-
Great Contemporaries
- Narrated by: Ric Jerrom
- Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $24.30
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's summary
Great Contemporaries profiles towering figures ranging from Franklin Roosevelt, Adolf Hitler, Lawrence of Arabia and Leon Trotsky to Charlie Chaplin, H. G. Wells, Rudyard Kipling and George Bernard Shaw. Written in the decade before Churchill became prime minister, the essays in Great Contemporaries focus on the challenges of statecraft at a time when the democratic revolution was toppling older regimes based on tradition and aristocratic privilege.
Churchill's keen observations take on new importance in our own age of roiling political change. Ultimately, Great Contemporaries provides fascinating insight into the statesman's perspective.
Churchill's objective is clear: he tries to learn from these giants what makes a man great. He approaches his subjects with a measuring eye, finding their limitations at least as revealing as their merits. This new edition of Great Contemporaries brings back Churchill's unmatched insights and unforgettable prose for a new generation of listeners and leaders.
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The River War
- By: Winston Churchill
- Narrated by: Stephen Thorne
- Length: 13 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The northeastern quarter of the continent of Africa is drained and watered by the Nile. Among and about the headstreams and tributaries of this mighty river lie the wide and fertile provinces of the Egyptian Soudan. Situated in the very centre of the land, these remote regions are on every side divided from the seas by 500 miles of mountain, swamp, or desert. The great river is their only means of growth, their only channel of progress.
-
-
Excellent
- By TheGoldenGoose on 05-15-17
-
Churchill
- The Power of Words
- By: Sir Winston Churchill, Martin Gilbert
- Narrated by: Fraser Wilson
- Length: 18 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Winston Churchill understood and wielded the power of words throughout his six decades in the public eye. His wartime writings and speeches revealed both his vision for the future and his own personal feelings, fascinating generation after generation with their powerful style and thoughtful reflection. In this book Churchill's official biographer, Martin Gilbert, has skilfully selected 200 extracts from his entire oeuvre of books, articles and speeches that reflect his life story, career and philosophy.
-
-
I wish I found this book 10 years ago when I was 21
- By Brian Schutte on 07-30-18
By: Sir Winston Churchill, and others
-
Marlborough: His Life and Times
- By: Winston Churchill
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Length: 81 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
John Churchill, the Duke of Marlborough (1644-1722), was one of the greatest military commanders and statesmen in the history of England. Victorious in the Battles of Blenheim (1704) and Ramillies (1706) and countless other campaigns, Marlborough, whose political intrigues were almost as legendary as his military skill, never fought a battle he didn't win. Marlborough also bequeathed the world another great British military strategist and diplomat, his descendant, Winston S. Churchill.
-
-
Long, but what a story!
- By Elizabeth on 12-28-16
-
The Birth of Britain
- A History of the English Speaking Peoples, Volume I
- By: Sir Winston Churchill
- Narrated by: Christian Rodska
- Length: 17 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The English-speaking peoples comprise perhaps the greatest number of human beings sharing a common language in the world today. These people also share a common heritage. For his four-volume work, Sir Winston Churchill took as his subject these great elements in world history. Volume 1 commences in 55BC, when Julius Caesar famously "turned his gaze upon Britain" and concludes with the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.
-
-
Birth of Britain
- By Terryl Pettengill on 02-11-07
-
Thoughts and Adventures
- By: Winston Churchill
- Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This wide ranging collection of essays allows the contemporary reader to grasp the extraordinary variety and depth of the statesman's mature thoughts on questions, both grave and gay, facing modern man. Churchill begins by asking what it would be like to live your life over again and ends by describing his love affair with painting. In between he touches on subjects as diverse as spies, cartoons, submarines, elections, flying, and the future.
-
-
He is such a lively writer
- By W. Forrest on 07-15-23
-
The Second World War: Milestones to Disaster
- By: Winston Churchill
- Narrated by: Christian Rodska
- Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Churchill's history of the Second World War is, and will remain, the definitive work. Lucid, dramatic, remarkable for its breadth and sweep and for its sense of personal involvement, it is universally acknowledged as a magnificent reconstruction.
-
-
Brilliant! Only Churchill could have done this.
- By John M on 10-30-08
-
The River War
- By: Winston Churchill
- Narrated by: Stephen Thorne
- Length: 13 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The northeastern quarter of the continent of Africa is drained and watered by the Nile. Among and about the headstreams and tributaries of this mighty river lie the wide and fertile provinces of the Egyptian Soudan. Situated in the very centre of the land, these remote regions are on every side divided from the seas by 500 miles of mountain, swamp, or desert. The great river is their only means of growth, their only channel of progress.
-
-
Excellent
- By TheGoldenGoose on 05-15-17
-
Churchill
- The Power of Words
- By: Sir Winston Churchill, Martin Gilbert
- Narrated by: Fraser Wilson
- Length: 18 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Winston Churchill understood and wielded the power of words throughout his six decades in the public eye. His wartime writings and speeches revealed both his vision for the future and his own personal feelings, fascinating generation after generation with their powerful style and thoughtful reflection. In this book Churchill's official biographer, Martin Gilbert, has skilfully selected 200 extracts from his entire oeuvre of books, articles and speeches that reflect his life story, career and philosophy.
-
-
I wish I found this book 10 years ago when I was 21
- By Brian Schutte on 07-30-18
By: Sir Winston Churchill, and others
-
Marlborough: His Life and Times
- By: Winston Churchill
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Length: 81 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
John Churchill, the Duke of Marlborough (1644-1722), was one of the greatest military commanders and statesmen in the history of England. Victorious in the Battles of Blenheim (1704) and Ramillies (1706) and countless other campaigns, Marlborough, whose political intrigues were almost as legendary as his military skill, never fought a battle he didn't win. Marlborough also bequeathed the world another great British military strategist and diplomat, his descendant, Winston S. Churchill.
-
-
Long, but what a story!
- By Elizabeth on 12-28-16
-
The Birth of Britain
- A History of the English Speaking Peoples, Volume I
- By: Sir Winston Churchill
- Narrated by: Christian Rodska
- Length: 17 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The English-speaking peoples comprise perhaps the greatest number of human beings sharing a common language in the world today. These people also share a common heritage. For his four-volume work, Sir Winston Churchill took as his subject these great elements in world history. Volume 1 commences in 55BC, when Julius Caesar famously "turned his gaze upon Britain" and concludes with the Battle of Bosworth in 1485.
-
-
Birth of Britain
- By Terryl Pettengill on 02-11-07
-
Thoughts and Adventures
- By: Winston Churchill
- Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards
- Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This wide ranging collection of essays allows the contemporary reader to grasp the extraordinary variety and depth of the statesman's mature thoughts on questions, both grave and gay, facing modern man. Churchill begins by asking what it would be like to live your life over again and ends by describing his love affair with painting. In between he touches on subjects as diverse as spies, cartoons, submarines, elections, flying, and the future.
-
-
He is such a lively writer
- By W. Forrest on 07-15-23
-
The Second World War: Milestones to Disaster
- By: Winston Churchill
- Narrated by: Christian Rodska
- Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Churchill's history of the Second World War is, and will remain, the definitive work. Lucid, dramatic, remarkable for its breadth and sweep and for its sense of personal involvement, it is universally acknowledged as a magnificent reconstruction.
-
-
Brilliant! Only Churchill could have done this.
- By John M on 10-30-08
-
The Story of the Malakand Field Force
- By: Winston Churchill
- Narrated by: Ric Jerrom
- Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1897, a young and untested cavalry lieutenant named Winston Churchill, more than a little keen to see action, got himself attached as a press correspondent to an expeditionary force newly formed to restore order on the North West Frontier of India. His dispatches to the London Daily Telegraph were later expanded into this audiobook.
-
-
Another excellent entry from WSC.
- By J. Grzeskiewicz on 03-22-16
-
Winston S. Churchill: The History of the Second World War, Volume 1 - The Gathering Storm
- By: Winston Churchill
- Narrated by: Michael Jayston
- Length: 2 hrs and 46 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the Second World War every bond between man and man was to perish. Crimes were committed by the Hitler regime which find no equal in scale and wickedness with any that have darkened the human record. It was a simple policy to keep Germany disarmed after the struggle of the First World War and the Victors adequately armed in vigilance. But errors were soon made.
