Classic Audiobook Collection

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George Washington by Calista McCabe Courtenay ~ Full Audiobook [biography] Jul 23, 2022

Show notes

George Washington by Calista McCabe Courtenay audiobook.

Genre: biography

Written for younger readers as part of the Makers of American History series, Calista McCabe Courtenay's George Washington traces the rise of a quiet Virginia boy into the public figure who would help shape a new nation. The story begins with Washington's early life and training in discipline and responsibility, then follows him into the wilderness as a teenage surveyor learning endurance, practical leadership, and the value of clear judgment. As tensions grow on the frontier, Washington is drawn into military service during the French and Indian War, where difficult marches, uneasy alliances, and hard lessons test his resolve. Courtenay then turns to the American Revolution, focusing on Washington as Commander-in-Chief, navigating shortages, setbacks, and the constant pressure of holding an inexperienced army together against a powerful enemy. In the final section, the book examines Washington's transition from war leader to statesman, as the country looks to him to guide an untried republic through its earliest political and financial challenges. With an emphasis on character, civic virtue, and steady perseverance, this biography presents Washington as a model of duty under pressure and leadership in uncertain times.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 1

(00:19:51) Chapter 2

(00:32:55) Chapter 3

(00:46:21) Chapter 4

(01:03:20) Chapter 5

(01:17:28) Chapter 6

(01:32:16) Chapter 7

(01:45:15) Chapter 8

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Penrod and Sam by Booth Tarkington ~ Full Audiobook [comedy] Jul 22, 2022

Show notes

Penrod and Sam by Booth Tarkington audiobook.

Genre: comedy

Set in a small Midwestern town in the early 1900s, Penrod and Sam follows two inseparable boys - imaginative Penrod Schofield and his loyal partner-in-mischief, Sam Williams - as they turn ordinary days into elaborate adventures. Penrod longs to be seen as daring, honorable, and grown-up, but his grand plans collide with school rules, neighborhood rivalries, and the unpredictable logic of childhood. Together the boys form clubs, stage dramas, chase sudden schemes for money or glory, and stumble into scrapes that test their friendship and their standing with parents, teachers, and local authority figures. As Penrod tries to balance boyish pride with a budding sense of right and wrong, each episode reveals the high stakes of kid life: loyalty, reputation, courage, and the desire to belong. Booth Tarkington captures the comedy of misunderstandings and the tenderness beneath the trouble, painting a vivid portrait of American boyhood where imagination is both a superpower and a fast track to disaster. Warm, sharp, and nostalgic, the story celebrates friendship while gently poking fun at the serious world children build for themselves.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:18:35) Chapter 02

(00:34:37) Chapter 03

(00:45:04) Chapter 04

(01:08:09) Chapter 05

(01:25:08) Chapter 06

(01:49:15) Chapter 07

(01:58:03) Chapter 08

(02:10:06) Chapter 09

(02:29:25) Chapter 10

(02:42:57) Chapter 11

(02:59:27) Chapter 12

(03:11:11) Chapter 13

(03:26:48) Chapter 14

(03:41:31) Chapter 15

(03:59:28) Chapter 16

(04:15:18) Chapter 17

(04:43:36) Chapter 18

(04:58:58) Chapter 19

(05:11:26) Chapter 20

(05:18:47) Chapter 21

(05:36:02) Chapter 22

(05:54:51) Chapter 23

(06:18:55) Chapter 24

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Penrod by Booth Tarkington ~ Full Audiobook [comedy] Jul 22, 2022

Show notes

Penrod by Booth Tarkington audiobook.

Genre: comedy

In early 1900s small-town Indiana, Penrod Schofield is a well-meaning twelve-year-old with a gift for getting into trouble, usually through enthusiasm, imagination, and a stubborn belief that his latest idea simply must work. Between schoolyard rivalries, neighborhood clubs, amateur theatricals, and grand schemes for honor and adventure, Penrod tries to navigate a world governed by adults, rules, and the constant risk of public embarrassment. His friendships with other boys - including steady Sam Williams and the unpredictable Herman Lacey - pull him into dares and alliances that can turn a quiet afternoon into a full-scale crisis. At home, the expectations of his parents and the sharp eye of his sister Marjorie keep him under scrutiny, while his own shifting sense of pride and conscience pushes him to prove he is brave, respectable, and grown up. Booth Tarkington captures childhood as both comedy and battlefield, where every misunderstanding feels monumental and every small victory matters. Penrod is a warm, sharply observed portrait of boyhood, manners, and mischief, told with affectionate wit and a keen eye for human nature.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:10:04) Chapter 02

