Scott Clem has narrated 110 audiobooks on Listento.it by 34 authors, with an average listener rating of 3.7★ across 32 ratings. The most-rated is The Book of Unknowing: From Enlightenment to Embodiment.
The Scramble for Africa: The History and Legacy of the Colonization of Africa by European Nations During the New Imperialism Era
Summary
The British South-African Company's shares May be at a discount - (Trade-martyrs! - trade-martyrs!) But he, our Colossus, strides on, he declares, Whether with or without chums or charters - or charters. Hooray! We brave Britons are right now to the front - Provided we've someone to boss us - to boss us; And Scuttlers will have their work cut out to shunt This stalwart, far-striding Colossus - Colossus! —Excerpt from an editorial in Punch, December 10, 1892 The modern history of Africa was, until very recently, written on behalf of the indigenous races by the white man, who had forcefully entered the continent during a particularly hubristic and dynamic phase of European history. In 1884, Prince Otto von Bismark, the German chancellor, brought the plenipotentiaries of all major powers of Europe together, to deal with Africa's colonization in such a manner as to avoid provocation of war. This event - known as the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 - galvanized a phenomenon that came to be known as the Scramble for Africa. The conference established two fundamental rules for European seizure of Africa. The first of these was that no recognition of annexation would be granted without evidence of a practical occupation, and the second, that a practical occupation would be deemed unlawful without a formal appeal for protection made on behalf of a territory by its leader, a plea that must be committed to paper in the form of a legal treaty. This began a rush, spearheaded mainly by European commercial interests in the form of Chartered Companies, to penetrate the African interior and woo its leadership with guns, trinkets, and alcohol, and having thus obtained their marks or seals upon spurious treaties, begin establishing boundaries of future European African colonies. The ease with which this was achieved was due to the fact that, at that point, traditional African leadership was disunited, and the people had just staggered back from centuries of concussion inflicted by the slave trade. Thus, to usurp authority, to intimidate an already broken society, and to play one leader against the other was a diplomatic task so childishly simple, the matter was wrapped up, for the most part, in less than a decade.
©2017 Charles River Editors (P)2017 Charles River Editors
The Virgin of Guadalupe
Summary
No other artwork in the world is comparable to the Virgin of Guadalupe. What makes this painting unique - located in the Basilica of Guadalupe, north of Mexico City - is not precisely its artistic quality, as is the case with the Mona Lisa by Leonardo or The Kiss by Gustav Klimt, nor its place in the evolution of painting. It clearly does not constitute a landmark in art history, and the most visited painting in the world is certainly not the summit or the harbinger of a new aesthetic movement, like Dali's melting watches or Van Gogh's Starry Night. In fact, for some, the execution of the image is coarse and all its elements fit well known techniques. For others, it is merely a copy of a sculpture of the Virgin found in Spain. What distinguishes the Virgin of Guadalupe of Mexico is her universality: unlike any work of art in the world, it can be recognized by any local resident, certainly the most ubiquitous symbol in her country. It would be difficult to find a Mexican who cannot name her. The other thing that makes the Virgin of Guadalupe incomparable is her power to unite her nation, something that has been widely demonstrated throughout history. At different moments, and raised by different hands, the Virgin of Guadalupe (never the original painting) has led the troops that changed the history of the territory now known as Mexico. Not even a few hours had passed after the start of the War of Independence when the rebel army was already carrying the image of Guadalupe; in the twentieth century the image was present at the indigenous rebellion in Chiapas in 1994 and also materialized during the Mexican "perestroika" of 2000, which ended the single-party regime that had lasted for seven decades. Going further back, during Mexico's conquest, Hernán Cortés carried an image of the Virgin that, to the disinterested observer, is obviously the prototype of the Mexican Madonna. For some, Guadalupe is the work of a talented Indian painter, and this work was retouched and embellished by others in later centuries. The majority of scholars note how the image "appeared" at a very convenient time in Mexico´s history, when evangelization functioned as the ideological arm of the material conquest of the Aztec empire. There are even reasons to wonder whether the image currently on display in Mexico City is the same as in the 17th century since it is known from testimonies of the time that Mary had a crown on her head. That means if it's the same, at the very least it has been retouched, doctored and tampered with again. Conversely, for the believers, the image was miraculously stamped on the tilma or cloak of a man named Juan Diego. Among the latter are most of the 17 million persons who visit the original every year in Mexico City, which makes it the most visited painting in the world. By comparison, the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris receives six million visitors per year. What nobody questions —believers, skeptics or atheists— is that the Virgin of Guadalupe has been the most important symbol, religious or not, in Mexico´s history, a kind of non-official flag. Her influence has spread even to the Mexican diaspora, where it has become a sign of identity, pride and resistance among undocumented immigrants in the United States. For Mexicans, it's not necessary to be religious to believe in the power of the Virgin of Guadalupe as a unifying symbol and embodiment of national identity.