-
-
IT’S ABRIDGED!!!
- By john byrne on 07-25-18
-
Winston Churchill’s Speeches
- 51 Speeches (1934-45)
- By: Winston Churchill
- Narrated by: Winston Churchill
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (1874-1965) was a British statesman, soldier and writer who served as Prime Minister of the UK from 1940 to 1945, during the Second World War, and again from 1951 to 1955. An economic liberal and imperialist, he was for most of his career a member of the Conservative Party, which he led from 1940 to 1955. He was the first person to be made an honorary citizen of the US. These recordings capture 51 of Churchill’s speeches over 1934-45.
-
The Boer War
- By: Winston Churchill
- Narrated by: Ric Jerrom
- Length: 18 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a young, ambitious soldier, Winston Churchill managed to get himself posted to the 21st Lancers in 1899 as a war correspondent for the Morning Post - and joined them in fighting the rebel Boer settlers in South Africa. In this conflict, rebel forces in the Transvaal and Orange Free State had proclaimed their own statehood, calling it the Boer Republic.
-
-
Lots of fun for war enthusiats.
- By David on 08-11-16
-
My Early Life
- By: Winston Churchill
- Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
- Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the classic volumes of autobiography, My Early Life is a lively and colourful account of a young man's quest for action, adventure and danger. Churchill's schooldays are undistinguished, but he is admitted to Sandhurst and embarks on a career as a soldier and a war correspondent, seeing action in Cuba, in India, in the Sudan - where he took part in the battle of Omdurman, of which he gives us a stirring account - and finally in South Africa.
-
-
The Adventures of a Glow Worm
- By John on 08-10-15
-
Winston Churchill's Greatest Speeches
- A BBC Collection
- By: Winston Churchill
- Narrated by: Winston Churchill
- Length: 5 hrs and 1 min
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Winston Churchill steered Britain through its darkest hours during World War Two. He was one of the 20th century's greatest orators, and the speeches that he painstakingly composed, rehearsed and delivered inspired courage in an entire nation. Churchill's output was prolific - his complete speeches alone contain more than five million words. On this special recording, the best and most important of those have been brought together in this historic volume.
-
Churchill
- Walking with Destiny
- By: Andrew Roberts
- Narrated by: Stephen Thorne
- Length: 50 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When we seek an example of great leaders with unalloyed courage, the person who comes to mind is Winston Churchill: the iconic, visionary war leader immune from the consensus of the day, who stood firmly for his beliefs when everyone doubted him. But how did young Winston become Churchill? What gave him the strength to take on the superior force of Nazi Germany when bombs rained on London and so many others had caved? In this landmark biography of Winston Churchill based on extensive new material, the true genius of the man, statesman, and leader can finally be fully understood.
-
-
Superb Biography
- By Jean on 03-03-19
By: Andrew Roberts
-
The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Volume I: Visions of Glory 1874-1932
- By: William Manchester
- Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
- Length: 41 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Winston Churchill is perhaps the most important political figure of the 20th century. His great oratory and leadership during the Second World War were only part of his huge breadth of experience and achievement. Studying his life is a fascinating way to imbibe the history of his era and gain insight into key events that have shaped our time.
-
-
Superb - Review of Both Volume I & Volume II
- By Wolfpacker on 01-23-09
-
Seven Pillars of Wisdom
- By: T. E. Lawrence
- Narrated by: Roy McMillan
- Length: 25 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Although T. E. Lawrence, commonly known as "Lawrence of Arabia’, died in 1935, the story of his life has captured the imagination of succeeding generations. Seven Pillars of Wisdom is a monumental work in which he chronicles his role in leading the Arab Revolt against the Turks during the First World War. A reluctant leader, and wracked by guilt at the duplicity of the British, Lawrence nevertheless threw himself into his role, suffering the blistering desert conditions and masterminding military campaigns which culminated in the triumphant march of the Arabs into Damascus.
-
-
One of the greatest stories ever told.
