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The Soviet Union During the Brezhnev Era: The History of the USSR Under Leonid Brezhnev , Hörbuch, Digital, ungekürzt, 119min

For 30 years, much of the West looked on with disdain as the Bolsheviks took power in Russia and created and consolidated the Soviet Union. As bad as Vladimir Lenin seemed in the early 20th century, Joseph Stalin was so much worse that Churchill later remarked of Lenin, “Their worst misfortune was his birth... their next worst his death.”Stalin had ruled with an iron fist for nearly 30 years before his death in 1953, which may or may not have been murder, just as Stalin was preparing to conduct another purge. With his death, Soviet strongman and long-time Stalinist Nikita Khrushchev (1894-1971), became the Soviet premier.A barely known figure outside of the Eastern bloc, Khrushchev was derided as a buffoon by one Western diplomat and mocked for his physical appearance by others, but any Western hopes that he would prove a more conciliatory figure than Stalin were quickly snuffed out as the hard-line Khrushchev embraced confrontational stances.Personal histrionics aside, Khrushchev meant business when dealing with the West, especially the United States and its young president, John F. Kennedy. After sensing weakness and a lack of fortitude in Kennedy, Khrushchev made his most audacious and ultimately costly decision by attempting to place nuclear warheads at advanced, offensive bases located in Cuba, right off the American mainland. As it turned out, the Cuban Missile Crisis would show the Kennedy Administration’s resolve, force Khrushchev to back down, and ultimately sow the seeds of Khrushchev’s fall from power. By the time he died in 1971, he had been declared a non-citizen of the nation he had ruled for nearly 20 years.Leonid Brezhnev became First Secretary of the Communist Party in the Soviet Union in late 1964 after a plot to oust Khrushchev. Little is remembered in the public imagination about Brezhnev in comparison to Mikhail Gorbachev, Vladimir Lenin, or Joseph Stalin, despite the fact Brezhnev ruled the USSR from 1964-1982, lo ungekürzt. Language: English. Narrator: Colin Fluxman. Audio sample: https://samples.audible.de/bk/acx0/156914/bk_acx0_156914_sample.mp3. Digital audiobook in aax.

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Price: 9.95 EUR excl. shipping

Sherlock Holmes: The Griffin Collection - Three Sherlock Holmes Mysteries in One Book , Hörbuch, Digital, ungekürzt, 73min

Three Compelling Sherlock Holmes Mysteries In One Book. Narrated by the celebrity actor Simon Prebble who is also known as an award winner for the best voice in fiction. STORY ONE: Dirty Laundry in Paradise. For a moment, my estimation of the good Mr. Brae had increased somewhat, as I gathered he didn’t want one of his servants taking the blame for a deed the poor soul hadn’t perpetrated. I glanced at Holmes to determine his take on the situation, but I wasn’t surprised that he had taken little notice of Mr. Brae. “Would you pass the milk, Watson?” Ignoring the man completely as one could ignore a bumbling buffoon, as Holmes had dubbed him after our previous encounter. Dutifully, I passed him the cream which he slowly poured into his tea. STORY TWO: Death in the Tropics of an English Explorer. “And I suppose you expect me to solve the whole case on that information alone? Surely there is something more you can give me.” Replied Holmes; quickly losing interest in the subject. Mycroft continued, “Suppose I said that it is possible, while studying the lives of an indigenous tribe known as the Koburu, that the great explorer, Sir Hughes Blakefield, was murdered in cold blood, poisoned with his evening scotch. STORY THREE: NOT SO MERRY IN GOOD OL" SCOTLAND. I awoke groggily, the surroundings looking dim. My vision was blurry, and I wondered where I was. I tried to move my arms and legs, but they felt as heavy as lead. "Holmes?" My voice rang out through the dark room, until a light was shone in my face. I could scarcely see beyond it. I still could not move my arms, nor my legs, and a growing sense of fear took over my thoughts. ungekürzt. Language: English. Narrator: Simon Prebble. Audio sample: https://samples.audible.de/bk/acx0/019555/bk_acx0_019555_sample.mp3. Digital audiobook in aax.

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Price: 9.95 EUR excl. shipping

