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Title: History of Italy

Author: IntroBooks

Narrator: Andrea Giordani

Format: Unabridged

Length: 43 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-09-17

Publisher: IntroBooks

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

According to archaeological diggings, the presence of modern human date back to 200,000 years ago to the Paleolithic time. The Greek colonies settled in the southern portion of the peninsula and the Sicily in the eighth and seventh centuries BCE. By sixth and fifth century BC they were in their Neolithic time. The commencement of Bronze Age of the Italian Empire is considered to be 1500 BC.

The Italians were dominated by the Romans for centuries before their main city - Rome was made a part of Italy. The Romans always appreciated the Italians and always looked forward to adopting their cultures. Christianity was the main religion by the end of the fourth century in the Italian region.

By the fifth century, the rule of the Roman Empire came to an end and the Lombard Kingdom of Italy was established. Italian wars divided the entire peninsula into three main powers that were Spain, Europe, and Austria. This was later taken over by Napoleon I and was overseen by the French.

In the 19th century, the peninsula was united once again and the Kingdom of Italy was established in 1861. Italy developed quickly, yet there were many areas that were poor and in poverty. It was again taken over by Benito Mussolini, who established a dictatorship over the region. The Fascists were defeated only in 1945 after which monarchy was abolished in 1945 and a new Republic was set up on June 2, 1946. The 1950s and 60s saw tremendous growth and the nation developed so much that the period is usually referred to as the Italian Economic Miracle.

Italy is one of the founding members of the European Union. It is also a part of the NATO, Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development, G7, and United Nations Organisation. Italy is a powerful country today and has its say in the global undertakings.

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Title: Six Wives

Subtitle: The Women Who Married, Lived, and Died For Henry VIII

Author: Michael W. Simmons

Narrator: Alan Munro

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 36 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-04-17

Publisher: Make Profits Easy LLC

Ratings: 1 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

Katherine of Aragon: abandoned woman. Anne Boleyn: ambitious upstart. Jane Seymour: virtuous mother. Anne of Cleves: Flanders Mare. Katherine Howard: adulterous whore. Katherine Parr: the one that got away.

These are our lingering historical afterimages of the six women who married Henry VIII over the course of his 36-year reign. At the age of 18, Henry succeeded to the English throne and married the Spanish princess who had briefly been the wife of his brother Arthur. Katherine of Aragon was both a virgin and a widow when the prince died at the age of 15, enabling Henry to marry her himself. Their marriage lasted 16 contented years, until suddenly, Henry fell in love with Anne Boleyn and sundered England from Rome in order to keep her.

But Henry VIII would not be satisfied even after he took Anne Boleyn for his wife. His vanity, his ego, and his desperate need for a male heir led him to marry four more women during the last 10 years of his life. In this book, you will learn about the lives, loves, and secret passions of these women. Four of them died for Henry's pleasure - but two escaped to tell their stories.

Members Reviews:

This is a good book to read if you know almost nothing about ...

This is a good book to read if you know almost nothing about Henry VIII and want to learn the basics. Otherwise, skip this and read The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir.

Waste of money

Poorly written, poorly researched. Waste of money!

Although the book was well expressed and there was even ...

Although the book was well expressed and there was even some new material that I have never seen before, the fact that the author quotes absolutely NO sourses or notes is rather telling. For this reason it got only 2* - One ALWAYS quotes one's sourses.

just ok

just ok

A solid if basic overview

Each of Henry VIII's wives has merited several lengthy biographies, so a short book that covers all six is bound to skim over quite a bit. That said, Simmons' book does a good job of portraying each woman, along with some context of the court and political issues. The overall tone is sympathetic towards each of his wives and even towards Henry himself, though it also acknowledges his capacity for cruelty, vindictiveness, and hypocrisy.

If you're looking for a brief overview, researched but not scholarly, this book will be a good, readable choice.

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Title: Norse Mythology

Subtitle: An Introduction to Norse Mythology, Gods, Beliefs, and Tales

Author: Mark Spratt

Narrator: Tony Campanario

Format: Unabridged

Length: 44 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-01-17

Publisher: Mark Spratt

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

D th names - Loki, Thor, Odin, nd Freya - sound familiar t you? Bfr th birth f Christianity in th Middle Ages, th n-glorified Vikings nd Germanic people hd thir w f life. Thi religion, culture, r tradition nvr hd n tul name, but it w muh respected, complicated, nd highly sophisticated.