- By Stevie on 01-11-13
By: T. E. Lawrence
-
Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power
- By: Jon Meacham
- Narrated by: Edward Herrmann, Jon Meacham
- Length: 18 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this magnificent biography, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of American Lion and Franklin and Winston brings vividly to life an extraordinary man and his remarkable times. Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power gives us Jefferson the politician and president, a great and complex human being forever engaged in the wars of his era.
-
-
A Man and Biography Relevant to Our Day
- By Darwin8u on 11-14-12
By: Jon Meacham
-
Leadership
- Six Studies in World Strategy
- By: Henry Kissinger
- Narrated by: Sean Patrick Hopkins
- Length: 19 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Henry Kissinger analyses the lives of six extraordinary leaders—Konrad Adenauer, Charles de Gaulle, Richard Nixon, Anwar Sadat, Lee Kuan Yew, and Margaret Thatcher—through the distinctive strategies of statecraft that he believes they embodied. To each of these studies, Kissinger brings historical perception, public experience and, because he knew each of the subjects and participated in many of the events he describes, personal knowledge.
-
-
Architects of World Order
- By GrimLockz on 09-21-22
By: Henry Kissinger
-
Albion's Seed
- Four British Folkways in America, Vol. 1
- By: David Hackett Fischer
- Narrated by: Julian Elfer
- Length: 29 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This fascinating audiobook is the first volume in a projected cultural history of the United States, from the earliest English settlements to our own time. It is a history of American folkways as they have changed through time, and it argues a thesis about the importance for the United States of having been British in its cultural origins. While most people in the United States today have no British ancestors, they have assimilated regional cultures which were created by British colonists, even while preserving ethnic identities at the same time.
-
-
This is great, much more than title suggests
- By Kindle Customer on 07-26-14
Related to this topic
-
Churchill
- The Power of Words
- By: Sir Winston Churchill, Martin Gilbert
- Narrated by: Fraser Wilson
- Length: 18 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Winston Churchill understood and wielded the power of words throughout his six decades in the public eye. His wartime writings and speeches revealed both his vision for the future and his own personal feelings, fascinating generation after generation with their powerful style and thoughtful reflection. In this book Churchill's official biographer, Martin Gilbert, has skilfully selected 200 extracts from his entire oeuvre of books, articles and speeches that reflect his life story, career and philosophy.
-
-
I wish I found this book 10 years ago when I was 21
- By Brian Schutte on 07-30-18
By: Sir Winston Churchill, and others
-
Winston Churchill
- By: John Keegan
- Narrated by: Richard Matthews
- Length: 5 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The eminent historian John Keegan charts Churchill's career, following his steadfast leadership during the catastrophic events of World War II while England was dangerously poised on the brink of collapse. With wonderful eloquence, Keegan illuminates Churchill's incredible strength during this crucial moment in history and his unshakable belief that democracy would always prevail.
-
-
A good intro/summary
- By Sabrina on 01-07-06
By: John Keegan
-
The Proud Tower
- A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890-1914
- By: Barbara W. Tuchman
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 22 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The fateful quarter-century leading up to World War I was a time when the world of privilege still existed in Olympian luxury and the world of protest was heaving in its pain, its power, and its hate. The age was the climax of a century of the most accelerated rate of change in history, a cataclysmic shaping of destiny.
-
-
Fascinating history
- By Doug on 02-18-07
-
Bismarck
- The Man and the Statesman
- By: A.J.P. Taylor
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this compelling biography, historian A. J. P. Taylor reevaluates Bismarck's motives and methods, focusing on the chancellor's rise to power in the 1860s and his removal from office in 1890.
-
-
Good, but read a primer first
- By Paolo Menuez on 06-12-18
By: A.J.P. Taylor
-
Foundation
- The History of England from Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors: The History of England, Book 1
- By: Peter Ackroyd
- Narrated by: Clive Chafer
- Length: 18 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Foundation the chronicler of London and of its river, the Thames, takes us from the primeval forests of England's prehistory to the death of the first Tudor king, Henry VII, in 1509. He guides us from the building of Stonehenge to the founding of the two great glories of medieval England: common law and the cathedrals. He shows us glimpses of the country's most distant past - a Neolithic stirrup found in a grave, a Roman fort, a Saxon tomb, a medieval manor house.
