Author: Charles River Editors
Narrator: Colin Fluxman
Unabridged: 1 hr 49 min
Format: Digital Audiobook
Publisher: Findaway Voices
Published: 06/05/2019
Genre: Biography & Autobiography - Presidents & Heads Of State
Before World War II, few in the West had ever heard of Abyssinia, and fewer still could point to a map and tell precisely where it was. On the eve of that war, in the autumn of 1935, as the forces of imperial Italy prepared to invade the sovereign territory of Ethiopia, the leaders of the Allies brimmed with sympathy for the imperiled African kingdom but offered nothing in the way of practical assistance. Rallying his subjects against the invaders was Negus Negusti, the “King of Kings,” Emperor Haile Selassie, the last ruler of the great Solomonic Dynasty of Ethiopia. The Italians, led by Benito Mussolini, were practically unassailable at that point, and while a bold resistance was mounted to hold back their invasion, the effort was ultimately futile. On May 2, 1936, as the Italian army bore down on the capital at Addis Ababa, Emperor Haile Selassie boarded a train and fled east to the French territory of Djibouti. From there, he was granted asylum in Britain.
Haile Selassie, a god-like figure among his devotees and followers, was recognized then as one of the great political personalities of the 20th century, and his influence over world affairs was disproportionate, bearing in mind the minor international significance of Ethiopia itself, a feudal society steeped in medieval traditions. His “Appeal to the League of Nations,” an address delivered to the world body in 1936 that admonished it for betraying its own principles, still ranks today as one of the greatest moments of political oratory ever recorded.
Following the hugely successful memoir of his boyhood, An Hour Before Daylight, Jimmy Carter remembers Christmas in Plains -- this very special day provides a source of spiritual inspiration, respite, family ties, friendship, vacation fun, and the s...
Explore the secret behind George Washington’s military genius with an award-winning West Point history professor. George Washington came to be known as Father of His Country. In his role as commander in chief of the Continental Army, Geor...
"Revered as a consummate statesman who cemented America’s place on the global stage, Franklin Delano Roosevelt affected tremendous change in the United States in course of his career. To understand his life is to understand how the nation clai...
If you've ever wondered what it's like to be the best basketball player who ever lived, then Legends in Sports: Michael Jordan is the audiobook for you. In this exciting biography, Matt Christopher, the number one children's sportswriter in America,...
Woodrow Wilson sheds new light on Wilson’s upbringing and career and shows the grim determination that carried him to the presidency just before World War I. From the dynamic figure whose ringing speeches hypnotized vast crowds, to t...
As was the case across Africa, the political mood in the Congo colony remained stable until the end of World War II, but in 1947, India achieved independence and triggered a domino effect that led to the rapid decolonization of Africa. The first su...
Recognized as one of the most comprehensive oral histories of apartheid ever broadcast (NPR, BBC, CBC, SABC), Mandela: An Audio History tells the story of the struggle against apartheid through rare sound recordings. The series weaves together more ...
Abraham Lincoln was arguably the greatest American president. Now, you can take a deeper look at his powerful presidency and the war that shook America 150 years ago in this insightful course. Raised in Kentucky and Indiana by a father who did not ...
The New York Times bestselling authors of Mrs. Kennedy and Me share the stories behind the five infamous, tragic days surrounding JFK’s assassination, published in remembrance of the beloved president on the fiftieth anniversary of his death.C...