(00:21:36) Chapter 03

(00:30:13) Chapter 04

(00:39:46) Chapter 05

(00:50:43) Chapter 06

(01:02:26) Chapter 07

(01:09:22) Chapter 08

(01:16:49) Chapter 09

(01:30:46) Chapter 10

(01:40:57) Chapter 11

(01:56:29) Chapter 12

(02:07:25) Chapter 13

(02:21:54) Chapter 14

(02:39:43) Chapter 15

(02:58:36) Chapter 16

(03:09:42) Chapter 17

(03:24:32) Chapter 18

(03:35:52) Chapter 19

(03:44:37) Chapter 20

(03:56:35) Chapter 21

(04:13:56) Chapter 22

(04:22:42) Chapter 23

(04:36:15) Chapter 24

(04:59:13) Chapter 25

(05:15:50) Chapter 26

(05:25:58) Chapter 27

(05:36:23) Chapter 28

(05:44:06) Chapter 29

(05:59:42) Chapter 30

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The Alchemist by Ben Jonson ~ Full Audiobook [comedy] Jul 22, 2022

Show notes

The Alchemist by Ben Jonson audiobook.

Genre: comedy

An outbreak of plague in London forces a gentleman, Lovewit, to flee temporarily to the country, leaving his house under the sole charge of his butler, Jeremy. Jeremy uses the opportunity given to him to use the house as the headquarters for fraudulent acts. He transforms himself into 'Captain Face', and enlists the aid of Subtle, a fellow conman and Dol Common, a prostitute. In The Alchemist, Jonson unashamedly satirizes the follies, vanities and vices of mankind, most notably greed-induced credulity. People of all social classes are subject to Jonson's ruthless, satirical wit. He mocks human weakness and gullibility to advertising and to 'miracle cures' with the character of Sir Epicure Mammon, who dreams of drinking the elixir of youth and enjoying fantastic sexual conquests. The Alchemist focuses on what happens when one human being seeks advantage over another. In a big city like London, this process of advantage-seeking is rife. The trio of con-artists - Subtle, Face and Dol - are self-deluding small-timers, ultimately undone by the same human weaknesses they exploit in their victims.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 1

(00:31:47) Chapter 2

(01:17:30) Chapter 3

(01:48:00) Chapter 4

(02:35:20) Chapter 5

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The Old Man in the Corner by Baroness E. Orczy ~ Full Audiobook [mystery] Jul 22, 2022

Show notes

The Old Man in the Corner by Baroness E. Orczy audiobook.

Genre: mystery

In a quiet corner of a London tea shop, a small, dapper stranger sits apart from the crowd, apparently absorbed in a simple ritual: he rolls a bit of string between his fingers, tying and untying little knots as he thinks. To an inquisitive young journalist who shares his table, he is merely 'the old man in the corner' - until he begins to talk. With unnerving calm and razor-sharp logic, he takes headline cases that have baffled police and courts and reconstructs them from scraps of public evidence: a puzzling death at a country house, a disappearance that makes no sense, a verdict that feels too convenient. He never visits a crime scene, never interviews witnesses, and never claims any official authority. Yet each knot he ties seems to pull another hidden thread into view. As the reporter records his startling conclusions, fascination turns to unease: why does this armchair genius care so much, and what is he really proving - about the crimes, about justice, and about the people who are too quick to trust appearances?

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:13:12) Chapter 02

(00:31:39) Chapter 1

(00:47:38) Chapter 2

(01:08:09) Chapter 07

(01:17:38) Chapter 3

(01:42:25) Chapter 10

(02:02:47) Chapter 11

(02:17:37) Chapter 12

(02:32:34) Chapter 13

(02:43:31) Chapter 14

(02:51:28) Chapter 15

(03:00:55) Chapter 4

(03:15:08) Chapter 18

(03:28:20) Chapter 5

(03:45:43) Chapter 6

(04:05:38) Chapter 7

(04:22:06) Chapter 25

(04:39:40) Chapter 8

(04:49:37) Chapter 28

(05:02:14) Chapter 9

(05:18:08) Chapter 31

(05:27:33) Chapter 32

(05:38:05) Chapter 10

(05:56:01) Chapter 11

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Mental Efficiency and Other Hints to Men and Women by Arnold Bennett ~ Full Audiobook [self help] Jul 22, 2022

Show notes

Mental Efficiency and Other Hints to Men and Women by Arnold Bennett audiobook.

