Showing results by narrator "Jonathan Waite" in All Categories

The emperor Caligula was one of the strangest and cruelest rulers that ever lived, and most of what is known about his reign comes from Suetonius. The first six months of his reign appear to have been moderate and successful; but after that, he fell into a spiral of sadism, sexual perversity, and plain insanity that made him one of the most hated tyrants of all time.

Known as a very strong man and an expert shot, William Tell took part in the resistance against the rule of the Habsburg, the emperors of Austria who had vowed to dominate his country. He was arrested for disobedience, which led to the cruelest punishment a prince could think of. Tell famously succeeded, but this was not to be the end of his tribulation. His struggle for liberty eventually sparked a rebellion which marked History.

These two stories are folk tales from the Slavic world; discover the stories and culture from Eastern Europe to Central Asia, recorded by the best storytellers for the enjoyment of children and adults alike. We put together two of the most charming stories from the Slavic culture.

The Cid, an Arab nickname meaning "the Lord", has been called the "most famous Spaniard of all time". Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar was a Castillan military and political leader in medieval Spain. He was an outstanding general, first leading the Spanish against the Moors in victorious battles, then working as a mercenary-general for whoever would require a war won. He eventually captured the city of Valencia, keeping it to himself and ruling it until his death. His remarkable military ability made him the legendary national hero of Spain. He remains an idolized figure in Spain, and his name has been immortalized in every form of story.

Joan of Arc is one of the most astounding heroins in French history. Her achievements leave anyone who knows her story shaking his head in amazed wonder. A small peasant girl born in Domrémy, she said she was visited by the Archangel Michael, Saint Margaret and Saint Catherine, who instructed her to support the King Charles VII to recover France from English domination. It was the end of the Hundred Years' war, and the French army was miserable, almost defeated, and hopeless; but the young maiden obeyed the voice that spoke to her and took arms, eventually leading a galvanized army to astounding victories. She was later caught by a coalition allied with the English; the ensuing story of her trial and eventual execution at the stake is one of the most distressing episodes of history, with lies and manipulation forcing a political agenda against all evidence.

"The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha", or more simply "Don Quixote", is one of the most influential works of literature from a Spanish author. It is one of the earliest canonical novels, and is regularly cited as the best work of fiction ever published. A nameless hidalgo read so many chivalric romances that he loses his sanity and decides to set out into the world as a knight, to bring justice under the name Don Quixote. The delusional hidalgo then recruits a simple farmer, Sancho Panza, whose unique wit proves a marvelous addition to Don Quixote's idealistic bouts.

Henry David Thoreau is a beloved American author, poet and philosopher. He was a lifelong abolitionist, advocate of civil disobedience againts unjust or corrupted goverments, and he defended the idea of abandoning illusory matters in favor of simple living, in order to discover life's authentic essential needs. He is best known for "Walden, or Life in the woods", the book he wrote during his two-year experiment in minimalist living: having built himself a cabin in the woods, he stayed there to study, write, and enjoy his newfound communion with nature. His political works and theory of civil disobedience have influenced the thoughts and actions of many prominent figures, such as Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Intelligence and cleverness are never boring. We have selected for you 100 quotes from the wittiest authors ever, from Oscar Wilde to Jerry Seinfeld, with the help of Woody Allen, Mark Twain, Winston Churchill, Groucho Marx and many others. Enjoy these pearls of humor to brighten your day with a good laugh, discover invaluable remarks and jokes to surprize your friends and enemies with, and shake hands with the greatest minds.

Step into the shoes of the iconic figure from Swiss folklore William Tell. Known for his exceptional archery skills and unwavering spirit, we follow his extraordinary journey as he defies tyranny and fights for freedom. From the fabled apple-shooting incident to his daring acts of defiance, this captivating narrative will transport you to a time of courage and resilience. Brace yourself for an epic adventure that will leave you inspired and in awe of this legendary Swiss hero.

Wisdom is a much-needed quality these days. We have selected for you 100 of the wisest sayings ever pronounced. They are taken from various cultural backgrounds to demonstrate that wisdom transcends frontiers. Let yourself be led with them into a journey around the world, across cultures and continents: you will find here deep quotes from the Talmud, efficient ones from Ancient Greek masters like Plato or Sophocles, poetic wise sayings by Indian sages, and numerous examples of Persian and Ancient Chinese Wisdom.

