New Releases

There are very few persons who have not heard of the fame of Peter the Great, the founder, as he is generally regarded by mankind, of Russian civilization. The celebrity, however, of the great Muscovite sovereign among young persons is due in a great measure to the circumstance of his having repaired personally to Holland, in the course of his efforts to introduce the industrial arts among his people, in order to study himself the art and mystery of shipbuilding, and of his having worked with his own hands in a ship-yard there. The little shop where Peter pursued these practical studies still ...

Oscar Wilde's poem Ravenna won the prestigious Newdigate Prize for Poetry at Oxford University. It was recited by the author in the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford on June 26th 1878. The poem describes Wilde's reaction to his first visit to Ravenna in Italy. Many of the other poems in this recording also reflect Wilde's great love of Italian life and culture. Some also show his admiration for the English Romantic Poets, Keats, Shelley and Byron. (Summary by Alan Mapstone)

Hello, I'm Edith Shyly, potty-mouthed poet. I'll be making regular dumps of my latest poems here for your consumption.

Preface:The stories and reminiscences in this book are true to life, every one of them. They are told just as they occurred, without any attempt at literary embellishment; and most of them can be substantiated by living witnesses. My purpose has been simply to bring out in connection with these great military events, with which they were so intimately connected, a few of the many incidents and heart histories that were crowded into my own life, from April 20, 1861, to Nov. 23, 1865. Camps and hospitals were established near my own home in Keokuk, Iowa, early in April, 1861. I began at once my ...

LibriVox volunteers ring in the new year with nineteen recordings of Ring Out, Wild Bells by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. This was the weekly poetry project for the week of December 31st, 2006.

In a memoir marked by joy, love, and an unbending sense of adventure, Cornelia Stratton Parker reveals the heart of a unique man and their life together. As a member of California's turn-of-the-20th-century Immigration and Housing Commission, Carlton H. Parker came to understand the problems surrounding migrant camps and the labor movement in general. In this volume she recounts his undertakings in that regard and their family life. - Summary by Mary Schneider

Elizabeth von Arnim, author of Vera and The Enchanted April, takes us on a novelized journey through the German island and vacation getaway of Rügen. Here we meet and enjoy "Elizabeth", who solely, with only a maid and coachman, encounter several other quaint and intriguing characters and stories. This book is full of quick wit and WILL make you chuckle along the way! (Summary by Christine Rottger)

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LibriVox volunteers bring you 23 recordings of An Old Man's Thought of School by Walt Whitman. This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for February 12, 2012.Whitman claimed that after years of competing for "the usual rewards", he determined to become a poet. He first experimented with a variety of popular literary genres which appealed to the cultural tastes of the period. As early as 1850, he began writing what would become Leaves of Grass, a collection of poetry which he would continue editing and revising until his death. (Summary from Wikipedia)

LibriVox volunteers bring you seven different recordings of The Oxen, by Thomas Hardy. This was the weekly poetry project for the week of December 17th, 2006.

LibriVox volunteers bring you 25 recordings of At A Lunar Eclipse by Thomas Hardy. This was the Weekly Poetry project for January 27, 2019. ------ While Hardy wrote poetry throughout his life and regarded himself primarily as a poet, his first collection was not published until 1898. Initially, therefore, he gained fame as the author of such novels as Far from the Madding Crowd (1874), The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886), Tess of the d'Urbervilles (1891), and Jude the Obscure (1895). During his lifetime, Hardy's poetry was acclaimed by younger poets (particularly the Georgians) who viewed him as ...

LibriVox volunteers bring you 16 recordings of For Dolly, who does not Learn her Lessons by E. Nesbit. This was the Weekly Poetry project for April 21st, 2013. Edith Nesbit reminds us of the magic - and brevity - of childhood.

Lively narratives of some of the great siege battles of war. The book was written before World War I, in 1908. Some of the narratives contain language which was common in 19th and early twentieth century usage but which listeners today may find offensive. Summary by david wales

Robert Herrick had been apprenticed to a goldsmith before entering holy orders. This early training has been credited with influencing his metrical precision and his success with short poems. A still more important influence was Ben Jonson, for he was a member of the "sons of Ben," the coterie of younger poets that surrounded that great dramatist, Shakespeare's rival and friend. He even addresses a poem to Jonson addressing him as his "saint." As a country parson, far from the bustle of London and his poetic peers, Herrick found inspiration in the beauties of nature, but loneliness may have ...

LibriVox volunteers bring you 25 recordings of The Reaper And The Flowers by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. This was the Fortnightly Poetry project for April 8, 2012.Longfellow predominantly wrote lyric poems which are known for their musicality and which often presented stories of mythology and legend. He became the most popular American poet of his day and also had success overseas. He has been criticized, however, for imitating European styles and writing specifically for the masses. (Summary by Wikipedia)

The frost fair of 1814 began on 1 February, and lasted four days. A printer named George Davis published a 124-page book, "Frostiana; or a History of the River Thames in a Frozen State". The entire book was type-set and printed in Davis's printing stall, which had been set up on the frozen Thames. The book is a written history of London's frost fairs, interspersed with humorous, cold-related sections including "How to Make Ice Cream" and "The Art of Ice Skating". - Summary by Wikipedia, Lewis Fletcher

LibriVox volunteers bring you nine different readings of Clement C. Moore's 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, a weekly poetry project. (Summary by Annie Coleman)

Was macht man, wenn man dem größten Dichter seiner Zeit exklusiv beim Denken zuhören darf? Man schreibt es auf. Johann Peter Eckermann hat genau das getan und uns mit den „Gesprächen mit Goethe“ ein einzigartiges Zeitdokument hinterlassen. In diesem Podcast nehmen wir auf dem virtuellen Sofa in Weimar Platz. Gemeinsam lesen wir uns durch Eckermanns Notizen – von tiefen philosophischen Gedanken über Kunst und Natur bis hin zum ganz alltäglichen Klatsch aus Goethes Wohnzimmer. Kein starres Literaturseminar, sondern ein gemütlicher Streifzug durch den Kopf eines Genies an seinem ...

The first volume of Peter Guralnick's critically acclaimed Elvis Presley biographies 'Elvis steps from the pages. You can feel him breathe' BOB DYLAN 'Wonderful' RODDY DOYLE Last Train to Memphis is arguably the first serious biography that refuses to dwell on the myth of Elvis. Aiming instead...

Leigh Hunt was an English poet, essayist and editor best remembered as the host of a literary circle which gathered at his home in Hampstead and attracted many well known writers of the day including Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, John Keats, William Hazlitt, Thomas Moore and Charles Lamb. He wrote many letters to various friends including some Epistles in Verse of which those to Byron, Moore, Hazlitt and Lamb are recorded here. He also made translations from Poets of Antiquity (Homer, Theocritus, Anacreon and Catullus) (Summary by Alan Mapstone)