Discover the Best Sellers Audiobooks in History, European

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Title: Georgian Gorgeous or Gorgeous Georgians?

Author: David Gorji

Narrator: Paul Rimple

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 15 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-07-14

Publisher: Creative Angel Publishing

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

David Gorji, an American of Caucasus Georgian descent, describes his quest to seek his ancestral roots, where he discovers a gorgeous land called Georgia and its most hospitable inhabitants, the Georgians. Gorji's excitement at learning about his newly reclaimed homeland is evident in his fireside-like narration about this marvelous country, its rich history and culture, amazing heritage, and millennia-old winemaking and feasting traditions.

In his foreword, the author addresses the listener: "Join me in my incredible journey to the wonderful and mesmerizing land called Georgia, a country in the Caucasus known in ancient times as Iberia. It is famous for its millennia-old history and traditions and distinguished by its unbelievably rich landscapes and biodiversity. This country - less than one one hundredth the size of Western Europe - offers an amazing diversity of climate zones. Within hours by car, you can switch from enjoying subtropics to skiing or contemplating the eternal ice enveloping the Caucasus Mountains; or from soaking in the warm waters of the Black Sea (in the moderately humid Mediterranean-type of climate) to meditating on eternal questions in the deserts of Georgia's dry continental climatic zone.

Just think about it! The word wine in many languages of the world, including English, stems from the Georgian word ghvino. And it is no coincidence. After all, Georgia is regarded as the universal cradle of winemaking!"

Your best guide to my home country, Georgia in the Caucasus.

Critic Reviews:

"David Gorji has written a fascinating and quirky meditation on Georgia, in all its gorgeous complexity. He seduces the reader to follow him on an intensely personal quest for the meaning of Georgia as a country, a people and a language." (Jonathan Levi, Co-Founder/Granta Magazine)

"A panoramic, diverse, and playful rereading of some major Georgian national narratives and the cultural memory of this people. With gorgeous pictures and images." (Zurab Karumidze, author of Dagny, or a Love Feast)

"I love the Georgian Gorgeous or Gorgeous Georgians?! This book was so exciting to read not only rich with history and ancestry, but filled with subtle humor and wisdom. David Gorji is a genius!" (Pam Forsyth, General Manger/ Lilly Broadcasting)

Members Reviews:

Meh

It's interesting but the title is misleading and his logic poor. Just barely a two star.

Interesting history - poor narration

Would you try another book from David Gorji and/or Paul Rimple?

This is a very personal search, and it has that colloquial feel to it. I enjoyed the history and the background on the Georgian people. I did not care for the narrator and there were some pronounciation issues.

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Title: Moskva i moskvichi

Author: V. A. Gilyarovskiy

Narrator: Vladimir Samoylov

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-04-14

Publisher: Dmytro Strelbytskyy

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

Gilyarovskiy imel reputatsiyu korolya moskovskih reportYorov, ego konkom byili ugolovnaya hronika i reportazhi, on pisal o samyih zametnyih i nashumevshih sobyitiyah. Gilyarovskiy byil samyim izvestnyim i priznannyim znatokom Moskvyi: pisatel blestyasche znal istoriyu goroda i ego sovremennost, arhitekturu i geografiyu, vyisshiy svet i moskovskoe dno Hitrovku, priyut nischih, bosyakov i otschepentsev. "Moskva i moskvichi" (1926) - vizitnaya kartochka Gilyarovskogo dlya sovremennogo chitatelya. V ney pisatel pravdivo i uvlekatelno risuet zhizn Moskvyi 18801890-h godov: nravyi i obyichai, ryinki i truschobyi, knizhnyie magazinyi, bani i traktiryi, ulitsyi i bulvaryi, lyudey iskusstva, torgovtsev, chinovnikov

Please note: This audiobook is in Russian.