©2016 Charles River Editors (P)2016 Charles River Editors
Seabiscuit
Summary
Of all the things that a nation, or even an individual, need to survive a crisis, none is perhaps as necessary as hope. That feeling that somehow one can survive, win even, though the odds are stacked against them and the outlook is grim. Throughout its history, the United States has been blessed, often when most needed, with hope from a strange place. In 1778 it came when the French joined the American Revolution, and in 1980, it was brought home with Olympic Gold by the men's hockey team. But in the late 1930s, during the midst of the Great Depression, it came in the form of a horse named Seabiscuit. Americans have always loved animals, and those living prior to World War II were still close enough to their pioneer roots to feel a special affection for horses. After all, it was these noble animals that had carried soldiers and pulled plows and milk wagons alike. A horse was more than just a pet; it was a partner in the fight for survival. Just as many Americans had known special, unforgettable individuals, so they had known special horses. Seabiscuit was one of these, and even the animal's name spoke to the heart of those struggling.
©2016 Charles River Editors (P)2017 Charles River Editors
Frederic Remington
Summary
The West was an endless source of fascination for those who were either personally or circumstantially ill-suited to travel there. As explorers opened trails and people expanded the frontier, unusual walks of life like cattle drives and hunting became commonplace, as did images of dusty boomtowns. Before the Transcontinental Railroad connected the Atlantic and Pacific, the Old West possessed a distinctly separate culture from the East Coast, and cowboys, early settlers, and an enormous array of indigenous peoples produced a hybrid culture that seemed doomed to disappear as a result of the inevitable modernization. The subsequent growth of print journalism fed the East Coast’s interest in the West, whether it was based on fantasy and non-fiction, but with the art of photography in its infancy by the years of the Civil War, a more familiar type of artist stepped in to fill the need, one who like the storytellers in print could simultaneously bring both fantasy and reality to life. Painters and sculptors of the West bore little outward resemblance to their illustrious ancestors, the European masters, but they brought foreign landscapes and people to larger audiences through skillful examples of iconic Western images. Many of the first artists in the West were assigned to exploration and geological parties, working as archivists and obedient to demands of cold accuracy. However, a few were driven by an imaginative mix of real events and fantastical visions to whet the appetite of Eastern consumers and preserve their own nostalgia on canvas. Among the artists who developed a passionate relationship with the West to one degree or another, two remain iconic in the modern day. Charles Marion Russell, a Missourian drawn to the Montana country, expressed a general empathy for the Native American tribes and the American cowboy. New Yorker Frederic Remington held the advantage in education and talents as a draftsman, but he did not lose himself so entirely to the western American experience. His paintings, sculptures, short stories, and novels are often centered on the military and its wars against the resident tribes. Remington, somewhat more cynical than Russell, was nevertheless a master of depicting violent action in fantastical but credible situations where life hung in the balance. He, too, lamented that the land of his youth’s fascination "had nearly vanished," even though his direct experience with that land and culture was not in the long run successful. Esteemed for his depiction of "swift action and precise accuracy of detail," Remington’s creative accounts of the 19th century’s last few decades fired the imaginations of Americans thousands of miles away from the frontier. In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt called Remington "one of the most typical American artists we have ever had, and he has portrayed a most characteristic and yet vanishing type of American life. The soldier, the cowboy and rancher, the Indian, the horses and the cattle of the plains, will live in his pictures and bronzes, I verily believe, for all time." In fact, Remington’s name remains recognizable today, and his work continues to impress viewers more than a century after he was active. From the bronze statuettes of anonymous Western heroes in crisis to large-scale actions set against vast backdrops, his works found their form through mythology and by "merging his experiences and memories." Both commercially and nostalgia-driven, the dualistic personality of Frederic Remington as a person is at times a problem for modern sensibilities, but no American artist of any century has eclipsed his most famous works’ hold over domestic art devotees.