Thi "tradition", it w called b th wh practiced it t tht tim, w engulfed rund m rtin myths nd extraordinary personalities. Th religious stories wr passed dwn frm generation t generation until thr m a tim whn it w washed ashore. Thi fascinating religion f th Vikings blossomed until th birth f Christianity.

Thi didn't stop th practice f thi "tradition" fr m people. T th Germanic people, th birth f Christianity brought a slow death to th Norse tradition. Th vr-faithful people t th religion wr nw called "the heathen". Th uniqueness f th Norse mythology n b n frm it vr diffrnt point f view nd it cyclical view f time.

Modern knowledge f Norse mythology stems frm medieval texts, mt f thm written in Iceland. Descendants f Norse colonists in tht country maintained a strong interest in thir heritage vn ftr bming Christian.

This book provides a brief introduction to Norse mythology, its gods and goddesses, and most important th tales f th Norse mythology that encompasses rund th birth, death, nd rebirth f th cosmos t Ragnarok. Th stories show nd tll u tht th events r in a cyclical narrative form.

Members Reviews:

a summary

I liked it. I would have preferred a bit more depth to the stories of the gods and origind.

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Title: Jumbo the Elephant

Subtitle: The Life and Legacy of History's Most Famous Circus Animal

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Jim D Johnston

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-09-17

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

Modern views of animals range from hunters who pay big money to go on safaris in Africa to vegans who refuse to use even the wool or milk from a fellow creature, and as is the case with most controversies, most people fall in the middle, not wanting to kick a dog but still enjoying a good steak. However, in the early 20th century, the standards were much different, with animals seen as strictly property to be gathered and used with little to no consideration about their health or feelings. It was into this world that a little elephant later called Jumbo was born. He quickly learned the harsh realities of life when his mother was killed by hunters before his first birthday. Then he himself was taken from his sunny home and transported thousands of miles to soggy London, where he was expected to spend his days on display or earning his very limited keep by carrying small children for rides on his back. While he was fed hay, dry grass that was at least some substitute for the fresh greenery of the African plains, he was also fed both beer and hard liquor, oysters, cakes and candy, a diet that would have severely shortened his life had not a terrible accident ended it first.

Members Reviews:

This is not only a story about Jumbo the Elephant but also contains information about how the largest circus in the US was creat

I had mixed feelings about this book Jumbo the Elephant: The Life and Legacy of History's Most Famous Circus Animal. I would rate this book about a 3.5 because there were some interesting parts and uninteresting parts. We learn about the life history of Jumbo the Elephant from when he was captured has a baby, brought to England, brought by Barnum to the United States, and his death in Canada. We also learned a lot about PT Barnum and the history of circuses in the United States. It is also safe to say that there were few if any animal nutritionist or veterinarians during that timeframe. Another thing you will learn is how the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus came into being, and information about each component that made up the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. You'll even learn about the 1952 film the Greatest Show on Earth. It was a pretty good read but I did not enjoy how Jumbo was treated.

One big elephant

Informative read. Not recommended for young children due to the way Jumbo was caged during his trips.

Good readind

Great I give it five why because I love elephants

Jumbo

This is a beautiful book thanks to its illustrations and taking an original subject: the story of a giant elephant that was a circus sensation in the Victorian era, and then brought to the USA. You don't get to read many books like this today. Jumbo has had a large legacy, specially his name in everything that is BIG, from jumbo-jet to jumbo-sized soda, yes it comes from this very human animal. And the Bee Gees dedicated a song to him. There is a lot of research here, but at the same time that's a turnoff since the book consists mainly of quotes from newspapers of the time, and other books. The rare photos and anecdotes are a plus.

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Title: The Glorious Revolution

Subtitle: The History of the Overthrow of King James II of England by William of Orange

Author: Charles River Editors

Narrator: Scott Clem

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 10 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-03-17

Publisher: Charles River Editors

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

Seventeenth century Europe, particularly its latter years, is often hailed as the beginning of the Enlightenment as nations across the continent experienced a surge in innovation and scientific progress, a period also commonly referred to as the Age of Reason. There was English natural philosopher, Francis Bacon, whose book Novum Organum challenged Aristotelian philosophy and stressed the significance of inductive reasoning. Bacon's ideas, which emphasized observation and the implementation of various premises to form conclusions, was later referenced by famed French mathematician René Descartes.

