Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad

Eriksson Krohg, public domain image

Summary: A classic of early literary modernism, Lord Jim tells the story of a young “simple and sensitive character” who loses his honor in a display of cowardice at sea — and of his expiation of that sin against his own “shadowy ideal of conduct” on the remote island of Patusan. The novel, written by Conrad for magazine serialization during an intense and chaotic ten months in 1899 and 1900, has, in the words of Thomas C. Moser, “the rare distinction of being a masterpiece in two separate genres. It is at once an exotic adventure story of the Eastern seas in the popular tradition of Kipling and Stevenson and a complexly wrought ‘art novel’ in the tradition of Flaubert and James.  (Summary by Stewart Wills for Librivox)

Download as a zipped file

Subscribe in iTunes

Read this book yourself

Internet archive file

To hear this book, click play in the box below or click on the chapter links.

Total running time: 14 hours, 25 minutes

Lord Jim cover art, courtesy of Librivox

Author’s Note and Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Adriaen van der Kabel, Stormy Sea with some boats near cliffs, public domain image

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Alois Kirnig, A Seascape Multedo Monte Oliveto, public domain image

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapters 15 to 17

Chapters 18 and 19

Chapter 20

Chapters 21 and 22

Seascape by Altamouras Ioannis Thalassografia, public domain image

Chapters 23 and 24

Chapters 25 and 26

Chapters 27 and 28

Chapters 29 and 30

Chapters 31 and 32

Almeida Júnior, Marinha, 1895, public domain image

Chapters 33 and 34

Chapter 35 and 36

Chapters 37 and 38

Chapters 39 and 40

Chapters 41 and 42

Chapters 43 and 44

Chapter 45

The Story of Doctor Dolittle

Edward Cross by Jacques Laurent Agasse, public domain

Download as a zipped file

Read this book yourself

Subscribe in iTunes

Internet archive file for this book

Click here to see a downloadable resource from CurrClick which could be used in studying this book. This link will take you away from My Audio School.

To hear this book, click play in the box below or click on the chapter titles.

tn_Dolittle, Papageienmann, 1902, by Max Liebermann, public domain image

Book summary from Librivox: In The Story of Doctor Dolittle (1920), the first of Hugh Lofting’s Doctor Dolittle books, we are introduced to the good doctor who gives up treating people after Polynesia, his parrot, teaches him animal languages. His fame in the animal kingdom spreads throughout the world and soon he sets off to cure a monkey epidemic in Africa, finding all sorts of exciting adventures on the way.

This recording is of the original edition, which is in the public domain. Later editions, which are still under copyright, changed some language and plot elements that are considered racially derogatory.
(Summary adapted from wikipedia.org by Annie Coleman)

Author’s Note and Dedication ; Introduction – 00:08:55

The First Chapter – Puddleby – 00:06:10

The Second Chapter – Animal Language – 00:13:08

Man's Best Friend by Repin, 1908, public domain

The Third Chapter – More Money Troubles – 00:07:28

The Fourth Chapter – A Message From Africa – 00:06:19

The Fifth Chapter – The Great Journey – 00:06:24

The Sixth Chapter – Polynesia and the King – 00:06:07

Junge Angorakatze, painting by German-Hungarian painter Arthur Heyer, public domain image