Critic Reviews:

Gilyarovskiy imel reputatsiyu korolya moskovskih reportYorov, ego konkom byili ugolovnaya hronika i reportazhi, on pisal o samyih zametnyih i nashumevshih sobyitiyah. Gilyarovskiy byil samyim izvestnyim i priznannyim znatokom Moskvyi: pisatel blestyasche znal istoriyu goroda i ego sovremennost, arhitekturu i geografiyu, vyisshiy svet i moskovskoe dno Hitrovku, priyut nischih, bosyakov i otschepentsev. "Moskva i moskvichi" (1926) - vizitnaya kartochka Gilyarovskogo dlya sovremennogo chitatelya. V ney pisatel pravdivo i uvlekatelno risuet zhizn Moskvyi 18801890-h godov: nravyi i obyichai, ryinki i truschobyi, knizhnyie magazinyi, bani i traktiryi, ulitsyi i bulvaryi, lyudey iskusstva, torgovtsev, chinovnikov

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Title: Under Every Leaf

Subtitle: How Britain Played the Great Game from Afghanistan to Africa

Author: William Beaver

Narrator: Peter Owen

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-15-14

Publisher: Spokenworld Audio Ladbroke Audio Ltd

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 25 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

This is the story of the shadowy Intelligence Division of the British War Office and its unsung role in the formation of the Victorian Empire and imperial policy-making from Asia to Africa. With its focus on the heady days between the Crimean War and the establishment of the MI departments in the early years of the 20th century, Under Every Leaf tells how Britain was well served by an extensive and sophisticated secret intelligence service which few even knew existed - then or now.

Drawing from an encyclopaedic array of primary and little-known sources, Under Every Leaf is a rollicking good tale of brains over brawn, adventure, success and sacrifice, craftiness and commitment in the service of the greatest empire the world has ever known.

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Title: Mussolini: History in an Hour

Author: Rupert Colley

Narrator: Jonathan Keeble

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 48 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-24-14

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 2 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

Love history? Know your stuff with History in an Hour.

Il Duce', Benito Mussolini, was one of the key figures in the creation of fascism. Famed for his dictatorial style, his political cunning and admired - initially - by Hitler, Mussolini led the National Fascist Party and ruled Italy as Prime Minister from 1922 until his ousting in 1943. In so doing, he paved the way towards Italy's defeat in World War Two, and some of the 20th century's most destructive ideologies and practices.

Following expulsion from Italian Socialist Party, Mussolini denounced all efforts of class conflict, and instead later commanded a Fascist March on Rome to become the youngest Prime Minister in Italian history. Thereafter he set about dismantling the apparatus of democracy and initiated what would become known as the one-party totalitarian state. With World War II came defeat, humiliation and his bloody deposing.

Explaining his ideologies, policies, actions and flaws, Mussolini: History in an Hour is the concise life of the man whose ideas helped create some of the worst horrors of the modern history.

Critic Reviews:

If the past is a foreign country, History in an Hour is like a high-class tour operator, offering delightfully enjoyable short breaks in the rich and diverse continent of our shared past. (Dominic Sandbrook)

The practice of History is ever-evolving, and the History in an Hour idea brings it back up to date for the digital age. Colley writes in an attractively readable style, and manages to convey the huge story that is WWII in a logical and accessible manner (Andrew Roberts, Bookseller)

This is genius (MacWorld.com)

Members Reviews:

Will help you know Mussolini and his times.

Understanding Mussolini is difficult as he contradicted himself on almost everything. However, this books lets you know the man, his personality, his decisions that impacted lives of many and after going through this book, you may not hate him as much as you do. That is not to say that you will like him. This book served my purpose well.

Great commute listen

My 2nd in an hour series. Excellent narration. Interesting facts. I know a bit more now about the man.

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Title: The Modern Scholar: Europe's Dark Journey

Subtitle: The Rise of Hitler and Nazi Germany

Author: Beth A. Griech-Polelle

Narrator: Beth A. Griech-Polelle

Format: Original Recording

Length: 4 hrs and 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-28-14

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

In Europes Dark Journey, Beth A. Griech-Polelle examines the factors that led to the ascendance of Adolf Hitler during the rebuilding of post-WWI Germany. Moving from the birth of modern Germany through the First World War, Polelle then focuses on Hitlers early years and the creation of the National Socialist German Workers Party. Polelle illustrates how Hitler consolidated powerresulting in a society divided against itself and at war with a major portion of the worldand also maintains a special focus on the persecution of the Jewish population, both inside Nazi Germany and in conquered parts of Europe.

