one. And of course the epitome of Western imperialism is the British Empire, the biggest empire the world has ever known, covering at its height a quarter of the globe’s surface and ruling a quarter of the world’s population.
In The Politically Incorrect Guide to the British Empire, bestselling author H. W. Crocker III exposes–in brawling, rambunctious style–how the British Empire was actually one of the greatest establishers and defenders of freedom in history.
In this new PI Guide listeners will discover:
-How, far from being anti-imperialists, America’s colonists were more British than the British–demanding their rights as Englishmen and envisioning a continent-wide empire (a word the Founders used with approval)
-How Gandhi praised the British Empire for what it had done for India
-How the British Empire handled today’s troubled hot spots–like Africa, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, and Pakistan
-What the world would be like if the British Empire were still governing a quarter of the globe–hint: everyone would be a lot better off
So strap on your pith helmet for a rollicking ride through some of history’s most colorful events. The Politically Incorrect Guide to the British Empire provides a panoramic and provocative view of four hundred years of history that will delight and amuse, educate and entertain.
... Read more -
Churchill and Empire
- By: Lawrence James
- Narrator: Michael Healy
- Length: 17 hours 4 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2014
- Language: English
-
3.6(81 ratings)
3.6(81 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0022.95 USDOne of our finest narrative historians, Lawrence James has written an illuminating, genuinely new biography of Winston Churchill that focuses solely on his contradictory relationship with the British Empire. As a young army officer in the lateOne of our finest narrative historians, Lawrence James has written an illuminating, genuinely new biography of Winston Churchill that focuses solely on his contradictory relationship with the British Empire. As a young army officer in the late nineteenth century serving in conflicts in India, South Africa, and the Sudan, his attitude toward the Empire was the Victorian paternalistic approach–at once responsible and superior. Conscious even then of his political career ahead, Churchill found himself reluctantly supporting British atrocities and held what many would regard today as prejudiced views, in that he felt some nationalities were superior to others; his (some might say obsequious) relationship with America reflected that view.
This outmoded attitude was one of the reasons the British voters rejected him after a Second World War in which he had led the country brilliantly. His attitude remained decidedly old-fashioned in a world that was shaping up very differently. This groundbreaking volume reveals the many facets of Churchill’s personality: a visionary leader with a truly Victorian attitude toward the British Empire.
... Read more -
The Third Horseman
- By: William Rosen
- Narrator: William Hughes
- Length: 10 hours 44 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2014
- Language: English
-
3.58(664 ratings)
3.58(664 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0019.95 USDHow a seven-year cycle of rain, cold, disease, and warfare created the worst famine in European history In May 1315 it started to rain. It didn’t stop anywhere in north Europe until August. Next came the four coldest winters in a millennium.How a seven-year cycle of rain, cold, disease, and warfare created the worst famine in European history
In May 1315 it started to rain. It didn’t stop anywhere in north Europe until August. Next came the four coldest winters in a millennium. Two separate animal epidemics killed nearly 80 percent of northern Europe’s livestock. Wars between Scotland and England, France and Flanders, and two rival claimants to the Holy Roman Empire destroyed all remaining farmland. After seven years, the combination of lost harvests, warfare, and pestilence would claim six million lives–one eighth of Europe’s total population.
William Rosen draws on a wide array of disciplines, from military history to feudal law to agricultural economics and climatology, to trace the succession of traumas that caused the Great Famine. With dramatic appearances by Scotland’s William Wallace, the luckless Edward II, and his treacherous Queen Isabella, history’s best-documented episode of catastrophic climate change comes alive, with powerful implications for future calamities.
... Read more -
Wallis in Love
- By: Andrew Morton
- Narrator: Molly Parker Myers
- Length: 12 hours 11 minutes
- Publisher: Hachette Audio
- Publish date: February 13, 2018
- Language: English
-
3.55(903 ratings)
3.55(903 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0025.98 USDFor fans of the Netflix series The Crown and from the author of the New York Times bestseller 17 Carnations comes a captivating biography of Wallis Simpson, the notorious woman for whom Edward VIII gave up the throne.“You have no idea how hardFor fans of the Netflix series The Crown and from the author of the New York Times bestseller 17 Carnations comes a captivating biography of Wallis Simpson, the notorious woman for whom Edward VIII gave up the throne.
