Librivox Audiobooks

Many librarians have felt the need and expressed the desire for a select collection of children's Christmas stories in one volume. This book claims to be just that and nothing more. Each of the stories has already won the approval of thousands of children, and each is fraught with the true Christmas spirit. It is hoped that the collection will prove equally acceptable to parents, teachers, and librarians. (Summary from Book Preface)

Genre(s): Family, Short works

Language: English

Keyword(s): children (1119), Christmas (207)

Five short delightful stories for children, told in the voice of "the papa" to "the girl" and "the boy" William Dean Howells (March 1, 1837 – May 11, 1920) was an American realist author and literary critic. Nicknamed "The Dean of American Letters", he was particularly known for his tenure as editor of the Atlantic Monthly as well as his own prolific writings, including the Christmas story "Christmas Every Day" and the novel The Rise of Silas Lapham. (Reader’s Note for story 3: A pony engine is a small locomotive for switching cars from one track to another.) (Summary by Wikipedia and David Wales)

Genre(s): Culture & Heritage Fiction, Short works

Language: English

Keyword(s): children (1119), short stories (730), Christmas (207)

Childhood's Favorites and Fairy Stories (Pt.3)

Since this series of books is intended for all young people from one
to one hundred, it opens with about eighty of the old MOTHER GOOSE
RHYMES. Nothing better was ever invented to tell to little folks who
are young enough for lullabies. Their rhythm, their humor, and thei
pith will always cause us to prize them as the Babies' Classics. Editors: Hamilton Wright Mabie, Edward Everett Hale, William Byron Forbush.(Gutenberg Text)

Genre(s): Myths, Legends & Fairy Tales

Language: English

Keyword(s): fiction (1613), children (1119), stories (139), fairy (30)

Childhood's Favorites and Fairy Stories (Pt.2)

Since this series of books is intended for all young people from one
to one hundred, it opens with about eighty of the old MOTHER GOOSE
RHYMES. Nothing better was ever invented to tell to little folks who
are young enough for lullabies. Their rhythm, their humor, and thei
pith will always cause us to prize them as the Babies' Classics. Editors: Hamilton Wright Mabie, Edward Everett Hale, William Byron Forbush.(Gutenberg Text)

Genre(s): Myths, Legends & Fairy Tales

Language: English

Keyword(s): fiction (1613), children (1119), stories (139), fairy (30)

Since this series of books is intended for all young people from one
to one hundred, it opens with about eighty of the old MOTHER GOOSE
RHYMES. Nothing better was ever invented to tell to little folks who
are young enough for lullabies. Their rhythm, their humor, and thei
pith will always cause us to prize them as the Babies' Classics. Editors: Hamilton Wright Mabie, Edward Everett Hale, William Byron Forbush.(Gutenberg Text)

Genre(s): Myths, Legends & Fairy Tales

Language: English

Keyword(s): fiction (1613), children (1119), stories (139), fairy (30)

G. K. Chesterton was a great admirer of Charles Dickens, and wrote a noted critique of Dickens' works expressing his opinion in his own inimitable style. (Summary by Karen Merline)

Genre(s): Biography & Autobiography, Literary Criticism

Language: English

Keyword(s): dickens (67), Chesterton (43), Charles Dickens (23), G. K. Chesterton (15)

The Changeling is a sensational 1622 tragicomedy by Thomas Middleton and William Rowley that comprises two intertwining plots. The first involves Beatrice-Joanna, daughter of the governor of Alicante, and her unruly passion for Alsemero, despite the fact that she is engaged to Alonzo de Piracquo. She enlists the aid of her father's servant De Flores to kill Alonzo so that she can marry Alsemero. However, she does not anticipate that De Flores, who is in love with her, will demand payment for the deed. The second plot is set in a madhouse, where the jealous old doctor Alibius is keeping his beautiful young wife Isabella confined so that she will not be unfaithful to him. Despite his best efforts, she is assailed by illicit suitors on all sides: Franciscus, who disguises himself as a madman, Antonio, who disguises himself as a fool, and Lollio, his lustful servant. (Summary by Elizabeth Klett)
Cast
Alsemero: mb
Jasperino: Charlotte Duckett
First Servant/Servant/First Madman: Availle
Pedro/Franciscus/Vermandero: Alan Mapstone
Beatrice-Joanna/Lollio: Elizabeth Klett
DeFlores: David Nicol
Diaphanta: Meredith Clement
Alibius: Algy Pug
Alonzo de Piracquo: Chuck Williamson
Antonio: Kevin Johnson
Isabella: Caprisha Page
Tomazo de Piracquo: Todd
Narrator: Arielle Lipshaw
Audio edited by Elizabeth Klett

