Napoleon is one of the giants of modern history. From the last days of the French Revolution to the epochal battle of Waterloo he bestrode the political landscape of Europe like a colossus, and the age to which he gave his name remains one of the most tumultuous in the history of the continent. But who was Napoleon Bonaparte? And why does he still arouse such powerful passions? This audiobook traces the remarkable rise and fall of a man who, as military leader and lawgiver, left his mark on the lives of millions in France and beyond, and whose presence continues to be felt in Europe and the wi.

Michael Henchard, drunk at a country fair, sells his wife and baby daughter for five guineas. The following day, in despair and remorse, he forswears alcohol and sets out to redeem himself. In time, he becomes a respected merchant and eventually the mayor of the town. But Fate is not to be so easily appeased, and Henchard finds his past actions resonate through and destroy his plans for the future. One of the greatest novels in the English language, the Mayor of Casterbridge sees Thomas Hardy at his best, bringing landscape and richly imagined characters to life, and setti.

The unremarkable Catholic priest, Father Brown, combines intuition and a profound interest in human nature to solve more crimes that are seemingly improbable. A prophet of a new religion appears in Westminster. Why does an Italian Prince seek exile in Norfolk? Who killed a jovial old philanthropist, and why? a decadent poet is inexplicably murdered in his own home. Did God kill a priest's brother? What really happened in a British battle glorified in history? This second volume of stories from the Innocence of Father Brown presents six crimes, which are at times surreal, bi.

The common view of the Romans is that they were only interested in watching gladiators hack one another to pieces, and in lying on couches while they stuffed large meals down their throats. But of course they were a busy and clever people, who built up a great empire to prove it, with fine cities and harbours, bath houses and roads, laws and good government. In this audiobook you can hear the stories of the great Roman emperors and the enduring legacy that they left for later generations.

Naxos AudioBook Grandiose and glamorous, Baroque music stands alone, written to glorify the finest courts of Europe. It's greatest composers, such as Vivaldi, Handel and Bach, head a fascinating cast of musical magicians, including Albinoni, Pachelbel and Scarlatti. Their lives are as intriguing as their music: we find virtuoso performers who earned their bread and butter in the cathedrals of Europe while keeping company with kings and queens, and setting opera houses ablaze across the continent with their fabulous new music. Discover Music of the Baroque Era is rich in musical detail.

Charles Darwin, father of evolution, was one of the greatest pioneers in science. His five-year voyage on the Beagle, his visit to the Galapagos Islands, his careful work in noting small differences of fauna on different islands all led to the concept of natural selection, which radically changed the way mankind and the animal world was viewed. But what kind of man was Darwin, and why did he keep his conclusions secret for so many years? In this clear but informative account, Peter Whitfield sets Darwin in the 19th-century society from which he sprang.

Now considered by many to be Charlotte Bronte's best novel, though unlikely to eclipse Jane Eyre in fame and popularity, Villette is largely concerned with the experiences of Lucy Snowe in a girl's boarding school in a fictionalized Belgium. Lucy flees unhappiness in England only to find more abroad. Her love for Dr John unrequited, she slowly realizes that a deeper attachment is growing between her and her irascible domineering mentor and colleague, M. Paul Emanuel.

How did the great scientists make their remarkable discoveries? And what kind of men were they? This companion volume to Inventors and their Inventions introduces the work of ten men to younger readers, and range from the world of Ancient Greece to the twentieth century discovery of DNA. Among them are the crucial discovery that the earth goes around the sun (Galileo), the principle of gravity (Newton), the evolution of the species (Darwin) and the principle of inherited characteristics or genetics (Mendel).

Our Island Story by H.E. Marshall is an Edwardian history book for younger listeners (aged six&;twelve years old) which tells the story of England, concluding with the reign of Queen Victoria. Having released it earlier this year unabridged in three volumes, Naxos Audiobooks now offers an attractive collection of the main stories and personalities. This skilful abridgement nevertheless maintains the narrative of British history, from the arrival of Julius Caesar to the height of the British Empire and the long reign of Queen Victoria.

Maggie Tulliver has two lovers Philip Wakem, son of her father's enemy, and Stephen Guest, already promised to her cousin. But the love she wants most in the world is that of her brother Tom. Maggie's struggle against her passionate and sensual nature leads her to a deeper understanding and to eventual tragedy.

Tristram Shandy is an ironic masterpiece, a work of extraordinary originality, wit and learning. It is a work of considerable philosophical complexity but at the same time, it is just a piece of film-flam: it has been called the longest shaggy dog story.

June 1942, a small book was published: “L’Etranger” (The stranger). The unknown author was a 28 years old who was to soon modify the history of both literature and philosophy of th 20th century, expressing the absurdity of the human destiny. This man is Albert CAMUS, who was awarded the Nobel prize in 1957. On April 7, 8 and 9 1954, Albert CAMUS recorded the integrality of his most famous work “L’Etranger” for the National Radio. This 3-CD set offers a restored edition of this reading by Albert Camus himself (in French) of “L’Etranger”. Includes a 16 pages booklet written by Roger Grenier, who Camus helped to become a journalist for “Combat”, and who wrote a intellectual biography on Albert Camus.

Four more stories from the master detective. The mystery of the missing suitor is solved and Sherlock Holmes raises his whip... an Indian pot stands in the shadows of a Colonel' death... serious affairs of state and international diplomacy are threatened by.

It could be argued that Fanny Hill: or the Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure is the greatest erotic classic in English literature. It is certainly, for the eighteenth century, the most explicit. Published between 1748&;1749 (in two parts) it led to the arrest of it's author John Cleland and publisher.