The Seventh Chapter – The Bridge of Apes – 00:11:04

The Eighth Chapter – The Leader of the Lions – 00:07:07

The Ninth Chapter – The Monkeys’ Council – 00:06:20

The Tenth Chapter – The Rarest Animal of All – 00:09:13

The Eleventh Chapter – The Black Prince – 00:10:33

The Twelfth Chapter – Medicine and Magic – 00:15:07

The Menagerie by Melchior d'Hondecoeter, public domain image

The Thirteenth Chapter – Red Sails and Blue Wings – 00:07:27

The Fourteenth Chapter – The Rats’ Warning – 00:08:21

The Fifteenth Chapter – The Barbary Dragon – 00:10:37

The Sixteenth Chapter – Too-Too the Listener – 00:07:58

The Seventeenth Chapter – The Ocean Gossips – 00:07:28

The Eighteenth Chapter – Smells – 00:12:19

The Nineteenth Chapter – The Rock – 00:08:29

The Twentieth Chapter – The Fisherman – 00:07:09

The Last Chapter – Home Again – 00:05:02

20th Century Radio: The Listening Years

General Douglas MacArthur signs Japanese surrender instrument

You are There The Listening Years

This short program includes several brief You are There segments, originally put together to commemorate a CBS radio anniversary.  The focus of the program is on historic 20th century events that people could hear firsthand through the advent of radio.   This program is an enjoyable, quick overview of some of radio’s news highlights from the 20th Century.

The program begins with a broadcast about the surrender of the Japanese at the end of World War 2.

The next excerpt is from   a horse race at the Kentucky Derby.

Kentucky Derby, 1931, Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike Germany 3.0 license

The third excerpt is King Edward abdicating his throne for love, December 11, 1936.

The fourth segment is about a 1930’s fire within the walls of the Ohio State Penitentiary.

The next segment highlights FDR’s first inaugural address, the Great Depression and World War 2, followed by FDR’s address to congress asking for a declaration of war.

D-Day, June 6, 1944, Normandy

The next segment is about the Allied landing in France on D-Day.

Next, the program highlights the Howard Hughes trial.

Finally, You are There covers a November 6, 1947 discussion in the United Nations.

John F. Kennedy speeches

John F. Kennedy, White House photo portrait

The BBC has links to several of John F. Kennedy’s speeches, along with written transcripts.  You will need Real Player to listen to these audio clips, and there are links for downloading it beneath each audio clip.

Click here to go to the BBC Kennedy audio page.

Speeches include:

“Ask not what your country can do for you…”  Inaugural address, January 20, 1961

“The differences today are usually matters of degree”, Yale University commencement, June 11, 1962

“Our policy has been one of patience and restraint”, Cuban missile crisis, October 22, 1962

“We are confronted primarily with a moral issue”, civil rights speech, June 11, 1963

“A shaft of light into the darkness”, The Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, July 26, 1963

Clicking these links will take you away from My Audio School.  Kids, please get permission before leaving My Audio School.

Click here to see downloadable curriculum resources from CurrClick relating to John F. Kennedy.

The Brighton Boys in the Radio Service by James Driscoll

World War 1, Studying French in the trenches

Download to Mp3

Subscribe in iTunes

Read the book online

To hear this book, click play in the box below or click on the chapter titles.

Running time:  3 hours 41 minutes.

World War 1, in the engine room of a submarine

The Brighton Boys in the Radio Service is a boys adventure story set in WWI.  Three College Chums join the military and face the perils of spies, submarines and enemy soldiers in the trenches of embattled Europe. An engaging story set in a period where good guys wore white hats, bad guys wore black hats and every chapter ends with a cliffhanger so you have to come back for more! (Summary by Tom Clifton on Librivox)