-
-
The Most Annoying Narrator EVER
- By JudieBee on 12-25-15
By: Peter Ackroyd
-
Churchill
- By: Paul Johnson
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 4 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Churchill, Johnson applies a wide lens and an unconventional approach to illuminate the various phases of Churchill's career. From his adventures as a young cavalry officer in the service of the Empire to his role as an elder statesman prophesying the advent of the Cold War, Johnson shows how Churchill's immense adaptability combined with his natural pugnacity to make him a formidable leader for the better part of a century.
-
-
Superlative Account of Churchill
- By Darrell on 12-08-09
By: Paul Johnson
-
Churchill
- The Power of Words
- By: Sir Winston Churchill, Martin Gilbert
- Narrated by: Fraser Wilson
- Length: 18 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Winston Churchill understood and wielded the power of words throughout his six decades in the public eye. His wartime writings and speeches revealed both his vision for the future and his own personal feelings, fascinating generation after generation with their powerful style and thoughtful reflection. In this book Churchill's official biographer, Martin Gilbert, has skilfully selected 200 extracts from his entire oeuvre of books, articles and speeches that reflect his life story, career and philosophy.
-
-
I wish I found this book 10 years ago when I was 21
- By Brian Schutte on 07-30-18
By: Sir Winston Churchill, and others
-
Winston Churchill
- By: John Keegan
- Narrated by: Richard Matthews
- Length: 5 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The eminent historian John Keegan charts Churchill's career, following his steadfast leadership during the catastrophic events of World War II while England was dangerously poised on the brink of collapse. With wonderful eloquence, Keegan illuminates Churchill's incredible strength during this crucial moment in history and his unshakable belief that democracy would always prevail.
-
-
A good intro/summary
- By Sabrina on 01-07-06
By: John Keegan
-
The Proud Tower
- A Portrait of the World Before the War, 1890-1914
- By: Barbara W. Tuchman
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 22 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The fateful quarter-century leading up to World War I was a time when the world of privilege still existed in Olympian luxury and the world of protest was heaving in its pain, its power, and its hate. The age was the climax of a century of the most accelerated rate of change in history, a cataclysmic shaping of destiny.
-
-
Fascinating history
- By Doug on 02-18-07
-
Bismarck
- The Man and the Statesman
- By: A.J.P. Taylor
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this compelling biography, historian A. J. P. Taylor reevaluates Bismarck's motives and methods, focusing on the chancellor's rise to power in the 1860s and his removal from office in 1890.
-
-
Good, but read a primer first
- By Paolo Menuez on 06-12-18
By: A.J.P. Taylor
-
Foundation
- The History of England from Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors: The History of England, Book 1
- By: Peter Ackroyd
- Narrated by: Clive Chafer
- Length: 18 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Foundation the chronicler of London and of its river, the Thames, takes us from the primeval forests of England's prehistory to the death of the first Tudor king, Henry VII, in 1509. He guides us from the building of Stonehenge to the founding of the two great glories of medieval England: common law and the cathedrals. He shows us glimpses of the country's most distant past - a Neolithic stirrup found in a grave, a Roman fort, a Saxon tomb, a medieval manor house.
-
-
The Most Annoying Narrator EVER
- By JudieBee on 12-25-15
By: Peter Ackroyd
-
Churchill
- By: Paul Johnson
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 4 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Churchill, Johnson applies a wide lens and an unconventional approach to illuminate the various phases of Churchill's career. From his adventures as a young cavalry officer in the service of the Empire to his role as an elder statesman prophesying the advent of the Cold War, Johnson shows how Churchill's immense adaptability combined with his natural pugnacity to make him a formidable leader for the better part of a century.
-
-
Superlative Account of Churchill
- By Darrell on 12-08-09
By: Paul Johnson
-
Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power
- By: Jon Meacham
- Narrated by: Edward Herrmann, Jon Meacham
- Length: 18 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this magnificent biography, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of American Lion and Franklin and Winston brings vividly to life an extraordinary man and his remarkable times. Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power gives us Jefferson the politician and president, a great and complex human being forever engaged in the wars of his era.
