Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Owning the Earth

Subtitle: The Transforming History of Land Ownership

Author: Andro Linklater

Narrator: J. Paul Guimont

Format: Unabridged

Length: 17 hrs and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-30-14

Publisher: Audible Studios for Bloomsbury

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 20 votes

Genres: History, World

Publisher's Summary:

From the author of the acclaimed Measuring America, a dazzling chronicle, through history and across cultures, about how the ability to own the land we inhabit has shaped modern society. Barely two centuries ago, most of the world's productive land still belonged either communally to traditional societies or to the higher powers of monarch or church. But that pattern, and the ways of life that went with it, were consigned to history by, Andro Linklater persuasively argues, the most creative and at the same time destructive cultural force in the modern era - the idea of individual, exclusive ownership of land.

Spreading from both shores of the north Atlantic, it laid waste to traditional communal civilizations, displacing entire peoples from their homelands, but at the same time brought into being a unique concept of individual freedom and a distinct form of representative government and democratic institutions. By contrast, as Linklater demonstrates, other great civilizations, in Russia, China, and the Islamic world, evolved very different structures of land ownership and thus very different forms of government and social responsibility.

The history and evolution of land ownership is a fascinating chronicle in the history of civilization, offering unexpected insights about how various forms of democracy and capitalism developed, as well as a revealing analysis of a future where the Earth must sustain nine billion lives. Seen through the eyes of remarkable individuals - Chinese emperors; German peasants; the 17th century English surveyor William Petty, who first saw the connection between private property and free-market capitalism; the American radical Wolf Ladejinsky, whose land redistribution in Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea after WWII made possible the emergence of Asian tiger economies - Owning the Earth presents a radically new view of mankind's place on the planet.

Members Reviews:

Interesting

What did you love best about Owning the Earth?

I love books that make you look at the world from a different angle. This book showed the powerful impact of property ownership through cultures, countries and time and weaved together the driving force of ownership impact on governments (or changes in government) and history.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Owning the Earth?

I actually enjoyed the conclusion that brought the ideas of the book together. It changed the way I look at the world, by breaking out these ideas that are so fixed in my mind to show the progress and change in them over time.

Any additional comments?

The book is well written and easy to follow and as you jump through countries and time to bring forward a comprehensive understanding of property ownership. That sounds a little boring but I never found it boring, the analysis and story were so well done that it kept me intellectually curious to the end. I as I said before it really helped me to see and understand the world a little different.

Rich, complex+utterly brilliant bit of scholarshp

If books could take the breath away (which they can't) this would be a breathtaker. You'll need an academic-ish mind to fully appreciate its glories, as it's rich/heavy in scholarly references. But in terms of its scope and ambition, it really is something quite special with a balanced but nevertheless visionary argument threaded through.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Chanakya Neeti

Author: Chanakya

Narrator: Surjan Singh

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 9 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-27-14

Publisher: Reado

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: History, World

Publisher's Summary:

Chanakya was not gifted with beauty or looks; however, he was gifted with intelligence, creativity and statesmanship. He is the best administrator to be born to date. The greatest strategist of his time, his hard labor, perseverance and guidance bore fruit to Chandragupta Maurya and who became the Emperor of the great Mauryan Empire. Chanakya served as his Prime minister and he is still known for his great wisdom, far sightedness, power of persuasion, manipulation and spreading dissension. Chanakya Neeti is a treatise on the ideal way of life, and shows Chanakya's in depth study of the Indian way of life. 'Once you start working on something, don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest.' Chanakya

Members Reviews:

spiritualism more than philosophy

Would you try another book from Chanakya and/or Surjan Singh?

No, I didn't enjoy it and wouldn't know that of my friends would

Would you listen to another book narrated by Surjan Singh?

Well narrated

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No

Any additional comments?

Not for me

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Zulus at War

Subtitle: The History, Rise, and Fall of the Tribe That Washed Its Spears

Author: Adrian Greaves, Xolani Mkhize

Narrator: Kevin Free

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-14-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 37 votes

Genres: History, World

Publisher's Summary:

By tracing the long and turbulent history of the Zulus from their arrival in South Africa and the establishment of Zululand, The Zulus at War is an important and readable addition to this popular subject area. It describes the violent rise of King Shaka and his colorful successors under whose leadership the warrior nation built a fearsome fighting reputation without equal among the native tribes of South Africa. It also examines the tactics and weapons employed during the numerous intertribal battles over this period. They then became victims of their own success in that their defeat of the Boers in 1877 and 1878 in the Sekhukhuni War prompted the well-documented British intervention. Initially the might of the British Empire was humbled as never before by the surprising Zulu victory at Isandlwana but the 1879 war ended with the brutal crushing of the Zulu nation. But, as Adrian Greaves reveals, this was by no means the end of the story. The little known consequences of the division of Zululand, the Boer War, and the 1906 Zulu Rebellion are analyzed in fascinating detail. An added attraction for listeners is that this long-awaited history is written not just by a leading authority but also, thanks to the coauthors contribution, from the Zulu perspective using much completely fresh material.