The Enlightenment had been awakened by the European Age of Discovery, but the continent was also a seedbed of insurrection, holy wars, and volatility. People were growing weary of the unpredictable system of monarchy, a post that was inherited only by members of an exclusive bloodline or connection, one that often muted the voices of the people. Time and time again, grossly incompetent and seemingly diabolic rulers had come to power through the rigged regal system.

The Glorious Revolution is an intriguing story of a power war exacerbated by ruthless ambition, under-the-table plotting, and the treachery of familial betrayal. In 1678, a sinister scheme to assassinate King Charles II was unearthed, sending the public into a frenzy of mass panic. Fingers were pointed at the Catholics, who had been accused of concocting the elaborate conspiracy, and this very event would intensify the white-hot flames of the anti-Catholic hysteria that was already running unchecked within the nation. Seven years later, the openly Catholic King James II rose to the throne, and needless to say, the largely Protestant public was anything but pleased. As the people slowly turned against him, the king's daughter, Mary, and her husband, William of Orange, watched across the English Channel from a distance. The people were begging for change in a broken system, and something drastic had to and would be done.

Members Reviews:

This is an in depth look at a pivotal time ...

This is an in depth look at a pivotal time in English history, and how one dynasty was replaced by another. As a reminder of just how entangled European royalty was in those days, this book chronicles how the Glorious Revolution was a conflict that pitted family against each other no less. Everyone should read this.

This reads like a book report rather than serious scholarship

More depth and detail would have been appreciated. This reads like a book report rather than serious scholarship.

Five Stars

Great

The glorious Revolution

Another Charles River editors rendition that tells you all that's necessary plus a whole lot more. England has history to let.

Five Stars

Very interesting and a great product.

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Title: The Spies of Winter

Subtitle: The GCHQ Codebreakers Who Fought the Cold War

Author: Sinclair McKay

Narrator: Charles Armstrong

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-03-17

Publisher: Oakhill Publishing Ltd

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 5 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

After the Second World War, many of the men and women who had worked at Bletchley Park moved on to GCHQ: the British government's new facility established to fight the KGB. The Spies of Winter explores the early years of GCHQ as it navigated its way through a tumultuous era - from the defection of the Cambridge Five and the treachery of atomic scientist Klaus Fuchs to the collapse of the British Empire and the emergence of the US as a superpower. This is the story of the codebreakers themselves, and how they expanded the horizons of cryptography, helping to defend the nation and maintain the fragile peace in a world now under the shadow of nuclear holocaust.

Critic Reviews:

''As he has proved before, Sinclair McKay has no peers when it comes to the history of Bletchley Park - and its aftermath. Lucid, well-researched and rich in detail, The Spies of Winter is a valuable addition to the genre.'' (Daily Mail)

''It is a neglected period in popular history and McKay does well to bring it to life...a readable canter over the ground for anyone unfamiliar with one of the important ways in which the second world war shaped - and continues to shape - our modern world'' (The Spectator)

Members Reviews:

Sinclair McKayâs book tells a fascinating story of the brilliant men and women who worked for the GCHQ in ...

The Cryptographers of GCHQ and the Cold War Fought Against the Soviets.

In the shattered aftermath of the Second World War the British government renamed the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) which during the war years had been located at Bletchley Park the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) which is a signals intelligence organisation now based in a building called âThe Doughnutâ in the London suburb of Cheltenham. Sinclair McKayâs book tells a fascinating story of the brilliant men and women who worked for the GCHQ in the tension filled years that immediately followed the Second World War and these are the years which witnessed the rapid onset and development of the Cold War. He describes to us very vividly how the GCHQ cryptographers were the privileged few who calmly witnessed the way in which the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin relentlessly provoked Great Britain and the USA to the brink of a third world war using the blockade of Berlin as an instrument of Soviet territorial expansion. If you think that the world came close to a third world war in the Cuban missile crisis in 1962 this book emphasizes that it came even closer in the Berlin air lift in 1948-1949. He tells us that, âWinston Churchill was gone, unsentimentally voted out before the war had even ended. His Labour deputy, Clement Attlee, was now prime minister. Ernest Bevin was his pugnacious foreign secretaryâ. The Soviet victories in the Second World War which had been achieved through huge assistance by their British and American allies had made âUncle Joe Stalinâ extremely popular among the British working class and this had resulted in victory for the Labour Party even before the war had ended.