-
-
A Man and Biography Relevant to Our Day
- By Darwin8u on 11-14-12
By: Jon Meacham
-
For Liberty and Glory
- Washington, Lafayette, and Their Revolutions
- By: James R. Gaines
- Narrated by: Norman Dietz
- Length: 21 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On April 18, 1775, a riot over the price of flour broke out in the French city of Dijon. That night, across the Atlantic, Paul Revere mounted the fastest horse he could find and kicked it into a gallop. So began what have been called the "sister revolutions" of France and America. In a single, thrilling narrative, this audiobook tells the story of those revolutions and shows just how deeply intertwined they actually were.
-
-
Excellent presentation
- By Hal on 08-20-12
By: James R. Gaines
-
Churchill
- Walking with Destiny
- By: Andrew Roberts
- Narrated by: Stephen Thorne
- Length: 50 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When we seek an example of great leaders with unalloyed courage, the person who comes to mind is Winston Churchill: the iconic, visionary war leader immune from the consensus of the day, who stood firmly for his beliefs when everyone doubted him. But how did young Winston become Churchill? What gave him the strength to take on the superior force of Nazi Germany when bombs rained on London and so many others had caved? In this landmark biography of Winston Churchill based on extensive new material, the true genius of the man, statesman, and leader can finally be fully understood.
-
-
Superb Biography
- By Jean on 03-03-19
By: Andrew Roberts
-
Apostles of Revolution
- Jefferson, Paine, Monroe, and the Struggle Against the Old Order in America and Europe
- By: John Ferling
- Narrated by: Noah Michael Levine
- Length: 18 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine and James Monroe were in the vanguard of revolutionary ideas in the 18th century. As founding fathers, they risked their lives for American independence, but they also wanted more. Each wished for profound changes in the political and social fabric of pre-1776 America and hoped that the American Revolution would spark republican and egalitarian revolutions throughout Europe, sweeping away the old aristocratic order. Ultimately, each rejoiced at the opportunity to be a part of the French Revolution, a cause that became increasingly untenable as idealism gave way to the bloody terror.
-
-
A bit of a challenging listen but well worth it
- By J. Parks on 09-20-21
By: John Ferling
-
Our Oriental Heritage
- The Story of Civilization, Volume 1
- By: Will Durant
- Narrated by: Robin Field
- Length: 50 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The first volume of Will Durant's Pulitzer Prize-winning series, Our Oriental Heritage: The Story of Civilization, Volume I chronicles the early history of Egypt, the Middle East, and Asia.
-
-
Wonderful
- By Michael on 11-30-13
By: Will Durant
-
Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome's Greatest Politician
- By: Anthony Everitt
- Narrated by: John Curless
- Length: 15 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this dynamic and engaging biography, Anthony Everitt plunges us into the fascinating, scandal-ridden world of ancient Rome in its most glorious heyday. Accessible to us through his legendary speeches but also through an unrivaled collection of unguarded letters to his close friend Atticus, Cicero comes to life here as a witty and cunning political operator.
-
-
An eloquent man, and a patriot
- By Darwin8u on 01-19-15
By: Anthony Everitt
-
Hitler
- By: Joachim C. Fest, Richard Winstton - translator, Clara Winstton - translator
- Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
- Length: 41 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This masterful biography by one of Germany’s best known journalists was the leading nonfiction best seller in Germany. Fest shows Hitler as the receptacle of the dreads and resentments of a shaken social order, gifted with an uncanny instinct for all that was hollow behind the appearance of power, at home and abroad. Though a warped human being, he was neither clown nor puppet, as many liked to think; Hitler appears here as an enormously astute politician, impressing and hypnotizing Germans and foreigners alike with the scope of his projects and the theatricality of their presentation. Fest uncovers in Hitler a constantly destructive personality....
-
-
Should be part of high school education
- By Rex Riethmeier on 12-25-18
By: Joachim C. Fest, and others
-
Napoleon
- By: Paul Johnson
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Paul Johnson's book is a refreshing return to a concept whose time has come once again: the Great Man theory of biography. It serves as "the greatest possible refutation of those who hold that events are governed by forces, classes, economics, and geography rather than the powerful wills of men and women". Napoleon truly was the Great Man of his age, a towering and terrible genius who managed to conquer the Continent.
