-
The Modern Scholar: In Michelangelo’s Shadow
- The Mystery of Modern Italy
- Narrated by: Joseph Luzzi
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed

pick 2 free titles with trial.
Buy for $17.36
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's summary
The director of Italian studies at Bard College, Professor Joseph Luzzi, leads a comprehensive overview of Italian culture. Beginning in the fabled realm of Renaissance art and concluding with the sweeping transformations of present-day Italy, Professor Luzzi examines the Italian mystique and answers a number of intriguing questions: Is there a distinctly “Italian” way of looking at the world? To whom do Italian Renaissance treasures truly belong? Could the United States as known today exist without the contributions of Italian culture?
More from the same
What listeners love about The Modern Scholar: In Michelangelo’s Shadow
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
- CB
- 01-21-11
Disappointing delivery
I really wanted to like this audio. I am of Italian descent, and love things Italian. I believe the content, if one were to read it, would be interesting. Unfortunately, Prof. Luzzi didn't take the time or make the effort to read through and prepare his lectures before recording them. This is obvious throughout the whole recording, with the possible exception of the first lecture. One must assume these professors are reading their lectures, but a little enthusiasm would add a great deal. Prof. Luzzi seems to be reading this content for the first time, e.g., he gets inflection incorrect, thereby confusing his meaning; he repeats entire sentences (losing his place in the script?); he pauses where there shouldn't be a pause (turning a page to read the next word?). What a shame his didn't better prepare! I would wager that he wouldn't like it if his students were so ill prepared. He should have done it over, and done it better.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Bookworm
- 01-25-11
Excellent for Italian literature buffs
Part of my disappointment was that I thought this audiobook would cover Michelangelo (especially given the subtitle In Michelangelo's Shadow.) Maybe the emphasis is on "shadow" because the artist is mentioned only in passing. I am more interested in art, art history and pure history. I'm not an Italian literature (Dante) or movie buff, so much of the book was interesting but not exciting. If you know The Divine Comedy and have seen Room with a View, this book is definitely for you. I just don't know how you write a book about Italy without at least one chapter being about art.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lisa
- 11-04-11
This is my favorite book.
Joseph Luzzi is an excellent speaker. As a student of Dante, professor Luzzi has completely changed the way that I think about Italian literature. I almost moved from Texas to the north so I could take a class with him after I listened to these lectures.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Egidio
- 10-24-10
exellent for someone interest in It. culture
As someone with a similar background, whose family emigrated in the 1950's, your book brought back many memories of our struggles in our new homeland. Thank you for your detailed discourse on Italian culture. Egidio , New Haven, Ct.
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
The Modern Scholar: The Art of Reading
- By: Professor Joseph Luzzi
- Narrated by: Professor Joseph Luzzi
- Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Esteemed professor Joseph Luzzi addresses the place of classic literature in the modern world with this riveting series of lectures. Advocating “the art of reading” as a way to answer essential questions of day-to-day life, Luzzi delves into the works of such literary titans as Plato, Shakespeare, and Virginia Woolf. By doing so, he tackles such age-old questions as “How do we fall in love?” and “How do we confront evil?”
-
-
Not bad, but a misleading title
- By Jay on 05-26-13
-
The Modern Scholar: Classic Foundations
- Purpose and Tradition in Architecture
- By: Professor Carroll William Westfall
- Narrated by: Professor Carroll William Westfall
- Length: 5 hrs and 9 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this engaging series of lectures, Carroll William Westfall, the University of Notre Dame's Frank Montana Professor of Architecture, delves into the classical principles of Western architecture. Exploring features such as ornamentation, decoration, and innovation, Professor Westfall shows how architecture is derived from the very principles that form the cornerstones of our civilization - and, with scholarly precision, he also demonstrates how this field of endeavor is rooted in nature itself.
-
-
Truly fascinating!