©2020 Charles River Editors (P)2020 Charles River Editors
Secretariat
Summary
It is not difficult to drive through Laurel, Maryland, and never know that it was once the site of races where thundering thoroughbreds ran at top speeds in search of victory. In fact, thousands of people do each day, on their way from Baltimore to Washington, DC, or vice versa. But there was a time, not that long ago, when champions ran at the now largely disused Laurel Race Course, when four-footed athletes raced for a prize that would go not to themselves but to their two-footed owners. They ran for the shear love of running and, hopefully, with a certain internal satisfaction at winning. One of the horses that once ran in Laurel, and other similar tracks across the country, was the legendary Secretariat. Unlike other previous heroes like Seabiscuit, Secretariat's fame is based not on the way in which he overcame long odds against him but in the way that he and his trainers made the very most of the advantages he had from birth. Won by his owner in a lucky draw, he was cherished even before he was born and spent the first year of his life happily trotting around the green fields of a Virginia farm.
©2016 Charles River Editors (P)2017 Charles River Editors
Emotional Intelligence
Summary
Learn about emotional intelligence for beginners.
©2019 Ariana Moore (P)2019 Ariana Moore
The British Raj
Summary
The British East India Company served as one of the key players in the formation of the British Empire. From its origins as a trading company struggling to keep up with its superior Dutch, Portuguese, and Spanish competitors to its tenure as the ruling authority of the Indian subcontinent to its eventual hubristic downfall, the East India Company serves as a lens through which to explore the much larger economic and social forces that shaped the formation of a global British Empire. As a private company that became a non-state global power in its own right, the East India Company also serves as a cautionary tale all too relevant to the modern world's current political and economic situation. On its most basic level, the East India Company played an essential part in the development of long-distance trade between Britain and Asia. The trade in textiles, ceramics, tea, and other goods brought a huge influx of capital into the British economy. This not only fueled the Industrial Revolution, but also created a demand for luxury items amongst the middle classes. The economic growth provided by the East India Company was one factor in Britain’s ascendancy from a middling regional power to the most powerful nation on the planet. The profits generated by the East India Company also created incentive for other European powers to follow its lead, which led to three centuries of competition for colonies around the world. This process went well beyond Asia to affect most of the planet, including Africa and the Middle East. Beyond its obvious influence in areas like trade and commerce, the East India Company also served as a point of cultural contact between Western Europeans, South Asians, and East Asians. Quintessentially British practices such as tea drinking were made possible by East India Company trade. The products and cultural practices traveling back and forth on East India Company ships from one continent to another also reconfigured the way societies around the globe viewed sexuality, gender, class, and labor. On a much darker level, the East India Company fueled white supremacy and European concepts of Orientalism. Ultimately, the company’s activity across the Indian subcontinent led to further British involvement there, and the British Raj, a period of British dominance and rule over India that formally began in 1857 and lasted until 1947, remains a highly debated topic amongst historians, political scientists, the British people, and the people of modern India. It’s necessary to seek an understanding of the people, forces, and events shaping the history of British India to arrive at valid conclusions about the British-Indian experience and to understand the continued divide over its legacy.
©2016 Charles River Editors (P)2016 Charles River Editors
The Chinese Triads
Summary
From running guns to white-collar crimes in cyberspace and illegal seafood, the Triads, the mafia of China, are potent figures in the world of organized crime. Going by enigmatic names like the 14K Triad and the United Bamboo Gang, these criminal groups are enormous, with some organizations boasting memberships ranging in the tens of thousands. A powerful factor in China and throughout Asia, Triads are entrenched in society and the masters of multiple enterprises ranging from extortion, narcotics, prostitution, and white collar crime. Despite their origins in mainland China, the Triads are most powerful in Hong Kong and Taiwan; as an international organization, the Triads have expanded into North America and other Western countries. The various Triad organizations are different but share many similarities, including a hierarchical structure, exclusive membership, common commercial money-making activities, the use of violence as a tool and the codification of rituals for the group. Although the various Triad groups share a common Chinese ethnic origin, these groups are fiercely territorial and do not collaborate together too often. The modern Triads trace their lineage to a group called the Hung Mun (Heaven and Earth Association). Originating in the Qing Dynasty as a secret society focused on Han solidarity and the restoration of the Ming Dynasty, these groups sought to overthrow the foreign Manchu Qing rulers. The Hung Mun positioned themselves as self-help organizations to disfranchised Chinese workers, providing them money loans and welfare when they were ignored by the government. From these secretive anti-Qing groups to their current existence as powerful organized crime groups, the Triads have continued to evolve and grow. Taking full advantage of technological changes, the Triads have become major players in cybercrime and the illegal seafood trade, forcing law enforcement to evolve in order to combat them. The Chinese Triads: The History and Legacy of China’s Most Famous Organized Crime Syndicates explores the organizations’ origins and their inner workings.
