Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, , was born in Dublin, the younger son of an Irish Protestant aristocrat. He served with his brother in India and rose to prominence during the Napoleonic Wars in the Peninsular Campaign. As a youth, his mother saw little promise in him, but Wellesley was an early riser and a hard worker, inured to the harsh life of the army camp, and conscientious in his knowledge of terrain and of defensive tactics. He famously commanded the allied forces at the final defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo, but the two men never actually met...

The Egyptian Book of the Dead, or the Book of Coming Forth by Day, is an Ancient Egyptian funerary text consisting of spells to protect the soul on its journey to Duat, or Afterlife.

This 1912 book remains among the most widely-used and well-written introductions to philosophy in English. It was aimed to be an accessible introduction to philosophy for the average shopkeeper in England in 1912. Despite its accessibility It has engaged scholarly philosophical commentators on a range of issues raised in the work. Above all it conveys in easy and witty manner the philosophical frame of mind to those that have never encountered it before. It was almost immediately, and remains today, a classic. This recording is dedicated to Jill Evans, Esq.

Henry Cabot Lodge was a popular American Senator from Massachusetts. He did not only make a name for himself as a politician, but also as an essayist, combining his personal experience as Senator with a study of the philosophical and historical background of this profession. The essays in this volume concern the American model of democracy in particular. Published in 1915, the essays contained herein also reflect the rapid changes brought about by World War I, which will interest a wide readership. - Summary by Carolin

Although this recording has been made using the 1784 version, the original book of The Art of Cookery, Made Plain and Easy was first published by subscription in 1747 by Hannah Glasse and was a compilation of the recipes typical for British meals produced in the kitchens of the more affluent classes in the 1700s. It will become obvious to the reader of this book that Hannah Glasse was a very experienced and consummate cook totally focussed on preparing and presenting a wholesome and varied range of fare for the family and guests of the household in the most economic and efficient manner possible...

Tor is a young beggar living in the city of Jerusalem during the tumultuous time of the Roman occupation. Shouts of hope are the last thing this street boy expects when he witnesses Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. Tor comes face to face with the man Jesus and from that moment his life is forever changed. With thievery, injustice, and brutality as the backdrop of this novel, Tor learns to trade his hatred for love, and what it means to be a follower of Christ. This novel is for ages eight and up.

This slim volume by the Oxford University lecturer, George Henry Wakeling, deals with the period in British history from the reign of King James I through the death of Queen Anne. The story begins with England, transformed by the Protestant Reformation and keen to confront Catholic Spain, but burdened by a monarch unequal to national ambitions. Wakeling portrays the subsequent battles for dominance between the contending Protestant sects and chronicles the struggle for sovereignty between the British Crown and the emerging power of Parliament. - Summary by Pamela Nagami

A collection of five stories all of which take place in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York, and most which contain elements of some mystery hidden deep within the forests. - Summary by Roger Melin

Eleanor Constance Lodge, , was the first woman to receive a Doctorate of Letters from the University of Oxford. In this short survey, the 180 years between 1273 and 1453 are characterized as a period of "transition--a time in which medieval characteristics were decaying and modern characteristics were growing up." This is the age of Joan of Arc, of the recovery of Spain from the Moors, of the failed Crusades of the Teutonic Knights, and of the union of Poland and Lithuania under the strong house of Jagello...

This poem is part of the "Ecclesiastical Sonnets," writen by Wordsworth between 1821 - 22. - Summary by David Lawrence

In 1906, William Jennings Bryan, himself a famous American orator, and Francis Whiting Halsey published a series of the most famous orations of all time. They are ordered by both geographic area and time period, ranging from Ancient Greece to their contemporary United States. The third, fourth, and fifth volumes of this collection concern British speakers. The speeches contained in this third volume are ordered chronologically. We begin in the year 710 AD with a speech on the Saints, and end this volume in 1777 with the realisation of the impossibility of regaining control over the American colonies. - Summary by Carolin

"Human, all-too-Human, is the monument of a crisis. It is entitled: 'A book for free spirits,' and almost every line in it represents a victory—in its pages I freed myself from everything foreign to my real nature. Idealism is foreign to me: the title says, 'Where you see ideal things, I see things which are only—human alas! all-too-human!' I know man better—the term 'free spirit' must here be understood in no other sense than this: a freed man, who has once more taken possession of himself."