- By Pierre Gauthier on 06-24-13
-
The Modern Scholar
- The Russian Revolution: From Tsarism to Bolshevism
- By: Prof. Jonathan D. Smele
- Narrated by: Prof. Jonathan D. Smele
- Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Russian Revolution of 1917 was a key turning point in the history of modern Europe and the world. For much of the 20th century, politics were defined by attitudes to what had taken place in Russia in 1917. To understand the Russian Revolution, then, is to understand a key building block of modern history and the contemporary world.
-
-
Important story badly recorded
- By John on 01-30-13
-
The Modern Scholar
- Dante and His Divine Comedy: The Modern Scholar
- By: Professor Timothy B. Shutt
- Narrated by: Professor Timothy B. Shutt
- Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kenyon College professor Dr. Timothy B. Shutt examines Dante's greatest work, The Divine Comedy, both in terms of its autobiographical elements and its allegorical meaning for the human race.
-
-
A Tour de Force on a Tour de Force
- By John on 05-19-14
-
The Modern Scholar: Crime Scene Investigation, Part II
- Philosophy, Practice, and Science
- By: Prof. Robert C. Shaler
- Narrated by: Robert C. Shaler
- Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Esteemed Pennsylvania State University professor Robert C. Shaler continues his in-depth look at all aspects of crime scene investigation in part two of this compelling lecture series. Popularized in the media by highly rated police procedurals, crime scene investigation is an often misunderstood field of endeavor. Here, Professor Shaler breaks down the intricacies of how investigations are conducted in the real world, examining such aspects as bloodstain analysis, shooting scenes, and “forensic bugs”.
-
-
I liked it
- By Oliver on 12-18-18
-
The Modern Scholar: Conflicts that Shaped Pharaonic Egypt
- By: Professor John C. Darnell
- Narrated by: John C. Darnell
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Professor of Egyptology and director of the Yale Egyptological Institute John C. Darnell delves into the history of Ancient Egypt from the Predynastic Period through the end of the New Kingdom. In these lectures, Professor Darnell shows that, despite common perceptions, Pharaonic Egyptian civilization existed within a multicultural society subject to disparate geological environments-and that its strength lay in the balancing of contrasting groups and goals.
-
-
Disappointment
- By Irena on 01-04-11
-
The Modern Scholar: The Art of Reading
- By: Professor Joseph Luzzi
- Narrated by: Professor Joseph Luzzi
- Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Esteemed professor Joseph Luzzi addresses the place of classic literature in the modern world with this riveting series of lectures. Advocating “the art of reading” as a way to answer essential questions of day-to-day life, Luzzi delves into the works of such literary titans as Plato, Shakespeare, and Virginia Woolf. By doing so, he tackles such age-old questions as “How do we fall in love?” and “How do we confront evil?”
-
-
Not bad, but a misleading title
- By Jay on 05-26-13
-
The Modern Scholar: Classic Foundations
- Purpose and Tradition in Architecture
- By: Professor Carroll William Westfall
- Narrated by: Professor Carroll William Westfall
- Length: 5 hrs and 9 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this engaging series of lectures, Carroll William Westfall, the University of Notre Dame's Frank Montana Professor of Architecture, delves into the classical principles of Western architecture. Exploring features such as ornamentation, decoration, and innovation, Professor Westfall shows how architecture is derived from the very principles that form the cornerstones of our civilization - and, with scholarly precision, he also demonstrates how this field of endeavor is rooted in nature itself.
-
-
Truly fascinating!
- By Pierre Gauthier on 06-24-13
-
The Modern Scholar
- The Russian Revolution: From Tsarism to Bolshevism
- By: Prof. Jonathan D. Smele
- Narrated by: Prof. Jonathan D. Smele
- Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Russian Revolution of 1917 was a key turning point in the history of modern Europe and the world. For much of the 20th century, politics were defined by attitudes to what had taken place in Russia in 1917. To understand the Russian Revolution, then, is to understand a key building block of modern history and the contemporary world.
