Random Audiobook Podcasts

Right from its famous opening scene which begins, “Thunder and lightning. Enter Three Witches” The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare holds the reader fast in a stirring, monumental experience that plumbs the depths of the human soul and reveals its most morbid secrets. The play is set in medieval Scotland. It is based partly on historical facts and recounts the tale of Macbeth, who was a king in Scotland, according to The Holinshead Chronicles, a book published in 1577. This book was extensively used by contemporary playwrights like Shakespeare and Marlowe as inspiration for their themes, characters and events. Though Shakespeare did use some of the material found in Holinshead, the final product is entirely his own and he fleshed-out and created most of the principal characters himself in a play that is considered his darkest, most ominous and most powerful tragedy. The Tragedy of Macbeth is also one that explores the nature of the supernatural in our lives. The play begins with Macbeth and Banquo, two army generals in the employ of their king, Duncan, returning victorious from two different wars. As they cross a dark and lonely heath, they encounter three women who predict that Macbeth will be named Thane of Cawdor and one day reign as King of Scotland and that Banquo will beget an illustrious line of noble descendants who will one day rule the land, though Banquo himself will never reign. The two men are skeptical, but their disbelief begins to vanish when messengers arrive with the news that Macbeth has been elevated to the rank of Thane of Cawdor! This sets off a train of devastating events. Macbeth’s ambitious and evil wife, Lady Macbeth, is willing to go to any lengths to achieve her ends. Plots, treason, murder, ghosts, war and suicide follow, in a terrible mélange. Macbeth is Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy. It deals with issues that are relevant even today. The overarching greed for power at any cost, the breakdown of morality, corruption and unbridled ambition, cruelty and its effect on the soul, omens and portents, superstitions and violence are some of the dark themes explored. Since it was first performed in the 1600s, Macbeth has remained one of the most widely enacted plays in the world, been translated into hundreds of world languages, given contemporary twists, adapted for film, television, studied in schools and universities and been the subject of psychological, sociological and political research. Ultimately, it remains one of the most remarkable portrayals of the shadowy and unlit spaces of the human heart. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, play, The Tragedy of Macbeth, tragedy, William Shakespeare

This book features a series of short stories collected by renowned ethnologist Henry R. Schoolcraft. The stories are adapted from old Native American legends with the aim to protect their authenticity from future contamination. Schoolcraft made it his duty to learn the Native American folklore, after living among them in the Great Lakes region and experiencing their culture firsthand. The allegorical collection include tales of adventure, whilst offering exciting explanations for natural phenomena as perceived by members of the tribe and their ancestors, who have passed down the tales from one generation to the next. The collection of stories begins with the introduction of wise and venerable Iagoo, whose respected position and function in the tribe is to preserve their history through the means of storytelling. It is his role as a storyteller to recount tales of the customs and traditions of their people to attentive young listeners. Consequently begin the tales of mythological and fascinating events, which take place in a time when animals could speak and the world was still new. Personification is therefore generously applied and embraced throughout the collection. The stories serve a purpose of endorsing morals, expressing the sweet rewards of good conduct, and ultimately act as cautionary tales to portray the consequences of certain traits. Celebrating interconnectedness between man and nature, the stories support the idea that every course of action has a consequence and that humans are not superior to nature, but equally valuable while sharing responsibility and purpose. What makes the collection so fascinating is the fact that the stories have been passed down throughout generations by oral traditions, therefore signifying their cultural richness and identity. Depicting a close relationship between mankind, spirits, animals, and nature, the stories depict a cultural tradition successfully portrayed in the pages of the anthology. Furthermore the compilation allows readers to observe and learn more about a culture preserved in a most intriguing manner.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: American Indian Fairy Tales, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Fairy tales, fiction, free audio books, H. R. Schoolcraft, Kids, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Short stories

The Aeneid is a Latin epic written by Virgil in the 1st century BC that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who traveled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. The first six of the poem’s twelve books tell the story of Aeneas’ wanderings from Troy to Italy, and the poem’s second half treats the Trojans’ ultimately victorious war upon the Latins, under whose name Aeneas and his Trojan followers are destined to be subsumed. The poem was commissioned from Vergil by the Emperor Augustus to glorify Rome. Several critics think that the hero Aeneas’ abandonment of the Cartheginian Queen Dido, is meant as a statement of how Augustus’ enemy, Mark Anthony, should have behaved with the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra.