01  For Uncle Sam 00:12:58

02  Into the Service–  A Spy 00:14:05

03  Unexpected Action 00:09:13

04  Farewell, United States 00:10:31

László Mednyánszky, Soldiers 1914-1918, public domain image

05 The Fight in the Wireless Room 00:13:12

06 The Mystery of the Iron Cross 00:10:22

07  The Timely Rescue 00:11:13

08  The Death of the Spy 00:12:04

WW1 -Paul_von_Hindenbrug_WWI_poster_2

09  The Periscope at Dawn 00:08:49

10  France at Last 00:07:24

11 Tapping the Enemy’s Wire 00:12:43

12  The SOS With Pistol Shots 00:09:16

13 The Cave of Death 00:12:54

World War 1, Carl Boessenroth, U-boot Auf der Fahrt

14 Desperate Measures 00:11:08

15  The Surprise Attack– Promotion 00:12:09

16  A Tight Place 00:14:39

17  The Lieutenant’s Invention 00:09:09

WW1 Battle of Tanga, 3rd-5th November, 1914, by Martin Frost

18  Slim Goodwin A Prisoner 00:10:50

19  Turning the Tables 00:10:01

20  The Great News 00:08:18

WW1 Childe Hassam, Allies Day, May 1917

William Butler Yeats, selected poetry

William Butler Yeats, 1865-1939, Irish poet and dramatist

Click here to see a selection of downloadable curriculum resources from CurrClick for studying poetry.

The Lake Isle of Innisfree

The Lake Isle of Innisfree e-text

The Fisherman

The Fisherman e-text

Easter 1916

Easter, 1916 e-text

Easter Lily, published under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 license by author UpstateNYer

Where My Books Go

Where My Books Go e-text

Aedh Wishes for the Coths of Heaven

Aedh Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven e-text

Young Girl, Spielendes Maedchen, by Hubert Golz


Prayer for my Daughter

A Prayer for My Daughter e-text

Blood and the Moon

Blood and the Moon e-text

Oil and Blood

Oil and Blood e-text

Vetheuil in Winter by Claude Monet

The Wheel

The Wheel e-text

The Magi

The Magi e-text

The Cradle by Berthe Morisot

A Cradle Song

A Cradle Song

THE angels are stooping
Above your bed;
They weary of trooping
With the whimpering dead.
God’s laughing in Heaven
To see you so good;
The Sailing Seven
Are gay with His mood.
I sigh that kiss you,
For I must own
That I shall miss you
When you have grown.

The Story of Mankind by Hendrik van Loon

story_mankind_1003

Download to Mp3

Read this book yourself online or on a Kindle, or read it here with accompanying illustrations.

Subscribe in iTunes

Internet Archive Page

Summary: Relates the story of western civilization from earliest times through the beginning of the twentieth century, with special emphasis on the people and events that changed the course of history. Portrays in vivid prose the achievements of mankind in the areas of art and discovery, as well as the political forces leading to the modern nation-states. Richly illustrated with drawings by the author. Winner of the first Newbery Award in 1922, The Story of Mankind has introduced generations of children to the pageant of world history. (Summary from mainlesson.com)

Running time:  13 hours

Note to parent:  I am including this book on My Audio School, as it is used by Ambleside Online curriculum.  They recommend it for older children (middle school through high school).

My Audio School is being used by so many children whose families hold varying perspectives on creation and evolution.  I have not provided links for the first 3 chapters of this book, (30 minutes of material), which are full of evolutionary content.  Should you need to refer to these chapters, you can use the links provided above for reading or downloading this book at its Internet Archive page in its entirety.  I have not pre-read the majority of this book, but found evolutionary references in the two additional chapters that I listened to (The Age of Science and The New World).  Please be aware there may be evolutionary content in other chapters, as well.  Should you have further questions about the suitability of this book please read this review from Cathy Duffy.