-
-
Important story badly recorded
- By John on 01-30-13
-
The Modern Scholar
- Dante and His Divine Comedy: The Modern Scholar
- By: Professor Timothy B. Shutt
- Narrated by: Professor Timothy B. Shutt
- Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kenyon College professor Dr. Timothy B. Shutt examines Dante's greatest work, The Divine Comedy, both in terms of its autobiographical elements and its allegorical meaning for the human race.
-
-
A Tour de Force on a Tour de Force
- By John on 05-19-14
-
The Modern Scholar: Crime Scene Investigation, Part II
- Philosophy, Practice, and Science
- By: Prof. Robert C. Shaler
- Narrated by: Robert C. Shaler
- Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Esteemed Pennsylvania State University professor Robert C. Shaler continues his in-depth look at all aspects of crime scene investigation in part two of this compelling lecture series. Popularized in the media by highly rated police procedurals, crime scene investigation is an often misunderstood field of endeavor. Here, Professor Shaler breaks down the intricacies of how investigations are conducted in the real world, examining such aspects as bloodstain analysis, shooting scenes, and “forensic bugs”.
-
-
I liked it
- By Oliver on 12-18-18
-
The Modern Scholar: Conflicts that Shaped Pharaonic Egypt
- By: Professor John C. Darnell
- Narrated by: John C. Darnell
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Professor of Egyptology and director of the Yale Egyptological Institute John C. Darnell delves into the history of Ancient Egypt from the Predynastic Period through the end of the New Kingdom. In these lectures, Professor Darnell shows that, despite common perceptions, Pharaonic Egyptian civilization existed within a multicultural society subject to disparate geological environments-and that its strength lay in the balancing of contrasting groups and goals.
-
-
Disappointment
- By Irena on 01-04-11
-
Botticelli's Secret
- The Lost Drawings and the Rediscovery of the Renaissance
- By: Joseph Luzzi
- Narrated by: Keith Szarabajka
- Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Some 500 years ago, Sandro Botticelli, a painter of humble origin, created work of unearthly beauty. An intimate associate of Florence’s unofficial rulers, the Medici, he was commissioned by a member of their family to execute a near-impossible project: to illustrate all 100 cantos of The Divine Comedy by the city’s greatest poet, Dante Alighieri. A powerful encounter between poet and artist, sacred and secular, earthly and evanescent, these drawings produced a wealth of stunning images but were never finished.
-
-
The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful
- By stefran@mother.com on 11-12-22
By: Joseph Luzzi
-
The Modern Scholar: Hard-Won Victories
- A History of the United States at War
- By: Professor Mark R. Polelle
- Narrated by: Professor Mark R. Polelle
- Length: 4 hrs and 15 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This course explores the role that war has played in shaping the United States of America. The lectures begin with the American Revolution and an examination of how America was born in war. The discussion continues with the "forgotten" War of 1812 and then turns to the Mexican-American War and the Spanish-American War.
-
The Modern Scholar
- Wars That Made the Western World: The Persian Wars, the Peloponnesian War
- By: Timothy Shutt
- Narrated by: Timothy Shutt
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This course addresses three wars fought in antiquity, each of which had - even 2,000 years and more later - a decisive effect in shaping our communal sense of who we are, not only in Europe, but throughout the European cultural diaspora, in the Americas, in Oceania, and to some degree, at least, in Asia and Africa as well - wherever, in short, Western values hold.
-
-
Those Are Names to Remember...
- By John on 09-26-13
By: Timothy Shutt
-
The Modern Scholar
- The Giants of Russian Literature: Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Chekhov
- By: Prof. Liza Knapp
- Narrated by: Liza Knapp
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Russian literature of the 19th century is among the richest, most profound, and most human traditions in the world. This course explores this tradition by focusing on four giants: Ivan Turgenev, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, and Anton Chekhov. Their works had an enormous impact on Russian understanding of the human condition.