This 1866 book was published in a time of great change in the Church of England. Trollope began as a High Church adherent and then worked his way to a Broad Church stance, a theological liberalism . This book deals with a crisis of faith and a crisis of structural form in the Victorian Church of England. It possesses all the interesting attributes of the novelist’s style. Note on the final chapter: John William Colenso was a British mathematician, theologian, Biblical scholar and social activist, who was the first Church of England Bishop of Natal. His progressive views on biblical criticism and treatment of African natives were controversial. - Summary by David Wales

The History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century, by Jean-Henri Merle d’Aubigné, is a classic work on the great events that re-opened the Christian gospel to a needy world. The author was a Swiss Protestant pastor. He was also a historian with a great understanding of the Bible, along with a broad and deep knowledge of the Reformation.D’Aubigné tells the story of outstanding people who had a love for God and his word, and who dared to present biblical truths which had been obscured for centuries...

William Holden Hutton was a British historian and Dean of Winchester Cathedral. In this slim volume, Hutton writes of the long period of feudal anarchy following the death of King Henry I in 1135, during which Henry's implacable daughter, Mathilda, battled the ineffectual King Stephen. Hutton then describes the turbulent reign of the great King Henry II, the reigns of Kings Richard, John, Henry III, and of the first two Edwards, rulers who whether weak or strong, rigid or resourceful, were grimly opposed by their powerful barons. - Summary by Pamela Nagami

New citizens of the United States were given this pamphlet when they became citizens. The Citizen's Almanac contains information on the history, people, and events that have brought us where we are today as a beacon of hope and freedom to the world. The Almanac has information on citizens' rights and responsibilities, the history of our anthems, court decisions, as well as other historical documents. - Summary by Craig Campbell

Description. History. “… those who read this book and have no opportunity of visiting the Tower expect that the characters in the moving drama of its history shall have some semblance of life as they walk across the stage…. My wish has been to persuade those who come to visit the Tower that there is a great deal to be seen in its immediate vicinity… A noble and historic building like the Tower resembles a venerable tree whose roots have spread into the soil in all directions, during the uncounted years of its existence, far beyond the position of its stem.” - Summary by Book Preface and David Wales

In the last year of the American Civil War, Horace Porter served as aide-de-camp to General Ulysses S. Grant, then commander of all the armies of the North. This lively 1897 memoir was written from the extensive notes he took during that time. It is highly regarded by later historians. Porter continued in that position with Grant to 1869. From 1869 to 1872 he served Grant as personal secretary in the White House. He was U.S. ambassador to France from 1897-1905.

This poem tells the story of a boy in Australia who leaves the farm at harvest time. "and to run from home was a crime." The story is set in the Riverina, New South Wales in the town of Gundagai.

This volume by the British historian J.H.B. Masterman is a short survey of the first four centuries after the fall of Rome. The author writes of Theodoric, King of the Ostrogoths, who sought to impose order on a shattered Italy, of the rise of the Franks under Clovis, and of the resurgence of the Eastern Empire under Justinian and his general, Belisarius. At the close of the book, Charlemagne's descendants are wrangling for power among themselves, while, writes Masterman, from "the north came the Norsemen, ravaging and plundering along every river valley which their long ships could sail; from the south came the Saracens, the pirates of the Mediterranean, and ...

Poe’s famous narrative poem and the author’s reflections on its composition.

Geoffrey Chaucer's classic "Canterbury Tales" has here been rendered into clear and contemporary English prose. These classic stories are now available to those who would like to read them without struggling through Middle English poetry. The character and humour of The Wife of Bath and other larger-than-life people created by Chaucer are now accessible to a wider audience, including children. Please note that the original Canterbury Tales includes 24 stories, of which 11 are reproduced here. - Summary by Beth Thomas

Housing, Food, Clothing, Health, Sanitation, Recreation, Religion, Duties, Discipline. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of master of arts in history in the Graduate School of the University of Illinois 1918. - Summary by David Wales

This is the first volume of the 15-volume series of The World’s Story: a history of the World in story, song and art, edited by Eva March Tappan. Each book is a compilation of selections from prose literature, poetry and pictures and offers a comprehensive presentation of the world's history, art and culture, from the early times till the beginning of the 20th century. Topics in Part I include China, Korea, Japan and the Islands of the Pacific. - Summary by Sonia Cast list for The Sorrows of...

As far as anyone has been able to establish, Will Clemens was NOT related to Sam Clemens , though they did become acquaintances. The 200-page biography Will Clemens wrote and published himself may have been the earliest full-length study of MT. It was published July 1,1892 as "No. 1" in a paperback series called "The Pacific Library," price 25¢, and did well enough to be republished in 1894 by a publisher in Chicago. Throughout the book Clemens relies mainly on other writers' previously published work.

