Classic Audiobook Collection

Little Wars by H. G. Wells audiobook. Genre: familyA Game for Boys from twelve years of age to one hundred and fifty and for that more intelligent sort of girl who likes boys' games and books. With an Appendix on KriegspielMiniature wargaming got its start with the publication in 1913 of this thoroughly entertaining little account of how H.G. Wells, with certain of his friends, took their childhood toys and turned play into acceptable middle-aged sport by subjecting the exercise to the civilizing influence of actual rules.While wargaming progressed far past these beginnings, Wells observes how 'little wars' with even his elementary rules can suggest the wholesale crudity of the real thing.'You have only to play at Little Wars three or four times to realise just what a blundering thing Great War must be. Great War is at present, I am convinced, not only the most expensive game in the universe, but it is a game out of all proportion. Not only are the masses of men and material and suffering and inconvenience too monstrously big for reason, but--the available heads we have for it, are too small. That, I think, is the most pacific realisation conceivable, and Little War brings you to it as nothing else but Great War can do.'Wells leaves almost hanging the tantalizing concept that we might someday simulate war, as an instrument of international decision-making, rather than practice actual combat. But most of this book is just the fun of evicting the boys from the playroom and spending happy days there, away from the 'skirt-swishers', developing the framework under which two gentlemen might meet and accumulate boastable victories!For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate)(00:00:00) Chapter 1(00:29:11) Chapter 2(00:50:11) Chapter 3(01:11:47) Chapter 4(01:22:51) Chapter 5 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Floor Games by H. G. Wells audiobook. Genre: familyH.G. Wells had so much fun playing with his children on the floor of their playroom, he decided to write a jovial little book to inspire other parents in their pursuit of quality time with the kids. While the raw materials available from hobby stores of his day were woefully short of the variety and quality of what can be bought easily now, he and his sons created their own worlds to rule. This short work describes two games of imagination played out upon the floor of his home - an archipelago of islands, and a thoroughly integrated city, conveniently organized with two mayoral positions for his sons “G.P.W.” and “F.R.W.” While the toy people appearing in their worlds were often of martial nature, Wells decided to leave description of military games to a later book: “Little Wars.”For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate)(00:00:00) Chapter 1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Perfect Wagnerite by George Bernard Shaw audiobook. Genre: philosophyThe Perfect Wagnerite: A Commentary on the Niblung's Ring (originally published London, 1898) is a philosophical commentary on Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen, by the Irish writer George Bernard Shaw. Shaw offered it to those enthusiastic admirers of Wagner who 'were unable to follow his ideas, and do not in the least understand the dilemma of Wotan.' He interprets the Ring in Marxian terms as an allegory of the collapse of capitalism from its internal contradictions. Musicologically, his interpretation is noteworthy for its perception of the change in aesthetic direction beginning with the final scene of Siegfried, in which he claimed that the cycle turns from Musikdrama back towards opera.For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate)(00:00:00) Chapter 00(00:24:24) Chapter 01(01:06:00) Chapter 02(01:20:34) Chapter 03(01:42:17) Chapter 04(02:09:23) Chapter 05(02:44:18) Chapter 06(03:11:46) Chapter 07(03:35:58) Chapter 08(03:53:15) Chapter 09(04:32:51) Chapter 10 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wulf the Saxon by George Alfred Henty audiobook. Genre: adventureWulf the Saxon is a classic George Henty tale of nobility, loyalty and courage set in 11th century Britain. It relates the adventures of Wulf, a young, but extremely capable Saxon Thane. Wulf with his friends and servitors devote their lives to the service of Harold Godwinson, both before and after he becomes king of England. They are directly involved in capturing castles, rescuing shipwreck survivors, foiling assassination attempts and entering the terrible battles at Stamford Bridge and Senlac field by Hastings.The background of the novel is set in the stormy period prior to the Norman conquest of Britain and the story centers around real people and events, even offering a historically correct and lucid insight to the intrigues surrounding the religious and political alliances