-
-
beautifully wrought
- By D.P. on 09-25-11
By: Prof. Liza Knapp
-
The Philosophy, Practice, and Science of Crime Scene Investigation, Part 1
- The Modern Scholar
- By: Professor Robert C. Shaler
- Narrated by: Professor Robert C. Shaler
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The director of the Forensic Science Program at Pennsylvania State University, Professor Robert C. Shaler leads a comprehensive study of the intricacies of an intriguing, and always topical, science. In these lectures, Shaler imparts a clear understanding of crime scene investigation, from archiving the scene to the presentation of evidence in court proceedings. Covering everything from fingermarks and bloodstains to 3-D imaging and microbial forensics, the course is an essential guide for anyone intrigued by this riveting subject.
-
-
Good Info, But Textbook-Dry
- By Flavius Krakdaddius on 09-30-12
-
The Modern Scholar: Physics for Poets
- By: Professor Richard T. Kouzes
- Narrated by: Professor Richard T. Kouzes
- Length: 3 hrs and 14 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Exploring many of the most significant concepts in physics, Professor Kouzes explains each in a very straightforward and approachable manner. He begins by examining the history of physics - the "knowledge of nature" - as a science which encompasses the study of matter and all of the phenomena that are observed in our universe. He also explores the origins of physics, tracing it back to the ancient world.
-
-
Good Read
- By Babbet the Book Worm on 01-07-15
-
The Modern Scholar: Odyssey of the West IV: A Classic Education through the Great Books: Towards Enlightenment
- By: Prof. Timothy Shutt, Prof. Fred E. Baumann, Prof. Thomas F. Madden
- Narrated by: Prof. Timothy Shutt, Prof. Fred E. Baumann, Prof. Thomas F. Madden
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Odyssey of the West series addresses in chronological sequence the works that have shaped the ongoing development of Western thought both in its own right and in cultural dialogue with other traditions. Part four provides a close look at the period from the Renaissance to the Scientific Revolution and into the early Enlightenment. These lectures take in the immense variety and singular achievements that have helped mold our present societies.
-
-
It's a clear review of European history,.
- By Tim Regan on 08-04-17
By: Prof. Timothy Shutt, and others
-
The Modern Scholar: Odyssey of the West III: A Classic Education through the Great Books: The Medieval World
- By: Prof. Timothy Shutt, Prof. Thomas F. Madden, Prof. Monica Brzezinski Potkay
- Narrated by: Prof. Timothy Shutt, Prof. Thomas F. Madden, Prof. Monica Brzezinski Potkay
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Odyssey of the West I and II explored timeless works from the ancient world that shaped, and continue to shape, the culture and philosophies of life today. Part three is a richly detailed look at St. Augustine, Beowulf, St. Thomas Aquinas, Authurian legends, Dante, Gothic art, and other highlights of the period. Through the course of these lectures, it becomes apparent that the "dark" ages were in fact a time of immense achievement, and a time that richly rewards those who study its art and philosophies.
By: Prof. Timothy Shutt, and others
-
The Blessed Lens
- A History of Italian Cinema
- By: Joseph Luzzi
- Narrated by: Joseph Luzzi
- Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Professor Joseph Luzzi, the director of Italian studies at Bard College and an award-winning author, offers a comprehensive look at Italian cinema from its inception in 1895 through its major periods and influences. Having altered the landscape of Italian art and society, as well as inspiring filmmakers the world over, Italian cinema proves a fascinating study. Major focuses of the course include neorealism, the Spaghetti Western, the Italian giallo, and Italian-style comedy.
-
-
Exceptional lectures, but missing the PDF guide.
- By Mike on 05-12-18
By: Joseph Luzzi
-
The Modern Scholar: The Tiber and the Potomac: Rome, America, and Empires of Trust
- By: Thomas F. Madden
- Narrated by: Thomas F. Madden
- Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Esteemed university professor and best-selling author Thomas F. Madden presents an intriguing series of lectures based on a fascinating premise: that the United States has more in common with the rising Roman Republic than with the declining Roman Empire.
