Showing results by publisher "Audio Sommelier" in All Categories

Shortly after John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Lincoln, he was tracked down and shot by authorities - that's what was officially reported, anyway. Lawyer Finis L. Bates, however, decided to set the record straight when he reported that in 1870 his acquaintance "John St. Helen" revealed himself to be none other than Booth living under an alter ego. Bates' version of the story is this: a hushed-up escape led Booth to 38 years of secret identities and an eventual suicide in an Oklahoma hotel. In this historical text, Bates unpacks the surprising truth about this infamous assassin.

Not all that glitters is gold, and gold mining was not the simple get-rich-quick scheme many thought it was. The Diary of a Forty-Niner draws readers into the day-to-day life of a prospector during the California Gold Rush.

The Alhambra in Granada, the Mosque in Cordova - these are some of the magnificent physical remnants of Moorish rule in Spain. Their influence on culture, engineering, and civilization has also remained in ways often unacknowledged. Lane-Poole was the first to publish a scholarly history in English about a non-Christian civilization, making this a ground-breaking work. Written with extensive knowledge, wit, and admiration, Lane-Poole’s The Moors in Spain is not to be missed.

The great English preacher Charles Spurgeon lived in the 1800s, but his lament over the current state of spirituality sounds quite contemporary. Spurgeon saw a severe lack of spiritual knowledge among churchgoers of his day.

Madame Mathilde Loisel is sure she was meant to be an aristocrat, but she was born into a middle-class family and married off to a middle-class clerk. When her husband procures them invitations to a high-society party, Loisel goes all out to impress. She borrows a diamond necklace from a wealthy acquaintance and has the time of her life - until the necklace goes missing. In “The Necklace”, de Maupassant showcases his signature twists of fate and social commentary in a story that will leave you speechless.

In Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth by C. I. (Cyrus Ingerson) Scofield, the author describes the distinction between many facts in the scriptures. This rendition is beautifully narrated by Bryan Nyman.

A Defense of Calvinism is a classic text by Charles H. Spurgeon. This rendition is beautifully narrated by Bryan Nyman.

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God is a classic sermon by Jonathan Edwards, first delivered in Massachusetts in 1741. This rendition is beautifully narrated by John Potter.

Theodore Roosevelt began this 1899 speech with his thesis: “I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life.” He discusses how the many hardships of his life shaped him for the better. Roosevelt believed that if Americans wished to succeed in the world, they would need to embrace the virtue of hard work. He applied this same belief to foreign affairs, stating that America must establish itself as a powerful military force and exert this power when necessary.

The Prayer of Jabez is a classic by Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon. This audiobook is wonderfully narrated by Bryan Nyman.

Anxiety, Ambition, Indecision is a classic sermon by Charles H. Spurgeon, first delivered on Thursday, February 18th 1904. This sermon is beautifully narrated by Bryan Nyman.

Nineteenth-century preacher Charles Spurgeon may have surprised some when he delivered this sermon on the doctrine of election. Though predestination aligned with Spurgeon’s denominational beliefs as a Particular Baptist, it was still an unpopular sermon topic.

When Thomas Watson tells Christians to enact “holy violence”, he’s not talking about physical warfare. He’s urging Christians to take up spiritual arms in their pursuit of righteousness. Watson, a Puritan preacher and writer, uses passionate language to capture the fervor with which Christians should perform their duties of prayer, Bible-reading, meditation, and more. This fiery text is perfect for anyone looking to reignite their spiritual life so they can, as Watson puts it, “take Heaven by storm” and fight against evil.

Alexander is arguably one of the most notable Greek figures, immortalized in stories and legends that are commonly used in mythology classes today. With the lingering feeling of discontent after the Persian invasion and the political unrest that surrounded him, his life made for an interesting topic in Plutarch’s works.  

Cato the Younger was one of the many biographies documented by Plutarch in his series called Parallel Lives. Related to Cato the Elder, Cato the Younger was also a student of philosophy as well as a Roman Statesman. After his father died and he gained his inheritance, Cato the Younger began his life as philosopher, warrior, and political leader. His life ended, as so many Roman lives did back then, in tragedy.

Einhard served Charlemagne, king and Holy Roman Emperor, for 23 years. From that experience, combined with his in-depth research, Einhard penned this biography of Charlemagne in the style of Suetonius’ Lives of the Caesars. Because he felt indebted to Charlemagne, Einhard wrote in a partial tone, exalting the man’s achievements and overlooking certain unflattering details about his life. Despite this, historians regard The Life of Charlemagne as an important historical account that, while not far-reaching, is largely reliable.

The Wicket Gate is the term first coined by Paul Bunyan for the narrow path to Heaven. In Around the Wicket Gate, Spurgeon speaks to those who are near the gate but have not yet walked through.

Cthulhu lovers take note, this early story of the sea god Dagon is considered to be part of the Cthulhu mythos. In Dagon, the protagonist is lost at sea for days, wading through dead fish and other foulness, until he comes to an island with a monolith on a rocky hillside. After reading the pictographs, his eyes land on the terrible image of a monster rising from the sea. When he wakes up in a San Francisco hospital he thinks the ordeal is over - that is, until the sea god comes to haunt his waking and sleeping life.

In contrast to some of the other, bloodier names listed in Plutarch’s Parallel Lives, Demosthenes was a great orator and politician. The Life of Demosthenes starts out uniquely, detailing Demosthenes’ commitment to his study - one so fierce that he built an underground study room and shaved half his head so he wouldn’t go outside. All this was to take his guardians to court for not allowing him to take gymnastics, but his education went on to help him in the end. Going on to write speeches for the greatest politicians, Demosthenes made his mark on Ancient Greece through his craft.

The Celestial Country is a classic poem by St. Bernard of Cluny. Bernard, a monk of the celebrated Monastery of Cluny, under the Abbot Peter the Venerable, was born of English parents at the old seaport of Morlaix, in Brittany, and lived in the 12th century.