which led to the events of 1066; an absolute turning point in England's history.For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate)(00:00:00) Chapter 00(00:02:57) Chapter 01(00:38:02) Chapter 02(01:11:35) Chapter 03(01:47:26) Chapter 04(02:19:59) Chapter 05(02:53:21) Chapter 06(03:26:00) Chapter 07(04:01:37) Chapter 08(04:37:02) Chapter 09(05:09:41) Chapter 10(05:42:40) Chapter 11(06:17:22) Chapter 12(06:49:58) Chapter 13(07:24:59) Chapter 14(08:00:03) Chapter 15(08:27:19) Chapter 16(08:58:03) Chapter 17(09:29:00) Chapter 18(10:00:36) Chapter 19(10:33:09) Chapter 20(11:04:24) Chapter 21(11:37:21) Chapter 22 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Big Time by Fritz Leiber audiobook. Genre: scifiIn The Big Time, Fritz Leiber drops you into a war that cannot be mapped on any battlefield: the Change War, fought across centuries by two shadowy factions known as the Snakes and the Spiders. Far outside ordinary time sits a cramped, worn, strangely cozy way station called the Place - part barracks, part backstage, part refuge - where wounded agents are patched up, debriefed, and sent back into history. Greta, the station's sharp-tongued, big-hearted hostess, keeps the fragile peace among a small, tense cast of soldiers, misfits, and drifters pulled from different eras. When a new arrival is dragged in from 20th-century America, he expects heroics and clear causes, but the Place runs on secrets, cover stories, and rules no one fully explains. Then something goes wrong: an unseen presence slips past safeguards that are supposed to be absolute, paranoia spikes, and the station's inhabitants must decide who to trust when even time itself is a weapon. Fast, witty, and claustrophobically intense, Leiber's classic explores identity, loyalty, and what a never-ending war does to the people trapped between its battles.For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate)(00:00:00) Chapter 01(00:22:40) Chapter 02(00:42:19) Chapter 03(00:54:34) Chapter 04(01:04:35) Chapter 05(01:11:37) Chapter 06(01:21:24) Chapter 07(01:37:39) Chapter 08(01:59:42) Chapter 09(02:12:53) Chapter 10(02:24:09) Chapter 11(02:36:06) Chapter 12(02:54:09) Chapter 13(03:04:07) Chapter 14(03:14:23) Chapter 15(03:27:41) Chapter 16 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This podcast explores Friedrich Engels' 'Socialism: Utopian and Scientific' and distinguishes scientific socialism from utopian socialism. It discusses the evolution of materialism, the impact of the French Revolution, the origins of modern socialism, the achievements of Robert Owen, the clash of absolute truths and introduction to German philosophy, the shift from natural science to philosophy, the development of socialism as a science, the materialist conception of history, the contradictions of socialized production and capitalist appropriation, the organization of classes and the purpose of the state, and the contradictions of capitalist production and the proletarian revolution.

The Lone Star Ranger by Zane Grey audiobook. Genre: adventureBuck Duane, son of a famous gunfighter, falls prey to the old problem - called out by a cowboy who wants to make trouble, Duane kills him and then must ride off to the lawless country near the Neuces River to escape being arrested and perhaps, hanged. His brief encounter with deadly gun-play has ignited a deep urging to repeat the adrenaline rush but is tempered by ghosts that haunt his sleep. He only dares to release his inner demon when he is taking down an outlaw who is particularly known for his brutality.He develops a reputation for killing the most notorious Texas outlaws, which draws an unexpected interest: a captain of the Texas Rangers offers him a pardon and a ranger's badge if he will infiltrate the gang of the shadowy figure known as 'Cheseldine' who wields vast power in West Texas, and make it possible for the Rangers to break the gang's hold on the region's towns. Duane accepts, never guessing in his wildest nightmares that he would sniff out this Cheseldine, his hideouts, his lieutenants... and fall in love with his daughter!For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate)(00:00:00) Chapter 1(00:02:32) Chapter 2(00:21:36) Chapter 3(00:48:50) Chapter 4(01:07:32) Chapter 5(01:20:20) Chapter 6(01:51:03) Chapter 7(02:18:04) Chapter 8(02:43:37) Chapter 9(03:07:37) Chapter 10(03:59:11) Chapter 11(04:16:06) Chapter 12(04:49:01) Chapter 13(05:22:58) Chapter 14(05:48:09) Chapter 15(06:14:48) Chapter 16(07:14:36) Chapter 17(07:40:48) Chapter 18(08:07:36) Chapter 19(08:24:52) Chapter 20(08:45:33) Chapter 21(08:55:55) Chapter 22(09:15:08) Chapter 23(10:04:29) Chapter 24(10:22:42) Chapter 25(10:56:12) Chapter 26 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beasts, Men and Gods by Ferdinand Ossendowski audiobook. Genre: adventure“Beasts, Men and Gods” is an account of an epic journey, filled with perils and narrow escapes, in the mold of “The Lord of the Rings.”The difference is: it’s all true.Ferdinand Ossendowski was a Pole who found himself in Siberia and on the losing side during the Bolshevik Revolution. To escape being rounded up and shot, he set out with a friend to reach the Pacific, there to take ship back to Europe. During his journey he fell in with dozens of other military men who shared the same objective… but nearly every one of them perished on the way.It’s up to you to decide whether Ossendowski was threatened most by the beasts, by the men, or by the gods, or indeed, by the severe and uncompromising landscapes of Siberia, Mongolia, and China. That he survived at all seems improbable. The mystical mysteries and magics of Buddhism, “The Yellow Faith”, were woven about and through his sojourn and had no little part in his survival. Time after time he was put in the delicate position of being the bargainer between warring groups, and ultimately, only incredible luck and his friendship with the Hutuktu of Narabanchi Monastery saw him through.When published in the United States, this book caused a sensation and became a best-seller. For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate)(00:00:00) Chapter 00(00:07:23) Chapter 01(00:18:55) Chapter 02(00:29:50) Chapter 03(00:39:08) Chapter 04(00:47:58) Chapter 05(00:56:13) Chapter 06(01:10:34) Chapter 07(01:25:09) Chapter 08(01:40:08) Chapter 09(01:47:41) Chapter 10(02:02:38) Chapter 11(02:15:56) Chapter 12(02:26:51) Chapter 13(02:35:52) Chapter 14(02:50:02) Chapter 15(03:12:41) Chapter 16(03:28:38) Chapter 17(03:52:48) Chapter 18(04:11:04) Chapter 19(04:25:55) Chapter 20(04:34:08) Chapter 21(04:58:38) Chapter 22(05:13:39) Chapter 23(05:27:57) Chapter 24(05:55:54) Chapter 25(06:12:54) Chapter 26(06:29:12) Chapter 27(06:49:30) Chapter 28(07:11:35) Chapter 29(07:20:52) Chapter 30(07:41:08) Chapter 31(08:03:42) Chapter 32(08:17:05) Chapter 33(08:29:33) Chapter 34(08:49:12) Chapter 35 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Twain and the Happy Island by Elizabeth Wallace audiobook. Genre: biographyThis Mark Twain Memoir by Elizabeth Wallace paints an idyllic portrait of his time in Bermuda, not long before his death in 1910. Wallace and Twain met in Bermuda in 1908, became fast friends, and shared time together on the island and regular correspondence until 6 weeks before Twain's death. According to one academician, 'Wallace’s deep affection for Twain is evident in her writings, so she also may have wished to burnish his legacy. As a result, Happy Island is a popular treatment in a breezy, occasionally sentimental style. It portrays Twain as a fun and caring friend but only hints at weightier matters.'For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate)(00:00:00) Chapter 01(00:10:20) Chapter 02(00:19:07) Chapter 03(00:28:44) Chapter 04(00:43:07) Chapter 05(00:53:48) Chapter 06(01:02:34) Chapter 07(01:11:57) Chapter 08(01:20:15) Chapter 09(01:27:59) Chapter 10(01:38:17) Chapter 11(01:48:47) Chapter 12(01:59:01) Chapter 13 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anecdotes of Dogs by Edward Jesse audiobook. Genre: science'Histories are more full of examples of the fidelity of dogs than of friends.'The character, sensibilities, and intellectual faculties of animals have always been a favourite study, and they are, perhaps, more strongly developed in the dog than in any other quadruped, from the circumstance of his being the constant companion of man. I am aware how much has been written on this subject, but having accumulated many original and interesting anecdotes of this faithful animal, I have attempted to enlarge the general stock of information respecting it.It is a pleasing task, arising from the conviction that the more the character of the dog is known, the better his treatment is likely to be, and the stronger the sympathy excited in his behalf. For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate)(00:00:00) Chapter 00(00:02:29) Chapter 01(00:27:02) Chapter 02(01:03:44) Chapter 03(01:30:51) Chapter 04(02:09:42) Chapter 05(02:53:13) Chapter 06(03:30:38) Chapter 07(04:07:03) Chapter 08(04:37:50) Chapter 09(05:02:29) Chapter 10(05:37:04) Chapter 11(05:59:28) Chapter 12(06:22:09) Chapter 13(06:36:51) Chapter 14(06:58:36) Chapter 15(07:38:21) Chapter 16(08:06:15) Chapter 17(08:40:21) Chapter 18(09:03:07) Chapter 19(09:38:54) Chapter 20(09:51:08) Chapter 21(10:01:24) Chapter 22(10:28:23) Chapter 23(10:54:44) Chapter 24(11:14:51) Chapter 25(11:22:59) Chapter 26(11:28:04) Chapter 27(11:55:09) Chapter 28(11:57:20) Chapter 29(12:21:49) Chapter 30(12:28:22) Chapter 31(12:35:26) Chapter 32(12:41:05) Chapter 33(12:56:32) Chapter 34(13:05:00) Chapter 35(13:08:08) Chapter 36 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices