Showing results by narrator "Matthew J-Chandler-Smith" in All Categories

Discover the remarkable life of Joachim von Ribbentrop...

Dutch painter and printmaker Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn is considered one of the greatest artists of all time. As a painter, he never considered glamorizing what he saw, and he was a master of creating extraordinary scenes with light and shadows. His paintings were unique for their ability to depict action and moods. Sadly, having a mistress and spending recklessly went far to ruin his reputation during his lifetime. Rembrandt died penniless and was buried in a pauper’s grave.

As the tee-shirt slogans say, “If you can read this, thank the Phoenicians". The Phoenician achievements include creating the world’s first alphabet, which consisted of 22 consonant letters. If you’re sipping wine as you read, that’s another reason to thank the Phoenicians. From their travels, they learned which grapes were most suited for winemaking and spread those vines to the places along their trading routes. The Phoenicians were the masters of the Mediterranean Sea.

Patrick Swayze was more than just a beloved Hollywood star—he was a force of nature. Known for his magnetic presence and irresistible charm, Swayze captivated audiences worldwide with roles that showcased his unique blend of ruggedness and grace. But behind the scenes, few knew the true extent of the challenges he faced on his journey to stardom.

Apartheid, a state-sponsored policy of discrimination and segregation, was introduced and brutally enforced in South Africa for more than 40 years. It led to thousands of deaths, mass arrests, torture of prisoners, and to the suspension of the most basic human rights for the majority of Black South Africans. How did this come to be, and how did a modern state come to enact and enforce a series of laws deliberately designed to ensure poverty and lack of opportunity for the majority of its population?

While these are ancient events, they do have direct relevance to the world in which we live today. Scientists have spent a great deal of time looking at the Great Ice Age, principally because understanding it could help us understand the complex web of linked factors that lead to climate change. That, in turn, may help us to understand the changes in climate we seem to be facing today. This is the fascinating story of the Great Ice Age.

During the 1960s and 1970s, the images of two men came to dominate the iconography of left-wing movements: Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. The story of the revolution these two men led in Cuba became a fable that drove and encouraged other revolutionary movements around the world. The Cuban Revolution is certainly astonishing. Beginning with fewer than 100 armed men, the Fidelistas took on a government that had a well-equipped army, air force, and navy. On paper, the handful of rebels stood no chance.

Betty White was more than just an actress and comedienne—she was a force of nature who dazzled audiences for nearly a century. Few in show business could match her energy, charisma, or longevity. While many of her peers slowed down, Betty remained active well into her 90s. Incredibly, she lived to be 99 years old, passing away just weeks shy of her 100th birthday. Throughout her extraordinary life, Betty White built a career that spanned over eight decades. She was breaking new ground in radio and television when the mediums were still in their infancy.

This book tells the story of the temperance movement in America, of its rise over a period of 100 years to encompass the growing women’s movement, and how it eventually attained its goal in 1920. It tells the story of Prohibition itself, of how people exploited loopholes in the law to continue drinking legally, and of how they simply ignored the law and drank illegally. It tells the story of the bootleggers and corrupt officials who made fortunes during Prohibition and the politicians who supported and attacked it.

Discover the remarkable life of Crazy Horse... Famed Lakota warrior Crazy Horse was more than just a fearless fighter—he was a symbol of resistance and commitment to his people’s way of life. During his life, the Lakota faced relentless pressure from all sides. Rival tribes waged war over land and resources while waves of US settlers, backed by an ever-growing military presence, pushed further into their territory on the Great Plains. Despite these challenges, Crazy Horse stood unwavering, fighting not for personal glory but for the survival of his people and their homeland.

John Denver was a musician with a roving free spirit. He left on a jet plane and promised to be back again. Just like the seasons, he went through plenty of changes, but he always returned to the source of his inspiration. John Denver was inspired by nature and the love of life in general. He wrote songs about how sunshine made him happy, and how the natural disposition of Mother Earth made him high.

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.

In the face of ruthless totalitarian rule, it is only the rare few who stand up at risk of their own life to do what is right. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was one of those exceptional individuals. Even on pain of death, he would not bend, he would not budge - this German pastor fought the Nazi regime with every fiber of his being.

Step into the world of Albert Einstein in this book and find out what was so extraordinary about him. Find out why Einstein valued creativity and freedom as the foundation stones of a good life, and how these two traits would inspire him and help to transform the world as it was known up until then.

The Battle of Okinawa was the deadliest campaign of the Pacific during World War II. The Americans had come back from the demoralizing defeat at Pearl Harbor to mount a ferocious attack against the Japanese. To be able to invade Japan, the Americans had to take Okinawa. But the Japanese, determined to defend their homeland and preserve their way of life, would fight to the death against the invaders. As the Army and Marines fought bloody battles to gain Okinawa inch by inch, the Navy was subjected to kamikaze attacks.

The Great Famine which afflicted Ireland from 1845 to 1849 was one of the most catastrophic events in Europe during the 19th century. More than one-quarter of the population of Ireland died of starvation or associated disease, or were forced to emigrate...The Great Famine left a legacy of distrust and animosity between large segments of the population of Ireland and Great Britain, and this in part led to the movements which finally produced Irish independence.

Discover the remarkable life of Josephine Earp... She was supposed to marry for security, settle down, and disappear into domesticity. Instead, Josephine Earp ran away to the Wild West, fell in love with a famous gunfighter, and spent almost haft a century chasing adventure across the American frontier. From the dusty streets of Tombstone to the frozen rivers of Alaska, Josephine Earp lived a life that defied every expectation of 19th-century womanhood.

The Mongol Empire, founded by Genghis Khan and continued by his heirs, was one of the largest and most powerful the world has ever seen. Modern China was created from the remnants of the Mongol Empire, and at its peak, this empire controlled one-sixth of the total landmass of the world. Even today, it is estimated that one in every 200 people in the world carries the DNA of Genghis Khan. The world would never be quite the same after the relatively brief reign of Genghis Khan, his children, and grandchildren.

The politics and recent history of the Middle East can seem baffling to outsiders. Nowhere was that more evident than during the Lebanon War that raged in 1982. Even contemporary reporting often made fundamental mistakes, and there was little general understanding of what was happening and why. This conflict involved a bewildering number of groups and influences from different parts of the world. The precipitating event was the attempted assassination of the Israeli ambassador in London, carried out by members of a Palestinian terrorist group.

What would become the Russian Empire began in the ninth century. In 1682, a new tsar took over the nation that had become known as Russia. Peter I, remembered as Peter the Great, transformed the country, and in 1721, he adopted the title of emperor. A series of powerful rulers, including Catherine the Great, built on the foundations that Peter had created to expand the territory controlled by the Russian Empire until it became one of the largest empires the world had ever seen. At its zenith, the Russian Empire controlled over one-sixth of the total landmass of the Earth