Random Loyal Books Podcasts

The Last Days of Pompeii, a novel by Edward George Bulwer-Lytton tells the love story of the Greeks Glaucus and Ione who were living in Pompeii when Mt. Vesuvius erupted and destroyed the city. But aside from telling their romance, the book is also full of insights about the decadent lifestyle of the Romans during the later part of their empire’s history. The different characters in the story represent the different civilizations which they come from. Glaucus, the main protagonist in the novel was portrayed as a handsome Greek nobleman. His main love interest, Ione was a very beautiful Greek who ended up in Pompeii after being orphaned while she was still a child. Then, there’s also Arbaces, an Egyptian who was the guardian of Ione. He’s the villain in the novel and repeatedly attempted to seduce Ione but failed. Edward George Bulwer-Lytton interestingly set the story in Pompeii during the time when Roman society was already decaying. In the novel, Glaucus and Ione met and fall in love with each other. When Arbaces learned about this he cleverly devised a plan so that Glaucus will be convicted of a murder that he never committed. But as Glaucus was about to be fed to the lions in the amphitheatre as his punishment, the truth is revealed as to who really committed the murder. Don’t miss the end of this story to find how who the real culprit was and what the final fate of Pompeii would be. This book is definitely a good read for those who are looking for an interesting love story and at the same time to learn more about ancient Roman civilization. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, fiction, free audio books, Historical Fiction, Last Days of Pompeii, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com

A delightful story supporting the notion of finding beauty in all aspects of life, Just David follows a young boy, who slowly transforms the lives of those around him, as he teaches them to embrace the smaller things in life. The classic presents an encouraging tale to look beyond the horizon and not allow the world to dictate one’s action. The story begins with the introduction of a charismatic ten-year old boy David, who together with his father lives in the serene and secluded mountains. Raised to find peace and joy in his natural surroundings, David is ignorant to life outside his idyllic home. Furthermore, he has his beloved violin to keep him company, which he plays in accordance to the tune of nature, while keeping to the modest teachings of his father, which includes appreciation for music. However, when David’s father is beset by illness and later dies as a result, the courageous young boy is thrust into a world quite different from his own, as he is taken into the care of Simeon Holly and his wife. The couple is surprised to learn that the young boy does not know his last name, his father’s name or whether he has any relatives. He introduces himself as “just David”. Initially, the couple is hesitant about taking the boy in, but they finally agree because he reminds them of their estranged son. Witnessing the reality of life far from the cultivated teachings of his father, including cynicism, cruelty, and suffering, David still remains true to his sensible ways. His only solace in life is his violin, which he plays as a means of expression. A truly admirable young boy, David is able to see the best in everyone and everything and leaves a trail of optimism wherever he goes. In addition, he inspires others to follow his footsteps and make the most out of life, as it is too short to squander on superfluous details which in turn bring misery. Nevertheless, an emotionally resonant piece that has withstood the hands of time, Just David will surely inspire both young and old readers to rethink their attitude towards life, while also discovering the true source of happiness. Needless to say, Porter successfully creates an epitome of goodness and innocence, as her classic novel leaves much to ponder over long after its conclusion.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Eleanor H. Porter, fiction, free audio books, Just David, Kids, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com

Nearly 160 years after it was first published, Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass continues to inspire, enthrall and educate generations of readers. This collection of poems serves as a vehicle for Whitman’s philosophy, ideals, love of nature and mystical musings and it subsequently became one of the corner stones of American literature. Whitman was inspired to write Leaves of Grass based on Ralph Waldo Emerson’s clarion call for a truly American poet who would tell of its glories, virtues and vices. In 1855, Whitman self published a small, slim volume containing twelve poems, which included “Song of Myself” “I Sing the Body Electric” and others which went on to gain immortality. Whitman himself wanted the book to be small enough to be carried in a pocket and though some 800 copies were initially printed, this edition did not even contain the author’s name. Ralph Waldo Emerson who received a copy went on to lavishly praise the work and wrote to Whitman saying, “I greet you at the beginning of a great career.” The rest, as they say, made publication history. Many subsequent editions were published and Whitman continuously added more and more poems to the collection. Today, Leaves of Grass contains nearly 400 poems all of which celebrate America and the American way of life. His subjects and concerns include slavery, nature, the Civil War, death, love, romance, spirituality, freedom and dignity of labor. One of his most famous poems, “O Captain, My Captain” in memory of Abraham Lincoln is contained in the last edition, printed in 1892. Called the “deathbed edition” it was published a few months before Whitman’s death. His style includes sweeping lines of free verse, iambic forms and other interesting rhyming and non-rhyming forms of verse. Strangely enough, the book was received by some upholders of public morality to be extremely indecent and obscene. Walt Whitman was dismissed from his government job after his superior read and found the book highly offensive. Literary critics severely castigated the book, while poems like “A Woman Waits for Me” and “To A Common Prostitute” were dubbed profane. However, Whitman kept on writing according to his personal dictates and today, Leaves of Grass is seen as echoing the voice and the sentiments of the common man who loves freedom and beauty. It has been celebrated in media as diverse as television, rap music and modern novels and will surely appeal to readers who enjoy poetry and are interested in the literary history of America.

Categories: Arts, Education, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Classics (antiquity), ebooks, free audio books, History, instruction, Leaves of Grass, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, nature, Philosophy, poetry, Walt Whitman

The Man Who Would Be King tells the story of two British adventurers in British India who become kings of Kafiristan, a remote part of Afghanistan. It was inspired by the exploits of James Brooke, an Englishman who became the “white Raja” of Sarawak in Borneo, and by the travels of American adventurer Josiah Harlan, who claimed the title Prince of Ghor. The story was first published in The Phantom Rickshaw and other Tales (Volume Five of the Indian Railway Library, published by A H Wheeler & Co of Allahabad in 1888). It also appeared in Wee Willie Winkie and Other Stories in 1895, and in numerous later editions of that collection. It is the basis for John Huston’s 1975 film of the same name, starring Sean Connery and Michael Caine as the “kings”, and Christopher Plummer as Kipling.

Categories: Arts

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Rudyard Kipling, Short stories, The Man Who Would Be King

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

“No Clue! A Mystery Story” finds detective Jefferson Hastings at the home of wealthy but eccentric Arthur Sloane one hot summer night, when two other guests at Sloanehurst stumble across the body of young Mildred Brace lying dead on the lawn. Sloane’s daughter Lucille asks Hastings to help solve the crime, but Hastings gets surprisingly little help from anybody he interviews, including Mr. Sloane himself and even the mother of the victim. With few clues to aid him and nobody beyond suspicion, including himself, seemingly rock solid alibis begin to fall apart, expanding the list of potential suspects, and Hastings must rely on subtle expressions and the scant evidence at hand to try to solve the murder.

Categories: Arts

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, James Hay, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, MYSTERY, No Clue! A Mystery Story

Up From Slavery is the 1901 autobiography of Booker T. Washington detailing his slow and steady rise from a slave child during the Civil War, to the difficulties and obstacles he overcame to get an education at the new Hampton University, to his work establishing vocational schools—most notably the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama—to help black people and other disadvantaged minorities learn useful, marketable skills and work to pull themselves, as a race, up by the bootstraps. He reflects on the generosity of both teachers and philanthropists who helped in educating blacks and native Americans. He describes his efforts to instill manners, breeding, health and a feeling of dignity to students. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, Biography, Booker T. Washington, ebooks, free audio books, History, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Memoirs, Non-fiction, Politics, Up From Slavery

Nineteenth century attitudes towards marriage, the role of women, morality and the search for identity are brilliantly explored in Henrik Ibsen’s three act play, A Doll’s House. It was highly controversial and received with a sense of outrage among opinion leaders in Europe. Many thinkers like August Strindberg lashed out at Ibsen for portraying the sacred institution of marriage in such a derogatory way. A Doll’s House, written in the original Danish, was first performed at the Royal Theater in Copenhagen in 1879. The ending of the play, where the heroine, Nora decides to leave her sham of a marriage aroused the ire of many viewers and critics at that time. The play portrays Nora Helmer who is the pampered wife of a wealthy banker, Torvald Helmer. He treats Nora as a parent would pamper and indulge a child, calling her his “little squirrel” and constantly teasing and making fun of her habits and personality. When Nora’s old friend Kristine Lind drops in with a request that Nora put in a word to Torvald about finding Kristine a job in the bank, things take a dramatic and unexpected turn. Nora’s entire world turns upside down and she gradually comes to realize that she has been living a life that’s a mere facade. Though she has taken serious decisions that have protected her family, she has always been regarded as a helpless and incompetent infant. As the play progresses, Nora’s gradual realization of her own true powers and strengths lead to the stunning climax. The first English production of A Doll’s House was an adaptation by Henry Jones and Henry Herman, who re-titled it Breaking a Butterfly. English audiences were prevented from watching a real translation of the play for many decades by a ban order passed by the government. However, today with more liberal thinking, the rise of the feminist movement and a more broad and humanist ideology prevailing, A Doll’s House can be read or watched almost anywhere in the world without restrictions. As a revolutionary play that attacked the oppressive and inhuman mind-set of traditional, patriarchal social orders throughout the world, A Doll’s House is a remarkable and thought provoking work of literature. It not only addresses the place of women in society, but also that of men and how the usefulness of each is essential for healthy family life and child rearing. It is relevant even today, when perhaps such attitudes still persist though things may seem to have changed on the surface, more than a century after it was written.

Categories: Arts

Tags: A Doll's House, audio books, audiobook, Dramatic Works, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Henrik Ibsen, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, play, tragedy

Extraterrestrial invasion, the earth taken over by omniscient intelligences from Mars, the whole of humanity under siege and a nameless narrator who seems to be the lone survivor of the complete devastation of human civilization – scenes from a Hollywood sci-fi blockbuster? Far from it! The War of the Worlds by HG Wells was written more than a century ago and went on to become an iconic work in the science fiction genre, spawning a whole new genre of literature featuring alien invaders. It was in fact the first book to present the idea of conflict between inhabitants of different planets. The story begins in an observatory in Ottershaw, when scientists note a series of mysterious explosions taking place on Mars. Some days later, the narrator who is on a walk on the Surrey Downs notices a weird cylindrical vehicle that suddenly opens to release a horde of hideous creatures who are later discovered to be Martians. The creatures are unable to breathe Earth’s air and swiftly return to their vehicle. A peace delegation of humans tries to make contact but they’re ruthlessly scorched to death by Martian heat-ray weapons. Thus begins the War of the Worlds. The British military swings into action, but their arms and ammunition are defenseless against sophisticated chemical weapons and heat-rays. Events race towards calamity as the nations of the earth unite to combat these fearful invaders to no avail. Survivors are reduced to scavenging for food with the cities of the world reduced to mere rubble. Can the human race survive? Will the narrator and his family escape destruction? The author, HG Wells was a science teacher in a small village in Somerset, England. However, he was also a gifted writer who wrote in several genres – science fiction, literary novels, short stories, history, politics and social sciences. A keen student of war and combat, he created a set of rules for playing war games with toy soldiers, which provides an interesting glimpse of logistics, strategy and close combat techniques. Wells’ contribution to our ideas of science fiction remains unparalleled and the book has been widely filmed, staged and televised. The War of the Worlds was immortalized as a Halloween prank in a radio show that aired on CBS on October 30, 1938, causing widespread panic and chaos as listeners across the United States tuned in and began fleeing from their homes! The enduring appeal of this book makes it a must read classic for readers of all ages. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts

Tags: art, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, H. G. Wells, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, science, science-fiction, The War of the Worlds, War stories

Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse was an English comic writer who enjoyed enormous popular success for more than seventy years. Best known today for the Jeeves and Blanding Castle novels and short stories, Wodehouse was also a talented playwright and lyricist who was part author and writer of fifteen plays and of 250 lyrics for some thirty musical comedies.

Categories: Arts, Comedy

Tags: A Wodehouse Miscellany; Articles and Stories, audio books, audiobook, Comedy, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, humor, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, P. G. Wodehouse

An acclaimed children’s classic depicting the odd, but riveting journeys of the curious Alice as she explores the surreal world of Wonderland. Written by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson or better known under his pseudonym Lewis Caroll, this episodic novel is assembled in twelve chapters each containing a prominent adventure. The departure from logic and its embracement of pure imagination is what makes Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland a model for fantasy novels and a timeless classic. The novel begins when the self-aware young Alice, who grows bored of sitting by the river with her sister, and spots a peculiar looking rabbit, dressed in a waistcoat. She hears the rabbit, which is seemingly in a hurry, mumbling whilst dangling its pocket watch. Impulsively, Alice inquisitively rushes after it making her way down a rabbit-hole which descends to the fantasy realm of Wonderland. Finding herself in an unknown corridor encircled by doors of all shapes and sizes, Alice is subject to her first of many bizarre encounters. In order to fit through a tiny door, which separates her from a beautiful garden, she drinks a shrinking potion. Unfortunately, she forgets the key to the door on the normal sized table and faces the beginning of her troubles. In her pursue of the White Rabbit throughout Wonderland, Alice goes through immense individual changes and revelations as her perception of reality is altered. After a sequence of events, Alice discovers the unsettling features of the strange world as she encounters zany characters including the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, the Hare and the intimidating Queen of Hearts. Caroll’s use of wordplay is another interesting concept in the novel. Not only does he invent new words and expressions, but he also twists the meanings of the already existing. Illustrating the purity of childhood innocence, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland serves as a playful fairy tale for its youngest readers and a limitless playground for the imaginative minds of older enthusiasts.

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: Adventure, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fantasy, fiction, free audio books, Kids, Lewis Carroll, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com

One hundred simple fish sauces. Sixty-five ways to cook mackerel. The Catching of Unshelled Fish. Twenty-seven ways to Cook Frogslegs. Now that should certainly make you reach for your apron and fish knife! How to Cook Fish by Olive Green is a vintage culinary classic, filled with simple, easy to follow recipes rendered in a terse, no nonsense style. There’s none of this fiddling with scales, weights and measures. What you get is a mélange of interesting, unusual ways to cook seafood without worrying about lists of ingredients, timings, temperature or any of the conventions followed by traditional cookbooks. If you’ve read that old Victorian favorite, Lavender and Old Lace (which was later adapted very successfully as Arsenic and Old Lace) by Myrtle Reed, you’d certainly be interested to know that the author had an equally successful career as a writer of popular cook books. Writing under the pseudonym Olive Green, Reed published six very successful books on cooking. However, from 1898 to her suicide in 1911, she continuously published at least one novel every year. The books are romantic and highly emotional in nature, full of unrequited passion, revenge, mystery and supernatural happenings. She also wrote a collection of stories about important women who made a difference to society. In between, she wrote pamphlets, married her Canadian pen-pal, suffered severe and debilitating bouts of insomnia and engaged in charity work. Her cookbooks are characterized by interesting tips on home making and the art of cooking, peppered with literary nuggets and quotations, witty remarks and anecdotes, all of which make How to Cook Fish not just an excellent recipe book but also an interesting and entertaining read. She also provides lists of what fish are in season during particular times of year, thus ensuring that the cook uses only the freshest of ingredients. How to Cook Fish is divided into 45 chapters. The One Hundred Fish Sauces are arranged in alphabetical order, starting with “Admiral Sauce” and ending with “White Sauce.” In between you have recipes for “Brown Tomato Sauce” “Sicilian Sauce” and other such unusual concoctions. Under the chapter One Hundred Miscellaneous Recipes you have items such as Fish a la Brunswick, Chartreuse of Fish, Jellied Fish Salad and many other great variations. This is indeed a great addition to your kitchen library and the clear, simple way in which the recipes are presented would tempt even the least adventurous of cooks to try a hand at one of these delicious sounding creations.

Categories: Arts

Tags: advice, audio books, audiobook, Cookery, ebooks, free audio books, How to Cook Fish, instruction, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Olive Green

The Last of the Mohicans is an epic novel by James Fenimore Cooper, first published in January 1826.It was one of the most popular English-language novels of its time, and helped establish Cooper as one of the first world-famous American writers.The story takes place in 1757 during the French and Indian War, when France and Great Britain battled for control of the American and Canadian colonies. During this war, the French often allied themselves with Native American tribes in order to gain an advantage over the British, with unpredictable and often tragic results.

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, Historical Fiction, History, James Fenimore Cooper, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, The Last Of The Mohicans, War stories

Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874–1936) has been called the “prince of paradox.” Time magazine observed of his writing style: “Whenever possible Chesterton made his points with popular sayings, proverbs, allegories—first carefully turning them inside out.” His prolific and diverse output included journalism, philosophy, poetry, biography, Christian apologetics, fantasy and detective fiction. The title of Chesteron’s 1910 collection of essays was inspired by a title given to him two years earlier by The Times newspaper, which had asked a number of authors to write on the topic: “What’s wrong with the world?”. Chesterton’s answer at that time was the shortest of those submitted – he simply wrote: “Dear Sirs, I am. Sincerely yours, G.K. Chesterton”. In this collection he gives a fuller treatment of the question, with his characteristic conservative wit.

Categories: Arts, Comedy, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Essay/Short nonfiction, fiction, free audio books, G. K. Chesterton, History, humor, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Politics, What's Wrong With the World

First serialized from January to August, 1845, Twenty Years After is the second book in The D’Artagnan Romances, and follows the gallant adventures of the musketeers, as they are once again summoned to alleviate the various threats that lurk in the political scene of France, as the country is threatened by a possible uprising. Enriched with exciting and well-developed characters, the novel adds more detail to its familiar characters, as the musketeers have matured and are portrayed in a more introspective light. Set twenty years after the conclusion of its predecessor, Twenty Years After commences with the appearance of d’Artagnan, who despite his propitious circumstances to progress in his area of interest, remains a lieutenant in the Musketeers for twenty years. Conversely, much has changed in the political scene of France during the twenty-year period, as the country is ruled by chief-minister, Cardinal Mazarin, who is loathed by much of the French population. Consequently, France is on the brink of civil war, as it is divided into those who support Mazarin’s governance, and those who oppose his rule, regarding him as inadequate. Fearing for his safety, Mazarin appoints d’Artagnan as his escort, after hearing of his daring feats in the past and additionally requests assistance from his musketeer companions, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. Subsequently, d’Artagnan is reunited with his old friends, who have all drifted apart due to following individual paths, and informs them of his task. However, the group is also divided, as Porthos is willing to be in the Cardinal’s service, whereas Athos and Aramis take the side of the opposition. As a result, the group must overcome their contrasting views and loyalties, and test the durability of their friendship, as they are brought out of retirement and once again hurled into a gripping adventure, while beset by various enemies. Nevertheless, Dumas presents an effective complementary sequel to his well-loved tale that successfully enthralls with its complex plot, vibrant characters, steady action, historical references, and a vivid description of the political scene prevailing at the time. Needless to say, the novel will undoubtedly motivate readers to continue the series that has been enjoyed by generations. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: Adventure, Alexandre Dumas, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, fiction, free audio books, History, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, romance, Twenty Years After

“Is There A Santa Claus?” was the headline that appeared over an editorial in the September 21, 1897 edition of the New York Sun. The editorial, which included the response of “Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus,” has become an indelible part of popular Christmas lore in the United States. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Kids & Family

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, Essay/Short nonfiction, fiction, Francis Pharcellus Church, free audio books, Kids, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, There Is A Santa Claus, virginia, yes

When you dive into Mark Twain’s (Samuel Clemens’) The Innocents Abroad, you have to be ready to learn more about the unadorned, ungilded reality of 19th century “touring” than you might think you want to learn. This is a tough, literary journey. It was tough for Twain and his fellow “pilgrims”, both religious and otherwise. They set out, on a June day in 1867, to visit major tourist sites in Europe and the near east, including Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, “the Holy Land”, and Egypt. What Twain records, in often humorous, sometimes grotesque but always fascinating detail, are the day-to-day ups and downs of discovering the truth about people and places. The truths they learn are often far different than their education and rumor have made them preconceive. This is a voyage of discovery. It’s long and, in places, tiresome. But it’s revelatory about so much. As with some of his other works, Twain includes popular prejudices of his time, which are today considered socially unacceptable. His references to “Indians”, “Negroes” and “infidels” come to mind. Beyond the lows, though, there are the highs of Twain’s cutting wit and insight as he guides us along the bumpy and often dangerous voyage. No need to buckle up. Just take it slow, and steady…like the journey itself.

Categories: Arts, Society & Culture

Tags: Adventure, audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Literature, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Mark Twain, Memoirs, Non-fiction, The Innocents Abroad, travel

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844–1900) was a nineteenth-century German philosopher. He wrote critical texts on religion, morality, contemporary culture, philosophy and science, using a distinctive German language style and displaying a fondness for aphorism. Nietzsche’s influence remains substantial within and beyond philosophy, notably in existentialism and postmodernism. Thus Spake Zarathustra is a work composed in four parts between 1883 and 1885. Much of the work deals with ideas such as the “eternal recurrence of the same”, the parable on the “death of God”, and the “prophecy” of the Overman, which were first introduced in The Gay Science. Described by Nietzsche himself as “the deepest ever written”, the book is a dense and esoteric treatise on philosophy and morality, featuring as protagonist a fictionalized Zarathustra. A central irony of the text is that the style of the Bible is used by Nietzsche to present ideas of his which fundamentally oppose Judaeo-Christian morality and tradition. More great books at LoyalBooks.com

Categories: Arts, Religion & Spirituality, Society & Culture

Tags: audio books, audiobook, ebooks, free audio books, Friedrich Nietzsche, Loyal Books, loyalbooks.com, Non-fiction, Philosophy, Psychology, religion, Thus Spake Zarathustra: A Book for All and None