Showing results by narrator "J. A. Smith" in All Categories

Alan Rickman was one of Britain’s most beloved actors. His portrayal of the cunning Hans Gruber in the 1988 blockbuster Die Hard set a new standard for movie villains with his perfect blend of charm and menace. Rickman then became a household name playing Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series. His performance captured the layers of emotion and complexity that made Snape one of the most memorable and celebrated figures in the series.

Over a period of more than 10 years, following the overthrow of the government in 1910, Mexico experienced a period of intense and bloody warfare as a bewildering array of factions in ever-changing alliances took power and then lost it. Presidents were elected (or elected themselves) and were then deposed or assassinated. New factions appeared with impressive sounding slogans, took to the field, and were either wiped out and never heard of again or became the next government.

In the face of ruthless totalitarian rule, it is only the rare few who stand up at risk of their own life to do what is right. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was one of those exceptional individuals. Even on pain of death, he would not bend, he would not budge - this German pastor fought the Nazi regime with every fiber of his being.

The fall of Constantinople in 1453 marked a number of significant historical turning points. It saw the end of the last vestige of the Roman Empire, which had been founded more than 1,400 years before, and marked the beginning of a period of dominance for the growing Ottoman Empire. Furthermore, this moment marked the end of the Middle Ages in Europe and the beginning of the Renaissance, as the fall of Constantinople was directly linked to both these events.

Nellie Bly was a rare figure in this world. She was someone who steadfastly refused to follow the crowd. In an age when most people, especially women, were expected to conform to social norms and keep their opinions to themselves, Bly boldly charted her own course. She did not wait for permission to speak her mind, nor did she concern herself with the prevailing sentiments of her day. What made Nellie Bly extraordinary was her commitment to thinking independently.

Audie Murphy was a movie star, writer, and one of the most decorated soldiers who ever lived. He was barely 18 years old when he was shipped off to fight Fascists in Italy during World War II. As he himself would later liken it, he went “to hell and back” and lived to tell the tale. In this book, we will dive deeper to bring you the man behind the medals. Here is a telling of the life and legend of Audie Murphy in full.

Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, was the most feared pirate of the Golden Age—a towering figure who struck terror into the hearts of sailors from the Caribbean to the Carolinas. Most biographies seem to start and stop with that statement, but there was much more to the life of Blackbeard than that, and much more to learn about the man behind history’s most fearsome pirate legend.

Discover the remarkable life of Josephine Earp... She was supposed to marry for security, settle down, and disappear into domesticity. Instead, Josephine Earp ran away to the Wild West, fell in love with a famous gunfighter, and spent almost haft a century chasing adventure across the American frontier. From the dusty streets of Tombstone to the frozen rivers of Alaska, Josephine Earp lived a life that defied every expectation of 19th-century womanhood.

When James Buchanan was inaugurated president in March of 1857, he had inherited a powder keg that was just waiting to explode into the turmoil that was the American Civil War. Buchanan has since been vilified as being the great appeaser who placated the South enough to embolden them to secede from the Union. He is frequently listed as one of the worst presidents in the history of the United States. Buchanan himself, however, always held out the hope that history would vindicate him and the role he played.

The most common depictions of Native Americans feature mounted warriors and iconic events such as the Battle of the Little Bighorn and the Wounded Knee Massacre. The best-known Native American leaders include Chief Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, and most people’s impression of such a leader includes the wearing of a feathered headdress. All these archetypes have one thing in common: they are all Sioux, and many are Lakota, one of the coalition of seven Sioux Nations.

In 1937, passengers could cross the Atlantic in unprecedented luxury aboard the world’s most advanced aircraft. The Hindenburg was a marvel that defied belief. Stretching over 800 feet (245 meters)—longer than three jumbo jets placed end to end—this colossal airship represented the pinnacle of 1930s technology. Thirteen stories tall and powered by engines that propelled it at nearly 80 mph (125 km/h), it could ferry passengers between Europe and the Americas in half the time of the fastest ocean liner.

Bob Marley, the most prominent reggae musician of all time, was truly an icon. In later life, Marley became a champion for political freedom and even managed to get two vehemently opposed political leaders to shake hands on stage - all to the backdrop of a reggae groove. Bob Marley was many things to many people - in this book, we explore all facets of his unique personality.

In the early hours of June 17, police were called to the massive Watergate Hotel and Office Complex in Washington, DC. On the sixth floor, in the offices where McGovern’s campaign was being planned and controlled, they discovered and arrested five burglars. This event wasn’t immediately a major news story—in fact, many newspapers ignored it completely—but over the next two years, the attempted break-in at the Watergate complex would become the heart of the biggest political scandal ever to hit America and the direct cause of a constitutional crisis.

Dutch painter and printmaker Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn is considered one of the greatest artists of all time. As a painter, he never considered glamorizing what he saw, and he was a master of creating extraordinary scenes with light and shadows. His paintings were unique for their ability to depict action and moods. Sadly, having a mistress and spending recklessly went far to ruin his reputation during his lifetime. Rembrandt died penniless and was buried in a pauper’s grave.

As the sole legitimate child of Lord Byron, Ada Lovelace was the progeny of literary royalty. Many might have naturally expected her to go into the field of her father, but instead of delving into poetry, she delved into the hard sciences of mathematics and analytic thinking. Even so, Ada still had the imagination of a lyricist when writing scientific treatises, at times referring to her own work as nothing short of “poetical science”.

Discover the remarkable life of Crazy Horse... Famed Lakota warrior Crazy Horse was more than just a fearless fighter—he was a symbol of resistance and commitment to his people’s way of life. During his life, the Lakota faced relentless pressure from all sides. Rival tribes waged war over land and resources while waves of US settlers, backed by an ever-growing military presence, pushed further into their territory on the Great Plains. Despite these challenges, Crazy Horse stood unwavering, fighting not for personal glory but for the survival of his people and their homeland.

The goal in life is always to live on your own terms, but what happens when you find a deeper way to understand how everyone around you feels and thinks? This answer is lengthy and complex, but it’s one that will set you free to be the person you’ve always known you can be deep down within yourself. Just remember to hold onto something that will reshape how you think about the rest of the world...you can achieve balance, peace and harmony in a way that puts negative energy in a box from which it can never escape.

The word "holodomor" derives from a combination of two Ukrainian words: holod (hunger) and mor (extermination). This term is used to describe one of the least-known events of state-sponsored mass starvation: the Great Famine of Soviet Ukraine in 1932-1933. Around four million Ukrainians died during the famine, and yet, the extent of this human catastrophe was virtually unknown in the West. Up to 1991, the Soviet Union refused to acknowledge that any famine had taken place in Ukraine at all.

Emerson wrote most of his important essays as lectures first and then revised them for print. His first two collections of essays, Essays: First Series (1841) and Essays: Second Series (1844), represent the core of his thinking. They include the well-known essays "Self-Reliance" and "The Over-Soul". Together with "Nature", these essays made the decade from the mid-1830s to the mid-1840s Emerson's most fertile period.

The Renaissance, or rebirth, was a period of time when Europeans began to question what they had been told was sacrosanct. Through art, inventions, science, literature, and theology, the separate nations of the European continent sought answers that the Roman Catholic Church was unwilling, or perhaps unable, to offer. It was a triumph of the human spirit and a confirmation of human ability, even as it affirmed the willingness of men and women to die for the right to think freely.