Genre: self help

In Mental Efficiency and Other Hints to Men and Women, celebrated novelist and essayist Arnold Bennett turns his sharp, practical eye on the everyday problem of how to think, work, and live with more purpose. Written for ordinary readers facing the pressures of modern life, these brisk essays offer guidance on cultivating mental energy, strengthening attention, and building habits that make productive work possible without turning life into drudgery. Bennett addresses the common obstacles that drain efficiency - fatigue, distraction, vague ambition, and self-deception - and he proposes concrete ways to manage time, conserve nervous force, and approach tasks with calm persistence. Along the way, he challenges the reader to replace grand resolutions with small, repeatable disciplines, and to treat the mind as something that can be trained through practice rather than rescued by inspiration. Witty, candid, and quietly demanding, this book speaks to anyone who wants clearer priorities, steadier motivation, and a more deliberate relationship with work, leisure, and self-improvement.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 1

(00:39:25) Chapter 2

(00:49:31) Chapter 3

(00:58:35) Chapter 4

(01:10:42) Chapter 5

(01:38:55) Chapter 6

(01:56:42) Chapter 7

(02:27:05) Chapter 8

(02:38:44) Chapter 9

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The Grand Babylon Hotel by Arnold Bennett ~ Full Audiobook [thriller] Jul 22, 2022

Show notes

The Grand Babylon Hotel by Arnold Bennett audiobook.

Genre: thriller

Theodore Racksole, a rich American multi-millionaire, buys the Grand Babylon Hotel, a luxurious hotel in London, as a whim - and then finds out there are strange things going on - a German prince is supposed to arrive but never turns up, someone is found murdered in the hotel, but then the body disappears. With the help of his independent daughter Nella and another German prince, Racksole sets out to solve the mystery.

Bennett wrote this as a 15-part serial, for a lark, in 15 days, and sold it for 100 pounds. It first appeared in The Golden Penny in 1902, which described it as 'the most original, amusing, and thrilling serial written in a decade'

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:33:08) Chapter 02

(01:03:46) Chapter 03

(01:29:20) Chapter 04

(01:54:26) Chapter 05

(02:21:30) Chapter 06

(02:48:22) Chapter 07

(03:11:42) Chapter 08

(03:41:55) Chapter 09

(04:07:04) Chapter 10

(04:34:27) Chapter 11

(05:03:04) Chapter 12

(05:26:05) Chapter 13

(05:50:57) Chapter 14

(06:21:11) Chapter 15

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Politics by Aristotle ~ Full Audiobook [philosophy] Jul 22, 2022

Show notes

Politics by Aristotle audiobook.

Genre: philosophy

The Politics, by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle, is one of the most influential texts in political philosophy. In it, Aristotle explores the role that the political community should play in developing the virtue of its citizens. One of his central ideas is that 'Man is a political animal,' meaning that people can only become virtuous by active participation in the political community. Aristotle also criticizes his teacher Plato, classifies and evaluates six different types of constitutions and political institutions, and describes his vision of the ideal state. Aristotle's views on women and slavery are unenlightened by today's standards, but his work remains enduring and relevant to this day.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:17:24) Chapter 02

(00:36:12) Chapter 03

(00:53:04) Chapter 04

(01:10:26) Chapter 05

(01:31:46) Chapter 06

(01:50:07) Chapter 07

(02:10:21) Chapter 08

(02:24:43) Chapter 09

(02:41:50) Chapter 10

(03:00:56) Chapter 11

(03:22:27) Chapter 12

(03:45:01) Chapter 13

(04:09:30) Chapter 14

(04:27:27) Chapter 15

(04:43:21) Chapter 16

(05:05:43) Chapter 17

(05:26:43) Chapter 18

(05:44:48) Chapter 19

(06:00:18) Chapter 20

(06:16:29) Chapter 21

(06:38:42) Chapter 22

(06:57:22) Chapter 23

(07:17:17) Chapter 24

(07:33:40) Chapter 25

(07:54:20) Chapter 26

(08:07:08) Chapter 27

(08:21:18) Chapter 28

(08:37:05) Chapter 29

(08:55:31) Chapter 30

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An Englishwoman’s Love-Letters by Anonymous ~ Full Audiobook [romance] Jul 22, 2022

Show notes

An Englishwoman’s Love-Letters by Anonymous audiobook.