Members Reviews:

Great account of Zulu history

I've found this book to be exceptional in its detailing the accounts of Zulu war history and Zulu history in general. That said, as a Zulu myself, I was appalled by the mis-pronunciation of the otherwise fine narrator. More care should have been taken in learning to pronounce Zulu words properly. To be fair, I don't expect 100% accurate pronunciation from (I presume) a non-Zulu speaker.

Narrator was cringeworthy with African words

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

Would have been much better with someone familiar with how the words are supposed to be spoken.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Kevin Free?

Trevor Noah or someone else familiar with South African languages.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Essays on War

Author: Patrick J Shrier

Narrator: Donald Tursman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 2 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-07-14

Publisher: Battles and Book Reviews Publishing

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

War is a constant in human society and has been for thousands of years. That will not change anytime soon. Therefore, it behooves us to study war so that we can be better prepared as a society for the sacrifices required to achieve victory. In that respect, it is more important to study the defeated and to understand why they were defeated. Almost as important as the war itself, is the peace. Poor war termination leads to another war, while skillful war termination leads to long-term settlement. The essays in this audiobook explore battles, wars, and peace from the lens of what brings victory, what causes defeat, and how to achieve a lasting peace in the aftermath.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: Murder and Martial Justice

Subtitle: Spying and Retribution in World War II America

Author: Meredith Lentz Adams

Narrator: David Halliburton

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-05-14

Publisher: University Press Audiobooks

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

During World War II, the United States maintained two secret interrogation camps in violation of the Geneva Convention - one just south of Washington, D.C., and the other near San Francisco. German POWs who passed through these camps briefed their fellow prisoners, warning them of turncoats who were helping the enemy - the United States - pry secrets from them. One of these turncoats, Werner Drechsler, was betrayed and murdered by those he spied on.

U.S. military authorities reacted harshly to Drechsler's death, even though he was not the first captive to be assassinated by his fellow POWs. How had military intelligence been compromised? Were fanatical Nazis terrorizing their countrymen on American soil? Would Hitler take reprisals against the GIs he held if the United States did not protect the German POWs from violence and death while confined at the interrogation camps? At one of the secret camps, U.S. officials forced Drechsler's seven murderers to confess. The next problem faced by authorities was how to court-martial them when their confessions were legally invalid. Their secret trial was stage-managed to deliver death sentences while apparently complying with U.S. and international law.

This presented U.S. authorities with further problems. The Geneva Convention entitled the prisoners' governments to the full facts about their crimes, trials, and sentencing. Despite escalating German complaints, the War Department adopted a policy of giving as little information as possible about any of the several POW murder trials in order to avoid releasing inconvenient facts about the Drechsler case. Unsurprisingly, the Reich began sentencing GIs to death. Gambling with American lives, the War Department stalled every German attempt to trade these men for the convicted German murderers until the war ended. Every American was saved; every German but one was hanged.

The book is published by The Kent State University Press.

Critic Reviews:

"An expert dissection of the crime, its witnesses, and Washington's shifting goals. Murder and Martial Justice is a good murder mystery, based on a solid examination of the various contradictions and irritating bureaucratic villains." (Arnold Krammer, author of Nazi Prisoners of War in America and Undue Process: The Untold Story of America's German Alien)

Members Reviews:

Secrets and the "Dachou" treatment - Nothing is secret forever.

Dr. Meredith Lentz Adams concludes "Murder and Martial Justice: Spying and Retribution in World War II America" with a prophetic note, "Nothing is secret forever." This final sentence, at first glance, points to a failed cover-up of a flawed application of justice by the American military judicial system. Adams argues that the 1945 execution of fourteen German POWs at the Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Missouri was a violation of national and international law as well as a rejection of cherished American values. This fascinating book touches on themes relevant to the Second World War as much as they are to today's era of Gitmo.

Escuche este audio libro completo gratis en https://hotaudiobook.com

Título: Breve historia del mundo

Autor: Luis Iñigo Fernández

Narrador: Maria del Carmen Siccardi

Formato: Unabridged

Duración: 8 hrs and 22 mins

Idioma: Español

Fecha de publicación: 08-11-14

Editor: Audible Studios

Calificaciones: 4 de 5 de 27 votos

Categorías: History, World

Resumen del editor:

La trepidante historia de la humanidad, desde las primeras tribus a las megalópolis actuales, contada esta vez desde el punto de vista de los gobernados, no de los gobernantes. Unánimemente se ha tratado la historia universal atendiendo a dos factores que desvirtúan un poco la perspectiva global del devenir de la humanidad: la perspectiva de los gobernantes y la perspectiva de Europa.