Categories: Arts, Education

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, Classics (antiquity), ebooks, free audio books, Languages, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Myths/Legends, poetry, Publius Vergilius Maro, The Aeneid

Mike’s dream of studying and playing cricket at Cambridge are thwarted as his father runs into financial difficulties. Instead, Mike takes on the job of clerk at the “New Asiatic Bank.” Luckily, school friend Psmith, with his boundless optimism and original views, soon joins his department, and together they endeavour to make the best of their new life in London.

Categories: Arts, Comedy

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Comedy, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, humor, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, P. G. Wodehouse, Psmith in the City

In this popular American book from the 1920s, accomplished public speaker and self-help charlatan Elsie Lincoln Benedict outlines her pseudo-scientific system of “Human Analysis”. She proposes that, within the human race, five sub-types have developed through evolutionary processes, each with its own distinct character traits and corresponding outward appearance. She offers to teach the reader how to recognise these five types of people and understand their innate differences. Her ideas have never been taken seriously by the scientific community, but this book is considered a classic within its genre and remains in print today. Summary by Carl Manchester. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Education

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Elsie Lincoln Benedict, free audio books, How to Analyze People on Sight Through the Science of Human Analysis: The Five Human Types, instruction, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Psychology

Stories from 1896 to 1901. Lucy Maud Montgomery was born at Clifton (now New London), Prince Edward Island, Canada, on November 30, 1874. She achieved international fame in her lifetime, putting Prince Edward Island and Canada on the world literary map. Best known for her “Anne of Green Gables” books, she was also a prolific writer of short stories and poetry. She published some 500 short stories and poems and twenty novels before her death in 1942. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: 1896 to 1901, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, romance, Sea stories, Short stories, Teen/Young adult

Inventor, author, printer, scientist, politician, diplomat—all these terms do not even begin to fully describe the amazing and multitalented, Benjamin Franklin who was of course also one of the Founding Fathers of America. At the age of 75, in 1771 he began work on what he called his Memoirs. He was still working on it when he died in 1790 and it was published posthumously, entitled An Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. The book had a complicated and controversial publication history. Strangely enough, the first volume only was first published in French, in Paris in 1791. Later in 1793 a couple of English translations appeared containing the second volume as well. In 1818 Franklin’s grandson brought out a three volume edition, which left out the last unfinished fourth volume. William Temple Franklin also took great liberties with the text and made his own revisions. However, in 1868, publisher John Bigelow purchased the original and complete manuscript and brought out the most complete edition so far. The 20th century saw several scholars bring out more definitive and complete versions. An Autobiography… was written apparently to apprise his son about the events of his life and also meant to be a treatise that would lead to the self betterment of the younger generation. As a book, it is a difficult and complex read. The tone is often meandering, arrogant and condescending in turn and does not have a consistent feel. Written over an extended time period, there are large gaps in sequence and often the author contradicts his own recounting of events. In fact, it ends abruptly, without a shred of information about Franklin’s seminal role in the American Revolution. Yet, two centuries after its debut, it remains widely read and acclaimed, valued for its being almost the first autobiography to have been written in English. Its extensive advice on how to go about achieving a list of virtues is probably the first ever self-help book. As a glimpse of life in 18th century America, it is unrivaled. An Autobiography… also provides readers with the immense possibilities that the New World holds. A poor middleclass youth, one of 10 children, whose parents could hardly afford to send him to school, who attains learning and honest employment by dint of sheer hard work can even today be said to represent the American Dream. With the publication of An Autobiography… it was possible for this new and emerging superpower to establish a history and tradition of its own. As a slice of history, An Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is indeed an interesting and riveting read.