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Title: Titan

Subtitle: The Art of British Power in the Age of Revolution and Napoleon

Author: William R. Nester

Narrator: Douglas R. Pratt

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 37 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-24-17

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

When the leaders of the French Revolution executed Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette in 1793, they sent a chilling message to the hereditary ruling orders in Europe. Believing that monarchy anywhere presented a threat to democratic rule in France, the leaders of the revolution declared war on European aristocracies, including those of Great Britain. For more than 20 years thereafter, France and England waged a protracted war that ended in British victory. In Titan, William R. Nester offers a deeply informed and thoroughly fascinating narrative of how England accomplished this remarkable feat. Between 1789 and 1815, British leaders devised, funded, and led seven coalitions against the revolutionary and Napoleonic governments of France. In each enterprise, statesmen and generals searched for order amid a complex welter of bureaucratic, political, economic, psychological, technological, and international forces. The interplay of individuals and events, the importance of conjunctures and contingency, the significance of Britain's island character and resources: all come into play in Nester's exploration of the art of British military diplomacy. The result is a comprehensive and insightful account of the endeavors of statesmen and generals to master the art of power in a complex battle for empire.

Members Reviews:

How Britannia Prevailed over Napoleon

An excerpt from the review on StrategyPage.Com

'This is not just about âhardâ power, that is the Royal Navy and, as time went on, the British Army, but also about Britainâs arguably more important âsoftâ power, in the form of policy, diplomacy, finance, and even special operations. Neither a diplomatic history of the wars nor a military one, the reader will find much of both between its covers. But the reader will also learn a great deal about British domestic politics and how they shaped policy and strategy.

'One of the most interesting parts of the book is the discussion of finance as a tool of war and diplomacy that runs through the whole of it, so we gain an understanding of how the British managed to never run out of money, despite expending sums that even seem staggering, and also how those pounds bought allies and armies that led to the final fall of Napoleon.'

For the full review, see StrategyPage.Com

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Title: Anne Boleyn

Subtitle: The Final 24 hours

Author: Marcella Mayfair

Narrator: Linda Armstrong

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 1 min

Language: English

Release date: 12-14-16

Publisher: Burton Crown Limited

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 10 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

This is the story of the dramatic final 24 hours of the life of Anne Boleyn. The story is told in a compelling minute by minute countdown which ends with her final walk to the scaffold, and her beheading by the hangman of Calais' sword.

The book describes the actions and thoughts of some the leading players during those final 24 hours including Thomas Cranmer, Chapuys, Jane Seymour, Lady Mary, Sir William Kingston, Thomas Wyatt and, of course, the three principle players.

Henry VIII - what was he doing as the woman he moved heaven and earth to marry faced execution. Did he feel remorse? Did he feel hatred? Did he feel anything at all?

Thomas Cromwell - widely accepted as the engineer behind the downfall of the queen. Did he feel guilt that even Chapuys was not convinced by the charges which sent Anne to her death?

Anne Boleyn - just how did she manage to walk to the scaffold and address the crowd so bravely? How did she cope with the continual postponement of the execution? And what did she think of the men who would send her to the grave?

Members Reviews:

dignity

she kept her dignity till the end. strong woman

even if she did cause her on demise in some way

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Title: The Warrior King Charlemagne

Subtitle: The Man Who Created the Second Roman Empire

Author: Michael Klein

Narrator: Kenneth Maxon

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-13-16

Publisher: We Can't Be Beat LLC

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 3 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

In the middle of the eighth century, Europe was in a state of upheaval. The Islamic armies were still waging wars from Spain while Vikings began raiding from the north. Heathen tribes in the west still fought constant skirmishes with one another over land and power, while the Catholic Church remained the only hope of stability in the realm. The French kingdoms were recently united, and with their unification, one of the greatest rulers of all time took the throne.