©2020 Charles River Editors (P)2020 Charles River Editors
Sir Ernest Shackleton
Summary
"For scientific leadership, give me Scott; for swift and efficient travel, Amundsen; but when you are in a hopeless situation, when there seems to be no way out, get down on your knees and pray for Shackleton." - Sir Raymond Priestley Exploration of Earth's wilderness areas became an international obsession in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as economically advantaged nations, in particular European powers and the United States were well equipped to mount exhaustive expeditions. From previously inaccessible forests and jungle country to the world's great mountain ranges, adventurers sought out the greatest extremes of climate and terrain in a race to plant the first flag where humanity struggled to survive. An earlier wave of explorers led to the opening of the New World, and early polar expeditions saw ancient ships of various nations sail along the coastlines of Greenland and within reach of the Arctic and Antarctic continents. Many 19th century figures approached the polar region with an eye to traversing it. Most notable among them was British explorer Sir James Clark Ross, who took the Erebus and the HMS Terror to the southernmost coastlines of the planet. Ross is probably the first explorer to realize that Antarctica was a continent and not just a large chain of islands, and he discovered the section of the shelf that was to become the Victoria Barrier. Asian nations also took part in Antarctic exploration when Nobu Shirase of Japan mounted his 1911 expedition, while Sir Edgeworth David, a Welsh-Australian, was the first person to successfully reach the summit of Mt. Erebus. Richard Evelyn Byrd is believed to be the first pilot to cross the Antarctic continent, and even well past the era of great polar expeditions, British figures such as Edmund Hillary, conqueror of Mt. Everest, made several expeditions to the South Pole. The era was universally dubbed the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, but its greatest story did not stem from the actual achievement of reaching the pole. It was, rather, one of the most profound and heroic rescues ever witnessed that affirmed the empire's greatness, embodied by the inspired insistence and exemplary conduct of Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton. This unlikely figure entered the rich man's world of polar exploration through an astonishing persistence and succeeded through the same quality. In fact, it was with Scott that Shackleton participated in his first polar expedition. Shackleton's place in history is not the one he set out to make, but his extraordinary deeds have made his contributions to early exploration of Antarctica indelible. Despite the victor's wreath eventually going to another, Shackleton's name is essential to any discussion of Antarctic exploration, based on personal heroism more than logistical triumphs.
©2017 Charles River Editors (P)2017 Charles River Editors
Brain Training Book 1
Summary
W?uld ??u l?k? t? kn?w h?w ??ur br??n ??n ?x??nd ?nd l??rn n?w ?k?ll? b? ?m?r?v?ng? W?uld ??u l?k? t? kn?w ?nd ???l? ????nt?f?? m?th?d? t? ?m?r?v? ??ur m?m?r?, ?r?bl?m-??lv?ng, ?nd ?tt?nt??n? ?r??n ?r??n?ng w?ll g?v? ??u th? ?nf?rm?t??n ??u ?r? l??k?ng f?r, m?k?ng ??u ?w?r? ?f th? ??t?nt??l th?t ??u d?d n?t kn?w ??u h?d. ??n? ???r? ?g?, ?t w?? b?l??v?d th?t th? hum?n br??n w?? l?k? ?n ??rt?ght bl??k b?x w?th n? ?b?l?t? t? ?v?lv? ?nd th?r?f?r? ? ??r??n w?? bl??k?d b? ?n?th?ng g?v?n t? h?m b? n?tur? ?t b?rth. ??w?v?r, ??v?r?l ???r? l?t?r ?t b???m? ?l??r th?t th? hum?n br??n h?? th? ?b?l?t? t? ?d??t ?nd d?v?l?? n?w ?k?ll? thr?ugh?ut ? ??r??n'? l?f?. R????r?h ?h?w? th?t th? ???t?m?t?? ???l???t??n ?f th? r?ght m?th?d? ??n ??ntr?but? ?mm?n??l? t? th? ?v?r?ll ?m?r?v?m?nt ?f ??gn?t?v? ?b?l?t???. ?h?? ?ud??b??k ?x?m?n?? wh?t th??? m?th?d? ?r? ?nd h?w th?? ?h?uld b? ???l??d. ?h? ?ud??b??k ?l?? ?x?m?n?? th? tw? m??n ??mm?n ?r?bl?m? ?f th? b?d?-m?nd. ??ur m?nd ??n d? mu?h m?r?...?t'? u? t? ??u t? f?nd ?ut... W?uld ??u l?k? t? kn?w m?r?? G?t ??ur ?ud??b??k n?w!
©2020 Dan Wayner (P)2020 Dan Wayner
Seabiscuit and Secretariat
Summary
Americans have always loved animals, and those living prior to World War II were still close enough to their pioneer roots to feel a special affection for horses. After all, it was these noble animals that had carried soldiers and pulled plows and milk wagons alike. A horse was more than just a pet; it was a partner in the fight for survival. Just as many Americans had known special, unforgettable individuals, so they had known special horses. Seabiscuit was one of these, and even the animal's name spoke to the heart of those struggling. A sea biscuit was a piece of bread baked for so long in such a low oven that it was completely dry and would never mold. It was so tough that it had to be soaked in water, sometimes even rainwater, before it could be eaten. But it was nutritious and would allow a sailor to do his duty for one more hour, helping keep him alive until he reached a safe harbor. Seabiscuit was in many ways like his cracker namesake, for he was cultivated in many small races until he was ready for the big league. He was also at his best when soaked in the affection and attention given to him by his owners, trainer, and jockeys. Most of all, his wins and even his losses came to nourish a desperate nation and inspire its citizens to keep going until they reached a safer harbor of financial stability. He was also a friend, an inspiring leader who would rank in popularity and respect along with men like Roosevelt and Churchill. It is possible, perhaps even likely, that had he been born in another place and time, his name might never have been known outside of the racing world, but as one Horatio Alger story appealing to a nation full of them, his name became a household word and helped secure him a legacy as perhaps the most famous horse in history. Unlike other previous heroes like Seabiscuit, Secretariat's fame is based not on the way in which he overcame long odds against him but in the way that he and his trainers made the very most of the advantages he had from birth. Won by his owner in a lucky draw, he was cherished even before he was born and spent the first year of his life happily trotting around the green fields of a Virginia farm. As he grew up, he enjoyed the best food, care and training money could buy, and in return he learned to run, first fast and then faster, as it slowly dawned on his growing audience that they were in the presence of greatness. His career was short lived but full of glory, as he won nearly every race he ever ran. Of course, the peak of his career came in 1973, when he capped off a Triple Crown by shattering the track record at the Belmont Stakes on the way to winning by 31 lengths, a margin of victory that was never replicated. As he marveled at the performance, CBS announcer Chic Anderson couldn't help but gush, "Secretariat is widening now! He is moving like a tremendous machine!" Everyone the least bit familiar with horse racing has seen clips of Secretariat, and by the time Secretariat retired, he had won 16 of the 21 races he ran and only placed outside of the top three once. Along the way, he ran at many race courses like Laurel, courses that most people don't remember, places where once full parking lots are now overgrown with weeds and where once glorious tracks are now being covered over with new construction. But while these courses may be nearly forgotten, Secretariat never will be.
©2016 Charles River Editors (P)2017 Charles River Editors
Brain Training Book 2
Summary
W?uld ??u l?k? t? kn?w h?w ??ur br??n ??n ?x??nd ?nd l??rn n?w ?k?ll? b? ?m?r?v?ng? W?uld ??u l?k? t? kn?w ?nd ???l? ????nt?f?? m?th?d? t? ?m?r?v? ??ur m?m?r?, ?r?bl?m-??lv?ng, ?nd ?tt?nt??n? ?r??n ?r??n?ng ?t w?ll g?v? ??u th? ?nf?rm?t??n ??u ?r? l??k?ng f?r, m?k?ng ??u ?w?r? ?f th? ??t?nt??l th?t ??u d?d n?t kn?w ??u h?d. ??n? ???r? ?g?, ?t w?? b?l??v?d th?t th? hum?n br??n w?? l?k? ?n ??rt?ght bl??k b?x w?th n? ?b?l?t? t? ?v?lv? ?nd th?r?f?r? ? ??r??n w?? bl??k?d b? ?n?th?ng g?v?n t? h?m b? n?tur? ?t b?rth. ??w?v?r, ??v?r?l ???r? l?t?r ?t b???m? ?l??r th?t th? hum?n br??n h?? th? ?b?l?t? t? ?d??t ?nd d?v?l?? n?w ?k?ll? thr?ugh?ut ? ??r??n'? l?f?. R????r?h ?h?w? th?t th? ???t?m?t?? ???l???t??n ?f th? r?ght m?th?d? ??n ??ntr?but? ?mm?n??l? t? th? ?v?r?ll ?m?r?v?m?nt ?f ??gn?t?v? ?b?l?t???. ?h?? ?ud??b??k ?x?m?n?? wh?t th??? m?th?d? ?r? ?nd h?w th?? ?h?uld b? ???l??d. ?h? ?ud??b??k ?l?? ?x?m?n?? th? tw? m??n ??mm?n ?r?bl?m? ?f th? b?d?-m?nd. ??ur m?nd ??n d? mu?h m?r?...?t'? u? t? ??u t? f?nd ?ut... W?uld ??u l?k? t? kn?w m?r?? G?t ??ur ?ud??b??k n?w!
©2020 Dan Wayner (P)2020 Dan Wayner
The Yakuza and the Triads
Summary
A pack of men in sharp, tailored suits and dark sunglasses strut down the street. Their eyes are shielded, but the icy scowl on their faces is a clear sign to stay out of their paths. A few of their collars hang open, showing off a glimpse of the vibrant and intricate ink work on their chests, and presumably, their entire bodies. Tattoos are the norm these days, but then, one suddenly spots a man with a peculiarly pint-sized pinkie. Perhaps it is only a deformity, but upon a closer look, it appears that the entire upper half has been sliced cleanly off, almost as if it were done intentionally. Since the beginning of civilization, crime and injustice has existed. At the same time, gangs in all shapes and sizes have been around - from rebels, dissidents, and rogue soldiers to the average circle of miscreants loitering in alleys and behind convenience stores. In Japan, a gang of a different breed would arise - one underscored by honor, respect, family, and a code of ethics. They are the Yakuza. From running guns to white-collar crimes in cyberspace and illegal seafood, the Triads - the mafia of China - are potent figures in the world of organized crime. Going by enigmatic names like the 14K Triad and the United Bamboo Gang, these criminal groups are enormous, with some organizations boosting memberships ranging in the tens of thousands. A powerful factor in China and throughout Asia, Triads are entrenched in society and the masters of multiple enterprises ranging from extortion, narcotics, prostitution, and white collar crime.
©2020 Charles River Editors (P)2020 Charles River Editors
Emotional Intelligence
Summary
Author Ariana Moore presents Emotional Intelligence for Beginners, Book 2.
©2019 Ariana Moore (P)2019 Ariana Moore
The Saratoga Campaign
Summary
The American Revolution is replete with seminal moments that every American learns in school, from the “shot heard ‘round the world” to the Declaration of Independence, but the events that led up to the fighting at Lexington and Concord were borne out of 10 years of division between the British and their American colonies over everything from colonial representation in governments to taxation, the nature of searches, and the quartering of British regulars in private houses. From 1764-1775, a chain of events that included lightning rods like the Townshend Acts led to bloodshed in the form of the Boston Massacre, while the Boston Tea Party became a symbol of nonviolent protest. The political and military nature of the Revolutionary War was just as full of intrigue. While disorganized militias fought the Battles of Lexington and Concord, George Washington would lead the Continental Army in the field while men like Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia and Benjamin Franklin negotiated overseas in France. French forces would play a crucial role at the end of the war, and the Treaty of Paris would conclude the revolution with one last great surprise. On October 7, 1777, Benedict Arnold rode out against orders and led an American assault against British forces led by General John Burgoyne in one of the climactic battles and ultimate turning point of the war at Saratoga. Near the end of the most important American victory of the revolution, Arnold’s leg was shattered by a volley that also hit his horse, which fell on the leg as well. Arnold would later remark that he wished the shot had hit him in the chest, and if it had, Benedict Arnold would be remembered as one of America’s greatest war heroes, second only to George Washington among the generals of the revolution. In fact, when Arnold was injured at the height of his success in October 1777, he had been the most successful leader of American forces during the war. Arnold had been instrumental in the seizure of Fort Ticonderoga in 1775, he constructed the first makeshift American navy to defend Lake Champlain and delay British campaigning in 1776, and he was the principal leader at Saratoga in 1777. Even his unsuccessful campaign to Quebec in the winter of 1775 is remembered primarily for the amazing logistical feats undertaken by Arnold and his men to even reach the target. All of that was overshadowed by Arnold’s treacherous plot to turn over West Point to the British in 1780, but his controversial actions at Saratoga and the results may very well have saved the cause he subsequently betrayed. By the time the decisive American victory was finished, Burgoyne had lost nearly 20 percent of his effective fighting during the battles at Saratoga, and after a few days his trapped army surrendered to the Americans. In December 1776, Benjamin Franklin was sent by Congress to France to attempt to secure a critically needed alliance. Franklin was an ideal choice for enlightened France, which revered Franklin for his scientific accomplishments and his known reputation as a brilliant man. Franklin had also been a diplomat before the revolution, spending several years in London on behalf of the colonies. However, the French refused to provide more than arms and money throughout 1777, until they learned in December 1777 about Saratoga and Burgoyne’s surrender. With that news, French King Louis XVI entered into a formal military alliance with the United States, and in February 1778, France joined the war.