-
-
An Important Historical Analysis
- By Gary Marcus on 03-13-11
By: Thomas F. Madden
-
Modern Scholar: God
- A History
- By: Ilan Stavans
- Narrated by: IIan Stavans
- Length: 4 hrs and 32 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this sweeping history, Ilan Stavans explores the way humans have evolved in their conception of the divine, from an animistic view defined by spirituality to Greek myths and the Aztec pantheon, onward to the development on monotheism as a powerful religion in the Middle East that was crystallized in the biblical narrative. He meditates on what type of divine presences coexist in the Hebrew Bible and how these entities take bifurcating paths in Christianity and Islam.
-
-
Disappointment in the Extreme
- By James on 05-22-15
By: Ilan Stavans
-
The Modern Scholar: Command and Control
- Great Military Leaders from Washington to the Twenty-First Century
- By: Professor Mark R. Polelle
- Narrated by: Mark R. Polelle
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Professor Mark R. Polelle examines great military leaders in history, beginning with George Washington and moving on to Napoleon, U.S. Grant, Pershing, MacArthur, and Schwarzkopf, among others. The course also addresses the politics of military history and leadership and illustrates the circumstances that enable the rise of great leaders. Perhaps most importantly, Professor Polelle raises and answers that essential question: What is it that makes a good leader?
-
-
Portraits of military leadership
- By Hal VT on 07-04-14
Related to this topic
-
The Art of War
- By: Sun Tzu
- Narrated by: Aidan Gillen
- Length: 1 hr and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 13 chapters of The Art of War, each devoted to one aspect of warfare, were compiled by the high-ranking Chinese military general, strategist, and philosopher Sun-Tzu. In spite of its battlefield specificity, The Art of War has found new life in the modern age, with leaders in fields as wide and far-reaching as world politics, human psychology, and corporate strategy finding valuable insight in its timeworn words.
-
-
The actual book The Art of War, not a commentary
- By Fred271 on 12-31-19
By: Sun Tzu
-
Fingerprints of the Gods
- The Quest Continues
- By: Graham Hancock
- Narrated by: Graham Hancock
- Length: 18 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fingerprints of the Gods is the revolutionary rewrite of history that has persuaded millions of listeners throughout the world to change their preconceptions about the history behind modern society. An intellectual detective story, this unique history audiobook directs probing questions at orthodox history, presenting disturbing new evidence that historians have tried - but failed - to explain.
-
-
Classic in Historical Mysteries
- By Kelly on 09-05-19
By: Graham Hancock
-
Napoleon's Hemorrhoids…And Other Small Events That Changed History
- By: Phil Mason
- Narrated by: LJ Ganser
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hilarious, fascinating, and a roller coaster of dizzying, historical what-ifs, Napoleon's Hemorrhoids is a potpourri for serious historians and casual history buffs. In one of Phil Mason's many revelations, you'll learn that Communist jets were two minutes away from opening fire on American planes during the Cuban missile crisis, when they had to turn back as they were running out of fuel. You'll discover that before the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon's painful hemorrhoids prevented him from mounting his horse to survey the battlefield.
-
-
They just throw the facts too fast
- By Concerned_llama on 12-11-20
By: Phil Mason
-
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
- By: Jack Weatherford
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, Jack Weatherford
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Mongol army led by Genghis Khan subjugated more lands and people in 25 years than the Romans did in 400. In nearly every country the Mongols conquered, they brought an unprecedented rise in cultural communication, expanded trade, and a blossoming of civilization.
-
-
Golden Horde/Platinum Listen
- By Cynthia on 12-11-13
By: Jack Weatherford
-
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
- As Told to Alex Haley
- By: Malcolm X, Alex Haley
- Narrated by: Laurence Fishburne
- Length: 16 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Experience a bold take on this classic autobiography as it’s performed by Oscar-nominated Laurence Fishburne. In this searing classic autobiography, originally published in 1965, Malcolm X, the Muslim leader, firebrand, and Black empowerment activist, tells the extraordinary story of his life and the growth of the Human Rights movement. His fascinating perspective on the lies and limitations of the American dream and the inherent racism in a society that denies its non-White citizens the opportunity to dream, gives extraordinary insight into the most urgent issues of our own time.
