Showing results by author "in60Learning" in All Categories

The first monotheistic religion was born in ancient Persia, more than 2000 years before any other under the leadership of Zoroaster. As a lone philosopher and wanderer, Zoroaster traveled Persia to spread his teachings facing persecution, assassination attempts, and more. Dive into both Zoroaster's life and the beliefs of the faith practice Zoroastrianism, which is still alive today. Just as in ancient times, many practitioners are forced to survive persecution and violence in order to keep their cultural heritage alive.

Charlemagne's name means "Charles the Great", a title he earned after an impressive life filled with military conquests. His life inspired countless tales, including the legends that he was 20 feet tall, that he slept under the guard of 100 armed knights, and that he rose from the dead to aid in the Crusades. While these fantastical tales are false, the truth is equally fantastic: By the end of his life, Charlemagne had been king of the Franks, king of the Lombards, and the first emperor of the newly formed Holy Roman Empire.

William Wallace started out as a humble knight, but he died a war hero. He gave up everything in his fight for Scottish freedom, including his life. When captured, Wallace was hung, drawn, and quartered by the English king for crimes against the crown. Though he was memorialized in the 1995 film Braveheart, this book tells how much of what we associate with Wallace is more legend than fact. Still, the spirit of the great Scotsman lives on in the hearts and minds of his compatriots today.

Historians consider the Haitian Revolution the most successful slave revolt in all of history. Though many fought in the rebellion, one man ensured their victory: Toussaint Louverture. With his political savvy and leadership skills, this former slave helped the inhabitants of what was then called Saint Domingue to challenge their French oppressors.

When Pharaoh Thutmose II died, he left an heir far too young to rule Egypt. His widow Hatshepsut stepped up to take his place. For at least the next 20 years, Hatshepsut ruled as Pharaoh King of Egypt in an era of prosperous growth and peace. When she died, her nephew Thutmose III attempted to smear her good name and wipe her memory from history. However, despite his efforts, his aunt Hatshepsut holds the title of most famous native Egyptian woman to ever rule as pharaoh; she also retains a legacy as one of the most successful female leaders in early history.

Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa was one of the greatest Romans who ever lived. A man of constant honor, he worked side by side with Augustus and was responsible for the marble masterpieces of architecture ancient Rome is known for today. He was a consul, general, architect, and statesman and lived his life according to a strict code of conduct. If not for his early death, the people of Rome were expecting him to be their next emperor. Explore his life and regal legacy and the incredible impact one person can have on the course of a nation's history.

As the grandson of the one and only Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan had big shoes to fill. The Mongol Empire already spanned several countries and territories, but this didn’t satisfy Kublai. During his reign, he conquered southern China, Korea, and several other parts of southeast Asia, effectively doubling his empire. By the time of his death, people all over Asia and Europe knew his name. This book tells the life story of this infamous emperor of both Mongol and China who ruled from the legendary summer palace Xanadu.

When Alexander the Great died, his empire collapsed in a rash of battles an in-fighting between his cavalcade of generals. The Wars of the Diadochi divided up his holdings and determined how much of the Mediterranean world would look for the next thousands of years. This audiobook jumps into this tumultuous conflict that lasted for nearly 100 years and impacted every person living in the ancient world. It would also be the conflict most responsible for spreading and consolidating Greek culture throughout the ancient world.

Joseph Stalin ruled Russia with an iron first. As a dictator, he was personally responsible for the deaths of roughly 10 million people. While most write Stalin off as an evil tyrant, there is more to the man than most know - a US Ambassador once said, "I must confess that for me Stalin remains the most inscrutable and contradictory character I have known."

The shift from the Paleolithic to Neolithic periods represents a watershed moment in human history. While many may consider the humans of both stone ages to be unintelligent barbarians, this brief history proves that the humans of yesteryear were just as smart as we are today. Between 10,000 BC and 2,000 BC, they instituted revolutionary changes in human life. All over the globe, formerly nomadic people began settling into villages, farming, and creating high-tech stone inventions.

