Showing results by narrator "Ric Jerrom" in All Categories

This book describes and explains the major events, personalities, conflicts, and convergences that have shaped the history of the Muslim world. The body of the work takes listeners from the origins of Islam to the eve of the nineteenth century, and an epilogue continues the story to the present day. Michael Cook thus provides a broad history of a civilization remarkable for both its unity and diversity.

Beginning in the 18th century with the building of St. Petersburg - a 'window on the West' - and culminating with the challenges posed to Russian identity by the Soviet regime, Figes examines how writers, artists, and musicians grappled with the idea of Russia itself - its character, spiritual essence and destiny. He skillfully interweaves the great works - by Dostoevsky, Stravinsky, and Chagall - with folk embroidery, peasant songs, religious icons and all the customs of daily life, from food and drink to bathing habits to beliefs about the spirit world.

"Brother, do not try to follow me once you have read this. No good can come of it..." When Clifford Fox QC receives a desperate letter from his estranged younger brother, Simon, he departs his comfortable Yorkshire home to locate him. The letter outlines the harrowing events that have led Simon to the very edge of sanity.

Andrea Pirlo is one of the finest footballers of his generation - a World Cup and Champions League winning playmaker who has redefined his position at the base of midfield, and one of the most deadly free-kick takers the game has known. This is his story, in his words. It is written with a level of humour and insight which confound his image as a dead-eyed assassin on the field of play.

Jim, the first mate aboard a small steamer named the Patna, travels from port to port in the Pacific Ocean. When the ship hits floating wreckage, Jim and the crew are forced to abandon it, leaving hundreds of ethnic travelers onboard. However, Jim's reprehensible actions are soon discovered by the court, and he is compelled to face his guilt and redeem himself - a journey that leads him to a remote exotic location where he is revered as the Lord, "Tuan Jim".

During the long 18th century, Europe's travelers, scholars, and intellectuals looked to Asia in a spirit of puzzlement, irony, and openness. In this panoramic book, author Jürgen Osterhammel tells the story of the European Enlightenment's nuanced encounter with the great civilizations of the East, from the Ottoman Empire and India to China and Japan. A momentous work by one of Europe's most eminent historians, Unfabling the East takes listeners on a thrilling voyage to the farthest shores, bringing back vital insights for our own multicultural age.

In his dialogues, the Stoic philosopher Seneca outlines his thoughts on how to live in a troubled world. Tutor to the young emperor Nero, Seneca wrote practical philosophical exercises that draw upon contemporary Roman life and illuminate the intellectual concerns of the day. The dialogues also have much to say to the modern listener, as they range widely across subjects such as the shortness of life, tranquility of mind, anger, mercy, happiness, and grief at the loss of a loved one.

Alesia, 52 BC: The besiegers have become the besieged. Caesar's army stands upon the brink of annihilation, caught between two enemy armies. Ramparts have been constructed, but they must also be defended. The centurion Lucius Oppius believes he will be part of the defence, but Caesar has other plans for the former standard bearer. Oppius is ordered to venture north of Alesia to capture Vercingetorix's war chest of gold.

Britain, 55 BC: Julius Caesar’s invasion of the wild and mineral-rich land is becalmed, a stalemate exists between the forces of Rome and Britain. But the standard bearer of the Tenth Legion, Lucius Oppius, is about to display a depth of courage that will change the course of the invasion - and history. Encamped upon the south coast Caesar, admiring the courage and skill of his standard bearer, orders Oppius to accompany a native British archer and go behind enemy lines.

The most terrible emergency in Britain's history, the Second World War, required an unprecedented national effort. An exhausted country had to fight an unexpectedly long war and found itself much diminished amongst the victors. The outcome of the war was nonetheless a triumph, not least for a political system that proved well adapted to the demands of a total conflict and for a population who had to make many sacrifices but who were spared most of the horrors experienced in the rest of Europe.

The Long Night is Ernst Israel Bornstein's first-hand account of what he witnessed in seven concentration camps. Written with remarkable insight and raw emotion, The Long Night paints a portrait of human psychology in the darkest of times. Bornstein tells the stories of those who did all they could do to withstand physical and psychological torture, starvation, and sickness, and openly describes those who were forced to inflict suffering on others.

Robbed of his wife and ousted from his huge shipping empire, Nick Berg is hell-bent on vengeance. It is the sea which gives him his opportunity. When his arch-rival's luxury liner is trapped in the tempestuous Antarctic, Nick stakes all to pit his powerful salvage tug, the Warlock, in a desperate race against time and the elements....

Five haunting tales from Benedict Ashforth, the best-selling author of Abbot's Keep.

Dr Gregory Fremont-Barnes presents a detailed overview of the Forty-five Rebellion, dispelling the myths that have grown up around battles like Culloden and the figures of the Highlanders. Fremont-Barnes examines this key turning point in British history, analysing the dynastic struggle of two royal houses, the Rebellion’s manoeuvres and battles and the tragic aftermath for the Highlands.

Juggling all the tasks and resources you need to make a project run smoothly can seem like an onerous task—from engaging with stakeholders and scoping out the full specification of the project, through to keeping a rein on costs and sticking to schedules. Manage Projects Successfully offers calm and practical advice to help you with setting priorities, communicating with others, monitoring progress and dealing with unexpected events.

While it's sometimes said that a little stress is good for you, too much can damage your health, jeopardise your performance at work and affect your relationships. With the rise of remote and hybrid working, such issues are only becoming more common and it's too easy to feel worn down and exhausted by stress and worry. Deal with Stress will help you to identify and understand the causes of stress, recognise the symptoms and find the right answers to put you back in control.

From beautiful lyrics to madcap waggery, from Elizabeth Barrett Browning's adored lapdog Flush to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's terrifying Hound of the Baskervilles, and encompassing odes, fables, stories, songs, nursery rhymes and more, Mark Bryant has compiled a wonderfully evocative collection of writing on all kinds of dogs by all kinds of authors.

This extraordinary story unfolds in the dim streets of Victorian London's notorious East End. Poverty, squalor and crime fester and proliferate, blighting the lives of all who are unfortunate enough to dwell there. Yet from within the gloom, shines a beacon of light: the light of human dignity. And, sometimes, righteousness, decency and justice win out. In this dramatic play - out of the everlasting human conflict of good versus evil, various giants of their time, immortal beings, come into conflict.

When 70-something Indianapolis PI Dietrich Deets Shanahan receives a call from Jack Wenders, his former commanding officer in Korea, inviting him to Mexico to discuss a case, Shanahan accepts. But Wenders' shadowy tactics put Shanahan on his guard and rightly so: Wenders has become involved with a private security force that operates lawlessly across borders, without boundaries or limitations. Wenders has blown the whistle and now wants out using Shanahan's own identity to escape....

Ravenna, 50BC. Caesar’s forces stand upon the borders of Gaul and Italy. The prospect of a civil war grows ever likelier each day. But for the veteran soldier Lucius Oppius, this may be one conflict too far. With a new lover, he is tempted to end his long military career - and start a new life. But can any man truly be free of his past and who he is? In Rome, Cicero attempts to secure a peace. Against him, a powerful faction in the Senate is bent upon destroying Caesar, for personal and political reasons.