-
-
Audible Masterpiece
- By Phoenician on 09-10-20
By: Malcolm X, and others
-
The Poetic Edda
- Stories of the Norse Gods and Heroes
- By: Jackson Crawford
- Narrated by: Jackson Crawford
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The poems of the Poetic Edda have waited a long time for a modern English translation that would do them justice. Here it is at last (Odin be praised!) and well worth the wait. These amazing texts from a 13th-century Icelandic manuscript are of huge historical, mythological, and literary importance, containing the lion's share of information that survives today about the gods and heroes of pre-Christian Scandinavians, their unique vision of the beginning and end of the world, etc.
-
-
Butchery of the language
- By Sigurdur J. on 03-26-19
By: Jackson Crawford
-
The Art of War
- By: Sun Tzu
- Narrated by: Aidan Gillen
- Length: 1 hr and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 13 chapters of The Art of War, each devoted to one aspect of warfare, were compiled by the high-ranking Chinese military general, strategist, and philosopher Sun-Tzu. In spite of its battlefield specificity, The Art of War has found new life in the modern age, with leaders in fields as wide and far-reaching as world politics, human psychology, and corporate strategy finding valuable insight in its timeworn words.
-
-
The actual book The Art of War, not a commentary
- By Fred271 on 12-31-19
By: Sun Tzu
-
Fingerprints of the Gods
- The Quest Continues
- By: Graham Hancock
- Narrated by: Graham Hancock
- Length: 18 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fingerprints of the Gods is the revolutionary rewrite of history that has persuaded millions of listeners throughout the world to change their preconceptions about the history behind modern society. An intellectual detective story, this unique history audiobook directs probing questions at orthodox history, presenting disturbing new evidence that historians have tried - but failed - to explain.
-
-
Classic in Historical Mysteries
- By Kelly on 09-05-19
By: Graham Hancock
-
Napoleon's Hemorrhoids…And Other Small Events That Changed History
- By: Phil Mason
- Narrated by: LJ Ganser
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hilarious, fascinating, and a roller coaster of dizzying, historical what-ifs, Napoleon's Hemorrhoids is a potpourri for serious historians and casual history buffs. In one of Phil Mason's many revelations, you'll learn that Communist jets were two minutes away from opening fire on American planes during the Cuban missile crisis, when they had to turn back as they were running out of fuel. You'll discover that before the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon's painful hemorrhoids prevented him from mounting his horse to survey the battlefield.
-
-
They just throw the facts too fast
- By Concerned_llama on 12-11-20
By: Phil Mason
-
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
- By: Jack Weatherford
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis, Jack Weatherford
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Mongol army led by Genghis Khan subjugated more lands and people in 25 years than the Romans did in 400. In nearly every country the Mongols conquered, they brought an unprecedented rise in cultural communication, expanded trade, and a blossoming of civilization.
-
-
Golden Horde/Platinum Listen
- By Cynthia on 12-11-13
By: Jack Weatherford
-
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
- As Told to Alex Haley
- By: Malcolm X, Alex Haley
- Narrated by: Laurence Fishburne
- Length: 16 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Experience a bold take on this classic autobiography as it’s performed by Oscar-nominated Laurence Fishburne. In this searing classic autobiography, originally published in 1965, Malcolm X, the Muslim leader, firebrand, and Black empowerment activist, tells the extraordinary story of his life and the growth of the Human Rights movement. His fascinating perspective on the lies and limitations of the American dream and the inherent racism in a society that denies its non-White citizens the opportunity to dream, gives extraordinary insight into the most urgent issues of our own time.
-
-
Audible Masterpiece
- By Phoenician on 09-10-20
By: Malcolm X, and others
-
The Poetic Edda
- Stories of the Norse Gods and Heroes
- By: Jackson Crawford
- Narrated by: Jackson Crawford
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The poems of the Poetic Edda have waited a long time for a modern English translation that would do them justice. Here it is at last (Odin be praised!) and well worth the wait. These amazing texts from a 13th-century Icelandic manuscript are of huge historical, mythological, and literary importance, containing the lion's share of information that survives today about the gods and heroes of pre-Christian Scandinavians, their unique vision of the beginning and end of the world, etc.