Genre: romance

Told entirely through a sequence of intimate letters, An Englishwomans Love-Letters invites you into the private world of an unnamed Englishwoman as she writes to the man who has upended her carefully ordered life. In pages that move from playful teasing to raw confession, she chronicles stolen moments, long separations, and the fierce pressure of living within a society that prizes restraint over truth. The letter writer is intelligent, witty, and keenly observant - of landscapes and social rituals, but most of all of her own shifting heart. As her correspondence deepens, the letters become a battleground between duty and desire, fear and courage, secrecy and the ache to be fully known. With no narrator to mediate and no outside voices to soften the edges, the story feels immediate, like reading a bundle of papers never meant for anyone else. Lyrical, bold, and psychologically precise, this classic epistolary romance explores how love can remake identity, and what it costs to choose feeling in a world built on appearances.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 1

(00:17:46) Chapter 2

(00:37:25) Chapter 3

(00:51:50) Chapter 4

(01:10:31) Chapter 5

(01:28:43) Chapter 6

(01:58:43) Chapter 7

(02:19:19) Chapter 8

(02:37:17) Chapter 9

(02:51:14) Chapter 10

(03:06:15) Chapter 11

(03:19:38) Chapter 12

(03:40:03) Chapter 13

(03:57:49) Chapter 14

(04:13:31) Chapter 15

(04:29:52) Chapter 16

(04:47:29) Chapter 17

(05:04:23) Chapter 18

(05:18:56) Chapter 19

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The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang ~ Full Audiobook [folklore] Jul 22, 2022

Show notes

The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang audiobook.

Genre: folklore

First published in the Victorian era as the opening volume of Andrew Lang's famous colored fairy book series, The Blue Fairy Book gathers a spellbinding treasury of traditional tales retold for families and read-aloud delight. Drawn from a wide range of European storytelling traditions and beyond, these stories plunge listeners into worlds where brave children outwit ogres, enchanted princes endure impossible tests, clever heroines break spells, and everyday kindness can tip the balance against cruelty and greed. Across castles, deep forests, and distant kingdoms, characters confront curses, jealous rivals, perilous bargains, and magical helpers whose gifts come with rules that must be honored. Lang's brisk, vivid prose keeps the action moving while preserving the timeless cadence of folklore, and the collection's variety means each new tale offers a fresh kind of wonder - comic misadventure, dark mystery, or hard-won triumph. Whether you return for nostalgia or discover these classics for the first time, The Blue Fairy Book invites you into a shared heritage of imagination, where courage, patience, and wit matter as much as magic.

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Chapters (Approximate)

(00:00:00) Chapter 01

(00:21:01) Chapter 02

(00:39:45) Chapter 03

(01:11:51) Chapter 04

(02:01:41) Chapter 05

(02:05:39) Chapter 06

(02:27:07) Chapter 07

(02:46:40) Chapter 08

(03:19:58) Chapter 09

(03:39:33) Chapter 10

(03:47:30) Chapter 11

(04:38:59) Chapter 12

(05:20:15) Chapter 13

(05:31:12) Chapter 14

(05:40:06) Chapter 15

(05:59:43) Chapter 16

(06:38:04) Chapter 17

(06:53:34) Chapter 18

(07:16:07) Chapter 19

(07:45:09) Chapter 20

(08:02:21) Chapter 21

(08:31:28) Chapter 22

(08:54:05) Chapter 23

(09:12:33) Chapter 24

(09:31:23) Chapter 25

(09:43:47) Chapter 26

(09:55:53) Chapter 27

(10:01:19) Chapter 28

(10:23:47) Chapter 29

(10:33:48) Chapter 30

(10:56:50) Chapter 31

(11:21:41) Chapter 32

(12:03:22) Chapter 33

(12:24:14) Chapter 34

(13:33:37) Chapter 35

(13:43:24) Chapter 36

(13:55:43) Chapter 37

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