©2020 Charles River Editors (P)2020 Charles River Editors
The Congo Free State
Summary
King Leopold II of Belgium emerges from the pages of history as a curious character. He was a member of a privileged clique of European monarchs, bereft of power but rich, indulgent, and indolent. Leopold certainly availed himself of all the pleasures of court life, but he was also shrewd, astonishingly competent, and avaricious to an almost unimaginable degree. His initial interest in foreign real estate was imperial, insofar as he desired on behalf of Belgium the main accoutrements of a first-rate power, which were, of course, foreign estates and colonies. He was, however, unable to move the Belgian parliament to act in accordance, the conservative belief perhaps being that Belgium could not afford to compete on that level. Belgium was a small European nation, existing between major and, at times, belligerent powers, and as such, it quietly went about its business with a determination not to rock the European boat. Displaying enormous ability and a masterful grasp of diplomatic maneuver, Leopold was able to secure primary rights over the territory of the Congo River catchment, a portion of the globe more than three times the size of France. By any standards, this was a monumental coup, and by the time the other European powers woke up to precisely what was underway, it was too late the arrest the momentum. Of all the issues on the agenda as delegates gathered in Berlin in 1884, foremost was the Congo question. The matter was debated, and although deeply troubled by the potential consequences, recognition was eventually afforded to Leopold's claim to the Congo.
©2017 Charles River Editors (P)2017 Charles River Editors
Empath
Summary
Empath: Beginner’s Guide for Highly Sensitive People, Volume 2
©2019 Ariana Moore (P)2019 Ariana Moore
The Cajuns
Summary
Deep within the bayous and swamps of Louisiana resides a population descended from an exodus. These people, called Cajuns or Acadians, were expelled from their homelands. Persecuted and homeless, they traveled hundreds of miles south in search of a new home and ultimately settled in the Pelican State, where they made new lives for themselves free from their British conquerors. Though not always warmly welcomed, they were accepted, allowing them to practice their different culture amid their new neighbors. Though their home has changed flags over the centuries, the people themselves have remained, retaining a culture that goes back several centuries. While people continue to assimilate, some have continued to live the same lifestyles their ancestors did for generations, and they continue to fascinate outsiders, so much so that they occasionally end up being featured on the History Channel. The Cajuns: The History of the French-Speaking Ethnic Group in Canada and Louisiana profiles the people, from their origins to their history across North America. You will learn about the Cajuns like never before.
©2019 Charles River Editors (P)2019 Charles River Editors
John Colter
Summary
The time of the American mountain man was not to reach its peak until the mid-19th century, but the man who served as the prototype for the cultural genre hailed from an earlier age in which the new United States had scarcely established its most basic structural tenets. A member of the original Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery commissioned by Thomas Jefferson, John Colter’s multiple journeys to the northwest country of present-day Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho were first-time events in the development of the continent. With Lewis and Clark, Colter was met with every challenge the North American wilderness had to offer, including “constant rain and plaguing insects”, a range of cultures never before explored, an extreme mountain climate at unfamiliar elevations, and teeming wildlife boasting its share of predators. Added to Colter’s skills as a woodsman was a developing talent for communicating with previously unknown indigenous societies. He was undoubtedly assisted in this essential function by the presence of Sacajawea, a Lehmhi Shoshoni woman of the Agaidika, or Salmon-Eaters. She was married to the French translator Toussaint Charbonneau in a non-consensual contract, purchased with a second woman to serve as a working wife. Based on the experience gained from the Lewis and Clark expedition, Colter became a valued figure in future treks as part of the international trade for “plews”, the frontier word for beaver pelts. As one of the best hunters and trackers from the expedition, he was to be sent out on missions covering vast distances in his subsequent returns to the northwest. Although the precise routes of his solo journeys are difficult to confirm, Colter was likely the first explorer to witness the thermal marvels of the Yellowstone region and the Grand Tetons towering above present-day Jackson Hole. His accounts of the boiling geysers and bubbling pools of the northern Rockies remained the butt of frontier jokes until discovered by the next wave of surprised frontiersmen. Compared to the fantasies of Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill that entertained a fascinated public in the east, the hair-raising events of Colter’s time in the West were authentic and more than equal to popular fantasies of wilderness lore. His travels on foot were likened to the Aegean wanderings of Homer’s Odysseus, and in a comparison closer to home, he was often referred to as the Daniel Boone of the West. As the first mountain man, many factual considerations concerning his travels remain as matters of contention, and Colter never produced a written account, but the maps of William Clark and the recollections of the few who knew him have helped to clarify a story two centuries old. John Colter: The Life and Legacy of America’s First Mountain Man chronicles the remarkable story of the legendary explorer. You will learn about John Colter like never before.
©2018 Charles River Editors (P)2018 Charles River Editors
John C. Fremont
Summary
The exploration of the American West, beginning with Lewis and Clark’s transcontinental trek at the behest of President Thomas Jefferson, was not accomplished by standing armies, the era’s new steam train technology, or by way of land grabs. These came later, but not until pathways known only to a few of the land’s indigenous people were discovered, carved out, and charted in an area stretching from the eastern Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, and the present-day borders of Mexico and Canada. Even the great survey parties, such as Colonel William Powell’s exploration of the Colorado River, came decades later. The first views of the West’s enormity by white Americans were seen by individuals of an entirely different personality, in an era that could only exist apart from its home civilization. Naturally, the West was an endless source of fascination for those who were either personally or circumstantially ill-suited to travel there. As explorers opened trails and people expanded the frontier, unusual walks of life like cattle drives, and hunting became commonplace, as did images of dusty boomtowns. Before the Transcontinental Railroad connected the Atlantic and Pacific, the West possessed a distinctly separate culture from the East Coast, and cowboys, early settlers, and an enormous array of indigenous peoples produced a hybrid culture that seemed doomed to disappear as a result of the inevitable modernization. Of all the Americans who became renowned for expeditions to the West, few were as famous - or infamous - as John Charles Fremont, whose work produced some of the region’s most detailed maps and propelled him to national fame. Among other things, he taught mathematics to midshipmen on a Navy warship on a long cruise off South America, served as governor of two states and a Senator for one, was court-martialed for insubordination, issued the first emancipation proclamation, and eloped with the daughter of a powerful U.S. Senator. Today, Fremont is best known for leading five expeditions west, three of which were official U.S. expeditions and two of which were private. On his third official expedition, he was given secret instructions for when he reached California. While in California, he bought a lot of property with cloudy titles and found gold on his land, making him rich, but he also indulged in diplomacy and fighting that may have been a part of his instructions, which remain a topic of heavily contested debate today. Fremont subsequently joined a U.S. Navy commodore to set up a civil government, became military governor of California, claimed to outrank other local military figures, and set up an Army-Navy dispute that came close to being an actual battle and resulted in a court-martial in which he was convicted and subsequently pardoned by the president. Fremont retired after resigning his battlefield command in a huff. In 1864, radical Republicans who were unhappy with President Lincoln formed their own party and nominated Fremont to run for president. He could have split the Republican Party in two and assured a Democrat victory in 1864, but he dropped out of the race, assuring Lincoln’s win in the election. Was he a patriot or a realist? As this all indicates, Fremont’s life was full of intrigue, adventure, and controversy. John C. Fremont: The Life and Legacy of the Legendary American Explorer Known as The Pathfinder chronicles his colorful life and career in an attempt to separate fact from fiction. You will learn about The Pathfinder like never before.
©2019 Charles River Editors (P)2020 Charles River Editors