Listen to the Best Full Audiobooks in History, World

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Title: An Atlas of Extinct Countries: The Remarkable (and Occasionally Ridiculous) Stories of 48 Nations that Fell off the Map

Author: Gideon Defoe

Narrator: Ben Allen

Format: Unabridged Audiobook

Length: 4 hours 7 minutes

Release date: September 3, 2020

Genres: World

Publisher's Summary:

Prisoners of Geography meets Bill Bryson: a funny, fascinating, beautifully illustrated – and timely – history of countries that, for myriad and often ludicrous reasons, no longer exist. ‘Countries are just daft stories we tell each other. They’re all equally implausible once you get up close’ Countries die. Sometimes it’s murder, sometimes it’s by accident, and sometimes it’s because they were so ludicrous they didn’t deserve to exist in the first place. Occasionally they explode violently. A few slip away almost unnoticed. Often the cause of death is either ‘got too greedy’ or ‘Napoleon turned up’. Now and then they just hold a referendum and vote themselves out of existence. This is an atlas of nations that fell off the map. The polite way of writing an obituary is: dwell on the good bits, gloss over the embarrassing stuff. This book fails to do that. And that is mainly because most of these dead nations (and a lot of the ones that are still alive) are so weird or borderline nonsensical that it’s impossible to skip the embarrassing stuff. The life stories of the sadly deceased involve a catalogue of chancers, racists, racist chancers, conmen, madmen, people trying to get out of paying tax, mistakes, lies, stupid schemes and General Idiocy. Because of this – and because treating nation states with too much respect is the entire problem with pretty much everything – these accounts are not fussed about adding to all the earnest flag saluting in the world, however nice some of the flags are.

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Title: The Complete Idiot's Guide to World War II, 3rd Edition: Get the Big Picture on the War That Changed the World

Author: Mitchell G. Bard

Narrator: Saul Reichlin

Format: Unabridged Audiobook

Length: 16 hours 39 minutes

Release date: September 1, 2020

Genres: World

Publisher's Summary:

The Complete Idiots Guide to World War II features coverage of the fateful D-Day invasion, a critical timeline of major WW II events, and a WW II timeline highlighting the crucial and most important events of the war. It also includes details about major battles on land, in the air, and on the sea; starting with Hitler's rise to power and his goal of European conquest; to Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor; to the decisive battles such as D-Day and the Battle of the Midway, which turned they tides of the war toward the Allies. © 2010 Mitchell G. Bard © 2020 DK Audio

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Title: The Human Cosmos: Civilization and the Stars

Author: Jo Marchant

Narrator: Jo Marchant

Format: Unabridged Audiobook

Length: 11 hours 25 minutes

Release date: September 1, 2020

Ratings: Ratings of Book: 5 of Total 1

Ratings of Narrator: 5 of Total 1

Genres: World

Publisher's Summary:

A Best Book of 2020 NPR A Best Book of 2020 The Economist A Top Ten Best Science Book of 2020 Smithsonian  A Best Science & Technology Book of 2020 Library Journal A Must-Read Book to Escape the Chaos of 2020 Newsweek Starred review Booklist Starred review Publishers Weekly An historically unprecedented disconnect between humanity and the heavens has opened. Jo Marchant's book can begin to heal it. For at least 20,000 years, we have led not just an earthly existence but a cosmic one. Celestial cycles drove every aspect of our daily lives. Our innate relationship with the stars shaped who we are--our art, religious beliefs, social status, scientific advances, and even our biology. But over the last few centuries we have separated ourselves from the universe that surrounds us. It's a disconnect with a dire cost. Our relationship to the stars and planets has moved from one of awe, wonder and superstition to one where technology is king--the cosmos is now explored through data on our screens, not by the naked eye observing the natural world. Indeed, in most countries modern light pollution obscures much of the night sky from view. Jo Marchant's spellbinding parade of the ways different cultures celebrated the majesty and mysteries of the night sky is a journey to the most awe inspiring view you can ever see--looking up on a clear dark night. That experience and the thoughts it has engendered have radically shaped human civilization across millennia. The cosmos is the source of our greatest creativity in art, in science, in life. To show us how, Jo Marchant takes us to the Hall of the Bulls in the caves at Lascaux in France, and to the summer solstice at a 5,000-year-old tomb at New Grange in Ireland. We discover Chumash cosmology and visit medieval monks grappling with the nature of time and Tahitian sailors navigating by the stars. We discover how light reveals the chemical composition of the sun, and we are with Einstein as he works out that space and time are one and the same. A four-billion-year-old meteor inspires a search for extraterrestrial life. The cosmically liberating, summary revelation is that star-gazing made us human.