Beatrice Lees writes that the history of the period of the Middle Ages from 918 to 1273 is that of "a heroic period, the age of feudalism and monasticism, of chivalry and the Crusades." The era opened "with gloomy prospects for Western Christendom. On every side danger threatened" from the Vikings, the Saracens, and the Magyars. But better things lie in store in this little volume as the Capetian dynasty is founded in France, the Holy Roman Empire becomes the political center of Europe under Frederick Barbarossa, the Papacy attains its greatest influence under Innocent III, and Frederick II, called "stupor mundi," the wonder of the world, rules the cosmopolitan Kingdom of the Two Sicilies...

The History Teacher's Magazine was a monthly publication devoted to the interests of teachers specializing in history, civics, and geography. It provides scholarly articles as well as advice on organizing course content, tips for engaging students, book reviews, and inspiration. - Summary by Sarah Jennings

In this third installment from the “Ragged Dick” series by Horatio Algers, Jr., the reader is reacquainted with some old friends and meets young Mark Manton. Mark is a match boy plagued by bad luck and an even worse guardian. But, with new friends, hard work, and smart choices, Mark may just find his luck taking a turn for the better. summary by tfaulder

Characteristics of the peoples and environment of the earliest stages of America. - Summary by Jim Locke Group: Chronicles of America Series

Much was been written about the American Revolution, but our knowledge of the private solders of the patriot army is confined chiefly to Washington’s description of their sufferings at Valley Forge. This 1902 book by a Harvard University librarian helps to fill in the picture of the common soldier throughout the war by collating references from a great many primary and secondary sources. - Summary by Book Preface and David Wales

A discussion of the adventures of the Spanish explorers from Columbus to Pizarro. - Summary by Jim Locke Group: Chronicles of America Series

The frost fair of 1814 began on 1 February, and lasted four days. A printer named George Davis published a 124-page book, "Frostiana; or a History of the River Thames in a Frozen State". The entire book was type-set and printed in Davis's printing stall, which had been set up on the frozen Thames. The book is a written history of London's frost fairs, interspersed with humorous, cold-related sections including "How to Make Ice Cream" and "The Art of Ice Skating". - Summary by Wikipedia, Lewis Fletcher

Gossipy exposés of shenanigans at the heart of government are nothing new. The author, Sir Anthony Weldon , was a courtier of years of experience and standing; his account of court intrigues around the Stuart Kings James I and Charles I was written seemingly in the tense period leading up to the English Civil War in the 1640s, and for a private readership . This text, known as the source for the summing up of James I as "the wisest fool in Christendom", gives us an insider's partisan, at times...

April, 1865. The country was in turmoil. The U.S. Civil War had come to an end, thousands of Union prisoners of war had recently been released, and President Lincoln had just been assassinated. The steamship 'Sultana' left New Orleans on April 21st, traveled to Vicksburg, Mississippi where it took on 1,965 federal soldiers and 35 officers, all recently released prisoners of war, most of them held at the prison camps of Cahaba and Andersonville , and now finally headed for their homes. The 'Sultana' arrived in Memphis, Tennessee on April 26th and headed north toward Cairo, Illinois carrying over 2,100 passengers, but designed for a capacity of only 376...

A collection of legends and myths of the Hawaiian islands and their 'strange people' as told by His Majesty King Kalakaua, the last king of Hawaii. Introduction, including a history, geography and social and religious commentary on the islands by R.M. Daggett, United States Minister to the Hawaiian Islands 1882-1885.

Citizen, colonist, pioneer! These three words carry the history of the United States back to its earliest form in 'the New World called America.' But who prepared the way for the pioneers from the Old World and what assured their safety in the New? The title of the present volume, Elizabethan Sea-Dogs gives the only answer. It was during the reign of Elizabeth, the last of the Tudor sovereigns of England, that Elizabethans won the command of the sea under the consummate leadership of Sir Francis Drake, the first of the modern admirals...

This is a concise history of the Vikings by Allen Mawer, MA, Professor of English Language and Literature in Armstrong College, University of Durham: late Fellow of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. It includes the following chapters: I.Causes of the Viking movement; II.The Viking movement down to the middle of the 9th century; III.The Vikings in England to the death of Harthacnut ; IV.The Vikings in the Frankish Empire to the founding of Normandy ;V. The Vikings in Ireland to the battle of Clontarf ; VI...