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Title: Verdict on Vichy

Subtitle: Power and Prejudice in the Vichy France Regim

Author: Michael Curtis

Narrator: James Patrick Cronin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 20 hrs and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-27-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 37 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

This masterful audiobook is the first comprehensive reappraisal of the Vichy France regime for over 20 years. France was occupied by Nazi Germany between 1940 and 1944, and the exact nature of France's role in the Vichy years is only now beginning to come to light. One of the main reasons that the Vichy history is difficult to tell is that some of France's most prominent politicians, including President Mitterand, have been implicated in the regime. This has meant that public access to key documents has been denied and it is only now that an objective analysis is possible.

The fate of France as an occupied country could easily have been shared by Britain, and it is this background element, which enhances our fascination with Vichy France. How would we have acted under similar circumstances? The divisions and repercussions of the Vichy years still resonate in France today, and whether you view the regime as a fascist dictatorship, an authoritarian offshoot of the Third Reich or an embodiment of heightened French nationalism, Curtis's rounded, incisive book will be seen as the standard work on its subject for many years.

Members Reviews:

Good book, marginal reading

Excellent, densely researched, and eye-opening book. I, for one, will never see France in quite the same way again. They never underwent the violent catharsis of other Axis nations and, instead, seem to be reaching a resolution incrementally. I hope they get there; they've got a lot to resolve.

The narrator is dreadfully slow and non-fluent. His over-pronounced French names come after portentous pauses and sound like parody. It's a genuinely awful reading, which makes the fact-intensive writing that much more difficult to assimilate while cleaning up the kitchen or doing side lunges. Oh, and he pronounces "banal" to rhyme with "anal." Vraiment le coup de grâce.

Performance Ruined It

What did you like best about Verdict on Vichy? What did you like least?

The reader made it unbearable to listen.

Would you be willing to try another book from Michael Curtis? Why or why not?

Yes.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Awful. Simply awful. Made it impossible to finish.

Was Verdict on Vichy worth the listening time?

No.

Somewhat skewed, but no less true

What made the experience of listening to Verdict on Vichy the most enjoyable?

I gave this an overall rating of 4 because it is a mine of information, but it could have used some serious editing. I knew what to expect from reading other reviews, but I was hoping there would be at least some details of French life under occupation. This book is really an exhaustive indictment against not only the Vichy gov't but the French people as well. The few times the Resistance is mentioned, it is done so dismissively.

A good book on life under Nazi occupation is "Priscilla: The Hidden Life of an Englishwoman in Wartime France" by Nicholas Shakespeare.

What three words best describe James Patrick Cronins voice?

Narration was not terrible, but not good either. I recommend listening at 2x normal speed.

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Title: A Wicked Company

Subtitle: The Forgotten Radicalism of the European Enlightenment

Author: Philipp Blom

Narrator: James Patrick Cronin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 31 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-11-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 16 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

The flourishing of radical philosophy in Baron Thierry Holbachs Paris salon from the 1750s to the 1770s stands as a seminal event in Western history. Holbachs house was an international epicenter of revolutionary ideas and intellectual daring, bringing together such original minds as Denis Diderot, Laurence Sterne, David Hume, Adam Smith, Ferdinando Galiani, Horace Walpole, Benjamin Franklin, Guillaume Raynal, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

In A Wicked Company, acclaimed historian Philipp Blom retraces the fortunes of this exceptional group of friends. All brilliant minds, full of wit, courage, and insight, their thinking created a different and radical French Enlightenment based on atheism, passion, reason, and truly humanist thinking. A startlingly relevant work of narrative history, A Wicked Company forces us to confront with new eyes the foundational debates about modern society and its future.

Members Reviews:

Excellent Book on Radical Enlightenment

Where does A Wicked Company rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

Top 10%.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Wicked Company?

There are many.

What does James Patrick Cronin bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

I have done both, and the book is excellent either way.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Diderot and His Times.

Any additional comments?

I use this in college classes, and my students enjoy it.

Excellent book. Great Narration.

Excellent book. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Very good narration too. Couldn't ask for more. Highly recommended.