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Title: The Quiet Americans: Four CIA Spies at the Dawn of the Cold War--a Tragedy in Three Acts

Author: Scott Anderson

Narrator: Scott Anderson, Robertson Dean

Format: Unabridged Audiobook

Length: 22 hours 1 minute

Release date: September 1, 2020

Ratings: Ratings of Book: 3.2 of Total 5

Ratings of Narrator: 1 of Total 1

Genres: World

Publisher's Summary:

From the bestselling author of Lawrence in Arabia—the gripping story of four CIA agents during the early days of the Cold War—and how the United States, at the very pinnacle of its power, managed to permanently damage its moral standing in the world.  “Enthralling … captivating reading.” —The New York Times Book Review At the end of World War II, the United States was considered the victor over tyranny and a champion of freedom. But it was clear—to some—that the Soviet Union was already seeking to expand and foment revolution around the world, and the American government’s strategy in response relied on the secret efforts of a newly formed CIA. Chronicling the fascinating lives of four agents, Scott Anderson follows the exploits of four spies: Michael Burke, who organized parachute commandos from an Italian villa; Frank Wisner, an ingenious spymaster who directed actions around the world; Peter Sichel, a German Jew who outwitted the ruthless KGB in Berlin; and Edward Lansdale, a mastermind of psychological warfare in the Far East. But despite their lofty ambitions, time and again their efforts went awry, thwarted by a combination of ham-fisted politicking and ideological rigidity at the highest levels of the government.

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Title: Myths & Legends

Author: Philip Wilkinson

Narrator: Hugh Kermode

Format: Unabridged Audiobook

Length: 13 hours 37 minutes

Release date: August 27, 2020

Genres: World

Publisher's Summary:

Discover the world's greatest myths and legends - from Greek mythology to Norse mythology - in this comprehensive guide. What did Japanese mythology say about the beginning of the Universe? How did Oedipus become the classic tragic hero in Greek mythology? Who brought about the origin of death in Maori mythology? Combining vivid retellings of famous legends with over 1,000 illustrations of characters, famous artworks, and artefacts, Myths and Legends makes it easier than ever before to understand the stories that are central to every culture. Delve into the well-known tales of the ancient Greeks, which hold the key to such phrases as 'Achilles' heel', as well as the lesser-known but richly colourful myths of Africa and the Americas. Explore global ideas such as fate and fortune, and the Underworld, and find out about the key characters - heroes, tricksters, and gods - that make up each myth system. Filled with the cultural and religious meanings behind each legend, and the influence they have had both in their own time and in today's world, this book is a must-have for all mythology enthusiasts. © 2019 Philip Wilkinson © 2020 DK Audio

Please visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/432142 to listen full audiobooks.

Title: Haunted Japan: Exploring the World of Japanese Yokai, Ghosts and the Paranormal

Author: Catrien Ross

Narrator: Ruth Urquhart

Format: Unabridged Audiobook

Length: 4 hours 43 minutes

Release date: August 25, 2020

Ratings: Ratings of Book: 4 of Total 1

Genres: World

Publisher's Summary:

Japanese folklore is abundant with tales of ghostly creatures and the supernatural. In Haunted Japan, author Catrien Ross reveals the legends that have been passed down for generations and continue to terrify us today. To research this book on the country's ghosts, demons and paranormal phenomena, Ross collected accounts from across Japan including: ● Sacred Mount Osore, a Japanese gateway to the land of the dead, where people gather to contact those who have passed on ● The Tokyo grave of the samurai Taira no Masakado, where passersby regularly witnessed his ghost until prayers finally laid him to rest ● The mummified remains of the monk Tetsumonkai at the Churenji Temple on Mount Yudono—a place where bizarre happenings are common ● The ruins of Hachioji Castle in Tokyo, which was abandoned for many years because of its many hauntings The result is an unparalleled insight into the dark corners of the Japanese psyche—a world filled with horrifying creatures including Oni (demons with fierce and ghastly appearances), Yurei (Japanese ghosts who inhabit the world of the living), and Yokai (supernatural monsters).

Please visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/424559 to listen full audiobooks.