Al tratar los avatares que han llevado al homo sapiens a la Luna o a las fosas abisales más profundas, la mayoría de historiadores olvidan que los hombres corrientes son verdaderos agentes de la historia y no meros objetos al servicio de los gobernantes, también olvidan que existen reinos e imperios más allá de las fronteras de Europa que han influido de un modo determinante en la humanidad: Breve Historia del mundo viene a ofrecer una visión que huye de esos clichés y presenta una historia universal concreta y novedosa.

Luis E. Íñigo realiza en este audio libro, amén de un ejercicio de síntesis enorme, un recorrido completo por los procesos más importantes de la historia del mundo, dejando de lado la excesiva atención a los hechos que se suele tener en los audio libros de este estilo. Nos contará el importante cambio del nomadismo al sedentarismo que se da en las sociedades prehistóricas y que está en la base de la creación de las ciudades, del establecimiento de una jerarquía social y del uso de la guerra como elemento de sometimiento y dominación; este modelo es llevado a la perfección por Grecia y Roma que, son, a su vez, fagocitadas por otras tribus nómadas ávidas de tierra y bienestar.

Las florecientes culturas en China, India o Mesoamérica no sucumbirán al oscurantismo medieval y seguirán su progreso, progreso que llegará a Europa tras la Edad Media y que continuará su aceleración hasta la actualidad; este aumento de la libertad y del conocimiento, traerá innumerables ventajas a la humanidad.

Please Note: This audiobook is in Spanish.

Opiniones de los miembros:

Más énfasis

A la narradora le falta enfatizar pasajes que requiere tonalidades diversas. Muy monocorde. Se pierde mucho con una lectura asi.

Muy buen libro

Muy bien detallado e interesante para aprender de la historia de nuestro mundo, de nuestros antepasados.

Magnífico

MUNDO

"El materialismo sin disfraces, la búsqueda del placer fácil y rápido, el rechazo visceral al compromiso y el culto desmedido al dinero; parecen ser las pautas reales de comportamiento en las que la sociedad occidental educa a sus hijos.

La asimilación acrítica de ciertas ideas tenidas por políticamente correctas, no ayuda demasiado a evitarlo. En especial, va arraigando de manera inconciente en la mayoría de la población, una sorprendente y errónea identificación entre la tolerancia moral y el relativismo ético, que olvida que el respeto a las ideas de los otros en modo alguno, equivale a la falta de ideas propias.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: She Landed by Moonlight

Subtitle: The Story of Secret Agent Pearl Witherington

Author: Carole Seymour-Jones

Narrator: Catherine Harvey

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-30-14

Publisher: Oakhill Publishing

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

On the night of the 22 September, 1943, Pearl Witherington, a 29-year-old British secretary and Special Operations Executive (SOE) agent, was parachuted into Occupied France.

Pearl had a dual mission: to fight for her beloved France and to find her lost love who had been taken prisoner. Her wartime record is unique. She became a legendary guerrilla leader training 3,800 Resistance fighters. Probably the greatest female organiser of armed maquisards in France, Pearl lit the fires of resistance in Central France so that Churchills famous order to set Europe ablaze, which had brought SOE into being, finally came to pass.

Critic Reviews:

"The truth is that Sebastian Faulk's novel...stands on its own, but so does She Landed by Moonlight, the long-awaited biography that Agent Pearl deserves." (The Times)

"Dialogue is recreated, scenes are set and we are given a character's thoughts, feelings and reactions. Pearl's story is so well-documented and her exploits so extraordinary." (Independent Book of the Week)

"Quietly moving... Carol Seymour-Jones has done an excellent job in bringing Witherington's courage, commitment and ability to light, sensibly focusing on her war years when she lived to her full potential." (Spectator)

"It took until 2004 - four years before her death - for her own country to belatedly present her with a CBE. As this biography makes clear, the brave and wholly admirable Pearl Witherington deserved much, much better." (Sunday Times)

"Carole Seymour-Jones does full justice to a truly remarkable and little-known woman." (Country Life)

"This biography successfully establishes her in the pantheon of the very bravest and best, up there with such legendary figures as Violette Szabo, Andree Borrel, Madeline Damerment and Nancy Wake." Sebastian Faulks, (Mail on Sunday)

"Thoroughly researched and perceptive" (The Lady)

"A gripping tale. A story of narrow escapes, lost and betrayed comrades and incessant danger." (Literary Review)

Members Reviews:

Boring

Too many boring descriptions and facts, not enough insight into the thoughts/feelings/adventures of Pearl. I was hoping to be captivated by what must have been an epic, thrilling story, but I found the narrative was weighted down with details about the various other agents and circuits. I gave up listening about half way through.

