Discover Most Popular Audiobooks in History, American Top 100

The Water Kingdom Audiobook by Philip Ball

Apr 25, 201712:56:00Tap to summarize

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 Water Kingdom Subtitle: A Secret History of China Author: Philip Ball Narrator: Derek Perkins Format: Unabridged Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins Language: English Release date: 04-25-17 Publisher: Tantor Audio Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 12 votes Genres: History, World Publisher's Summary: From the Yangtze to the Yellow River, China is traversed by great waterways, which have defined its politics and ways of life for centuries. Water has been so integral to China's culture, economy, and growth and development that it provides a window on the whole sweep of Chinese history. In The Water Kingdom, renowned writer Philip Ball opens that window to offer an epic and powerful new way of thinking about Chinese civilization. Water, Ball shows, is a key that unlocks much of Chinese culture. In The Water Kingdom, he takes us on a grand journey through China's past and present, showing how the complexity and energy of the country and its history repeatedly come back to the challenges, opportunities, and inspiration provided by the waterways. Drawing on stories from travelers and explorers, poets and painters, bureaucrats and activists, all of whom have been influenced by an environment shaped and permeated by water, Ball explores how the ubiquitous relationship of the Chinese people to water has made it an enduring metaphor for philosophical thought and artistic expression. Critic Reviews: "This is a one-stop examination of water's primacy in Chinese history, and a well-written one at that." (Publishers Weekly) Members Reviews: Should be read by millions. Excellent book. Full of new information and truly innovative thinking. Should be made compulsory reading in high schools. Interesting angle on China I continued to be amazed by examples of how water and it's management have played such a huge role in shaping China's history. The look at ancient China and how even Chinese characters are influenced by water was eye opening. Wonderfully researched and truly fascinating. Recommended for anyone looking to understand China's history through a new lense. GREAT HISTORY OF CHINA While this book focuses on the history of water management, it does much more and provides a concise history of China. Chinese history appears to be extremely complicated to most Westerners but it turns out to be quite simple when you approach it correctly. The main difference between Western and Chinese history is that the West suffered two total collapses in the last 3,000 years while China never had a total collapse. The two collapses were the 1200 BC Bronze Age collapse (which most people have never heard of) at the time of ancient Crete and the Fall of Rome in 476 AD. Instead China has had alternating periods of stability and chaos during the same period. While Western history falls into the sequential eras of Antiquity, Dark Ages, Middle Ages, Renaissance, Reformation, Enlightenment, and the Industrial Revolution, Chinese history can be easily understood by looking at its eight successful dynasties (those lasting a few centuries) and ignoring the countless intervening states and conflicts. The Bronze Age Xia Dynasty dates from about 2070 BC and corresponds to the era of ancient Crete in the West. This was followed by the Shang Dynasty from about 1766 BC during which the West suffered its first total collapse. This was when the first primitive Chinese characters on tortoise shells were developed.

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The Glass Universe Audiobook by Dava Sobel