04 Hieroglyphics

05 The Nile Valley

06 The Story of Egypt

07 Mesopotamia

08 The Sumerians

09 Moses

10 The Phoenicians

11 The Indo-Europeans

12 The Aegean Sea

13 The Greeks

14 The Greek Cities

15 Greek Self-Government

16 Greek Life

17 The Greek Theatre

18 The Persian Wars

19 Athens vs. Sparta

20 Alexander the Great

21 A Summary

22 Rome and Carthage

23 The Rise of Rome

24 The Roman Empire

25 Joshua of Nazareth

26 The Fall of Rome

27 Rise of the Church

28 Mohammed

29 Charlemagne

30 The Norsemen

31 Feudalism

32 Chivalry

33 Pope vs. Emperor

34 The Crusades

35 The Medieval City

36 Medieval Self-Government

37 The Medieval World

38 Medieval Trade

39 The Renaissance

40 The Age of Expression

41 The Great Discoveries

42 Buddha and Confucius

43 The Reformation

44 Religious Warfare

45 The English Revolution

46 The Balance of Power

47 The Rise of Russia

48 Russia vs Sweden

49 The Rise of Prussia

50 The Mercantile System

51 The American Revolution

52 The French Revolution

53 Napoleon

54 The Holy Alliance

55 The Great Reaction

56 National Independence

57 The Age of the Engine

58 The Social Revolution

59 Emancipation

60 The Age of Science

61 Art

62 Colonial Expansion and War

63 A New World

64 As It Shall Ever Be

The Wind in the Willows

Wind in the Willows, Rat, Mole, Toad, and Badger

Download as a zipped file

Internet archive file

Subscribe in iTunes

Read this book yourself.

To stream this book, click play in the box below, or click on the chapter titles.

This recording is by Mark Smith, and lasts 6 hours, 48 minutes.

Wind in the Willows 1913 cover

The River Bank

The Open Road

The Wild Wood

Mr. Badger

Dulce Domum

Wind in the Willows, Paul Bransom, Mr. Toad standing

Mr. Toad

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Wind in the Willows, 1913, Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Toad’s Adventures

Wayfarers All

The Further Adventures of Toad

Like Summer Tempests Came His Tears

The Return of Ulysses

Winston Churchill

Parents, please do not allow your children to peruse YouTube (or any other video sharing site) alone, and preview all video content before sharing with your children.


Winston Churchill: Do Your Worst

Winston Churchill Biography in Sound on Old Time Radio Programs

Winston Churchill’s famous 1942 speech in the U.S., “Now we are masters of our fate”


brief clip from Winston Churchill’s 1940 speech

Winston Churchill’s speech about the Iron Curtain

Winston Churchill: We Shall Fight on the Beaches

Churchill’s speech about the German surrender:


Historic footage of VE Day in London, 8th May, 1945

Click here to see a selection of downloadable curriculum resources from CurrClick related to a study of World War 2.

Fall of the Berlin Wall

Fall of the Berlin wall, 1989, published under GNU Free Documentation License by copyright holder Lear 21

Parents, please do not allow your children to peruse YouTube (or any other video sharing site) alone, and preview all video content before sharing with your children.

ABC News Broadcast of the Fall of the Berlin Wall.

Here is another video clip, this time of Regan at the Brandenburg Gate, pleading with Gorbachev to “Tear down this wall!”

Parents, please do not allow your children to peruse YouTube (or any other video sharing site) alone, and preview all video content before sharing with your children.

Click here to see a Cold War Era project pack for 7th grade and above from CurrClick. This link will take you away from My Audio School.

The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, translated by Samuel Moore

Communist Manifesto manuscript
Internet archive

Download as a zipped file


Subscribe in iTunes

Read this book

A recording in the original German language is available here.

Click here to see a Cold War Era project pack for 7th grade and above from CurrClick. This link will take you away from My Audio School.

Note: Technically this book belongs to 19th century literature, as it was published in 1848, but because of the impact it had on the 20th century we are classifying it here, as well.

Communist Manifesto authors Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx, with Marx's wife Jenny and their daughters Laura and Eleanor

Section 1: Bourgeois and Proletarians  00:39:48

Section 2: Proletarians and Communists 00:27:24

Section 3: Socialist and Communist Literature 00:29:41

Panama Canal video

Here is an interesting time-lapse video showing the journey of a cruise ship through the Panama Canal from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean. In less than 2 minutes you’ll get a good understanding of the length of the canal and how a ship moves through the locks.

Parents, please do not allow your children to peruse YouTube (or any other video sharing site) alone, and preview all video content before sharing with your children.

Click here to see a selection of downloadable curriculum resources from CurrClick which could be used while studying the Panama Canal. This link will take you away from My Audio School.