Excellent Review and Rescue of the Radical Enlightenment

Whereas the reputations of Voltaire and Rousseau are established in the development of Western thought, Diderot and Holbach are relatively obscure. In a well organised and eloquent book, Blom addresses and seeks to rectify this anomaly. Like his hero Diderot, Blom combines reason and passion in his writing.

The reader is clear but i wonder why no one with good French and preferably German was available.

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Title: Fatal Rivalry

Subtitle: Flodden, 1513: Henry VIII and James IV and the Decisive Battle for Renaissance Britain

Author: George Goodwin

Narrator: Paul Mantell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-05-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

Flodden 1513: the biggest and bloodiest Anglo-Scottish battle. Its causes spanned many centuries; its consequences were as extraordinary as the battle itself.

On September 9, 1513, the vicious rivalry between the young Henry VIII of England and his charismatic brother-in-law, James IV of Scotland, ended in violence at Flodden Field in the north of England. It was the inevitable climax to years of mounting personal and political tension through which James bravely asserted Scotland's independence and Henry demanded its obedience.

In Fatal Rivalry, George Goodwin, the best-selling author of Fatal Colours, captures the vibrant Renaissance splendor of the royal courts of England and Scotland, with their unprecedented wealth, innovation, and artistic expression. He shows how the wily Henry VII, far from the miser king of tradition, spent vast sums to secure his throne and elevate the monarchy to a new standard of magnificence among the courts of Europe. He demonstrates how James IV competed with the elder Henry, even claiming that Arthurian legend supported a separate Scottish identity. Such rivalry served as a substitute for war - until Henry VIII's belligerence forced the real thing.

As England and Scotland scheme toward their biggest-ever battle, Goodwin deploys a fascinating and treacherous cast of characters: maneuvering ministers, cynical foreign allies, conspiring cardinals, and contrasting queens in Katherine of Aragon and Margaret Tudor.

Finally, at Flodden on September 9, 1513, King James seems poised for the crushing victory that will confirm him as Scotland's greatest king and - if an old military foe proves unable to stop him - put all of Britain in his grasp.

Five hundred years after this decisive battle, Fatal Rivalry combines original sources and modern scholarship to recreate the royal drama, the military might, and the world in transition that created this bitter conflict.

Members Reviews:

Time Well Spent on a History I Did Not Know

Fatal Rivalry by George Goodwin was a very enjoyable and informative read/listen as an Audible audio book. I learned so much more than about the battle of Flodden itself, a battle I had never heard of. I am a history buff reading anything about American history, which over the years has extended to European history, Russian history and some modern British history especially about Winston Churchill. Several years ago, I challenged myself to read more deeply into British history. It has been a challenge. I am still reading Dan Jones' The Plantagenets. However, books such as Fatal Rivalry help by reinforcing what I have learned as well as adding new understanding. In fact, Fatal Rivalry has become a touchstone book for me linking what I have learned about earlier British history to the history that comes after it.

From Fatal Rivalry, my knowledge of the history of Scotland has grown exponentially, along with an understanding of the uneasy relationship between Scotland and England. I have an understanding of two Renaissance monarchs, James IV of Scotland and Henry VIII, their histories, their relationships to the people they ruled, and the events that lead to the battle of Flodden and its consequences.

I look forward to reading Fatal Colours, also by George Goodwin, about the battle of Towton, considered to be the bloodiest battle on English soil.

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Title: Furies

Subtitle: War in Europe, 1450-1700

Author: Lauro Martines

Narrator: Simon Brooks

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-31-13

Publisher: Audible Studios for Bloomsbury

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 54 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

During the European Renaissance, an age marked equally by revolutionary thought and constant warfare, it was armies, rather than philosophers, who shaped the modern European nation state. "Mobile cities" of mercenaries and other paid soldiers - made up of astonishingly diverse aggregations of ethnicities and nationalities - marched across the land, looting and savaging enemy territories.

In the 15th century, Poland hired German, Spanish, Bohemian, Hungarian, and Scottish soldiers. Later, Sweden fought in Muscovy with Irish, English, Scottish, French, and German troops. Units of Croats, Germans, Walloons, Albanians, and especially Swiss, served in French armies. In the Netherlands, Italians and Spaniards fought beside Irishmen, Germans, Dalmatians, and Walloons. Regiments of Swiss pikemen fought for Spain, France, and Venice, as well as for German and Italian princes. Companies of Poles, Hungarians, and Croatians fought in German regiments.