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Benjamin Franklin, Biography, ebooks, free audio books, History, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

One of the earliest examples of literature written in the science fiction genre, From the Earth to the Moon is a part of the Voyages Extraordinaires series by French novelist Jules Verne. Written more than a century before the Apollo mission, Verne’s classic is somewhat a prophetic novel of man’s travel to the moon with its thorough and descriptive detail. A remarkable blend of action, humor, science, and audacious schemes, the timeless classic is sure to fascinate with its unique vision of lunar exploration. The story unfolds at the Baltimore Gun Club, a society of American Civil War veterans and weapon enthusiasts, who are in the midst of adjusting to a post-war environment and left feeling superfluous. During deliberations on how to deal with the declining need for artillery, club president Impey Barbicane puts forward his idea to build a giant cannon and launch a projectile to the moon. After the initial chaos the proposal causes, the members of the club unite in support of the idea. As the project receives public recognition, the Baltimore Gun Club gains even more courage to proceed with its endeavor, with significant donations pouring in from all over the world. However, Captain Nicholl of Philadelphia, an armor plate designer and old rival of Barbicane, contradicts the venture and makes a series of wagers with him about the success rate of such a feat. Accordingly, the members of the Baltimore Gun Club are busy at work with the formation and scientific calculations for their lunar expedition. Furthermore, a cheerful French adventurer appears and volunteers to be a passenger on board the projectile, and even convinces Barbicane and Nicholl to join him. An unforeseen array of characters and their cooperation brings together elements of comedy and suspense, leaving readers engrossed in the novel’s development. Verne uses his characters to present humorous stereotypes and a caricature representation of American nationalism. Nevertheless From the Earth to the Moon offers adventure, humor, and a range of comical and eccentric personalities. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fantasy, fiction, free audio books, From the Earth to the Moon, Jules Verne, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, science, science-fiction, Teen/Young adult

A collection of classic Christian hymns spanning the centuries. Some of the hymns are read; others are sung. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Music, Religion & Spirituality

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Hymns of the Christian Church, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, music, poetry, religion, various

It need hardly be said that the woman by whom these letter were written had no thought that they would be read by anyone but the person to whom they were addressed. But a request, conveyed under circumstances which the writer herself would have regarded as all-commanding, urges that they should now be given to the world; and, so far as is possible with a due regard to the claims of privacy, what is here printed presents the letters as they were first written in their complete form and sequence. From book explaination

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: An Englishwoman's Love-Letters, anonymous, audio books, audiobook, Biography, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, romance

The novel picks up where Tarzan of the Apes left off. The ape man, feeling rootless in the wake of his noble sacrifice of his prospects of wedding Jane Porter, leaves America for Europe to visit his friend Paul d’Arnot. On the ship he becomes embroiled in the affairs of Countess Olga de Coude, her husband, Count Raoul de Coude, and two shady characters attempting to prey on them, Nikolas Rokoff and his henchman Alexis Paulvitch.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Edgar Rice Burroughs, fantasy, fiction, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Teen/Young adult, The Return of Tarzan

