Showing results by author "Upton Sinclair" in All Categories

Upton Sinclair, the muckraking giant of 20th century journalism and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Jungle, turns his critical eye upon the world of religion. Mind you, he is not critical of God nor of the teachings of Christ, but of the organized religions throughout history and of our times.

From the author of the landmark book of investigative “muckraking” journalism, The Jungle comes only the second book by Sinclair to be produced as an audiobook for commercial distribution: The Brass Check. Upton Sinclair turns his critical eye and his sharp pen on the corruption and lies of the media that ruled the day 100 years ago - the newspapers, the magazines, and the wire services. He lays bare their pervasive collusion with big industrial, financial, and political interests.

A Lithuanian family comes to America to seek a living. This book's ghastly and often brutal descriptions of work in the Chicago meat stockyards and the grim consequences of extreme poverty forced Congress to pass laws reforming work conditions and food safety standards in the United States. It also helped to stir up the Socialist movement in this country.

Lithuanian immigrant Jurgis Rudkus has invested every last hope in achieving a prosperous new start in a new country. But the only job open to him - in the appalling stockyards of Packingtown, Chicago - will become a brutal, dispiriting, and dangerous challenge to his pride, his family, his life, and his faith in the American Dream. A scathing condemnation of capitalism, corporate corruption, and the exploitation of the working class, The Jungle was a sensation when first published. It stands as one the greatest and most influential proletarian novels ever written.

Jurgis Rudkus, an impoverished Lithuanian immigrant, takes a lowly job at Brown's slaughterhouse to support his young wife and their relatives. Once admiring America for its potential, Rudkus has found opportunities to be too far out of his reach. After being evicted, Rudkus is living in a slum and deeply in debt - unable to support his family. As he attempts to make ends meet, the oppressive working conditions and crippling poverty begin to take a toll on Rudkus and his family.

Few books have so affected radical social changes as The Jungle, first published serially in 1906. Exposing unsanitary conditions in the meat-packing industry in Chicago, Sinclair's novel gripped Americans by the stomach, contributing to the passage of the first Food and Drug Act. If you’ve never read this classic novel, don't be put off by its gruesome reputation. Upton Sinclair was a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist who could turn even an exposé into a tender and moving novel.

This book is the inspiration for the Academy Award-nominated film, There Will Be Blood, starring Daniel Day-Lewis. As he did so masterfully in The Jungle, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Upton Sinclair interweaves social criticism with human tragedy to create an unforgettable portrait of...

Upton Sinclair's The Jungle is a vivid portrait of life and death in a turn-of-the-century American meat-packing factory. A grim indictment that led to government regulations of the food industry, The Jungle is Sinclair's extraordinary contribution to literature and social reform.

This 1906 novel by Upton Sinclair emphasizes the predicament of the working class and illustrates the corruption of the American meatpacking industry in the early-20th century. The story sets off with a dramatic portrayal of a Lithuanian wedding feast, which introduces the listener to all of the major and secondary characters.

Well known for The Jungle, his scathing expos├ of the Chicago meatpacking industry at the turn of the twentieth century, Upton Sinclair here takes on yet another massive industry: coal mining. Based on the 1914 and 1915 Colorado coal strikes, King Coal describes the abhorrent conditions...

Here is the dramatic expos├ of the Chicago meatpacking industry at the turn of the century that prompted the investigation by Theodore Roosevelt which culminated in the pure-food legislation of 1906. The Jungle is the story of Jurgis Rudkus, a Slavic immigrant who marries frail Ona...

A young Lithuanian immigrant, full of hope, arrives in Chicago in 1904 to work in the stockyards. He and his family soon find themselves processed like the very cattle they slaughter, by the system they dreamed would save them.

The Upton Sinclair Library opens the pages of a writer who went where respectable society would not look. Here are the novels, pamphlets, and fierce moral inquiries of Upton Sinclair, read in full: stories of labor and hunger, wealth and corruption, hope and revolt. Each episode gives voice to the books that dragged hidden machinery into daylight and asked what kind of civilization we mean to build.

"100%: The Story of a Patriot" dramatically recounts the adventures of a poor uneducated young man who lives by his wits and guile, as he becomes politicized during his involvement in the sometimes violent struggle between American “patriots” and “Reds”. The author wrote in the Appendix, which is not included in this recording: "Everything that has social significance is truth.... Practically all the characters in "100%" are real persons." This exciting, polemical novel was published in 1920. - Summary by Lee Smalley

"100%: The Story of a Patriot" dramatically recounts the adventures of a poor uneducated young man who lives by his wits and guile, as he becomes politicized during his involvement in the sometimes violent struggle between American “patriots” and “Reds”. The author wrote in the Appendix, which is not included in this recording: "Everything that has social significance is truth.... Practically all the characters in "100%" are real persons." This exciting, polemical novel was published in 1920. Sinclair (1878-1968) wrote nearly 100 novels, many based on industrial abuse. One of his best ...

Dive into a world of bravery and treachery as we explore the themes of courage, strategy, and survival inspired by the title "Prisoner of Morro." This podcast presents a captivating collection of audiobooks that transport listeners to the turbulent era of the Spanish-American War, where naval battles and espionage shape the fate of nations. Each episode features a new complete audiobook, offering a diverse array of gripping tales that highlight the indomitable spirit of those who face adversity in the face of conflict. While the stories may vary, the common threads of heroism and resilience ...

The Profits of Religion An Essay in Economic Interpretation is a thought-provoking non-fiction work by Upton Sinclair, first published in 1917. This compelling analysis examines the landscape of religious movements in the United States just before its entry into World War I. Sinclair critiques institutionalized religion, portraying it as a source of income to parasites and an ally of various forms of oppression and exploitation. His powerful arguments challenge readers to reconsider the role of religion in society.

In Book of Life, the renowned novelist, essayist, and playwright Upton Sinclair shares his most cherished insights on faith, reason, love, virtue, morality, and mortality. These two thought-provoking volumes are filled with his kind and witty advice that invites readers to reflect and discover wisdom that resonates across generations. Prepare to be both challenged and enlightened with each turn of the page. (Summary by Rom Maczka)

In Oil!, we follow the journey of James Arnold Ross, affectionately known as Dad, and his son, James Jr., fondly called Bunny. This captivating tale, inspired by the real-life figure Edward L. Doheny and set against the backdrop of World War I, delves into the tumultuous events reminiscent of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Upton Sinclair’s works, it explores profound themes of social conflict, the struggles between labor and management, the clash of democracy and socialism, and the moral dilemmas of life. As Bunny navigates his complex ...

In this captivating 1907 novel, Upton Sinclair delves into the opulent world of New York City’s elite, crafting a vivid portrait of high society. Allan Montague, a thirty-year-old lawyer, relocates from Mississippi to join his mother and cousin Alice, reuniting with his younger brother Oliver, who has fully immersed himself in a whirlwind of social events among the city’s most influential figures. As Oliver introduces Allan to this glamorous yet superficial world, Sinclair reveals the extravagant lifestyles of the wealthy, marked by lavish parties, extravagant expenditures on entertainment...