Dec 6, 201612:42:00Tap to summarize

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 Glass Universe Subtitle: How the Ladies of the Harvard Observatory Took the Measure of the Stars Author: Dava Sobel Narrator: Cassandra Campbell Format: Unabridged Length: 12 hrs and 42 mins Language: English Release date: 12-06-16 Publisher: Penguin Audio Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 60 votes Genres: History, American Publisher's Summary: Number-one New York Times best-selling author Dava Sobel returns with the captivating, little-known true story of a group of women whose remarkable contributions to the burgeoning field of astronomy forever changed our understanding of the stars and our place in the universe. In the mid-19th century, the Harvard College Observatory began employing women as calculators, or "human computers", to interpret the observations made via telescope by their male counterparts each night. At the outset this group included the wives, sisters, and daughters of the resident astronomers, but by the 1880s the female corps included graduates of the new women's colleges - Vassar, Wellesley, and Smith. As photography transformed the practice of astronomy, the ladies turned to studying the stars captured nightly on glass photographic plates. The "glass universe" of half a million plates that Harvard amassed in this period - thanks in part to the early financial support of another woman, Mrs. Anna Draper, whose late husband pioneered the technique of stellar photography - enabled the women to make extraordinary discoveries that attracted worldwide acclaim. They helped discern what stars were made of, divided the stars into meaningful categories for further research, and found a way to measure distances across space by starlight. Their ranks included Williamina Fleming, a Scottish woman originally hired as a maid who went on to identify 10 novae and more than 300 variable stars; Annie Jump Cannon, who designed a stellar classification system that was adopted by astronomers the world over and is still in use; and Dr. Cecilia Helena Payne-Gaposchkin, who in 1956 became the first ever woman professor of astronomy at Harvard - and Harvard's first female department chair. Elegantly written and enriched by excerpts from letters, diaries, and memoirs, The Glass Universe is the hidden history of a group of remarkable women who, through their hard work and groundbreaking discoveries, disproved the commonly held belief that the gentler sex had little to contribute to human knowledge. Members Reviews: Edifying I have enjoyed reading a number of Sobels books such as Galileos Daughter. This book is about the women who worked at the Harvard College Observatory in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They were called computers. After reading Rocket Girls and Hidden Figures, I know this is a term applied to women who did the math and analytical work for scientists. These women at the Observatory were math, physics and astronomy majors and some were Ph.Ds. These women studied, compared, classified and catalogued data about stars that had been photographed by male astronomers on glass plates. At this time women were not allowed to be astronomers. The women were assigned the work that demanded both scrupulous attention to detail and could be considered tedious work. Edward Pickering and Harlow Shapley were directors of the Observatory from 1877 to 1952. These men were willing to hire women and even created research grants and academic fellowships for women via the patronage of two women heiresses, Anna Palmer Draper and Catherine Wolfe Bruce, who provided the funding. Some of the women Sobel presents are Williamina Fleming, Annie Jump Cannon, and Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin.

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Playing Through the Whistle Audiobook by S. L. Price

Oct 4, 201615:16:00Tap to summarize

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: Playing Through the Whistle Subtitle: Steel, Football, and an American Town Author: S. L. Price Narrator: Joe Barrett Format: Unabridged Length: 15 hrs and 16 mins Language: English Release date: 10-04-16 Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc. Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 40 votes Genres: History, American Publisher's Summary: From a Sports Illustrated senior writer, a moving epic of football and industrial America, telling the story of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, its now-shuttered steel mill, and its legendary high school football team Aliquippa, Pennsylvania is famous for two things: the Jones and Laughlin Steel mill, an industrial behemoth that helped win World War II; and football, with a high school team that has produced numerous NFL stars, including Mike Ditka and Darrelle Revis. But the mill, once the fourth largest producer in America, closed for good in 2000. What happens to a town when a dream dies? Does it just disappear? In Playing Through the Whistle, celebrated sports writer S. L. Price tells the story of this remarkable place, its people, and its players and, through it, a wider story of American history from the turn of the 20th century. Aliquippa has been many things - a rigidly controlled company town, a booming racial and ethnic melting pot, and, for a brief time, a workers' paradise. Price expertly traces this history while also recounting the birth and development of high school sports, from a minor pastime to a source of civic pride to today, when it sometimes seems like the only way out of a life of poverty, drug abuse, and crime. Playing Through the Whistle is a masterpiece of narrative journalism that will make you cry and cheer in equal measure. Members Reviews: This is not a football book Do not be fooled, this is not a book about football. It is a touching history of the USA Steel mill towns. What it meant to live football. So many famous, and interesting people came from Aliquippa. It's a history of America, the unions, the gangs, and the breakdown of the American family...no this is one of the best surprises I have found! Thanks to my husband who recommended it, and to John his friend who have it to him as s gift. From an expat I grew up in Hopewell. Graduated from Hopewell High . (As did Tony Dorsett who figures prominently in this book). Worked on the A&S railroad and J&L coke ovens in the 70s. I had moved away by 1980, but my parents, grandmother and brother remained until recently. There was a lot of good about the Aliquippa of my childhood/adolescence and this book does a decent job describing times before the mill shut down. To me, the most compelling question to come out of the Aliquippa experience is why did the closing of J&L have such a devastating impact on a once proud community long grounded on honest, hard work. This book doesn't really address that profound issue. For that reason, I wouldn't recommend this book to everyone. It does contain a lot of factual information about Quip football and the nature of the violence that prevailed after J&L closed. Therefore, I would recommend it for those, including me, with a special interest in Quip football and in the town itself. For those seeking a broader understanding of the collapse of the American steel industry and why devastation (as opposed to resilience/adaptation) ensued, this book provides very little insight. The narration is less than stellar. There are a number of mispronunciations which locals will likely find distracting. My family is from Aliquippa Monaca is not pronounced Monica. Its pronounced Mo-na-ca. This is the story of my roots. Great- Grandfather worked the blast furnace at J&L. Raised his family on Baker Street in Logstown.