“[these essays on Shakespeare, Pepys, Restoration novels, and bohemianism]—the results of many hours of quiet but rather aimless browsing among books, and not of special investigations, undertaken with a view to definite scholastic ends. They are, moreover, as will readily be seen, completely unacademic in style and intention.” Published in 1897. Hudson was a prolific author, naturalist, and ornithologist. His most popular book in the early 20th century was Green Mansions.

This is the second volume of the 15-volume series of The World’s Story: a history of the World in story, song and art, edited by Eva March Tappan. Each book is a compilation of selections from prose literature, poetry and pictures and offers a comprehensive presentation of the world's history, art and culture, from the early times till the beginning of the 20th century. Topics in Part II include India, Siam, Afghanistan, Persia, Mesopotamia and Palestine. - Summary by Sonia Cast list for Sakoontala, or the lost ring: King: Tomas Peter First Attendant: Eva Davis Second Attendant: TJ Burns Child: lorda Sakoontala: Monika M...

In this trim volume the British historian, Osmund Airy writes of the period between 1648 and 1679 when Cardinal Mazarin, having concluded the masterly Peace of Westphalia for France, confronts the rebellions of the nobility known as the Fronde. By the time of his death in 1661, Mazarin has completed the work of Richelieu and made Louis XIV an absolute monarch, ready to extend his borders by conquest. But in Holland, the young Stadtholder, William III of Orange, resolutely opposes Louis's military...

The sixth and last volume of the Woodville stories contains the record of a mechanical, rather than a moral triumph, though the virtues of patience and perseverance are incidentally illustrated, and the "little captain" of the Woodville is always a good son, a forbearing brother, and a kind friend. Lawry Wilford, the young pilot, is a boy of spirit and energy, who overcomes difficulties by a strong faith in himself, and redeems his family from poverty, in spite of the bad example and the bad conduct of his father and his older brother...

"The History Teacher’s Magazine is devoted to the interests of teachers of History, Civics, and related subjects in the fields of Geography and Economics. It aims to bring to the teacher of these topics the latest news of his profession. It will describe recent methods of history teaching, and such experiments as may be tried by teachers in different parts of the country. It will keep the teacher in touch with the recent literature of history by giving an impartial judgment upon recent text-books...

A severe earthquake, centered in the vacation area of West Yellowstone, Montana, shook the ground and its inhabitants and visitors on August 17, 1959, at 11.37 pm. A mountainside fell, a lake formed, roads and houses disappeared, people were trapped, people died. The author of this narrative went to the area the day after the quake, took first-hand stories of the catastrophe, researched in the following months, and wrote this account within a year of the shaking. The printed source has many informative photographs. - Summary by David Wales

This 1911 history of the public health revolution that transformed New York City in the nineteenth century is also about every city and town of the world and the sanitary challenges that each encountered. Stephen Smith was an American surgeon and a pioneer in public health. “The story of a great life-saving social revolution, the mightiest in the nineteenth century and one of the most momentous in the history of civilization, is told here for the first time. It is told from the standpoint of the transformation of the City of New York, by a chief actor in the event.” Chapter four, New York The Unclean, is the heart of this work.

The previous volumes in the Chronicles of America series placed Spain and England at the fore in the discovery and development of the New World. This book focuses on the role that France played in America's journey to becoming a world power. Group: Chronicles of America Series

This late fourth century common era narrative of a Christian pilgrimage is the earliest such text which survives to us. It is an important source of information about early Christian practices. This book has an extended introduction which provides invaluable context and summaries, though some of it is a bit scholarly and dry. The text is damaged with some parts missing; missing parts will be designated in this recording by this verbal usage: “dot dot dot dot” . More information: Egeria, Etheria or Aetheria was a woman, widely regarded to be the author of a detailed account of a pilgrimage to the Holy Land...

Subtitled, "A Cyclopaedia of the condition and earnings of those that will work, those that cannot work, and those that will not work." "The history of a people from the lips of the people themselves .. their labour, earnings, trials and sufferings, in their own unvarnished language, and to pourtray the condition of their homes and their families by personal observation of the places ..." "My earnest hope is that the book may serve to give the rich a more intimate knowledge of the sufferings, and the frequent heroism under those sufferings, of the poor ...