The Molière Collection, Hörbuch, Digital, 560min

Six hilarious satires from the ingenious Molière, France’s original master of comedies: The Bungler: In 17th-century Sicily, a clever valet named Mascarille tries to help his boss Lélie win the girl of his dreams… only to find that Lélie is a monumental dunce who ruins every one of his intricate schemes. Performed by Richard Easton, et al. The Imaginary Cuckold: Brian Bedford stars as the enraged husband who imagines his wife is unfaithful, but becomes reluctant to defend his honor in this grand farce of hysterical coincidences, frenzied confusion and mistaken identities – the most widely performed Molière play in his lifetime. Performed by: Brian Bedford, Joanne Whalley, et al. The School for Husbands: Sganarelle, a tyrannical old buffoon of a husband-to-be, seeks to isolate his young ward, while unwittingly carrying her messages of devotion to her lover. Performed by: Brian Bedford, Emily Bergl, et al. The School for Wives: In this biting comedy of errors, the hapless Arnolphe is undone by his own double dealing and double standards. This play is considered by many to be Molière’s masterpiece, and Wilbur’s subtle verse translation illuminates the great master of comedy at his wittiest. Performed by: William Brown, et al. Tartuffe: Initially banned in by King Louis XIV, Molière’s most famous satire exposes hypocrisy in the Catholic Church. A pious fraud manipulates the patriarch of a wealthy family into giving up his fortune, and it’s up to his family to expose the truth before they end up in the poor house. Performed by: Brian Bedford, Martin Jarvis, et al. The Misanthrope: Razor-sharp wit inflames a competitive game of survival in the salons of 17th century France. In this world of "finest appearances", one man’s blunt honesty shatters his society’s delicate web of manners in what is often considered to be Molière’s Hamlet. Performed by: Harry Althaus, et al. Language: English. Narrator: Richard Easton, Brian Bedford, Joanne Whalley, Martin Jarvis, Alex Kingston, John de Lancie, Harry Althaus. Audio sample: https://samples.audible.de/pf/latw/000281/pf_latw_000281_sample.mp3. Digital audiobook in aax.

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Travels with Holmes, Book 1 , Hörbuch, Digital, ungekürzt, 133min

Travel with Holmes and Watson to solve five mysteries from around the world. Narrated by the award winner and television celebrity, Alex Hyde-White. Story One: Not so Merry in Good Ol' Scotland. I awoke groggily, the surroundings looking dim. My vision was blurry, and I wondered where I was. I tried to move my arms and legs, but they felt as heavy as lead. Holmes? My voice rang out through the dark room, until a light was shone in my face. Story Two: Bumbling Caper on the Swiss Alps. Watson! Watson! I shouted in dismay, thinking I was close to the surface. Alas, I could not find my way out of the snow, packed thick and heavy all around me. My legs were pinned in place, and I could scarcely breathe with each passing moment. Story Three: Double Trouble in York. Upon hearing that I had to consciously resist the temptation that I had to peek through the drapes to see if I could catch a glimpse of that scoundrel. Holmes continued, it is time, Watson.;Time for what? Time for you to be viciously murdered in cold-blood. Story Four: Dirty Laundry in Paradise. "Would you pass the milk, Watson?" Ignoring the man completely as one could ignore a bumbling buffoon, as Holmes had dubbed him after our previous encounter. Dutifully, I passed him the cream which he slowly poured into his tea. Story Five: Murders on the Voyage to India. Murder ; Murder. The scream echoed down the hallway shaking me from my slumber and into the dim vision of the electric lights. Someone was banging on the door and Watson scrambled to open it. I was bleary- eyed, still feeling a bit desensitized when Evelyn Reed burst in to the door. Her hands were covered with odious red... ungekürzt. Language: English. Narrator: Punch Audio, Alex Hyde-White. Audio sample: https://samples.audible.de/bk/acx0/026129/bk_acx0_026129_sample.mp3. Digital audiobook in aax.

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John Dee: The Life and Legacy of the English Occultist, Alchemist, and Philosopher Who Became Queen Elizabeth I's Spiritual Advisor , Hörbuch, Digital, ungekürzt, 99min

“Who does not understand should either learn, or be silent.” (John Dee)With the golden glow of the candlelight kissing his cheeks, he hovered over a spirit mirror - a flat, exquisitely lustrous “shew-stone” fashioned out of raven-black obsidian. Gazing intently upon his reflection in the dark volcanic glass, he chanted in hushed tones as he ran his fingers across the engravings on the oat-colored wax wheel next to him, the Sigilla iEmeth, which featured a septogram and runic carvings and symbols in minuscule print.Contrary to what one might expect, it was not a phantom, hobgoblin, or demon that he sought, but rather, the seraphic voice, and perhaps even the face of an angel - the one bridge between mankind and their Creator, one who holds the key to all of life's unanswerable questions. Was this man delusional? Perhaps so, but perhaps, not. But there was no question among those on hand that this was not an ignorant, philistine, unlettered buffoon of a man who readily boarded the train of groundless superstition. Far from it, this was a man who held not only a master's degree, but a doctorate, and his simultaneously stimulating and mesmerizing lectures drew crowds of royals and nobles from near and far. This was a man who was well-versed in a host of academic fields, and he would go on to serve as one of his queen's foremost personal advisers. He was also a prolific author whose revolutionary ideas helped chart the path for the burgeoning British Empire. The man in question is none other than John Dee, one of the greatest scientific minds of his time, but also one of the most controversial. He was a learned man in fields as varied as mathematics and astronomy, centuries before they became formalized fields of study, but he is better remembered for performing magic and alchemy. Instead of astronomy, he became renowned across England for astrology, and he was one of the country’s most notorious occult writers during his life.Give ungekürzt. Language: English. Narrator: Delaine Daniels. Audio sample: https://samples.audible.de/bk/acx0/176311/bk_acx0_176311_sample.mp3. Digital audiobook in aax.

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Price: 9.95 EUR excl. shipping