Showing results by narrator "Jim Roberts" in All Categories

"So this is the little lady that made the big war." The authenticity of Lincoln's words have been questioned, but there is no question that the work fueled the passion and prejudices of countless numbers. It is a work of overwhelming power and persuasions which has outlived even the most severe critics. Notwithstanding its contribution to the abolitionist movement, the book offers a balanced treatment; there is admiration for the best of Southern gentility and the villain is a Vermonter.

Deeply in debt and worried that his children will be forced to struggle all their lives to make ends meet, Joe Tower hears stories of free land in Oregon and a better way of life. The tale of the "promised land" does not move his wife Emma to support their leaving all they have behind until a catastrophe gives them no other choice. Intimate and glorious in its description of everyday events, thoughts and hopes, this story is an excellent representation of what like was really like back in frontier days.

Dr. Martha Dane is the linguist in an archeological expedition of an ancient Martian city. She is dedicated to the monumental task of understanding the meaning of the wall writings, despite the discouragement of the other team members. With nothing solid to refer to, finding a "key" is paramount to the success of her mission. When the team uncovers an ancient university building, they discover more than just a Martian Rosetta stone.

An obscure original manuscript of Marco Polo’s travels ... A tantalizing clue to the site of Kublai Khan’s fabled burial site ... A chance to unearth the truth behind a long-lost treasure. It’s an opportunity that would make Indiana Jones drop everything but his whip and race off to China. But he’d be too late. Lieutenant Jonathan Daly is way ahead of him. Two bullet holes and a bad case of malaria may not be enough to stop Daly, but a crew of criminals, a brood of British agents, and the entire Chinese army are all in the game ... and determined to keep him out of it.

The Four Million was written in 1906 when roughly four million people lived in New York City. It opens with a reference to Ward McAllister's "assertion that there were only "400" people in New York City who were really worth noticing.

When a disheartened and broke Mr. Cole boards a ship, the Lady Jermyn, in Australia for a return to England, he little knows what is in store for him. Love, disaster and loss enfold him on the journey home. Once there he is followed, threatened and befriended. A strange series of events make him doubt his sanity before he discovers the secret of the Lady Jermyn and what really happened.

On the planet Zarathustra, a sunstone prospector named Jack Holloway has a mysterious small, "fuzzy" alien show up at his door and make itself at home. Jack names it "Little Fuzzy" and the creature's whole family soon joins them. Hardened prospector Jack is transformed into their "pappy" and chief protector and his life is changed forever.

Set in Oxford and Naples during the 1840s, The Lost Stradivarius is a tale of demonic possession and of the terrible price paid by "those who would exalt art at the expense of everything else." Though long recognized as a classic and gripping story of the occult, it is also a work which touches the "decadent" years of the nineteenth century at sensitive points: the psychical, the moral, and the aesthetic.

Young Kit Kellan has led a rough-and-tumble life - knocking around the Vega System in his youth as a tiger hunter, a brawler, and a bouncer in a bar. But his real fight is just beginning. Summarily expelled from the prestigious Terra University, he is taken into custody by an agent of the System Bureau of Investigation (SBI). Kit's crime: thinking too much and thinking too well. He’s not in custody for long, however. Snatched from captivity by the People’s Revolutionary Society, Kit sets out an epic adventure that will take him to the farthest reaches of the universe.

A power-crazed pirate captain allows Conan to stay on his ship. After Conan wins a challenge from another crewmember, he is accepted by the rest of the crew and soon earns their respect and admiration. Without revealing his reasons, the captain sails to a strange island in search of ancient treasure. The bewildered crew delight in the juicy fruit on trees near the shore while the captain goes alone into the forest to find the fortune spoken of in old texts and maps.

Penniless, homeless, and virtually lifeless, the vagrant “Doughface” Jack is about to discover that where medical marvels meet the mysteries of the human mind, amazing things happen. The Tramp acquires a capability beyond his imagination and without equal on Earth. Riding the rails, Jack runs afoul of a local sheriff and ends up with a crushed skull. He’s as good as dead until a savvy country doctor performs a bit of medical magic.

The entire story takesplace in a fabulous world created in the mind of a dreamer, Randolph Carter, and inhabited by weird and awesome creatures. There are cats who fly to the moon, named and unnamable monsters, gigantic flying creatures and a quest to find Kadath, a fortress where the gods live and play. The book is a veritable tour de force of horror and imagination that only the genius of Lovecraft could create.

The Kama Sutra is an ancient Indian text widely considered to be the standard work on human sexual behavior in Sanskrit literature. It is over 1,700 years old, yet it remains a best seller to this day. Part of the reason, of course, is it's incredible advice and creativity in the art of loving. But it is much more than that.

An officer accused of being a traitor says he "never wants to hear of the United States again". His wish is granted - and ends up being a terrible punishment.

The setting is the civil war, and the hero (or anti-hero as it seems at first) is Henry Flemming, a young Northern boy who, swept up in the patriotic tide, joins the Union Army. He is plunged into the conflict, and his courage fails him - he runs from his first battle. He finds out later that his side was victorious, and he feels that he will never be able to face himself or his comrades again. He slowly recovers his courage in time for a crucial confrontation.

Robert E. Howard, best known as the creator of Conan the Barbarian, also wrote stories in a diverse range of genres. He was particularly masterful with horror stories. This 1938 spell-binding story is one of his best. In 1983, Stephen King, wrote that he considered Pigeons from Hell to be "one of the finest horror stories of our century".

Timeless themes of courage and danger, leadership and honor, along with the bare-knuckle struggle between right and wrong are the hallmark of L. Ron Hubbard’s military and war adventures. Experience the action in these tales set against historical backgrounds as the characters face relentless adversaries and overwhelming odds.

Philip K. Dick was an award-winning giant of American science fiction, right up there with Ray Bradbury and Isaac Asimov. He became the first science fiction writer ever to be included in The Library of America series. Although he died fairly young at 53, he created many incredible sci-fi stories - 44 published novels and over 120 short stories! These 14 selections represent some of his most imaginative work. Included in this collection are: "Adjustment Team", "The Golden Man", "A World of Talent", "The Last of the Masters", "The Crystal Crypt", and more.

Henry Beam Piper was an American science fiction author who wrote many classic short stories and several novels during the "Golden Age" of science fiction in the USA. In this story, a soldier of the future, wounded badly in battle during World War III, loses consciousness. When he opens his eyes again he findsthat he is back in his boyhood past but with all the memories of his adult life intact!

Fans of Conan the Barbarian will not be disappointed with this tale. Conan, who is a wandering mercenary, follows a female pirate accused of murder. They encounter a dragon, a mysterious self-contained city, and an ancient feud. A witch, a prince, and an evil sorcerer all add to the thrilling story where the action doesn't stop in this entertaining and engaging tale.