Arts Podcasts

Librivox: Little Wars (A Game for Boys from twelve years of age to one hundred and fifty and for that more intelligent sort of girl who likes boys' games and books) With an Appendix on Kriegspiel by Wells, H. G. show

Librivox: Little Wars (A Game for Boys from twelve years of age to one hundred and fifty and for that more intelligent sort of girl who likes boys' games and books) With an Appendix on Kriegspiel by Wells, H. G.Join Now to Follow

Miniature wargaming got its start with the publication in 1913 of this thoroughly entertaining little account of how H.G. Wells, with certain of his friends, took their childhood toys and turned play into acceptable middle-aged sport by subjecting the exercise to the civilizing influence of actual rules. While wargaming progressed far past these beginnings, Wells observes how "little wars" with even his elementary rules can suggest the wholesale crudity of the real thing. "You have only to play at Little Wars three or four times to realise just what a blundering thing Great War must be. Great War is at present, I am convinced, not only the most expensive game in the universe, but it is a game out of all proportion. Not only are the masses of men and material and suffering and inconvenience too monstrously big for reason, but--the available heads we have for it, are too small. That, I think, is the most pacific realisation conceivable, and Little War brings you to it as nothing else but Great War can do." Wells leaves almost hanging the tantalizing concept that we might someday simulate war, as an instrument of international decision-making, rather than practice actual combat. But most of this book is just the fun of evicting the boys from the playroom and spending happy days there, away from the "skirt-swishers", developing the framework under which two gentlemen might meet and accumulate boastable victories!

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Librivox: Wonderwings and other Fairy Stories by Howes, Edith show

Librivox: Wonderwings and other Fairy Stories by Howes, EdithJoin Now to Follow

A collection of three short stories about fairies, complete with good moral lessons (as every fairy tale should be). (Summary by Claire Goget)

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Librivox: Romantic Poetry Collection 001 by Various show

Librivox: Romantic Poetry Collection 001 by VariousJoin Now to Follow

A collection of romatic poems for St Valentine's day.

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Librivox: Devil's Dictionary, The by Bierce, Ambrose show

Librivox: Devil's Dictionary, The by Bierce, AmbroseJoin Now to Follow

Ambrose Bierce (1842 - 1914?), satirist, critic, poet, short story writer and journalist. His fiction showed a clean economical style often sprinkled with subtle cynical comments on human behaviour. In the Devil's Dictionary, he let his sense of humour and his cynical outlook on life colour a collection of dictionary-like definitions. (Summary by Peter)

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Librivox: Love Among the Chickens by Wodehouse, P. G. show

Librivox: Love Among the Chickens by Wodehouse, P. G.Join Now to Follow

Jeremy Garnet, a second-rate novelist, gets talked into joining his old pal Stanley Featheringstonehaugh Ukridge in an insane plan to start a chicken ranch. Garnet should bail out on his crazy friend, but he falls in love with one of Ukridge's neighbors, Phyllis. Soon he is up to his neck in sick chickens, bad debts, a hostile future father-in-law, a sinister plot, and dirty golf. It all gets a bit thick, what? (Summary by Mark Nelson)

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Librivox: Villette by Brontë, Charlotte show

Librivox: Villette by Brontë, CharlotteJoin Now to Follow

After a tragedy in her family, Lucy Snow leaves her home to become a teacher at a French boarding school. Lucy soon begins to fight against an overwhelming sense of desolation. Meeting a charming doctor and a strict, peculiar schoolmaster changes her life forever-- and threatens to break her spirit. (summary by heatherausten)

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Librivox: Fábulas de Esopo, Las, Vol 3 by Esopo show

Librivox: Fábulas de Esopo, Las, Vol 3 by EsopoJoin Now to Follow

The classic Aesop's Fables have been translated to every language for hundreds of years. The fables, told in the form of allegories, give us universal, worldly advice. The use of animals and ancient gods makes the lessons unbiased and impartial. Short and smart, these fables entertain and enrich our lives. In this volume you will find 30 of the 300 fables we offer you in Spanish. Las clásicas Fábulas de Esopo han sido traducidas a todos idiomas por cientos de años. Las fábulas, en forma de alegorias, nos dan consejos en una forma universal. El uso de animales y dioses antiguos hace que las lecciones sean imparcial. Cortitas y sabias, cada fábula nos entretiene y enriquese nuestras vidas. En este volúmen encontrará 30 de las 300 fábulas que le ofrecemos en Español.

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Librivox: On the Duty of Civil Disobedience by Thoreau, Henry David show

Librivox: On the Duty of Civil Disobedience by Thoreau, Henry DavidJoin Now to Follow

Civil Disobedience is an essay by Henry David Thoreau. Published in 1849 under the title Resistance to Civil Government, it expressed Thoreau’s belief that people should not allow governments to overrule or atrophy their consciences, and that people have a duty both to avoid doing injustice directly and to avoid allowing their acquiescence to enable the government to make them the agents of injustice. Thoreau was motivated in part by his disgust with slavery and the Mexican-American War. (Summary from Wikipedia).

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Librivox: Phantom-Wooer, The by Beddoes, Thomas Lovell show

Librivox: Phantom-Wooer, The by Beddoes, Thomas LovellJoin Now to Follow

LibriVox volunteers bring you 13 different recordings of The Phantom-Wooer by Thomas Lovell Beddoes. This was the weekly poetry project for the week of January 28th, 2007.

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Librivox: J'accuse...! by Zola, Émile show

Librivox: J'accuse...! by Zola, ÉmileJoin Now to Follow

J'accuse est le titre d'un article rédigé par Émile Zola lors de l'affaire Dreyfus et publié dans le journal L'Aurore du 13 janvier 1898 sous forme d'une lettre ouverte au Président de la République Félix Faure. Il s'est inspiré d'un dossier fourni en 1896 par l'écrivain Bernard Lazare. (Résumé de Wikipedia) "J'accuse!" (I accuse!) was published January 13, 1898 in the maiden issue of the newspaper L'Aurore (The Dawn). It had the effect of a bomb. In the words of historian Barbara Tuchman, it was "one of the great commotions of history." Zola's intent was to force his own prosecution for libel so that the emerging facts of the Dreyfus case could be thoroughly aired. In this he succeeded. He was convicted, appealed, was retried, and, before hearing the result, fled to England on the advice of his counsel and friends, returning to Paris in June 1899 when he heard that Dreyfus's trial was to be reviewed. (Summary from Wikipedia)

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