Title: The Rise and Fall of Communism

Author: Archie Brown

Narrator: James Langton

Format: Unabridged Audiobook

Length: 31 hours 35 minutes

Release date: August 25, 2020

Ratings: Ratings of Book: 5 of Total 1

Ratings of Narrator: 5 of Total 1

Genres: World

Publisher's Summary:

From the internationally acclaimed Oxford authority on Communism, a definitive history that examines the origins of the ideology, its development in different nations, its collapse in many of those countries following perestroika, and its current incarnations around the globe. The Rise and Fall of Communism explores how and why Communists came to power; how they were able, in a variety of countries on different continents, to hold on to power for so long; and what brought about the downfall of so many Communist systems. For this comprehensive and illuminating work, Brown draws on more than 40 years of research and on a wealth of new sources. Tracing the story of Communism from its 19th-century roots, Brown explains both its expansion and its decline in the 20th century. Even today, although Communism has been widely discredited in the West, almost a quarter of humanity still lives under its rule.

Please visit https://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/1/audiobook/432021 to listen full audiobooks.

Title: Magdalena: River of Dreams

Author: Wade Davis

Narrator: Xandra Uribe, Wade Davis

Format: Unabridged Audiobook

Length: 16 hours 17 minutes

Release date: August 20, 2020

Genres: World

Publisher's Summary:

Brought to you by Penguin. A captivating new book – from the winner of the Samuel Johnson Prize for Into the Silence – that illuminates Colombia's complex past, present, and future through the story of the great Río Magdalena. Travellers often become enchanted with the first country that captures their hearts and gives them license to be free. For Wade Davis, it was Colombia. In this masterful new book, he revisits the mighty Magdalena, the river that made possible the nation. Along the way, he finds a people who have overcome years of conflict precisely because of their character, informed by an enduring spirit of place, and a deep love of a land that is home to the greatest ecological and geographical diversity on the planet. Only in Colombia can a traveller wash ashore in a coastal desert, follow waterways through wetlands as wide as the sky, ascend narrow tracks through dense tropical forests, and reach verdant Andean valleys rising to soaring ice-clad summits. Both a corridor of commerce and a fountain of culture, the wellspring of Colombian music, literature, poetry and prayer, the Magdalena has served in dark times as the graveyard of the nation. And yet, always, it returns as a river of life. At once an absorbing adventure and an inspiring tale of hope and redemption, Magdalena gives us a rare, kaleidoscopic picture of a nation on the verge of a new period of peace. Braiding together memoir, history, and journalism, Wade Davis tells the story of the country's most magnificent river, and in doing so, tells the epic story of Colombia. © Wade Davis 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

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Title: The Book of Wonders: How Euclid’s Elements Built the World

Author: Benjamin Wardhaugh

Narrator: Paul Hilliar

Format: Unabridged Audiobook

Length: 9 hours 39 minutes

Release date: August 20, 2020

Genres: World

Publisher's Summary:

‘An astonishingly readable and informative history of the greatest mathematical bestseller of all time … The writing is vivid and the stories are gripping. Highly recommended ’ IAN STEWART, AUTHOR OF SIGNIFICANT FIGURES Euclid’s Elements of Geometry was a book that changed the world. In this sweeping history, Benjamin Wardhaugh traces how the ancient Greek text on mathematics – often hailed as the world’s first textbook – shaped two thousand years of art, philosophy and literature, as well as science and maths. With stories of influence on every continent, and encounters with the likes of Ptolemy and Isaac Newton, Hobbes and Lewis Carroll, Wardhaugh gives dramatic life to the evolution of mathematics. Previously published as The Book of Wonders

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Title: Champions Day: The End of Old Shanghai

Author: James Carter

Narrator: Paul Heitsch

Format: Unabridged Audiobook

Length: 10 hours 47 minutes

Release date: August 18, 2020

Genres: World

Publisher's Summary:

How a single day revealed the history and foreshadowed the future of Shanghai. It is November 12, 1941, and the world is at war. In Shanghai, just weeks before Pearl Harbor, thousands celebrate the birthday of China's founding father, Sun Yat-sen, in a new city center built to challenge European imperialism. Across town, crowds of Shanghai residents from all walks of life attend the funeral of China's wealthiest woman, the Chinese-French widow of a Baghdadi Jewish businessman whose death was symbolic of the passing of a generation that had seen Shanghai’s rise to global prominence. But it is the racetrack that attracts the largest crowd of all. At the center of the International Settlement, the heart of Western colonization—but also of Chinese progressivism, art, commerce, cosmopolitanism, and celebrity—Champions Day unfolds, drawing tens of thousands of Chinese spectators and Europeans alike to bet on the horses. In a sharp and lively snapshot of the day's events, James Carter recaptures the complex history of Old Shanghai. Champions Day is a kaleidoscopic portrait of city poised for revolution.