Old Europe

A splendid collection of both well loved and little known fairy stories which have entertained and delighted children for many generations.

The millennium between the breakup of the western Roman Empire and the Reformation was a long and hugely transformative period - one not easily chronicled within a single book. Yet distinguished historian Chris Wickham has taken up the challenge in this landmark book, and he succeeds in producing the most riveting account of medieval Europe in a generation.

In this Yiddish folk tale, the town half-wit isn’t sure how to tell himself apart from other bathers in the shvitz, or public bathhouse. He must come up with a solution! Will a piece of string be able to help? Or will he just cause trouble for the other bathers?

Audiolibro de viajes por las cicatrices de la vieja Europa: Chernóbil, Gernika, Auschwitz, Lourdes y Transilvania. Una reflexión sobre el presente de unas ciudades marcadas por hechos históricos de trascendencia internacional. Los cinco relatos, todos ellos rodeados de un halo de misterio, rinden homenaje a estas "ciudades o regiones estigmatizadas." Mediante entrevistas, anécdotas y memorias, el autor nos cuenta cómo fueron antes de entrar en la leyenda por derecho propio y nos adentra en el día a día de sus habitantes en un apasionante viaje.

Audiolibro de viajes por las cicatrices de la vieja Europa: Chernóbil, Gernika, Auschwitz, Lourdes y Transilvania. Una reflexión sobre el presente de unas ciudades marcadas por hechos históricos de trascendencia internacional. Los cinco relatos, todos ellos rodeados de un halo de misterio, rinden homenaje a estas "ciudades o regiones estigmatizadas." Mediante entrevistas, anécdotas y memorias, el autor nos cuenta cómo fueron antes de entrar en la leyenda por derecho propio y nos adentra en el día a día de sus habitantes en un apasionante viaje.

Behind the glittering facade of 18th century European civilization lurked some of the most brutal and cynical power brokers ever to practice the art of diplomacy, and ironically it was their blueprint for conquest that the French Revolution was to utilize so well. Europe Under the Old Regime is actually the preface to Sorel's tremendous and magnificently elaborate work, Europe and the French Revolution.

Italian Witchcraft (previously titled Ways of the Strega) by respected author Raven Grimassi is more than just a book about witchcraft. It is a complete Book of Shadows. In it, you will find the history of this ancient tradition, its legends and myths, as well as the rituals and rites that you can do today. The book includes a full set of rituals that you can do. You'll find rituals for all of the Italian witchcraft holidays, including Shadow Fest, Lupercus, Tana's Day, and more.

Former Prime Minister John Major takes a remarkable journey into his own unconventional family past to tell the richly colourful story of the British music hall. Music hall was one of the glories of Victorian England. Sentimental, vulgar, class-conscious, but always patriotic and on the side of the underdog, it held a mirror to the audiences’ hopes and fears - and sometimes the general absurdity of life. Vast, smoke-filled auditoriums were packed night after night in nearly every town and city in Britain.

Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine and James Monroe were in the vanguard of revolutionary ideas in the 18th century. As founding fathers, they risked their lives for American independence, but they also wanted more. Each wished for profound changes in the political and social fabric of pre-1776 America and hoped that the American Revolution would spark republican and egalitarian revolutions throughout Europe, sweeping away the old aristocratic order. Ultimately, each rejoiced at the opportunity to be a part of the French Revolution, a cause that became increasingly untenable as idealism gave way to the bloody terror.

Historic quarters in cities and towns across the middle of Europe were devastated during the Second World War—some, like those of Warsaw and Frankfurt, had to be rebuilt almost completely. They are now centers of peace and civility that attract millions of tourists, but the stories they tell about places, peoples, and nations are selective. They are never the whole story. Exploring seven old towns, from Frankfurt and Prague to Vilnius in Lithuania, Marek Kohn examines how they have been used since the Second World War to conceal political tensions and reinforce certain versions of history.

Stealing from her rich family was supposed to be a fun winter getaway for teen mastermind Olivia Owens, but when a rival thief, a love triangle, and a murder suspect interfere, she’ll have to decide how far she’s willing to go for the vault full of gold—and for the boy she loves. When teen...

Step into the captivating world of Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Our Old Home." This collection of essays takes listeners on a journey through England, as Hawthorne shares his observations, reflections, and encounters with the country's history, culture, and people. With his keen eye for detail and eloquent prose, Hawthorne paints vivid portraits of picturesque landscapes, ancient landmarks, and the charm of English villages. Through his insightful musings, he explores themes of identity, heritage, and the interplay between the past and the present.

Arthur Ransome (1884-1967) wrote Old Peter's Russian Tales while he was in Russia during the First World War, prior to becoming a war correspondent for The Manchester Guardian. There are 22 stories in all and are told by Old Peter at the behest of his grandchildren, Ivan and Maroosia, in a cozy log cabin in the middle of the forest. These are delightful re-tellings in Ransome's own words of Russian folk tales, and include stories such as "The Little Snow Girl", "Baba Yaga", "Frost", and "Salt".

Warm and delightfully festive, this charming and long forgotten holiday classic was inspired, in part, by Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol and other celebrations of old-time Yule. Splendid suppers, rural churches, cheerful dances, and hearty spirits imbue this short novel with the magic of the season.

From three-time National Book Award finalist and Newbery Honor author Steve Sheinkin, a true story of two Jewish teenagers racing against time during the Holocaust―one in hiding in Hungary, and the other in Auschwitz, plotting escape. It is 1944. A teenager named Rudolf (Rudi) Vrba has made up...

A man whose hands shook with the tremors of old age could not eat neatly and often spilled his soup, so his son and daughter-in-law barred him from their table and made him eat by the stove. When he broke the fine stoneware bowl from which he had been eating, they bought him a wooden bowl that could not break.

From the onset of the war, Basil L. Gildersleeve, native of Charleston, South Carolina, a scholar, and professor of Greek at the University of Virginia left his students every Spring to return to the army until he was wounded during a skirmish in the Shenadoah Valley in 1864. Thirty years later he authored The Creed of the Old South, and A Southerner in the Peloponnesian War included in this audiobook.

Internationally acclaimed Irish folksinger Maura O'Connell narrates seven of the brightest jewels from the Irish storytelling tradition in this magnificent, unabridged recording of Malachy Doyle's Tales from Old Ireland. With its captivating language, larger-than-life characters, dramatic landscapes, and magical happenings, this enchanting collection of favorite Irish folk tales will transport listeners to another world for many happy hours.

Venice waits for you. It is the home of the artist, the writer, adventurer or madman (depending on how you look at it) for thousands of years. Their spirit abides, Marco Polo, Da Vinci, Shakespeare, Christie… haunting the canals, which demand exploration and defy explorers.

"The last dream of the old oak tree" on Christmas night is one of those fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen that focus on his religious beliefs and philosophy of life. Dayfly and oak tree, short and long life, days and centuries, moments and history, life and death pass by in dreams and convey the comforting message that duration alone means nothing and that short and long life can lead to happiness and fulfilment—at least in dreams.