Showing results by author "Hourly History" in All Categories

During 14 years, from 1955 to 1969, the Soviet Union and the United States of America were engaged in a dramatic race against each other to conquer space. This period encompassed dramatic victories, humbling defeats, and more than one tragedy. This is a story of human courage and ingenuity at its best and political maneuvering at its worst, of almost unbelievable technological progress undertaken with the object not just of advancing human knowledge but also of proving the superiority of one country over another.

Voltaire, born François-Marie Arouet in Paris, France, was a writer and leading figure of the Enlightenment. His insistence that all authority could and must be questioned was so radical, he ended up in prison several times and was ultimately exiled. Voltaire’s writings were instrumental in influencing the American and French revolutions. Man as a being with natural rights was a radical concept at the time, but one which the American founding fathers embraced. Voltaire’s anger was specifically directed at the arbitrary powers of the state and the church.

Many scholars argue that Vlad III Dracula, also known as Vlad the Impaler, is the real Dracula. His story, however, is much more complicated than the oft-reported details of his atrocities would imply. This audiobook tells the story of his life and times and discusses his connection to the fictional Count Dracula in a succinct, compelling manner, which makes for an entertaining listen packed with historical information.

In the 27 years that Kurt Cobain walked this earth, he crafted the songs and the narrative that would become the anthem of a generation. Yet, it was never anything that Cobain set to do deliberately; if anything, he could be called an accidental genius. Cobain’s approach to art as well as life was one flowing stream of consciousness. He never set out to change a generation when he wrote songs like “Smells Like Teen Spirit” or “Come as You Are".

Oskar Schindler was an unexpected hero. He drank heavily, and some even said he was a womanizer who flaunted his affairs. Yet, in one of history’s darkest hours, he demonstrated an extraordinary capacity for courage and humanity.

In 1837, Hong Xiuquan failed the notoriously difficult exam to gain entry to the Chinese Civil Service and suffered a nervous breakdown. In a weakened state, he had visions which he later interpreted to be messages from God, telling him that he is the younger brother of Jesus Christ and, therefore, the second son of God.

It has been several decades now since Francisco Franco’s passing in 1975, and yet his legacy still seems very much in the air. Depending on who you talk to, Franco was a fascist and a peacemaker, a destroyer and a savior, an idiot and a genius. Even after all this time, opinions of just who Franco was and how he contributed to modern civilization are up for open debate.

There can be no doubt that Stalin is one of the most notorious and controversial figures in history. He presents a puzzling paradox for both psychologists and sociologists; he was simultaneously revered, feared, loved, and hated during his lifetime. So much has been written about the life of Joseph Stalin, and yet upon closer inspection, he still seems to present us with quite an enigma. In this audiobook, we explore the complexities and nuances of the living, breathing conundrum who called himself Joseph Stalin.

Robert the Bruce is one of the most iconic figures of Scottish history. Born in Scotland’s desperate hour of need, Robert stepped forward to answer the call. In the early 1300s, the situation looked bleak for the Scottish with the might of England and its eager monarch King Edward I threatening to crush any resistance to his rule. In 1305, the former freedom fighter William Wallace had already been captured and cruelly executed.

The life of Martin Luther King Jr. was painfully short but joyously valuable. Using non-violent direct action and the principles of Christian love, King became the most influential pioneer of the civil rights movement in the United States of America. A husband, father, pastor, and leader, King preached a message of hope by taking to the streets and changing the world.

When Confucius spoke, people listened, and they still listen today. The wisdom of this Chinese philosopher, teacher, politician, and writer still rings as true today as it did over 2,000 years ago. Who was the legend who has become revered as a sage throughout the ages? To put it shortly, he was a simple man. Confucius was born into poverty, but at an early age he came to value education, integrity, and moral behavior. This audiobook tells the story of the life of the world-renowned philosopher and scholar, and it describes the tenets of his philosophy in a succinct manner.

John F. Kennedy is the president that everyone knows. He was a rich man's son, an athlete, a war hero, a ladies' man, an author, a president - his face rendered forever young because the last time Americans saw him, he was riding in a convertible in Dallas, his glamorous wife at his side. Then the bullets struck, and the assassinated president became a legend, the truth of his life obscured by his tragic and untimely death. But JFK had more depth to his character than the magazine covers indicated.

Charles Manson is instantly recognizable as the deranged cult leader who was responsible for the deaths of nine people in the late 1960s. Manson was a career criminal who got his education in the US prison system and learned at an early age that only those who have power over others will survive. In less than three years, Manson transformed his followers from a group of freedom-loving, LSD-dropping hippies into a pack of blood-thirsty murderers who carried out acts of astounding brutality at his request.

When James Buchanan was inaugurated president in March of 1857, he had inherited a powder keg that was just waiting to explode into the turmoil that was the American Civil War. Buchanan has since been vilified as being the great appeaser who placated the South enough to embolden them to secede from the Union. He is frequently listed as one of the worst presidents in the history of the United States. Buchanan himself, however, always held out the hope that history would vindicate him and the role he played.

Even half a century after his death, Humphrey Bogart remains one of the most iconic actors of all time. The epitome of class and cool, he embodied the ultimate tough guy—and no one wore a fedora quite like him. “Bogie” began life under uncertain circumstances, born to parents addicted to drugs and disorder, but he would rise above these difficulties to become a star. From Broadway to Hollywood, he became a top-billed actor, the likes of which the world has rarely seen.

The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first battles of the American War of Independence, an introduction into years of combat that would pit the forces of the Thirteen Colonies against the world’s mightiest empire - Great Britain. The events of April 19, 1775, have been commemorated in poetry and have become part of the sweeping legend of the American fight for independence.

Very few lives can be described as fit for a Hollywood film. Audrey Hepburn’s life, however, is undoubtedly one of those few. After a difficult childhood that saw her parents divorce and her young existence shattered by the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands, Audrey Hepburn’s career as an actress knew no bounds. Audiences flocked to see her, and actors yearned to star alongside her. Dressed often exclusively by Givenchy, Audrey was the epitome of chic and elegance.

A prominent Lakota Sioux chief and medicine man, Sitting Bull was both a man of peace and a man of war as he sought to simultaneously fight and negotiate on behalf of his people during the westward expansion of the United States. His visions inspired and led the Native American warriors to victory in the legendary Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. This triumph would, however, be short-lived, and Sitting Bull and his loyal band of followers would be forced to surrender their freedom only five years later. This book reveals his incredible life and legacy in full.

Douglas MacArthur was one of the greatest military generals in history and played a crucial role in securing an Allied victory in the Pacific during World War II. While he’s often remembered for his strategic genius and iron will, there’s much more to the man than his battlefield successes. MacArthur was deeply committed to his promises and driven by a strong sense of duty, qualities that came into sharp focus when he vowed to return to the Philippines after it fell to the Japanese. And true to his word, he did just that, making history along the way.

The man that the world knows as Winston Churchill looms large on the stage of world history. Like some sort of colossus from antiquity, Churchill strides between two major epochs in the world, one foot planted in the glory days of the British Empire when the sun never set on history’s largest known conglomeration of imperial holdings, and the other planted firmly in the aftermath of World War Two, and a post-war order that saw that empire collapse, with Britain barely hanging on to its own sovereignty in the wake.