Have YOU ever wanted to listen to real italian, read it and understand it? How can YOU understand Italian even if YOU are an absolute beginner? With THE SECRETS OF THE ITALIAN LANGUAGE 2 YOU will get used to the Italian language, both spoken and written, and YOU will understand everything YOU will read and listen to! How is this possible? First, YOU will get a free audiobook, read by the natural and true Italian voice of the author himself. Second, YOU will understand everything thanks to the English translation of every piece of the texts. You will learn how to learn Italian in Italian! THE SECRETS OF THE ITALIAN LANGUAGE 2 – I SEGRETI DELLA LINGUA ITALIANA PER STRANIERI 2 is a listenable bilingual ebook to learn how to learn Italian…in Italian! YOU can find texts for this podcast in your nearest ebookstore! Music used in this podcast is Royalty free Music by Kevin Macleod. Hai mai desiderato ascoltare dell’italiano autentico, leggerlo e capirlo? Come puoi capire l’italiano anche se sei un principiante assoluto? Con I SEGRETI DELLA LINGUA ITALIANA PER STRANIERI 2 prenderai confidenza con la lingua italiana, sia scritta che parlata, e capirai ogni cosa che leggerai e ascolterai! Come è possibile tutto ciò? Prima di tutto ricevi un audiolibro GRATUITO, letto dalla vera voce naturale dell’autore stesso. In più capirai tutto grazie alla traduzione integrale in inglese dei testi. Imparerai come imparare l’italiano…in italiano! I SEGRETI DELLA LINGUA ITALIANA PER STRANIERI 2 è un libro bilingue da ascoltare per imparare come imparare l’italiano…in italiano. Puoi trovare i testi di questo podcast nell’ ebookstore più vicino a te! La musica usata in questo podcast è Royalty free di Kevin Macleod.

Categories: Uncategorised

Tags: audiobook, bilingual, book, ebook, Italian, language, learn, listenable, read, secrets, speak

The History of the Plague in London is a historical novel offering an account of the dismal events caused by the Great Plague, which mercilessly struck the city of London in 1665. First published in 1722, the novel illustrates the social disorder triggered by the outbreak, while focusing on human suffering and the mere devastation occupying London at the time. Defoe opens his book with the introduction of his fictional character H.F., a middle-class man who decides to wait out the destruction of the plague instead of fleeing to safety, and is presented only by his initials throughout the novel. Consequently, the narrator records many distressing stories as experienced by London residents, including craze affected people wandering the streets aimlessly, locals trying to escape the disease infected city, and healthy families forced to confine themselves behind closed doors. Apart from these second-hand accounts, the narrator also provides a thorough explanation on how quarantine was managed and kept under control. In addition, he seeks to debunk all squalid rumors which have produced a false interpretation of the bubonic plague. However, not everything is bleak in the account, as the novel offers some affirmative evidence that humanity is still capable of charity, kindness and mercy even in the midst of chaos and confusion. Although regarded as a work of fiction, the author engrosses with his insertion of statistics, government reports and charts which further validate the novel as a precise portrayal the Great Plague. Furthermore, Defoe offers a systematic approach to his depiction of the Great Plague as he presents a detailed assessment of the death toll, while also identifying specific locations heavily stricken by the epidemic, and analyzing sets of rumors and anecdotes relating to the disaster. Nevertheless, The History of the Plague in London is highly valuable due its direct treatment of the issues and its historical veracity, which absorbs and transports the audience to a haunting 17th century London. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Daniel Defoe, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Historical Fiction, History, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, The History of the Plague in London

So the parties separated and then Dorothy was free to leave her hiding place. She longed to tell her friends the strange story, but she knew that the finding of Tavia was the one and only thing to be thought of just then. “Are you sure that this is the direction in which the boys went?” asked Nat, with something like a sigh. Dorothy looked over the rough woodland. “No,” she said, “there was a swamp, for I distinctly remember that they picked their way through tall grass, and about here the grass is actually dried up.” (Extract from Chapter 26)

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Dorothy Dale's Camping Days, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Kids, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Margaret Penrose

The Histories of Herodotus of Halicarnassus is considered the first work of history in Western literature. Written about 440 BC, the Histories tell the story of the war between the Persian Empire and the Greek city-states in the 5th century BC. Herodotus traveled extensively around the ancient world, conducting interviews and collecting stories for his book. The rise of the Persian Empire is chronicled, and the causes for the conflict with Greece. Herodotus treats the conflict as an ideological one, frequently contrasting the absolute power of the Persian king with the democratic government of the Greeks.

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Herodotus of Halicarnassus, Herodotus' Histories, History, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction

A mysterious crime is being plotted in a tiny garret above a dilapidated apartment building in St Petersburg in Russia. The plotter, Rodion Raskolinikov, is a poor student who has delusions of ridding the world of “worthless vermin” and counter balancing these crimes with good deeds. He commits a murder to test his own theories and prove that crime comes naturally to the human species. Crime and Punishment is a path-breaking novel of ideas that changed the course of novel writing in the 20th century. The intense insights into the workings of the human mind had seldom been attempted by any writer anywhere in the world till then. The author, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, was the son of a hardworking but indigent doctor in Moscow. He was educated in boarding schools and later at a military academy from which he graduated as a military engineer. However, his heart was set on becoming a writer and he left the army to pursue a life devoted to writing. He was also deeply involved in the politics of the time and was sentenced to four years in a prison camp in Siberia for being part of an anarchist group. In Siberia, he underwent an ideological change and reverted to traditional/conservative ideas. Crime and Punishment was published in serial form in a literary journal in 1866 after he returned from Siberia. His father’s sudden and brutal killing by serfs on their own estate probably provided the trigger for the ideas expressed in the book. His father was an authoritarian despot, while his mother was a weak and fearful person and many of Dostoyevsky’s novels contain images that portray these contradictions. The book is divided into six parts and it is quite a formidable task reading through the entire novel. However, the sheer size, scope and scale of the book carries even the most timid reader along as it traces social realities, psychological aspects of crime and the effect of environment on the minds of vulnerable people. The book met with immense acclaim as it emerged in serial form and was soon compiled in book form. Several English translations followed, as well as those in other languages. More than 25 film adaptations, numerous references in books, television and contemporary writings have kept its appeal alive for generations of readers. Its enduring fascination for modern day readers remains in its themes of alienation and loneliness, the idea of a Superman above the conventions and rules of society and its deep insights into the inner life of a young person on the brink of adulthood. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Education

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Crime and Punishment, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Languages, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, MYSTERY

Born in slavery, but being fortunate enough to be owned by a benevolent mistress, her life takes a tragic turn when her parents and her benefactor die. The new heir to the property (and slaves) is a cruel and lewd man who begins to make inappropriate advances to the lovely young slave-girl. In a bid to escape, she becomes entangled in a relationship with a neighboring landowner who promises a better life, and she even has two children. However, things become worse for her when her cruel owner decides to punish her by sending her and her children to a distant cotton plantation to be “broken in.” She plans a devious method of escape and ends up spending seven terrible years locked up in a tiny cramped garret. Relentlessly pursued by her wicked owner, she lives in fear and desperation. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Written by Herself is one of the many slave narratives that emerged out of the terrible and inhuman atrocities committed in the nineteenth century by white Americans. Modern-day readers would find it difficult to believe that such practices existed in the “Land of the Free.” Assisted by abominable laws like the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 endorsed by Congress, slave-owners were allowed to pursue their “property” across the length and breadth of the country. Though there have been doubts about the authenticity of Incidents in the Life… by scholars who feel the style and content do not seem to synchronize with the attributes that a woman-slave of the period could have, there is no denying the fact that this is a powerful and thought-provoking story. There are many similarities to the more famous Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the book that is supposed to have launched the American Civil War. A very stirring and poignant read for all those who value their freedom today.

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Memoirs, Non-fiction, Written by Herself

Dorothy Dale is the daughter of an old Civil War veteran who is running a weekly newspaper in a small Eastern town. Her sunny disposition, her fun-loving ways and her trials and triumphs make clean, interesting and fascinating reading. The Dorothy Dale Series is one of the most popular series of books for girls ever published.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Dorothy Dale – A Girl of Today, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Kids, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Margaret Penrose, Teen/Young adult