Saturday, December 5, 2009
Amelia Airheart
"Use your fear to find where your courage is." Quote: Amelia Airheart to Shirley Temple.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Anthony Hope - The Prisoner of Zenda
The Prisoner of Zenda is an adventure novel by Anthony Hope, published in 1894. The king of the fictional country of Ruritania is abducted on the eve of his coronation, and the protagonist, an English gentleman on holiday who fortuitously resembles the monarch, is persuaded to act as his political decoy in an attempt to save the situation. The villainous Rupert of Hentzau gave his name to the sequel published in 1898, which is included in some editions of this novel. The books were extremely popular and inspired a new genre of Ruritanian romance, including the Graustark novels by George Barr McCutcheon.
Plot summary
The narrator is the Hon. Rudolf Rassendyll, twenty-nine year old younger brother of the Earl of Burlesdon and a distant cousin and look-alike of Rudolf V, the soon-to-be-crowned King of Ruritania, a "highly interesting and important" Germanic kingdom somewhere imprecisely between the German and Austrian Empires. The reason for this was because a great-great grandfather of both Rudolfs—also named Rudolf—had an affair with an English noblewoman. He acknowledged the son that resulted from this union and provided for them.
Ruritania is, like Germany and Austria-Hungary at that time, a monarchy. The red-headed Rudolf Elphberg, the crown prince, is a hard-drinking playboy, unpopular with the common people, but supported by the aristocracy, the Catholic Church, the army, and the upper classes in general. The political rival to this absolute monarch is his younger half-brother Michael, the dark-haired Duke and Governor of Strelsau, the capital. Black Michael has no legitimate claim to the throne, because he is the son of their father's second, morganatic marriage -- in other words his mother was not of royal blood, and the next in line of succession is the beautiful and popular Princess Flavia. Michael is regarded as champion of Strelsau's working classes, both the proletariat and the peasants, and of what Hope refers to as the criminal classes. The novel seems sympathetic, however, with those who would support the dissolute monarch, King Rudolf.
When Michael has King Rudolf drugged, Rassendyll must impersonate the King at the coronation, and then when the King is abducted and imprisoned in his castle in the small town of Zenda, until he can be rescued. There are complications, plots, and counter-plots, among them the schemes of Michael's mistress Antoinette de Mauban, and those of his dashing but villainous henchman Rupert of Hentzau, and Rassendyll falling in love with Princess Flavia, the King's betrothed. In the end, the King is restored to his throne — but the lovers, in duty bound, must part forever.
Plot summary
The narrator is the Hon. Rudolf Rassendyll, twenty-nine year old younger brother of the Earl of Burlesdon and a distant cousin and look-alike of Rudolf V, the soon-to-be-crowned King of Ruritania, a "highly interesting and important" Germanic kingdom somewhere imprecisely between the German and Austrian Empires. The reason for this was because a great-great grandfather of both Rudolfs—also named Rudolf—had an affair with an English noblewoman. He acknowledged the son that resulted from this union and provided for them.
Ruritania is, like Germany and Austria-Hungary at that time, a monarchy. The red-headed Rudolf Elphberg, the crown prince, is a hard-drinking playboy, unpopular with the common people, but supported by the aristocracy, the Catholic Church, the army, and the upper classes in general. The political rival to this absolute monarch is his younger half-brother Michael, the dark-haired Duke and Governor of Strelsau, the capital. Black Michael has no legitimate claim to the throne, because he is the son of their father's second, morganatic marriage -- in other words his mother was not of royal blood, and the next in line of succession is the beautiful and popular Princess Flavia. Michael is regarded as champion of Strelsau's working classes, both the proletariat and the peasants, and of what Hope refers to as the criminal classes. The novel seems sympathetic, however, with those who would support the dissolute monarch, King Rudolf.
