Arts Podcasts

Librivox: History of the Peloponnesian War, The by Thucydides show

Librivox: History of the Peloponnesian War, The by ThucydidesJoin Now to Follow

The History of the Peloponnesian War is an account of the Peloponnesian War in Ancient Greece, fought between the Peloponnesian League (led by Sparta) and the Delian League (led by Athens) in the 5th Century BC. It was written by Thucydides, an Athenian general who served in the war. It is widely considered a classic and regarded as one of the earliest scholarly works of history. The History is divided into eight books. These book divisions are the work of editors in later antiquity. W. R. Connor [...] describes Thucydides as "an artist who responds to, selects and skillfully arranges his material, and develops its symbolic and emotional potential." (Summary from Wikipedia)

By LibriVox

Librivox: Hard Times by Dickens, Charles show

Librivox: Hard Times by Dickens, CharlesJoin Now to Follow

Hard Times, the shortest of Dickens's full-length novels, is set in the fictitious Victorian-England city of Coketown, where facts are the rule and all fancy is to be stamped out. The plot centers around the men and women of the town, some of whom are beaten down by the city's utilitarian ideals and some of whom manage to rise above it. The novel was written in 1854 and was a scathing attack on then-current ideas of utilitarianism, which Dickens viewed as a selfish and at times oppressive philosophy. Perhaps the novel's best features are its clever, ironic narration and the larger-than-life characters that push the plot forward, such as the upper-class banker and hypocritical braggart, Josiah Bounderby, and the fact-driven schoolmaster, Thomas Gradgrind. (Summary by Rosalind Wills).

By LibriVox

Librivox: Ozma of Oz by Baum, L. Frank show

Librivox: Ozma of Oz by Baum, L. FrankJoin Now to Follow

Ozma of Oz was the third title in the Oz series by L. Frank Baum. In this book Dorothy is shipwrecked and lands on the shores of a fairy country that adjoins Oz, the land of Ev. There she meets Tiktok, a wind up mechanical man, a talking chicken, Billina, and Ozma, the girl ruler of Oz who is leading a quest to rescue the royal family of Ev from their captivity by the Nome King. Dorothy is also reunited with her old friends, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion. Together the adventurers travel to the Nome King's underground kingdom and have many exciting adventures before returning to Oz, and for Dorothy, eventual return to her family in the "civilized" world. (description by Judy Bieber)

By LibriVox

Librivox: Road to Oz, The by Baum, L. Frank show

Librivox: Road to Oz, The by Baum, L. FrankJoin Now to Follow

The Road to Oz takes Dorothy and her friends on an adventure in Oz to a grand party in honor of Ozma's birthday. It all starts near her home on Uncle Henry's farm in Kansas when she tries to help a shaggy stranger find the road he is seeking. On the way they find a young boy, Button-Bright, and together they get lost, only to find themselves in the fairylands of Oz. Once again in the Land of Oz, Dorothy and her friends encounter a number of new fantasy characters: some good, some bad, some amusing, and all entertaining. They make their way eventually to the Emerald City to participate in Ozma's Birthday Celebration. In the end, Dorothy arrives safely back home, a little tired from her adventures, but quite content. (Summary written by Kara Shallenberg)

By LibriVox

Selected Short Stories by CRANE, Stephen show

Selected Short Stories by CRANE, StephenJoin Now to Follow

A selection of stories by the author of The Red Badge of Courage, including "The Open Boat," "The Monster," "The Blue Hotel," "The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky," and others. A more thorough introduction to follow (Introduction by Greg W.)

By LibriVox

Short Story Collection Vol. 044 by VARIOUS show

Short Story Collection Vol. 044 by VARIOUSJoin Now to Follow

<br>LibriVox’s Short Story Collection 044: a collection of 20 short works of fiction in the public domain read by a group of LibriVox members.<br><br>

By LibriVox

Librivox: Emerald City of Oz, The by Baum, L. Frank show

Librivox: Emerald City of Oz, The by Baum, L. FrankJoin Now to Follow

The Emerald City of Oz (1910) was the sixth Oz book written by L. Frank Baum, a title he hoped would be the last. In this book, Dorothy and her impoverished Uncle Henry and Aunt Em are on the brink of losing their Kansas farm. Consequently, Ozma invites them all to live in the Emerald City. They then explore the countryside, visiting a series of strange beings including the Cuttenclips, the Fuddles, the Rigmaroles, the Flutterbudgets, and the residents of Utensia, Bunbury and Bunnybury. Aunt Em and Uncle Henry also meet old friends like the Wizard, the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, Jack Pumpkinhead and H. M. Wogglebug T. E. The travelers’ idyll is brought short by the plot of an old enemy, the Nome King. Seeking revenge for the loss of his magic belt, the Nome King has an underground tunnel built so he can invade and plunder Oz and enslave its peoples. Our friends manage to defeat the Nome King and his allies, but sobered by this threat, Glinda and Ozma decide to cut off Oz from the outside world forever. Happily for Oz fans, forever lasted only three years. Baum invented a way to reopen communications with Oz and eight more Oz books were published between 1913-1920. (Summary by Judy Bieber)

By LibriVox

Patchwork Girl of Oz, The by BAUM, L. Frank show

Patchwork Girl of Oz, The by BAUM, L. FrankJoin Now to Follow

<p>An unlucky Munchkin boy named Ojo must travel around Oz gathering the ingredients for an antidote to the Liquid of Petrifaction which has turned his beloved uncle Unc Nunkie and the wife of the Liquid's creator into marble statues. Ojo is joined by the patchwork girl Scraps, Dorothy, Dr. Pipt's Glass Cat, the Woozy, the Shaggy Man, the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman. They eventually visit the Emerald City to ask for help from the Wizard of Oz. (Summary by Daniel Anaya)</p>

By LibriVox

TIME Entertainment Podcast show

TIME Entertainment PodcastJoin Now to Follow

TIME's entertainment critics discuss all things pop culture including the latest movies, albums, TV shows, and books.

By Time Magazine

Librivox: Heroes, or Greek Fairy Tales for my Children, The by Kingsley, Charles show

Librivox: Heroes, or Greek Fairy Tales for my Children, The by Kingsley, CharlesJoin Now to Follow

The Heroes, or Greek Fairy Tales for my Children by Charles Kingsley is a collection of three Greek mythology stories: Perseus, The Argonauts, and Theseus. The author had a great fondness for Greek fairy tales and believed the adventures of the characters would inspire children to achieve higher goals with integrity.

By LibriVox