Showing results by narrator "Andrea Giordani" in All Categories

Whether you are an English speaker who wishes to learn French or a French speaker who wants to improve your English, the stories are written in both French and English to help you learn the second language of your choice. The stories are a mix of popular and unknown tales and include "Barbe-Bleue" (Bluebeard), "Cendrillon" (Cinderella), "Peau d'âne" (Donkey Skin), "Les Souhaits Ridicules" (The Ridiculous Wishes), and many more.

Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery covers the mid-teenage years of Anne Shirley. She is the new schoolteacher of Avonlea, and Anne meets many new people and gets into several fun mishaps. From accidentally selling her neighbor's cow to painting the town hall a bright, startling blue, the adventures never stop.

The classic children's tale The Wonderful Wizard of Oz written by L. Frank Baum follows the adventures of young Dorothy, who lives in Kansas with her Uncle Henry and Aunt Em. As many fans know from the beloved film adaptation of the book, a terrible swirling cyclone sweeps through the prairie area where Dorothy and her family are living, and in an attempt to get to safety, Dorothy's dog Toto buries himself under a bed. The house is picked up by the extreme winds, and when Dorothy awakens after the event, she is no longer in the town she calls home.

The historian, scholar, and anthropologist, Andrew Lang, began publishing collections of fairy tales from around the globe in the late 19th century. His status as one of England's foremost folklorists and his superb literary abilities make his collections unique in the English language. The Grey Fairy Book contains more than 30 stories from Africa, Germany, Greece, France and Lithuania. The overlap in the theme, plot and characters of narratives from across the world is remarkable.

The Analects or Selected Sayings is an ancient Chinese text comprising sayings and wisdom teachings attributed to Confucius and his contemporaries, as well as fragmentary dialogues between the philosopher and his students. The Analects has been one of the most influential books in China for the last two millennia, and continues to contribute to Chinese and East Asian culture and thought.

Roman historian Suetonius first introduces Claudius in his biography of Augustus, describing the boy as having various issues with his mental and physical health. Though he grew healthier after becoming emperor, "Life of Claudius" portrays him in a mixed light. While Suetonius tells of how Claudius was the first to invade Britain in a 100 years, he also paints the man as a fool who was easily swayed by others. Though historians today perceive Claudius as a more competent ruler, this dramatic biography held primary sway over public opinion for centuries.

The Secret Adversary, which is the first novel in the series that follows Tommy and Tuppence, chronicles the pair's quest to find a mysterious woman who goes by the name of Jane Finn. Earlier in 1915, Jane Finn had been given a secret document while aboard the Lusitania, which was sunk due to a torpedo hit. That document was a treaty, and Jane was entrusted by the stranger who gave it to her to deliver it to the American Embassy located in London. Years later, the document has still never been delivered....

St. John Chrysostom’s treatise on humility, hope, and prayer. “Nothing is more powerful than prayer when fervent and genuine,” claims Chrysostom, asserting that it both disperses present dangers and rescues from penalties.

Ninth-century Welsh monk Nennius has traditionally been linked to this purported history of the indigenous Britons. Written around 828, this history has been notable for its mention of certain historical figures and even saints. Most notable, however, is the very first mention of the historical King Arthur as a military leader. 

Cato the Younger was one of the many biographies documented by Plutarch in his series called Parallel Lives. Related to Cato the Elder, Cato the Younger was also a student of philosophy as well as a Roman Statesman. After his father died and he gained his inheritance, Cato the Younger began his life as philosopher, warrior, and political leader. His life ended, as so many Roman lives did back then, in tragedy.

Epaminondas was known better for his way with words than his way with a sword. He used his wits on the battlefield to lead armies and took the honor of himself and his men most seriously. Nepos here admires the Theban orator who could out-speak any Athenian. 

In Germania, Roman historian Tacitus presents an impressive history of Germanic tribes and their societies. He dives deep, discussing everything from their ancestry to their government. The work also explores the similarities and differences between the values and customs of Roman and Germanic societies. Germania is a monumental ethnographic work that provides fascinating insight into early Germanic cultures and Roman attitudes toward them. 

Whether you're an advanced witch, a new and curious witch, or simply a spiritual seeker, this book will equip you with tools, techniques, rituals, and spells to deepen your connection to the divine force and celestial beings that you’re meant to connect with.

Agesilaus was a notable king of Sparta prior to the Athens-Spartan war. Although he won and lost many battles for the city, his legacy lived on. He was a short-statured, lame man who managed to rule an entire city-state - and many looked up to him after his death.

Nathan the Wise, a play published by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing in 1779, is a fervent plea for religious tolerance. It was first performed in 1783 at the Döbbelinsches Theatre in Berlin. The narrative is set in Jerusalem during the Third Crusade and describes how the wise Jewish merchant Nathan, the enlightened sultan Saladin, and a Templar Knight bridge the differences between Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Its major themes are friendship, tolerance, the relativism of God, a rejection of miracles and a need for communication.

Gaius Marius was pivotal to many of the ways in which we know Rome today. His impact on Rome is noted in Plutarch’s The Life of Marius, from his time served as General to his time served as Statesman. His blessed life began as a child with a legend - that he found a clutch of eagles containing seven chicks, and therefore Jupiter was assuring his seven elections to senate. Though, all the war and political unrest that ensued his six elections followed him only 17 days into his seventh election - when he died of Pleurisy.

In the book Abandonment to Divine Providence (published in 1851), he teaches the believer to submit to God’s will and to enjoy his loving presence. Abandonment is a term used by mystic writers to signify the first stage of the union of the soul with the divine, by conforming to God's will. Abandoning an outcome to God is to follow the path of peace. Originally written as letters for the direction of Nuns, the book is an excellent guide for Christians yearning to attain resignation and peace.

Andrew Lang (1844 - 1912) was a Scottish poet, novelist, and literary critic. His 12 collections of fairy tales are known as Andrew Lang's Coloured Fairy Books or Andrew Lang's Fairy Books of Many Colors. The third in the series, the Green Fairy Book, contains tales from around the world, from Grimm (“The White Snake” and “Spindle, Shuttle, and Needle”), France de Caylus, Fenelon, Kletke, and D'Aulnoy. The stories include "The Crystal Coffin", "The Three Snake-Leaves", "The Riddle", "Jack My Hedgehog", "The Golden Lads", and many more.

A Short and Easy Method of Prayer is an excellent manual on prayer for Christians. It teaches the importance of respectful silence in prayer, patience in prayer, collecting oneself inwardly, seeking God in love, and the total abandonment of oneself to God. Madame Guyon aimed at inducing the world to love God and to serve him with comfort and success, in a simple and easy manner. In essence, A Short and Easy Method of Prayer encourages us to take time with God and let the word of the divine enter our hearts, through praying and then waiting on God to speak to our hearts.

The Kalevala is a 19th-century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Karelian and Finnish oral folklore and mythology. The Kalevala was instrumental in the development of the Finnish national identity and the sense of nationality that led to Finland's independence from Russia in 1917. Beginning with the traditional Finnish creation myth, the Kalevala branches out into stories of the creation of the earth, plants, creatures, and the sky. There are many stories of, romance, kidnapping, seduction, and magical spell casting and singing.