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Rivers and the Rails

Author: Lee Suydam

Narrator: Dan Bell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs

Language: English

Release date: 05-09-14

Publisher: Lee Suydam

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

Bedford Forrest was colorful and daring to be sure but even more interesting is that he was devious at times with his enemies. To Forrest, a trick was often better than a regiment of soldiers for if he could accomplish his purpose without spending the lives of his countrymen, so much the better. He was not military trained and therefore not aware that his tactics were unusual. Never mind that they were generally successful in remarkable ways. Born in poverty and raised in rural circumstances, he became a wealthy southern gentleman. In the Civil War, he gave his fortune in pursuit of victory and he raised three regiments of cavalry trying to save the Confederacy and his way of life.

Members Reviews:

Good Read for Civil War Buffs

What did you love best about The Rivers and the Rails?

A great story about a little-known Confederate General

What about Dan Bells performance did you like?

Good, clear narration overall with realistic and distinctive accents for various characters, especially Forrest Bedford

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Killing Zone

Author: Rex Burns

Narrator: Chris Sorensen

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-14-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: History, Military

Publisher's Summary:

Wager hunts for the killer of a black councilman, as the city threatens to riot. Gabes girlfriend Jo is drowning. She stares up at him, eyes wide with terror, as he fights to grab her hand. In a moment, the frothing river swallows her up, and Jo is gone.Nine months have passed since Jos death, and Detective Wager cannot get the image out of his mind. Rather than fight the urge to blame himself, he embraces the guilt, punishing himself for it every day. Only his work on the homicide squad can distract him, and he has just landed a case fraught with political implications. A crusading black city councilman is found murdered in an abandoned lot, and the city teeters on the edge of a riot. As Wager investigates the politicians secret past, he must balance his own pain with a burning need to see justice done.

Members Reviews:

I think I'll be reading more of Rex Burns' books...

It always pleases me to find a cop story written by an author who has taken the time to research the procedures and requirements that go into an investigation. Mr. Burns has done so. His characters are real, dialogue is well done. The internal politics in a police agency are realistic, as are the supervisory characters that are a hindrance more than a help. The rivalry with the Feds was also well done. The plot, with its twists, was good, as were the asides with his characters. When I find a new author, I like to read his work without knowing if it is the first, or fifteenth book. It took only a few pages to realize Mr. Burns experience with the pen (or word processor) is extensive. A good read!

Please open https://hotaudiobook.com ONLY on your standard browser Safari, Chrome, Microsoft or Firefox to download full audiobooks of your choice for free.

Title: The Templars

Subtitle: The Secret History Revealed

Author: Barbara Frale

Narrator: Kate Udall

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 03-17-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 30 votes

Genres: History, World

Publisher's Summary:

At its height, the Order of the Knights Templar rivaled the kingdoms of Europe in military might, economic power, and political influence. For 700 years the tragic demise of this society of warrior-monks amid accusations of heresy has been plagued by controversy, in part because the transcript of their trial by the Inquisition - which held the key to the truth - had vanished.Templar historian Barbara Frale happened to be studying a document at the Vatican Secret Archives when she suddenly realized that it was none other than the long-lost transcript! It revealed that Pope Clement V had absolved the order of all charges of heresy. Using this sensational new information, Frale chronicles the Templars spectacular rise and fall against a sweeping backdrop of war, religious fervor, and the struggle for dominance, and finally lifts the centuries-old cloak of mystery surrounding one of the worlds most intriguing secret societies.

Members Reviews:

Presentation of recent research

This is the real historical presentation of the recent discovery of what truly happened to the Templars, which is wonderful to be able to hear.

Pulled the Plug Early on This One

The introductory statements offered quite some promise and I was looking forward to the rest. However, in a book of some 5+ hours, using almost 20% of that time to set context with a bland summary of the historical lead-up to the initial formation of the Templars was trying my patience too far. Added to this was the fact that although the author claimed a uniquely informed perspective (which I don't doubt) little original thinking is in evidence here. That the 'trials' of the Templars were a mockery of anything like truth or justice comes as no surprise, not that others' greed is essentially the prime motive in their becoming a target. Whilst we might not have been offered proof before now, these are hardly surprising revelations. Follow this through and no doubt some hoary mythology will be deservedly exposed, but there's little to suggest to this point that the reader will emerge any the truly wiser for their experience.