-
-
Butchery of the language
- By Sigurdur J. on 03-26-19
By: Jackson Crawford
-
The Emerald Tablets of Thoth the Atlantean
- By: M. Doreal
- Narrated by: John Marino
- Length: 2 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The history of the tablets translated in the following book is strange and beyond the belief of modern scientists. Their antiquity is stupendous, dating back some 36,000 years. The writer is Thoth, an Atlantean Priest-King, who founded a colony in ancient Egypt after the sinking of the mother country. He was the builder of the Great Pyramid of Giza, erroneously attributed to Cheops. In it he incorporated his knowledge of the ancient wisdom and also securely secreted records and instruments of ancient Atlantis.
-
-
Excellence...
- By Light Worker on 04-21-18
By: M. Doreal
-
Helter Skelter
- The True Story of the Manson Murders
- By: Vincent Bugliosi, Curt Gentry
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 26 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial Vincent Bugliosi held a unique insider's position in one of the most baffling and horrifying cases of the 20th century: the cold-blooded Tate-LaBianca murders carried out by Charles Manson and four of his followers. What motivated Manson in his seemingly mindless selection of victims, and what was his hold over the young women who obeyed his orders? Now available for the first time in unabridged audio, the gripping story of this famous and haunting crime is brought to life by acclaimed narrator Scott Brick.
-
-
Everything I remembered about the case was wrong..
- By karen on 06-22-12
By: Vincent Bugliosi, and others
-
Curse of Riches
- By: Claire Prentice
- Narrated by: Claire Prentice, Hillary Huber
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How did the Wendels, one of New York’s most famous Gilded Age families, disappear from history? The Wendels built a fortune from New York real estate, and rubbed shoulders with the Astors, Vanderbilts, and Stuyvesants. But as the 19th century came to an end, the Wendel family tore itself apart. Following six years of painstaking archival research, Claire Prentice has prised open the door of the Wendels’ Fifth Avenue mansion—dubbed “the house of mystery” by the press—to reveal a fascinating and dysfunctional family imprisoned in a gilded cage.
-
-
Kept Waiting for it to be Interesting
- By Mary on 06-23-23
By: Claire Prentice
-
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down
- A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures
- By: Anne Fadiman
- Narrated by: Pamela Xiong
- Length: 13 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When three-month-old Lia Lee arrived at the county hospital emergency room in Merced, California, a chain of events was set in motion from which neither she nor her parents nor her doctors would ever recover. Lia's parents, Foua and Nao Kao, were part of a large Hmong community in Merced, refugees from the CIA-run "Quiet War" in Laos.
-
-
Did anyone proof-listen this?
- By BB on 11-11-15
By: Anne Fadiman
-
CIA Rogues and the Killing of the Kennedys
- How and Why US Agents Conspired to Assassinate JFK and RFK
- By: Patrick Nolan, Dr. Henry C. Lee - foreword
- Narrated by: Stephen Bowlby
- Length: 14 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In CIA Rogues and the Killing of the Kennedys, Patrick Nolan fearlessly investigates the CIA’s involvement in the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy - why the brothers needed to die and how rogue intelligence agents orchestrated history’s most infamous conspiracy. Nolan furthers the research of leading scholars who agree that there remain serious unanswered questions regarding the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy.
-
-
Where are we now?
- By Payton on 04-12-17
By: Patrick Nolan, and others
-
The Motherlode
- 100+ Women Who Made Hip-Hop
- By: Clover Hope
- Narrated by: Clover Hope, Remy Ma, Nia Long, and others
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the birth of hip-hop in the 1970s to today, women have been just as integral to the growth and development of the rap game as their male counterparts. Nonetheless, they’re consistently shortchanged as artists, creators, renegades, and cultural visionaries in prevailing histories of the genre. The Motherlode changes that.
-
-
Captivating
- By Anonymous User on 08-23-23
By: Clover Hope