Growing national economies, unable to pay or feed massed armies for any length of time, thus became war states, an early nationalism which would later consume modern Europe. Furies: War in Europe, 1450-1700, by acclaimed historian of the Renaissance Lauro Martines, compellingly and simply delivers the story of modern Europe's martial roots, capturing the brutality of early modern war and how it shaped the history of a continent.

Members Reviews:

Narrator needs to go back to grade school

Would you try another book from Lauro Martines and/or Simon Brooks?

From Lauro Martines, yes. From Simon Brooks, no.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

A brilliant book with a clown of a narrator. Bad enough that the narrator couldn't master common place names (Genoa, Lombardy, Perugia, etc.) his mispronunciation of simple English words was even more jarring. Martines is a first-rate scholar: he deserves better.

Any additional comments?

Audible needs to screen its narrators.

I wish I had purchased the actual book rather than the audiobook

First, the good. The book is a serious attempt to view war from the perspective of those who experienced it. It is very much not a story about great men - they are mentioned but not dwelt on. Instead the author draws on diaries and accounts of events in towns and villages and the countryside during a war and does an excellent job of conveying the horribleness of war's effect on the population. He clearly has a point of view and expresses it, but it's hard to listen to many of the truly awful accounts he quotes and not sympathize.

Now for the bad. The narrator is awful. I have listened to many books and have suffered through some bad narrators, but this is on an entirely new level. He seems incapable of pronouncing words correctly. A few examples I noted today during about 1.5 hours of listening.

Cill-ih-see-ah - for the location Silesia (Sigh-lee-see-ah or Sigh-lee-zha)

Back-ill-us - for the word "bacillus"

Nah-vair for "Navarre"

Cath-lick-ism for "Catholicism"

Veh-nal for "venal"

If I could give the performance 0 stars I would. I wish I'd purchased the e-book or the physical book. I would probably come back and re-read it, but I definitely can't listen to this reading of this book again

Ok

Book was written well but went outside the timeframe of the subtitle frequently.

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Title: Pleasure Bound

Subtitle: Victorian Sex Rebels and the New Eroticism

Author: Deborah Lutz

Narrator: Cat Gould

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-23-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 6 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

A smart, provocative account of the erotic current running just beneath the surface of a stuffy and stifling Victorian London.

In 1860s London, two loosely overlapping groups of bohemians - the Cannibal Club and the Aesthetes - challenged the buttoned-up Victorian propriety to promote erotic freedom and expression. Sensually attuned and politically radical, they were among the most influential thinkers and artists of the day, from Richard Burton to Dante Gabriel Rossetti and William Morris. These iconoclasts not only navigated the fringes of sexual deviance with their bodies but also carried the pleasures of the body into their work, creating a taboo-loving counterculture whose reverberations can be felt today.

In this stunning and nuanced exposé of the Victorian London we thought we knew, Deborah Lutz takes us beyond the eyebrow-raising practices of these sex rebels, showing us how their work uncovered troubles that ran beneath the surface of the larger social fabric: the struggle for women's emancipation, the dissolution of traditional religions, and the pressing need to expand accepted forms of sexual expression.

Members Reviews:

Well worth a listen!

If only to find out more about the world of the Pre-Raphaelites this book is well worth reading. The author always takes into account the mentality of the era and refrains from projecting the present mores into her interpretation of the epoch. This is essential in trying to grasp how these people understood their world and how they were also curious about other cultures in distant lands and how they tried to make links about their own world from the anthropological observations they made. Although a lot of the book does concentrate on attitudes of the time to sexuality it also reveals many other preoccupations of the time too. I particularly enjoyed the opening chapter which discusses the Victorian obsession with death and illness and how it inspired artistic creation. It also enabled me to discover more about Swinbourne and Richard Burton the anthropologist and other figures of the time. I would highly reccommend this book. The narrator does have some strange pronunciation lapses at times but this is only a minor quibble and does not take away from the main narration.