When Michael has King Rudolf drugged, Rassendyll must impersonate the King at the coronation, and then when the King is abducted and imprisoned in his castle in the small town of Zenda, until he can be rescued. There are complications, plots, and counter-plots, among them the schemes of Michael's mistress Antoinette de Mauban, and those of his dashing but villainous henchman Rupert of Hentzau, and Rassendyll falling in love with Princess Flavia, the King's betrothed. In the end, the King is restored to his throne — but the lovers, in duty bound, must part forever.
The above taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prisoner_of_Zenda
There were many film adaptations:
It may also refer to one of its many film adaptations:
The Prisoner of Zenda (1913), with James K. Hackett and Beatrice Beckley
The Prisoner of Zenda (1915), starring Henry Ainley and Jane Gail
The Prisoner of Zenda (1922), featuring Lewis Stone and Alice Terry
The Prisoner of Zenda (1937), starring Ronald Colman and Madeleine Carroll
The Prisoner of Zenda (1952), with Stewart Granger and Deborah Kerr
The Prisoner of Zenda (1979), featuring Peter Sellers and Lynne Frederick
The Prisoner of Zenda (1913), with James K. Hackett and Beatrice Beckley
The Prisoner of Zenda (1915), starring Henry Ainley and Jane Gail
The Prisoner of Zenda (1922), featuring Lewis Stone and Alice Terry
The Prisoner of Zenda (1937), starring Ronald Colman and Madeleine Carroll
The Prisoner of Zenda (1952), with Stewart Granger and Deborah Kerr
The Prisoner of Zenda (1979), featuring Peter Sellers and Lynne Frederick
Audio book availalble at:
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Joseph Conrad - The Mirror of the Sea
http://www.archive.org/details/mirrorofthesea_p_librivoxThe Mirror of the Sea is a collection of autobiographical essays first published in various magazines 1904-6 (Summary by Wikipedia). Conrad early in his life earned his bread as a Master Mariner in sailing ships. In his Author's Note to this work, Conrad states,"Beyond the line of the sea horizon the world for me did not exist....Within these pages I make a full confession not of my sins but of my emotions. It is the best tribute my piety can offer to the ultimate shapers of my character, convictions, and, in a sense, destiny---to the imperishable sea, to the ships that are no more, and to the simple men who have had their day."
Some interesting comments here: http://perpetual-lab.blogspot.com/2009/02/touched-by-writing.html
The Hound of the Baskervilles - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
http://librivox.org/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-by-arthur-conan-doyle/What really killed Sir Charles Baskerville? Is his nephew, Sir Henry, in danger from the legendary family curse, a gigantic black hound? Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are on the case in this classic mystery, set on lonely Dartmoor in Devonshire. Neolithic ruins, a perilous quagmire, eerie sounds in the night, and (of course) fog all add to the fun, with an escaped convict thrown in for good measure.
Scott Sigler - The Rookie
Scott Sigler's thrilling novel which combines intense football action, space opera, and the criminal underworld has now been professionally remastered. This engaging story is most often described as a hybrid of Star Wars, The Godfather, and Any Given Sunday.The Rookie is set amongst a lethal pro football league 700 years in the future. Aliens play positions based on physiology, creating receivers that jump 25 feet into the air, linemen that bench-press 1,200 pounds, and linebackers that literally want to eat you. Organized crime runs every franchise, games are fixed, and rival players are assassinated.Follow the story of Quentin Barnes, a 19 year-old quarterback prodigy that has been raised all his life to loathe those aliens. He was taught rhymes in school about how to kill them. Quentin must deal with his racism and learn to lead, or he will wind up just another casualty on the football field.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Contagious - Scott Sigler
CONTAGIOUS SYNOPSIS:Across America, a mysterious pathogen transforms ordinary people into raging killers, psychopaths driven by a terrifying, alien agenda. The human race fights back, yet after every battle the disease responds, adapts, using sophisticated strategies and brilliant ruses to fool its pursuers. The only possible explanation: the epidemic is driven not by evolution but by some malevolent intelligence.Standing against this unimaginable threat is a small group, assembled under the strictest secrecy. Their best weapon is hulking former football star Perry Dawsey, left psychologically shattered by his own struggles with this terrible enemy, who possesses an unexplainable ability to locate the disease’s hosts. Violent and unpredictable, Perry is both the nation’s best hope and a terrifying liability. Hardened CIA veteran Dew Phillips must somehow forge a connection with him if they’re going to stand a chance against this maddeningly adaptable opponent. Alongside them is Margaret Montoya, a brilliant epidemiologist who fights for a cure even as she reels under the weight of endless horrors.