The emperor Nero's reign is one weird tale of sexual depravity and extravagant sadism. He was a gifted musician, and is said to have given great concerts of which attendance was compulsory; women were said to have given birth during the performance, and men were driven to fake death to escape. Nero kicked his pregnant wife to death and then had a young boy castrated to replace her as his spouse; then, during the great fire of Rome, he is said to have played the lyre to emphasize the beauty of the destruction. His eccentricities are a continuation of the tradition of his predecessors, only more perverted; Suetonius' account portray a strange man in strange times.

Schopenhauer: here's when great philosophy can be somber, pessimistic, even brutal, and still resonate with a sarcastic laugh. He was among the first to contend that the universe is essentially not a rational place; in his most famous work, "The World as Will and Representation", he argues that the individuals of a species do not have as much free will as is ordinarily thought, as the only Will that matters is that of the species, which is to reproduce and carry on. Schopenhauer is very well-known for his radical stance on women, aesthetics, and rhetoric; he is the author of "The Art of Being Right", a playful manual designed to utterly crush one's opponent in verbal battle, and of the "Metaphysics of the Love of the Sexes", a hilarious application of the theories developed in the "World as Will and Representation".

Immanuel Kant is one of the most important figures of German philosophy. He is said to have affected a Copernican revolution in philosophy, akin to Copernicus' reversal of the age-old belief that the sun revolved around the earth, through his ground-breaking work on the structure of experience. He argued that human experience couldn't be not affected by the features of our minds; the consequence is that we can only experience a phenomenal world, as conveyed by our senses, and never the reality itself, which nobody has ever seen. He published important treatises on ethics, religion, law, aesthetics, and history.

"The Prince" is the most famous of Machiavelli's works; it gives very clear, precise and realistic instructions on how to gain and maintain power, fortune, and glory, sometimes at the expense of others. Written in 1513, it is one of the most feared and hated political treatises, taken to be the first work in which the effect the leader desires to achieve is taken as more important than any abstract ideal or ethical value that might prevent him from taking immoral action.

What is truth? How can one be true to oneself without knowing what it means? How can one be sure to tell the truth when reality is such a difficult thing to attain? So many philosophers have struggled to define truth, each one of them coming up with enriching ideas that shed light on the concept from as many different angles.

Great philosophy doesn't have to be boring. The deepest minds can also be the wittiest, and these 100 quotes shine a revealing light on the humor of the best philosophers. We have selected for you the most interesting quotes about philosophy, having its own greatest figures reveal its humorous side: Nietzsche, Spinoza, Socrates, Plato, and also Gilles Deleuze, Beethoven, Oscar Wilde, Albert Camus and many others. Whoever learns to think by himself will also learn not to take himself too seriously; and the greatest minds are also the funniest.

Henry David Thoreau is a beloved American author, poet and philosopher. He was a lifelong abolitionist, advocate of civil disobedience againts unjust or corrupted goverments, and he defended the idea of abandoning illusory matters in favor of simple living, in order to discover life's authentic essential needs. He is best known for Walden, or Life in the woods, the book he wrote during his two-year experiment in minimalist living: having built himself a cabin in the woods, he stayed there to study, write, and enjoy his newfound communion with nature.

From Aristotle to Haruki Murakami, Nietzsche and Mark Twain to Bob Marley, we have selected for you 100 of the greatest quotes about friendship. You will learn its value from 100 different angles: these witticisms, remarks and pearls of wisdom will provide you with inspiration, food for thought, and different ways to relate to this essential concept. Much-loved but hard to define, excessively precious but fleeting and fragile, friendship has driven the greatest minds to try and formulate its significance, give out advice, and gain new understanding; enjoy these quotes for pleasure, betterment, and gratitude.

Here is one of the best Japanese stories. This fairy tale tells of the creation of the modern jellyfish, which is such a strange transluscent creature; according to the legend, it was not always the case, and the jelly fish owns its peculiar appearance to a punishment inflicted by the Dragon King of the Sea. Delve into the legends and fables of old Japan, with a myth that will delight children and adults alike, and discover the riches of Japanese culture through its most authentic tales. Not unlike the western folk tales compiled by the Brothers Grimm, this myth is part of a series of stories faithfully preserving the spirit of medieval Japan; it is a peculiar travel through space and time, which will delight children and adults alike.