“You have no idea how hard it is to live out a great romance.” — Wallis SimpsonBefore she became known as the woman who enticed a king from his throne and birthright, Bessie Wallis Warfield was a prudish and particular girl from Baltimore. At turns imaginative, ambitious, and spoiled, Wallis’s first words as recalled by her family were “me, me.” From that young age, she was in want of nothing but stability, status, and social acceptance as she fought to climb the social ladder and take her place in London society. As irony would have it, she would gain the love and devotion of a king, but only at the cost of his throne and her reputation.
In Wallis in Love, acclaimed biographer Andrew Morton offers a fresh portrait of Wallis Simpson in all her vibrancy and brazenness as she transformed from a hard-nosed gold-digger to charming chatelaine. Using diary entries, letters, and other never-before-seen records, Morton takes us through Wallis’s romantic adventures in Washington, China, and her entrance into the strange wonderland that is London society. During her journey, we meet an extraordinary array of characters, many of whom smoothed the way for her dalliance with the king of England, Edward VIII.... Read more
Wallis in Love goes beyond Wallis’s infamous persona and reveals a complex, domineering woman striving to determine her own fate and grapple with matters of the heart. -
Our Times
- By: A. N. Wilson
- Narrator: Geoffrey Howard
- Length: 18 hours 26 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2010
- Language: English
-
3.54(70 ratings)
3.54(70 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0027.95 USDWhen Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953, few could have any inkling of the stupendous changes that were going to take place in Britain and around the world. In this third book of his acclaimed histories, A. N. Wilson paints a panoramic portraitWhen Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953, few could have any inkling of the stupendous changes that were going to take place in Britain and around the world. In this third book of his acclaimed histories, A. N. Wilson paints a panoramic portrait of the development of modern Britain. He begins in the 1950s with the Suez crisis, immigration, the Angry Young Men and Harold Macmillan, and takes us through the vast cultural changes and pop fashions of the 1960s. He continues through the 1970s, with Vietnam and the Cold War looming large and the Labour government that ushered in the Winter of Discontent. The collapse of the Soviet Union in the ’80s signaled the end of a political era in Britain, leading up to the current period of unprecedented peace and prosperity.
... Read more -
The War of 1812
- By: Jeffrey Rogers Hummel
- Narrator: George C. Scott
- Length: 2 hours 28 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2006
- Language: English
-
3.45(84 ratings)
3.45(84 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.009.95 USDThe United States emerged from the American Revolution still engaged in old world politics. In particular, America faced all the trade restrictions of the British Navigation Acts. As a result, the United States declared war on Great Britain in 1812,The United States emerged from the American Revolution still engaged in old world politics. In particular, America faced all the trade restrictions of the British Navigation Acts. As a result, the United States declared war on Great Britain in 1812, and proceeded to invade Canada, one of Britain’s possessions—an invasion which failed. At a cost of $80 million in national debt and of a single party assuming almost unchallenged power, the War of 1812 has been called “America’s most unpopular war.” America, born from a commitment to liberty and equality, seemed to betray its heritage for the sake of control.
The United States at War series is a collection of audio presentations that review the political, economic, and social forces that have erupted in military conflict, and examine how that conflict resolved, or failed to resolve, the forces that caused it.
... Read more -
Blooding at Great Meadows
- By: Alan Axelrod
- Narrator: David Drummond
- Length: 8 hours 51 minutes
- Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
- Publish date: January 01, 2006
- Language: English
-
3.37(39 ratings)
3.37(39 ratings)Regular Price:Try for $0.0019.95 USDHistory celebrates George Washington as the leader of the American Revolution and the father of his country. But what has gone previously unexamined is Washington’s life as a twenty-two-year-old lieutenant colonel; he led four hundred AmericanHistory celebrates George Washington as the leader of the American Revolution and the father of his country. But what has gone previously unexamined is Washington’s life as a twenty-two-year-old lieutenant colonel; he led four hundred American militiamen against a bigger, more experienced French army and paid a high price. Not only did Washington lose over a third of his men, but the Battle of Great Meadows was also the spark that ignited the French and Indian War.
Yet in the midst of this bitter battle, Washington forged the intellectual, visceral, and spiritual aspects that enabled him to achieve all that he did in the years that followed. In this never-before-told account, historian Alan Axelrod examines the geopolitical, financial, and intensely personal issues that shaped the leader Washington would become.
... Read more
Cliff Weitzman
Cliff Weitzman is a dyslexia advocate and the CEO and founder of Speechify, the #1 text-to-speech app in the world, totaling over 100,000 5-star reviews and ranking first place in the App Store for the News & Magazines category. In 2017, Weitzman was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for his work making the internet more accessible to people with learning disabilities. Cliff Weitzman has been featured in EdSurge, Inc., PC Mag, Entrepreneur, Mashable, among other leading outlets.
Recent Blogs
-
July 06, 2023
Which books are available on Spotify?
-
July 06, 2023
Are audiobooks free on Spotify with membership?
-
June 25, 2023
Top Destinations for Free eBooks and Audiobooks Online
-
June 25, 2023
Best Alternative to Barnes & Noble Online
-
June 25, 2023
The Best Places to Buy eBooks: Beyond the Kindle Ecosystem
-
June 25, 2023
What are the best places to find free ebooks?
-
June 25, 2023
Best Independent Companies to Buy eBooks from
-
April 19, 2023
How many Game of Thrones books are there?
-
April 19, 2023
Where to buy cheap books: A comprehensive guide
-
April 19, 2023
How many Jack Reacher books are there?
-
April 19, 2023
How many FNAF books are there?
-
April 19, 2023
How many Warrior Cats books are there?
-
April 19, 2023
How many Wheel of Time books are there?
-
April 19, 2023
The best Vampire Survivors powerups in order
-
April 19, 2023
How to read the Robert Galbraith books in order
-
April 19, 2023
How to read the Artemis Fowl books in order
-
April 19, 2023
How to read Craig Johnson’s books in order
-
April 19, 2023
How to read Cassandra Clare’s books in order
-
April 19, 2023
How to read Lee Child’s books in order
-
April 18, 2023
How to read the In Death book series in order
-
April 18, 2023
Best book quotes
-
April 18, 2023
A tale of two cities reviewed
-
April 18, 2023
All the President’s Men reviewed
-
April 18, 2023
Tintin reviewed
-
April 18, 2023
What are adult coloring books?
-
April 18, 2023
How to read the Percy Jackson books in order
-
April 11, 2023
How to find charities for the blind
-
April 11, 2023
What is the best Bible app
-
April 11, 2023
Where to find free audio Bible downloads
-
April 11, 2023
What is the best free Bible app
More in this series
- 13 Best Sexuality & Gender Studies, Religion Books
- 29 Best Boys & Men Books
- 14 Best Popular Culture, History Books
- 28 Best Diplomacy Books
- 10 Best Holocaust, Biography & Autobiography Books
- 29 Best General, Family & Relationships Books
- 29 Best Text, Religion Books
- 29 Best Bible Stories Books
- 29 Best Murder Books
- 12 Best Religious, History Books
- 29 Best Instruction & Study Books
- 23 Best Witchcraft Books
- 16 Best Literature & the Arts Books
- 29 Best Scottish , Fiction Books
- 13 Best Action & Adventure, Juvenile Fiction Books
- 24 Best Educational Policy & Reform Books
- 29 Best LGBT Books
- 22 Best Consumer Behavior, Business & Economics Books
- Best books recommended by Daymond John
- 29 Best Poetry Books
- 29 Best Love & Romance Books
- 29 Best Cultural Books
- 22 Best Gay & Lesbian , Juvenile Fiction Books
- 27 Best Astronomy Books
- 29 Best Prayer Books
- 29 Best Personal Memoirs, Sports & Recreation Books
- Best books by Scott Cawthon, creator of Five Nights at Freddy’s
- 19 Best Beverages Books
- 29 Best Occult & Supernatural Books
- 29 Best Drama Books