These three and their team have kept humanity in the game, but that’s not good enough anymore, not when the disease turns contagious, triggering a fast countdown to Armageddon. Meanwhile, other enemies join the battle, and a new threat — one that comes from a most unexpected source — may ultimately prove the most dangerous of all.
These three and their team have kept humanity in the game, but that’s not good enough anymore, not when the disease turns contagious, triggering a fast countdown to Armageddon. Meanwhile, other enemies join the battle, and a new threat — one that comes from a most unexpected source — may ultimately prove the most dangerous of all.
Nocturnal - Scott Sigler
NOCTURNAL SYNOPSIS:
Something lives deep beneath the streets of San Francsico. Something that has been there for centuries, something that comes out at night ... to feed on the dregs of society. A sub-culture, with its own myths, its own legends of leader named The King that will lead them out of bondage, and their own demon, a hunting shadow known only as Savior.
But the legends of Savior's brutality have faded, the fear passed into stories told to frighten the young ones. When The King finally appears, just as foretold, the Nocturnals know their time has time -- the time to come out from under the streets and hunt humanity in the open.
Something lives deep beneath the streets of San Francsico. Something that has been there for centuries, something that comes out at night ... to feed on the dregs of society. A sub-culture, with its own myths, its own legends of leader named The King that will lead them out of bondage, and their own demon, a hunting shadow known only as Savior.
But the legends of Savior's brutality have faded, the fear passed into stories told to frighten the young ones. When The King finally appears, just as foretold, the Nocturnals know their time has time -- the time to come out from under the streets and hunt humanity in the open.
Fractured Horizon by . H. E. Roulo
Katherine Downs sets off to find her mysterious father—and awakens hundreds of years later into a world guided by visionary Royals. But Kay inadvertently blinds their power. Hunted, she joins the rebel Adams, bioengineered warriors who rely on banned technology for a precarious foothold on the fading world. Will they destroy Kay for being only human, or will revelations about her own unnatural origins cause Kay to help them in their ongoing war? Greeted by a high-tech horde, courted by visionary royalty, and always steps away from her goals, Kay must master her own abilities before humanity is destroyed on Earth and the colonies in space.Envision a world ready to collapse-- and then watch it tip over the edge.
Downloaded from http://www.podiobooks.com/title/fractured-horizon
Infected - Scott Sigler
From Scott Siglers web site at: http://www.scottsigler.com/infected
INFECTED SYNOPSES:Perry Dawsey is 6-foot-5, 265 pounds of angry ex-linebacker. He knows all too well that if he doesn't control his quick temper, people get hurt. Through constant focus, he has locked his violent past away in the deep dungeons of his mind.
The infection changes everything.
Strange microscopic parasites tap into Perry's bloodstream like tiny little vampires. They start as bright orange blisters, but soon take the shape of triangular growths just beneath his skin. The "Triangles," as Perry calls them, try to control their host by manipulating hormone levels and flooding his body with neurotransmitters -- imbalances of which cause paranoia, schizophrenia and excessive aggression. As Perry begins a desperate battle to cut the Triangles out of his body before it's too late, his self-control dissolves into raging, murderous madness.
The infection changes everything.
Strange microscopic parasites tap into Perry's bloodstream like tiny little vampires. They start as bright orange blisters, but soon take the shape of triangular growths just beneath his skin. The "Triangles," as Perry calls them, try to control their host by manipulating hormone levels and flooding his body with neurotransmitters -- imbalances of which cause paranoia, schizophrenia and excessive aggression. As Perry begins a desperate battle to cut the Triangles out of his body before it's too late, his self-control dissolves into raging, murderous madness.
