Showing results by publisher "Spoken Realms" in Historical

Throughout history generations of young men have fought in wars started by old men. There is no experience other than combat that makes a more lasting or life changing impression on a man or woman. The majority who have seen the battlefield saw combat before their 25th birthday, and many who did never got to celebrate that anniversary. Those who do come back are forever changed. Krebs in Hemmingway's "Soldier's Home" for instance.

The Kades’ two older children, Elizabeth and James, are growing into young adults in the peaceful riverside town of Nauvoo, Illinois, in the 1840s. When traitors plot to murder the Prophet Joseph Smith, James learns of their plan. Danger and intrigue mount as James strives to shield the Prophet from assassination.

Nophai, an extremely intelligent and talented "Indian with the mind of a white man" attempts to reacclimate into the world he left 18 years earlier. A task made more difficult by the fact he and a white woman have fallen in love. Corrupt missionaries and Indian agents only add to his conflict.

Mansfield Park is the third published and perhaps most subtle of Jane Austen's novels. It tells the story of Fanny Price, who, at the age of 10, is sent from her impoverished household to live with her wealthy aunt and uncle and be raised alongside her cousins. Fanny grows up as a misfit, not truly a member of the Bertram family, but too genteel to feel comfortable with her parents.

In the pretty little town of Sibley, NY, the court has adjourned for lunch, and Judge Evans and some of the leading lawyers of the district stand outside the courthouse discussing the limitations of the criminal classes. A stranger describes to them just how a man might commit a murder and avoid detection - and only minutes later, the widow Clemmens is discovered struck down in her parlor by an unknown hand in circumstances eerily similar to those described by the stranger.

The Call of the Wild is Jack London's most popular and enduring work. Set in the frozen wilderness of the Yukon, it tells the story of the magnificent dog Buck, who is a loyal family pet until cruel men steal him and make him a pawn in their feverish search for the gold of the Klondike. Brutally beaten into serving as a sled dog, Buck finds the blood of his wolf ancestors rising within him.

Short story number fourfrom "The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce is a short fiction, "A Son of the Gods" a story for which the American Civil War furnished the dramatic setting. It is a masterpiece of power of description subtlety of touch, and literary finish. Why would a Lieut. ride a white horse in front of the enemy lines drawing their fire and admiration in an act of insanity or unparalleled heroism.

First Lieutenant George Thurston, the new guy, earns the respect of his fellows by his seeming disregard for his own life. When death takes an unfair advantage and strikes with an unfamiliar weapon, it is even more disquieting to those most familiar with it.

In 1910, when "And This is War" was published, emotional wounds of the American Civil War were as yet unhealed. In Europe the winds of the next great war were bginning to stir, and in the United States a spirit of isolationism prevailed.This book does not glorify war, but rather condems all wars, with thirty five related short stories that portray the heartache, sadness, hopelessness and devastation that accompany war.

Emma is the delightful classic about a financially independent young woman with a "happy disposition" who does not consider marriage for herself. She does, however, find amusement in playing matchmaker with the lives of others in her own social class. Her meddling into the love lives of her young friends has surprising results.

In the 1870’s, Jacob and Sarah Wade travel with their three children in a covered wagon to lay claim to land in Kansas to call their own and scratch out a living. The book follows three generations of the Wade family although it concentrates mostly on the relationship between Martin Wade, the oldest son of Jacob and Sarah, and the woman he chooses to marry, Rose. The hard existence of farm life takes a toll on all involved and affects each person differently. This

As the American Civil War rages, an officer who longs for the glory of battle has been assigned to staff duties away from the battlefield. Now a captain, he is assigned to a combat unit and faces battle for the first time. He finds there is no glory, only controlled terror for those engaged in war.

Time spent in the country was determined the best remedy for the severe case of nerves afflicting Mr. Framton. As he visited with a young lady waiting for the owner of a cottage in the country where he would be staying she shared a story that seemed unbelievable, but convinced him that the matron of the house might have lost her mind. Yet one final event rattled Framton to the core. Did he have all the details needed to react with such fear or was he in the midst of a great storyteller?

Here, a collection of 15 short stories by Ambrose Bierce. Bierce's participation in the Battle of Shiloh forever shaped his writing and his life. The short stories in this audiobook, although fiction, are - for the most part - based on some fact. They stand as a testament to the horror of the American Civil War.

The sales of this story outpaced Alice in Wonderland by 10 times. Hesba Stretton was the pen name of Sarah Smith, and she was one of the most popular writers of the 19th century. This is Stretton's best-selling masterpiece relating a story that resonated with Charles Dickens who would become an editor for many of her works. Stretton had a heart for writing and a heart for the poorest of children.

What does one do when issued an order by a superior that is contradictory to what one believes to be right? In this short fictional story from the American Civil War, the protagonist is faced with that very situation. When given an insulting and ridiculous order by his commanding general, he carries the order out. Then, when questioned by a subordinate, he passes it on to him in the same manner. Friendly fire in a fog is just as deadly as fire from the enemy.

We have all experienced it. A scene, a smell, a sound, or a song will carry us back to another time, another place, and to memories pleasant or unpleasant. For Private Grayrock of the Federal Army in the fall of 1861, the trigger is a mockingbird.

New York socialite Kit McNair decides to host an impromptu dinner party at the home of her friend, Jimmy Wilson, to cheer him up following his divorce. What could possibly go wrong?

This suspenseful novella focuses on the dark secret that haunts the aristocratic Trevlyn family since the untimely death of Sir Richard Trevlyn. His widow keeps the key to the mystery inside a locket, which she never takes off. When a charming stranger with ulterior motives gains access to Lady Trevlyn and her young daughter, will he unlock the family secrets along with their hearts? Fans of Alcott’s Little Women and her heroine Jo March’s racy stories will delight in this Victorian sensation novel.

"Parker Addison, Philosopher" is short story number nine from the collected works of Ambrose Bierce volume 2. Three men die as one of them philosophizes about his pending execution.