The great barbarian king Charlemagne lived a prosperous life, conquering his enemies and setting Europe onto the path of reform. Over the course of his 72-year life, Charlemagne waged wars with his enemies and conquered their territory. He subjugated the conquered people, bringing them under the rule of the Franks while giving them the access to the things they haven't had since the fall of the Roman Empire.

Though his motivation was to spread Catholicism to those who did not worship his God, Charlemagne's reforms made it possible for them to remain in his kingdom and live a prosperous life. Through the alterations in education, currency, art, music, and leadership, Charlemagne brought stability back to Europe, setting it on the path to thrive for years to come.

Members Reviews:

Disappointed in book quality

I have been working back in time and finally needed to learn more about Charlemagne . The text seriously needs a re-write and an editor . The saving grace is the Works Cited chapter at the end .

Historical compendium

An excellent compendium and analysis of historical sources which is unfortunately marred by careless word usage as if the whole work were a translation from French or German.

Not great

If it were possible to give zero stars - this would have more than earned such a rating in my opinion. It is, without doubt, the worst-written tome I have had the displeasure of attempting to read in an awfully long time. The writing is infantile, the grammar atrocious and even the spelling seems to have escaped any editorial examination. Unreadably bad. And that's before I even approach the scattered, disjointed and frankly baffling thought processes put forth.

I bought this as my first full ebook for my new Kindle. Said Kindle is now a victim of guilt by association and sadly neglected. I just can't bring myself to pick it up.

Awful

Don't bother

This book is simply badly written. The beginning is rather like a high school student wrote a paper the morning it was due.Very badly worded sentences. Got well into the book and so far there is no actual biographical info on Charlemagne. Don't waste your time.

Interesting, but ....

The writer has an altogether unusual style. He is not a linear thinker, or writer. While there are many nuggets of interesting information in this work, they are buried in a convoluted jumble. There are a plethora of spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors needlessly imbedded in this work.

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Title: Guy Burgess

Subtitle: The Spy Who Knew Everyone

Author: Stewart Purvis, Jeff Hulbert

Narrator: Andrew Cullum

Format: Unabridged

Length: 18 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-12-16

Publisher: Oakhill Publishing

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 11 votes

Genres: History, European

Publisher's Summary:

Cambridge spy Guy Burgess was a supreme networker. He also set a gold standard for conflicts of interest, working variously for the BBC, MI5, MI6, the War Office, the Ministry of Information and the KGB. Yet Burgess was never challenged by Britain's spy catchers: his superiors were convinced he was too much of a liability to have been recruited by Moscow.

Now, with a major new release of hundreds of files into the National Archives, Purvis and Hulbert reveal just how this charming establishment insider was able to fool everyone for so long, without suspicion, all the while working for the KGB.

Critic Reviews:

"[An] excellent biography." (Financial Times)

"Adds much to a familiar story thanks to newly released files.... [Stewart Purvis and Jeff Hulbert's] revelations leave us all the more astonished that such a smelly, scruffy, lying, gabby, promiscuous, drunken slob could penetrate the heart of the establishment without anyone apparently noticing that he was also a Soviet masterspy." (The Observer)

Members Reviews:

Eye-opening on one of the most infamous spies

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would if they're into history.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Guy, due to the complex version of his life we get.

Which character as performed by Andrew Cullum was your favorite?

All of them.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

None that come to mind.

Any additional comments?

A must-have for any fans of books on the Cambridge Five.

'A' level assignment style narrator

What did you like best about Guy Burgess? What did you like least?

Unfortunately, the narrator sounded less animated than the shipping report. I cannot quite tell without reading this book if the book is being robbed of its conjecture, insights and reflections or if it is the fault of this bland, really terrible, narrator. I usually spot a bad reader at the point when you can hear the sample. Sadly his voice sounded fine in those few moments what I could not know is that it remains the same throughout. I will have to buy the book in print since I have sneaking suspicion it is a well researched and possibly interesting book who knows - fire your narrator!

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I am not too sure I kept falling asleep

What didnt you like about Andrew Cullums performance?

As above

Did Guy Burgess inspire you to do anything?

What like spying? Daft question moment