Earthcore - Scott Sigler
EARTHCORE SYNOPSIS:
From Scott Sigler's web site at : http://www.scottsigler.com/earthcore
Deep below a desolate Utah mountain lies the largest platinum deposit ever discovered. A billion-dollar find, it waits for any company that can drill a world's record, three-mile-deep mine shaft. EarthCore is the company with the technology, the resources and the guts to go after the mother lode. Young executive Connell Kirkland is the company's driving force, pushing himself and those around him to uncover the massive treasure.
But at three miles below the surface, where the rocks are so hot they burn bare skin, something has been waiting for centuries. Waiting ... and guarding. Kirkland and EarthCore are about to find out firsthand why this treasure has never been unearthed.
From Scott Sigler's web site at : http://www.scottsigler.com/earthcore
Deep below a desolate Utah mountain lies the largest platinum deposit ever discovered. A billion-dollar find, it waits for any company that can drill a world's record, three-mile-deep mine shaft. EarthCore is the company with the technology, the resources and the guts to go after the mother lode. Young executive Connell Kirkland is the company's driving force, pushing himself and those around him to uncover the massive treasure.
But at three miles below the surface, where the rocks are so hot they burn bare skin, something has been waiting for centuries. Waiting ... and guarding. Kirkland and EarthCore are about to find out firsthand why this treasure has never been unearthed.
Downloaded from http://www.podiobooks.com/title/earthcore
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Greenmantle by John Buchan
Greenmantle is the second of five Richard Hannay novels by John Buchan, first published in 1916 by Hodder & Stoughton, London. It is one of two Hannay novels set during the First World War, the other being Mr Standfast (1919); Hannay's first and best-known adventure, The Thirty-Nine Steps (1915), is set in the period immediately before the war started. - Hannay is called in to investigate rumours of an uprising in the Muslim world, and undertakes a perilous journey through enemy territory to meet up with his friend Sandy in Constantinople. Once there, he and his friends must thwart the Germans' plans to use religion to help them win the war, climaxing at the battle of Erzurum. (Summary from Wikipedia)
Some interesting links about the book:
http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t45957.html
http://liberalengland.blogspot.com/2005/08/greenmantle-by-john-buchan.html
Some interesting links about the book:
http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t45957.html
http://liberalengland.blogspot.com/2005/08/greenmantle-by-john-buchan.html
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
As You Like It - William Shakespear
I decided to listen to As You Like it, because Phillipa, who read The Man Who Would Be King, and by far my most favourite audio book reader, reads the part for Celia.
Plot Summary
Copied from http://www.william-shakespeare.info/shakespeare-play-as-you-like-it.htm
As You Like It is considered by many to be one of Shakespeare's greatest comedies, and the heroine, Rosalind, is praised as one of his most inspiring characters and has more lines than any of Shakespeare's female characters. Rosalind, the daughter of a banished duke falls in love with Orlando the disinherited son of one of the duke's friends. When she is banished from the court by her usurping uncle, Duke Frederick , Rosalind switches genders and as Ganymede travels with her loyal cousin Celia and the jester Touchstone to the Forest of Arden, where her father and his friends live in exile. Observations on life and love follow (including love, aging, the natural world, and death) friends are made, and families are reunited. By the play's end Ganymede, once again Rosalind, marries her Orlando. Two other sets of lovers are also wed, one of them Celia and Orlando's mean older brother Oliver . As Oliver becomes a gentler, kinder young man so the Duke conveniently changes his ways and turns to religion and so that the exiled Duke, father of Rosalind, can rule once again.