Akhenaten is one of ancient Egypt's most famous pharaohs both for fathering Tutankhaten and being the only pharaoh bold enough to discard thousands of years of religious history in favor of a new god, the Sun-Disk Aten. Akhenaten single-handedly altered Egypt more on its own than it would be changed until outside Greek influence took over. The impact his changes had on the religion of Egypt during and after his life cannot be understated, and the ways in which his predecessors worked to undo everything he had done is a remarkable act of revisionist history.

The great Texan Sam Houston had an unusual upbringing: at age 16 he ran away from home to live with the Cherokee Indians. His three years with this adopted family shaped the course of his entire life. He went on to a life of military and political service, advocating all the while for the rights and protections of the Native Americans. He was elected first president of the Republic of Texas, saw to the union of Texas with the US, served as a general in the Mexican-American war, and became the first and only US governor to have previously been head of a foreign state.

Will Rogers (1879 to 1935), born William Penn Adair, was an American stage and film actor, vaudeville performer, and newspaper columnist, known primarily for his humor and social commentary. He is significant in that he was a Cherokee citizen born in the Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory (now part of Oklahoma). During Rogers’ long career, he made over 70 films and wrote more than 4,000 newspaper columns. Rogers was born in 1935 and was raised and worked on his parents' ranch The Dog Iron Ranch in the Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory.

The year was 1381. The English government had failed its lower classes time and again with repressive labor laws and high taxes, and the peasants had had enough. In an unprecedented outburst of force, the peasants revolted against their leaders in a bloody march on London, burning buildings and killing government officials. The movement didn’t end there, though; it spread all over England, with Richard II trailing behind to suppress it. This audiobook delivers the fascinating history of this historical event that forever changed not just British history, but the world’s history.

Since 1823, Texas Rangers have defended frontier families, stopped cattle rustlers, solved crimes, and done much more beyond the scope of even the US Army. Writer Karl Kesel once noted that the Texas Rangers would make perfect comic book characters because “They’re so larger than life.” Their skill and bravery pushed the borders of believability: they’d famously send a single ranger to control an entire riot. This brief text delves into the Rangers’ storied history - from their humble beginnings serving the Republic of Texas, to their modern role as detectives in cowboy hats.

Jesse James grew up in Clay County, Missouri, a place where north and south conflicted over the issue of slavery. Tensions grew in the lead-up to the Civil War, and James’ Southern loyalties meant he had to make a decision. When war broke out, Jesse and his brother Frank joined the Confederate guerrillas known as “bushwhackers” alongside other notorious characters like “Bloody Bill”. By the age of 17, Jesse had escaped death twice and gained a reputation as a ruthless killer.

Everyone knows of Los Angeles’ legendary film industry, but few know the history that came before it. Native American tribes lived in the area for thousands of years before the city’s official founding. In 1791, the governor of Las Californias sent a diverse group of 44 “pobladores” - settlers - to establish a community in what is now downtown Los Angeles. The land passed into the hands of Mexico, then the US, who saw it through the influx of migrants during the California gold rush.

Actor Marlon Brando, famous for his role in The Godfather, used his troubled childhood to fuel his work. Between two alcoholic parents, Brando grew up physically abused and emotionally underdeveloped. As an actor, he practiced the Stanislavski system, a kind of method acting where one draws emotions from past experiences to bring realism into a performance. This biography delves into the complicated life and career of this actor, director, and activist.

In the aftermath of Alexander the Great's conquests, a state enamored with Greek culture rose to power. Born out of the divided Macedonian Empire and founded by Seluceus, the new Empire grew to eventually contain Anatolia, Persia, Levant, Mesopotamia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Kuwait. Alexander's empire splitting led to the Babylonian War and Seleucid rise to power, and the late struggles between the Empire and Rome in the 60s BCE. Explore this imperialist center of the arts and sciences that constantly struggled balancing rebellions throughout its lands.

This audiobook details the rise and fall of New France, describing the role of the Seven Years’ War, Napoleon Bonaparte, and the Louisiana Purchase. Though French colonization ended more than 200 years ago, it left behind a distinct French flair and unique Creole culture that lives on in Louisiana today.