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The Boys in the Boat: Summary and Analysis Audiobook by Summary Station

Feb 5, 201600:40:00Tap to summarize

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 Boys in the Boat: Summary and Analysis Author: Summary Station Narrator: C.J. McAllister Format: Unabridged Length: 40 mins Language: English Release date: 02-05-16 Publisher: Summary Station Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes Genres: History, World Publisher's Summary: Learn About the Men Who Won the Gold Medal for Rowing in the 1936 Berlin Olympics in a Fraction of the Time! During the fourth year of the Depression, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was president of the United States, and Adolf Hitler was in power over Germany. Conditions in the United States were barely livable for most families, including Joe Rantz and his family. Joe was at the University of Washington in Seattle. Joe and his classmate, Roger Morris, were headed to the shell house on campus to try out for the Rowing team along with 175 other boys. Joe was particularly nervous about the tryouts. If he made the team, he had the promise of a part-time job on campus and would be able to marry his high school sweet heart, Joyce. Al Ulbrickson was the rowing team's head coach. He was always sharply dressed, which, along with his assertive demeanor, demanded respect from all of the boys on the team as well as the press. Joe knew how important this year's freshman team was; if he could train the boys properly, he would be able to take them to the 1936 Olympics. Although many other West Coast colleges had been to the Olympics before and even brought home medals, no University of Washington coach had ever come close. Royal Brougham was a particularly tenacious member of the press who tried the hardest to pry a statement out of Al. Royal saw the rowing team as an opportunity to improve his hometown's image and set out to be one of the biggest advocates for the team. At the same moment in Germany, Hitler and his staff were walking through a stadium built for the previous 1916 Olympics, which were cancelled because of the war. Hitler was not a fan of the Olympics. The idea of different races participating together in the games was appalling to him. However, when he toured the old stadium, he announced that he would have it expanded to fit 100,000 people, much to the shock of his staff. Members Reviews: Exceptional Young Men Excel During the Depression Who could imagine that a book about college rowing would be fascinating to an older woman? I was sitting next to an older gal on the plane and she recommended it to me. The background of the "rowing" is a young man's coming of age, the rural Northwest, and college life in the 30's. The background is very fascinating and the description of the artisan who makes the boat, the coaches, the politics of sports competition, and the world events all combine to make a fascinating tale. A Waste of Money This book by Summary Station is full of typographical and grammatical errors, which I found totally unprofessional. More important, it is a poor summary and a useless analysis. The "analysis" amounts to less than two pages of sophomoric comments. I had to purchase another book of this type to get a more expansive summary and decent analysis. The Instaread version offers much more in-depth analysis of the book (themes, character, style, etc.) and costs the same as Summary Station's! Historical Fiction In spite of the fact that one knew the ending of the story, the writing of this adventure is so well done, that one was on the edge of the seat while reading! So interesting to actually get the personal background of each of the rowers'. The lives of these young men presented such an incredible story in and of themselves, yet set against the backdrop of the impeding horror of the Nazi regime, none seemed insurmountable.

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Legendary Explorers: The Life and Legacy of Marco Polo Audiobook by Charles River Editors