Genre(s): Comedy, Tragedy

Language: English

Keyword(s): drama (199), tragedy (170), play (117), jacobean (9), middleton (5), rowley (1)

The word Upanishad (upa-ni-shad) consists of, "Upa" means "near;" "ni" means "down;" "shad" means "to sit." Thus, Upanishad is to sit down near the teacher to discuss, learn, practice, and experience. There are some 200 or more Upanishads. Some are lost and are only known about because of being referenced in other Upanishads.
The Chandogya-upanishad belongs to the Sama-veda. It ranks among the oldest Upanishads, dating to the Brahmana period of Vedic Sanskrit (before the 8th century BC). It figures as number 9 in the Muktika canon of 108 Upanishads. It is part of the Chandogya Brahmana, which has ten Prapathakas (Parts). The first two Prapathakas of the Brahmana deal with sacrifices and other forms of worship. The other eight Prapathakas and their Khandas (Chapters) constitute the Chandogya Upanishad.
The 11 principal Upanishads to which Sankara appeals in his great commentary on the Vedanta-Surtras are: Chandogya, Talavakara or Kena, Aitareya, Kaushitaki, Vajasaneyi or Isha, Katha, Mundaka, Taittirtiyaka or Taittiriya, Brihadaranyaka, Svetasvatara, and Prasna. They are also called the 11 classical Upanishads or the fundamental Upanishads of the Vedanta Philosophy.
The Upanishadic literature is not a religious scripture and is free from dogma and doctrines. It is not a part of any religion but is a philosophy for all times and for all. German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, impressed by the Upanishads, called the texts "the production of the highest human wisdom". (Summary by Jothi)

Genre(s): Ancient, Asian Antiquity

Language: English

Keyword(s): philosophy (997), vedic sanskrit (2), brahmana (2), muktika (2), prapathaka (2), khanda (2)

Group: Upanishads

Abner Doubleday began the Civil War as a Union officer and aimed the first cannon shot in response to the bombardment opened on Ft. Sumter in 1861. Two years later, after a series of battles (including Antietam, where he was wounded), Doubleday took over a division in the Army of the Potomac's 1st Corps.
These are his memoirs of service in two of the War's great campaigns. At Chancellorsville, a very promising start made by General Hooker against Lee's Confederate forces fell to a defeat when, in Doubleday's estimation, normal and prudent precautions against surprise in the heavily-wooded battlefield were not carried out; he also seemingly apologizes for Hooker's lack of leadership during the battle as a result of his having been stunned by a cannon ball hitting the post against which he was leaning.
After Chancellorsville, Hooker was replaced as Army Commander by General George Meade. Doubleday describes the curious circumstances that led the two opposing armies to meet at Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. When Doubleday's superior, General John Reynolds, was killed by a sharpshooter on the first day's battle, he took over the 1st Corps and fought it well against converging Confederate divisions that badly outnumbered him. The Corps was forced by battle losses to retire, but its desperate fight bought the time needed for Union reinforcements to pour into Gettysburg and thus prevent a defeat in detail.
General Howard of the XIth Corps replaced Doubleday as the senior commander on the field, and mistakenly wrote to Meade that 1st Corps had routed after practically no fighting. Thus, when Meade arrived, he removed Doubleday from command of 1st Corps, replacing him with a more junior general from another Corps. The snub would embitter Doubleday against Meade. This book is in part Doubleday's revenge, as he picks apart Meade's indecision after the battle was essentially won, with the repulse of the famous Pickett's Charge. In his view, Meade could have won the war at that moment. (Summary by Mark Smith)

Genre(s): War & Military, Memoirs, Modern (19th C)

Language: English

Keyword(s): history (910), civil war (155)

G.K. Chesterton and James Walsh join Hilaire Belloc in an energetic rollout of the means by which history becomes propaganda, to the damage, not only to truth, but to the human soul. (Summary by Jan Baker)

Genre(s): Modern, Christianity - Other

Language: English

Keyword(s): history (910), Catholic (225)