John Milton's Paradise Lost is one of the greatest epic poems in the English language. It tells the story of the Fall of Man, a tale of immense drama and excitement, of rebellion and treachery, of innocence pitted against corruption, in which God and Satan fight a bitter battle for control of mankind's destiny.

Paradise Lost, along with its companion piece, Paradise Regained, remain the most successful attempts at Greco-Roman style epic poetry in the English language. Remarkably enough, they were written near the end of John Milton's amazing life, a bold testimonial to his mental powers in old age. And, since he had gone completely blind in 1652, 15 years prior to Paradise Lost, he dictated it and all his other works to his daughter.

The tales of The Silmarillion are set in an age when Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwelt in Middle-earth, and the High Elves made war upon him for the recovery of the Silmarils, the jewels containing the pure light of Valinor. Included on the recording are several shorter works. The Ainulindalë is a myth of the Creation and in the Valaquenta the nature and powers of each of the gods is described. The Akallabêth recounts the downfall of the great island kingdom of Númenor at the end of the Second Age, and Of the Rings of Power tells of the great events at the end of the Third Age.

Gondolin, beautiful but undiscoverable, is central to the enmity of two of the greatest powers in the world. Morgoth of the uttermost evil seeks in vain to discover the marvellously hidden city of his Elven enemies, while the gods in Valinor refuse to support Ulmo Lord of Waters' designs to protect it. Into this world comes Tuor, cousin of Túrin, and guided unseen by Ulmo he sets out on the fearful journey to Gondolin to warn them of their coming doom.

Samuel Rutherford, born in the early 1600s, faced many hardships throughout his personal and spiritual life. Despite the criticism of his faith, imprisonment for advocacy of the church, and his exile from his beloved hometown, Rutherford was still able to inspire the people of Scotland with his preaching. Rutherford is still an inspiration in the world of Christianity today through the letters he wrote, some of which can be found in The Loveliness of Christ.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, often regarded as the greatest preacher of the 19th century, crafted The Treasury of David over the span of nearly half his ministry. Concise and provocative, Spurgeon's magnum opus on the Psalms has been prized by Christians ever since. Available for the first time in unabridged audio, this collection features Spurgeon's crucial commentary on Psalms 1 - 36.

Dante's Divine Comedy is considered to be not only the most important epic poem in Italian literature, but also one of the greatest poems ever written. It consists of 100 cantos, and (after an introductory canto) they are divided into three sections. Each section is 33 cantos in length, and they describe how Dante and a guide travel through Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso.

Thus Spoke Zarathustra is one of the most extraordinary - and important - texts in Western philosophy. It was written by Friedrich Nietzsche between 1883 and 1885. He cast it in the form of a novel in the hope that his urgent message of the 'death of God' and the rise of the superman (Ubermensch) would have greater emotional as well as intellectual impact.

The Venerable Louis of Granada, OP (1504-1588), was a Dominican friar who was a noted theologian, writer and preacher. He is best known for his ascetical writings of which The Sinner's Guide has achieved the greatest success. It was published in 1555 and quickly became a classic....

Considered by Rumi to be "the master" of Sufi mystic poetry, Attar is best known for this epic poem, a magnificent allegorical tale about the soul's search for meaning. He recounts the perilous journey of the world's birds to the faraway peaks of Mount Qaf in search of the mysterious Simorgh, their king. Attar's beguiling anecdotes and humor intermingle the sublime with the mundane, the spiritual with the worldly, while his poem models the soul's escape from the mind's rational embrace.

Faith's Checkbook, written by world-renowned British pastor Charles H. Spurgeon, provides daily deposits of God's promises into your personal bank of faith. Spurgeon urges you to view each Bible promise as a check written by God that can be cashed by personally endorsing it and receiving the gift it represents. Cash in on the bountiful store of blessings when you withdraw daily from the Bank of Faith.

Thomas Boston's Human Nature in Its Fourfold State is often regarded as one of Christian literature's best discourses on human nature, tracing it from its perfect beginnings in Eden, through the fall of man, and on to its final state in eternity. According to Boston, the four states of man are the state of innocence, in which God made him; the state of nature, as he has unmade himself; the state of grace, as created in Jesus Christ; and the eternal state, as made by the Judge of All Things.

In Sophocles' tragedy, Oedipus discovers that he has been caught in his terrible destiny, unknowingly murdering his father and marrying his mother.

Once on a dark night I went alone into the forest to pray, and seating myself upon a rock I laid before God my deep necessities, and besought his help. After a short time, seeing a poor man coming towards me, I thought he had come to ask me for some relief because he was hungry and cold. I said to him, "I am a poor man, and except this blanket I have nothing at all. You had better go to the village nearby and ask for help there." And lo! Even whilst I was saying this, he flashed forth like lightning, and, showering drops of blessing, immediately disappeared.

King Lear is perhaps the most poignant character in literature. The aged, abused monarch is at once the consummate figure of authority and the classic example of the fall from majesty. He is widely agreed to be William Shakespeare's most moving, tragic hero. Award-winning writer and beloved professor Harold Bloom writes about Lear with wisdom, joy, exuberance, and compassion. He also explores his own personal relationship to the character.