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

Discover the remarkable life of Isoroku Yamamoto... Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was one of Japan’s most influential military leaders and a key architect of naval warfare during World War II. Born into an impoverished samurai family, he worked his way to the top by attending the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy, where he consistently ranked among the best in his class. Early in his career, he recognized that the future of naval warfare wasn’t in massive battleships but in aircraft carriers and aviation, an idea that would eventually shape Japan’s military strategy.

Wyatt Earp was one of the most famous lawmen that the Wild West ever produced. He was also one of the longest-lived. Considering the fact that he lived all the way up until his 80s while many of his contemporaries never made it out of their 30s, this in itself was quite a feat. Wyatt Earp’s good friend and sidekick Doc Holliday, for example, perished at 36. But even though Earp lived a long life, he was no stranger to danger. He was shot at more times than he could count, and there were plenty of people out there who wanted him dead.

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.

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.

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.

In every war, there are those battles that mark a turning point, after which everything is different. These are the battles that help determine how the war will proceed. The Battle of Bunker Hill was one of those battles in the American Revolutionary War. While it was a battle that the American rebels lost, it was significant because it showed that a rag-tag band of civilian soldiers could in fact stand up to the best trained and most experienced military in the world at that time.

Discover the remarkable life of Geronimo...The legendary Geronimo led one of the last great Apache uprisings against American expansionism. The lands of the Apache tribe comprised what is today part of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States, and Geronimo was one of the last who dared to stand up to the powers that encroached on the Native American way of life. In the end, even the cunning and might of Geronimo had to surrender to the wayward expansion of the west.

Nellie Bly was a rare figure in this world. She was someone who steadfastly refused to follow the crowd. In an age when most people, especially women, were expected to conform to social norms and keep their opinions to themselves, Bly boldly charted her own course. She did not wait for permission to speak her mind, nor did she concern herself with the prevailing sentiments of her day. What made Nellie Bly extraordinary was her commitment to thinking independently.

What American president would not relish the thought of his time in office bearing the description “Era of Good Feeling”? That was the title given to the time when President James Monroe occupied the White House. Monroe was a Virginian, but his destiny was not defined solely by his loyalty to his state. He was an American, assured of a future destined to be grand because he lived in a nation where possibilities were probable.

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.

On a December night in 1773, in an iconic act of civil disobedience, American colonists dressed as Native Americans boarded a merchant ship laden with tea. They tossed the tea into the Boston Harbor in protest of taxation without representation. Their motivation at the time was not one of a battle for independence; rather, they sought what they viewed as their constitutional right to representation in the British Parliament.

The word "holodomor" derives from a combination of two Ukrainian words: holod (hunger) and mor (extermination). This term is used to describe one of the least-known events of state-sponsored mass starvation: the Great Famine of Soviet Ukraine in 1932-1933. Around four million Ukrainians died during the famine, and yet, the extent of this human catastrophe was virtually unknown in the West. Up to 1991, the Soviet Union refused to acknowledge that any famine had taken place in Ukraine at all.

Tina Turner had a powerful voice, but perhaps more importantly, she led a powerful life. Born into challenging circumstances, her early years in rural Tennessee were marked by adversity and struggle. Tina would soon prove that she could rise above it all, even though her path to stardom was far from straightforward. Her tumultuous and often violent relationship with Ike Turner became a highly publicized chapter in her life, yet she refused to be defined solely by her trials and tribulations.

The British Empire comprised a bewildering collection of colonies, dominions, protectorates, and mandated possessions that spanned the planet. This was the largest empire in world history, at its peak ruling over more than 400 million people and covering almost one-quarter of the total land mass of the Earth.

From the bullfights of Spain to safaris in East Africa; from being a war correspondent in war zones around the world to surviving multiple airplane and car crashes, Hemingway’s life is a riveting story worth exploring in and of itself.

The Irish War of Independence, which ended in July 1921, led directly to the agreement of the Anglo-Irish Treaty, an agreement that provided Ireland with a measure of independence. The Irish Free State was created, and Ireland was granted a level of autonomy it had not enjoyed for more than 100 years. However, the treaty contained a clause that was to divide Ireland, literally and politically.

The October Revolution of 1917, which saw the fall of the tsar and the installation of a provisional government in Russia, was a momentous event in modern history. However, the Russian Revolution was far from the end of the story of the establishment of Communism in Russia. Within months, the Red Bolsheviks were under attack by the reactionary Whites. The civil war raged for more than two years, leaving millions dead and many millions more displaced. Although less well-known than the revolution, the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922 did far more to shape the modern world.

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.

Sean Connery is still well remembered for his role in the epic James Bond series. Although we often picture him as a smooth, daring, and debonair agent, surviving all manner of incredible stunts, Sean Connery was more than just James Bond. His films were indeed action-packed, but so was his personal life.

The Battle of Jutland, fought near Denmark’s Jutland peninsula in 1916, was unique in the first World War as the only major battle to be fought at sea. In this audiobook, you will hear about these battles, the personalities of the men involved, the planning, and the skirmishes that finally led to the confusion and devastating loss of life at the Battle of Jutland.