Text of the paly at http://www.william-shakespeare.info/script-text-as-you-like-it.htm
Famous Quotes / QuotationsThe quotes from As You Like It are amongst Shakespeare's most famous including 'too much of a good thing' and 'All the world 's a stage, and all the men and women merely players'. Details of these famous quotes follow, complete with information regarding the Act and the Scene, allowing a quick reference to the section of the play that these quotations can be found in.
"All the world 's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts" As You Like It - (Act II, Scene VII).
"Can one desire too much of a good thing?". As You Like It (Act IV, Scene I).
"True is it that we have seen better days". As You Like It - Act II, Scene VII).
"For ever and a day". As You Like It - (Act IV, Scene I).
"The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool". (Act V, Scene I).
Audio download from here. http://www.archive.org/details/as_you_like_it_0902_librivox
Plot Summary
Copied from http://www.william-shakespeare.info/shakespeare-play-as-you-like-it.htm
As You Like It is considered by many to be one of Shakespeare's greatest comedies, and the heroine, Rosalind, is praised as one of his most inspiring characters and has more lines than any of Shakespeare's female characters. Rosalind, the daughter of a banished duke falls in love with Orlando the disinherited son of one of the duke's friends. When she is banished from the court by her usurping uncle, Duke Frederick , Rosalind switches genders and as Ganymede travels with her loyal cousin Celia and the jester Touchstone to the Forest of Arden, where her father and his friends live in exile. Observations on life and love follow (including love, aging, the natural world, and death) friends are made, and families are reunited. By the play's end Ganymede, once again Rosalind, marries her Orlando. Two other sets of lovers are also wed, one of them Celia and Orlando's mean older brother Oliver . As Oliver becomes a gentler, kinder young man so the Duke conveniently changes his ways and turns to religion and so that the exiled Duke, father of Rosalind, can rule once again.
Text of the paly at http://www.william-shakespeare.info/script-text-as-you-like-it.htm
Famous Quotes / QuotationsThe quotes from As You Like It are amongst Shakespeare's most famous including 'too much of a good thing' and 'All the world 's a stage, and all the men and women merely players'. Details of these famous quotes follow, complete with information regarding the Act and the Scene, allowing a quick reference to the section of the play that these quotations can be found in.
"All the world 's a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts" As You Like It - (Act II, Scene VII).
"Can one desire too much of a good thing?". As You Like It (Act IV, Scene I).
"True is it that we have seen better days". As You Like It - Act II, Scene VII).
"For ever and a day". As You Like It - (Act IV, Scene I).
"The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool". (Act V, Scene I).
Audio download from here. http://www.archive.org/details/as_you_like_it_0902_librivox
The Man Who Would Be King - Rudyard Kipling
Read by Phillipa. http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=Philippa%20AND%20mediatype%3Aaudio The Man Who Would Be King http://www.archive.org/details/man_wwb_king_0810_librivox tells the story of two British adventurers in British India who become kings of Kafiristan, a remote part of Afghanistan. It was inspired by the exploits of James Brooke, an Englishman who became the "white Raja" of Sarawak in Borneo, and by the travels of American adventurer Josiah Harlan, who claimed the title Prince of Ghor.
Interesting links on the story http://iwatchfilm.com/download-movie/The-Man-Who-Would-Be-King.html
39 Steps by John Buchan
This is the first audio book I listened to and it has opened a whole new activity for me. Actually look forward to the 2 1/2 hour commute each day, just so I can listen to yet another chapter in what ever book I am listening to at the time.
Read by Adrian Praetzellis http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=Praetzellis%20AND%20mediatype%3Aaudio and set just prior to WW 1, the story http://www.archive.org/details/39_steps_0807_librivox follows Richard Hannay's adventures as he tries to solve secret codes whilst staying one step ahead of murderers and spies.
Read by Adrian Praetzellis http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=Praetzellis%20AND%20mediatype%3Aaudio and set just prior to WW 1, the story http://www.archive.org/details/39_steps_0807_librivox follows Richard Hannay's adventures as he tries to solve secret codes whilst staying one step ahead of murderers and spies.
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