Jun 4, 201501:22:00Tap to summarize

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: Legendary Explorers: The Life and Legacy of Marco Polo Author: Charles River Editors Narrator: Colin Fluxman Format: Unabridged Length: 1 hr and 22 mins Language: English Release date: 06-04-15 Publisher: Charles River Editors Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 9 votes Genres: History, World Publisher's Summary: "I have not told half of what I saw." - Marco Polo A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In this series, listeners can get caught up to speed on the lives of important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known. Marco Polo (1254-1324) is an instantly recognizable name, and he is known for his travels, but it's safe to say that his influence and importance has been greatly overlooked in the nearly 700 years since he died. Born in Venice, Marco Polo was in a fortuitous position to participate in the Mediterranean trade, but he was still a young man when he went on the journey that would make him famous and greatly inspire the Age of Exploration. Though he was destined to become famous, Marco Polo was simply following in the footsteps of his own family, and it's believed that he was already a teenager before he met his father and uncle, who had been traveling to the Far East and who, according to Marco Polo, had met Kublai Khan, the famous grandson of Genghis Khan. They set off for Asia again a few years later, this time with Marco Polo, and they would not return to Venice for 24 years. When they came back, they had allegedly traveled about 15,000 miles and brought back plenty of riches and treasure. Members Reviews: Fascinating and beautifully told Brilliant history, well told. Colin Fluxman is one of my favourite narrators on Audible (he's not family BTW!). I could listen to him all day. The story is a well-paced and well-structured canter through the life of Marco Polo, full of fascinating details.

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Women Physicians and Professional Ethos in Nineteenth-Century America Audiobook by Carolyn Skinner

Mar 18, 201508:34:00Tap to summarize

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: Women Physicians and Professional Ethos in Nineteenth-Century America Subtitle: Studies in Rhetorics and Feminisms Author: Carolyn Skinner Narrator: Caroline Miller Format: Unabridged Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins Language: English Release date: 03-18-15 Publisher: University Press Audiobooks Ratings: 2.5 of 5 out of 2 votes Genres: History, American Publisher's Summary: Women physicians in 19th-century America faced a unique challenge in gaining acceptance to the medical field as it began its transformation into a professional institution. The profession had begun to increasingly insist on masculine traits as signs of competency. Not only were these traits inaccessible to women according to 19th-century gender ideology, but showing competence as a medical professional was not enough. Whether women could or should be physicians hinged mostly on maintaining their femininity while displaying the newly established standard traits of successful practitioners of medicine. Women Physicians and Professional Ethos provides a unique example of how women influenced both popular and medical discourse. This volume is especially notable because it considers the work of African American and American Indian women professionals. Drawing on a range of books, articles, and speeches, Carolyn Skinner analyzes the rhetorical practices of 19th-century American women physicians. She redefines ethos in a way that reflects the persuasive efforts of women who claimed the authority and expertise of the physician with great difficulty. Members Reviews: Interesting look at women's education This is definitely an academic essay. I was impressed by the amount of research Skinner did for this book. The research is both comprehensive and exhaustive. Skinner exams womens medical text and speeches from the 19th century from a range of genres appropriate to the womens status as physicians, and is most interested in their strategic uses of ethos in their efforts to influence popular and medical discourse. The genres were divided into chapters with the first chapter covering the debate of the time about the character of women physicians. Skinner covers questions such as could women physicians not only be competent but maintain their femininity. Other chapters were on education of women and children on anatomy, sex and hygiene. I was most impressed that the author also included American Indian women and African American professionals and their special difficulties to be accepted. Skinners claims in each chapter are based on solid textual analysis with her support anchored in the choices. This is an excellent analysis and review of the problems women faced to be educated and accepted in their profession of choice. It is only recently that we are seeing more and more women physicians and in the most part they are not only accepted as competent physicians by fellow physicians but also by the public. Caroline Miller narrated the book.

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The Secret Game Audiobook by Scott Ellsworth

Mar 10, 201511:11:00Tap to summarize

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 Secret Game Subtitle: A Wartime Story of Courage, Change, and Basketball's Lost Triumph Author: Scott Ellsworth Narrator: Scott Ellsworth Format: Unabridged Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins Language: English Release date: 03-10-15 Publisher: Hachette Audio Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 24 votes Genres: History, American Publisher's Summary: The true story of the game that never should have happened. Something was happening to basketball. In the wartime fall of 1943, at the little-known North Carolina College for Negroes, Coach John McLendon was on the verge of changing the game forever. Within six months his Eagles would become the highest-scoring college basketball team in America, a fast-breaking, hard-pressing juggernaut that would shatter its opponents by as many as 60 points per game. The last student of James Naismith, basketball's inventor, McLendon had opened the door to its future. Across town, at Duke University, the best basketball squad on campus wasn't the Blue Devils but an all-white military team from the Duke medical school. Comprised of former college stars from across the country, they dismantled every team they faced, including the Duke varsity. They were prepared to play anyone - that was until an audacious invitation arrived, one that was years ahead of anything the South had ever seen before. Based on years of research, The Secret Game is a story of courage and determination and of an incredible, long-buried moment in the nation's sporting past. The riveting true account of a remarkable season, it is the story of how a handful of forgotten college basketball players not only changed the game forever but also helped to usher in a new America. Members Reviews: Scattered and trying too hard I very much enjoyed the history relayed in this book, but it tries too hard to explain too much. At the end, the discussion of the murder seemed completely out of context with the rest of the story. While I understood the point of the murder intertwined with the book's focus on Jim Crow, it simply didn't fit the focus of those issues as they pertained to NCCU and Duke. Additionally, the chapters on Phog Allen and even to a certain extent, Naismith, just seemed to draw attention away from the importance of the "Secret game." Again, it just seemed to being trying too hard to incorporate too much. Enjoyed--very good story built on one college basketball game A step back in history to when blacks and whites in the south were not permitted to be seen working together let alone equals. One chapter, the game, appeared to help take one small step forward in ending segregation.