Simon Dubnow was born in 1860 to a poor Jewish family in Belarussian town of Mstsislaw and later became authority of Jewish history and an activist. Due to his Jewish origin, he had to move to St.Petersburg, Odessa, Vilna, St.Petersburg, Kaunas, Berlin and finally Riga after Hitler came to power. When Nazi troops occupied Latvia 1941, he was moved with thousands of other Jews to Riga ghetto and was eventually killed. His life is a symbol of Jewish suffering in Eastern Europe in the first half of 20 century. This book is one of the most extensive and thorough study of the glory and suffering of the Jews in Russia and Poland for 2000 years. - Summary by S. S. Kim

Compilation of tales designed and arranged for young people. This volume covers tales from the North, the Rhine, Greece and Rome, tales from the Hudson River, and animal stories. - Summary by DrPGould

After the publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which many claim sparked off the Civil War that put an end to legalized slavery in America, there was a great outcry that Stowe had blown her fictional story out of all proportion to the facts. She was viewed by some as an irresponsible monster. Stowe defended herself by painstakingly publishing this Key, describing the actual people, incidents, statutes, court cases, news articles, advertisements, and published facts from whence she drew her material...

This is the third volume of the 15-volume series of The World’s Story: a history of the World in story, song and art, edited by Eva March Tappan. Each book is a compilation of selections from prose literature, poetry and pictures and offers a comprehensive presentation of the world's history, art and culture, from the early times till the beginning of the 20th century. Topics in Part III include Egypt, Northern, Western and Central Africa, South Africa and Arabia. - Summary by Sonia Cast list for The Death of Cleopatra: Dolabella: Tomas Peter Charmian: Monika M...

"This book is in turns funny and sad. Violet Osborne is a very beloved child with no financial problems. She is both beautiful and good, and of course she must be happy. Yet, as we learn, she is a manipulative and overbearing woman who would do anything to get her way. This book tells us about her life as a girl, and takes us through her marriage and motherhood. It is a pleasant read, as the book is so witty and charming and the descriptions are very realistic". Summary by Stav Nisser.

James Cook , British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the Royal Navy was the son of a farm laborer. Apprenticed to a grocer, he ran away to sea. He saw hard service in the Baltic as a merchant seaman, while applying himself to the study of mathematics, navigation, and astronomy. In 1755 he volunteered for the Royal Navy, working his way up to captain. This little biography by Walter Besant, chronicles Cook's three voyages of discovery and his violent death in Hawaii. Cook replaced vague mythology with accurate observations of people and places, animals and plants...

Historical vignettes of selected locations throughout the world and many of our early explorers as well. Fascinating travel adventures throughout Europe, Asia, America, etc. for young and old alike. Perfect for the armchair traveler who enjoys learning of our global past... - Summary by BettyB

"The letters of Hon. William Bradley, Ex-Governor and former veteran of practical politics, written to his friend and protege Ned who is still busy 'carving a career back in the old state.'" This is a novel filled with humorous political anecdotes by the main character, the Honorable William Bradley, told for the benefit of his protege, Ned. It conveys a sense of the ironic and humorous side of politics in Washington and back in their home state.

In this remarkably detailed and sweeping fifth installment, Mary Johnston takes us from discoveries and settlements to the evolution into the first colonies, specifically Virginia, Maryland, North and South Carolina, and finally Georgia. Group: Chronicles of America Series

John Dewey, an early 20th Century American philosopher, psychologist, educational theorist saw Social Psychology as much a physical science as Biology and Chemistry. This project encompasses Part 1 of 4 of his book Human Nature and Conduct. Dewey's uses the word "HABIT" as a specialized catch-all word to describe how a person and his/her objective environment interact. This interaction is the basis for moral judgement. Dewey writes: "All habits are demands for certain kinds of activity; and they constitute the self.” In other places he also asserts that "Habits are Will." - Summary by William Jones, Soloist

Eminent British botanist Agnes Arber provides an authoritative history of printed Herbals -- books widely used in early modern Europe to catalogue the uses of different kinds of plants. While Herbals often reflected pre-scientific and magical beliefs about the properties of plants, Arber's work reveals that they were also critical to the early development of botany and medicine as empirical sciences. A classic in the history of science. - Summary by Josh Leach

"The History Teacher’s Magazine is devoted to the interests of teachers of History, Civics, and related subjects in the fields of Geography and Economics. It aims to bring to the teacher of these topics the latest news of his profession. It will describe recent methods of history teaching, and such experiments as may be tried by teachers in different parts of the country. It will keep the teacher in touch with the recent literature of history by giving an impartial judgment upon recent text-books...

William Caruthers was a retired newspaperman who spent 25 years listening to stories told by the inhabitants of Death Valley. This 1951 book collects those stories; the printed version has many interesting pictures. ''Of the actors who made the history of the period, few remain. It was the writer’s good fortune that many of these men were his friends. It is the romance, the comedy, the often stark tragedy these men left along the trail which you will find in the pages that follow.''