-
-
Not your standard biography
- By Mark Grannis on 04-24-05
By: Paul Johnson
-
The Problem of Democracy
- The Presidents Adams Confront the Cult of Personality
- By: Nancy Isenberg, Andrew Burstein
- Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
- Length: 22 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
John and John Quincy Adams: rogue intellectuals, unsparing truth-tellers, too uncensored for their own political good. They held that political participation demanded moral courage. They did not seek popularity (it showed). They lamented the fact that hero worship in America substituted idolatry for results; and they made it clear that they were talking about Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Andrew Jackson. When John Adams succeeded George Washington as President, his son had already followed him into public service and was stationed in Europe as a diplomat.
-
-
Very insightful and rewarding adding understanding
- By William on 05-12-19
By: Nancy Isenberg, and others
-
Practicing History
- Selected Essays
- By: Barbara W. Tuchman
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 12 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Master historian Barbara W. Tuchman looks at history in a unique way and draws lessons from what she sees. This accessible introduction to the subject of history offers striking insights into America's past and present, trenchant observations on the international scene, and thoughtful pieces on the historian's role. Here is a splendid body of work, the story of a lifetime spent "practicing history".
-
-
Barbara Tuchman fan faced with reality
- By J. Whittle on 09-27-18
-
Gandhi & Churchill
- By: Arthur Herman
- Narrated by: John Curless
- Length: 29 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this fast-paced epic, best-selling historian and master storyteller Arthur Herman spotlights two giants of the 20th century. Gandhi & Churchill shows how their 40-year rivalry revolutionized India and the British Empire, paving the way for a new era. Gandhi championed India's independence, Churchill the British Empire.
-
-
A motif that works well
- By Maine Dave on 11-30-09
By: Arthur Herman
-
The War That Ended Peace
- The Road to 1914
- By: Margaret MacMillan
- Narrated by: Richard Burnip
- Length: 31 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the best-selling and award-winning author of Paris 1919 comes a masterpiece of narrative nonfiction, a fascinating portrait of Europe from 1900 up to the outbreak of World War I.
-
-
Detailed review of 1882 to 1914
- By smarmer on 04-06-14
What listeners say about Great Contemporaries
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- M. Hu
- 07-26-20
Performance is too affected
I don't like the style of the narrator, too affected. The gyration of his tone serves as too much of a distraction, even to the point of losing the thread of story or mincing up words and phrases.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- lps562
- 02-03-21
Churchill is brilliant
Churchill is one of the best writers of all time. His incredible insight into situations and people is often prophetic. Much of what he discussed, although about events that happened 100+ years ago, are timeless. “Democracy is like holding a wolf by the ears” is one great quote from the book. He also uses wit to make remarks of dry humor about his subjects.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- JSL
- 07-27-18
Somewhat dated but interesting
Many of Churchill’s “great contemporaries” are not very well remembered today but nevertheless the profiles here are absorbing. Churchill has a florid style and the narrator gives it its full value. Many political scores are settled, but Churchill shows respect even for those he doesn’t like. All the profiles were written in the 1930’s, so the constant references to “the war” refer to World War I. A familiarity with late 19th century English political history helps a listener to follow these accounts.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Larry L. Booker
- 12-27-18
Churchill's Pre WWII Fame & Experience on Display
Anyone who loves history, understands that it is made by people. These narratives by Churchill reveal as much about him as it does his contemporaries... which, no doubt W.C. had planned. Excellent.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Montclair 65
- 09-23-23
Churchill's Classic Biographical Essays
Winston Churchill provides entertaining and opinionated biographical essays on his political, royal and cultural contemporaries.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Bronwen
- 05-10-17
Well-written short bios of Churchill's great contemporaries.
Churchill's writing is always entertaining, and he doesn't disappoint with this book. Each chapter is a mini biography of a famous public figure whose career overlapped with Churchill's. Due to his family position, he knew many important people and had an intimate inside perspective of many of their lives.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Courtland Hopkins
- 10-08-22
great to listen to
I really enjoyed this reading of Churchills work. it was so enjoyable and informative
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful