Showing results for "Islands" in History

Since the East India Company merged seven islands into Bombay (now Mumbai), change has been constant-but now it is used as a weapon for displacement, disguised as development. Slums are erased overnight to make way for luxury towers priced in tens of crores. The working class is pushed to the...

The Curse of Oak Island is a fascinating account of the strange, rich history of the island and the intrepid treasure hunters who have driven themselves to financial ruin, psychotic breakdowns, and even death in pursuit of answers. And as Michigan brothers Marty and Rick Lagina become the latest to attempt to solve the mystery, as documented on the History Channel’s television show The Curse of Oak Island, Sullivan takes listeners along to follow their quest firsthand.

Auckland Island is a godforsaken place in the middle of the Southern Ocean, 285 miles south of New Zealand. With year-round freezing rain and howling winds, it is one of the most forbidding places in the world. To be shipwrecked there means almost certain death. In 1864, Captain Thomas Musgrave and his crew of four aboard the schooner Grafton wreck on the southern end of the island. Utterly alone in a dense coastal forest, plagued by stinging blowflies and relentless rain, Captain Musgrave inspires his men to take action.

LibriVox volunteers proudly present 18 captivating recordings of On Passing Deadman’s Island, a poem by the esteemed Irish poet Thomas Moore. Featured as the Fortnightly Poetry project for July 22, 2012, Moores work reflects his brief yet impactful time in Bermuda, where he served as registrar to the Admiralty in 1803. Although his stay was short-lived, it inspired him to capture the essence of the island in verse. Following his time in Bermuda, Moore embarked on a Grand Tour of the United States and Canada, with his experience in Nova Scotia potentially influencing this poignant poem. (...

By early 1944, the United States Marine Corps had already made significant strides in their campaign to reclaim territories lost to Japanese forces during World War II. Following pivotal victories in the Southwest Pacific—beginning with Guadalcanal in August 1942 and continuing at Tarawa in November 1943—American forces were poised to take the next crucial step assaulting the islands held by Japan prior to 1941. These strategically important islands, mandated to the Japanese by the League of Nations after World War I, were shrouded in mystery and speculation. With outsiders barred and ...

Its December 8, 1941, and on the remote Wake Island—a small, vital outpost nestled between Hawaii and Guam—Marines of the 1st Defense Battalion are gearing up for another grueling day of war preparations that have consumed them for weeks. Meanwhile, the majestic Pan American Airways Philippine Clipper takes to the skies, soaring across the lagoon formed by the islets of Peale, Wake, and Wilkes, bound for Guam. However, this trans-Pacific journey will never reach its destination. - Summary by Robert Cressman

In Fire and Fortitude—winner of the Gilder Lehrman Prize for Military History—John C. McManus presented a riveting account of the US Army's fledgling fight in the Pacific following Pearl Harbor. Now, in Island Infernos, he explores the Army’s dogged pursuit of Japanese forces, island by...

Discover the enchanting world of the Azores, a breathtaking archipelago nestled between America and Europe, belonging to Portugal. Comprising nine stunning islands—Flores, Corvo, Fayal, Pico, S. Jorge, Graciosa, Terceira, S. Miguel, and Santa Maria—this region is steeped in rich legends, folklore, and fairy tales. Many believe these islands to be the remnants of the lost continent of Atlantis, submerged beneath the waves. During my unforgettable journey in December 1920 and January 1921, I uncovered a treasure trove of captivating folktales and even glimpsed the elusive fairies residing in...

Kiawah Island: A History, by historian Ashton Cobb, provides a comprehensive consideration of the diverse factors and factions that have combined to shape Kiawah's fascinating history. Cobb calls upon a wide array of sources to tell the story of a South Carolina sea island that has been the site of great change through the centuries, but has remained a treasured location for generations of inhabitants and devoted visitors.

A groundbreaking account of how Britain became the base of operations for the exiled leaders of Europe in their desperate struggle to reclaim their continent from Hitler, from the New York Times bestselling author of Citizens of London and Those Angry Days When the Nazi blitzkrieg rolled over...

In a saga reminiscent of Game of Thrones and The Last Kingdom, Battle for the Island Kingdom reveals the life-and-death struggle for power which changed the course of history. The six decades leading up to 1066 were defined by bloody wars and intrigues, in which three peoples vied for supremacy over the island kingdom. In this epic retelling, Don Hollway (The Last Viking) recounts the clashes of Vikings, Anglo-Saxons and Normans, their warlords and their conniving queens.

In 1947 Tilly’s grandmother bought an island. Its name is Småhølmene and it sits just off the coast of Norway. At first sight, the island seems bare, hardly more than a collection of rocks rising determinedly out of the water. Glittering and bittersweet, Island Summers lovingly portrays three generations of women and the island that became so irrevocably part of their lives. Now Mor-mor’s great-grandchildren are taking their turn, enjoying endless summers on Småhølmene, continuing the story that was begun over 50 years ago.

Long Island's history is filled with fascinating firsts, magnificent mansions, and captivating characters. From Glenn Curtiss, the first pilot to fly a plane on the island, to Earle Ovington, who carried the country's first airmail, the area has been known as the cradle of aviation. Millionaire William K. Vanderbilt's Long Island Motor Parkway, remnants of which still remain, was the nation's first highway. The desolate ruins of an exiled Albanian king's estate lie in the midst of the woods of the Muttontown Preserve.

From Annie Moore, the Irishwoman who was the first to be processed there, to Arne Peterssen, the Norwegian who was the last to be taken away from the island in 1954, Ellis Island weaves together the personal experiences of forgotten individuals with those who live on in history: Fiorello La Guardia, Lee Iacocca, and other American leaders whose paths led them to the island for various reasons.

This is an eyewitness - and eye-opening - account of some of the most savage and brutal fighting in the war against Japan, told from the perspective of a young Texan who volunteered for the Marine Corps to escape a life as a traveling salesman. R. V. Burgin enlisted at the age of twenty and, with his sharp intelligence and earnest work ethic, climbed the ranks from a green private to a seasoned sergeant.

To most of us "mainlanders," the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket are resort destinations, summer homes for the Kennedys, the Obamas, and Patriots coach Bill Belichick. But after the tourists and jetsetters leave, the cold weather descends, and the local shop owners, carpenters, and fishermen ready themselves for the main event: high school football. For over 50 years, the local teams have been locking horns every November. They play for pride, a coveted trophy, and, very often, a shot at the league championship.

Our Island Story by H. E. Marshall is an Edwardian history book for younger listeners (aged six to 12) that tells the story of England, concluding with the reign of Queen Victoria. Antonia Fraser and many other current historians declare that it was this book that opened the delights of history for them. It fell from fashion in the 1960s, but its recent re-release in hardback has seen it become a publishing surprise in the UK, with sales of some 75,000 copies in a few months.

Our Island Story by H. E. Marshall is an Edwardian history book for younger listeners (aged six to 12) which tells the story of England, concluding with the reign of Queen Victoria. Antonia Fraser and many other current historians declare that it was this book that opened the delights of history for them. Now, Naxos AudioBooks releases it unabridged in three volumes, divided into three clear periods of history. Though slightly edited to take account of historical changes and attitudes, it is presented unabridged.

FNH Audio presents an unabridged reading of this WWI naval history by an author who actually took part in the battle(s) described. This plain, unvarnished account, so far as is known, is the first attempt that has been made to link with the description of the Battle of the Falkland Islands, fought on December 8th 1914, to the events leading up to that engagement. Each phase presented has been read and approved by officers who participated.

For over 400 years, the mystery of Roanoke’s “Lost Colony” has puzzled historians and spawned conspiracies - until now. Hatteras native and amateur archaeologist Scott Dawson compiles what scholars know about the Lost Colony along with what scholars have found beneath the soil of Hatteras.