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Mud and Khaki Audiobook by Vernon Bartlett

Oct 28, 201403:32:00Tap to summarize

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: Mud and Khaki Author: Vernon Bartlett Narrator: Felbrigg Napoleon Herriot Format: Unabridged Length: 3 hrs and 32 mins Language: English Release date: 10-28-14 Publisher: FNH Audio Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes Genres: History, World Publisher's Summary: FNH Audio presents an unabridged reading of this collection of sketches from Flanders and France, during WWI. First published in 1917, during the latter part of the war, this book has captured the mood of the country at the time. By carefully selecting anecdotes and previously published articles relating the war taking place across the channel, the author created a blend of narrative that is by turns inspiring, insightful, funny, and bitter-sweet. Including the trench-wisdom of "Pongo" Simpson, and Margery Debenham's terrible tale of loss and heartache, this book will not fail to touch you.

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L'origine dell'uomo rosso [Red Man's Origin] Audiolibro di Donald N. Panther-Yates, William Eubanks, George Sahkiyah Sanders

Oct 14, 201400:21:00Tap to summarize

Ascolta questo libro audio completo gratuitamente su https://hotaudiobook.com Titolo: L'origine dell'uomo rosso [Red Man's Origin] Autore: Donald N. Panther-Yates, William Eubanks, George Sahkiyah Sanders Narratore: Christian Vivi Formato: Unabridged Durata: 21 mins Lingua: Italiano Data di pubblicazione: 10-14-14 Editore: Panther's Lodge Categoria: History, World Riepilogo Editore: La storia leggendaria della sua ascesa e della sua caduta, le sue vittorie e le sue sconfitte e la profezia del suo futuro Non possediamo nulla di 'più autentico' di "Red Man's Origin". "Red Man's Origin" è semplicemente un articolo in lingua inglese dal anno 1896, tradotto ora per la prima volta in Italiano dalla artista veronese Francesca Bortolaso. E' un miracolo che sopravviva. Riproduce le parole Cherokee di George Sahkiyah (Soggy) Sanders così tradotte in lingua inglese da William Eubanks. Sanders era un purosangue che parlava poco l'inglese e sapeva leggere e scrivere solo in Cherokee. William Eubanks (1841-1921) era il figlio di un padre adottivo bianco e di una mamma Cherokee. Il suo nome Cherokee era Unenudi. Riconosciuto come uno degli intellettuali eccezionali Cherokee del tardo diciannovesimo secolo, usò lo pseudonimo Cornsilk nei suoi articoli di giornale, molti dei quali di genere politico o antropologico. Fu un membro della Keetoowah Priestly Society ed un traduttore per la Nazione Cherokee fino a quando non fu sciolta nel 1906. Non possediamo nulla di 'più autentico' di "Red Man's Origin". "Red Man's Origin" è semplicemente un articolo in lingua inglese dal anno 1896, tradotto ora per la prima volta in Italiano dalla artista veronese Francesca Bortolaso. E' un miracolo che sopravviva. Riproduce le parole Cherokee di George Sahkiyah (Soggy) Sanders così tradotte in lingua inglese da William Eubanks. Sanders era un purosangue che parlava poco l'inglese e sapeva leggere e scrivere solo in Cherokee. William Eubanks (1841-1921) era il figlio di un padre adottivo bianco e di una mamma Cherokee. Il suo nome Cherokee era Unenudi. Riconosciuto come uno degli intellettuali eccezionali Cherokee del tardo diciannovesimo secolo, usò lo pseudonimo Cornsilk nei suoi articoli di giornale, molti dei quali di genere politico o antropologico. Fu un membro della Keetoowah Priestly Society ed un traduttore per la Nazione Cherokee fino a quando non fu sciolta nel 1906. L'ORIGINE DELL'UOMO ROSSO è un prezioso frammento di narrativa nazionale Cherokee sul passato, presente e futuro di questo popolo. L'ORIGINE DELL'UOMO ROSSO è un prezioso frammento di narrativa nazionale Cherokee sul passato, presente e futuro di questo popolo. Please note: This audiobook is in Italian.

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Phantom Terror Audiobook by Adam Zamoyski

Oct 9, 201419:56:00Tap to summarize

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: Phantom Terror Subtitle: The Threat of Revolution and the Repression of Liberty 1789-1848 Author: Adam Zamoyski Narrator: Geoff Holman Format: Unabridged Length: 19 hrs and 56 mins Language: English Release date: 10-09-14 Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Limited Genres: History, World Publisher's Summary: A magnificent and timely examination of an age of fear, subversion, suppression and espionage, Adam Zamoyski explores the attempts of the governments of Europe to police the world in a struggle against obscure forces, seemingly dedicated to the overthrow of civilisation. The advent of the French Revolution confirmed the worst fears of the rulers of Europe. They saw their states as storm-tossed vessels battered by terrible waves from every quarter and threatened by horrific monsters from the deep. Rulers' nerves were further unsettled by the voices of the Enlightenment, envisaging improvement only through a radical transformation of the future role of the monarchy and the Church.Napoleon's arrival on the European stage intensified these fears, and the changes he wrought across Europe fully justified them. Yet he also brought some comfort to those rulers who managed to survive: he had tamed the revolution in France and the hegemony he exercised over Europe was a guarantee against subversion. Once Napoleon was toppled, the monarchs of Europe took over this role for themselves. But their attempts to impose order were not only ineffectual, they weakened the very bases of that order. Their obsessive hunt for hidden conspiracy became self-fulfilling. Their use of force and repressive measures alienated the very classes whose support they needed. Reliance on standing armies only served to politicise the military and to give potential revolutionaries the opportunity to get their hands on a ready armed force.Their policies led to the wave of revolutions in 1848, but these fell short of the long-dreaded Armageddon and revealed the groundlessness of their fears. The masses wanted bread and improved working conditions, not the overthrow of the social order. Nevertheless, the sense of a great, undefined, subversive threat never went away and re-surfaced in the form of various supposed conspiracies to take over the world: it still lingers in many quarters today. Adam Zamoyski's compelling history reveals how paranoia came to grip the minds of rulers and much of society, dictating policies that flew in the face of common sense, and continues to hold lessons for politicians. Members Reviews: A good man and thorough... The book explores the basis of conspiracy theories that still live with us today whilst giving a detailed account of a unsettled and often violent period in European history...at times do bizarre I'm tempted to say you couldn't make it up. Open your eyes An excellent analysis and unveiling of the nation state's methods of repression and control, an absolute must read. Oh for some structure If like me you are completely ignorant of this period of history this book will be a bit of a struggle mainly owing to the lack of structure. There is a mountain of information most of, which is engaging, but I found it quite hard to follow. I can imagine listening to this again and enjoying it a lot more.

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Discover Most Popular Audiobooks in History, American Top 100

All episodes

The Water Kingdom Audiobook by Philip Ball

The Glass Universe Audiobook by Dava Sobel

Playing Through the Whistle Audiobook by S. L. Price

The Boys in the Boat: Summary and Analysis Audiobook by Summary Station

Legendary Explorers: The Life and Legacy of Marco Polo Audiobook by Charles River Editors

Women Physicians and Professional Ethos in Nineteenth-Century America Audiobook by Carolyn Skinner

The Secret Game Audiobook by Scott Ellsworth

Mud and Khaki Audiobook by Vernon Bartlett

L'origine dell'uomo rosso [Red Man's Origin] Audiolibro di Donald N. Panther-Yates, William Eubanks, George Sahkiyah Sanders

Phantom Terror Audiobook by Adam Zamoyski